Reality Hacker: Apocalypse Loop

THUD. 

Ethan's hand first closed around the box marked with the 「Sorrow Frown」. Instinct screamed that something was wrong. He quickly lunged for its twin, the one marked with the chilling 「Grinning Skull」. 

CLUNK. 

The Skull box didn't move. It felt like it was welded shut. Planting his feet in the silt, he wrapped both hands around it and pulled. His muscles screamed, and his lungs burned. Oxygen bled away. 

Nothing. It wouldn't budge.

Frustrated, he dropped the Sorrow box and seized the Grinning Skull again. The moment his skin touched the cold metal, 

Weight vanished. 

It lifted like Styrofoam. Effortless. Wrongly lit. Relief battled with dread. He reached back for the Sorrow box. 

THUD. 

His fingers slipped off the polished obsidian. It was locked. Sealed. 

[SYSTEM RULE ACTIVATED] 

One Artifact Per Player. 

The harsh truth hit him. But which box held salvation? The Grinning Skull pulsed ominously in his grip. 

GASP! HOOWWKK—!

He burst through the surface, gagging on vile sludge, and scrambled onto the slippery bank. He collapsed, chest heaving, and gasped for thin, foul air. His eyes fixated on the dripping box. The Skull emblem seemed to mock him. A simple brass latch. Just one flick.

Inside, nestled in midnight velvet, lay a dagger. Small and unremarkable. Its edge shone with an unnatural chill.

DING!

「 CONGRATULATIONS, PLAYER! 」

Item Acquired: [Soulrend Dagger] (Jiangcheng Disaster-class Key Item) 

Effect: Auto-targets and annihilates [Puppet Monsters]. Grants a large number of Survival Points. 

(Bound to Scenario. Cannot be removed.)

Good. A glimmer of hope ignited. But the pressing question remained: Does this kill the real Boss? Wan'er? Logic suggested yes. But why the locked twin? What terror did 「Sorrow」 conceal?

His thoughts shattered.

"Hey, kid."

The voice was icy. Ethan turned quickly, hiding the dagger behind his back. Ten paces away stood a lean young man. His eyes narrowed. He was focused not on Ethan, but on the blade's gleam. Pure, predatory hunger radiated from him. A player.

"Hand it over." The tone was flat and final. "Don't make this messy."

"Serenity Squad?" Ethan asked, his voice tight. Old John said they knew the lake.

A flicker of surprise crossed the man's face, quickly replaced by a cold sneer. "Huh. You know our name? This makes it easier. You understand that resisting is suicide. Give. It. Here."

Ethan's heart raced. The man's stance showed he had combat skills. Ethan knew he stood no chance. Worse, the Soulrend Dagger was useless against humans. Negotiation was his only option.

"Old John sent me. For the weapon." Ethan forced himself to remain calm. "Maybe we can make a deal?"

"Old John?" The man let out a harsh laugh. "You think that broken-down relic intimidates me? Using him as a threat?"

Silence fell. Ethan's last bargaining chip vanished.

"Fine. Take it." He placed the dagger back in its box and tossed it underhanded.

SNATCH! The stranger caught it mid-air, flipped the lid, and ran a finger along the cold edge. Ethan saw the exact moment the System notification hit; a vicious, triumphant grin spread across the man's face. He snapped the box shut.

"Smart kid." The stranger gave a mocking nod. The box disappeared into his jacket. He turned and walked into the skeletal trees. Gone.

Ethan watched him disappear. Cold fury battled with a primal relief. Only when the last footstep faded did the tension drain from his shoulders like poison. No respawn coins and perma-death here. He could've made me vanish. Playing smart was survival.

He waited for fifteen frozen minutes. Only the wind stirred the dead leaves. Alone, his gaze returned to the toxic, shimmering lake.

The other box was still down there. 「Sorrow」.

The Grinning Skull held the monster-slayer. What did 「Sorrow」 hide? Why just one? A lake rule, or a player's limit?

Returning empty-handed meant death by Wan'er's design. The dagger was gone. He had to go back.

[Eyes of the Doomed]

Cooldown: 20m.

Wan'er and Wang Zi Chen could be at John's fortress right now. She might already know. She could be turning the lake into a slaughterhouse.

Time bled out.

The foul water gaped like an open grave. Gritting his teeth and pinching his nose shut, Ethan plunged back into the icy, suffocating filth.

Silty Bottom.

He reached. The 「Sorrow Frown」 box lifted effortlessly. Weightless. One per player. The choice was made.

GASP! He broke the surface. He didn't pause. He ripped off his soaked shirt, scrubbing slime from his skin and hair. The filthy rag hit a bin with a wet THWAP. Shivering violently in his jacket, he clutched the cold, mysterious box against his chest like a secret and vanished into the dying forest.

<| STEEL FORTRESS COMMAND CENTER |>

Old John's finger tapped a holographic map. Wang Zi Chen leaned in with a furrowed brow. Wan'er stood slightly apart, serene, her hands clasped loosely.

"Plan's set," John's voice echoed in the reinforced chamber. "Hit the Forest Park lake. Retrieve the weapon." He traced a glowing path. "Link with Serenity Squad. Primary targets: The Mayor and his son—eliminate both Final Bosses. Clear the Jiangcheng Scenario. Secure full rewards." His finger jabbed the map. "Execution: Zero Hundred Hours. Sharp."

Wan'er's knuckles whitened, almost imperceptibly, where they gripped the console's edge. Her gaze was fixed on the pulsing marker over the lake. When she looked up, her smile was calm honey. "Understood."