Death System: I awakened SSS rank System

Chapter 81 81: You've got a Bounty!!!

The space folded in on itself with a sharp, disorienting pull, and when the distortion settled, Zakar found himself standing in a different part of the networked Rift space. Much more colder, quieter, and far more controlled.

Beside him, Carene released her grip on his shoulder, though her expression remained tight, her eyes scanning the surroundings as if expecting something to break through at any moment.

Waiting for them were Kyara and Kenry. Neither of them looked relieved to see him.

In fact, the moment Zakar's eyes met theirs, he immediately noticed it the tension sitting heavily in their posture, the slight stiffness in their movements, and the unspoken urgency that lingered between them like a held breath.

Kyara spoke first, her voice unusually restrained.

"You shouldn't have brought him here yet," she said, glancing briefly at Carene before returning her focus to Zakar.

Carene didn't respond. She simply stepped aside, as if the responsibility of what came next was no longer hers alone.

Zakar frowned slightly. "What's going on?"

Kenry exhaled slowly, his arms crossed, jaw tight as though he disliked every word he was about to say.

"Something changed," he began, voice low. "Something mysterious happened in the structure of the world."

Kyara nodded once, confirming it. "Jim has been unlocked."

That name landed differently.

Not loudly.

Not dramatically.

But with weight.

Zakar's expression sharpened. "Jim?" He remembered Carene's words 'Jim is here'. Then it hit him.

Kenry's eyes narrowed slightly. "Jim."

For a moment, the air felt heavier. Even Carene shifted slightly at the mention of it.

Kyara continued, her tone more controlled now, as if she was trying not to let the gravity of it seep too far into her voice.

"Master of Wraiths. A full-class awakened Master. Not a normal player, not even close could match up against him. His system authority overrides most known combat tiers. If he's been released… then someone gave permission for hunting-level escalation."

"So?" Zakar asked ignorantly not understanding where this was heading to.

"He's been released to kill you. You are his target. Seems to me that someone is lulling strings here."

Zakar straightened slightly, his expression steadying as he tried to process it. "And I'll handle it."

That earned a pause. A long one. Then Kenry shook his head slowly, almost like he was disappointed Zakar even said it.

"No," he said firmly. "You won't."

Zakar frowned. "I've dealt with stronger—"

"You haven't dealt with a Master," Kyara cut in, her voice sharper now. "Not like Jim. Not someone whose authority bends combat conditions themselves. He doesn't just fight you, he changes the rules around you..."

"If you think you are special enough to face him then get ready to die."

Silence followed that. Then Kenry added, quieter but heavier, "And he's not the only one coming."

Zakar's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

Carene finally spoke, her tone quieter than before. "A group has been activated."

Kenry's expression darkened. "The Arbitration Four Army."

Zakar repeated it slowly. "Arbitration Four Army?"

Kyara nodded. "Four high-tier execution units. Special-class assassins. They don't hunt randomly, they are assigned."

Carene's gaze lowered slightly. "And you've been assigned to them by someone."

That pause lasted longer than the others.

Zakar let the words settle, his mind already working through implications, probabilities, outcomes. But even as he tried to remain calm, something cold pressed at the back of his thoughts.

Kenry stepped forward slightly, his voice now direct. "There's a bounty on your head."

Zakar looked at him. "Like seriously? How much?"

Kyara answered instead.

"Five hundred million gold points."

The number hung in the air like a weight dropped into still water. For a moment, even Zakar didn't respond.

Kenry continued, his voice steady but firm. "That level of bounty doesn't just attract killers. It attracts professionals. Entire factions. People who don't fail twice."

Carene's eyes flicked toward Zakar. "Right now, you are not just a target. You are a priority objective for multiple persons."

Zakar exhaled slowly, processing it all. "So that's it," he said quietly. "I'm supposed to hide?"

"No," Kyara said immediately. "You're supposed to survive long enough to become untouchable."

Kenry nodded once. "We keep you out of sight. Out of reach. Until your strength catches up to what's hunting you."

Zakar frowned. "And just let them come after me while I sit still?"

"That's not what we're saying," Carene replied gently. "We're saying you're not ready for what's coming."

The words weren't insulting. They were factual and that made them harder to argue with.

Zakar clenched his fist slightly. "I don't need protection."

Kenry stepped closer. Too fast. Before Zakar could fully react—

A blade slid into the back of his leg. Not deep enough to cripple. But enough to stop him from moving forward instantly.

Zakar's body tensed sharply as pain flashed through him, his balance shifting for half a second before he stabilized himself. His eyes snapped to Kenry immediately.

Kenry didn't look away. His voice was calm almost cold.

"If you can't survive that," he said, "then you're already dead to Jim."

A beat of silence. Then he added, "And to the Arbitration Four Army."

Zakar stared at him, breathing slowly and controlled breaths.The pain in his leg pulsed faintly, grounding him in reality more than anything else.

Kyara didn't intervene. Carene didn't move. They both watched. Not because they agreed with the act but because they understood the message behind it.

Kenry finally pulled the blade out cleanly, stepping back without breaking eye contact.

"We're not here to fight you," he said. "We're here to make sure you don't die before you get a chance to win."

Silence settled again, thicker this time.

Far away, somewhere beyond the Rift boundaries, something seemed to shift like a distant pressure moving through space itself.

Kyara's voice dropped slightly. "They're already moving."

Carene nodded once. "We don't have much time."

Zakar stood still, blood slowly marking the ground beneath him, his expression unreadable as he processed everything at once threats stacking, names converging, enemies multiplying faster than alliances could form.

And for the first time in a while... he didn't answer immediately.