Chương 590: Welcome to the Hunt

Luke stared at the resurrection ticket option. He had been thinking about it for several minutes now.

"So that's why I wasn't getting Soul Fragments when I killed people on the island." He kept turning the idea over in his head. Bringing someone back to life was not supposed to be simple.

"The island adjusted our ranks and levels, balanced all of us in terms of power. And even when we killed each other, nobody got experience points." He followed the logic through.

"The physical body died on the island, but the soul was preserved." Now the ticket's message made a lot more sense. [Island Resurrection Ticket]: The island participants have not disappeared completely. Their souls remain trapped in this place until the winner leaves the shop area. With this ticket, it is possible to resurrect any of the fallen participants. But be mindful of the cost: every ticket you buy means fewer resources left for equipment or upgrades for yourself.

(Price: 2, 000, 000, 000 IP)"The soul is still there. Still available to return to life, if it gets a body of flesh again." Luke stared at the price.

"If I can buy more than one, I could bring three people back." With the amount of points he had, he could buy all kinds of gear to help him swim, maybe even a ship. But if he chose a ticket... t here went his chance at a ship.

"Not like I know how to sail one anyway." He clicked the ticket and added it to the cart.

"Hm... I can add another one." Luke kept clicking. The shop let him stack a ridiculous number of tickets in the cart, though obviously he could only afford as many as his points allowed. After a second, he removed them all and, just to be safe, left only one before buying it. ['Island Resurrection Ticket' acquired] [Updating points...] [Luke Moon: 4, 831, 140, 403 IP] A golden ticket appeared in his hand, then flashed white and dissolved into particles.

[Choose one of the island's participants to resurrect] A screen appeared in front of him. It even had a search bar. Luke did not waste time. He searched names like Charlie, Angie, Eleanor, Evangeline, Allison, Jack. He kept going through everyone he knew, even members of his family.

"Should I search for Layla?" He searched for Layla. Then her father. Even the president of his country.

"I did my part. None of them are here." Before typing the name, he cautiously investigated the island he was on and took some precautions against possible attacks. Once the preparations were complete, he typed in a name. [Are you sure you want to resurrect this participant?] Two billion is a lot of points. He thought. Points that could've gone into a lot of powerful items. Luke clicked yes. A white glow appeared in front of him.

A person materialized out of it, jerking forward in panic, hands flying to her head, her neck, her face.

"H-how? W-what happened?" Zoe asked, trembling as she examined her own body.

"Hey, Zoe. Do you remember dying? The other side, or anything like that?"

"Luke? What's going on?" Her eyes darted around.

"Cindy attacked me. She must've gone after the bracelet. I don't know what to do..."

"It's okay. It's over. I won." Then Luke explained everything to her. Zoe remembered only her final moment alive. She had no idea she had actually been dead.

"A resurrection ticket..." she murmured, slowly nodding as it all sank in. Zoe's things had appeared on the table nearby, the equipment she'd had before being sent to the island. Her sword. Her armor. Even a few potions. Now she was dressed in red.

"That's a lot to process," she said.

"I died. That's... weirdly disturbing."

"Yeah. I basically died once myself. I know the feeling."

"And nothing changed. The world just kept going without me. I'm just... an ant compared to all of this." She sat down and pressed a hand to her head.

"It's strange."

"It's definitely the kind of thing that changes you for good." Luke hesitated for a second.

"By the way, about that fight I had with your friends..."

"It wasn't supposed to go that way. They weren't supposed to do that." Her voice turned distant.

"I spent those last days in some kind of denial spiral. I was terrified of dying alone. I knew I was going to die. I just wanted someone beside me for those final days. Then I became friends with Cindy and... I got betrayed, same as you." This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"You're not going to try to kill me or something?" he asked.

"Swear revenge? Promise to come after me? You've got all your power back now, and your gear. If you've got any vengeance left in there, now would be the time."

"No." She rose to her feet.

"I think I'm at peace with it. The island is to blame. This whole event is. And my friends too. We were all going to die here anyway. But they were selfish. We could have spent our last days together. Camping. Eating. Remembering the past. Instead... they poked a tiger." She pulled the sword from its sheath.

"I offer you my blade. Let's finish this event together, Luke, and find our way back to our planet."

"Okay, okay. Though I don't think whatever's waiting after all this is our planet. At least not the way we knew it." He exhaled.

"Since there's no bad blood between us, you should know I can only buy one more resurrection ticket, and I have no intention of using it on one of your friends." Luke explained what he was planning and who he intended to bring back.

"If my friends hadn't attacked you, would you have used it on one of them?"

"Would they have brought me back?"

"No..." she admitted.

"And neither would you. You would've picked one of them." She fell silent. Luke bought another ticket and selected the name of the participant he wanted to resurrect. [Updating points…] [Luke Moon: 2, 831, 140, 403 IP] Ivor appeared.

"What happened?" the archer asked, still a little stunned.

"Congratulations. You're back from the dead," Luke said. After Luke explained, Ivor gathered the items that appeared on the table for him, including a black-and-red bow. The two of them read the event notifications. They both understood what was coming.

"I'm not getting an arrow in the back the moment I turn around, am I?" Luke asked. Ivor gave him a long look.

"You fooled me well with that trap. It wasn't hunter against hunter. You were a spider. You built a web and let me walk right into it." Then he held out a hand. Luke took it.

"That's behind us," Ivor said.

"But one day I want that fight again, with both of us at our best. Maybe after the event."

"If we survive." A faint smile touched Ivor's mouth.

"Why did you bring me back?"

"You could've killed me when I was burned to hell, and you helped me trick Yut. It's the least I could do."

"It isn't right to hunt wounded prey."

"That way of thinking is exactly why you lost." Luke's tone hardened.

"If an enemy is wounded, don't waste the chance. I already made that mistake once." Zoe was staring toward the exit.

"And now we have a problem," she said. Luke stepped closer to the edge of the mini-island. [Once you leave this place, you will be teleported randomly to any location in Sunken Realms, except the Abyssal Zone.] How exactly am I supposed to take the ship with me? Would it come too? Luke looked at the shop. He still had 2, 831, 140, 403 points left. He bought one more item, and it appeared on the table.

"Okay. So this is it. Goodbye." He exhaled softly.

"We're on an ocean world at least the size of Earth. After the teleport, the odds of us ever finding each other again are pretty damn low."

"I hope you don't regret bringing us back, since there won't be any way for us to help you," Ivor said.

"You'll repay me for the favor one way or another," Luke replied. Zoe stepped closer.

"I'll see you around, Luke. And... thank you again for bringing me back. No matter what I do, I'll never be able to repay a debt like this."

"If you stay active in Stage 2 and start clearing dungeons, then bring me something good if you find it," he said.

"I'll accept gifts." The three of them talked a little longer, and Zoe decided to go first so they could see what would happen to her. The moment she stepped off the mini-island, she vanished. A glow shot upward into the sky and disappeared into the clouds.

"Well. Guess it's my turn," Ivor said.

"And just so we're clear, I fully intend to compete in the Sunken Hunt. I'm going to win it, and whatever reward it gives, I'll hand it over to you."

"I'm planning to win the Sunken Hunt too, so that seems unlikely."

"Maybe that's our competition, then. We'll see who wins the Sunken Hunt." Ivor moved toward the edge.

"Until next time, Luke." Then Ivor vanished too, turning into a streak of white light that shot up into the clouds.

"That was a huge loss of points. But..." Luke looked at the interface.

"I'm investing in something bigger." Luke knew that, the moment he left the mini-island, the person would be teleported. He had already seen the notification before bringing Zoe back. He was just lying to them a little. ['Island Resurrection Ticket' acquired] A third person appeared.

"Hey," Luke said.

"Bet you're surprised to be back from the dead. How would you feel about making a deal with a demon?"

The third resurrected survivor had already left, leaving Luke alone on that tiny island. He finished spending the last of his points and looked toward where the challenge island had once stood. It was gone. Completely swallowed by the ocean.

"I'm about to get dropped into the middle of the sea," he muttered.

"And hopefully on the surface... not the bottom." He took a step forward.

"Damn it. I hate teleportation." Then he vanished. His body flashed with light, and Luke shot into the sky at terrifying speed, launched like an arrow. Wind tore across his face. The noise was almost deafening. Then he broke through the clouds, wrapped in a white glow, and was hurled onward even faster. So fast it felt like his body was dissolving, turning into nothing but a blur. For a few seconds, his vision went completely white. Then the force disappeared. Luke started falling. Free fall.

"Shit!" he yelled.

"I hate teleportation!" When he broke through the clouds, he expected to see a vast blue ocean below. Instead, he saw yellow. Endless yellow.

"What?! What the hell?!" Not water. Solid land. Still falling, he activated the power of his Reaper Cloak and slowed his descent. While gliding down, he took in the landscape spread out below. It was a massive desert. But there were patches of water scattered through it. Trees rose here and there, though they looked nothing like the trees on Earth. They resembled coral more than wood, and most of them were deep red. The moment Luke touched down, a notification appeared.

Opening Mission of the Sunken Hunt You, along with all other survivors of the Island Challenge, have now been cast into the world and begun the Sunken Hunt. You must survive the first night before Sunken Hunt missions become available. Good luck!