Suddenly, Alen moved toward the panicked crowd with incredible speed, moving so fast he left only a fading afterimage behind.

[Nexus Sword Art: Sound Type - Sonic Boom!]

A sudden, explosive wave of sound shot outward across a massive radius as Alen swung his sword in a wide, horizontal 180-degree arc.

The people caught in the radius of the attack immediately collapsed to the ground, crying out in agony as their ears started to bleed from the ruptured eardrums.

"What is that?!"

"AHHH! Make it stop! My ears are going to burst!"

"AHHHH!..."

As the crowd began to scream in disorientation, Alen didn’t waste a single second.

[Phantom Step!]

He suddenly appeared behind one of the men kneeling helplessly on the ground. Without a word of hesitation, he brought his sword to the man’s neck and slashed.

*Thud!*

As the man’s lifeless body collapsed onto the stone floor, Alen looked up at the nearby people who were staring at him in sheer horror.

There wasn’t a single ounce of guilt in Alen’s expression. He had just watched this very man murder several other humans with his own hands to survive. Furthermore, Alen had already taken human lives in his past world; this was not a new boundary for him to cross.

He turned his blank, cold eyes toward the terrified crowd.

"You know what? I am no different from any of you..."

"I am also desperately clinging to my own life. I also want to escape this damn place and find some happiness out there. I also want to live peacefully somewhere, where all of my dreams can be fulfilled..."

"But life doesn’t give everyone a fair chance. If you want to achieve your ’Path’, you have to snatch that chance with your own two hands."

He tightened his grip on his bloodstained sword.

"Now... I don’t want to waste my time here. I am busy thinking about the next Wave. So, if you’ll excuse me..."

He moved with incredible speed toward another man who was actively trying to backstab a distracted victim.

Alen appeared directly behind the attacker without making a single sound. By the time the man realized someone was behind him, it was already too late. Alen’s sword cleanly severed his neck.

The man’s head hit the ground, and his lifeless body stood frozen for a few seconds before finally collapsing next to it.

The victim who had just been saved by Alen stared at the dead body in shock. Seeing an opportunity, the victim quickly raised his own weapon and prepared to attack Alen while his back was turned.

The man’s blade neared Alen’s neck, thrusting forward for a fatal strike.

Suddenly, the blade passed through thin air. It was just an afterimage. Alen had already stepped directly behind him.

"It’s wrong to try and kill the person who just protected you. You should have learned better morals from your parents..."

Alen whispered coldly.

Alen swung his sword. The bewildered man’s neck was slashed open, blood spraying as he fell to the ground lifeless.

Across the cavern, Serene and Zane stared at him with expressions of pure horror. They looked at him as if he were a monster.

Alen didn’t mind what others thought about him in the slightest. In the back of his mind, he knew that what he was doing was wrong. But there was no one here to judge him. He was doing this to survive. Survival wasn’t just about making up his mind; it was about strengthening his resolve to forge his own Path. It was about becoming a version of himself that no one could ignore, and no one could look down upon. If he had to become a monster in order to survive, he would become one.

Unless he was put in a situation where he had to kill a truly innocent person, he would never back down from his Path.

Glancing at another hostile opponent, his body blurred as he continued to massacre the hostile Awakeners to complete his quota.

Zane stood a short distance away. Watching Alen finish the bloody task, he felt an unknown sense of terror. He couldn’t believe the young boy he had fought earlier was capable of slaughtering fellow humans without a single shred of guilt.

As Zane stared at the massacre, his intuition suddenly spiked violently. He sensed a hostile presence directly behind them.

He spun around and saw a desperate woman standing right behind Serene, violently thrusting a sword toward the blue-haired girl’s back while she was completely lost in a daze.

"Sera, snap out of it!"

Zane didn’t think twice. He threw himself forward, shielding her with his own body just as the sword thrust forward. The blade sank deeply into his back instead of hers.

*Gah!...*

Blood leaked from the corner of Zane’s mouth as he prevented the sword from reaching Serene. Instantly, his shadow violently lashed out. It formed a dark spike, thrusting straight through the woman’s chest and throwing her body several meters away.

A massive hole was blown through the woman’s torso. Life slipped away from her body as she collapsed lifelessly.

Serene snapped out of her dazed horror. Feeling Zane’s arms wrapped protectively around her, she looked up and noticed the blood.

"What?! What happened?! Why are you injured?! Who did this?!" Serene panicked, her hands trembling.

Zane swayed heavily, supporting his weight on his pitch-black sword as Serene hurriedly grabbed his shoulder to keep him upright.

She instantly channeled her mana, tears welling in her eyes.

[The Heaven’s Grace: Healing Type - Precision Heal!]

A warm, radiant light enveloped Zane’s back. The wound began to heal rapidly and precisely, knitting the internal damage back together as Serene slowly and carefully pulled the bloody sword out of his back, making sure not to hurt him further.

"Ughh..." Zane grunted.

"It’s okay... You’re okay... You’re completely fine... Yeah, you’re okay..." Serene babbled frantically, tears spilling from her eyes as she stared at his closing wound.

It was entirely because of her lack of focus that he had been hurt.

"Sera... It’s okay," Zane coughed, forcing a weak smile.

"It’s not your fault. It’s just that we failed to judge the difference between who is good and who is bad in a place like this."

"And... I’ve realized something... There is no person in this world who is completely pure to their soul. Life always forces people to choose a path where they eventually have to do something bad, or something they hate. That’s how humans grow... That is the harsh reality of life."

He reached out and gently held her trembling hand. She looked up at him with fearful, teary eyes, wiping them quickly before a look of deep, protective anger settled over her features.

"Sera... There are only thirty seconds left on the quest timer..."

"I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. But... you have to know that there is always someone out there who is desperate for you to be safe and sound. Someone who wants you to live peacefully. And if you die here... that person might not be able to live without you."

He squeezed her hand.

"So... I want you to choose whatever you think is best for your survival. And know that I will always stand beside you to support you."

He looked away, his cheeks flushing slightly.

"Ahem! Of course, as a friend..."

Serene looked deeply into his face. Hearing his words, her fear completely vanished. She finally decided what she had to do.

She turned her head toward the crowd of hostile Awakeners rapidly approaching their position. She channeled a massive surge of mana into her hands, her silver eyes glowing with absolute resolve.

[In the name of Heaven... I bless myself—my overall attack power will be boosted twofold!]

[The Heaven’s Grace: Wind Type - Tempest Blast!]