My SSS-Rank Grim Reaper System-Chapter 78: Night in the Desert
[CAMP – 8 PM]
Night had fallen completely.
The cold was a stark contrast to the daytime heat.
Alex sat on a high rock, wrapped in a thin blanket.
Scanning the horizon.
The stars shone brightly—with no light pollution, the sky was spectacular.
The Milky Way clearly visible.
Beautiful.
But Alex couldn’t fully enjoy it.
Too many worries.
77.5% corruption. 2.5% away from 80%. If I use Fragment Synergy one more time...
[SYSTEM – CALCULATION]
[Fragment Synergy: +3% Corruption]
[77.5% + 3% = 80.5%]
[WARNING: 80%+ = LOSS OF CONTROL LIKELY]
He couldn’t use Fragment Synergy again.
Not until he reduced the corruption.
But without Fragment Synergy... how would they fight something like that level 118 scorpion?
We can’t. That’s why we ran.
He touched the Fragment mark on his chest unconsciously.
He could feel it, pulsing softly.
Like a second heart.
Dark. Tempting.
Let me help, the Fragment whispered. More power. Always more power. You only have to accept...
"No," Alex murmured quietly.
Coward.
"Yeah, but you’re still not going to take control."
Same outcome. You’ll die without my help.
"Maybe. But I’ll die as myself."
The Fragment laughed—a distant, unnatural sound.
We’ll see.
Silence returned.
Alex exhaled, long and tired.
Two more weeks of this.
I can do it. I have to.
A sound of footsteps behind him.
He turned, his hand going to his sword.
Raven emerged from the shadows.
"Relax," she said. "Just me."
"Sorry. I’m on edge."
"With good reason." She sat beside him on the rock. "Mind if I join you?"
"Sure."
They sat in silence for a moment.
Then Raven spoke, her voice softer than usual.
"77.5%."
Alex nodded. "Yeah."
"Scared?"
"Terrified."
"Good. Fear is healthy. It keeps you careful."
She paused.
"But you can’t let it paralyze you."
"It doesn’t paralyze me. It just... makes me aware." Alex looked at his hands. "Every time I use the Fragment, I lose a little more of myself. The white streak was first. What’s next?"
"I don’t know. But..." Raven placed a hand on his shoulder. "...you’re not alone in this. I have Fragment 3. I feel the corruption too. 51% isn’t as high as yours, but I understand."
"Does it talk to you?"
"Sometimes. Suggests things. Usually violent." She smiled weakly. "Like killing Matthias instead of running."
"And?"
"I told it to shut up. That I make my own decisions." She looked at Alex directly. "You can too. The Fragment doesn’t control you. You control it."
"Until 80%?"
"Until the Sanctuary of Dawn. Two weeks. Then you reduce it to 64%. Safe zone again."
Alex wanted to believe her.
"What if we don’t make it?"
"We will."
"How are you so sure?"
Raven smiled—genuine this time.
"Because you’re too stubborn to die. And I’m too vengeful to let you."
Despite everything, Alex laughed.
"Vengeful?"
"If you die before we resolve our... pending romantic situation, I’ll be very upset."
"That’s your motivation? Romance?"
"Among other things." Raven leaned back against the rock. "But yes. I want to see what happens when we’re not running from a level 78 psychopath."
"Me too."
Comfortable silence.
Then Raven asked, casually but genuinely curious.
"Did you ever think your life would be like this?"
"Running through a desert with a Reaper Fragment in my chest and two beautiful women complicating everything?"
"Yeah."
"No. Not at all." Alex laughed. "A year ago, I was an academy student. My biggest worry was passing exams and summoning an S‑rank creature. Now..."
He gestured around at the desert night, the level 90+ monsters, the psychotic exorcist hunting them.
"...now this."
"Do you regret it?"
A serious question.
Alex considered it honestly.
"No. Despite everything... I don’t regret it. Because what would be the point? Besides, I met incredible people. Raven. Emily. Grim. Maya. Even Kira now." He paused. "My life is more dangerous. More complicated. But it’s also more... alive."
Raven smiled.
"Good answer."
They stayed like that, sitting together under the stars.
Sharing warmth in the cold night.
A simple but honest moment.
Then, Alex’s system alert.
[WATCH SHIFT: 2 HOURS COMPLETED]
"It’s ridiculous that you notify me about this, honestly."
"Your shift’s over?" Raven observed. "Who’s next?"
"Emily."
"I’ll go wake her."
But before getting up, Raven leaned in.
She kissed Alex’s cheek.
Quick. Soft.
Then she left before he could react.
Leaving him touching his cheek.
Heart racing.
I’m definitely going to survive these two weeks, he thought. Just to find out what that means.
---
[10 PM]
Emily relieved Alex.
He went down to the camp—trying to sleep.
But sleep didn’t come easily.
Too many thoughts.
Raven. Emily. Corruption. Matthias. Fragments.
Eventually, he gave up.
He sat up.
Kira was awake too, organizing her gear.
"Can’t sleep?" she asked.
"No. You?"
"I still feel the residual mind control. Makes it hard to relax."
Alex nodded understandingly.
He sat down beside her.
"How are you feeling? Really."
Kira paused, considering.
"Like someone rearranged the furniture in my head. Everything is there, but... slightly out of place."
"Will it get better?"
"I hope so." She touched her temple. "Emily says the effects will fade in a week. But in the meantime... it’s strange."
"I’m sorry. For what you went through."
"It’s not your fault. It’s Matthias’s." Her voice hardened. "That bastard."
Silence.
Then Kira looked at Alex, her expression turning curious.
"Can I ask something personal?"
"Sure."
"Raven and Emily. They both clearly have feelings for you. And you?"
A direct question.
"Don’t you think that’s a bit too personal?"
"I’m very curious."
Alex sighed.
"I feel something for both of them. And I know that sounds terrible but—"
"It doesn’t sound terrible. It sounds honest." Kira shrugged. "I’ve seen more complicated relationships."
"Yeah?"
"I’m an informant. I see everything." She smiled. "Trust me. Your situation is amateur compared to some nobles I know."
Alex laughed despite himself.
"That makes me feel slightly better."
"It should. Besides..." Kira looked at him seriously. "...they’re both good people. Whatever you decide, they’ll be adults about it. Or at least one of them will be more adult."
"How are you so sure?"
"Because they rescued me without a second thought. And because they work together without obvious jealousy." She paused. "That takes maturity. And mutual respect."
She had a point.
"Thanks," Alex said sincerely.
"You’re welcome." Kira returned to organizing her gear. "Now try to sleep. Tomorrow will be another hard day."
---
[12 AM]
Kira relieved Emily.
The night was at its darkest.
The moon descending. Stars shining more intensely.
Temperature: 10 degrees.
Kira wrapped herself in her blanket... her fox ears twitching slightly from the cold.
She activated [Predator’s Sense] .
Her eyes glowed amber.
Scanning the area.
Looking for threats.
For thirty minutes... nothing.
Just the silence of the desert.
Then...
Movement.
Subtle. 200 meters away.
Something crawling across the sand.
No.
Multiple things.
Kira focused her enhanced vision.
She saw shapes.
Small. Lower level than the adult.
But there were many.
[Sand Scorpion Spawn – Level 80-85]
[Quantity: 12]
Shit.
"UP!" she shouted. "EVERYONE UP! INCOMING ATTACK!"
The camp exploded into activity.
Alex, Raven, Emily—getting up immediately.
Weapons materializing.
Grim expanding to his Awakened form.
"What is it?" Alex asked.
"Scorpion spawn! Twelve of them! Level 80-85!"
"Shit. They followed us from the canyon."
The spawn emerged from the darkness.
Each the size of a large horse.
Claws snapping. Stingers dripping venom.
Not as big as the adult.
But fast. Agile.
And there were twelve.
"Defensive formation!" Alex ordered. "Protect the camp! Don’t let them scatter us!"
The team formed a circle.
Alex at the front. Raven to his right. Grim to his left.
Emily in the center... ready to heal.
Kira at the rear... her bow ready.
The spawn attacked.
Not all at once.
A coordinated tactic—three from the front, two on each flank, two from behind.
Intelligent.
Three spawn charged at Alex.
He activated [Battle Flow] ... movements flowing.
First spawn—right claw attacking.
Alex dodged and cut at the joint.
SLASH.
[Scorpion Spawn HP: 12,000 → 10,800/12,000]
Second spawn—a stinger descending.
Alex rolled, avoiding the venom.
Counterattacked... [Shadow Strike] to the soft abdomen.
[Scorpion Spawn HP: 12,000 → 9,600/12,000]
Third spawn—both claws closing.
Alex blocked with his sword—
Its force pushing him back.
Level 82 vs his level 42.
The difference was felt.
"Master!"
Grim appeared, his scythe cutting.
He severed the third spawn’s claw.
[Scorpion Spawn HP: 12,000 → 9,200/12,000]
---
Raven faced two spawn on her flank.
She summoned twenty skeletons—level 40.
Sent them as a barrier.
The spawn tore through five immediately.
But they were slowed.
Raven capitalized—her Fragment scythe cutting.
SLASH. SLASH.
[Scorpion Spawn 1 HP: 12,000 → 9,800/12,000]
[Scorpion Spawn 2 HP: 12,000 → 10,200/12,000]
But one spawn dodged and attacked from a blind angle.
Its stinger piercing.
It struck Raven’s shoulder.
STAB.
[Raven HP: 720/920 → 580/920]
[DEBUFF APPLIED: VENOM – MILD]
[HP -10 per second for 30 seconds]
"Shit!" Raven stumbled back—feeling the venom burn.
Emily reacted immediately.
[Purifying Light] —removing the venom.
[DEBUFF: VENOM – REMOVED]
[Raven HP: 580 → 680/920] (partial heal)
---
Kira fired systematically.
[Piercing Shot] after [Piercing Shot] .
Aiming for eyes, joints, weak points.
THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.
Three arrows—three wounded spawn.
[Scorpion Spawn HP: multiple reduced by 1,500-2,000 each]
But there were too many.
One spawn flanked completely—attacked from the rear.
Kira spun—fired point‑blank.
The arrow pierced an eye.
[CRITICAL HIT!]
[Scorpion Spawn HP: 12,000 → 7,200/12,000]
But a claw hit her.
Throwing her three meters.
[Kira HP: 1,900/2,600 → 1,500/2,600]
She crashed against rocks, dazed.
The spawn advanced, preparing a final strike.
"NO!"
Grim intercepted.
His Awakened form blocking.
"Won’t. Touch. Ally."
His scythe cut—decapitating the spawn.
[Scorpion Spawn HP: 7,200 → 0/12,000]
[FIRST SPAWN ELIMINATED!]
Eleven remaining.
---
Alex assessed quickly.
Eleven spawn. All wounded but active.
His team—running low fast.
Emily with almost no mana. Raven wounded. Kira dazed.
They needed to finish this.
Fast.
"Raven!" he shouted. "Summon everything you can! Overwhelm them with numbers!"
"My mana is low!"
"Doesn’t matter! Just do it!"
Raven nodded.
She focused her remaining energy.
[Summon Undead – MAXIMUM OUTPUT]
Fifty skeletons—level 40.
Emerging simultaneously.
Not as strong as the spawn.
But many.
She launched them all.
A wave of skeletal warriors.
The spawn were overwhelmed.
Claws cutting. Stingers stabbing.
Destroying skeletons.
But for every one destroyed, two more attacked.
[Scorpion Spawns – HP dropping massively]
Kira recovered—kept firing.
Emily channeled her last mana reserves.
[Starfall] on the densest group.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Three spawn eliminated simultaneously.
[Eight spawn remaining]
Alex launched himself—[Shadow Step] appearing between two spawn.
[Blood Weapon] activated—two swords.
Cutting in a scissor pattern.
SLASH. SLASH.
[Two more spawn eliminated]
[Six remaining]
Grim roared.
He didn’t activate Reaper’s Wrath—too costly.
But he fought fiercely.
Scythe cutting. Kicking. Crushing.
[Two more spawn eliminated]
[Four remaining]
The four remaining spawn—wounded, desperate.
They tried to flee.
"Don’t let them escape!" Alex ordered.
Kira fired—one fell.
[Three remaining]
Raven sent her last skeletons—blocking escape.
Alex and Grim caught up.
Quick execution.
SLASH. SLASH. SLASH.
[ALL SPAWN ELIMINATED!]
Silence.
Only the sound of heavy breathing.
Battle over.
---
[POST-BATTLE – 1 AM]
Grim began the absorption process.
Touching each corpse.
Green light emanating.
[GRIM – SOULS ABSORBED]
[12 Scorpion Spawns: +24.8 souls]
[Total: 645.3 → 670.1/1,000 (67.01%)]
[ALEX – EXP GAINED]
[ALEX – LEVEL UP!]
[Level 42 → Level 43]
[HP: 680/1,080 → 680/1,110]
[MP: 520 → 535]
[Stats Increased:]
- Strength: 116 → 120
- Agility: 123 → 127
Emily collapsed, completely exhausted.
[Emily MP: 20 → 0/850]
"I can’t... anymore," she gasped.
Alex helped her sit down.
"Rest. You did amazing."
He checked the team’s status.
[POST-BATTLE STATUS:]
Alex: 520/1,110 HP
Raven: 480/920 HP
Emily: 650/850 HP, 0/850 MP (exhausted)
Kira: 1,300/2,600 HP
Grim: 1,400/2,400 HP
All wounded. All exhausted.
And eleven days still remained.
"We can’t keep this up," said Raven, bandaging her shoulder. "Every battle wears us down more."
"I know," Alex agreed.
Then... Kira pointed south.
Her voice tense.
"We have a bigger problem."
Everyone looked.
In the distance... very far.
Maybe five kilometers.
A green light glowing.
Moving.
Approaching.
"Matthias," Alex murmured.
The exorcist had caught up more than they’d hoped.
Probably drawn by the battle.
Magical energy acting as a beacon.
"How long do we have?" asked Raven.
Kira concentrated with her predator’s sense.
"At his current speed... three hours. Maybe four."
"Then we move. Now."
"Now?" Emily looked exhausted. "We’ve been awake for twenty hours."
"I know. But if Matthias catches us while we’re sleeping..."
He didn’t need to finish.
Everyone understood.
They packed quickly... in just ten minutes.
Abandoned the camp.
Began walking north.
Into the darkness.
Exhausted. Wounded. Hunted.
But alive.
Still alive.
---
