From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

As Ty re-entered the confines of the room, he was met with an unexpected scene: all the other contestants lined up against the walls. The atmosphere was charged, a mix of anticipation and respect directed his way. One of the men stepped forward, breaking the silence. "How did the training go, boss?"

Ty, still preoccupied with the lingering confusion over Yun-Jin's kiss, was caught off guard by the title. "Why are you calling me 'Boss'?" he inquired, his eyebrow raised in question.

The bulky man, who had taken the initiative to speak, explained, "If you can help us get out of the first arena, we all feel we have a solid chance of actually winning this thing. So, in that respect, we all view you as the boss, if that makes sense… isn't that right, everyone?!"

Looking around, Ty saw a sea of nods from the other prisoners, a silent agreement echoing through the room. Only one sat in the far corner, his eyes closed, seemingly sleeping, detached from the proceedings.

Ty, moved by the unexpected support and trust, responded, "Well, thank you. I will do what I can to draft up a plan once we get there, but it will still take all of us to ensure we can make it out."

"Right. We will play the long game and plan from there with resources," Ty affirmed, his strategy taking shape as he prepared for the uncertain road ahead.

"I see. Well, keep your head up; things are moving fast, okay?" Ty advised the group before walking away, his steps leading him toward the man sitting down with his hands crossed over his lap.

"Hey, do you mind if I sit here? I need some sleep, and this is the least smelly part of the entire cage," Ty said, attempting to make light of the grim surroundings.

The man didn't respond, prompting Ty to shrug and slump down next to him, seeking a moment of rest in the oppressive environment.

After a moment of silence, the man looked up. Ty noticed his dark skin as he finally spoke, "What do you want?"

Ty chuckled a bit at the directness of the question. "Well, that's a long question. In short, all I want is to get back home and put these painful adventures behind me."

The man chuckled in return, a hint of camaraderie in his voice. "I feel you there. I don't even know where I am, to be fair, so I guess I just want to get back home as well…"

"Oh, and where are you from?" Ty inquired, genuinely interested in the man's story. Just then, his pocket glowed a light blue as the fairy popped out, interjecting, "Oh, we need to talk later about the conversation I had with JJ."

"Oh, sure, that can wait, though. We still have some time," Ty replied, acknowledging the fairy but turning his attention back to the conversation at hand.

The man, revealing a deep scar down his right face, shared, "Honestly, I think I'm from an entire other planet, but I just get crazy looks. Since being here, I guess I was aligned with the wrong side and eventually got arrested. I wonder if things would have gone different if we would have just retreated…"

Ty, moved by the man's story, placed a hand on his shoulder. "If it means anything, I am also from another world from here, so for what it's worth, I believe you."

"If we manage this right, we will both get out of this alive and back home," Ty assured him, a promise of solidarity and hope in their shared predicament.

The man scoffed a bit at the thought. "Even with this first arena, where at best only 46 people, it will eventually go until there is only 1 left standing here. That's what I've heard nonstop from the mentors and the politicians walking around bored."

"That is true, from what I have heard and read as well," Ty acknowledged, understanding the grim reality of the Arena's structure. "Who is your mentor, anyway? Has he taken the time to get you trained and ready?"

The man scoffed, a wry laugh escaping him. "I've seen this mentor maybe twice. It's some young academy kid who's probably 18 or 19, who thinks I'm some filth beneath him… So, I haven't seen him since I showed off my power."

Ty, noticing the other's dismissal of his supposed mentor, glanced down at his own orange vest, seeing a badge that stated #12. "I see, getting selected #12 isn't bad, though, given 100 people and all," he remarked, then glanced over at Ty's vest, noting the badge #3 on it.

"Chuckling like I said, it doesn't matter if you're #2 or #99, if you aren't first, you're last," Ty mused, paraphrasing a line he remembered fondly. "Or as a favorite line of mine used to be."

Ty scratched his chin, reflecting on their conversation. "You know, I think I've heard that from somewhere before also," he mused, hinting at a deeper connection to the topic at hand.

"But regardless, I think there might be a way out of this without all of us dying, but it's a huge gamble, and it has to do with the Titanis Goddess."

"Oh, you mean their fake god that they pray to?" the man asked, skepticism clear in his voice.

Ty nodded. "I'm not so sure it's a fake god or anything like that. Trying to get back to my original world, I was on another world fighting, and eventually, I came upon the Demon King's daughter who directly created hundreds of weapons that were, in essence, the power that people used to fight."

The man chuckled, "Maybe I'm the sane one here."

Ty nodded again, accepting the possibility. "Yeah, I really wouldn't say I'm sane anymore after everything I've seen and been through, though. But I found her by accident the night she was casting down hundreds of weapons after flying high in the sky, trying to get back to some friends."