Xlxoyit Zoxxcrw!What do these two words mean?
Do they even have a meaning?
A creaking sound from a rocking chair echoed once again.
Perhaps, by now, you are wondering the same thing. The players certainly were.
They did not know what those words meant, nor did they understand why they had suddenly appeared.
But there was one thing they understood very well.
Whatever those words meant...
It was,very important.
Once again, all the players were divided into two groups.
But this time, everything had changed.
A moment ago, many of them had wanted Tanvir dead.
But now?
They wanted him alive.
"Top one! You know something very, very, very valuable."
"We want you, alive!"
"你不像那个花花公子. 原来这一切都是你暗中计划的."
(You're not like that womanizer. You were planning all of this in secret.)
"मेरा दिमाग खराब हो रहा है।"
(I'm losing my mind.)
"О боже, какая неожиданность! Первый номер."
(Oh goodness, quite a surprise! Number one.)
"これを父上に伝えなければならない."
(I have to tell this to Father.)
Yes.
The atmosphere had changed that quickly.
All those national players who had wanted Tanvir dead only a minute ago were now looking at him with entirely different intentions.
And among all of them...
There was one person who was smiling.
Not because he was amused.
Not because he had discovered something funny.
He was simply satisfied.
His head remained high as always as he stood quietly among the others.
Moon noticed the change as well.
Her expression tightened, and she finally spoke.
"All players, please return to your assigned waiting rooms. The global ceremony is over."
The announcement brought the gathering to an end.
Tanvir stepped down from the altar and immediately looked toward Shivaay, who had been waiting for him.
He had barely reached him when Tanvir asked,
"Now will you tell me? What happened to you?"
Shivaay raised his hand and gently patted Tanvir on the head.
"Nothing, son. I was just a little angry."
Tanvir's eyes immediately moved toward Shivaay's hands.
"Your hands... where did this blood come from?"
He stared at them for a moment.
Then he noticed something else.
That scar.
Shivaay hadn't had a scar around his thumb joints before.
Tanvir's expression changed slightly.
There was clearly something wrong.
But before he could ask another question, Shivaay patted his head once more.
"Tanvir, let's go home."
And just like that, the question was left hanging.
Not far away, Hailong had been watching the two of them.
He had remained silent for quite some time.
Who are these people?
One of them had the courage to choke a higher being.
The other possessed information that could apparently change the attitude of an entire gathering.
And yet...
They acted as though none of it was particularly important.
Hailong narrowed his eyes and looked at shivaay.
Or,am I making a mistake?
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his name.
"Same for you, Hailong."
Hailong blinked and looked up.
Shivaay was looking directly at him.
"Come with us. We'll drop you at your waiting room."
"Okay... but how are you going to do that?"
Shivaay simply placed a hand on Hailong's shoulder.
And in the blink of an eye, the three of them disappeared.
When Hailong opened his eyes again, he found himself standing directly in front of China's waiting room.
"Hailong? When did you get here?"
The people inside immediately turned toward them.
Then their eyes widened.
"Wait... that's Top One and Top Two!"
One of them stared at Shivaay.
He looks even more handsome up close.
Before the situation could become any more awkward, Hailong turned toward his companions.
"Shivaay, Tanvir, I want you to meet them."
He pointed toward the others one by one.
"The one with the twin swords is Chen Yang (陈阳). The one with the single sword is Sun Kai (孙凯). The one with the staff is Wang Hao (王浩). And the one with the fan is Li Xinyi (李欣怡), my cousin."
"Hello, we are—"
"Oh, please. You guys don't have to introduce yourselves."
A system notification suddenly appeared.
[DING]
[All players, please return to your assigned waiting rooms.]
Hailong glanced at the notification.
"Looks like we don't have time to talk."
Shivaay looked at him for a moment.
"At least I can do this much."
A blue system window appeared in front of Hailong.
[Player Shivaay has gifted Player Hailong 100,000,000 HP and MP Potions.]
Hailong's eyes widened.
"Wait, Shivaay. That's too much. I can't accept it."
Shivaay shook his head.
"Who said this is for you?"
Hailong paused.
Shivaay continued,
"Share it with everyone.And don't use it continuously."
Hailong looked at him for a moment.
There was something strange about this man.
He could act careless, joke around, and behave like a fool one moment...
And then casually give away a fortune the next.
Shivaay grabbed Tanvir's shoulder.
"So, Hailong, until we meet again—"
Tanvir immediately completed the sentence with an enthusiastic wave.
"Zàijiàn!"
And with that...
The two disappeared from everyone's sight.
Hailong stood there silently.
A small smile appeared on his lips.
They got it right this time.
But the smile didn't last long.
One of his companions clicked his tongue.
"Does he think we're beggars? That womanizer is just showing off his resources."
Xinyi replayed instantly.
"Kai, watch your mouth."
"Why should I? I'm speaking facts. Your dream boy is a womanizer."
Wang Hao quickly stepped between them.
"Hey, hey. Don't start fighting."
But Chen Yang had already walked toward Hailong and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hailong, how much information did you gather about them?"
"Should we eliminate them?"
Kai folded his arms.
"I don't care about Top One, but we must eliminate that womanizer. He's getting on my nerves."
Xinyi immediately replayed again.
"Say that one more time..."
Her voice was quiet.
But there was something in it that made the air around them feel colder.
Kai grinned.
"Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer..."
"Guys, stop it."
"Enough."
Hailong finally stepped forward.
"Womanizer? Eliminate them?"
His gaze moved across all of them.
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
The joking atmosphere vanished.
Hailong's expression had become completely different.
His voice was cold.
"Womanizer? You are calling him a womanizer? Look at your own collar first, Sun Kai..."
Kai's expression stiffened.
"Hailong, what happened to you? You're defending them over us. What did they do to you?"
"Who is defending them?They don't need anyone to defend them."
His eyes settled on Chen Yang.
"Chen Yang, you call yourself the Master of Twin Swords. Can you mimic the movement Shivaay performed? Absolutely fucking not."
"And here you are spouting nonsense about eliminating them."
Hailong stepped closer.
"And you, Kai... I dare you to say that in front of them."
He smiled faintly.
"Who knows what will happen to you?"
Neither of them answered.
Their heads lowered.
For a moment, there was silence.
Hailong finally spoke.
"That's what I thought."
His gaze drifted into the distance.
"Hear this very clearly."
"Tanvir is melted iron. One day, he will become a great sword."
His expression changed slightly.
"But Shivaay..."
Hailong paused.
"He isn't iron.He is a rusted sword.And a rusted sword holds history."
His voice became quieter.
"I can feel it in my bones. He isn't an ordinary person."
Hailong looked toward the direction where Shivaay had disappeared.
I wonder when that monster will come out from the shadows.
Before anyone could say anything, a pair of arms wrapped around Hailong from behind.
"Brother, you're so cool."
It was Xinyi.
Hailong's expression softened immediately.
He glanced over his shoulder.
"Stop buttering me and tell me what you want."
Xinyi smiled innocently.
"Did you get his number?"
Hailong's lips curled into a knowing smile.
"Pretty Boy strikes again."
Meanwhile, back in their own waiting room, Sohag, Mira, and Adi had returned.
They found Shivaay and Tanvir already waiting there.
Sohag's eyes immediately landed on Shivaay.
A mischievous grin appeared on his face.
Without wasting a second, he rushed forward and hooked his arm around Shivaay's neck.
"Wasn't Bangladesh enough that you're opening accounts in other countries too, bro?"
Shivaay sighed.
"You know it was suffocating for me because of someone."
Sohag's eyes shifted toward Mira.
Mira's face had already turned completely red.
Sohag gave Shivaay a knowing look.
That was enough.
Shivaay understood immediately.
But there was someone else in the room who wasn't interested in teasing.
Someone who had been waiting for answers.
"Tanvir, if you don't mind, can I ask you one question?"
Tanvir nodded.
"Yes, of course. What is it?"
The question came immediately.
"What does Xlxoyit Zoxxcrw mean?"
Tanvir blinked.
"I don't know. I just repeated it after Shivaay. Ask him. He knows."
Adi frowned.
"How does he know?"
Tanvir hesitated.
"I... I don't know that either."
His eyes shifted toward Shivaay.
"But he started acting strange after receiving a love letter from a girl."
Adi's expression became serious.
"Where is the letter?"
"He burned it."
The answer was simple.
But the room wasn't.
There was a brief silence.
Adi looked at Tanvir carefully.
"Tanvir..."
His voice was quieter.
"If someone starts acting strangely after receiving a letter, then that letter isn't... a love letter."
Tanvir's expression tightened.
"Did she give him anything else?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"A wooden box."
Adi's eyes sharpened.
"Do you know what was inside?"
"No. I don't."
Adi slowly turned toward Shivaay.
"Then there is only one person who can tell us."
Tanvir followed his gaze.
"Shivaay?"
"Yes."
Adi looked directly at Shivaay.
"Did you get a wooden box from someone?"
Shivaay didn't answer immediately.
Then he nodded.
"Yes. A girl gave it to me."
Sohag opened his mouth, clearly preparing another joke.
But Tanvir immediately stopped him with a look.
The room had become too tense for jokes.
Adi stared at Shivaay.
"A girl?"
He paused.
"Or someone else?"
Shivaay's eyes slowly moved toward him.
"Someone who knew you would be here."
Adi took another step.
"Someone who knows the past, present, and future."
"Adi, that's enough."
Mira's voice carried a warning.
"You've gone too far. I'm sorry on his behalf."
But Adi wasn't backing down.
"Regressor?"
The word fell heavily into the room.
"That person is a regressor, isn't he?Shivaay..."
Shivaay sighed.
"You're overthinking this."
"Then prove me wrong."
Adi's voice hardened.
"Show me what's inside the wooden box."
Shivaay slowly walked toward him.
He stopped only when they were standing face to face.
"And why would I do that?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Let me make one thing clear."
He leaned slightly closer.
"What can you do if I don't show you, Adi?"
The room fell completely silent.
No one dared to interrupt them.
Not even Sohag.
Tanvir finally lost his patience.
"What the hell is going on?"
His voice echoed through the room.
"Regressor, letter, wooden box... Shivaay, show me what's inside that damned wooden box right now!"
Sohag looked between them.
"Shivaay, just show us what's inside. Then everything will be over."
Shivaay closed his eyes.
For a moment, he simply stood there.
Then he took a slow breath.
When he opened his hand, a wooden box gradually materialized in it, pixel by pixel.
Everyone held their breath.
Shivaay looked down at the box.
Then he opened it.
Inside...
There was a single piece of medicine.
"Medicine?"
Sohag stared.
"All that fuss... for a single piece of medicine?"
Shivaay slowly closed the box.
"Adi, you and I are going to have a serious conversation at home."
But Adi didn't seem convinced.
"Guys, calm down and think again."
Tanvir looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"Why would a regressor give him medicine?"
Adi's eyes moved toward Shivaay.
"Above all things... why medicine?"
His voice became quieter.
"Shivaay, what are you hiding?"
Tanvir stepped forward.
"There is only one way to find out."
He looked toward the others.
"Everyone, hold him tight."
Then he looked toward Mira.
"Miss Mira, we need your help."
Mira hesitated.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
Sohag, Tanvir, and Adi immediately grabbed Shivaay.
"Guys, please..."
Shivaay struggled slightly.
"You are all overreacting."
Mira stepped closer and grabbed the front of his shirt.
Then she pulled.
The upper part of Shivaay's clothing tore open.
Everyone stared.
His skin underneath was completely normal.
No hidden wound.
No strange mark.
Nothing.
They slowly released him.
Sohag scratched his head.
Adi remained silent.
Tanvir frowned.
But there was one person who didn't move at all.
Mira.
She continued staring at Shivaay.
Covering his body with the leftover fabric,he said to adi.
"It could have been a power-boosting medicine."
"Or perhaps a special item.Something that could help us."
"But the only thing you thought..."
"A regrassor was involved, without any proof,are you mad."
"And why the fuck did you tear my shir—"
Shivaay's words stopped.
He felt warmth around his body.
He looked down.
Mira was holding him tightly.
Her face was buried against him.
And she was crying.
"Why do you always do this?"
Shivaay's expression changed.
He became completely blank.
Adi's eyes widened.
Mira was crying.
And that...
Wasn't normal.
Before anyone could understand what was happening, a pillar of light descended from above.
The light separated them.
One by one, their bodies began to pixelate.
Sohag shouted Shivaay's name.
Tanvir did the same.
Adi called out as well.
But Shivaay couldn't hear them anymore.
His eyes remained fixed on Mira.
She was only a few feet away.
Yet the pillar of light stood between them. Separating them from each other.
The world around Shivaay began disappearing.
Then, at the very last moment...
Mira looked up.
Their eyes met.
Shivaay's heartbeat suddenly rose,and all he did was looking at her eyes blinklessly.
Those eyes...What are those eyes?