The clock above the iron door flashed 00:00, and a long, resonant chime echoed through the silent valley.

The sound spread a chill through the entire crowd, and everyone went completely still.

Hundreds of people were gathered in front of the gate, but not a single one moved. They all watched each other, waiting for someone else to make the first move.

After a few tense moments, a group of seven finally walked forward. They were a mix of players and NPCs, all with a look of cold determination on their faces.

One after another, they took out their keys and pressed them into the crimson portal with their hands.

A soft chime rang out with each press, and then their bodies vanished into the red light.

Ray watched the slot counter above the gate. With their entry, it instantly changed to [7/100].

His brief conversation with the man had given him a bit of insight. He knew that people came here every midnight to enter, but he still had no idea when or how they came back.

He didn't have time to figure it all out, though. His only goal was to get inside and meet with Red Hand.

…

More and more slots began to fill as other group of NPCs, players and those of mix decided to risk it.

The man Ray had spoken to also entered with his team, and the count went to [16/100].

Then another group went in, making it [29/100], and another after that, filling the slots to [57/100]. Finally, three more people went through, and the count hit [60/100].

The rush seemed to be slowing down, and Ray saw Jack and his group walk forward, with the man who had been with them staying outside.

Jack and his eleven companions confidently went up to the portal, and one after another, they inserted their keys. The count changed again, reaching [90/100].

With only ten spots left, Ray decided it was his turn. He took a single step forward, but his path was suddenly blocked by a group of four men.

They were all grinning with a smug, arrogant look on their faces.

There might be a hundred keys out there, but with only one hundred spots a day, and with that some greedy fools would always try to target anyone they saw alone or weak.

"Hey, buddy," the one in the front said, a malicious glint in his eye. "You look a little lost. Why don't you let us have your spot?"

Ray didn't even slow his step. "Move aside," he said, his voice a low, cold warning that surprised them.

They all laughed. "Did you hear that? He's telling us to move aside."

The man in front lunged for Ray's key, and in a flash, Ray raised his hand, not even looking at the man.

A magic-black gun, materialized in his hand, and he fired.

The shot was a kaboom, a sonic energy that hit the man square in the chest.

He didn't even have time to scream before his body turned to dust. The remaining three men stared in shock, their grins gone.

They were about to run, but Ray didn't give them the chance.

Three more quiet shots followed, and the three of them vanished just like their partner, leaving nothing behind but a lingering scent of their death.

Everyone in the crowd was stunned into a silent shock, staring at the empty space where the four men had just been.

Ray didn't hesitate. He looked at the shocked faces around him for a moment before he stepped forward.

He took out his Key of Hellsing, shoved it into the portal, and as the number changed to [91/100], he entered the portal without a single look back.

The world Ray entered was not what he expected. Instead of the usual blue light and sterile, concrete walls of a game dungeon, a chilling wind washed over him, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and a strange, metallic smell.

The air was thick with a creeping darkness, a feeling that went deeper than the lack of light.

High-rises, unlike anything from his own time, jutted up into the dim sky, but they looked old, as if they were already rotting.

Yet, below them, the streets were filled with wooden houses and people dressed in a style from centuries ago.

It was like the United States of the 1970s had been built on the foundations of the 18th century, with a dark, suffocating energy covering it all.

Ray found himself in a street packed with hundreds of people, all gathered in front of a raised stage.

He couldn't see past the wall of bodies, but the enraged screams of the crowd were a chilling greeting to this new world.

He finally managed to get a glimpse of the stage, where a man held a woman by her hair, her head pulled back to show a face marked with fear and exhaustion.

"We found her snooping at night again," the man's voice boomed, full of a self-righteous anger that Ray immediately found revolting. "I'm now one hundred percent sure that this bitch is a witch!"

Ray was stuck behind a sea of people, and the crowd in front of him erupted, their angry slogans rising into a unified, hateful chorus.

"Kill the Witch!"

"Burn her!"

The words felt like a punch to the gut. Ray's gut twisted with a sickening feeling of wrongness.

He saw the woman pleading for her life, her words lost to the roar of the mob.

She was crying, her body shaking, but the man holding her only smiled, a cold, vicious smirk that showed his true intent. No one was listening to her; they just wanted a show.

Ray had to stop this. He had to. He tried to push forward, but the crowd was like a wall of solid rock. His movements were slow and useless.

He tried to summon his magic gun, the one that had just killed four men without effort, but nothing happened. He called out his skill commands, but the system didn't respond.

His mana was full, but it felt like a locked door. He tried again and again, but the gun wouldn't appear.

His powers were gone, his abilities useless in this new, terrifying world. He was just a normal person, trapped in a mob.

Helpless and unable to move, Ray watched in silent horror as the man threw the woman onto a pile of wood.

The crowd cheered, their angry faces lit by the fire as the man lit the wood. The woman's screams were shrill, and her body writhed, but no one cared.

They just watched, their faces lit up by the gruesome light. Ray watched her burn, her pleas for help turning into gurgling screams before they finally went silent.

The smell of burning flesh and hair filled the air, a scent so horrible it made Ray's stomach turn.

He had killed men, but watching someone innocent get burned alive was on a completely different level of horror.

Ray stood in the street, the lingering scent of smoke in the air.

The horror of what he had just witnessed was still fresh in his mind. He was completely helpless, his skills locked away in this twisted world.

Just as a heavy sense of dread began to settle in, a series of notifications appeared in front of him, glowing with a soft, ethereal light.

[Welcome to the Era of Hellsing.]

[You have been tasked to live the life of Hellsing (Level-basic).]

[Hellsing Abraham Lowdward, the Slayer of night-creature's simulation. A special mini-game, only available for those who have achieved the MVP in an event lower than level 10.]

[You have to choose one of these skills.]

[Once chosen, you cannot change it.]

[If you succeed to survive till the last day of the event, you can have the skill for yourself.]

[So choose precisely.]

Ray read all the notifications, his mind slowly processing the information. His eyes then landed on a list of five skills, each with its own description and purpose.

…

Skill Selection

Holy Vow: A basic skill for humans. Grants the user a faint holy aura that slightly weakens night-creatures and makes them hesitant to attack. This skill can be evolved with more practice and use.

Vigilant Hunter: Summons a simple, un-enchanted longbow and a quiver of normal arrows. The bow is most effective against night-creatures and allows the user to perform critical shots by aiming for the creature's weak points.

Blade of Dusk: Summons a well-balanced broadsword designed for close-quarters combat against night-creatures. The blade is made of a rare silver alloy that makes it sharper and more effective against night-creatures than a normal sword.

Blood Thirst: A skill that grants a temporary increase in the user's strength and speed. The skill is fueled by the user's bloodlust, and the effect is more potent depending on the user's rage.

Warning: Continued use of this skill may cause the user to develop an unquenchable thirst for blood, and the user may become a target for both humans and night-creatures.

Lunar's Rage: A skill that grants the user a temporary increase in physical power and endurance. The power is strongest when the moon is out, and the effect is more potent depending on the user's rage.

Warning: Continued use of this skill may cause the user to lose control of their mind and can transform the user into a bloodthirsty monster. The user will be targeted by humans and night-creatures.

…

Ray's mind reeled. He had to choose a skill, and it was a choice that would define his entire experience in this trial.

There were skills for humans, clean and righteous, and then there were skills for monsters, powerful but with a terrifying cost.

The warning for the last two skills sent a cold shiver down his spine.

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