Chapter 48: The Gamble

Words : 1543 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Gamble Darkness cloaked the eastern side of the Deserted Isle as the crescent moon barely peeked through the thick clouds. The once-still forest floor now bore the pounding footsteps of a lone figure racing through the trees, each step lighter than the last yet more desperate. Alex Dragonheart was running for his life. The night hung heavy over the Deserted Isle like a suffocating veil, shrouding everything in an eerie silence broken only by the crunch of footsteps slamming through the underbrush. "Shit... shit... shit..." he whispered, barely able to hear his own voice over the rushing wind in his ears. His heart pounded—not just from exhaustion, but from sheer terror. Branches scratched his face. His boots, scuffed and nearly torn, struck the dry ground with a precision born of training and panic alike. "Move, move, MOVE!" he hissed to himself, legs pumping as he darted through the thick foliage, heading toward the eastern side of the island like a man possessed. Every muscle in his body screamed, but adrenaline drowned it all out. His heart thundered like war drums in his ears, and his lungs burned with every breath. He didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop. Not yet. His foot caught on a root, and he stumbled forward—barely catching himself on a jagged boulder. He hunched there, panting, the chill of the night contrasting the sweat drenching his back. Only after realizing he’d made it over the fourth ridge—deep into the unmonitored eastern stretch—did he dare to stop. Bent over, hands on his knees, sweat streaming down his face, he gasped like a fish thrown on dry land. "Fuck... she saw me," he muttered, staring at the dirt. Her image conjured instantly in his mind—Isadora Vale. Pale skin streaked with blood and grime, balck eyes sharp despite the bruises on her face. She had seen him. Even if it was just for a second. And that second had ruined everything. He collapsed onto his back, eyes scanning the black sky. "Great job, Alex. Absolutely brilliant. You just pissed off three of the main cast in one night." He had snatched their prey. Worse, he’d done it right under their noses. He knew exactly what kind of hornet’s nest he’d kicked. Lilith Noctis Bloodrose. Charlotte Evans Avaloria. Seraphina Starlight. Any one of them would be enough to give him nightmares. Now he was on all three of their shit lists. "This wasn’t part of the plan," he groaned. He closed his eyes, forcing his brain to rewind—to piece together what led him here. What forced him into the stupidest, most suicidal move he’d pulled since transmigrating. --- Eight Hours Ago After eliminating the seven vampires he had encountered, Alex sat down to think about the game and remembered Lilith’s deceptively simple strategy—capturing candidates using her followers and stealing their points. It was shockingly effective. So, to reach first place, Alex racked his brain for something better. And a devilish idea took root. It was risky—insanely risky. But if it worked, he was 90% sure he could shoot to first place. The plan had been simple: Hunt monsters. Eliminate weak candidates. Build up his point count. But with just a little twist. He didn’t eliminate every candidate. Instead, he let some go—because he knew they were working for another dangerous player. And his plan was to let these two dangerous players fight against each other so he can steal the kill. While they are busy fighting with each other and ripping each other apart he will eliminate the captured candidates. But for that the first thing he had to do was spread this information so it can reach the ears of Charlotte evans avaloria the first princess of the human empire and a very cunning and dangerous individual. So he watched these candidates closely. He watched them. Listened. Baited them into thinking they’d escaped. In reality, he allowed the group of frightened candidates to flee. They were limping, injured, barely hanging on. He shadowed them for a few minutes, ensuring they didn’t detect him. Then he stepped into their path with his best concerned-older-brother face. "You guys are so pitiful. It truly breaks my heart to eliminate you," he said, with mock sympathy. "Okay, so—I’ll let you go." Their expressions brightened. "But you have to do just one thing for me." A frightened candidate mustered up the courage to ask, "We’ll do anything. Just please don’t eliminate us." Alex smiled—a smile that frightened them more than any monster. "Lilith Noctis Bloodrose," he said dramatically, eyes narrowed, "is capturing candidates and draining their points. You didn’t hear this from me. Spread the word. Let people know." "W-why are you letting us go?" one of them asked. Alex smiled, patting him on the shoulder. "Because sometimes, we need to stand up to people like them." He didn’t mention that Charlotte was one of those people—or that she was equally terrifying. He had bet on someone like Charlotte hearing the rumor. He’d been right. What he hadn’t expected... was Seraphina joining the mix. That changed everything. --- So Alex did the only smart thing: he hid. Nestled deep on the western side of the island, he found the perfect vantage point to watch things unfold. The moment arrived with a satisfying boom. A brawl erupted between the human candidates and the vampire forces. Magic lit the sky, swords clashed, and chaos roared across the island like wildfire. Alex remained unseen. His eyes, however, never left the captured candidates’ makeshift prison. No guards. Everyone was too busy fighting to babysit prisoners. But there was still one major problem—the three nightmares. Lilith. Charlotte. Seraphina. They were all there, engaged in a spectacle of violence that would’ve made gladiators weep. And if they sensed him? He’d be a smear on the sand. He gritted his teeth, steeling his nerves. He hadn’t come this far just to spectate. He had a plan. --- Alex crouched behind a fallen pillar on the western side of the Deserted Isle, his breath calm, his aura sealed. He watched the chaos unfold in the distance. Explosions. Screams. Glowing red eyes versus brilliant golden light. Lilith Noctis Bloodrose was in a full clash against Charlotte Evans Avaloria. And joining them unexpectedly was Seraphina Starlight. The Vampire Princess. The Royal Battle Angel. The Ice Empress. A scene that could send shivers down anyone’s spine. But Alex? He grinned. "They’re all occupied. Good." He activated his second skill: Veil of Faint Steps—purchased alongside his Night Vision skill—and read its description from his system window. --- Skill: Veil of Faint Steps Rank: E Type: Active Cooldown: 0 seconds Suppresses minor sounds, dims the user’s aura, and helps them blend into surroundings. --- It had nearly emptied his wallet—reminding him how expensive even an E-rank skill could be in this world. But it was worth it. The skill did exactly what he needed most: keep his presence faint. To seal the deal, he paired it with Celestial Flow—a movement art built on fluidity, silence, and unpredictability. Add his lightning affinity to boost speed, and suddenly you had a stealth torpedo. When the trio’s battle reached its crescendo, Alex activated everything at once: Celestial Flow stance. Veil of Faint Steps. Lightning-enhanced legs. He vanished into a blur. To the untrained eye, it looked like nothing. A breeze. A trick of the light. To the Intermediate Rank cadets he flew past, it was a blur too fast to stop. Alex moved through the ranks of captured candidates with surgical precision. Slash. Stab. Cut. One by one, he eliminated them. No monologues. No drama. Just quick, clean kills. He wasn’t proud of it. These were victims. But this was the Zenith Entrance Test, and sentiment didn’t buy survival. It was him or them. And he chose him. Victory was the only mercy. As the final body fell, Alex felt the adrenaline falter. Pain hit him like a truck. His legs throbbed. His lungs burned. His mana reserves were drained. He paused. Just for a second. And that was one second too long. Because as he turned to bolt—he saw her. Isadora Vale. Bloody. Bruised. Tired. And staring directly at him. Their eyes met. Hers widened. His soul screamed. "Nope. Nope nope nope!" He knew better than to eliminate her. Too many variables. Too many witnesses. More importantly—she was standing right between him and three ticking mana nukes. If he tried anything, the girls would notice. So he did what he was best at: He ran. Full speed. Full sprint. Full retreat. "I am not going near any of those three girls ever again," he growled, bolting east. Behind him, the island exploded with noise again. --- Present Moment Alex kept running until his legs screamed bloody murder. He finally slowed near the edge of a cliff. The ocean shimmered below. His chest rose and fell rapidly. He looked back. Nothing. So he ignored it and started running back again. After he was far enough. A rustle. A figure emerged from the shadows behind a palm tree. A boy, human, wearing tattered gear. His expression was grim. "So that’s the heretic Saint Candidate Elias warned us about," the boy muttered, eyes fixed on Alex. "I have to inform him."

Chapter 48: The Gamble

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