Chapter 49 | Reunion & Death!?
Chapter 49: 49 | Reunion & Death!?
At that moment, a familiar notification echoed throughout Heaven’s Domain.
[Ding!]
[System: Twenty-four hours of gameplay completed.]
[Players may now log out of Heaven’s Domain.]
The World Chat exploded with excitement.
[Sam L: We did it! We survived the first twenty-four hours!]
[Luna O: Finally! I can go back to the real world!]
[Darius I: I never want to see those monsters again.]
[Rose B: I actually survived... I really survived...]
[Ian D: This place is terrifying.]
Messages flooded the chat window one after another, filled with relief, excitement, fear, and disbelief.
Andrew let out a slow breath as he looked at the notification hovering before him.
A second prompt appeared.
[System: Do you wish to log out now?]
[Yes] [No – Continue your adventure in Heaven’s Domain]
"I choose... Log Out."
Before entering Heaven’s Domain, Principal Constant had repeatedly warned them not to remain connected for more than twenty-four consecutive hours.
The human mind could only withstand so much strain.
Remaining logged in for too long could exhaust one’s consciousness, resulting in permanent mental damage. In severe cases, a person could lose their sanity entirely, or become nothing more than an empty shell, trapped in a vegetative state.
The instant Andrew confirmed his choice, a warm surge of energy enveloped his body.
The world around him shattered into countless fragments of light.
His vision spun violently.
It felt as though he had been thrown into an endless whirlpool.
His body twisted...
Turned...
Spun...
Everything around him became a chaotic blur of light and darkness.
Then—
With a sudden jolt—
The sensation vanished.
Andrew slowly opened his eyes.
The familiar ceiling of Maryland Academy’s stadium greeted him.
The cold ground beneath his feet felt real.
Around him, flashes of white light erupted as students materialized one after another.
Some cried with relief, others laughed excitedly while discussing the monsters they had fought.
Some remained silent, still unable to process everything they had experienced. A few of them flinched at sudden noises, as if expecting a monster to jump out at them from behind the nearest seat.
It almost felt like waking from a nightmare. The transition was so sudden, so complete, that it was hard to believe the game world had ever been real.
Andrew slowly scanned the crowd.
Then he saw her.
Monica.
She had just appeared a short distance away, her body materializing from a stream of white light like every other student. She stumbled slightly as she gained her footing. For a moment, she was dazed.
Then reality seemed to crash down on her as she frantically searched the crowd.
Her golden eyes engraved with the beautiful B letter darted around in panic as she panted heavily.
She and his predecessor had been through thick and thin together. They had known each other since they were seven years old, raised each other, protected each other, supported each other through years of hardship and loneliness.
Anytime he was being bullied by other kids about his traitorous father, she always stepped in and made sure to bully them right back. She was small but extremely fierce.
She taught him how to fight back and very soon, they both dominated the Orphanage with authority just less than being the matron herself.
They were best friends and while they had never been romantically involved, they felt like lovers.
When their eyes finally met across the crowded stadium, tears instantly welled up in hers.
"Andrew!"
She screamed his name without care who heard her and sprinted toward him without hesitation, her blonde hair streaming behind her like a golden banner. People stepped out of her way, startled.
And then she threw herself with enough force Andrew actually slid backwards a few steps.
Her arms wrapped around him tightly with her face pressing against his chest, her body trembling with the force of her emotions.
"You idiot..." she sobbed, clutching his shirt tightly enough to wrinkle the fabric. "You entered the Culling Game after I warned you! I thought... I thought you were dead..."
Her voice broke as she cried on him, tears soaking into his shirt, as she clutched him tight back afraid he would disappear if she let go.
Andrew gently stroked her hair, allowing her to cry. He could tell she had been terrified. But how does he explain to her the original andree wasn’t alive any longer and he was an imposter with just the same memories?
"I’m fine," he whispered softly in her ears.
"It’s over. See, I’m alive and We’re back together again."
The words were simple, but they were what she needed to hear. Her sobs gradually slowed, though she didn’t let go of him. If anything, she held on tighter,
The world around them continued to bustle with activity—students appearing, conversations starting, teachers trying to maintain order—but in that moment, none of it mattered. There was only the two of them, standing together in the middle of a crowded stadium, holding each other as if the world was ending.
Just as Andrew was about to say something else that might calm her down, something changed.
An overwhelming sense of danger exploded inside his mind.
"!!!"
Andrew didn’t think. His body moved on pure instinct as he shoved Monica away with all his might, sending her flying with all his might.
She flipped in the air, crying out in surprise.
"Andrew—!" she started to shout, but the words were cut off by what happened next.
"Squelch!"
A sword pierced straight through his left chest, stabbing directly into his heart.
"Greeeee!"
The blade then twisted like a violent 360 degrees like a drill. As his heart turned into minced beef inside his chest.
Red droplets sprayed outward in the air in a fan shape manner, landing on the grass, on nearby students’ shoes, and also on the clothes of the teachers who had come running when the entire scene had unfolded.
Andrew’s face was pale in shock, weakness overcame him as his knees buckled and he fell on his knees then he died....
SIKE!