《Inverted: A Dark Isekai Fantasy Novel》 Chapter 1: The Frozen Ruin Cold. Liam shivered; the hairs on his arms stood up as an icy breeze brushed by him. It felt as if all his body heat was being sucked out by the air around him. In nothing but a t-shirt, sweatpants, and socks, his apparel was far from appropriate considering the current climate. His breath formed a white cloud, indicative of the bone-chilling temperature. Bringing his hands up, he cupped his mouth, causing the short bristles of his dark brown beard to prickle against his raw skin as he blew into them, trying to capture the warmth. Knowing that the appendages furthest from your core were the first to succumb to frostbite, he wanted to keep them warm. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the unfamiliar environment. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ The room was dilapidated. It felt forgotten, abandoned by the creators that had once loved and cared for it. Holes left by dislodged bricks in the walls, and the collapsed roof allowed the cold to find its way in. Many years of neglect had made the once sturdy structure unable to offer even the smallest bit of protection from the elements ¨C it was impossible to be considered a proper shelter. Liam knew he couldn¡¯t stay here. As if the temperature wasn¡¯t indication enough, a thin layer of frost rested atop the debris scattered on the rotten wood floor. All that was awaiting him here was a cold end as his body heat was slowly sucked away by mother nature. Before leaving, he needed a plan. Being prepared before tackling a problem was common sense ¨C anyone could tell you that. However, for Liam, it had a bit more meaning. It was an essential part of his life, part of an ever-growing list of guidelines he tried to live by.
  1. Be prepared.
  2. Don¡¯t make friends.
  3. Don¡¯t stand out.
  4. Follow the rules.
Be prepared. Obvious ¨C would be the first thought that comes to mind if anyone were to hear Liam¡¯s list, and they aren¡¯t wrong. From a young age, people are taught to be prepared. In school, students are encouraged to study for tests and do their homework, failing to do so can result in consequences. By adulthood, there¡¯s a general consensus: it¡¯s common sense to be prepared. But is that true? Liam didn¡¯t think so. At least in practice, people are less prepared then they claim. He had encountered too many incidents in his life to make him think otherwise. Therefore, he tried to make informed decisions and proper plans whenever possible, and part of that meant keeping a cool head. He couldn¡¯t make logical choices if let his emotions get the better of him. Don¡¯t make friends. Friends? What are those? The last people Liam called ¡°friends¡± were the same two-faced sons of bitches that threw him under the bus. If it wasn¡¯t for them, then a lot of things could¡¯ve been¡­ well, it doesn¡¯t matter now; he had long since moved on. The past couldn¡¯t be changed. The best you could do was look back on it as a learning experience. All in all, Liam wasn¡¯t planning to make friends with anyone anytime time soon. From this and prior experiences, he had concluded that people couldn¡¯t, or rather shouldn¡¯t, be trusted. It wasn¡¯t to say he thought that every word that came out of people¡¯s mouths was utter bullshit; it was better to say he wouldn¡¯t trust someone to watch his back. People looked out for themselves above all else. There are some altruistic people in the world, but you don¡¯t know who until you¡¯re in a life or death situation. The one¡¯s who can sacrifice themselves are a special type of people. Liam already knew he wasn¡¯t one of them, and he didn¡¯t see anything wrong with that. Don¡¯t stand out. Why? Because it¡¯s troublesome. Standing out, be it for good reasons or bad, would always attract a few with ill intentions. Liam would rather keep his head down, he didn¡¯t need the extra attention, nor did he welcome it. Follow the rules. When eight years old and still na?ve, not yet aware of how cruel life can be, his world of sunshine and rainbows was shattered when his mother murdered his father. To this day, he still couldn¡¯t shake the memory of waking up to find his mother standing over his father¡¯s dead body in the kitchen, the blood-soaked knife still in her hand. It was an experience no eight-year-old should live through. With his mother on trial, he found himself living with his father¡¯s parents. It was a dysfunctional household, not the place that an emotionally distraught child should be dropped into. His grandmother was still grieving the loss of her only child and was distant. Any time he tried to talk with her, he was met with the same response, ¡°Go ask your grandfather.¡± That¡¯s where the issue was. His grandfather was an alcoholic and a violent drunk; the loss of his son only served to intensify this.Whether Liam was crying to himself, looking for comfort, or simply asking for food, it was all met with the same response ¨C the belt. Liam quickly learned to shut up, be quiet, and do what he was told. Perhaps that was around the time he stopped crying, at least it was the last time he remembered crying in front of others. Liam continued to look around the room; he needed information. There were two vertical rows of four wooden benches which formed a single aisle. Running the length of the aisle was a faded red carpet. Its vibrant color was lost from the dirt and mold that had accumulated over many years. Liam found himself seated on one of the benches at the front. The center of it bowing as the rotten wood strained to hold his weight. If he applied a bit more pressure, it would collapse to the ground, taking him along with it. Behind him was a wooden door that marked the exit, and with no other windows or doors inside the room, it seemed to invite people to open it. Among the piles of rubble, a single object remained untouched by the elements. It was a marble statue directly in front of him. The statue depicted an androgynous being standing in a neutral position with its arms by its sides. Its lack of facial features reminded Liam of a mannequin ¨C a blank canvas. From the once beautiful decorative cloths and wood furnishings surrounding the statue, which were now no more than rags and scraps of rotten wood, it was clear that this building was once a place of worship. Now, it could only be called a relic of the past. Liam didn¡¯t dwell on this; there was something else that caught his attention ¨C he wasn¡¯t alone. Including himself, there was a total of eight people here, the same number as there were benches. Exactly half of them were male and the other half female. On one bench, there was a tall man in his early thirties. Despite the unnerving situation they were in, there wasn¡¯t a hint of worry on his face. From beneath his glasses, his sharp eyes were calmly surveying the room, just like Liam. He had a wedding band on his left hand and was wearing a uniform, which consisted of a pair of navy-blue pants and short sleeve collared shirt with a white logo over the left breast. Judging from his lean build and toned arms, he was undoubtedly someone who took care of his body by exercising regularly. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said for man adjacent to him. Wearing a suit and tie, he was sitting hunched over with his belly hanging over the edge of his belt, fully engrossed in reading the documents in his hands. So much so that he apparently failed to notice the change of scenery. That, or he didn¡¯t care. Maybe the content of the documents was too important for him to worry about where he was. On another bench, there were three college girls huddled together. In the center, the blonde¡¯s eyes trembled as she looked at the unfamiliar room. The redhead hugged her and quietly whispered in her ear, peacefully, much like a mother attempting to ease a child¡¯s anxiety.As if to protect the two girls, the brunette sat up straight and pushed them behind her. Her ponytail flipped in the air as she searched the room. The intensity in her eyes gave a glimpse of her fiery personality. If they were a family, the blonde would be the child, the redhead the mother, and the brunette the father, a protector. In the back of the room there was a girl that appeared to be in high school. Her wavy blonde hair was draped over her right shoulder, brushing against her fashionable clothes. With her slightly downturned lips and annoyed eyes, she had a perfect face of discontent. It was evident that she took great care when it came to her appearance, but at the same time, her expression hinted she was someone with an attitude.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Sitting across the aisle from her was the last person. It was a man that had a tall and muscular body. His thick arm muscles and bulky chest stretched the fabric of his university football sweatshirt. With rapidly blinking eyes, he looked around in a daze. Liam frowned; being stuck in a frozen ruin wasn¡¯t how he imagined spending his long-awaited day off. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked up. Above him the roof was missing, exposing an endless ashen gray sky. It didn¡¯t look like the sun was going to break through the clouds any time soon. ¡®How did I get here?¡¯ He recalled the events of the previous night. Exactly how he spent every night after he got off shift, he went to the bar. He had drunk a bit more than usual, but it wasn¡¯t enough to explain waking up in the middle of nowhere. ¡®After my shift ended at midnight, I headed straight for the bar. It was around 3 A.M. when I finally left and took a cab home. The last thing I remember was crawling into my bed¡­¡¯ He was sure of it now unless he had started sleepwalking for the first time last night, he hadn¡¯t gotten here himself. Even if he had been drunk enough to stumble off somewhere, that didn¡¯t explain the change in climate. Right now, it should be the start of autumn; it was too early for frost to appear. ¡®It looks like I was kidnapped¡­¡¯ Liam couldn¡¯t understand why someone would want him, but ignoring the possibility would do him no good, so he thought. ¡®Why me? Is there any reason someone might want to kidnap me?¡¯ If there was, he couldn¡¯t think of it. He wasn¡¯t wealthy. In fact, he was far from it, he barely made enough to cover his expenses as is. Last month his checking account had a negative balance and that was only from buying necessities. As for a savings account, there wasn¡¯t one. So, unless these kidnappers were looking for debt and not ransom, money wasn¡¯t the motive, meaning ¨C it was someone who knew him. But who? ¡®Family?¡¯ Liam shook his head; that was impossible. The only immediate family left was his mother, but she was locked up in a mental institute for murdering his father. Liam hadn¡¯t seen her in over nine years. The last time he visited was when he was fourteen. She had broken down and latched onto him, crying about how his father was a devil and that God told her to free him. That was the moment he realized his mother was insane, so he stopped visiting. To this day, she still sent him birthday and Christmas cards. One time, on a whim, he decided to read one and immediately tossed it in the trash. She hadn¡¯t changed; she never would. Unless she had broken out of the facility, it couldn¡¯t be her. As for his other family, they were either dead or he hadn¡¯t seen them in years. They hadn¡¯t wanted him when was a kid, so why would they want him now? ¡®Revenge?¡¯ That was possible. In Liam''s short twenty-three years of life, there was a long list of people that hated him. When he was younger, he had done a lot of stupid and petty things; sometimes, it was seeking attention, other times out of anger or frustration. But¡­ ¡®No ¨C I don¡¯t know these people.¡¯ Everyone here was a stranger and it was unlikely that they all incurred the wrath of the same individual. ¡®Terrorism? Mass kidnapping? Human trafficking?¡¯ None of those sounded good, especially since that would mean Liam had no connection to the kidnapper. Not only would it be harder to find him, but it eliminated the possibility of negotiating with them. If there was an upside, it was that the police were probably already investigating. While he might not have anyone that would report him missing, that wasn¡¯t true for everyone here. Plus, it wasn¡¯t every day that this many people suddenly went missing. Still, assuming this was all true, some oddities couldn¡¯t be explained. ¡®Why aren¡¯t we bound?¡¯ Liam wasn¡¯t going to complain, but it was strange. What kind of kidnapper left their captives to walk around freely? It wasn¡¯t logical; all it did was create unnecessary risk of the captives escaping or rebelling. However, there was something even stranger¡­ ¡®It hasn¡¯t gone away.¡¯ Liam looked at the thing in the corner of his vision and sighed internally. ¡®Ha, maybe insanity runs in my family.¡¯ Ever since he opened his eyes, there had been a digital screen in his vision. At first, he ignored it because of its sheer lunacy and figured his mind was playing tricks on him. It would go away as soon as he forgot about it. It didn¡¯t. Accepting that it wasn¡¯t going to disappear, he focused his attention on it. It was a familiar screen, even as someone who didn¡¯t play video games frequently, he still recognized it.
[Status Window] [General] Name: Liam Harvell Age: 23 Class: Unassigned Sub-Class: None [Skills] None [Stats] Strength: E Stamina: E- Agility: E+ Endurance: F Magic Power: C+ [Personal Traits] Distrusting ¨C Does not trust others. Cold ¨C Hard to approach, unfriendly. Loner ¨C Prefers to be alone. Levelheaded ¨C Maintains calm. Fast Learner ¨C Improves quickly.
Liam stared blankly at the screen. While he didn¡¯t want to believe that he was insane, he was starting to wonder if he needed to check himself into the same mental institute as his mother. ¡®Okay, okay. For the time being, I¡¯ll assume I¡¯m not insane.¡¯ Liam took another look and skimmed over the status window, skipping his class, sub-class, and skills, which were all blank until his eyes fell on his stats. ¡®Shit¡­ My stats are terrible.¡¯ He didn¡¯t need to be an avid gamer to know that. An F rating, on any scale, was undesirable. As he didn¡¯t know any scale where F stood for fantastic and not failure, he had to accept the truth ¨C his stats were the lowest of the low. While he didn¡¯t exercise at all, he still wasn¡¯t overweight or even underweight and wanted to believe his fitness level was at least average. Liam turned his attention to his personal traits. ¡®What the fuck is this shit!? Who wrote this garbage!?¡¯ The descriptions of them felt like a personal attack against him, portraying him as a cold and logical robot. Certainly, he couldn¡¯t deny the validity of them, but the maker should have made an effort to make him sound a bit more human. [Would you like to close your status?(Yes/No)] Following the prompt, he closed his status. When he thought to close it, the status disappeared as if it was never there in the first place. Liam read the new message that appeared before it faded away. [You can open your status by thinking ¡®status.¡¯] Giving it a try, Liam opened his status again. While he was familiarizing himself with the status¡¯s operations, an icy breeze brushed past him. Liam shivered. His attention returned to the current situation. Despite knowing a bit more information than a few minutes ago, it still wasn¡¯t much.As he saw it, there were two options.One, he could stay here and hope that help arrives before he froze to death.Two, he could walk through the door in the back of the room and look for proper shelter. Without any hesitation Liam stood up; the only viable choice was option two. Immediately, the coldness of the ground permeated his socks; it felt like pins and needles pressing on the soles of his feet. He walked to the door, brushing past the strangers in the room and grabbed handle. Before he could open it, an aggressive voice, akin to a store clerk yelling at a shoplifter, came from behind. ¡°Hey, you! Stop!¡± The brunette from the group of three girls was standing behind Liam with her arms crossed, impatiently tapping her foot on the floor. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± She glared; her eyes were sharp as if she was trying to dig a confession out of him. ¡°Hello? Did you hear me?¡± Liam finally spoke up. ¡°Uh, I was going outside to look around. Is that a problem or something?¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± She clicked her tongue. Fueled by the stress of the situation, her temper was beginning to show. In an irritated voice, she spoke. ¡°Listen here, dumbass. In case you didn¡¯t realize it, this isn¡¯t a situation where you can be acting all carefree. I don¡¯t care what happens to you, but your littleexplorationmight start shit that gets us in trouble. I bet a stupid bastard like you didn¡¯t think of that, huh?¡± Liam frowned; he didn¡¯t know how to respond to her. Behind her, the two other girls had turned their attention towards him.Putting aside her wildly inaccurate accusations, he didn¡¯t want to team up with a bunch of strangers, especially when it looked like the girls were already acquainted. He also didn¡¯t imagine himself having much of a say in the group when the brunette¡¯s statement roughly translated to, ¡°shut up and listen to me¡±. While he was trying to come up with a response that wouldn¡¯t cause the brunette to wildly blow up in his face in a fit of anger, someone stepped in. ¡°Hey, hey. Let¡¯s all calm down. There¡¯s no need to fight¡­¡± Stepping between Liam and the brunette, the man in the football jersey waved his hands in the air, trying to dissipate the tension. Giving an awkward chuckle, he continued speaking to Liam. ¡°Sorry about that¡­ If you want to go off by yourself, we won¡¯t stop you. But if you happen to change your mind, feel free to come back and join us, okay?¡± Seeing that the other two girls were quietly talking to the brunette, working to calm her down, it looked like the situation had resolved itself. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind¡­ Thanks.¡± Liam nodded at the man, but as he turned around to leave, the brunette shouted at him. ¡°Hey, asshole! Don¡¯t just-mmmphh!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she was subdued by her friends. The redhead had quickly covered her mouth while the blonde wrapped her arms around her, holding her back. From the girl¡¯s quick reaction and skillful execution, they appeared to be experienced at this. ¡°Mmmphhh!" The brunette¡¯s eyes bulged as she twisted her body, struggling to break free of their grasp. The redhead lowered her head in apology. ¡°Sorry about Claire. She can be a bit of a hothead sometimes¡­¡± Raising her head, she looked at Liam and spoke softly. ¡°Um, are you sure you don¡¯t want to work together with us? I can promise you that Claire won¡¯t be causing any more issues.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I see. Well, good luck.¡± Giving up any attempt to persuade him otherwise, she returned to the more pressing matter of dealing with Claire. Shaking her index finger in front of Claire¡¯s face, she began to lecture her. Gradually, Claire¡¯s struggle to break free lessened, and she drooped her head, reflecting on her actions. With no more distractions, Liam pulled the door open and¡­ Grrrrrrrrrrrrr ¨C Slam! He immediately slammed it shut. ¡®What the fuck was that thing!¡¯ He broke into a cold sweat, trying to understand what he just saw. A large back dog with two heads and a chain around its neck was waiting outside. With its patchy fur and sharp yellow teeth, the dog looked rabid. Upon seeing Liam, saliva had begun to spill from its mouth as if it was eyeing a juicy steak. Liam briskly turned around and walked back to the others. He just remembered something important. ¡®In times like this, it¡¯s best to work together.¡¯ Chapter 2: Planning ¡°Oh, would you look who¡¯s come crawling back. What happened to your little adventure? Did someone get cold feet?¡± Claire¡¯s amused voice sounded akin to a child looking forward to rubbing their victory into the loser¡¯s face. Paired perfectly with her tone, she had a smug smile smeared across her face. Looking at her, Liam was having doubts about his decision. It was never his intention to irritate her, but somehow, he managed to do just that. After only speaking a few words to her, he was already on her bad side. He wondered if that was a new world record for the fastest time to piss someone off. Seeing him silenced, Claire continued. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were expecting to work with us, not after turning us down so coldly before¡­ Well, I guess I wouldn¡¯t mind. But first, I¡¯ll need to hear a nice and sincere apology from you.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t someone who liked to lower his head, but at the same time, if it meant they could move on quickly, then he didn¡¯t mind. But before he could offer up an apology, the redhead cut in with an upbeat voice. ¡°What Claire meant to say was, she¡¯s really sorry for earlier and would love to work together¡­ By the way, I¡¯m Alexandra, and this is Erika.¡± Alexandra pointed at the blonde girl, identifying her as Erika. Liam was relieved. From her warm smile and cheery tone, it seemed that she also wanted to forget about the incident earlier and quickly move on. ¡°No, that¡¯s not-!¡± ¡°Claire shut it.¡± As soon as Claire tried to cut in, Alexandra sent her an icy glance as if saying, ¡°be quiet, or I¡¯ll kill you¡±. After a brief staring match, Claire turned her head, letting out a short snort. ¡°Hmph!¡± Alexandra sighed. ¡°Again, I¡¯m sorry about Claire. I know she can come off a bit rude, but deep down, she¡¯s a nice person. So, try not to hold it against her, okay?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m also at fault.¡± As Liam joined the group, the man in the football jersey extended his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Aaron Miller! Glad you changed your mind and decided to work with us. You know what they say, ¡®the more, the merrier,¡¯ right?¡± Habitually Liam took Aaron¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°Yeah, sure¡­ I¡¯m Liam.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Liam!¡± Aaron vigorously shook his hand, making Liam wonder if he was trying to tear it off. Between his height and muscular physique, there was a significant difference in strength. Finally releasing him, Aaron took a step back, allowing Alexandra to speak. ¡°Um, Liam¡­ why did you slam the door shut in such a hurry? Was there something outside?¡± Liam stopped rubbing his sore arm and though for a moment. He didn¡¯t know how to tell them. After all, he hardly believed it himself. A two-headed dog wasn¡¯t something you saw every day; it wasn¡¯t something that should exist. So, how was he supposed to explain it? To anyone listening, he would sound crazy, and after his rough start, he didn¡¯t want to make their impression of him any worse. After thinking for a moment, he gave up. No matter how he tried to phrase it, each sounded crazier than the last. He resumed rubbing his arm. ¡°Yeah. There was a two-headed dog outside.¡± ¡°A what? Sorry, can you say that again?¡± Alexandra raised her eyebrows as she leaned forward. The disconnect between his words and casual tone, which sounded as if he was simply recounting what he had for breakfast, made her believe she had misheard him. ¡°A two-headed dog.¡± Liam repeated himself. He didn¡¯t know how else to describe it. What was he supposed to say? That there wasn¡¯t a two-headed dog when there clearly was? While it was hard for him to accept, it was what he saw. Aaron jumped into the conversation while Alexandra was still trying to process the information. ¡°Um, are you sure about that? Maybe it was two dogs next to each other, and you mistakenly thought it had two heads? I, for one, don¡¯t know of any dogs with two heads.¡± His voice was full of doubt. He didn¡¯t want to outright accuse Liam of lying, but it was hard to believe. Liam didn¡¯t blame him. If someone told him that¡¯s what they saw, he would call them crazy. With a shrug, he gestured towards the door. ¡°You can check if you want.¡± ¡°...I think I¡¯ll do that. It¡¯s not that I think your lying. It just hard to believe it¡­ that¡¯s all.¡± With a tinge of uncertainty in his eyes, Aaron approached the door. He pulled it open and¡­ Slam! As fast as he opened it, he slammed it shut. The room waited silently. Aaron stood like a stone statue, fixed in place, still holding the door handle tightly. Raising one eyebrow, Liam spoke. ¡°Well?¡± Stiffly, like an unoiled machine, Aaron turned around. From the mixture of horror, surprise, and confusion on his face, it was clear what he saw. ¡°T-There¡¯s¡­ a two-headed dog outside...¡± The three girl¡¯s eyes widened. It was clear they still held doubt, but none of them were quick to volunteer themselves to check outside again. It didn¡¯t matter if there was a two-headed dog outside or something else; whatever it was, it caused fear in two people, that alone was enough for them. Everyone¡¯s mind worked to make sense of the information that went against common sense. Finally, Alexandra broke the silence that had enveloped the room. ¡°¡­What should we do?¡± Kill it. It was the answer on the tip of everyone¡¯s tongue, but no one could say it. For most of them, the only experience they had with killing something was squashing a bug. There was a big jump between that and killing a two-headed dog. Liam didn¡¯t think fighting was a bad idea. Eight people versus one dog? The outcome was obvious. It would¡¯ve been an easy decision if victory were all he was after, but ¨C what good was victory if he was dead? For a group that had no fighting experience outside of school playground roughhousing, it was unrealistic to think there would be no casualties. If it were the only option, then that was one thing, but there was another escape plan Liam had thought of. While it was a bit of a longshot for him alone, in a group, it was a viable option. It could prove to be a safer alternative to fighting too. At least, there wasn¡¯t a risk of being bitten or mauled. Suddenly, the man in a suit jumped up from his seat, dropping the documents that had consumed his attention. ¡°SHIT!!¡± Immediately, all the eyes in the room fell on him, but he didn¡¯t pay any attention. He was staring intently at the luxurious watch on his wrist. Ruffling his neat hair with his other hand, he shouted again. ¡°Damnit! I missed the presentation! How did it get so late!? Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! My boss is going to kill me!¡± He kicked a piece of rubble as hard as he could. ¡°FUCK!! THAT HURTS!¡± The man bent over, grasping his foot with both hands. Judging by the look of anguish on his face, it might be broken. It was to be expected since he had kicked a rock the size of a cinderblock while wearing dress shoes. Not to mention, he kicked with his toes first, and they took the brunt of the impact.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Hey, are you okay, man? Why don¡¯t you take a-?¡± ¡°DO I LOOK FINE!!¡± The man sent Aaron a hateful glance as if he was an assault victim looking at the assailant. ¡°Sorry, I was-¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaahkk!!¡± The man screamed as he put weight on his injured foot and fell back onto the wooden bench. While he gritted his teeth and kept his foot in the air, a calm voice came from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t put pressure on it. It¡¯s probably broken.¡± The man in glasses stood up and began walking over to them. There was an air of maturity and calmness around him that Liam thought the others lacked. Unlike them, he was unfazed by the current situation, almost as if he had experience in dealing with similar ones. He crouched down next to the man in the suit and pushed over a large stone. Tapping the rock, he spoke. ¡°Put your foot up here and let me have a look.¡± ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an EMT. Just trust me, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Begrudgingly the man in a suit placed his foot up and let it be checked. After a few minutes of screaming and cursing, the EMT finished his evaluation and treatment. ¡°It¡¯s broken. There isn¡¯t much I can do except isolate the injury, so try and keep pressure off it.¡± He turned to the others and introduced himself. ¡°Sorry for the late introduction. I¡¯m Dan. I overheard your conversation and was wondering if I could help you guys out? I also wanna get the hell out of here.¡± Aaron snapped out of the momentary daze he had been stuck in. ¡°S-Sure! That¡¯d be great!¡± Aaron turned and addressed the room, directing his words at the man in the suit and high-school girl. ¡°Um, what about you two? We could use all the help we can get.¡± Immediately, the man snapped back. ¡°Fuck off! Don¡¯t you see this!?¡± He pointed at his injured foot. ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m in any conditions to move around!?¡± ¡°Right, sorry, my bad.¡± Aaron stepped back, slightly embarrassed that he hadn¡¯t considered such an obvious fact. Without trying to press the man any further, he turned in the direction of the girl. She was sitting with her knees pulled close to her chest and arms tucked between them, curled into a small ball. She lifted her head, which was burrowed between her knees just enough for her eyes to peek over and send an annoyed glance Aarons way. ¡°Not interested¡­ wait, give me that jersey.¡± ¡°Huh, mine? Why?¡± Aaron pointed to himself in confusion, slightly caught off guard by the randomness of her statement. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, yours. Didn¡¯t you say to want my help?¡± ¡°Well, I did but what does that have to do with-?¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Coldly, she cut him off and brought her head between her knees again. ¡°Wait! Never mind, it¡¯s fine. Here.¡± Flustered, Aaron pulled off the jersey and brought it over to the girl. Since he still had a t-shirt on, giving up the jersey was a small price to pay for getting someone else¡¯s cooperation. Not to mention, it looked like she could use it more than him seeing how tightly she was curled up. He held out the jersey, and she snatched it away without saying anything. ¡°Can I ask what your name is? I¡¯m Aaron.¡± ¡°Isabelle.¡± She grumbled as she pulled the jersey over her head. It was baggy because of their difference in size, so it was closer to a poncho instead of a shirt. She pulled her arms inside and sat back down, returning to the position she was in earlier. ¡°Um, Isabelle? Didn¡¯t you say you would-?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother me.¡± Brushing Aaron aside, she buried her head inside the jersey like it was a blanket, leaving him at a loss for words. Aaron wasn¡¯t shocked by the fact she had deceived him, but at how brazen she was in doing it. There was no sign of remorse or even an attempt to hide her lie. It was almost as if she didn¡¯t fear any consequences. He couldn¡¯t understand this. How could a girl, no more than seventeen years old, be this way? What kind of life did someone have to live to act so selfishly at such a young age? Claire, having watched the entire scene unfold, was unable to keep quiet and shouted. ¡°You selfish bitch, just what the hell do you-mmmmphhh!?¡± Immediately, Alexandra and Erika jumped on Claire and covered her mouth before she made the situation any worse. After witnessing Claire¡¯s anger blow up again in such a short time, Liam could feel a headache rising at the thought of working with her. He couldn¡¯t imagine the amount of stress Alexandra and Erika must feel having to deal with her all the time. Suddenly, Dan clapped his hands together, capturing the attention of everyone. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s move on and focus on the situation at hand. There¡¯s no point in getting caught up in these small conflicts when we should be worrying about how we¡¯re are going to escape. So, does anyone have any ideas?¡± Dan¡¯s words resonated with everyone in the room. They needed food, water, shelter, a fire, warmer clothes, and more. None of that was available here. Maybe they could put together a fire after scavenging the debris, but that would only delay the inevitable need for other necessities. If they wanted to survive, they needed to get to work. Aaron stood tall, his confusion from moments ago forgotten. ¡°It¡¯s obvious what we need to do. Since a mutant dog is blocking the door, we just need to fight it. We have numbers on our side. I¡¯m confident we can kill it.¡± Aaron surveyed the expressions of everyone listening; their faces were all stiff. Patting his puffed-up chest, Aaron spoke with confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Just leave all the dangerous stuff to me! I might not have any fighting experience, but I¡¯m confident in my body. As a defensive linebacker on my University football team, I¡¯m pretty tough. I¡¯ll take the lead, so while I distract it, you guys can attack it from the sides. If I have to, I can tackle it and pin it to the ground. So, what do you think? Sound like a plan?¡± Liam couldn¡¯t deny that it was an enticing offer. With Aaron¡¯s offer to act as the vanguard, the risk of anyone else being attacked was significantly reduced. Outside of a few technical details, Liam had no complaints. However, he wasn¡¯t going to agree; his plan was still better. For one, the risk of casualties was close to nil, and wasn¡¯t the best way to reduce casualties to avoid conflict altogether? Having come to a decision, Liam spoke. ¡°Hang on, I have another idea. I¡¯d like you to listen to it before we get committed to anything. I think it¡¯s a good alternative, and it doesn¡¯t involve fighting.¡± Hearing Liam¡¯s last sentence, everyone focused their attention on him. None of them were eager to fight that was clear from the look on their faces. ¡°It¡¯s simple ¨C we climb over that wall¡­¡± Liam pointed at the front of the room where the statue was. He had concluded it was the best wall to climb. Not only did it have the most footholds, it also had mounds of debris nearby that they could use to climb partway up. ¡°¡­The wall is only ten feet tall, and there¡¯s plenty of footholds left by the missing bricks. We can use the debris piled in front as a platform to get partway up. Then we¡¯ll only need to climb seven to eight feet to get over.¡± As soon as Liam finished, Aaron spoke up; his voice held the same skepticism that an investor would have after hearing a pitch for a useless product that solved a problem that didn¡¯t exist in the first place. ¡°It¡¯s a bit overkill, don¡¯t you think? I mean, all that work just to avoid one dog when we outnumber it six to one? If that¡¯s not overkill, then I don¡¯t know what is.¡± Liam disagreed. If his plan was a little too cautious, then so be it. Between caution and carelessness, he preferred the former over the latter. Decisions involving one¡¯s life should never be taken lightly, no matter how inconsequential they may seem. Liam looked Aaron in the eyes and responded, keeping as neutral a tone as possible. ¡°It¡¯s a cautious plan, but I wouldn¡¯t call it overkill. Since none of us have any fighting experience, it''s overly optimistic to think no one will get hurt. Even if it¡¯s just one dog, I don¡¯t think we-¡± Aaron cut him off before he finished; there was a hint of rising frustration in his voice. ¡°Liam be honest, you and I both saw the dog. It might have had two heads, but its frame was only a bit larger than a Pitbull. Not to mention it was mangy and starving; I could see its ribs. There¡¯s nothing to be worried about, remember? I said I¡¯d take the lead.¡± Flashing a smile, Aaron flexed one of his biceps as if he was trying to reassure Liam that his strength alone would protect everyone from any danger they may encounter. Unfortunately, Liam wasn¡¯t convinced. There were too many factors that could go wrong, and Liam wasn¡¯t about to put his life in Aaron¡¯s hands off his word alone. Before he could say something along the lines of, ¡°Isn¡¯t a beast on the brink of starvation the most dangerous?¡± Dan jumped into the conversation. ¡°There¡¯s no need to argue about this! Both the plans have their merits and demerits; I think we can all agree on that¡­ Here, let¡¯s put it to a vote. Sound good to both of you?¡± Aaron and then Liam expressed their agreement. ¡°Fine by me.¡± ¡°Same.¡± Satisfied with their response, Dan nodded and smiled at them. As his mouth opened to declare the vote, Liam saw something in the corner of his vision that made his heart sink. It was Claire who had a smirk on her face as she snuck a glance at him. He could only think¡­ ¡®Really, now of all times?¡¯ It was evident that she was planning to vote against him. People like her were¡­ difficult. Liam hated dealing with them. They let emotions get in the way of decisions. Rather than allowing you to succeed, they¡¯d sooner sabotage you and watch it all burn just for the sake of a petty grudge. ¡°Okay, those in favor of Aaron¡¯s plan raise your hands.¡± Immediately following Dan¡¯s words, four people raised their hands. It was Aaron, Claire, Isabelle and the man in the suit. ¡°Clairrrre¡­¡± Alexandra dragged the end of Claire¡¯s name on as if to imply the question, ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°What? Is something wrong, Alex? Can¡¯t I support whatever plan I want?¡± Watching Claire cross her arms over her chest, Alexandra could only sigh. She knew her friend well enough to know the real reason behind this, but there was no point arguing with her as she was now. Since Claire wasn¡¯t blowing up in anyone¡¯s face or picking a fight, Alexandra and Erika knew it was better to remain uninvolved. Liam had ignored Claire entirely. While her actions were meant to prevent him from winning, it didn¡¯t bother him. She could do whatever she wanted; he didn¡¯t care. He was too busy thinking about the man in the suit and Isabelle. ¡®Why are they voting?¡¯ Earlier, they made it clear that they had no intention of working together, so their sudden participation was unexpected. Disregarding the legitimacy of the vote, Liam could understand their choice, at least somewhat. For the man, his injury made climbing the wall impossible, so his choice was obvious. However, the girl¡¯s decision was perplexing. Given that she seemed like someone who would wretch in disgust at the slightest speck of dirt, her choice to fight was odd. Fighting would be dirtier and more gruesome than climbing a wall. Then Liam remembered the incident from earlier with Aaron¡¯s jersey. He realized she probably never intended to help, but still wanted to vote. Between climbing a wall and walking through an opened door after the danger was gone, it was an easy choice. Liam¡¯s sharp eyes narrowed on the man and Isabelle. Would he do the same in their position? Truthfully, he didn¡¯t know. Selfishness and entitlement weren''t mutually inclusive. While Liam considered himself selfish, he also isolated himself from others. When he had to interact with people, he acted under the principle of equivalent exchange. If he wanted someone to do something, he needed to offer them something in return. Nothing was free; favors always needed to be repaid and taking advantage of others would only result in negative repercussions. Since Liam didn¡¯t want to deal with those, unless necessary, he avoided most actions that make him stand out and kept his head down. Seeing the many eyes staring at him, the man in the suit sneered. ¡°What am I not allowed to vote?¡± Dan simply shook his head side to side, completely unprovoked by his underlying hostility. ¡°No, it''s okay. Everyone can vote. It¡¯s only fair.¡± It wasn¡¯t the answer Liam wanted to hear. However, it was too soon to worry; he hadn¡¯t lost yet. Even with their votes, the amount in favor of Aaron¡¯s plan was only four, exactly half. It was a stalemate. Then suddenly someone¡­ ¡°Sorry, but¡­¡± Chapter 3: Useless ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think it will work out well, Liam. There are too many issues in your plan. Besides, we have someone who¡¯s injured and can¡¯t climb. Leaving him behind doesn¡¯t sit right with me. Sorry, but I have to go with Aaron on this one.¡± Dan raised his hand with an apologetic look in his eyes; it appeared it was a difficult decision for him. Liam felt the edges of his lips turn downwards. Claire, on the other hand, had a big grin on her face. She was pleased that she had gotten back at him for his earlier disdain. Liam didn¡¯t notice; he was still focused on Dan. He hadn¡¯t given up yet. If he found out what parts of the plan Dan was worried about and cleared those up, then Dan might change his vote. Liam was confident in his plan. It wasn¡¯t foolproof by any means, but given the limited time and resources available, it was fair to say it was a decent one. Without the votes from the two self-interested parties and Claire''s biased one, the majority was on his side. ¡°Dan, what parts of the plan are you worried about? If you tell me, then maybe, I can clear those things up.¡± Dan sighed. ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind¡­ But I want you to know; I¡¯m still against leaving anyone behind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying we should either.¡± That was a lie. He was perfectly fine with leaving them here if they contributed nothing. Why they should be allowed to reap all the benefits without doing anything? This wasn¡¯t the time to be a Good Samaritan. Dan¡¯s eyes widened a bit, interested in what Liam might have to say. ¡°Alright, first: What makes you think that the wall can hold our weight? It looks old and beat up to me. Given how the benches here are about to collapse from our weight alone, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the wall would too.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee it will be sturdy. It could collapse, or we might fall. Those are both possibilities.¡± ¡°Then why-?¡± Liam¡¯s sharp voice cut Dan off, answering his question before he could ask. ¡°It¡¯s the same for Aaron¡¯s plan, isn¡¯t it? No plan is perfect. There are always risks involved. If we fight the dog, it might attack any one of us instead of Aaron. We aren¡¯t safe just because he is taking the lead¡­¡± Liam paused as the others began to murmur. They had felt safe knowing that Aaron would lead the attack. The idea that they could get injured had been pushed to the back of their minds, but Liam¡¯s comment changed that. No one¡¯s safety was guaranteed. Dan interjected before Liam could continue. ¡°I don¡¯t see your point¡­ Yeah, of course, both plans have their problems, but so what? That alone doesn¡¯t make your plan better than Aaron¡¯s.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I was getting to that¡­¡± ¡°Fine, go on. I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference between the types of risk involved. In Aaron¡¯s plan, the risk is ambiguous. It¡¯s impossible to determine who the dog will attack. But my plan doesn¡¯t have that randomness since we can determine if the wall is sturdy before we climb¡­ Personally, given a choice between two alternatives, I prefer the less ambiguous one. At least then I know what I¡¯m getting myself into.¡± Holding his chin, Dan nodded. ¡°I see, that makes sense¡­ But what about the dog?¡± Liam tilted his head. ¡°What does that have to do with this? The point of my plan is avoiding the dog.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know that, but there¡¯s no way it won¡¯t hear us climbing over. What¡¯s stopping it from running around the building to the other side?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not a problem. There was a chain around its neck.¡± ¡°And was it attached to something? Because if it was that changes things for both plans. We might even be able to go around the dog if someone distracts it¡­ wait, that probably won¡¯t work¡­ it could still bark and alert the people who kidnapped us¡­¡± As Dan began muttering new ideas to himself, Liam became confused in his thoughts. ¡®Wait, what? Why wouldn¡¯t the chain be attached to something? Who would do that?¡¯ Liam was unprepared for Dan¡¯s follow up question; he hadn¡¯t thought about it. He clearly remembered seeing a chain around the dog¡¯s neck, but he never checked if it was attached to anything. At the time, that was the least of his concerns ¨C it could be considered a mistake on his part. Liam collected himself before answering Dan. ¡°I didn¡¯t see if it was attached to anything, but we can check if it is.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll check. I was already planning to take a look before we started a fight.¡± Dan walked over to the door without delay. Turning the handle, Dan pulled it open and poked his head outside and after around ten seconds, he closed it. Unlike both Liam and Aaron, who had immediately slammed the door shut, Dan¡¯s calm demeanor was never shaken. Dan turned around; his expression alone told everyone that he didn''t have good news. ¡°It wasn¡¯t attached¡­ Liam, sorry, but I¡¯m sticking with my first choice.¡± ¡®Damnit!¡¯ Liam gritted his teeth in frustration. There was no possibility of convincing Dan now, and even Liam knew the plan wasn¡¯t going to work if there was a chance the dog could walk around the building. ¡®Who the fuck puts a chain on a dog up and forgets to attach it to something!¡¯ Liam felt bitter. Bitter at the kidnapper¡¯s, the two people who were planning to sit back and do nothing, his poor luck, but most of all himself. Maybe, if he were more charismatic or eloquent, then things would¡¯ve turned out different, but he wasn¡¯t. He wasn¡¯t a leader and never would be; he wasn¡¯t cut out for it. Smack! Suddenly a hand hit Liam on the back. The force was strong enough to make him stumble forward. He let out a groan. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Standing behind him, Aaron spoke with enthusiasm as if he was trying to cheer him up. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t let it get you down, Liam! None of us think your plan was bad! It just didn¡¯t work out this time!¡± He proceeded to pat Liam on the back. Although it was done with good intentions, it hardly felt that way to Liam. It felt more like he was a nail being hammered into a board than someone who was supposed to be being comforted. ¡°Yeah¡­ Thanks¡­¡± Liam mumbled insincerely to Aaron for the unnecessary comfort. Seemingly satisfied with Liam¡¯s response, Aaron gave a resolute nod before starting the discussion of their battle plan. ¡°Alright, great! Let¡¯s get started then! We¡­¡±
Creeaaaaak¡­ The door slowly opened, and Aaron stuck his head out. After confirming where the dog was, he turned around and gave a thumbs-up sign. Everyone silently nodded as their grip tightened on the primitive weapons they were holding. Their plan was simple. Aaron would get the attention of the dog. While he distracted it, Dan, Liam, and Claire would surround it and kill it using stones and wooden boards, which they had scavenged from the debris. Meanwhile, Alexandra and Erika would stand back and keep a lookout for any signs of other trouble. It had been Aaron and Dan¡¯s decision to have the girls stand guard instead of fight; Claire was only participating due to her relentless insistence. While Liam would''ve preferred to be on lookout duty, he had no room to voice any complaints.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! As for the remaining two, Isabelle and the man in the suit named Michael, they refused to participate. No one was happy with it, but there was nothing they could do. Claire was particularly upset with Isabelle, who didn¡¯t have the convenient excuse of an injury. However, no matter how many insults she threw at her, or threats she made, Isabelle wouldn¡¯t budge. Isabelle hardly paid attention to Claire, only treating her as a minor annoyance, like a fly buzzing around her head. Besides occasionally firing back with a snarky remark about Claire¡¯s appearance or intelligence, she mostly stayed curled up underneath the jersey she¡¯d taken from Aaron. Liam felt a strange satisfaction watching Claire¡¯s target shift from himself to Isabelle and hoped that it would stay that way. Aside from a battleplan, they had discussed one other thing. It was the digital screen in his corner of their vision. Liam was relieved to learn he wasn¡¯t hallucinating, but at the same time, it was concerning. Why? Why could they see this screen? Learning that everyone saw the same screen had only caused the list of questions to lengthen. Many negative possibilities were running through his head. Most were centered around the idea that a mad scientist captured them and had implanted microchips inside their brains, or that aliens had abducted them. In the end, all these ideas felt outlandish and unrealistic, like something out of a B-rated sci-fi movie. Liam was starting to wish only he could see the screen, then he could settle on being insane and call it a day. That would¡¯ve been easier than dealing with this abnormal situation, even for a kidnapping, there were too many anomalies. ¡°Liam! Let¡¯s go!¡± Snapping out of his thoughts at the sound of Dan¡¯s voice Liam approached the door. They all gathered in a line at the exit; the order was Aaron, then Dan, Liam, Claire, Alexandra, and finally, Erika. Aaron looked back at them; his face was tense. ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll let know when to come out.¡± Dan¡¯s expression stiffened upon hearing Aaron¡¯s words. ¡°Wait, what are you saying, Aaron? I thought we agreed to fight together. What was the point of all our planning if you just decide to go at it alone?¡± ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding me, Dan. I¡¯m still planning to work together. I just need to get the dog¡¯s attention first. After I thought about what Liam said, I realized he was right. There¡¯s no guarantee the dog will attack me. To solve that, I just have to be its only target. Don¡¯t worry, just wait for me to call you!¡± Flashing a confident smile, Aaron quickly stepped outside and closed the door before Dan could respond. Dan clenched his fists, frustrated at Aaron¡¯s recklessness. Throwing their plans out the window and chasing after him would only invite chaos. The best thing he could do now was put his faith in Aaron and wait. Five seconds passed, then fifteen seconds, and finally, after over thirty seconds passed, Alexandra spoke up with a voice full of worry. ¡°I-Isn¡¯t it taking too long?¡± Claire shrugged. ¡°Maybe the dog left, and he¡¯s busy looking for it.¡± ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. If the dog was gone, why didn¡¯t Aaron when he looked outside a few seconds ago?¡± Alexandra¡¯s anxiety seemed to grow as her thoughts began to narrow on the idea that something had happened. It was then that Dan stepped in. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not get worried yet. It¡¯s been less than a minute since he left. Let¡¯s have some faith in Aaron, alright? I¡¯m sure that if something happened, then-¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaaahk!¡± An agonizing scream cut Dan off. It took less than a second for everyone to reason who it was. ¡°Damnit!¡± Slam! Immediately, Dan threw the door open and sprinted outside. Liam and the others were right behind him. Outside was a dirt street lined with buildings in a similar condition to the one they had exited. Directly across the street, less than twenty feet away, they spotted Aaron. He was fighting not one but two dogs. One had latched onto his left arm with both its jaws, digging its teeth into his flesh. The other was standing in front of Aaron growling but not attacking; it was holding it''s back right leg up, which appeared to be injured. All of them were confused; they had no idea what had happened and how things got to this. As they were rushing towards Aaron to assist him, Aaron began swinging his left arm wildly, making the dog''s body flipflop in the air as he tried to shake it off. Seeing this, Dan shouted; his normally calm tone had disappeared. ¡°Aaron, stop! Don¡¯t do that! You¡¯ll only make the wound worse!¡± ¡°Huuaaahhk!¡± Gritting his teeth, Aaron swung the dog one last time before stopping. With his free hand, he formed a fist and began punching the dog in the ribs. Pow! Pow! Pow! Whether his aggression was fueled by the pain coming from his arm or something else, Aaron directed it all at the dog. ¡°Watch out! Another one is coming!¡± Alexandra¡¯s panic-stricken voice came from behind them. Liam glanced to his side and saw another two-headed dog sprinting out of an alley. It nearly tripped and fell as it entered the street and turned in the direction of them. Regaining its balance, it continued to charge. In this brief moment, Liam realized something about the two-headed dogs. They were slower and clumsier than a normal dog. Its center of gravity was off because its body wasn¡¯t large enough for two heads. ¡°Waah!¡± Flustered, Claire¡¯s eye darted between the new dog, Aaron, Alexandra, and both Dan and Liam. She was overwhelmed by the situation, which was rapidly spiraling out of control. Her feet became rooted to the ground as she was struck by fear. The dog spotted Claire and started heading straight for her. ¡°Claire, move out of the way!¡± Alexandra screamed at Claire and frantically began running over, abandoning Erika, who was cowering near the door. ¡°Aaah-!¡± Claire snapped out of daze at the sound of Alexandra¡¯s voice. She tried to scramble out of the way but stumbled. Her eyes widened. The dog had jumped off the ground and was aiming directly at her. Its sharp yellow teeth became fully exposed as it opened its mouths, preparing to attack. All she could think to do was clench her eyes shut and pray. ¡°Damnit!!¡± Dan jumped in front of Claire just before the dog reached her. The dog collided with him, knocking him to the ground. ¡°Aaaaaaaahk!!¡± One of its mouths caught Dan¡¯s shoulder, ripping the fabric and tearing part of his flesh. Dan desperately pushed away the snapping jaws that were aiming for his neck. As he wrestled on the ground, he shouted at Liam. ¡°Liam, go help Aaron!¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about me! Help Dan!¡± From across the street, Aaron shouted back as he thrust his hand through the loose chain collar of the dog biting him. Grabbing the chain, he twisted it as hard as he could, tightening it and asphyxiating the dog. Its eyes began to bulge as the chain dug into its neck, but still, it refused to release its jaw. Liam glanced between Aaron and Dan and quickly came to a decision ¨C help Dan. It was the worse choice in terms of efficiency, Liam knew that. It was made purely out of self-interest. Helping Aaron meant turning a one-on-two battle into a two-on-two battle, between that and the two-on-one fight with Dan; it was an easy choice. ¡°Liam! What the hell are you doing!?¡± Liam ignored Dan¡¯s angry shout as he desperately held the dog back as it pushed its teeth closer to his face. Moving to help Dan, Liam shoved Claire out of the way. ¡°Move!¡± Claire stumbled back, falling onto her butt. Her face was pale, and there were tears at the corners of her eyes. She looked up at Liam and stammered. ¡°I was¡­ I was¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not going to do anything, get out of the way!¡± Liam¡¯s cold voice snapped at her like a whip. He had no sympathy for her. Didn¡¯t she know this was partially her fault? She voted to fight, so why was she scared once the fight started? It was pathetic. ¡®Useless.¡¯ He thought as he raised a large stone above his head and slammed it down onto the back of the dog. Thud! The dog yelped, but it was still alive. It wasn¡¯t the result Liam was hoping for. He had been aiming for the center of its spine but ended up striking closer to its hind legs. At best, he might have fractured its hip based on how it was favoring one of its back legs. Lifting the stone, Liam slammed it down again. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! He continued to hit the dogs back, again, and again until finally¡­ CRACK! Its spine broke. The dog''s body stopped moving; it was paralyzed, maybe even dead. There was only one way to be sure. He took a moment to catch his breath before raising the stone again and smashing both of its heads. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud¡­! Finally, out of energy, he collapsed onto the ground. He was tired and out of breath, and now that the adrenaline was wearing off, fatigue was hitting him hard. He looked at his arms bathed in blood, and his clothes looked like they had been splattered with red paint. Cursing, Liam started to push himself up, looking in Aaron¡¯s direction. ¡®What the hell is happening?¡¯ He was a bit puzzled at what he was seeing. Aaron had lifted a dog into the air with both his arms and was holding it over his head. Its body was limp; presumably, it had suffocated when Aaron was choking it. ¡°Huuaaaaah!!¡± Aaron roared and threw the dog will all his strength at the other one, pinning it down. From underneath the corpse, the dog squirmed, trying to free itself. Aaron sprinted over and kicked its head as hard as he could, its head snapped upwards at an unnatural angle. Liam could tell it was dead from where he was. However, Aaron continued kicking it while cursing at it under his breath. ¡®It¡¯s over¡­¡¯ Flop. Liam fell back down and laid on his back. He wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and lay down in a warm bed, but that was impossible. ¡°Liam, are you alright?¡± Standing above him, Dan held out his hand. He seemed to have noticed that Aaron defeated the dogs as there was no sense of urgency in his voice. Taking his hand, Liam stood up. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just tired, you okay?¡± Dan looked at his shoulder, a large piece of flesh was missing. ¡°Yeah, it could¡¯ve been much worse if you hadn¡¯t helped me out¡­ Thanks. And sorry for yelling earlier, I was just caught up in the heat of the moment¡­ You made the right call.¡± Liam shook his head and quickly tried to change the subject. ¡°You said you¡¯re an EMT, right? Should you check on Aaron? He has the worst injury.¡± Dan nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­ Thanks again.¡± Dan headed over to Aaron, leaving Liam behind, alone. Liam wondered, was this considered a victory? He didn¡¯t know. No one had died, but their battle was far from clean; it was sloppy and unorganized. Aaron had immediately ignored the plan and tried to do everything himself, Claire panicked and couldn¡¯t do anything, while Dan threw himself in harm''s way. On top of that, there ended up being three dogs, not one. They had managed to miss critical information that nearly cost them their lives. Liam couldn¡¯t call it a victory ¨C it was nothing short of luck. They should be dead, but they weren¡¯t. ¡®Fuck, I was stupid.¡¯ Liam blamed himself for becoming too complacent after losing the vote. It was a mistake to follow a loosely made plan; he should¡¯ve insisted on taking extra precautions. While he couldn¡¯t have predicted everything, at least if they had done a bit of recon, they might have been more prepared. Wiping the blood from his hands, Liam looked at Alexandra crouched down next to Claire. Claire was wiping the tears from her eyes as Alexandra hugged her tightly. For the second time, Liam thought, ¡®Useless.¡¯ Chapter 4: Reevaluation ¡°Isabelle, can you give Aaron¡¯s jersey back? We need it to bandage his arm.¡± ¡°No.¡± Isabelle was quick to refuse Dan¡¯s request; she didn¡¯t even bother to stick her head out from inside the jersey and look him in the eyes. Dan let out a long sigh. After almost having his face ripped off by a dog, dealing with Isabelle¡¯s attitude was the last thing he wanted to do. However, he didn''t have a choice; he needed the jersey to treat both his and Aaron''s wounds, and Isabelle had it. ¡°Listen, it¡¯s not even yours. I don¡¯t want to fight with you, so please, just give it back.¡± ¡°Nope. It¡¯s mine now. He gave it to me.¡± Dan was usually a patient man, but it got on his nerves when people acted this way, especially in an emergency. As an EMT, he had seen it more than he could count, situations where if a bystander hadn¡¯t stood by and watched, then life might have been saved. He would never understand how some people can do nothing and watch as someone dies right in front of them. Doing his best to hold his frustration back, Dan tried to talk as calmly as he could to Isabelle. ¡°No¡­ You stole it. Now, stop being difficult and hand it over. We have much bigger issues to worry about than wasting our time having this meaningless argument.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? He gave it to me in exchange for my help. How is that stealing?¡± Dan ground his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to grab the jersey and tear it away from her, but he knew that wasn¡¯t the correct choice. ¡°Yes, but you never helped him. All you did was sit here bundled up while we were risking our lives. It¡¯s not yours.¡± ¡°Dan, it¡¯s fine. I said I didn¡¯t need it. I can just use my shirt instead.¡± Dan wasn¡¯t able to hold back his frustration any longer. ¡°Aaron, I know you¡¯re a nice guy, but this is too much! She¡¯s taking advantage of you!¡± ¡°I know that, but she¡¯s just a kid. Plus, I did technically give it to her.¡± As Dan was contemplating whether or not he should forcefully take the jersey, Claire was storming over to Isabelle. It had been no more than ten minutes since the fight ended, but she was already back to her usual self. Just by looking at her, no one would believe that she had been quivering in fear and crying moments ago. Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Claire¡¯s heavy footsteps came to a stop when she reached Isabelle. She glared down at her like she was looking at a pile of trash. Seeing her bundled up in Aaron¡¯s jersey without an inch of skin showing made her blood boil. Just as she was about to open her mouth, Alexandra broke into the group holding a light blue zip-up sweater. Alexandra shoved the sweater into Aaron¡¯s hands. ¡°Here, use this. It¡¯s Erika¡¯s sweater.¡± Shaking his head, Aaron adamantly refused the sweater and pushed it back to Alexandra. ¡°No, I can¡¯t take that. This isn¡¯t your problem, and won¡¯t Erika be cold?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Erika said you could take it. Both of us are grateful for everything you did. Without you, Dan and Liam, we would be trapped, and Claire would¡¯ve been hurt too. It¡¯s the least we can do, so please take it.¡± Contemplating his decision, Aaron looked at Erika, who was attempting to hide behind Alexandra. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay if I have this?¡± Erika nodded her head up and down repeatedly. ¡°And you won¡¯t be cold?¡± Erika shook her head side to side. Her cheeks were quickly turning a rosy red color as more eyes fell on her. It was an understatement call her shy or timid. Liam even wondered if she was capable of having a conversation; maybe she was mute. ¡°Well... Okay then. Thanks!¡± With a warm smile on his face, he took the sweater from Alexandra. Dan quickly got to work wrapping Aaron¡¯s arm. Due to the lack of tools available, he only tore the sweater along its seams. By the time he finished, both he and Aaron had makeshift bandages. ¡°All done, Aaron¡­ It isn¡¯t much, but it¡¯ll have to do for now. The wound¡¯s still open, so try not to move it too much, you don¡¯t want to make it any worse.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Dan placed his hand gently on Aaron''s shoulder; he had finished bandaging Aaron¡¯s arm and put it in a temporary sling. Although he wished that he could do more, sadly, that wasn¡¯t possible; the only things available were either rotting or destroyed. They didn¡¯t have water, let alone disinfectant or stitches to close the wound. ¡°Dan, are you sure this is necessary? I don¡¯t need a sling. You should¡¯ve used the extra fabric for yourself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I only got nipped on the shoulder; it''s hard even to call it a wound compared to your arm¡­ We need to get moving soon; if the kidnappers come back and find the dead dogs, it won¡¯t be good for us. Is everyone ready?¡± Immediately, everyone got up and began to move towards the exit. None of them wanted to stay here any longer than necessary; even Isabelle had gotten up and stretched before following the others. The room quickly emptied, leaving only Michael, who still had his broken foot propped up on a rock. ¡°Hang on! Don¡¯t just leave me!¡± Realizing that no one was going to offer him a helping hand, Michael pushed himself up, balancing on his unbroken foot. Using a long scrap of wood as a cane, he began hobbling after them. Outside, Liam took in the surrounding for a second time. It was strange. The city was decimated. Buildings had collapsed roofs, toppled walls, and some were completely flattened. Barrels and carts were scattered throughout the dirt streets, giving the impression the former residents had left in a hurry. Put simply, it looked like a hurricane had come through and wreaked havoc on the city. However, what Liam found strangest was the architecture. It reminded him of Europe when kings ruled, and wars were fought with swords instead of guns. ¡®Did I travel back in time? No¡­ That¡¯s impossible.¡¯ As fast as the idea emerged, Liam tossed it out. Putting aside the absurdity of time travel, it still didn¡¯t explain the irregularities. Liam¡¯s head was spinning ¨C nothing added up. With each new piece of information, he understood less and less about the current situation. Being kidnapped alone was strange enough, so when the other oddities were included, the situation became bizarre beyond belief. As Liam tried to narrow down the possibilities, his thoughts began to center around one idea. ¡®Virtual reality?¡¯ It was the only way to explain all the bizarre things around him. The digital screen fits the character status windows in video games, the scenery fits a fantasy world, and the two-headed dogs fit the image of fantasy monsters. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Perhaps if he played more video games or had been less focused on surviving, he would¡¯ve reached this conclusion sooner. There was one problem. ¡®Has virtual reality reached the point where it can incorporate all five senses flawlessly?¡¯ Liam wasn¡¯t an avid gamer or tech guru but found it hard to believe. As far as he knew, they were years if not decades away from reaching that point. When he killed the dog, it didn¡¯t feel like he killed a cluster of pixels, it felt real. ¡®Regardless, if this is or isn¡¯t a game, I can¡¯t treat it any different then real life.¡¯ Liam didn¡¯t know what would happen if he died. There was no guarantee that there was life after death, that he would wake up, or respawn, so he couldn¡¯t act as if he would. He needed to treat it as reality. A different reality than the one he knew but a reality, nonetheless. ¡°Liam, are you okay with heading towards the castle too? Everyone else is on board with the plan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hearing Dan¡¯s voice, Liam broke out of his thoughts. ¡°I asked if you¡¯re okay with heading toward the castle.¡± ¡°Castle?¡± Liam tilted his head in confusion. He was utterly lost; he had no idea what Dan was talking about. Having been so lost in thought, he had missed a vital conversation. Dan let out a sigh of disappointment, realizing that Liam hadn¡¯t been following their discussion at all. He pointed to a building off in the distance. ¡°The castle... Can¡¯t you see it over there? We all thought it would be a good idea to use it as a landmark while we wandered around the city looking for supplies. Judging by the layout of this street, navigating the city is going to be difficult. Does that sound good to you?¡± Liam looked at the building. It appeared untouched by the disaster that befell the rest of the city. Given the tall cylindrical watchtowers that surrounded it, "castle" was a fitting description. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine with me.¡± Liam nodded his head. There wasn¡¯t anything he could disagree with; Dan¡¯s idea sounded good. ¡®What the fuck was I doing!?¡¯ Liam cursed at himself. No more than fifteen minutes had passed since he promised himself to be more involved in the group so that they didn¡¯t make the same mistake again. Yet he failed immediately. It was hard to describe the disappointment he felt in himself. ¡°Alright, that settles it! Everyone, follow me!¡± Aaron began marching in the direction of the castle. It was apparent that his injured arm hadn¡¯t put a damper on his enthusiastic attitude. As the group passed by the corpses of the two dogs Aaron had killed, Liam¡¯s footsteps came to a sudden stop. ¡®Huh?¡¯ One of the dead dogs had caught his attention. It was the dog that had a collar and chain, the same one that was guarding the door. The chain was tied tightly to a post in an alleyway. ¡®Son of a bitch¡­¡¯ Liam felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head after realizing the cold, hard truth ¨C Dan had lied about the chain being unattached. ¡®Why?¡¯ It made no sense. Dan had the deciding vote. Regardless of if the chain was attached, he had final say. There was no reason for him to lie; he didn¡¯t need to convince them of his choice. Dan could¡¯ve made an honest mistake, but Liam found that unlikely. There was no way Dan could¡¯ve seen down the alley from the doorway. At most, he could¡¯ve seen the chain leading down the alleyway, that was it. ¡®I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s the benefit?¡¯ Liam only saw demerits in falsely reporting the chain was unattached. Had Dan told the truth, it opened up the possibility of running away from the dog instead of fighting. They could¡¯ve adjusted their plan and, as a result, suffered fewer injuries. There was only one benefit Liam could think of ¨C control. As soon as Dan lied, he gained control over the situation. Liam¡¯s plan became unviable, and Aaron¡¯s became their only option. They unified as a group and worked together, leaving behind any lingering tension from the vote. If this was Dan¡¯s goal, then it worked, but Liam had a problem with it. Liam didn¡¯t doubt Dan had acted with good intentions. However, the fact remained that he had misled them. That was dangerous in Liam¡¯s mind. This time it hadn¡¯t resulted in any significant loss, but that wasn''t guaranteed to happen next time. From now on, he needed to be careful of Dan. With that in mind, Liam resumed following the others. Chapter 5: Passing the Time ¡°FOR THE LAST TIME, I WASN¡¯T CRYING!!¡± Claire roared at Liam; her face was a dark shade of red. It was hard to tell if she was embarrassed by Liam¡¯s remark or if her volcanic anger was about to erupt. ¡°Hm? Are you sure?¡± Liam replied, teasingly. They had already had this exchange too many times to count over the past ten minutes. In a sense it had turned into a sort of game for Liam to pass the time as they wandered through the city, although Liam was the only one who was aware of this game, Claire had no clue. ¡°YES! I ALREADY TOLD YOU IT WAS DUST! NOW DROP IT BEFORE I KILL YOU!!¡± ¡°Sure, if that¡¯s what you say.¡± Liam sarcastically shrugged his shoulders and walked ahead of Claire. She chased after him, unwilling to let him get the last word in. How did Liam stumble across this remarkably fun pastime of teasing Claire? It was by accident while listening to a conversation between Dan, Claire, and Alexandra. After hearing Claire talk herself up, bragging about how tough she was, a laugh accidentally escaped Liam¡¯s mouth. He couldn¡¯t help it. Less than an hour before, she was petrified of the two-headed dogs. The contrast between her now and her fear earlier was too comical. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t laugh at someone else¡¯s misery, but when that person talks themselves up and then falls flat on their face, who wouldn¡¯t laugh a little? As soon as Liam had laughed, she reacted like a bloodhound catching the scent of wild game. Claire¡¯s head had snapped towards him, and she demanded, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He tried everything possible to avoid answering, brushing it off as nothing, saying it wasn¡¯t about her, but Claire wasn''t buying it. Determined to hear the truth, she continued badgering him. Eventually, he got tired of her persistence and told her the truth. He braced himself for the barraged of anger, but to his surprise, it never came. Instead, she responded with a meek, ¡°I-I didn¡¯t cry,¡± while her cheeks were blushing a rosy red. Liam could tell she was embarrassed, and while her pride wouldn¡¯t accept the truth, she also didn¡¯t want to make a big deal of it by getting mad. Usually, Liam would¡¯ve shrugged it off, thankful that it didn¡¯t escalate any further, but this was Claire. The same person who had relentlessly gone after him not too long ago. It¡¯d be a lie to say he didn¡¯t want to get back at her, even if only a little. Initially, he was only planning to do it once or twice then stop, but since her reactions were so good, he¡¯ll admit he went a little overboard. But now, judging by how she was seething with rage, he knew it was time to end it. Claire stammered; her face was as red as a tomato. ¡°You¡­ You¡­!¡± Liam held his hands up as if he was surrendering. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sorry¡­ It was a joke, and I took it took far.¡± Claire stopped and blinked, the last thing she was expecting to come out of Liam¡¯s mouth were words that sounded like a sincere apology. The corners of her lips rose into a smile, and she straightened her back with pride. ¡°Hm, well¡­ I see. I guess since you apologized, I¡¯ll let it go this time¡­ but you should thank me for being so forgiving.¡± Liam could only nod, it was taking every fiber of his being to stop from shouting, ¡°Just kidding!¡± when he saw the smug look on her face. She made it too easy; it was almost as if she was trying to be teased, but he knew that was impossible. If he had learned anything about Claire, it was that she acted on her emotions, not logic. Liam¡¯s focus returned to the street in front of him. They had been wandering the city for a few hours, a long and monotonous journey. Aside from the brief time spent teasing Claire, Liam had kept to himself. He had no interest in small talk unlike the others. Of the buildings they had come across, none were in any better condition than the church. Some had missing walls or a roof, while others lay flattened. As they continued searching the city, they slowly progressed closer to the castle. It was clear they would need to make a choice soon; they couldn¡¯t keep wandering the streets forever, especially not with the cold temperature. ¡®Hm?¡¯ Liam noticed that Dan and Aaron had stopped and were discussing something together. While Liam wasn¡¯t close enough to hear the exact details of the conversation, from the expression on their faces, it was important. Curious, he began walking towards them. ¡®They aren¡¯t really thinking about staying in that building, are they?¡¯ Liam thought after seeing Aaron point to a building near the end of the street while Dan nodded. If Aaron and Dan were planning to use that building as shelter, Liam would be less than thrilled. The building was two stories, and half the second floor was gone leaving a gaping hole. It didn¡¯t offer much protection from the elements. From the exterior, it was hard to say it was any better than the church; in fact, it might be worse. At least in the church, there wasn¡¯t the possibility of the roof collapsing on them. As Liam was thinking, Aaron began waving for everyone to come over. When they were all gathered, Aaron explained what they had decided. ¡°Dan and I thought it was about time for a break. We¡¯ve been walking for a while now, and everyone is probably tired. So¡­¡± Aaron pointed towards the two-story building. ¡°We¡¯re going to stay at that building over there. Sound good?¡± Everyone nodded silently, except¡­ ¡°My God! Finally! It took you long enough!¡± Michael shouted, not bothering hiding his displeasure. Aaron forced a smile; for the entire journey, Michael had been vocalizing his complaints. ¡°Well, let¡¯s head over.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it As they approached the building, Liam¡¯s eyes were scanning the exterior. Broken tables and chairs were lying outside as well as a crooked sign hanging above the door; the text on it had faded long ago, making it illegible. Aaron walked up to the door and carefully opened it. Everyone tensed up. After experiencing the dogs outside the church door, they were all on guard, prepared for the moment something might jump out at them. Creeeeaaak¡­ The rusted hinges shrieked as the door opened. ¡°Cough¡­cough¡­cough!¡± A thick cloud of dust blew into Aaron¡¯s face. While waving his hand to disperse the dusty air circling him, he looked around inside. ¡°It looks¡­cough¡­ safe. Let¡¯s head inside.¡± The inside was dimly lit; the only source of light was coming from the hole in the ceiling, and it wasn¡¯t enough to light up the entire room. There were more knocked over tables and chairs, but unlike outside, many were still intact. In the back was a long wooden bar with a large crack running through the center. Behind it, broken kegs were laying in a pile. A thick layer of dust covered everything, confirming that the building had been unoccupied for many years. From the layout, it appeared that this place was at one time a thriving tavern. ¡°Gross¡­¡± Isabelle stepped into the room with a look of pure disgust as if just being here made her dirty. She held her hands close to her body, expressing her desire not to touch anything. Liam walked over to the bar, being careful to avoid the broken glass and sharp debris on the ground. In nothing but socks, his feet were already numb; the last thing he needed was a nail or shard of glass in them too. Behind the bar, there was a door that connected to a kitchen or storage room. Liam tried opening it, but it didn¡¯t budge. It was jammed shut or locked; either way, it wasn¡¯t going to open, so he gave up and looked at the contents on the shelves. There wasn¡¯t much aside from broken mugs and plates, except for a single wooden club on the bottom shelf. Reaching out, Liam picked it up. It was heavy and made a much better weapon than rocks and broken wood planks. At one time, it was probably the weapon the bartender used to defend against robbers and break up bar fights. When Liam was about to stand up and explore the rest of the room, an argument erupted. ¡°This is the worst! Why are we wasting our time and energy wandering around the streets in this weather!? Whose bright idea was that!?¡± Michael shouted in an exasperated voice while plunking himself down in a chair. A loud creak rang out as the old wood chair strained to hold his overweight body. ¡°We didn¡¯t force you to come¡­¡± Dan muttered under his breath. There was a hint of his rising irritation within his voice. He was tired of listening to Michael¡¯s constant complaints too. ¡°You didn¡¯t give me much choice, either! You think I was going to stay there all by myself!?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dan remained silent, allowing Michael to continue his rant. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought! Oh, and while we¡¯re on the subject of your brilliant ideas, let¡¯s not forget your best one - going to the castle. Sure, the lights are on, and it¡¯s in better condition than the other buildings, but why do you want to go to the one place that has any sign of life after being kidnapped? That¡¯s probably where the kidnappers are!? What¡¯s the point of escaping if you¡¯re just going to run back into their arms!?" Finally, Dan fired back; he didn¡¯t raise his voice, but his tone made it clear that he was tired of Michael¡¯s attitude. ¡°If you were listening before, then you¡¯d know we said we were using the castle as a landmark. No one said anything about going inside." Michael scoffed. "It''s still a shit idea and a waste of time. If you ask me, we should just make a fire and camp out here.¡± Dan chuckled, mocking Michael. "Stay here? Be serious, will you? What you plan to do about food and water then? From what I can see this bar was abandoned ages ago, I doubt there¡¯s any food or water here.¡± ¡°What!? When did I ever say we should look for food and water here, huh? No shit, we need to go out and find it in the town, dumbass! I didn¡¯t say it because I thought you were smart enough to figure that out yourself. Do I need to explain everything to you step by step!?" ¡°Okay, so if you know so much, then where do you suggest we look for food and water? Go on, enlighten me.¡± ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know, maybe the perfectly good food back at the church! Oh, wait! Let me be more specific, or else you won¡¯t understand. I¡¯m talking about the dogs, the ones you killed. In case you didn¡¯t know you can eat those, people in China do, so why don¡¯t we?¡± Dan snorted. ¡°If you want to eat those, then be my guest, but I¡¯ll pass. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m putting that in my stomach. Those things weren¡¯t even dogs. They were closer to mutants or monsters. I doubt they¡¯re safe to eat.¡± ¡°Listen, all I¡¯m saying is you and that big guy, Aaron, was it? Well, whatever his name is, you¡¯re both incompetent! If you keep forcing us to follow your shit idea¡¯s like this, then you¡¯ll get us all killed! Just listen to me, and we¡¯ll survive. Haven¡¯t you ever heard the saying older and wiser?¡± ¡°And all you do is complain! If you don¡¯t have anything good to say, then keep your mouth shut! Complaining isn¡¯t helping anyone! I asked you for your input and then you just-!¡± Scrape¡­ Dan suddenly stopped talking after he thought he heard a strange sound outside. ¡°Just, just what!? Finish your sentence, come on I want to hear it! What did I do!? I¡¯ll tell you what I did! I gave you a good idea, and you tossed it aside without a second thought! You didn¡¯t even bother to-!¡± Dan interrupted Michael. ¡°Shut up. Something''s outside. I''m trying to listen.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing. You know you can¡¯t win, so you default to avoiding the argument. Very clever, but don¡¯t just expect me to-¡± ¡°Shhhhhhh!¡± Alexandra¡¯s harsh hush cut Michael off. She had her finger to her lips like a librarian silencing noisy guests. Seeing her unusually stern expression, Michael furrowed his brow and decided to be quiet and listen. Scrape¡­scrape¡­scrape¡­! Something was being dragged across the ground. As the source slowly approached the door, as if taking its time, the metallic clanking of chains became audible. Scrape¡­clank¡­scrape¡­clank¡­! ¡®Shit! There¡¯s more of those things!?¡¯ The image of the two-headed dog with a chain collar instantly popped into Liam¡¯s head. He gripped the club tighter; his muscles were tense, but his mind stayed calm. The room was silent; no one moved. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the dogs outside to pass the tavern. As they grew closer, a new, more subtle sound was heard within the clanking and scraping. Scrape¡­clank¡­scrape¡­tap-tap¡­scape¡­tap-tap¡­ ¡®Footsteps?¡¯ Liam felt puzzled. He could tell the sound was footsteps, except he only heard two feet, not four. Something was wrong. ¡®I must have misheard.¡¯ Liam listened again, but this time he heard nothing. It was silent outside. The sound had stopped directly in front of the door. As his mind processed this, Liam felt all the hairs on his body stand up. BANG! A powerful force slammed against the door. The old wood door was smashed open, and splintered pieces of wood flew across the room like shrapnel. ¡°Aaahk¡± Dan fell to one knee as he grabbed his thigh, which had a long shard of wood running through it. ¡°Kakakakaka!!¡± A creepy cackle came from the humanoid-being standing in the doorway, that seemed to enjoy seeing Dan writhing in pain. ¡®What is that¡­?¡¯ Liam felt his entire body go cold as he peeked over the edge of the bar. He felt an overwhelming fear that he had never felt before. The creature had a humanoid body, but that was the only thing about it that resembled a human being. It stood just over seven feet tall, and despite the immense strength it displayed, its body was thin and boney. Its long arms, which extended past its knees, looked like nothing but skin and bone, even its rib cage was visible beneath its unnatural ash-gray skin. The only clothing it wore were dirty rags wrapped loosely around its waist. Its feet were bare, exposing its long and scraggly toenails. On its wrists and ankles were rusted iron shackles with broken chains attached. In one hand was a blade coated in fresh blood. It had a deathly appearance, rectangular and slightly curved like a meat cleaver that had been extended to the length of a sword. From beneath its long and disheveled hair, two glowing red eyes scanned the room. A disturbing grin emerged on the creature¡¯s face as it laughed again, exposing two rows of shark-like teeth. ¡°Kakakakaka!¡± A chill ran down Liam¡¯s spine. To it, they were nothing more than rats trapped in a cage, and it was going to enjoy killing them. Chapter 6: The Crucial Decision ¡°What the fuck is that!! Hey, big guy! Do something!¡± Screaming in a panic at Aaron, Michael fell out of his chair. No one was listening to him; the entire room had descended into chaos. ¡®Calm down! Think! Think of something!¡¯ Behind the counter, Liam was desperately trying to settle his racing heart. As adrenaline rushed through his veins, his hands began shaking. His instincts were screaming at him to flee; it wasn¡¯t possible to defeat that thing. ¡®Think, think!¡¯ The creature was blocking the entrance, and running past wasn¡¯t an option; something told him if he tried that he would die. ¡®The back door! Shit, why didn¡¯t I think of it sooner!¡¯ The creature had only broken down the door moments ago, but every second counted right now. There was a chance it could be a dead-end, but it was the best option available given the circumstances. The only problem was it was locked, and Liam wasn¡¯t strong enough to open it himself. Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to. Standing up, he shouted to Aaron. ¡°Aaron, break down the door behind us!¡± Hearing Liam¡¯s voice that carried a sense of urgency, Aaron spun around and looked at Liam. He had picked up a chair and was preparing to face off against the creature, so he was rattled by Liam¡¯s instructions. ¡°Wha-!?¡± Liam pointed to the door and repeated himself. ¡°The door! Break it down! NOW!!¡± Shaking his head, Aaron tossed aside his hesitation and put his trust in Liam. Throwing away the chair, he changed his target from the creature to the back door and charged at it with all his strength. The creature let out an ear-piercing shriek when it noticed Aaron¡¯s intention. ¡°Kaaaaaaarrrkk!!¡± The look of joy on the creature¡¯s face was replaced with rage that its prey was trying to escape. Taking a big step forward, it kicked Michael, sending him flying towards Aaron. BANG! Michael''s body smashed into the front of the bar, narrowly missing Aaron. He fell into a heap on the floor, moaning in agony. Aaron hadn¡¯t stopped his charge. Crack! His body rammed into the door at full force, instantly breaking it down. Scrambling back onto his feet, Aaron quickly looked around the room. It was a kitchen, many rusted tools and utensils were lying around, but that didn¡¯t matter. Spotting another door across the room, a look of hope emerged on his face as he shouted. ¡°OVER HERE!!¡± Liam was already sprinting through the door by the time Aaron yelled. A piece of broken glass stabbed into his foot. He clenched his teeth, ignoring the sharp pain; it was far better than being chopped apart by that creature¡¯s cold metal blade. Behind him, the room was still chaotic. Everyone was frantically running towards the door as fast as they could, only Dan lagged slightly behind due to his leg. They knocked over tables and chairs, doing anything they could to slow the creature''s progress. ¡°Move!¡± Isabelle shoved Aaron aside as passed through the door; she was the first to arrive after Liam. Following closely behind her were Claire, Alexandra, and Erika. As they passed through, Alexandra yanked on Aaron¡¯s arm. ¡°Aaron, you have to run! Let¡¯s go!¡± Aaron hesitated and looked at Dan, who was hobbling towards them. ¡°But Dan-!¡± Immediately, Alexandra cut him off. ¡°Look, the monster isn¡¯t that fast! Dan will make it!¡± The creature didn¡¯t run after them, or rather it couldn¡¯t. None of them knew that the shackles on its arms and legs were extremely heavy. However, it wasn¡¯t slow either, it took giant strides using its long legs to close the distance. ¡°GO!!¡± Hearing Dan¡¯s shout Aaron clenched his fists in frustration and sprinted after the others Dan stumbled forward but caught himself before falling. He winced as he put pressure on his bad leg. Ignoring the pain, he pushed himself as he passed the bar. ¡°Wait¡­ Don''t leave me!¡± Michael sobbed as he grasped onto Dan¡¯s leg. ¡°Hey, stop! Let go!¡± Dan shouted while trying to free his leg from Michael¡¯s hands. ¡°Save me!¡± Michael cried, his face covered in snot and tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t! Let go!¡± Dan started desperately kicking at Michael, connecting with his face. Dan couldn¡¯t save Michael; he was already having enough trouble saving himself. ¡°LET GO!!¡± Dan kicked again at Michael''s face, but he refused to let go. Dan grabbed onto the bar and pulled himself forward with all his strength, dragging Michael along behind. ¡°Pweash shayve mEe! I''m sowwy!!¡± Michael cried again, but only unintelligible sounds came out. His face so was broken and bloody from Dan¡¯s persistent kicking that he couldn¡¯t speak properly. ¡°Fuck off! I already told you-!¡± Dan suddenly stopped talking when he felt a cold and boney hand grip the back of his neck. His face went pale, and his entire body stiffened. He felt the hands that hand been desperately gripping his leg release as his body was lifted into the air.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Ah!¡± A sound of shock escaped Michael¡¯s mouth. As he stared up at the creature, effortlessly lifting Dan into the air. He fell into despair, knowing that he would be next. When he was about to give up and wait for his execution, a thought struck him ¨C this was his opportunity. His lips twitched as his broken face tried to smile. ¡°HahAha!¡± Michael quickly began crawling towards the exit. He figured that while the creature was killing Dan, he could escape through the door. Once he was there, the others would see him and help. Splat! The creature stomped on Michael¡¯s head, instantly crushing it. Michael hadn¡¯t even crawled three feet before being executed. Dan shuddered in horror at Michael¡¯s corpse. There was a foot-shaped indentation in Michael''s head. The top half of his skull had blown out, splattering blood, chunks of brain, and bone fragments across the floor. ¡°Kekeke¡­¡± Hearing the creature''s cruel snicker, Dan began frantically flailing his arms and legs. He kicked and swung helplessly, unable to land a hit. ¡°Fuck! Let go! Let go!¡± Dan screamed while twisting his body in the air like a fish out of water. Grabbing the hand around his neck, he tried to pry open the creature¡¯s long fingers. ¡°HELP! Someone he-!¡± Suddenly, the creature tightened its grip, instantly breaking every bone in Dan¡¯s neck. His head fell limp, dangling over his chest. As if bored, the creature thoughtlessly tossed Dan¡¯s corpse to the side. Scanning the room once, it turned and exited through the front door, and returned to wandering the city in search of more prey.
¡°Haaa¡­haaa¡­haaa¡­¡± In an alleyway, Liam leaned against a building, trying to catch his breath. Every muscle in his body was burning; he couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had run so much. Fortunately, he had escaped the creature, or at least he hoped so. If it showed up now, he could offer little in the form of resistance. ¡°Cough¡­cough¡­!¡± With no water, Liam could only use what little saliva he had to wet his dry throat. ¡®I really am out of shape¡­¡¯ Despite seeing how low his physical stats were listed, the truth was only beginning to hit him now. He didn¡¯t want to believe the strange digital screen, but given his condition, reality was sinking in. Liam stared at his feet. Both his socks were ripped and torn, and one was dyed red in blood. The piece of glass he stepped on was already lodged deep inside his foot; it wouldn¡¯t be easy to take out, so all he could do was endure the pain. ¡®What the fuck was that!¡¯ Liam shuddered, recalling the creature. It was a terrifying experience. Not once in his life could he remember a time when he felt so powerless. To it, they were nothing more than livestock waiting to be slaughtered. Even the horror he experienced when he found his mother standing over his father¡¯s corpse with a bloody kitchen knife couldn¡¯t compare to this. Liam was positive; this wasn¡¯t Earth. That creature didn¡¯t exist on Earth, and it was impossible to call it human; humans don¡¯t have glowing red eyes and shark-like teeth. ¡®What the hell did I get myself into?¡¯ Not only did he have to worry about freezing to death, he had to avoid a monster on a psychotic murdering spree. ¡®Why couldn¡¯t it be dogs?!¡¯ Liam never thought he¡¯d miss the two-headed dogs. At least with them, he felt like he had a fighting chance to survive. Contrary to the saying, "Two heads are better than one," they weren''t that smart. ¡°Hey! How long are you going to stare at your feet like an idiot for!?¡± Hearing the impatient voice that hissed at him, Liam looked to his side and saw Isabelle. She was standing with her arms crossed while leaning on one leg. ¡°Hey¡­ Where are the others?¡± Isabelle¡¯s twisted as if she was offended by the question. ¡°If I knew that, do you think I¡¯d be talking to a disgusting, hairy old man like you!?¡± ¡®Hairy?¡¯ Was he hairy? Liam subconsciously touched his beard, wondering if it was too long. ¡°It¡¯s not just the beard¡­ If I had to say, then I guess it¡¯s¡­¡± She tilted her head, putting her index finger to her lips, seriously thinking about it. ¡°Everything¡­ Ugh, just looking at you makes me want to vomit...¡± Isabelle turned her head away, covering her mouth as if she was going to be sick. ¡®This is stupid¡­¡¯ Liam gave up. Talking with her was a waste of time. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Traveling with Isabelle was out of the question. Not only was she obnoxious and needy, but she was also dead-weight. From the start, she hadn¡¯t done anything but create problems with her narcissistic actions; she was a liability. ¡®Should I find the others, or go off on my own?¡¯ Now that the dangers of being on the streets had increased, Liam was feeling uneasy about traveling by himself. Ideally, it would¡¯ve been best if they had never been separated. Having someone like Aaron, who had a self-sacrificing mindset, was always a plus. If Liam hadn¡¯t told Aaron to break down the door, Aaron would¡¯ve have faced the creature head-on. At least that¡¯s how it had appeared to Liam. Traveling as a group was the best choice, but Liam wasn¡¯t sure if he could find the others. After escaping the tavern, he ran through streets and alleys, taking turns at random. He had no idea where he was, let alone where the others were. ¡°How long are you going to stare at that wall, huh? Hurry up and do something! I¡¯m cold and hungry!¡± Isabelle whined at Liam, acting like a spoiled child. Liam didn¡¯t pay her any attention; he was already filtering out her voice. Her persistent whining reminded him of his neighbor¡¯s dog that was always barking, so it was easy for him to ignore it. ¡®Fuck it¡­¡¯ Liam pushed himself off the wall after reaching a decision. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugly and useless could it get any worse. Why did it have to be you, and not the hot football guy? Even that hotheaded bitch would be better than a useless sack of ¨C Hey! Where are you going!?¡± Isabelle started chasing after Liam as he walked down the alley. Hearing her footsteps behind him, Liam groaned internally. ¡®Damnit, why is she following me? I thought she hated me.¡¯ Liam¡¯s planned to find shelter by himself. It was too risky to search aimlessly for the others. However, his plan didn¡¯t include Isabelle. He was hoping that she wouldn¡¯t follow him, but unfortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. She couldn¡¯t survive on her own and obviously needed to leech off others. If possible, Liam wanted to ditch her. The problem was, how? Something told him that telling her to leave wouldn¡¯t work. Running away wouldn¡¯t work either. Based on the fact she wasn¡¯t winded after escaping, she was in better shape. It was a sad admission, but he didn¡¯t think he could win in speed or endurance. Physically assaulting her might work, but he wasn¡¯t going to do that; he was stuck with her. For about two hours, nothing happened. Liam and Isabelle didn¡¯t run into the others, nor did they find shelter. The streets were the same as before, and every building was uninhabitable. As they got closer to the castle, Liam was beginning to think it would be their only option. While he had a bad premonition about it, at this point, finding warmth was the only thing on his mind. Suddenly, Liam stopped as he turned a corner to enter the cross street. He covered his mouth. ¡®Disgusting.¡¯ In front of him were three human corpses, mutilated beyond recognition. If not for the human limbs scattered around, Liam would¡¯ve had a hard time figuring out they were human from their torsos alone. From the ripped and torn flesh, it looked like something was feasting on them. ¡®Dogs.¡¯ From the canine claw and bite marks, Liam concluded it was the two-headed dogs. However, he didn¡¯t rule out that it could be something else. After running into the creature, anything seemed possible. ¡°Hey, why did you ¨C Ueeeeeck!¡± Isabelle puked when she saw the corpses. While she was emptying the contents of her stomach, Liam carefully inspected the corpses. There was one male and two females, but that was all he could figure out about the victims; it was impossible to tell anything else from what little remains were left. Liam turned around and spoke to Isabelle, who was still dry heaving; his voice was unusually serious. ¡°Come on¡­ We¡¯re leaving. And make sure you¡¯re quiet from now on. The dogs still might be nearby.¡± ¡°Uuuuuughh¡­¡± Isabelle groaned and followed Liam; she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to ignore him, but most of all, she would do anything if it meant getting away from the corpses. Liam wanted to get out of here as fast as possible. The most important thing he learned from the corpses was the attack had happened recently. It couldn¡¯t have been more than an hour ago; the bodies too fresh. Since there was a chance the dogs were still around, he didn¡¯t want to hang around, but before they reached the end of the street¡­ ¨C Aaaaaaaaaack! There was an ear-piercing female scream; she sounded young. ¡®Wait¡­ it couldn¡¯t be them, could it?¡¯ The image of the others flashed through his mind. It would make sense for them to be close. If they had escaped the creature, they were likely heading the in same direction as Liam. That aside, there were also the corpses earlier which could be related to the scream in some way. Staring in the direction the scream originated, Liam thought hard about his next move. Chapter 7: Interlude - The Others ¡°DAMNIT! I SHOULD HAVE STAYED!!!¡± Aaron punched the brick wall in the alleyway, hard. The skin covering his knuckles was torn from repeatedly striking the hard surface. After they had escaped the tavern, he, Alexandra, Claire, and Erika had waited for Dan, but he never showed up. At this point, they were positive he was dead. ¡°Calm down, Aaron! There wasn¡¯t anything you could¡¯ve done!¡± Alexandra raised her voice. It was painful for her to see Aaron so distraught. Not to mention, it only made the guilt she was feeling grow. Out of all of them, she was the one who felt the most responsible for Dan¡¯s death. She had told Aaron to leave him and promised Dan would be safe. If she hadn¡¯t, then Dan might be alive. ¡®Why was I in such a rush? Did a few seconds matter?¡¯ In retrospect, her decision weighed on her. She was so concerned with escaping that waiting never crossed her mind. Was it the right decision? She would never know. ¡°DAMNIT!¡± Aaron hit the wall again before losing strength in his arm and letting it fall by his side. He was frustrated over Dan¡¯s death. Knowing that if he had just run in and carried Dan out, he would still be alive. Why hadn¡¯t he? He knew the answer ¨C fear. The creature was as terrifying to him as it was the others. Reckless courage was the only thing that spurred him to grab a chair to fight, but once Liam gave an alternative escape option, all his courage vanished. ¡®I failed again. I let my team down¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t consider himself intelligent, at least not academically. His biggest strengths ¨C the build of his body and athleticism. When he had played football for the very first time, he fell in love with it. He had finally found something that ¡°fit¡± him. At first, he wasn¡¯t good, but he practiced harder than anyone else. He felt his hard work was paying off when he got accepted to the University of Georgia on a scholarship. During senior year his team nominated him for team captain. It was a first for him. He was content with becoming a better player, someone that his team relied on. A leadership role wasn¡¯t natural for him, and his ego didn¡¯t need it. However, when his team chose him, he became surprisingly overjoyed. To have his teammates recognize his hard work was an extraordinary feeling, and yet he felt the heavy burden of his teammate''s trust fall on his shoulders; he didn¡¯t want to let them down. To succeed, he worked even hard than before, devoting every second of free time to football and his team. As a result, during the football season, his team made it to the top of the division and into the College Football Playoff National Championship. It was the best season they had in a long time. Of course, it wasn¡¯t all due to Aaron, but it was undeniable that his efforts had made a significant impact. Unfortunately, their great season didn¡¯t have a great ending. In the finals against the University of Alabama, due to stress and overwork, Aaron¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t in the proper state to play, let alone be a leader. Before halftime, the coach benched him for the rest of the game. From the sidelines, he was forced to watch as his team made a comeback only to lose by three points. Aaron was ashamed of himself; it was his fault. He never wanted to betray the trust and expectations others had placed in him, which was why he was feeling particularly frustrated right now. Dan¡¯s death was a repeat of that time; only instead of a trophy, a life was lost. ¡®I haven¡¯t changed at all!¡¯ Leading up to the finals, he had lost confidence in himself. He felt inferior to the other team because of their consistent appearance in the playoffs. As a result, he tried to compensate by working harder and harder, ignoring his teammate''s advice to rest. It was the same when the creature appeared. Confronted with its overwhelming presence, he lost all confidence in his physical abilities. The idea of saving Dan seemed impossible to him, so he ran away. ¡°Aaron, I know you¡¯re upset, but we can¡¯t stay here!¡± At the sound of Alexandra¡¯s voice, Aaron finally looked up. His eyes searched the narrow alleyway; he had been so distraught over Dan¡¯s death that he¡¯d forgotten where he was. Since they were still close to the tavern, there was a chance the creature might show up again. Looking at the people in front of him, Claire, Alexandra, and Erika ¨C four people were missing. Dan was dead, and Michael probably was too, but the other two... ¡°Where are Liam and Isabelle?¡± Aaron asked Alexandra, who had a look of relief after finally getting his attention. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t see them when we escaped. They¡¯re probably further ahead of us or took a different route¡­ Should we go look for them?¡± Before Aaron could respond, Claire cut in. ¡°Look for them, why would we ever do that?! We¡¯re better off without them!¡± ¡°Claire, don¡¯t be like that.¡± ¡°Come on, Alex! You can¡¯t be serious! Liam was a total asshole, and Isabelle was a useless bitch! What good will it do us working with selfish people like them?¡± Hearing Claire¡¯s insults, Alexandra¡¯s eyes locked onto Claire; there was a resolute look on her face. ¡°That¡¯s harsh, Claire. I¡¯m not going to defend Isabelle, but Liam did more than his part. Without him, the fight with the dogs and escaping the monster would¡¯ve turned out a lot worse.¡± Claire snorted and crossed her arms over her chest as if letting everyone know that her opinion wasn¡¯t going to change. ¡°So, what? That doesn¡¯t change the fact that he has a bad personality. He¡¯s not the kind of guy I want to be around. I don¡¯t trust him.¡± Alexandra sighed. She didn¡¯t want to start an argument with Claire over a small difference of opinion. ¡°I think you''re a little biased. Anyway, this decision isn¡¯t up to us. Aaron, what do you think we should do?¡± Aaron pointed at himself; he couldn¡¯t understand why Alexandra was looking to him for an answer.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re kinda like the leader. You¡¯ve done the most out of anyone. Without you, we wouldn¡¯t have gotten this far.¡± Aaron fell into thought for a moment. Seeing all three girls silently awaiting his response, Aaron shook off his lingering feelings of regret and resolved himself. Even though he had failed to save Dan, he still had to protect them. With a look of determination on his face, he announced his decision. ¡°We¡¯re going to find them.¡± With Aaron¡¯s declaration, they began searching the city. At first, they searched the nearby alleys, but there was no trace of either of them. With no other choice, they began heading toward the castle. While finding Liam and Isabelle was their goal, they couldn¡¯t neglect their survival. They held onto hope that they would meet up there. ¡°Achoo!¡± Erika sneezed, causing Aaron to turn around. Behind him, Alexandra¡¯s arms were wrapped around Erika, trying to warm her up. The temperature hadn¡¯t warmed up; if anything, it had gotten colder. Looking at his arm, a feeling of guilt again arose in Aaron. If he hadn¡¯t taken her sweater, then she''d be warmer. He felt stupid for giving his jersey away so carelessly and not demanding it back. However, there was nothing he could do now; the sweater was shredded and covered in his blood. ¨C Aaaaaaaaaack! Aaron and the girls all stopped walking at the same time, all hearing the scream. Aaron whipped his head around. ¡°What was that?! Are you guys, okay?!¡± He let out a sigh of relief after seeing that the girls behind him were safe. He had been scared for a second, thinking that they might have been separated or hurt. ¡°That sounded like a girl¡­ You don¡¯t think its Isabelle, do you?¡± The moment Alexandra said that Aaron¡¯s eyes widened and suddenly, Aaron turned and sprinted in the direction of the scream. The scream could only be from Isabelle; the idea that there could be others never crossed his mind. ¡°Wait! Hold on, Aaron! Don¡¯t rush off!¡± Aaron stopped hearing Alexandra¡¯s frantic voice. He looked behind him and yelled in frustration. ¡°What do you suggest I do?! Ignore it?!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying! We need a plan first! Rushing in headfirst isn¡¯t going to work!¡± Alexandra waved her hands in the air, trying to calm Aaron. ¡°We¡¯ve already wasted enough time already! Every second counts!¡± ¡°I know that, but-!¡± ¡®-we don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s them!¡¯ Alexandra stopped herself from finishing her sentence. It was no use; Aaron was already running. Nothing she said would stop him now. ¡°Alex, is it okay for him to go off alone?¡± Hearing Claire¡¯s voice, Alexandra bit her lower lip in frustration. ¡°No, but¡­¡± Alexandra had trouble finishing her sentence. While she wanted to help Aaron, especially after all he did for them, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask Claire and Erika to put themselves in harm¡¯s way. They were her best friends. How could she ask them to risk their lives for a stranger? It felt too selfish. Claire knew Alexandra well enough to know what was bothering her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. If you think it¡¯s the right choice to help Aaron, then we¡¯ll support you, right Erika? ¡°Huh, what?¡± Erika looked around, confused as if she had just been startled awake from a nap. Claire sighed. The entire day Erika had been acting weird, but Claire didn¡¯t blame her. For someone as timid as Erika, this whole experience was a nightmare. After all, she had been scared of the dark up until middle school. With all the horrors they encountered today, it was no surprise she was out of it. Claire patiently repeated herself. ¡°I asked if you were okay with helping Aaron?¡± ¡°Oh, um... yeah, sure.¡± Erika gave a meek nod. Claire figured she still didn¡¯t understand the situation, but that didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was that they supported Alexandra. Usually, she was the one supporting them, so it was rare they got the chance to help her. Alexandra¡¯s gaze switched between her two friends before she resolved herself on her choice. Knowing that they were behind her gave her confidence. ¡°Okay, we help him¡­ But if things get dangerous, then we run, okay?¡±
Aaron sprinted through the streets towards the source of the scream. After the image of Isabelle and Liam being brutally murdered popped into his head, his mind blanked. His only thought became saving them before it was too late. He wasn¡¯t going to let himself hesitate this time, not after Dan. ¨C Huaaaaack!! There was another scream; this time, it was a man¡¯s voice. Aaron picked up his pace, convinced that it was Isabelle and Liam. ¡®Please let me make it in time!¡¯ He rounded the corner, entering the alley; if he was right, then the scream came from the street connected to this alley. ¡°Shit!¡± Aaron skidded to a stop before almost running headfirst into a building. The alley didn¡¯t connect to the opposite street; a building was in the way. Instead of turning around, Aaron ran straight up to the back door and entered. Inside was dark, causing Aaron difficulty. Moving as swiftly as possible through the room without tripping over anything, Aaron reached the opposite side. He felt along the wall until his hands hit the edges of a doorframe. Grabbing the handle, he pulled. Creeeaaaak¡­ The rusty hinges made a dull sound as the door opened, revealing a clear view of the street that was exposed due to the missing front half of the building. Aaron¡¯s eyes widened at the gruesome scene before him. ¡°Help meeeee!¡± On a toppled carriage, a girl in her late teens was wildly waving a broken broom at a pair of two-headed dogs. Their nails scratched against the wood as they tried to climb up to her. BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! Slavia spewed from their mouths as they aggressively snapped at her. ¡°Nooo! Back! Stay back!¡± Clenching her eyes shut, she frantically thrust the broom, barely keeping them at bay. Realizing the girl was in dire need of help, a middle-aged man shouted. ¡°Someone, help Emily!¡± He swung down a wooden board at the dog attacking him, but it had swiftly jumped to the side. Another man shouted back from across the street. ¡°Mark, I¡¯ve got my hands full!¡± The man who responded to Mark was tall and had a lumberjack-like beard. He was holding off two more dogs and wasn¡¯t fairing much better. ¡°David, you idiot, I wasn¡¯t talking to you! What about the others?! Aren¡¯t they back yet?! And where¡¯s Jeff?! That bastard''s supposed to be helping us!¡± Mark screamed hysterically back at David while dodging another attack. When the dogs had begun their attack, they had immediately split their group of eight in half. They sent two men and two girls ahead while he, David, Jeff, and Emily stayed behind. The plan was to get the girls to safety and then have the men come back and help. That was a while ago; they should have been back by now. David shouted back to Mark. ¡°He said he was going with the other¡¯s and ran off!¡± ¡®Fuck, I knew that guy was a coward!¡¯ Mark cursed Jeff for ditching them. He didn¡¯t trust that guy the moment he met him today, but given the circumstance, he had to work with him. Mark swore to give Jeff a good punch in the face if he saw him again. ¡°Fucking bastard just you wa ¨C Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!¡± The dog Mark had taken his eyes off, lunged forward, knocking him to the ground. Reacting quickly, Mark held out the board with one hand on either side of it, preventing the dog¡¯s sharp fangs from biting his neck. Its jaws clamped down on the board. Giving a low growl, it¡¯s two heads stared into Mark¡¯s eyes. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Mark put all his strength into his arms and pushed up as if trying to bench press the dog. Struggling to push the dog off, he strained and gave a loud shout. ¡°FUCKKKK!!!¡± As Mark pushed back, the dog thrust its claws into Mark¡¯s chest. ¡°Aaaaack!¡± Mark¡¯s strength lapsed, allowing the dog to force itself closer to his throat. Mark could smell the beast¡¯s foul breath that reeked of rotting flesh. Resisting the urge to vomit, he continued his desperate struggle until¡­ Crack! The board finally began to break from the immense force coming from the beast¡¯s two jaws. ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡± Desperately, Mark began twisting his body back and forth on the ground, trying to free himself before the board ultimately gave in. As he struggled, its claws dug in, tearing his flesh. ¡°Mark, hang on!¡± David shouted and, with renewed effort, continued his attack of the dogs in front of him. He needed to finish them off; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have a chance to save Mark, let alone Emily. Aaron was relieved that it wasn¡¯t Isabelle and Liam in danger, but that relief only lasted but a moment. There were still three people struggling to survive, and he¡¯d be damned if he was going to let them die. As his expression hardened with determination, he charged forward. Chapter 8: Choice ¡®Fuck that.¡¯ Liam began walking away from the scream at a quickened pace. He didn¡¯t know if the scream belonged to one of the three girls, nor did he care. Whatever trouble they had gotten themselves into wasn¡¯t his problem. Either way, there was no chance he was going to throw himself into danger for someone else, let alone strangers; he wasn¡¯t that kind of guy. Isabelle raised her voice while chasing after Liam. ¡°Hey! ¨C Where are you going in such a rush!¡± Liam didn¡¯t bother responding, Isabelle was the least of his concerns. The only thing on his mind was getting away from here as fast as possible. He didn¡¯t want to be dragged into whatever mess was happening behind him. Now that he was traveling alone, not counting Isabelle, getting involved in any face-to-face conflicts would prove dangerous. Aaron and Dan weren¡¯t here to act as vanguards, and Liam wasn¡¯t confident he could come out of a fight unscathed, even if it were only a two-headed dog. His only option was to avoid fighting or run away once it started. Since he wasn¡¯t exactly confident in his speed, he preferred the former over the latter. After passing through numerous streets, Liam finally came to a stop. He paused and looked up at the gray clouds swirling overhead. Sticking out one hand, snowflakes gently landed on his skin, instantly melting into nothingness. ¡®I didn¡¯t think it could get any worse¡­ I was wrong.¡¯ Liam shoved his hand back into his pocket. The adrenaline coursing through his veins earlier had faded. His foot throbbed in pain, or it would have ¨C if he could feel it. He didn¡¯t know when it started, maybe around the time he escaped the creature, but any feeling in his feet was gone. ¡®Frostbite. Great, just great.¡¯ Liam grumbled to himself. Did he want to go home? ¨C Yes. Did he want a warm bed? ¨C Yes. Did he want a full set of winter clothing? ¨C Yes. Right now, he¡¯d trade a kidney for it. There wasn¡¯t much to be happy about, and while sarcasm didn¡¯t help the situation, at least it made him feel a bit better. If there was anything positive about the current situation, it was two things. One, miraculously, he could still feel his fingers. Since he had kept them in his pockets, frostbite hadn¡¯t affected them yet. That wouldn¡¯t last forever; he could already feel the tips going numb. Two¡­ Liam looked at the lofty wall in front of him, blocking his progress. Liam was beginning to question if he should be happy about this. It felt as if he bought a scratch ticket, only to win back the money he spent. Was that feeling happiness? Liam shook his head, trying to remove the sarcastic thoughts. Complaining wasn¡¯t going to help him move past this obstacle. The wall surrounded the entire castle and its grounds, stretching great distances in both directions. Unlike the church walls, there weren¡¯t any protruding stones or holes to grip, so it wasn¡¯t possible to climb. Even if it were, Liam wouldn¡¯t want to try; it was over thirty feet tall. Fortunately, there were large holes in the wall, which made perfect entrances. Despite this, Liam hesitated. ¡®Should I go in or go around?¡¯ A decision had to be made. From the moment Liam had first laid eyes on the castle, he had never planned to enter. As Dan had said, it was meant to be a landmark as they searched the city, not a final destination. But, now that he was here, the temptation to enter was growing stronger. He was cold, his body was tired, and his feet were numb, making it increasingly difficult to walk away. The thing stopping him was the same as what was driving him to enter - because the castle seemed to be the last bastion of hope in an otherwise decimated city. His conscious mind was screaming at him to turn around while his body was instinctively urging him forward. Did he freeze to death? Or take his chances inside the castle? Neither option felt good. ¡°Hey, why are you staring off into space!? I¡¯m cold, hungry, thirsty, and tired! So, move it!¡± Pushed forward by Isabelle¡¯s whining, Liam approached the nearest opening. There was no harm in checking out the castle before making his decision. If the castle appeared to be destroyed or surrounded by monsters, then it would make his decision a lot easier. Poking his head inside, Liam surveyed the area. The castle grounds weren¡¯t in much better shape than the city. Toppled statues, cracked cobblestone walkways, collapsed structures, and debris littered the ground. The once green lawn and beautiful gardens had become mounds of dirt, everything dead and withered. It might once have been a wondrous sight that warmed one¡¯s heart; however, the patchy brown grass, leafless shrubs, withered trees, and cracked stonework, could only be called depressing. Given its surroundings, the castle in the distance looked more like a haunted manor. The structure, unlike the grounds and city, remained in good condition; it was far from pristine but still acceptable. It was the right choice to consider shelter here, but¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ Liam found it strange. How could an entire city be decimated, yet a single building remained relatively untouched? It didn¡¯t feel right. ¡®Do I have to go in?¡¯ His reluctance was comparable to how an arachnophobic might feel if they were told to walk into a room full of spiders. ¡°Hurry up! I don¡¯t have all day!¡± Liam turned around. Stepping to the side, he held out his arm in front waving it towards the gap in the wall, pretending that he was holding a door open, inviting her to go first. ¡°You can go first.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I said that you could go first. Please, lead the way.¡± Isabelle raised both her eyebrows, slowing nodding as if she had come to an important conclusion. ¡°Oh, I see, so not only are you hideous, but you aren¡¯t even a gentleman. Is there anything good about you?¡± Liam resisted the urge to shout, ¡°You¡¯re one to be talking!¡± After spending time with her, he had learned that nothing useful ever came out of her mouth. Suppressing his rising irritation, Liam responded.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Isabell¡¯s eyes widened. There was a look of utter astonishment on her face as if Liam had admitted to not knowing basic arithmetic. ¡°It¡¯s a man¡¯s duty to go first. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard that before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure the saying goes, ladies first¡­¡± ¡°Well, in this case, you should go first. Now, hurry up, I¡¯m cold!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liam didn¡¯t have the energy to argue, so he begrudgingly began to walk forward. Tap. Hearing a faint sound behind him, Liam stopped. ¡®What was that?¡¯ The width of the main street circling the wall was enough for two carriages to travel side-by-side, so the closest buildings were approximately twenty feet away. Aside from it creating a natural wind tunnel, the faintest of noises were amplified. The sound of debris shifting in the wind or even a pebble falling was enough to make them jump. Liam listened carefully, trying to distinguish what it was. Tap¡­tap¡­tap¡­ Footsteps, and it sounded like more than one set. Quickly, Liam¡¯s eyes searched the street, trying to identify the direction the sound came from. He couldn¡¯t tell exactly but felt it was from one of the roads on his right, the closest being less than a hundred feet away. Liam turned back towards the castle. His hesitation had vanished, replaced now by an urgency to move as fast as possible. Having paid the price once for reacting too slowly to warning signs, he wasn¡¯t willing to make the same mistake. Liam began to move quickly, but cautiously, there could be things lurking inside the walls. Liam planned to move stealthily, paying attention to his surroundings. Isabelle¡¯s loud snippy voice shouted at him again. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s taking so long!? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be a man!? If you are, then stop hesitating and MOVE!!¡± Liam frowned. ¡®Does she ever shut up?¡¯ If it was any other time, Liam thought, but now wasn¡¯t the time to bicker. Ignoring her, hoping she would quiet down once he resumed moving, he began walking. ¡°Are you listening to me!?¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard you.¡± ¡°Then stop standing around! Go faster! You¡¯re slower than a turtle!¡± ¡®I need her to shut the fuck up.¡¯ Liam glanced back at her and spoke; his irritation evident from his sharp tone. ¡°Can you be quiet if you¡¯re not going to say anything useful? There was a sound behind us. Did you forget what happens when you flap your lips too much?¡± ¡°Of course, I remember! I¡¯m not stupid, stop treating me like I am.¡± Liam raised his eyebrows. ¡°Really? I wouldn¡¯t have guessed.¡± ¡°You have such a shitty personality. Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m-!¡± Liam couldn¡¯t hold back irritation and cut Isabelle off. ¡°A bitch, yes, I can see that.¡± ¡°W-what did just call me!?¡± ¡°A bitch. Now can you shut up already?¡± Isabelle loudly clicked her tongue and glared at Liam as if he was a piece of trash. ¡°Tsk. You''re a rude bastard, you know? It¡¯s like you haven¡¯t ever talked to a girl. Wait, have you?¡± Isabelle covered her mouth, pretending to gasp. Rolling his eyes, Liam threw out a response hoping to silence her; he didn¡¯t want to continue their pointless conversation. ¡°Yeah, I have. Now be quiet.¡± Unfortunately, Isabelle wasn¡¯t planning to let it go that easily. She wanted to ridicule Liam as much possible, especially after his earlier disdain for her. ¡°Talking to your mom doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Please shut up¡­¡± Isabelle clapped her hands together with an expression as if she had come to an incredible realization. ¡°Oh, I forgot relatives don¡¯t count either. I really should have been more specific with such a sad person like yourself.¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Oops, I can¡¯t forget those girls in your fantasies¡­ I¡¯m sorry to break it to you, but those aren¡¯t real.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liam stayed silent. He gave up on trying to make Isabelle shut up. Before he could turn away, he caught sight of something that made his hair stand on end. Seeing him react like this, Isabelle figured that her words were finally getting to him. She smirked and spoke with a voice of false pity. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There''s still hope for someone like you. In a few years, I¡¯m sure there will be robots that can show you affection. While you may never be able to find a real girl, at least you¡¯ll have a robot, right?¡± Liam didn¡¯t hear Isabelle. As soon as he had caught sight of the pack of two-headed dogs entering the street, he bolted towards the castle. Stealth was meaningless; all he could think of was getting into the castle grounds as quickly as possible. ¡°Huh? Where are you going!?¡± Seeing Liam sprint off like a madman, Isabelle stood in total confusion. BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! Whipping her head around, she saw the pack of two-headed dogs wildly charging towards her. ¡°Hiiick!?¡± Isabelle stumbled, desperately running after Liam. ¡°WAIT, DON¡¯T LEAVE ME!!¡± Liam heard Isabelle¡¯s plea for help but didn¡¯t turn around; nothing could change his decision. ¡°Aaaaaaahh!!¡± Liam continued running without looking back. Pausing would only slow his pace and rattle his nerves. He knew a dog was already faster than a human; the distance between them didn¡¯t amount to much. ¡°Heeeelp!!¡± Along with Isabelle¡¯s tearful cry was the sound of paws pounding against the hard soil. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ One of the three dogs was chasing Liam instead of Isabelle. Liam didn¡¯t have time to consider why; it was running at a much faster pace, quickly closing the distance. ¡®Damnit! Only a bit further!¡¯ The arched front doorway and two mahogany wood doors at the castle entrance were within sight. They only obstacle in his way was a low stone wall. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­¡± ¡®Close! So, close! Short on breath, Liam put more strength into his legs, forcing himself forward. Between his tired body and poor fitness, it was no surprise he couldn¡¯t continue in a full sprint for an extended period. The dog¡¯s pants grew louder as it continued to close the gap between them. Despite there being over ten feet between them, Liam felt as if the dog was directly behind him, close enough for him to feel its raunchy, humid breath on his neck. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­haa¡­¡± Ignoring the burning pain coming from his strained muscles, Liam pushed himself. ¡°Haa...haa¡­cough¡­haa¡­¡± Liam felt lightheaded, and his chest burned. He wanted to stop, but he couldn¡¯t; giving up meant certain death. Closing in on the stone wall, Liam put the last of his remaining strength into his knees and launched himself off the ground. Far from graceful, his jump resembled a football player making a desperate dive to try and catch the ball in the endzone. Liam hit the ground with a loud thud. With no cushioning to absorb the fall, his shoulder took the brunt of the impact. From the ground, Liam saw the dog clearing the wall as he tried to push himself up. Time seemed to slow down as his eyes widened at the dog in midair. Blood dripped from its teeth, and its claws were stained a murky red. Liam tried to scramble away, but his body wouldn¡¯t cooperate ¨C he was done. He could only watch as the beast eyes glistened, seeing him motionless on the ground. BANG! With a loud sound, the dog was suddenly stopped mid-jump and knocked to the ground before making it over the wall. ¡°Huh?¡± Liam tilted his head, thinking he just witnessed Newton¡¯s first law of motion being disproven before his eyes. A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. That was what Liam had learned in his high school physics class. Right before the dog cross over the wall, it was knocked back by an unknown force. From the ground, it looked like the dog had run headfirst into a wall, but that didn¡¯t make sense. As Liam was thinking, the dog got up. Shaking its body to settle its rattled bones, it gave a low growl filled with hostility before charging again. Grrrrrrrrr¡­ ¡°!!¡± In a panic, Liam pushed himself up, still shaken and out of breath, but before he could continue running, the dog jumped. BANG! Again, the dog collided with something midair. ¡®An invisible barrier?¡¯ It was something that defied common sense, but after witnessing it twice now, Liam was positive that¡¯s what he saw. While he may have concluded that this world was virtual reality, it didn¡¯t lessen his surprise when he saw magical forces at work for the first time. ¡®Why can I cross, though?¡¯ Moving towards the wall, Liam put his hand where the barrier should be. It passed through with no resistance as if there was nothing there in the first place. ¡®Can only people pass through?¡¯ Liam didn¡¯t know the principles of the invisible barrier, but from the information available, that was his best guess. He released his breath in a sigh of relief at his newfound safety. ¡°No! Get away from meeee!!¡± Hearing Isabelle¡¯s scream and looking back down the hill, he saw her surrounded by the dogs. ¡®She¡¯s still alive? How?¡¯ Liam had written her off as dead, but somehow just like a cockroach, she managed to cling onto life. Instead of running toward the castle, she had climbed up a tree. Across the castle grounds, Isabelle sat high up, frantically throwing down withered branches at the dogs as they tried to claw their way up. The tree wasn¡¯t very tall, so it only brought her a few feet from then dogs reach. ¡°Please, help meeee!!¡± Isabelle cried out to Liam, who was standing safely behind the barrier. Her stuck-up attitude from before rapidly crumbling, exposing a frightened teenage girl who didn¡¯t want to die. At her plight, Liam cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted¡­ Chapter 9: Interlude - Isabelles Plight ¡°GOOD LUCK!!¡± Without even waving goodbye, Liam turned around and began walking towards the castle. Isabelle was left at a loss for words. She could only stare at Liam¡¯s back while hungry beasts were clawing at the base of the tree. Although his words may have reached her ears, her brain couldn¡¯t process the information. ¡®Why, why, why, why, why!? Why is he doing this!? Why won¡¯t he help me!?¡¯ Isabelle couldn¡¯t understand. Anyone would love to help her, and why shouldn¡¯t they? She was Isabelle Wheeler. Adjectives weren¡¯t enough to describe her after all; there wasn¡¯t a single word or statement that could encompass her eminence. So, why didn¡¯t such a pitiful, depressing man like this not want to help her? It didn¡¯t make sense. From across the castle grounds, Isabelle glared at Liam. She loathed this man or rather despised him. Others had treated her with disdain, but not like this. No one talked down to her or had treated her with the contempt he had. When they did, after she insulted them, they always backed down ¨C he didn¡¯t. When she had ridiculed him, he didn¡¯t even seem to care. Mostly though, she hated his eyes. Whenever he looked at her, his apathetic eyes seemed to say he couldn¡¯t care less about her. That was infuriating. It wasn¡¯t even a look of disgust or contempt; it was as if she was nothing to him. The look in his eyes, however, never changed; it was the same no matter what he looked at. How could that be? Did he not have a heart? Feelings? Crack! ¡°Eeeeeeek!!¡± Isabelle screamed as the branch she was on began to break. The tree was so old it strained even under the weight of her light body. Knowing that it wouldn¡¯t hold for long, Isabelle called out again. ¡°S-Save meee! I-I don¡¯t wanna dieeeee!!¡± Isabelle tried her best to appeal to Liam, bringing out every ounce of girlish charm possible, trying to appear as a damsel in distress. But¡­ Liam kept walking towards the castle without even bothering to turn around. ¡®Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh!? I don¡¯t understand! Is he deaf!? Why isn¡¯t he turning around!?¡¯ It was incomprehensible. Not once, in her entire life, could she recall being treated this way. Even at an early age, everyone had adored her. As a toddler, her parents praised her for everything, no matter how insignificant. She felt genuine joy at receiving their praise and tried harder. It made her feel good, so she would keep doing whatever caused it. By the time Isabelle was entering school and began interacting with other kids, her parent¡¯s overzealous praise was deeply rooted in her psyche. It wasn¡¯t in a negative way; at this point, it only served to boost her self-esteem, giving her confidence. In school, Isabelle applied her best self. Whether with her teachers or fellow students, she did her best to try and make everyone happy. Her reasoning was simple - if she made people happy, then she would get more praise. Through hard work and dedication, Isabelle was able to excel in her schoolwork, athletics, and social relationships. Before long, everyone in school loved her. With more friends than anyone else, kids started referring to her as the queen. She didn¡¯t care about silly titles or prestige; all she cared about was making as many people as possible happy. However, the first of many cracks appeared in her perfect world the summer before middle school. Every summer, Isabelle and her best friend Grace went to the same summer camp, Camp Woodstock. The summer before middle school the plan was no different. As usual, Isabelle was doing her best to make everyone happy. Whether it was assisting the camp counselors or getting kids involved in activities, she was always busy helping others. One day, when she was putting away the swimming floats before lunch, she was confronted by three boys. ¡°Stop kissing up to the counselors¡­ It¡¯s annoying.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an eyesore, get lost.¡± ¡°Hey stupid, don¡¯t you know nobody likes you?¡± They had cornered her near a shed, out of sight from anyone passing by. They pushed her down and began insulting her. At the time, Isabelle genuinely didn¡¯t understand what was happening. ¡®Why are they being so mean to me.¡¯ It was her first encounter with bullying. Up until this point, everyone around her had been friendly. Her elementary school was small, and everyone knew each other, so fights were rare. Isabelle had never encountered harassment, so she couldn¡¯t understand why they were picking on her; all she could do was break down in tears. As the boys were laughing at her, a savior appeared. ¡°STOP IT!!¡± Grace ran over, forcing herself between Isabelle and the boys. ¡°Stay out of this, ugly!¡± One of the boys shoved Grace. Staggering backward, Grace stopped herself from falling and planted her feet firmly on the ground. She held her arms out as far to the sides as she could, creating a wall between the boys and Isabelle. With a hard, determined look, she glared at the boys. ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you hurt Isabelle! You can do whatever you want to me, just leave Isabelle alone!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t care about you! Now move it, outta the way!¡± Grace stood firm, as one boy tried to push her for the second time, his face twisted in rage; he¡¯d had enough of Grace¡¯s interference. ¡°Why you-!¡± The boy grabbed the collar of Grace¡¯s shirt, forming a fist with his other hand. Grace clenched her eyes shut and shouted. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous! That¡¯s the only reason you¡¯re picking on her!¡± ¡®Jealous? Of me? Why?¡¯ At the same time, Isabelle thought this, the boy¡¯s fist stopped inches away from Grace¡¯s nose. His cheeks were a light shade of pink as he stuttered. ¡°W-Why would anyone be jealous of her!? Stop making stuff up!¡± Grace opened her eyes. Staring direct into the boy¡¯s, she yelled, ¡°Because Isabelle''s better than you at everything! She¡¯s amazing at everything she does! Compared to her, you¡¯re nothing!¡± ¡®I¡¯m amazing? Really?¡¯ From Isabelle¡¯s perspective, everything she accomplished was a result of hard work. She had never thought of it as anything special. In her eyes, she was no different from her peers. ¡°W-what! That¡¯s stupid! She¡¯s just a nerd! No one would be jealous of her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t compare us to a loser like her!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you to make fun of me!¡± All three boys shouted at the same time as they raised their fists; Grace¡¯s words had gotten under their skin. At the same time, they all descended on Grace. Thud! Thud! Thud! Grace winched in pain as their fists struck her face, arms, and stomach, knocking her down. With tears in her eyes, she pushed herself back up. As the boys prepared to strike again, a mature voice called out from across the pool area. ¡°Hey, you guys, what are you doing over there!? Stop messing around! It¡¯s time for lunch!¡± Hearing the camp counselor, the three boys froze; their faces white as ghosts. They quickly looked at each other before sprinting off, fleeing the scene. None of them wanted to be caught red-handed for beating up two girls.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Grace! Grace!¡± Isabelle rushed over to Grace and began checking her up and down, assessing her injuries. ¡°Are you okay? Ah, your nose is bleeding! Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll go get a counselor!¡± Before Isabelle could run away, Grace grabbed her arm. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It''s just a bloody nose.¡± Wiping her nose with one arm, Grace gave a reassuring smile to the teary-eyed Isabelle. ¡°See, nothing to worry about!¡± ¡°¡­ sniff¡­ Really?¡± Isabelle sniffled again as she looked at Grace. ¡°Of course! See¡­ Ouch¡­!¡± Grace tried to show off by throwing some punches in the air and jumping around but ended up wincing in pain. She wouldn¡¯t admit it, but her face, arm, and stomach all hurt badly. However, in front of Isabelle, she felt she had to act tough; otherwise, Isabelle might feel guilty. ¡°I knew it! We really should get a counselor! Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Isabelle grabbed Grace¡¯s hand and began pulling; she was going to drag Grace to the counselors if she had too. But Grace was stronger and tugged on Isabelle¡¯s arm, forcefully spinning her around. ¡°Grace, I-I-I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s all my fault you¡¯re hurt!¡± Isabelle cried, streams of tears running down her cheeks. She had done her best to hold them back but couldn¡¯t any longer. Without saying anything, Grace hugged Isabelle tightly. Burying her face into Grace¡¯s shoulder, Isabelle tried to speak. ¡°Grace, I-I¡¯m so sorry¡­ for me, you¡­ you¡­ why did you¡­?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m fine¡­ Hey, we¡¯re best friends, right?¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡± ¡°Well, best friends look out for each other! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let those guys pick on you!¡± ¡°¡­ sob¡­ Thanks¡­ sob¡­ Grace¡­¡± The remainder of the summer camp was peaceful for both Isabelle and Grace. Neither the boys nor anyone else bullied or harassed them. Soon they had put the incident behind them, and as time went on, they both forgot about it. However, Isabelle¡¯s eyes had been opened to a new emotion¡­ Jealousy. Isabelle had never paid attention to it before. While she knew what it was, she never thought it could be directed at her. By the time middle school started, she was noticing it all the time. Why was everyone so envious of her? Trying to make sense of it, she compared herself to others. Slowly, she began to notice differences; she was more attractive, athletic, and intelligent than her peers. Gradually, day-by-day, she changed. By the time she was entering high school¡­ ¡®I see... I¡¯m amazing¡­ No, extraordinary¡­ Wait, that¡¯s not right either¡­¡¯ Her narcissistic personality formed. From there, her ego continued to grow as her character became more twisted. Until finally, she was a completely different person, no trace of the old happy, pleasing Isabelle remained; she no longer thought about others, only she mattered. ¡°Isabelle, what do you mean?¡± Grace¡¯s brow creased in confusion; she had heard what Isabelle said, but it didn¡¯t register. Sitting across the table from her in the high school cafeteria, Isabelle rolled her eyes. ¡°Ugh, I told you to leave. Don¡¯t you get it? I don¡¯t want you near me. You¡¯re an eyesore.¡± ¡°What! Why?¡± Even though they spent less time together than they had in middle school, as Grace had gotten involved in sports and Isabelle became more social, they had remained friends ¨C best friends. At least that¡¯s what Grace had thought. ¡°Listen, do you really not get it? I¡¯ve been humoring you, pitying you actually, but now it¡¯s getting old. Get lost.¡± Isabelle made a shooing motion as if she was trying to brush away a fly. Following Isabelle¡¯s lead, the popular girls sitting at the table giggled. ¡°Aahahaha! Did you actually think Isabelle would be friends with you?¡± ¡°Get lost, you ugly bitch.¡± Grace¡¯s face had an expression of anxiety and confusion as she looked to Isabelle again, hoping this was all a big joke. ¡°Isabelle, I don¡¯t understand. I thought we were best-!¡± Isabelle cut Grace off. ¡°Friends? Is that what you thought? Don¡¯t make me laugh. We were never friends. You were just... hmm, a¡­¡± Resting her finger on her chin with her head tilted, Isabelle smirked at Grace. The table erupted in laughter as the girls surrounding Isabelle joined in on the fun. ¡°Ahahaha, I think you mean dog, Isabelle!¡± ¡°Can you bark for us, Grace!? Speak! Speak!¡± ¡°Sit! Rollover! Come on! I¡¯ll give you a treat¡­ Ahahaha!¡± Tears formed in the corners of Grace¡¯s eyes. Despite all the mean things said to her, she didn¡¯t want to believe this was Isabelle ¨C no, it wasn¡¯t the Isabelle she knew. ¡°Isabelle, why are-?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still here? Shoo, shoo pooch!¡± Grace didn¡¯t need an answer to her question; Isabelle¡¯s response was enough. With Isabelle¡¯s friends still laughing at her, Grace turned around and sprinted out of the cafeteria; the world around her shattered, she didn¡¯t know what to do or think. She just knew she needed to get away as quickly as possible; she wanted to be anywhere but there. BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! Isabelle jumped at the sound of the dogs barking. Around the base of the tree, they were climbing over each other in a frenzy, trying to reach her. ¡°No! Get away from me!!¡± Isabelle kicked down at the crazed dogs below her, knocking one back. Immediately, it got up and resumed clawing at the tree. Looking towards Liam, Isabelle saw his back growing smaller and smaller as he walked away. ¡®No! No! No! This can¡¯t be happening! This isn¡¯t real! This can¡¯t be real!¡¯ Fear filled her thoughts; death was closing in on her as her last line of hope disappeared into the distance. Isabelle frantically cried out to Liam. ¡°Wait, come back!!¡± Silence. ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Silence. ¡°Save me! Help! Help me!!¡± Silence. ¡°Please, don¡¯t¡­¡± Isabelle stopped short of finishing her sentence. No matter how much she cried, Liam showed no intention of turning around. Her thoughts turned chaotic. ¡®What can I do!? Is there anything? Please¡­ I can¡¯t die, I can¡¯t! Why won¡¯t he help? Why? Why? Why? Something, there has to be something I can do. How did I do it before? How can I change his mind? Something, something¡­ Ah! That! There¡¯s still that!! It¡¯ll work! It always works!¡¯ Isabelle¡¯s eyes glimmered with hope, the belief she could survive reemerged in her. What she needed to do was simple. Apologize. For what? She didn¡¯t know, nor did it matter. All that mattered was once she did, all would be forgiven. As long as there were tears in her eyes and regret in her voice, it would work. Actually, as far as she was concerned, Liam was the one who should be asking for forgiveness, not her. Isabelle immediately raised her voice. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m... sniff... Sorry¡­ Please help me! I¡¯ll do whatever you want¡­ sniff¡­ Just please don¡¯t leave me!!¡± With tears running down her cheeks, Isabelle threw away her pride and begged. If she could''ve gotten on her hands and knees, she would''ve. She lamented pleading with someone like Liam, but there was no other choice. However, contrary to her expectations, her cries were met with silence. Isabelle blinked, unable to understand what went wrong. ¡®Maybe he didn¡¯t hear? Yeah, that¡¯s it!!¡¯ Isabelle tried again. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m really, truly, sorry! This situation has just stressed me out! I¡¯m sure you can understand, right!? It won¡¯t happen again, I promise! Please, help me!! Give me another chance!!¡± Tears poured down Isabelle¡¯s face as she pleaded for Liam¡¯s help. She called to him again and again until he was gone. No matter what she had said, he never turned around. With his absence, she was struck by a sense of loneliness. It was strange; there had never been a point in her life where she had felt alone. ¡®Why? Why am I alone?¡¯ In her greatest time of need, no one was there to help her. Her blatant disrespect of the people around her had led to isolation. ¡®If only my friends were here¡­¡¯ Isabelle¡¯s thoughts stopped there. Would her friends have helped her? Like a slap in the face, she realized the truth ¨C she had no real friends. She had been alone for a long time. At one time, she had been surrounded by people who genuinely cared for her. Now all she was left with were people who only cared about themselves. ¡®Is there anyone who would save me?¡¯ One came to mind, a friend from long ago, but she had burned that bridge. Looking at death head-on, she began regretting her actions. ¡®Why did I act like that? Why did I say all those things? Why did I¡­¡¯ It was a moment of clarity, the kind an addict might experience when they realize they need help and check themselves into rehab of their own free will. Isabelle hadn¡¯t always been this way. When she was younger, she was kind and caring. Even now, that part of her personality existed; it was buried deep beneath her over-inflated ego. If personalities were similar to a painting, then at first, everyone is a blank canvas. As people grow, paint is added with life experiences. Once the paint dries, those experiences have a lasting impact. As more colors are added, they become further defined, but never complete. People continue to accumulate experiences throughout their lives, so more paint is always being added. People can change and do change. Sometimes a little push is all it takes. One brush stroke of white paint on an otherwise dark background can open up a new path in an entirely different direction. Isabelle could change. No, right now, she was changing. By searching for an explanation for Liam¡¯s behavior, she ended up reflecting on herself. For the first time in her life, she considered her behavior from an outsider¡¯s perspective. SNAP! The branch she was sitting on finally broke under her weight. Falling to the ground, Isabelle closed her eyes, giving up. ¡®I have no one to blame but myself¡­¡¯ At this moment, given another chance or offered forgiveness, Isabelle would gladly reform. She vowed that she would make amends and live as a better person. At the same time, she realized that the opportunity would never come. As she was about to hit the ground, something snapped within her. ¡®¡­NO!! WHY ME!!?!? WHY!?!?¡¯ Isabelle felt a fury that she had never felt before. Here she was, willing to work to become a better person, yet no one was giving her a chance. That wasn¡¯t fair. Why should she have to die? Why did the dogs go after her and not Liam? How come no one would help her? How come she had to be stuck with a good-for-nothing guy? Nothing was fair. Isabelle felt instant animosity towards everything; the world had forsaken her and left her to die. None of it was her fault; it was everyone else¡¯s. The world hated her, so she hated it. Isabelle cursed everyone. She rescinded her earlier thoughts about reforming. If she were given another chance, she¡¯d make sure no one disrespected her again. It was a mistake to let her followers think of themselves as her friend. For her, there were no such things as friends ¨C there were only servants. They should be content with groveling, begging to be of some use. ¡°Aaaaaaahhk!!¡± Isabelle screamed as her body slammed against the ground. As she scrambled to her feet, the dogs were charging toward her. ¡°FUCK YOU, YOU SHITTY BASTARD! I HOPE YOU DIE!!¡± Isabelle¡¯s personality was muddied; just as a single brush of white paint isn¡¯t enough to change an otherwise dark painting to light, a single eye-opening moment wasn¡¯t enough to straighten out her twisted personality. In the end, she chose not to change. Chapter 10: Inside the Castle Liam slowly removed his hands from his ears; he had covered them to block out Isabelle''s persistent cries. ¡®Is it finally over?¡¯ Hearing only the wind and rustling of branches, Liam breathed a sigh of relief. The sound of nature felt refreshing after being exposed to Isabelle¡¯s voice. ¡®I¡¯ve never really appreciated how nice peace and quiet is.¡¯ Liam followed the tree-lined cobblestone path up to the castle entrance. The leafless trees, gray sky, and eerie silence created the ambiance one expected in a horror movie, all that was missing were cawing crows. Liam arrived at the castle¡¯s entrance. Stopping briefly to admire the lofty mahogany wood double doors, he shook off his hesitation and pulled them open. Immediately, he was met with a burst of warm air. The temperature difference between inside and outside was significant. Liam quickly stepped into the foyer, tightly shutting the door behind him. He opened and closed his hands, trying to get the blood moving towards the tips of his numb fingers. As his cold body slowly warmed, he took in his surroundings. There wasn¡¯t a speck of dust in sight. From the elaborate paintings on the walls to the glistering pieces of silver, everything was in pristine condition. Unbefitting of the room¡¯s era, it was brightly lit without candles or torches. Instead, a seemingly artificial light shone down from the ceiling. Liam didn¡¯t waste much time focusing on the room¡¯s d¨¦cor; he was too busy assessing the three dark hallways in front of him. ¡®Which way should I go?¡¯ The light from the foyer was only strong enough to reveal a few feet into each. Visually each path was identical. The only difference between them was the direction they pointed ¨C right, left, and straight. After everything he¡¯d been through today, he wasn¡¯t optimistic enough to believe these were ordinary corridors. If he had to guess, a man-eating monster or deadly trap was at the other end. Whichever it was, it was probably going to kill him. With that thought in mind, he decided to think of this as choosing which way he wanted to die. Given a choice between a slow death or a swift one, he preferred the latter. Of course, there was the third option of not going down any hall. ¡®If only staying here was an option¡­¡¯ Eventually, Liam would need food and water to survive. Having already spent hours searching the city, he knew there was no food or water to be found out there. Venturing further into the castle was his only choice. After taking a few more minutes to warm up, Liam finally approached the hall on the left. Even if he had accepted his fate, he was planning to gather as much information as possible before making his choice. If he couldn¡¯t rely on his vision, then he would have to make do with his other senses. At the opening, Liam closed his eyes and listened ¨C it was silent. He took a step back and stared down the dark hall; it was like staring into an abyss. Was there an end? Liam pushed the thought out of his mind and quickly checked the other halls, but it was the same result. No matter how long he listened, he couldn¡¯t hear a single sound in any of them. It was unnatural. Finding himself right back where he stared, Liam racked his brain, trying to come up with another idea. The best he came up with was yelling down the halls and listening for an echo; that way, he could estimate how long each one was. After thinking it over, he decided not to. Yelling down the halls would also reveal his presence to anything living in the castle, and he didn¡¯t feel like dealing with any more surprises today. Choosing at random, Liam entered the center hallway. As he moved further in, the light from the foyer faded, and he was surrounded by darkness; he couldn¡¯t even see his own feet, let alone where he was going. Placing his hand along the wall, he used it as a guide before eventually bumping into a hard surface. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Liam rubbed his forehead before feeling the surface in front of him. It was a door. Finding the handle, he pulled it open. Creeeaaak... A wave of disappointment washed over him, seeing it was pitch black on the other side. Liam sighed and carefully walked through the door. ¡®What?¡¯ As soon as Liam entered, his eyes were blinded by a bright light. He squinted allowing his eyes to adjust. The lights hadn¡¯t turned on when he entered; they were already on. He looked behind him and became confused. ¡®How is this possible?¡¯ Behind him, on the other side of the door frame, the hall was pitch black, no light leaked into the hallway; he couldn¡¯t even see the foyer he had come from. Immediately, Liam recalled the invisible wall from outside. It seemed similar, the only difference, this time instead of blocking monsters, it blocked the light. ¡®So, then like before, I can pass through.¡¯ Liam tried to put his hand through the doorway, but it wouldn¡¯t pass. There was a hard-invisible wall blocking it. It was the same as barrier from before except now, his and the dog¡¯s positions were reversed ¨C and he was the one locked out. ¡°Shit¡­¡± There was no turning back. Being trapped wasn¡¯t exactly what he had hoped for, and it didn¡¯t give him a good feeling. Resolving himself, he continued forward. The hall stretched endlessly, and everything was made of the same stone blocks, making him wonder if he was stuck in an infinite loop. While it was brighter than before, the brightness was equivalent to a light¡¯s dimmer set to the lowest setting; barely bright enough to make out the shapes of objects around you. As Liam was growing tired of the unchanging scenery¡­If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Click. ¡°Huh?¡± A strange sound rang out as Liam stepped forward, and then¡­ ¡°FUUUUCKK!!¡± An intense pain shot through his arm. Liam instinctively grabbed his upper arm and felt the wooden stick that had lodged into it, an arrow. The barbed tip had pierced through his shirt, lodging itself deep within the muscles in his arm. Blood ran down his arm, dripping onto the floor as he clenched his teeth, fighting the pain. ¡®What the hell just happened!?¡¯ Until now, the journey down the hall had been uneventful. There hadn¡¯t even been the slightest hint of danger. Quickly, Liam looked in the direction the arrow came from ¨C there was nothing there. It was a normal wall; there wasn¡¯t even a hole or gap that an arrow could pass through. ¡®How is that possible? An arrow can¡¯t just appear out of thin air¡­ Wait, no, I¡¯m thinking about it wrong. I¡¯ve seen stranger things today¡­ Magic. I don¡¯t know how it works, but¡­¡¯ From the previous barriers, he had noticed three principles about how they worked. First, they allowed certain things to pass through while blocking others. Second, they can have different visual appearances. Finally, when specific conditions were met, the barriers changed. That was what had happened when Liam stepped through the doorway and could no longer pass back. Using these principles as a guide, he began to evaluate what had just happened. ¡®The wall is either a barrier with the appearance of a wall, or the entire wall is an illusion. Either way, there¡¯s no way to see where the arrows are going to come from. That doesn¡¯t matter, though. What¡¯s important is the trap was triggered when I stepped on something. If I can figure that out, then I can avoid it. But first¡­¡¯ As Liam looked at his arm, a chill ran down his spine. If the arrow had hit a few inches higher, it would have pierced through his neck. ¡®Fuck the crazy bastard who made this place!¡¯ Liam inspected his wound. The arrow was stuck deep into the upper part of his arm, a little above his bicep. It hadn¡¯t gone straight through, so the arrowhead was still embedded. Liam decided to leave the arrow alone for now. If he carelessly tried to pull it out, he might do more harm than good. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t have anything to bandage his arm after the arrow was removed. His clothes were covered in dirt, so wrapping them around his arm didn¡¯t feel like a good idea. Liam cupped one hand around his injured arm¡¯s elbow and cradled it; he wanted to stop himself from moving it as much as possible. Liam returned his thoughts to the trap. ¡®Damnit! Now that I think about it, even the floors could be fake! I might end up falling into a trap if I take a wrong step!¡¯ Everything in the hallway suddenly felt suspicious. Liam didn¡¯t know enough about magic to know its limits. For all, he knew the entire tunnel could cave in at random. He was trapped, and going forward appeared to be his only option, so he began checking the ground near where the trap had been triggered. After closer examination, Liam discovered that a few of the stone tiles could be pressed, and when they were, one arrow flew out of the wall. He wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to think this pattern would continue, but it gave him a bit more confidence for now. Unable to find out anything else, he continued his trek. Liam encountered many more traps; however, unlike before, he wasn¡¯t caught off guard. The trigger for the trap stayed the same, only the quantity and direction of the arrows changed. Still, he didn¡¯t drop his guard, and eventually, he reached the end of the hall. Staring at the door in front of him, Liam felt nervous about opening it and began wondering if he was developing a phobia of doors after his experiences today. Starting with the first, which revealed a hungry two-headed dog to the last, which led to a hallway full of traps; it was one nightmare after another. Liam wasn¡¯t feeling optimistic enough to believe this one would be any better. Grabbing the handle, prepared himself for another unpleasant encounter, he pulled it open. Liam¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Huh?¡± In front of him was an open room with a high ceiling, similar to a grand banquet hall that appeared to be set up for a lucrative dinner party for wealthy guests. There were circular tables with white tablecloths and chairs arranged neatly around them. Atop the tables, porcelain-white plates and polished silverware for dinner service. Across the room was a stage with a single wooden podium in the center of it; behind it was a satin red curtain pulled shut, separating backstage. Moving around inside the room were at least thirty people, ranging in age from high school students to middle-aged adults, a diverse group. Except for a few thuggish looking men, everyone was gathered near the left side of the room where there appeared to be an emergency treatment facility. People were rushing between patients, doing their best to provide treatment despite the lack of proper medical supplies. The frantic shouts of the medics and the moaning from the patients made Liam feel as if he had stepped into a refugee camp of a war-torn country. The condition of the patients varied. Some had only light scrapes and bruises while others suffered deep lacerations or missing limbs. Liam watched as a medic shook his head after checking a motionless patient. The patient was then lifted and carried over to a mound covered with tablecloths in a corner. The bloodstained cloth was raised, and the corpse was tossed underneath. Liam''s lips turned downward, forming a slight frown before heading over to the makeshift treatment camp. He called out to a woman in her early thirties as she briskly walked by him; she had brown hair that was tied into a tight bun, glasses, and a stern look on her face. ¡°Hey, can you help-¡± ¡°SHERRY, WHERE ARE YOU!?¡± The shout from a medic as he dealt with a convulsing patient cut Liam off. Sherry, the woman Liam had called out to, turned to Liam and spoke curtly; her words came across sharp, but her tone was flat like someone who was exhausted after a long shift. ¡°If you¡¯re here for treatment, then wait over there. If not, then get lost ¨C I¡¯m busy.¡± She pointed at a table before rushing over to help the medic. Following her directions, Liam walked over and sat down. On the opposite side was a man with one leg lying on his back, unmoving. His missing limb was tied off with a tourniquet, and cloths were wrapped around the stump to soak up the blood leaking out. The tablecloth was splattered with blood as if the man had been flailing around earlier. Liam began wondering if yanking the arrow out himself would be a better option; the thought of being treated by one of these random strangers was unnerving. But then, there was also the issue with his feet, so he decided to stay and at least hear them out. After some minutes had passed, Sherry came over; the bloodstains covering her clothes made her look closer to a butcher than a medic. She looked Liam up and down once before speaking. ¡°Is it just the arrow in your arm?¡± Her tone made it sound as if she was saying, ¡®that¡¯s it?¡¯ ¡°No, my feet too. I lost feeling in them a while ago, especially in my toes and the soles of my feet.¡± ¡°Okay, first, let me ask a question. Which hall did you come through? And, did you get hit at the start or the end of the hall?¡± Liam didn¡¯t understand why that mattered, but he still answered. ¡°I took the center hall and got shot at the beginning of the hall. It was the first trap I encountered¡­ Is this really important?¡± Sherry began examining Liam¡¯s feet; she had an expressionless face as she spoke. ¡°The arrows at the end of the hall are poisoned. Everyone who got shot there died in less than an hour after showing flu-like symptoms.¡± Liam¡¯s body stiffened as he realized just how narrowly he had escaped death. He was glad he had raised his guard after being shot only once. Sherry stood up after looking at Liam¡¯s feet. Her expression hadn¡¯t changed much, but there was a hint of frustration on her face. ¡°Is it bad?¡± Sherry sighed. ¡°It''s frostbite¡­ Your toes have it the worst, they¡¯ll have to be amputated, or the dead flesh will affect the rest of your feet. The soles of your feet are also bad, but I can¡¯t say for sure if you need to have both your feet amputated. You¡¯re not in any immediate danger, so you don¡¯t need the amputation now... not that we have the tools to do it¡­ For now, I¡¯ll remove the glass from your foot and arrow from your arm.¡± ¡°!!!¡± Liam¡¯s eyes widened, hearing the words amputation. He didn''t think there would be good news, but he wasn¡¯t expecting to hear that. Seeing the despondent look on Liam¡¯s face as he struggled to accept the diagnosis, Sherry spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll get to work on your injuries, okay?¡± Liam silently nodded in response. Chapter 11: A Grand Banquet Outside the sun was setting; at least, that¡¯s what Liam would¡¯ve seen if there were any windows inside the banquet hall. Several hours had passed since he arrived here, and Sherry had already treated his wounds. Without any modern painkillers, it made him thankful for the lack of feeling in his feet as he didn¡¯t suffer as much when the glass was pulled out; the same could not be said about the shoulder. Liam stared at the worn-out pair of shoes on his feet. After Sherry had finished her treatment, she told him to take a pair of shoes from one of the deceased patients. At first, Liam was hesitant; the thought of wearing a dead man¡¯s clothes was unsavory. Getting up, he had gone over to the pile of corpses forming in the corner and began digging through it ¨C it wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience. The fetid scent when he lifted the cloth was stomach-churning, remembering it was enough to make him gag. Survivors continued to arrive, entering through one of three separate doors, one for each of the hallways. While Liam didn¡¯t actually know what was in the left and right halls, based on the injuries of the people arriving, he had formed a general idea. The survivors coming from the right doorway had deep lacerations and, in some cases, even missing limbs. Those from the left had broken bones. Regardless of which door they entered from, everyone had expressions befitting the nightmare they had experienced. Among the survivors, some had familiar faces. An hour or two after Liam, Aaron, along with a few others, had entered the room. There was no sign of Dan or Michael, but Claire and Erika trudged behind Aaron, who carried an unconscious girl, presumably Alexandra, in his arms. It appeared that the scream and corpses he had seen on the street, didn¡¯t belong to them. While he was a bit curious where Dan and Michael were, he could tell the group wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk, nor did he care that much. Aaron had various cuts, bruises, and bite marks covering his body, more than Liam remembered. His battered body was indicative of the struggles they had faced getting here. The other two girl¡¯s appearance was no better. The area below Claire¡¯s elbows was coated with dried blood, and her clothes were stained where blood had been wiped, like a field medic after treating a soldier bleeding to death. Her face was twisted in frustration as she dragged Erika along behind her, forcefully pulling on her arm. Showing no resistance, Erika shuffled along, staring blankly at the ground. At some point, the doors had stopped opening, and no other new survivors arrived. The work of the voluntary medics lessened as they stabilized existing patients, but¡­ A new issue emerged in the room, the need for food and water. There was no food, and water was limited, distribution was being tightly regulated. But now that the day was ending and people were settling down, they were demanding more, the reason ¨C they were trapped. The doors from the halls were one-way only; you could enter, but not exit through them. People had been thoroughly searching the entire room, checking behind the curtains on the stage to even the floorboards for a hidden passage but found nothing. ¡°Give us water!¡± ¡°Stop hoarding it for yourselves!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to die! We need water!¡± A mob had started to form near the tables distributing water; it consisted of mostly people who sustained minor injuries. Compared to them, Liam¡¯s condition could be considered more severe. ¡°Everyone, please calm down! I can assure you that water is being distributed fairly. We aren¡¯t going to let anyone die of dehydration.¡± A mature man in charge of the water distribution addressed the crowd, trying to settle their agitation. He was also one of the volunteer medics; both the water distribution and medics all worked as one group. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! Do you think we¡¯re stupid! There¡¯s enough water for you to give out twice as much! You just want to keep it for yourselves!¡± ¡°YA!!!¡± The mob roared as a young man in his earlier twenties, stepped up, and got right in the mature man¡¯s face. ¡°No, you¡¯re misunderstanding¡­ We need to keep water for sanitary needs too. The medics need to clean their hands and tools to prevent infections. We aren¡¯t-¡± The man distributing water desperately tried to explain the situation, but he was cut off before finishing. ¡°Who cares about that?! We¡¯re going to die of dehydration before an infection!¡± ¡°Fuck this! Let¡¯s just take it ourselves!¡± ¡°YA!!!¡± ¡°No, please wait, listen to-!¡± SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETCH!!! Suddenly, a sound that was tens of decibels louder than a fire alarm started ringing. Reflexively Liam covered his ears. The noise reminded him of the ringing of an audio feedback loop in a microphone. He put more force into his hands over his ears, desperately trying to block out the sound; it felt as if his eardrums were about to burst. Finally, the noise stopped, and a female voice could be heard. ¡°Good¡­ Looks like you¡¯ve quieted down.¡± The voice was far colder than the air outside; there wasn¡¯t a hint of compassion in her voice, making her sound robotic. Liam¡¯s eyes drifted towards the stage where it originated. Clack¡­clack¡­clack¡­ An elegant young woman walked across the stage; the room remained silent except for the clacking of her heels against the hardwood floor. She was wearing a lapis colored dress that accentuated her womanly figure. Her golden blonde hair was tied into a bun, and her porcelain skin was free of any blemishes except for a single beauty mark under her lower lip. ¡­clack¡­clack¡­clack! Upon reaching the podium, she stopped. She ignored the whispering crowd as her eyes scanned the room. ¡®Huh, shouldn¡¯t there be more of them?¡¯ With an expressionless face, she pulled out some papers and leisurely flipped through them. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­ What? Only 64 out of 300 survived. That¡¯s it? That can¡¯t be right¡­¡¯ She continued reading the report. ¡®¡­It says 27 died to the Cleaner, 62 to the hounds, and 43 to the traps in the castle¡­ So, what the hell killed the rest of them?¡¯ Her eyes narrowed as she discovered the answer; despite her unchanging expression, there was a hint of distaste in her eyes as if she had taken a bite of spoiled food, and the vile aftertaste was still lingering. ¡®11 committed suicide, 26 died to other humans, and the rest to other causes¡­ Trash ¨C they¡¯re all trash. Even the ones that made it here are trash¡­ I knew it. I should¡¯ve refused this promotion¡­ They expect me to welcome such useless pieces of¡­ Damnit! We should just kill them and redo the Earthling summon rather than waste resources.¡¯Stolen story; please report. Of course, she knew most of the deaths were due to her lack of instructions. The Gods had put her in charge of the ¡®trails¡¯ for the new Earthlings. She decided what items they were given, instructions they were told, and their objective. However, since she didn¡¯t care, she just threw them into the middle of town with a bunch of monsters, hoping most would die before they reached the castle; the faster this was over, the faster she could leave. The only hint she gave them was leaving the lights on in the castle. If these Earthlings had any survival instincts, they¡¯d head toward it; where there was light, there was life. She looked up from the report and scanned over the survivors in the room again, making sure she hadn¡¯t missed anyone that stood out. After confirming that, at best, there were a few above-average Earthlings, she came to a decision. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll just get this done as fast as possible. No point in wasting too much of my time when they¡¯ll die before getting out of Kelm.¡¯ If she had more authority, she would¡¯ve killed all of them and summoned new Earthlings, but she didn¡¯t. Getting this over as fast as possible was far less problematic than pissing off her bosses. Nodding to herself, she addressed the restless crowd. ¡°Quiet.¡± Instantly, the room fell silent. The woman''s voice wasn¡¯t loud nor hostile; it was void of emotion. Instinct caused everyone to listen obediently. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this brief¡­¡± Clearing her throat, she continued. ¡°I will be your Host for this evening. I congratulate you on being selected to partake in this once in a lifetime opportunity. You¡¯ve been given a chance to gain riches and fame beyond your wildest dreams. You might even say that you¡¯re the chosen ones¡­¡± Her unenthusiastic tone, coupled with the poorly written script, fell far short of inspiring, much less motivating anyone. It resembled a scam sales call telling you that you¡¯ve won a free vacation to the Bahamas. ¡°¡­ If you haven¡¯t figured out already, this isn¡¯t Earth. You¡¯re in Orbis now. And no, this isn¡¯t one of your Earthling games¡­ Please, do yourself a favor and understand that¡­ With every batch of you Earthlings, a few dumbasses think this is a game and end up dying some stupid way, hoping to revive. I don¡¯t know how it works in your world, but in Orbis, death is permanent.¡¯ This admission caused the room to stir. Liam was also surprised; he had been convinced this was virtual reality. But it didn¡¯t change anything. He was already treating everything as if it were real-life, so the Hosts words were unnecessary. He would prefer to learn answers to some crucial questions: Why were they summoned? Who summoned them? What were those monsters in town? What is the status window? Can they go back to Earth, and if so, how? ¡°Listen up because I¡¯ll only explain this once.¡± The Host clapped her hands, pausing for a moment while attention fell back onto her. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ve all seen the status window by now. I¡¯ll explain a few things about it. Open it up and follow along.¡± Following her instructions, Liam opened his status.
[Status Window] [General] Name:Liam Harvell Age:23 Class:Ranger (Rank 1) Sub-Class:None [Skills] None [Stats] Strength: E Stamina: E- Agility: E+ Endurance: F Magic Power: C+ [Personal Traits] Distrusting ¨C Does not trust others. Cold ¨C Hard to approach, unfriendly. Loner ¨C Prefers to be alone. Levelheaded ¨C Maintains calm. Fast Learner ¨C Improves quickly.
Upon re-opening, Liam noticed that it had changed. His previously unassigned class was now Ranger. ¡°Everyone has been assigned one of four classes: Warrior, Ranger, Cleric, and Mage. The Gods assigned your class by observing you, and the actions you took to get to this room. They choose the class they believe best suits you.¡± The Host¡¯s explanation was brief, but it made sense to Liam. Class was determined by the methods of problem-solving they used. There had been many problems on the way to the castle, passing the two-headed dogs and traversing the hall of traps were just a few. People could solve these in many different ways, using force, wits, leadership, teamwork, observation, stealth, strategy, and more. In Liam¡¯s case, his methods were closer to a Ranger than a Warrior or Cleric. Starting from when he proposed climbing over the wall to clearing the hall of traps, his actions were based on observation and stealth; he wanted to avoid conflict as opposed to Aaron, who charged in headfirst. Even when they fought the dogs, Liam hung back, allowing him to kill the dog that had attacked Dan. Although he had failed to be stealthy on numerous occasions, it wasn¡¯t for lack of trying, his peers had always drawn attention. The Ranger class fit him. ¡®If that¡¯s what determines a Ranger, what about the other classes?¡¯ The most notable trait for Warriors was strength. Aaron was the ideal image of someone who fit the Warrior class. Strength, when pertaining to Warriors, is usually thought of as physical power, the use of force, and even violence, but that¡¯s not always true. It can refer to mental strength and leadership ability. If someone led a group safely to the castle using strategy and teamwork, was that not the action befitting a Warrior? Liam''s thoughts shifted towards Cleric. This one was simple. Since a Cleric was a healer, the only candidates for it were the volunteer medics who treated others or displayed medical knowledge like Dan. ¡®But, how is Mage determined?¡¯ This was the hardest one for Liam to figure out. There was no such thing as magic outside of fiction on Earth, so Liam didn¡¯t know the traits of a Mage; he had some ideas, but at best, they were guesses. The first was that the Magic Power stat determined it in the status window. However, that would mean the class was determined by luck or genetics as there was no way to raise the Magic Power stat on Earth; this went against the notion that your actions determined your class. His next idea was that it had to do with intelligence, as many works of fiction depicted them that way. Was it based on logic, or something else? Liam couldn¡¯t say that any of the problems he had faced had a ¡°solution¡± that a Mage would choose based on intelligence alone, so he concluded it must be something else. Maybe it was a mixture of a few different qualities. ¡®I¡¯ll figure it out eventually...¡¯ He continued to listen to the Host. ¡°Your stats are your physical capabilities. They go from A to F in grade, and there are three stages in each grade. Some people may experience a burst in strength after receiving their class, but¡­¡± She paused and looked around the room. ¡°¡­ It won¡¯t affect any of you, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Her condescending tone, sounded as if she was saying, ¡®you¡¯re all trash,¡¯ upset more than a few people. ¡°Finally, your sub-classes and skills are determined the same way your class was. Just keep in mind that actions and choices affect the direction of your class as you rank up¡­¡± Liam equated it to: If a Ranger used daggers, then they would gain sub-classes and skills that would be more roguelike with each rank increase. Likewise, if a Mage used fire magic, then they would become a Fire Mage as they ranked up. Subsequently, the classes would grow according to the direction you desired. Assuming you performed the necessary actions, it could lead to an unlimited amount of unique class possibilities. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough explaining. Stand up and get on stage, it¡¯s time to leave. Line up before entering the portal.¡± The Host pointed towards a pitch-black doorway, similar to the one Liam had passed through to enter the hallway leading into the banquet hall. Everyone obeyed and got up, forming an orderly line. Some people rushed up, eager to leave while others stayed behind, helping the injured. Liam was part of the former group, wasting no time in getting himself into line. He noticed a table with a pile of small bags, with the Host standing a few paces away. Once everyone was in line, the Host made one last announcement before allowing them to depart through the portal. ¡°Take one bag. It¡¯s a welcoming gift from the Association. There¡¯s thirty nickel inside, so don¡¯t be stupid and lose it. You won¡¯t get another.¡± Liam never imagined that they would receive generosity from the Host or any of the organizers, especially not after the ordeal they had been put through. The line began moving, and one by one, people took the bags and passed through the portal. Liam watched the Host who was paying little to no attention to them whatsoever. Between her brief explanations and lazy, unmotivated attitude, Liam wished that there was a customer satisfaction survey or somewhere he could leave a scathing review. Suddenly, the Host spoke as a thuggish man with notable gang tattoos on both arms slyly shoved three bags into his pockets. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say only to take one? I''ll give you another chance. Put the others back and leave.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± The thug clicked his tongue and dashed towards the portal. Immediately, another thug with similar tattoos grabbed a handful of bags and ran after the first. The Host pinched the brim of her nose as if she was trying to suppress a rising headache, while the second thug turned around and flipped her off. ¡°Fuck you, you arrogant bi-!¡± The man stopped mid-sprint, unable to finish his sentence. Both men were frozen like ice statues stuck in mid-motion; neither of them had a chance to realize what had happened, as their expressions hadn¡¯t changed. Crash! Falling to the ground, they shattered into thousands of shards of glass. Every cell in their bodies had been transformed into ice. Even if de-frosted, they could never return to their previous form; all that would be left would be a puddle of liquified human remains. At a complete loss for words, all anyone could do was stare at the Host. She had a single index finger extended towards the men. She looked as if she had just killed an ant, an action so insignificant that she didn¡¯t think twice about it. Returning her arm to her side, she glanced at the crowd staring at her with a look stating, ¡®why did you stop?¡¯ The line resumed moving at a quickened pace. Chapter 12: Interlude - A Dream or a Nightmare? Warm ¨C was what the young girl thought as she awoke. Opening her eyes, she blinked. Surrounding her were the ruins of a religious building, a church. The roof was missing, walls were riddled with cracks and holes, debris was scattered around, and five strangers were seated on benches. Finding herself in an unknown place with unfamiliar people, she immediately panicked. ¡®Wh-Where am I? I don¡¯t understand, wasn¡¯t I just eating breakfast with my friends? I don¡¯t get it ¨C how? H-how did I get here? Drugged? Was I drugged and kidnapped!? What am I supposed to do? Why me? I don¡¯t understand ¨C scared, I¡¯m scared. This is a dream ¨C it¡¯s gotta be a dream ¨C a really, really bad dream. End¡­ please¡­ please end¡­¡¯ As her hands began to tremble, a gentle, soothing voice whispered in her ear. ¡°Erika, are you okay?¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Erika turned to see Alexandra. Quickly, she looked to her other side and saw Claire as well. Immediately, the intense anxiety that was consuming her vanished. She felt safe knowing that her two best friends were by her side. All three of them had been together since elementary school; they were inseparable, even going as far as attending the same college. Having gone through so much together, both good and bad, Erika knew that if she were with them, then everything would be fine. ¡°Hey, Erika, are you okay? Are you cold?¡± She heard Alexandra¡¯s concerned voice again, and this time gave a meek nod. Erika was a timid girl; as a child, she was always called a cry baby, and even as she grew older that hadn¡¯t changed. After befriending Claire and Alexandra, her over-reliance on them and their overprotectiveness had only served to intensify this. Alexandra had always been kind and caring, almost like a mother to her. Claire, on the other hand, was strong-willed and stubborn. Erika was envious of that, she wished could have a bit of Claire¡¯s overflowing confidence. Still, the question remained ¨C where were they? Waking up in an unknown place was far from ordinary. And that¡¯s without factoring in the strange ruins around them and frigid temperature. ¡®Why would someone bring us here? Why is it so cold? What is this screen?¡¯ Erika looked at the digital screen that was stuck in the corner of her vision. It reminded her of screens in the video games her younger brother always played.
[Status Window] [General] Name: Erika Lawrence Age: 19 Class: Unassigned Sub-Class: None [Skills] None [Stats] Strength: E Stamina: E Agility: C+ Endurance: C+ Magic Power: B [Personal Traits] Timid ¨C Shy, has difficulty interacting with strangers. Reliant ¨C Over reliant on friends and colleagues. Anxiety ¨C Panic¡¯s easily. Unable to maintain calm in stressful situations. Average ¨C Average at everything.
¡®Is this real? I-It can¡¯t be, right?¡¯ Erika didn¡¯t know what to make of it, any of it. Everything felt so surreal to her, almost as if she was in a dream. The thought that this was all real - terrified her. If this was a nightmare, she hoped it would end quickly. Suddenly, a man brushed past them and headed straight for the door, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. Immediately, Claire¡¯s head snapped towards him like a hunting dog that had caught the scent of a wild animal. She jumped up from her seat. ¡®Ah, she¡¯s gonna do it again.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t the first time Erika had seen this scenario unfold; actually, it was quite common in her day-to-day life. Claire¡¯s fiery personality tended to cause a lot of problems. Alexandra and Erika were usually left to deal with the aftermath of the volcanic eruption from Mt. Claire. Alexandra tapped Erika on the shoulder. Erika nodded, and they both stood up, preparing themselves for action. This was step one in their unofficial Claire Anger Prevention Handbook, C.A.P.H. for short. As if on cue, Claire yelled at the man. ¡°Hey, you! Stop!¡± The man stopped and turned to see Claire standing with her arms crossed. Claire glared at him and spoke with a tone as if she was interrogating a criminal. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡®Oh, no... Mister, please don¡¯t test Claire. It won¡¯t be good for any of us.¡¯ ¡°Hello? Did you hear me?¡± Claire impatiently tapped her foot on the floor. Finally, the man spoke. ¡°Uh, I was going outside to look around. Is that a problem or something?¡± At the man¡¯s response, Erika¡¯s expression brightened; it didn¡¯t appear he wanted to fight, given the lack of aggression in his voice. Erika became hopeful that this would end peacefully, even a hothead like Claire cooled down when the other party was calm and level-headed. ¡°Tsk.¡± As fast as her hope ignited, it was snuffed out when Claire clicked her tongue. Perhaps it was fueled by the stress of the situation, but Claire¡¯s already short temper appeared to be even shorter. As Erika and Alexandra exchanged glances and began to move, Claire shouted at the man. ¡°Listen here, dumbass. In case you didn¡¯t realize it, this isn¡¯t a situation where you can be acting all carefree. I don¡¯t care what happens to you, but your little exploration might start shit that gets us in trouble¡­ I bet a stupid bastard like you didn¡¯t think of that, huh?¡± ¡°Hey, hey. Let¡¯s all calm down. There¡¯s no need to fight¡­¡± Before Alexandra and Erika had a chance to intervene, a second man in a football jersey stepped in. He turned to the man at the door and began talking. Alexandra wasn¡¯t going to let this chance slip by and quickly began talking with Claire. This was step two in the C.A.P.H. ¨C attempting to quell Claire¡¯s anger with words. Watching as Alexandra calmed Claire down, Erika breathed a sigh of relief. They were lucky this time. If the second man hadn¡¯t stepped in, the situation would¡¯ve escalated to a code red and require the use of step three. While Erika was thinking, the conversation between the two men ended. The first man thanked the second and turned back to the door. At that moment, Claire escaped Alexandra¡¯s lecture and rushed forward. ¡®Failure.¡¯ Erika could tell that step two had failed once again; it seldom worked. It was stupid to try and use rationality to deal with irrationality. It was time for the third and final step of their handbook ¨C forceful intervention. ¡°Hey, asshole! Don¡¯t just-mmmphh!¡± Before Claire could finish her sentence, Alexandra and Erika leaped at her, subduing her. Alexandra forcefully covered her mouth while Erika grabbed her body, preventing any escape. Claire¡¯s eyes bulged as she wildly twisted her body, trying to get free. Alexandra lowered her head to the man, once again forced to clean up Claire¡¯s mess. ¡°Sorry about Claire¡­¡±
Erika ran behind Claire and Alexandra. She didn¡¯t know where they were going ¨C something about helping Aaron, who rushed off after hearing a scream ¨C regardless, she was scared. The entire day had been one terrifying event after another. She had been kidnapped and left in a foreign place, Claire had almost died being attacked by a two-headed mutant dog, they narrowly escaped an alien creature trying to murder them, and now they were running towards yet another unknown danger. It was like she was trapped in a never-ending nightmare. When would it end?Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Rounding a corner, the three girls came to a stop. At the end of the alleyway was a building. On the other side was the origin of the scream, where Aaron was. Alexandra spoke in a hushed voice. ¡°Okay... From here on out, we have to be really quiet, got it?¡± Claire and Erika nodded, and they slowly snuck towards the building. Reaching the door, Alexandra looked back at the two girls, confirming that they were ready, she entered. It was dark inside, so their pace slowed as they carefully passed through the room. When they found the opposite door, Alexandra cautiously opened it and peered outside. Her eyes widened as the scene came into view. Three strangers and Aaron were desperately fighting the five two-headed dogs attacking them. There was a young woman cowering atop a lopsided carriage. As two dogs tried to climb up, she frantically swung a broom, keeping them back. Aaron was on the ground, wrestling with a dog. Next to him was a man who lay on his back, gasping for air. A few minutes before the girls arrived, Aaron had tackled the dog off the man, saving him from having his neck bitten. Finally, the last man swung a wooden board at the two dogs attacking him. He shouted at the man on the ground, asking if he was okay and went wildly on the offensive, trying to finish off the beasts. Alexandra froze, silently staring at the battle outside. Compared to the brutal battle they had against only three dogs, fighting five seemed impossible. She didn¡¯t know what to do ¨C what could they do? Would three girls be of any help in this situation? She wanted to run away, but before she could, Claire pushed her out of the way. ¡°Hey, what is it? Let me see!¡± Claire stuck her head outside and saw the ensuing battle. Immediately, she turned around and shouted passionately at Alexandra. ¡°Alex, we need to help them! Aaron¡¯s already out there fighting; we can¡¯t let him do it alone!¡± ¡°I know, but what can we do? Don¡¯t you remember how hard it was to fight three dogs? How can we fight five? I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s safe. We should just-¡± Claire interrupted Alexandra. ¡°What are you saying!? If we join the fight, we¡¯ll outnumber them! Come on! We have to go!¡± ¡°Outnumber them? So what? That doesn¡¯t matter¡­ It won¡¯t make a difference.¡± Claire threw her arms up in frustration. ¡°Alex, drop the bullshit, and tell me what the problem is! Hurry up ¨C spit it out! We¡¯re wasting time!¡± Alexandra snapped, yelling at Claire. ¡°None of us can fight! You know that as well as I do! If we run out there, we¡¯ll just get in the way!¡± Claire curtly turned her head to the side, dismissing Alexandra¡¯s words. ¡°I can fight just fine!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie, Claire!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Claire¡¯s face grew redder as her blood boiled; her temper was approaching its limits. Alexandra shouted the truth that she had been keeping in, and one of the primary factors influencing her refusal. ¡°Yes, you are! You did the same thing last time! At first, you acted all confident, but then, when the fighting started, you got scared and started crying! Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t!¡± Claire¡¯s mouth was left agape; she was shocked that her best friend would stoop so low. She stuttered, trying to find an excuse. ¡°I-I was¡­!¡± ¡°Stop, I don¡¯t want to hear your stupid excuse, Claire! So, just shut up!¡± Hearing no response from Claire, Alexandra figured the argument was over; even Claire should recognize the danger. She was confident that deep down, Claire was also scared, but¡­ ¡°You know what! Fuck you, Alex!!¡± In a rage, Claire threw the door open and stormed outside. Alexandra frantically called after her. ¡°W-Wait!! Claire¡­!¡± Alexandra stopped. It was too late; Claire had already grabbed a scrap of wood and was sprinting into battle. Her head dropped. As she silently stared at the ground, a torrent of emotions began swarming within her, an indescribable mixture of fear, anxiety, regret, and hopelessness. However, before they consumed her, a shaky voice pulled her back to reality. "A-Alex..." Alexandra lifted her head and looked at Erika, whose eyes were rapidly shifting between her and the battle. "Wh-What should we do?" For a moment, Alexandra thought and then... Slap! Alexandra smacked her own cheeks hard, leaving behind two red marks. This wasn''t the time to dwell on what she should have done differently or how hopeless the situation seemed. Right now, she needed to focus on what she could do. She looked at Claire, who was already fighting tooth and nail with the beasts, and immediately came to a decision. "Erika ¨C let''s go." After grabbing a weapon, Alexandra stepped outside into the battle. She surveyed the area, trying to figure out where she and Erika should go, but surprisingly everything appeared to be under control. Aaron had killed the dog that he was fighting and was now helping the girl on the carriage. The man on the ground was safe, and Claire was assisting the other man. There wasn¡¯t anywhere for her and Erika to go. ¡°Alex, look out!!¡± Hearing Erika¡¯s panicked shout, Alexandra turned and saw two new dogs sprinting towards them. From the blood dripping from their mouths, they had been feasting on something recently. Having already whet their appetites, they had come looking for another meal to fill their bottomless stomachs. ¡°Erika, get ready!¡± Alexandra took a defensive stance with her weapon out in front of her. Erika nervously mimicked Alexandra¡¯s movement. As soon as the dogs leaped at them, they both stepped to the side, easily evading them. Alexandra dashed forward and landed a hit on one dog. ¡®Scary. It¡¯s too scary.¡¯ Erika stepped back, retreating away from the growling dog. It was impossible. She couldn¡¯t fight the dog; all she wanted to do was run away. Alexandra noticed that Erika wasn''t attacking and became concerned. ¡°Erika, what¡¯s wrong!?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it, Alex! It¡¯s too scary! This is a dream! All a dream! It¡¯s all a dream, but... but... why!? Why is it so realistic, Alex? Why? I don¡¯t like it! Please, I just want it to end... please¡­!¡± Erika broke down in a panic and began speaking nonsense, confusing Alexandra. She was painfully aware this wasn¡¯t a dream; she couldn¡¯t imagine how anyone could think that at this point, so she wasn¡¯t able to comprehend what Erika was saying. ¡°Calm down, Erika!? Are you hurt or something!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight! I just want to wake up!¡± The beast didn¡¯t sit back and wait for Erika to calm down. It took the opportunity to prepare for an aggressive attack, stepping back and getting ready to lunge. At the same time, Alexandra shouted with a sense of urgency. ¡°Erika, watch out!¡± Erika closed her eyes tightly, weakly holding her weapon out like a shield, she shrieked. ¡°NOOOOO!!!!¡± Forgetting about her own battle, Alexandra jumped towards Erika. As soon as she took her eyes off it, the dog she was fighting attacked. ¨C Aaaaaaaahkk!! The painful scream caught everyone¡¯s attention. Claire whipped around; her face paled. She failed to comprehend what she was seeing, rather she didn¡¯t want to see it. Suddenly, the dog she was fighting leapt at her¡­ ¡°!!!¡± Claire jumped to the side, avoiding it and then, bolted towards her friends. At the same time, Erika slowly opened her eyes. ¡®I¡¯m okay?¡¯ She was sure the beast was about to attack her, but for some reason, she was still unharmed. ¡®What happened?¡¯ ¡®Huh, blood!? Am-am I¡­¡± She froze in shock, unable to finish her thought, her pupils trembled at the horrifying scene in front of her; it was the nightmare she feared most. ¡°Aaaaahh ¨C Uuaaggh¡­!¡± A sound that was in between a scream and a moan came out of Alexandra¡¯s mouth. Two dogs were digging their jaws into her, ripping flesh from her bones. ¡°Uuuuuuck-!¡± Alexandra let a horrific scream as one dog ripped a chunk from her back. It chewed the meat, once, then twice before swallowing it whole and going for another bite. Erika didn¡¯t move. She sat, lifelessly staring at Alexandra. No thoughts ran through her mind, she was nothing more than a broken doll, an empty shell. ¡°SHIT!!¡± Aaron arrived and yanked the dogs, who were eating like crazed beasts on the brink of starvation, off Alexandra, throwing them to the side. He began fighting them, keeping them away from Alexandra. Regretfully, it was all he could manage. ¡°Uuaah¡­ cough¡­¡± Alexandra coughed up blood. Her entire body was mauled, her flesh mangled. Blood poured out of the numerous puncture wounds and gaping holes from missing flesh. Her skin had already become pale, almost paperwhite. ¡°Alex! Alex!¡± Claire nearly dove onto Alexandra. She slid across the ground, rocks and gravel, tearing up her knees. ¡°Uahhhh¡­¡± Alexandra moaned as she tried to turn her head towards Claire. ¡°Alex, stay still! Just wait, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll¡­¡± Claire¡¯s hands frantically moved as she tried to think of what to do, but she couldn¡¯t. All forms of rational thought had left her. At this point, she couldn¡¯t even understand what was happening to Alexandra. ¡°Right, right. If I just stop the bleeding, then everything will be fine.¡± Claire pressed her hands onto wounds on Alexandra¡¯s shoulders. There were too many, and she couldn¡¯t block them all. She needed help. ¡°Erika, get some cloths! Hey, Erika!¡± There was no response. ¡°Erika, listen! This isn¡¯t the time-!¡± Claire turned her head, and saw Erika, collapsed to her knees, staring at Alexandra with hollow eyes. No hope. She looked over at Aaron who was still fighting. ¡°Aaron, help me!¡± Without shifting his attention away from the battle, Aaron spoke in a hushed voice under his breath. It was painful to see Claire desperately trying to save save Alexandra. ¡°Claire¡­ I think¡­¡± ¡°No! Hurry up and help!¡± Claire was in denial. This wasn¡¯t ¨C no, not possible. These kinds of things happen to soldiers, not college students¡­ Accepting meant that Alexandra¡­ accepting meant¡­ this wasn¡¯t a nightmare, it was a living hell. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Alex. You¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll just use my clothes and wrap the wound. That should stop the bleeding, so-¡± Alexandra weakly raised her hand and tried to grab Claire¡¯s arm. She attempted to speak but only managed to cough up the blood that was slowly filling her lungs. ¡°Sto-cough¡­uagh¡­¡± Claire paused. Had Alexandra just tried to stop her? ¡°Wh-What? Just hang on, Alex.¡± Claire was about to resume her futile efforts, but Alexandra tightened her grip. ¡°Alex, let go. I need to stop the bleeding so¡­ so¡­¡± Drip¡­drip¡­drip¡­ Claire¡¯s tears slowly fell onto Alexandra¡¯s face as the pitch of her voice waned. ¡°W-Why? Why Alex? I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t¡­!¡± As Alexandra¡¯s eyes closed, she forced herself to give a weak smile as if to reassure Claire that everything would be fine. ¡°Alex, I¡­ Alex¡­!" Claire buried her head into Alexandra¡¯s chest and wept, sorrowfully calling her name. The battle was over, but at what cost? One life was lost, three saved. A net gain rather than a net loss. However, no one felt victorious. Aaron bit his lower lip. It was painful watching as the two girls mourned the loss of their best friend. He couldn¡¯t help but feel that, again, he had failed. While they waited for Claire¡¯s crying to stop, the others gathered and quietly thanked Aaron for saving them. Both men were conscious, but the girl had passed out from fear and shock. Befitting of the battle they had endured, all three men had wounds covering their bodies. As her tears dried up, Claire slowly raised her head. Wiping her runny nose, Claire turned to Erika, who still hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°Erika¡­¡± ¡°Erika, hey!¡± No response. Claire took in Erika¡¯s helpless state and felt a renewed sense of responsibility. Now that Alexandra wasn¡¯t here, Erika was all she had. She had to protect her at all costs. Claire pushed her sorrow down deep within her, burying it. Standing up, she walked over to Erika and pulled her up. ¡°Erika, let¡¯s go.¡± As Erika was being dragged off, a single thought kept repeating. ¡®C-Can I wake up now?¡¯ Chapter 13: Welcome to Kelm! When Liam exited the portal, he found himself in a church similar to the building he had awoken in earlier except it was larger, and everything was in pristine condition. From the daylight coming through the windows, he could tell it was around noon, which was strange seeing as it had been almost a full day since he woke up. He would have thought it was around evening, or late afternoon at the earliest. Inside, people in white robes were busily leading the survivors towards a row of tables, where men and women in uniforms talked to them individually. All of them wore the same pin over their left breast. ¡°This way, sir.¡± A young woman tugged on his shirt, leading him toward a middle-aged man sitting at one of the tables. As Liam took a seat across from him, the man looked up from his paperwork and grumbled. ¡°Welcome¡­ I¡¯m from the Association. I¡¯ll be telling you some information, so pay attention.¡± His tone was flat, devoid of enthusiasm. Liam glanced to his side, and noticed the other survivors were receiving a much warmer welcome, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit jealous. Noticing Liam¡¯s wandering eyes, the Association clerk tapped his pen on the table, drawing Liam¡¯s attention back. ¡°As you already know, you¡¯re in Orbis. This town is called Kelm. The Association was kind enough to establish services here so that you Earthlings could adjust to Orbis. Be grateful.¡± The clerk sifted through a mound of papers on the table before pulling one out, then he pushed a strange white crystal in front of Liam. ¡°Put your hand on here.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s this for?¡± Liam scrunched his nose. He wasn¡¯t about to stick his hand on a strange device that he knew nothing about. If he had to guess, it was magical, and after just witnessing how overwhelming the Host¡¯s magic was, he saw no limits to its power. For all he knew, it could bind him to a contract, or force him into a life of slavery. He wouldn¡¯t put it past the organization responsible for kidnapping him and many others. The clerk sighed, acting like he had just encountered a difficult customer. ¡°It¡¯s to see your status. The Association needs to know what your stats are so we can have them on file¡­ Look!¡± He shoved the paper that he had pulled out in Liam¡¯s face. Taking it, Liam began reading. It was a simple form; there was a section for Liam¡¯s name, age, class, skills, and stats. Even though this was another world, he was able to read and understand the language naturally. Liam didn¡¯t think about this much and handed the paper back. ¡°So, all my personal information? Yeah, I think I¡¯ll pass on whatever you¡¯re offering here and be on my way¡­¡± As Liam was about to stand up, the clerk raised one eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Okay then¡± He turned to one of the nearby guards and gestured for them to come over. Liam looked at the sharp sword hanging from the guard¡¯s belt and bit his lip. Reluctantly, he sat back down and put his hand on the crystal. ¡°See, that wasn¡¯t so hard, now was it?¡± Liam glared at the clerk. Quickly, the clerk began jotting down the information from his status. After finishing, he skimmed over it, glanced at Liam, re-read it, and finally let out a noise that sounded almost like a laugh. ¡°Heh.¡± He tossed the paper into a pile and returned to his paperwork. Liam sat silently, watching the man scribble away, waiting for him to finish explaining the ¡®important¡¯ information. When a minute had passed, Liam spoke up. ¡°Um, excuse me?¡± Without looking up from his paperwork, the clerk groaned and pointed in the direction of a front door. ¡°You¡¯re still here? You can go, the door is-¡± Liam cut him off; his tone was sharp and unfriendly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to go over some information or something?¡± The clerk put down his pen and gave an evasive response. ¡°Was I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you said.¡± The clerk stared into Liam¡¯s sharp eyes for a moment. Realizing that Liam wasn¡¯t going to let this go, he clicked his tongue. ¡°Go to the center of town, that¡¯s where the Association¡¯s Earthling branch is. They¡¯ll explain where to find work.¡± Pulling out a map and placing it in on the table, he pointed at a few locations. ¡°There¡¯s an inn here, and this is the shopping district.¡± He pointed to the east side and then the west side of town. Before Liam had a chance to commit the locations to memory, he pulled the map away. ¡°That¡¯s all. You can leave now. The door is-¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Holding up his hand, Liam stopped the clerk. Liam realized that the clerk wasn¡¯t going to tell or explain anything to him, at least not of his own volition. If Liam wanted answers, he needed to specifically ask the questions. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I have some questions.¡± The clerk stared at Liam without speaking, hoping Liam might give up and leave if he stayed silent long enough. ¡°¡­Fine. Ask, but keep it short.¡± Liam pulled out a nickel coin from the cloth purse and held it in front of the clerk. ¡°How much is this worth?¡± ¡°One nickel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Liam¡¯s unamused face at his sarcastic response, the clerk gave Liam a proper explanation. ¡°A nickel is worth ten copper, one hundred nickel is worth one silver, and one thousand silver is worth one gold. There¡¯s more, but you¡¯ll never see them, so I¡¯m not going to bother explaining them¡­ One nickel will let you stay in an inn for a night, and about two copper is the price of a meal. There, happy? Now hurry up and get on your way, I¡¯m busy.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Liam ignored the clerk and continued with his questions. ¡°Can I get injuries treated in town?¡± The clerk pointed across the room at a group of priests. ¡°Talk to them.¡± Liam nodded and pointed at the map the clerk was holding. ¡°Can I have that map?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liam was about to open his mouth and ask his next question when the clerk stopped him. ¡°Okay, enough questions. Time for you to go.¡± He stood up, pushing his chair back as he prepared to gesture towards the guards. Liam still had many questions, but it was apparent that he wasn¡¯t going to get any answers. He got up and was about to leave when he thought of one last thing he wanted to know. ¡°What¡¯s the date?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The date. You know the day, month, and year? You have those here, right?¡± The clerk grumbled, irritated that he was having his earlier sarcastic tone spat back in his face. ¡°¡­It¡¯s Year 1205, Month 6, and Day 1.¡± Without a word of thanks, Liam walked over to the three priests that were casually chatting amongst themselves. Liam spoke politely. ¡°Excuse me? I heard that I could receive medical treatment here.¡± They stopped talking and glanced between one another before a woman in her mid-twenties stepped forward. She had a slim figure, bright eyes, and, most notably, a warm smile. Radiating kindness, they appeared to be a paragon, caring about the health and wellbeing of others. ¡°Yes, I can treat you. Please, tell me about your injuries, be as detailed as possible; that way, I can tailor the treatment to your needs.¡± Hearing her gentle voice, Liam was taken aback by the difference in attitude; he had been prepared to deal with the same level of rudeness from earlier. ¡°First, there¡¯s the wound on my shoulder, but¡­¡± The priest nodded as she listened to Liam. She creased her brow as if in deep thought and inspected his shoulder. ¡°¡­I¡¯m more concerned about my feet. Can you treat frostbite?¡± The priest¡¯s eyes seemed to light up as she enthusiastically replied. ¡°Yes, of course! Could you please show me your feet? I need to see how bad the frostbite is before I heal them. When I¡¯m done, your feet will be as good as new¡­ No! I can guarantee that they¡¯ll be better than before!¡± Pleased by the demeanor and promises, Liam untied his shoes and presented his feet. Immediately, her face crumpled into a look of disgust. For a moment, her kind aura completely vanished. Liam didn¡¯t think much of it. It was a bit unprofessional for someone who dealt with medicine, but he didn¡¯t blame her; the bottoms of his feet weren¡¯t exactly pretty. ¡°Hm, let¡¯s see¡­¡± The priest held her chin. Closing her eyes, she pondered her next words. ¡°Hmm¡­ for your shoulder¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ it will be¡­ hmmm¡­ about five nickel.¡± The price was a little high, but Liam stayed silent. After all, he only knew what the clerk told him earlier. ¡®If I compare it to the cost of renting a room in an inn for five days, then¡­ I guess it¡¯s not too bad.¡¯ Considering that an untreated injury could lead to infection and even death, five days rent was a small price to pay. ¡°And my frostbite? How much for that?¡± In response, the priest gave a benevolent smile. ¡°Fifty nickel.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Liam leaned forward, positive that he had misheard; someone couldn¡¯t smile like that while throwing out such a ridiculous price. ¡°It will be fifty nickel to treat your frostbite.¡± ¡°Um, is there a reason that the price is so much higher?¡± Assuming that injuries were treated using magic in Orbis, Liam could somewhat understand. Perhaps, healing spells required offerings or spells were burdensome for the caster. ¡°No, the price is based on the market rate. It¡¯s the same spell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liam was speechless; the priest had willfully admitted to shady business practices. There wasn¡¯t a hint of shame on her face; clearly, this wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary. Seeing the expression on Liam¡¯s face, the priest folded her hands together. ¡°Oh, are you worried about the legitimacy of our treatment? You¡¯ve just arrived in Orbis, so it¡¯s understandable. But rest assured, this isn¡¯t a scam. We would never do something like that. As priests of the God of Life, we strive to abide by three practices, peace, kindness, and of course, fairness. Doing otherwise would bring shame to our God. So, please, trust me when I say your treatment will be nothing less than perfect!¡± ¡®What is this woman saying!? This is a scam!¡¯ Hearing the incomprehensible nonsense coming from her mouth, Liam restrained himself from screaming. He needed the treatment; otherwise, he risked losing his feet. The problem was, even if he wanted to pay the price, which he didn¡¯t, there was only thirty nickel in the bag. He could try and bargain, but that would be hard. The best offer he could make fell far too short of the asking price; it would only come across as an insult. His only real option was to negotiate and try to work out a payment plan or loan. ¡°So, about the price¡­¡± The priest stopped Liam before he could finish. ¡°Sorry, but the price is the price. If you don¡¯t like it, you can go somewhere-¡± She quickly covered her mouth as if she had just misspoken. ¡°Oops! Sorry, I forgot we¡¯re the only church in town that offers healing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, anyway, I wish you the best of luck! If you change your mind, please come back!¡± Liam turned and silently left the church. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to thank the woman despite her kind attitude; the business practices were just too corrupt. ¡°Enjoy your stay in-!¡± Slam! The large pair of double doors slammed shut, cutting her off. ¡®Where to first?¡¯ He needed to go to the Association and an inn today. Shopping for any equipment could wait until tomorrow. Figuring out his daily expenses and work situation came before he bought anything excessive. ¡°Fresh tomatoes here!¡± ¡°Hey, you watch-!¡± ¡°Apples! Apples! One basket for five copper!¡± ¡°Armors, weapons, and more! Come check out our shop!¡± ¡°Today¡¯s special! Three skewers for two copper! Get¡¯m while they last!¡± Outside was a bustling plaza; the residents of Kelm were busily going about their day. It was the atmosphere Liam had expected; a fantasy-like world where knights and nobility still existed. From the amount of people, this looked to be the center of town or at least close to it. ¡®I¡¯ll head to the Association first, but before that...¡¯ Liam placed a hand over his grumbling stomach. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had gone all day without eating. One time, when Liam was living with his Grandparents, he went almost an entire week without food; it was punishment for not finishing his dinner on a Friday night. At the time, his Grandfather had told him, ¡°if you want to waste my food, then don¡¯t eat¡± and prohibited him from eating for the next two days. By the end of the first day, Liam couldn¡¯t take it and started sneaking food. The following day, he got caught, and his punishment was extended for a week. He didn¡¯t try and rebel this time. For an entire week, the only time he could eat was at school when he had used his savings to buy lunch. When his punishment was finally over, Liam had learned two things. One, humans could survive a long time without food. And two, it was easier to follow the rules. Compared to that time, a day without eating felt like nothing, he had barely noticed. However, after now seeing and smelling the delicious foods, his stomach began to rumble. Liam called out to the man grilling meat skewers. ¡°I¡¯ll take three!¡± ¡°Comm''n right up, sir!¡± Flashing a smile, the man began grilling the skewers. As soon as they were finished, he handed them to Liam in exchange for a nickel coin. He counted out the change of eight copper, gave it to Liam, and sent him off with a wave. Liam bit into the meat. Its savory juices filled his mouth, and it tasted delicious. He took bite after bite, and before he realized it, he had scarfed down all three and now felt satisfied. He headed off in search of the Association.
It was late that afternoon when Liam finally arrived at the Association Earthling Branch. ¡®Center of town, my ass.¡¯ The Association was a dirty building hidden on a backstreet. It was far from what he would call the center of town. In fact, calling it the slums was a more apt description, considering all the trash on the street and vandalized buildings. ¡®This can¡¯t be the right place¡­¡¯ Liam wanted to think that, but ¡®Association Earthling Branch¡¯ was written on the sign hanging above the door. As Liam opened the door and stepped inside, he immediately covered his nose. A raunchy odor of sweat, filth, booze, and blood filled the air. The rowdy patrons were shouting at each other across the dimly lit room, and beer mugs were slamming down on tables. The atmosphere reminded him of a dirty backstreet pub that served as a gathering point for ruffians. Fights were breaking out all over, and no one bothered to stop them; instead, they were being encouraged. Liam pushed his way through the unruly crowd, ducking to dodge a full mug of beer flying towards him. Smash! It hit someone behind him and shattered on the ground. ¡°OUCH! Which one of you fuckers threw that!!!¡± A woman with blazing red hair roared as she jumped out of her seat, knocking it over. With her face distorted in rage and beer dripping from her clothes, her eyes scanned the room like a predator hunting for its prey. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Her eyes locked onto a man doubled over, clasping his stomach. ¡°You bastard!¡± Storming over, she shoved Liam out of her way, knocking him to the ground. In contrast to her petite frame, which didn¡¯t reach 5¡¯ 5¡±, she had immense strength, far more than most professional athletes. As she approached, the man frantically began waving his hands in the air as he tried to subdue his laughter. ¡°Wait, May! It was an accident, I swear!¡± May grabbed him by the collar, dragging him from his seat. Pulling his face close to her own, she stared into his eyes and spoke with an amused tone. ¡°Oh, really? Then why are you laughing?¡± ¡°Um, I was¡­ um¡­¡± The man¡¯s eyes darted around the room as he desperately tried to avoid making eye contact; he was petrified by the look on May¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought!¡± May formed a fist with her free hand. As she raised it, the man finally managed to spit out a response. ¡°Hold on! I can expla-!¡± May¡¯s fist smashed into his face. Chapter 14: The Band of Misfits CRUNCH! May¡¯s fist connected, crushing the man¡¯s nose. ¡°Huaaaaaaaaakkk!!¡± He screamed in pain, struggling to break free, but it was futile ¨C there was no escaping May. ¡°I-I¡¯m s-swoorry! Aaaaak!! Stop, pweaseee!¡± In a last-ditch attempt to save himself, he thrust out his finger, pointing in the direction of his table. ¡°Th-They made me do it! It was them! Not me! I swear!¡± Everyone at the table whipped their heads around. ¡°Listen to this bastard!¡± ¡°May, teach that kid a lesson!¡± His comrades instantly abandoned him and joined the crowd cheering May on. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me!¡± ¡°Aaaaak!! S-Stop! Pleeeease!¡± The man cried out in agony as May pummeled his face, which was quickly becoming unrecognizable. Finally, someone from May¡¯s table intervened. "That''s enough, May!¡± May didn¡¯t look up as she smashed her fist into the man¡¯s bloody face again. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet, Scott! Just a few more hits and-!¡± BANG! ¡°I said enough!¡± Scott stomped his foot on the ground, causing the surrounding tables to quake. ¡°Tsk.¡± May clicked her tongue, dropping the man. ¨C HURRAY!! The room roared in excitement, and everyone raised their glasses in appreciation of the free entertainment. ¡°Just a few more, and I would''a¡­¡± Grumbling to herself, May stomped her feet as she headed back to her seat. Scott approached Liam and held out his hand, helping Liam up. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine¡­ Thanks.¡± Scott looked at Liam¡¯s clothes, nodding to himself. ¡°Oh, did you just come out of the tutorial?¡± ¡°Tutorial?¡± Liam tilted his head. He hadn¡¯t heard that word used once since he arrived in Orbis. In fact, the Host was insistent that this wasn¡¯t a game. ¡°Ah, sorry. It¡¯s what we call that abandoned city and castle. You know, the one you just came from.¡± Considering the game-like status window, Liam wasn¡¯t surprising people ended up referring to it as the tutorial. ¡°I see¡­ Yeah, I just came out today.¡± ¡°Well, by the looks of it, you had one hell of a time¡­ Why don¡¯t you come over and sit with us? I¡¯ll buy you a drink as a welcome to Kelm.¡± Scott gave a warm smile and pointed towards the table with May and three others. Liam shook his head, glancing at the receptionist sleeping in the back of the room. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯m only here to get some information.¡± Following Liam¡¯s gaze, Scott chuckled. ¡°Hahaha¡­ Don¡¯t bother with the Association; they won¡¯t help you at all. I¡¯ll tell you what you need to know, so come on over and have a drink!¡± Liam took one look at the receptionist before following Scott. She was sound asleep with drool running out the side of her mouth. He didn¡¯t get the feeling she would be of much help. Scott sat down, clearing a spot for Liam. ¡°Scott, who¡¯s the kid!?¡± May put down her drink and aggressively thrust out her hand, pointing at Liam, like a wild animal confronting an intruder who entered her territory. Scott shook his head at May, who was glaring at Liam. ¡°He¡¯s a newbie. Got here today.¡± ¡°Eh? Since, when did you care about newbies?¡± As if it never existed, May¡¯s hostility was gone, replaced by curiosity. Scott gave her a sharp glance. ¡°I¡¯m treating him to some drinks because of a certain someone who likes to cause trouble. May tilted her head, utterly oblivious to Scott¡¯s subtle remark. ¡°Huh? Who¡¯s that?¡± Scott held his head, feeling the onset of a headache. ¡°May, why don¡¯t you focus on your beer. Here, I¡¯ll even buy you another.¡± Scott pulled out some copper coins to give May, but she wasn¡¯t paying attention; she had found something more interesting than alcohol. Smirking, May placed her elbows on the table and held her chin in her hands. ¡°Listen, kid... I bet you thought the tutorial was scary, right? That shit was easy compared to Orbis. Man-eating monsters, cannibals, giant insects and there are even monsters that will capture you and-¡± Suddenly, a handsome, clean-shaven man wearing leather armor interrupted her. ¡°May, stop trying to scare the kid. Don¡¯t listen to her. She¡¯s an idiot. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ryan, you bastard! I was just getting to the good part!¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. May slammed the table, but no one was paying attention to her anymore. ¡°It¡¯s Liam.¡± ¡°Newbie, you better not ignore me!¡± May balled up her hand into a fist and prepared to lung across the table at Liam. However, a burly man in plate armor grabbed May¡¯s shoulder, stopping her. Towering over her, he stared down and silently shook his head. May tilted her head before unleashing her frustration on everyone at the table. ¡°Rick? Damn, what¡¯s with you guys today!?¡± May looked around and saw everyone avoiding her gaze. ¡°Fuck you guys!¡± May tilted back her mug, downing the rest of her beer and drowning her sorrows. Everyone ignored May¡¯s theatrical reaction; apparently, this wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary. Scott pointed at Liam¡¯s bandaged arm. ¡°I see you didn¡¯t get treated by the priests, any reason why?¡± ¡°It was a rip-off.¡± Liam frowned, just remembering the disgustingly high price they tried to charge soured his mood. ¡°Huh, how much did they want? For a flesh wound like yours, it should be under ten nickel. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s not cheap by any means, but it¡¯s far from what I¡¯d call a rip-off.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t my shoulder. It was the frostbite on my feet.¡± ¡°Ah, I see, makes sense. Those priests always charge more for the injuries that won¡¯t heal themselves. Hmmm¡­¡± Scott held his chin, contemplating something, before turning to a beautiful woman sitting across the table. ¡°Kayla, heal him.¡± Kayla flipped her wavy chestnut brown hair to the side and snorted. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that. I know you remember how tough it was for us at the start. Plus, we¡¯re done for today, so you don¡¯t need to save your spells.¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± Hearing Kayla¡¯s groan, May made a snarky remark while taking a swig from a fresh mug of beer. ¡°Just do it. It¡¯s all your good for anyways.¡± A glint of amusement appeared in Kayla¡¯s eye, and her lips rose into a slight smirk. ¡°Oh, what was that? Sorry, I don¡¯t speak gorilla. I¡¯m afraid I couldn¡¯t understand you.¡± May¡¯s eyebrows twitched as she pushed herself up, cracking her knuckles. ¡°Wanna go, bitch? I¡¯ll be sure to fix that smile of yours when I¡¯m rearranging your face. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re comrades, so I¡¯ll do it for free. No extra charge.¡± Kala batted her long eyelashes and covered her mouth, suppressing a giggle. ¡°Pfft¡­ it¡¯s soooo typical of a beast to try and solve everything with violence.¡± May was about to lung over the table when Scott slammed his fist down, causing the plates and glasses to clatter. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Drop it, both of you! I¡¯m not going to deal with another one of your messes!¡± Both May and Kayla whined at the same time. ¡°Scott, just give me two minutes and-!¡± ¡°But she¡¯s the one that-!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! May sit the fuck down and drink your beer! And Kayla, heal the fucking kid already! Goddamnit, I swear, between the two of you, it¡¯s like I¡¯m running a daycare.¡± May begrudgingly, planted her butt back in her seat while Kayla pushed herself up and walked over to Liam. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, but it won¡¯t be free.¡± ¡°Kayla¡­¡± Hearing Scott¡¯s low growl, Kayla defiantly crossed her arms. ¡°Scott, I can¡¯t do it for free! Don¡¯t you realize that if I do it for free, then everyone¡¯s going to come to me begging for healing!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t test me right now, Kayla.¡± Scott¡¯s eyes narrowed on Kayla, causing her to fall silent. Instead of arguing, she glared at Liam with a look of, ¡®See what you¡¯ve done? I hope you know this is all your fault.¡¯ Liam didn¡¯t care and quietly presented his injuries to her; he wasn¡¯t going to turn down free treatment just because she was mad, especially when it would save his feet. Kayla mumbled a chant and held out her hands. A white light formed around her hands and was transferred to Liam¡¯s body. He immediately noticed the effects as feeling returned to his toes, and the pain in his shoulder vanished. After a few minutes, his injuries had almost completely healed. A wound that modern medicine was unable to cure had been healed in mere minutes; magic was a fantastic thing to experience. ¡®Why couldn¡¯t I be a Mage¡­¡¯ It felt unfair that other classes had powerful, supernatural abilities while he had none. He could only hope that the Magic Power stat meant that one day, he too would be able to use magic. ¡°There, done. Happy now? Kayla slide in a snide remark before returning to her seat. As the evening continued, the table eventually settled down. Once Liam got to talking with everyone, he realized that, despite some poor first impressions, they were all friendly. Scott¡¯s group had arrived in Orbis four months ago. In the tutorial, they had all awoken in the same room, and they had been together ever since. In their group of five, Ryan was a Ranger, Kayla was a Cleric, and Scott, May, and Rick were all Warriors. One of the first things Liam inquired about was the tutorial. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t know much except that a new one occurred every other month, for a total of six times a year. He asked various other questions about Orbis, the Gods, and the reason they were brought here, but again, they didn¡¯t know anything. At first, Liam didn¡¯t understand and assumed they were hiding something from him. How could everyone in the town be so clueless about the rest of Orbis? But when he learned that an expansive mountain range encircled Kelm, everything made sense. The mountains isolated Kelm from the rest of the world, making it the ideal place to summon the Earthlings. The Association oversaw managing the town and controlled the inflow of information from the outside, letting only the top officials access it. If he wanted to know more, he¡¯d have to wait until he left Kelm. Finally, Liam asked about the status window¡­ ¡°Ah, so, you want to raise your stats?¡± Scott leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. ¡°Is it impossible?¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but feel a little concerned. If his stats remained as bad as they were now, he wouldn¡¯t survive long in this world. ¡°No, not at all. There are a lot of ways to raise them. It¡¯s just that you should probably focus on other things right now.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t think of what might be more important than his stats; after the tutorial, he was aware of how important they were. Scott chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the Host didn¡¯t explain much. Sure, stats are important, but most people¡¯s stats aren¡¯t above C grade. It¡¯s rare to have one or two B grade stats, let alone an A grade stat. Your rank is a lot more important than your stats. A rank two will always be stronger than a rank one. Stats only make a difference if you have a lot of A or B grade stats, but since that rarely happens, you shouldn¡¯t worry about it. Honestly, skills make a bigger difference¡­¡± That made sense to Liam; if rank was equivalent to levels in a game, a level one couldn''t kill a level one hundred no matter their stats and skills. ¡°¡­Of course, in the end, it comes down to the individual. If your just plain bad, no number of stats, rank, or skills will make up for it. Instead, you should learn how to fight and use weapons.¡± Scott¡¯s words hit Liam hard; he felt stupid. Why was he so focused on his status? This wasn¡¯t a game. Just because he was a Ranger, didn¡¯t mean he could suddenly shoot a bow or track an enemy. Technique and battle skills weren¡¯t something that a person got instantaneously; they required practice. Ryan broke into the conversation. ¡°But that¡¯s not the only reason you shouldn¡¯t worry about stats, kid. Your stats will gradually improve as you fight monsters and train. Hey Scott, do they still do that thing, you know the Association training program for new Earthlings?¡± ¡°Yeah, it should start soon. Liam, you might want to consider it. Normally, the Association is useless, but the training class is surprisingly good. It¡¯s a bit expensive, though.¡± After emptying her mug of beer, May slammed it down and shouted. ¡°Scott, it¡¯s only good because Earthlings run it!¡± Pretending to be impressed, Kayla clapped her hands together, widening her eyes. ¡°Wow. So, you do have a brain.¡± ¡°Kayla you-!¡± Before May could finish, Scott held up his hand. ¡°Calm down, both of you.¡± He looked at everyone, a subtle grin spreading on his face. ¡°I know it¡¯s rare, but even May can say something smart every once in a while.¡± The table burst into laughter. May clenched her fists and cried. ¡°Fuck you, Scott! Damnit! Why does everyone treat me like this!?¡±
By the time Liam left the Association, it was already dark outside. The group had to drag the drunken May back to their inn. Liam was able to learn a lot. After having the training program explained to him, he gained another piece of crucial information. Earthlings were only allowed to stay in Kelm for a year. Most Earthlings obeyed, but of course, some didn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t much of a problem, since the Association controlled all the work for Earthlings in Kelm, disobeying meant not making money, so most the rebels gave up quick. The ones that didn¡¯t were dealt with in other ways. Liam had asked what the purpose of this rule was, and there were two reasons. The first was obvious. There was an unknown need for Earthlings in Orbis, so they couldn¡¯t have them staying in Kelm forever. The second was a bullshit excuse. The Association claimed that with new Earthlings arriving in Kelm every other month, the town would become overpopulated. For the remainder of the night, they had told Liam important information about Orbis and recounted stories of their battles. They ended the evening, saying goodbye and parting ways. As Liam was on his way to an inn, someone called out to him from behind. ¡°Kid, wait up!¡± Liam turned around to see a man running down the street after him. ¡°Ryan?¡± When Ryan reached him, he pulled out a piece of paper from his bag. ¡°I forgot to give you this.¡± Ryan handed Liam the crumpled piece of paper. ¡°It¡¯s a map. I marked a weapons shop that¡¯s good. If you go there and tell the old man that Ryan Fores sent you, he¡¯ll treat you well.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No problem, kid! Try not to die!¡± Ryan turned around and ran off, waving at Liam. Liam shoved the map into his pocket and continued walking in the direction of an inn. Chapter 15: Abandoned Ring, ring. The innkeeper sitting behind the counter raised his head as Liam walked in; he briefly observed Liam before returning to his book. Ignoring the innkeeper¡¯s inhospitable attitude, Liam walked over and placed a nickel coin in front of him. ¡°I need a room for the night.¡± The innkeeper glanced at the coin before holding up three fingers. ¡°It¡¯s three nickel.¡± One nickel per night ¨C that¡¯s what Liam remembered being told by the clerk after exiting the tutorial. There was always a chance the clerk lied, but since he had confirmed the information with Scott¡¯s group, he knew it was true. It was evident that innkeeper thought Liam was a na?ve Earthling, fresh out of the tutorial, easy to rip-off. Unfortunately for him, he chose the wrong target this time. ¡°Listen, I know it¡¯s only one nickel, so just-¡± As Liam was pushing the coin closer to the man, urging him to drop the charade, he was cut off. ¡°Sure, that¡¯s normally the price, but can¡¯t you see what time it is?¡± The innkeeper gestured with his chin towards the window. ¡°It¡¯s night, what¡¯s your point?¡± There was a tinge of annoyance in Liam¡¯s voice. After the events of today, it would be an understatement to say he was exhausted. Every inch of his body ached; the only thing on his mind was going to sleep; he didn¡¯t want to waste time arguing. ¡°Right, so isn¡¯t it normal to charge more? After all, people look for lodging at night. It¡¯s basic business to charge more for a service when there¡¯s a demand for it. What kind of business owner would ignore these profitable opportunities? Certainly not a good one, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Liam wasn¡¯t going to bother arguing with him. If the innkeeper was going to be difficult, he could just go elsewhere. Liam pulled out the map, smacking it down on the counter. ¡°Show me where another inn is¡­ You can at least do that, right?¡± The innkeeper nodded and held out his hand, showing a surprising willingness to cooperate. Liam felt a bit suspicious; still, he handed him the map, but the man shook his head. ¡°Three copper ¨C information fee.¡± Liam sighed; he expected something like this. At this point, he couldn¡¯t even get mad. Liam was reaching into his pocket to pull out the money when the bell to the entrance rang. Ring, ring. A man wearing linen clothes walked inside. The innkeeper leaned to his side, peeking his head out from behind Liam. Upon seeing the new customer, he gave a friendly smile and waved. ¡°Welcome! How can I help you?¡± ¡®What the hell¡­¡¯ His attitude was completely different towards the newcomer. Earlier, he had just assumed the innkeeper was being ornery. Now though, it appeared that wasn¡¯t the case. As Liam was staring at the innkeeper still trying to wrap his head around the blatant mistreatment, the stranger spoke. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to rent a room for the night¡­ Is this enough?¡± He placed a nickel coin on the counter, which the innkeeper quickly swept up. ¡°That¡¯s plenty! Thank you for your patronage!¡± The innkeeper handed a key to the man. ¡°Here, you go. It¡¯s room seven, down the hall on the left. If you have any questions or need anything, let me know!¡± After sending the stranger down the hall with a wave, he plunked down back in his seat. Before returning to his book, he grumbled at Liam. ¡°What? Something wrong?¡± ¡°I thought you said it was three nickel.¡± Liam answered flatly, his dissatisfaction apparent. The innkeeper clapped his hands together, acting as if he had just realized something. ¡°Ahh¡­ Did I forget to mention that fee only applies to Earthlings?¡± ¡®Bullshit.¡¯ There was no way such a ridiculous fee existed. At least that¡¯s what Liam wanted to think, but after hearing the scummy business practices in the church, it was hard to rule out the possibility. Either way, it was a scam. ¡®If it¡¯s gonna be like this, then screw it!¡¯ Shoving the map back into his pocket, Liam made up his mind ¨C he would stay here for the night. He was too tired to find another inn, and the innkeeper probably knew that. ¡°One nickel and five copper.¡± Liam¡¯s cold eyes fell on the innkeeper as he began to bargain. Raising one eyebrow, the innkeeper responded. ¡°Two nickel and five copper.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet in the middle, two nickel.¡± The innkeeper grumbled before accepting Liam¡¯s offer. ¡°Fine.¡± Taking out two nickel, Liam placed it on the counter. The innkeeper grabbed the coins as soon as they touched the table and tossed Liam the key. ¡°Room eight, down the hall.¡± Liam took the key and headed off to his room, knowing he got ripped off. If it were the middle of the day, he would¡¯ve gone elsewhere, but not now, it was too late. Liam opened the worn wooden door and entered his room. The interior was simple; it had a single bed and a chest for storage. Liam collapsed onto the bed. The mattress wasn¡¯t comfortable, but he couldn¡¯t care less right now. Pulling a blanket over himself, he quickly fell asleep.
The next day, it was late morning by the time Liam arrived at the small weapons shop Ryan had told him about. It was tucked away in the shopping district; without the map, he never would¡¯ve found it. He had decided to stop by before he headed to the Association for the training class. As the shop''s door opened, there was a loud creak. Creeeaaak¡­ Leaning back in his chair, the old owner peeked one eye open. He gave Liam a quick look before grumbling. ¡°I don¡¯t do charity. If you don¡¯t have money, then leave.¡± Rude ¨C was Liam¡¯s first impression. ¡°Ryan Fores sent me.¡± Hearing Ryan¡¯s name, the man sat up and newly inspected Liam with a scrutinizing gaze. With a grunt, he pushed himself up. ¡°Huup.¡± Slowly making his way over, he stopped in front of Liam. ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡± ¡°Liam.¡± He nodded, seemingly satisfied. ¡°So, Liam, what do you need?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes searched the store. There were various types of weapons and sets of armor hanging on the walls and laying on shelves.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°I need Ranger equipment.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The old man held his chin in thought before walking through the store, gathering various armors, weapons, and supplies as he went. A pile slowly formed on the counter. Finishing, he called Liam over. ¡°Kid, come over here.¡± Liam, who had been silently watching, calmly walked over and inspected the items laid out. There were multiple pieces of leather armor consisting of a basic chest guard, rugged boots, sturdy belt, small arrow quiver, and two hardened wrist guards. The weapons he had set out were three throwing knives, a sharp iron dagger, and a simple wooden recurve bow with ten simple arrows. None of the items were luxurious; they all had a simplistic design. Even so, considering Liam still had to pay his daily living expenses, he didn¡¯t think that the nickel he had would be enough. ¡°How much?¡± Liam asked in a low voice. ¡°One hundred and twenty nickel.¡± Liam¡¯s brow creased. He thought he might be able to bargain a little bit for one or two items, but a single piece of armor would cost a large chunk of his entire fortune. Not to mention, the prices seemed ridiculously high. Was he being scammed again? ¡®No, that doesn¡¯t make sense. Ryan recommended this place to me. If he wanted my money, robbing me would be more efficient.¡¯ There was no incentive for Ryan to send him to a scummy shop, so Liam spoke honestly to the old man; Ryan would¡¯ve known Liam didn¡¯t have much money, and since he recommended him here, there must have been a reason. ¡°I don¡¯t have that much money.¡± The old man let out a laugh seeing Liam¡¯s stiff expression. ¡°I already know that.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t do charity?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. You¡¯ll pay me back, though.¡± The old man knew Ryan didn¡¯t recommend people here often, especially not with his name. If Liam was telling the truth, then Ryan must have approved of his character. In that case, selling the goods on credit was fine, Liam was good for it. Otherwise, if Liam were stupid enough to use Ryan¡¯s name and skip out on the bill, then Ryan would take care of him. Scott¡¯s group could handle the people dumb enough to try that. Liam looked at the items again. It was a good deal for him. He could get equipment that he otherwise couldn¡¯t afford and pay it back over time. After thinking for a moment, Liam finally made his decision. ¡°I¡¯ll pass for now.¡± If Liam took the items now, he would just be robbed; he wasn¡¯t prepared to defend himself yet. From what he had seen Orbis so far, people were a lot stronger here than on Earth. The old man raised his eyebrows in surprise at Liam. Liam took one last regretful look at the items before leaving. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Bye, kid.¡± The old man grumbled as Liam left the shop. Once alone, the man began gathering up the items on the counter and putting them away.
Liam entered the Association Earthling Branch. The same pungent odor still lingered in the air. It was a little before noon, and mugs of beer were already flying. Dodging the flying glasses and stepping over the drunks passed out on the floor, Liam made his way to the request board in the back. Papers with various missions and jobs were posted. At the top were the most difficult missions, involving the subjugation of entire monster settlements and even unique, named monsters. Down the board, the missions became easier. The ones in the middle asked for the materials from various monsters to be collected. At the bottom were the ones for new Earthlings, material-gathering requests. The only real purpose of these was to prevent new Earthlings from going broke as they adapted to this new world. Liam searched the board for the notice regarding the training course that Scott mentioned. It wasn¡¯t there. ¡®Guess I have to ask.¡¯ Liam glanced at the receptionist. Laying on the counter, she was using her arms as a pillow, sleeping peacefully. It would¡¯ve been a heartwarming scene if she wasn¡¯t supposed to be working. Liam went over and stood in front of the girl. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Mmmm.¡± The receptionist shifted her head as she stirred in her sleep, unwilling to wake up from her pleasant dream. Liam shook her arm. ¡°Wake up.¡± ¡°Uggghhhh.¡± She groaned and lifted her head. Still half asleep, she rubbed her eyes. She frowned and pointed at a stack of papers at the end of the counter, speaking with a displeased tone. ¡°If you¡¯re here to make a request then-¡± Liam cut her off mid-sentence. ¡°I¡¯m not. Where is the notice for the new Earthling training course?¡± ¡°Oh, that. Where did I put it?¡± She wiped the drool on the side of her mouth and rummaged through the papers scattered across the counter. Pulling out a paper, she handed it to Liam. As soon as he took it, she put her head down and returned to sleeping, not bothering to explain its contents. Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed; he didn¡¯t have a high opinion of this world¡¯s inhabitants so far. He read the contents of the paper.
Earthling Training Receive basic weapons training from a veteran Earthling. Instruction will last one day and the training facility and weapons will be available to use for up to two weeks. Payment of 5 nickel per person. Due upon arrival. Limited to new Earthlings. Time: Morning of Month 6, Day 3 Location: Association Eastern Headquarters - East Kelm
Liam thought about asking for directions to the facility, but after glancing at the receptionist who was already fast asleep, he decided to find it himself. Since the training didn¡¯t start until the next day, he considered what to do next. ¡®I can find another inn and figure out where the facility is then-¡± SLAM! Suddenly, the door flew open, and the room fell silent. Liam and everyone else watched to see who was entering. ¡°SEE!! I knew you¡¯d do it again! This is why I told you to be careful!¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, I¡¯m still not used to my new strength yet.¡± A man and a girl walked inside. The man, who stood a head taller than the girl, rubbed the back of his head and looked around. The room had already returned to its normal state after the patrons quickly lost interest in the two new arrivals. Liam¡¯s eyes stayed locked on them. He knew the man; it was Aaron. However, he didn¡¯t recognize the girl. She had long reddish-brown hair; he would¡¯ve thought it was Alexandra except their facial features were completely different. Her eyes nervously darted around as she inched closer to Aaron, grabbing his sleeve. ¡°Aaron, are you sure this is the right place?¡± Aaron checked the map in his hand. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the one on the map. But it looks a little dangerous, so stay close, Emily.¡± Emily shuffled herself closer to Aaron and tightened her grip on his shirt. They walked through the crowd, heading in Liam¡¯s direction. Liam stuffed the paper into his pocket; he didn¡¯t want to waste any more time. As Liam began moving through the crowd, making his way toward the exit, someone grabbed his arm as he passed by. ¡°Ehhhhh, Liam? Why are you here!?¡± Liam tried to shake his arm free, but their grip was too strong. With annoyance, Liam yelled. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m busy. I don¡¯t have time-!¡± Gulp. Liam stopped himself mid-sentence after seeing the woman who was grasping him; she was someone he never wanted to get angry. With a flushed face, May tilted her head and spoke while slurring her words. ¡°Hic¡­ What don¡¯t ya have time fooooor? Come and sit! Listen, you gotta listennnnn to this!¡± May was drunk, very drunk. She stumbled as she tried to pull Liam towards her and force him to sit. At the same time, Aaron was making his way towards Liam; his expression so stern that it might be mistaken as rage, maybe it was. When Aaron arrived at the table, Liam was sitting. ¡°Liam, we need to talk now.¡± Hearing Aaron¡¯s low voice behind him, Liam turned, but before he could respond¡­ ¡°Huh, who the fuck are you!?¡± May jumped to her feet, glaring up at the giant man in annoyance. Towering above May, Aaron looked down at the fiery redhead glaring up at him. To him, she only looked like a young girl, but that¡¯s because he didn¡¯t know her; he hadn¡¯t been in Orbis long enough to realize that appearances can be deceiving. ¡°Listen, I need to talk to him. Could you please move?¡± Aaron reached out his hand toward May. At the same time, May, unsteady on her feet, wobbled forward, and Aaron¡¯s hand accidentally brushed against her chest. May¡¯s face warped into a look of rage. ¡°Did you just-!?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry it was an acid-!¡± Snap! May grabbed Aaron¡¯s hand and twisted it back. ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaahhk!!¡± Aaron dropped to his knees, gripping his broken wrist, screaming in agony. His hand was unnaturally dangling from his wrist. ¡°Fucking perv!¡± Hearing May¡¯s angry shout, suddenly, the room broke into a cheer! ¡°FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!¡± ¡°Hey, what happened? I missed it.¡± ¡°Some idiot tried to cop a feel on May.¡± ¡°Last week someone tried to feel her ass too¡­ I think he¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°Mannnn, I don¡¯t get it. What kinda guy would want anything to do with a crazy bitch like May?¡± May¡¯s head whipped around. ¡°Which one of you fuckers said that!?¡± The entire room fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked at one man. ¡°Shit. Trev¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Rest in peace, Trev. It¡¯s been a pleasure knowing you.¡± ¡°Fuck you guys! Don¡¯t go acting all sad when you just ratted me out!¡± After yelling at his friends, Trev turned to May, pleading for his life. ¡°May, I¡¯m sorry! It was a joke!¡± May¡¯s attention had already shifted back to Aaron; she wasn¡¯t finished with him. Grabbing his head, she pulled it down, kneeing him in the face. Then, she delivered a swift roundhouse kick to the side of it, sending him flying. Thud! Aaron hit the ground, and the crowd began chanting. ¨C MAY! MAY! MAY! MAY! A smug smile appeared on May¡¯s face. Proudly, as if she had defeated a villain, she trotted over to Aaron, who was lying unconscious on the floor. Crouching down, she began rummaging through his pockets. Finding his pouch of nickel, she grabbed it and stood up. She tossed it in the air, causing the nickel coins inside to jingle. Snagging the pouch as it fell, she turned to Liam and gave a thumbs up. Liam wanted nothing to do with this troublesome woman anymore, but seeing Aaron¡¯s state, he was petrified at the thought of accidentally pissing her off. Hesitantly, he held out his hand and gave a thumbs up. Seemingly satisfied, given the big grin on her face, May walked back towards Liam. ¡®At least she¡¯s simple-minded.¡¯ After being dragged into this mess, the one thing Liam could be thankful for was that May¡¯s attention span was like a dog; when she found something more interesting, her attention immediately shifted to that. At least, it made dealing with her easier. If he kept her entertained, then he didn¡¯t have to worry about getting beaten to death. May sat down next to Liam and pulled over a beer for him as she began to talk. ¡°Liam, can you believe that bastard!? Tryin¡¯ta cop a feel on me!¡± Liam suddenly felt a little sorry for Aaron. From his perspective, the entire fight was due to May¡¯s misunderstanding. Liam questioned how she had reached the conclusion she did, but considering she was hammered and referred to as an idiot by her comrades, it was understandable. Liam sighed and faced May. ¡°So, what was it you needed to tell me?¡± Immediately, May forgot her lingering annoyance and grabbed Liam¡¯s shoulder, forcefully pulling him close to her. ¡°Ah, right! Listen, I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve¡­¡± Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been abandoned!!¡± ¡®What?¡¯ As Liam stared at the drunken May, she began to tell him what happened. Chapter 16: Association Eastern Branch ¡°So basically... you got left out of out of today¡¯s mission, and you''re mad¡­¡± With a deadpan expression, Liam stared at May. It wasn¡¯t a look he should be giving someone who could probably kill him with one hand, but after listening to her story, he couldn¡¯t help it. Oblivious to Liam¡¯s internal thoughts, May happily patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Exactly! I knew you¡¯d get it! Those bastards, they knew I was broke and yet¡­ and yet¡­!¡± May clenched her fist, holding it tightly as if she was resisting the urge to punch someone in the face. ¡°They left me behind! How cruel can they be?! They should¡¯ve at least woken me up, right?!¡± Over an hour had passed while May explained why she was abandoned. It would''ve taken a lot less time if she didn¡¯t explain every little, pointless detail. What happened was quite simple: May had overslept after drinking too much last night, so Scott and the others left her behind. When she woke up and found out they were gone, she felt betrayed. They all knew how much she was looking forward to this job; apparently, not only was it easy, but it also had a big payout. In a fit of rage, she had stormed over to the Association and began drinking. Even though she was broke, she knew plenty of ways to get booze, most notably ¨C bar fights. Throughout the day, she partook in numerous brawls, winning them all. As a form of thanks for the free entertainment, the patrons gave her free drinks. Liam watched as May guzzled down another beer. ¡®How many is that now? Three? No¡­ four? Damn, how much has she drunk today then? Is that even humanly possible?¡¯ That was only over the last hour. Judging by how drunk she was, she had already had more beers than Liam could count using all the digits on his hands and feet. If any normal person drank like her, they¡¯d have alcohol poisoning by now. Liam let out a sigh and began to push himself up; he had just wasted an hour listening to May complain, he needed to get moving if he wanted to check out the training facility today and also find an inn. ¡°If that¡¯s all, then I¡¯m gonna-¡± ¡°No! You gotta stay with me and keep me company! It¡¯s boring waiting here alone!¡± May yanked Liam back into his seat. ¡°May¡­ I have to go. There¡¯s important stuff I need to do.¡± Hearing Liam¡¯s serious tone, May loosened her grip on his arm and tilted her head, showing an interest. ¡°Stuff? Like what?¡± ¡°Well, first I need to check out the Association training facility, and then I-¡± Before Liam could finish, May cut him off. ¡°Eh, that¡¯s boring! Stay here! Come on! I¡¯ll buy!¡± Liam was about to ask, ¡®Didn¡¯t you say you were broke?¡¯ but stopped seeing May jingling the pouch of coins she looted off Aaron earlier. Reluctantly, he gave in. It wasn¡¯t like he had a choice from the start, looking at what happened to Aaron, she might break his legs and force him to stay. ¡°Fine.¡±
Early the next morning, Liam headed out of the inn. Yesterday, May had held him hostage and forced him to drink with her until late in the evening. It wasn¡¯t until Scott and the others arrived that he was freed. According to Scott, the real reason they didn¡¯t take May on the mission wasn¡¯t that she overslept; she was just too hungover to be useful. Although it had been late when Liam left, he was able to find an inn that didn¡¯t charge any ¡®Earthling¡¯ fees. Not wanting to repeat the experience, he decided to reserve the room for a week. Now with his housing problem solved, he headed to the training facility on the east side of Kelm. As Liam approached, the guard in front of the gate grunted at him. ¡°You need something? If you¡¯re looking for the Earthling branch, it¡¯s back in town.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for the training course.¡± ¡°Oh, in that case¡­¡± The guard nodded and pushed the gate open. Pointing at a large building, he continued. ¡°Follow the walkway to the building. Inside, talk to the receptionist at the front desk, she¡¯ll tell you what to do.¡± Following the guard¡¯s instructions, Liam walked down the path and entered the building. Inside was clean, unlike the Earthling branch. There were stained wood floors and furniture which gleamed, as if freshly polished. No foul odors lingered, or spilled mugs of beer lay on the ground, even a sleeping receptionist was nowhere to be seen. Hearing Liam entering, the woman at the front desk looked up from her work and gave Liam a friendly smile. ¡°Welcome to the Eastern Association Branch! I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re here for the Earthling training?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bit early, but you can go back to the to the training grounds now. I just need you to pay the five nickel fee first.¡± Liam pulled out the coins handing them to her. After counting them, she stood up. ¡°Please, follow me.¡± Liam was escorted through a pair of tall doors and entered a long hall, which appeared to be a gallery of sorts; portrait paintings were hanging, and polished suits of armor were on display. Reaching the end of the hallway, they exited the building and entered the training grounds. Outside, there was no grass or greenery; the ground was entirely dirt, packed down from years of heavy use. There was a rack of weapons with swords, maces, shields, greatswords, axes, bows, hammers, as were many others. All of them had dulled edges and wear from heavy, repeated use. There were about thirty battered wooden posts of various sizes lined up for use as target dummies ¡ª the slashes and cracks in them, a testament to their age. In the open field were archery targets, set out at three different distances, ten, thirty, and fifty yards. Noticing Liam eyeing the different weapons and equipment, the receptionist smiled.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Feel free to take a weapon and practice while you wait. If you need anything, please find me. I¡¯ll be inside at the front desk.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks for the help.¡± As she headed back inside, Liam made his way over to the weapon rack. ¡®Wait, won¡¯t I need wrist guards to shoot a bow?¡¯ Liam remembered that wrist guards were one of the pieces of armor the old shopkeeper had brought out. While he wasn¡¯t knowledgeable about bows, the thought of a bowstring snapping against his forearm didn¡¯t sound enjoyable. His worries didn¡¯t last, as there were wrist guards coupled with a small quiver of arrows for each bow; everything prepared for Earthlings so that they could get to training as quickly as possible. Liam picked up a bow. It was a simple recurve bow similar to the one at the shop yesterday, except it had seen a lot more use. It looked like it might break. He searched for a bow in better shape, but they were all in the same condition, every weapon on the rack was on its last legs. Compared to the lavish interior, the state of the equipment was less than impressive. After selecting the best bow, Liam attached the leather wrist guards and slung the quiver over his shoulder. He practiced drawing the string a few times, getting used to the motion. When he felt comfortable, he moved over to the targets. Focusing on the closest target, Liam nocked the arrow and pulled back the bowstring. He filtered out the chirping birds, steadied his breathing, then released the string, firing the arrow¡­ Whoosh! Liam furrowed his brow. The arrow had flow off to the left and stuck in the ground without even making it halfway to the target. Frankly, it was pitiful. ¡®How did it go so far to the left?¡¯ Since there was no wind, the arrow couldn''t have been blown off course. Liam needed more information if he wanted to figure out what went wrong. Repeating the same steps, he loaded another arrow and fired, this time aiming a little to the right. Again, the arrow traveled a few feet and then fell, but this time, the arrow hadn¡¯t veered as far to the left. ¡®Is it the bow, or me? Damn¡­ I can¡¯t tell yet¡­¡¯ Liam continued firing arrows until the quiver was empty. Unsurprisingly, the aim of the bow was off, but he was getting used to it. Each arrow was either getting closer to the target or was more on center; it was slow, but progress was progress. He gathered the arrows stuck in the ground and fired them again. He repeated this process until he was interrupted. Clap¡­clap¡­clap¡­ Liam turned around to see the man clapping behind him. He didn¡¯t know how long the man had been there; he had been too focused on his training. After finishing his slow applause, which was only meant to mock him, the man grinned at Liam and spoke sarcastically. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re really amazing. I¡¯m impressed. I didn¡¯t know someone could be that good.¡± ¡®Who the fuck is this guy?¡¯ Scowling, Liam looked the man up and down. He was wearing leather armor and had a sturdy steel sword hanging from his waist. His face sported a messy beard, and his upper body was muscular. He was normal looking, except for his right leg which had been replaced by a wooden prosthetic. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the guy in charge of your training. No need for formalities, just call me Keith. And your name?¡± Keith hobbled over to Liam and stuck out his hand; it was calloused, befitting of a veteran warrior. Liam reluctantly took the outstretched hand and answered Keith. ¡°Liam.¡± Keith pointed at the bow in Liam¡¯s hand. ¡°So¡­ Liam, by the looks of it, you¡¯re a Ranger. This your first time shooting a bow?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Is that a problem?¡± Hearing Liam¡¯s defensive tone, Keith chuckled while shaking his head. ¡°Nope. I figured it was by how bad you were. I¡¯m not an expert with a bow, but even I could tell that much. Everything in your stance and form is wrong. I just wanted to make sure you were just inexperienced and not hopeless.¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed. He had no clue what Keith meant; was Keith just trying to make fun of him? ¡°Huh, hopeless? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Liam¡¯s tone was harsh, expressing his distaste for Keith¡¯s rude behavior. ¡°Well, if you said you¡¯d been practicing for years and you were still that bad, I wouldn¡¯t bother teaching you anything. There''s no point in wasting my time helping someone who¡¯s talentless. I did it once years ago, and I don¡¯t plan on repeating that mistake¡­ No matter what I taught that guy, nothing stuck. The scary part was that he said he¡¯d been learning to use the spear for years in martial arts. I still can¡¯t believe he said he was a fucking black belt or some shit. I don¡¯t know if he was lying, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that he was a talentless moron.¡± ¡®Talent, huh¡­¡¯ Liam didn¡¯t believe in talent. Being called talented was just an insult in the form of a compliment. Why? Ten years or ten thousand hours, that¡¯s how long it takes to ¡®master¡¯ something, no exceptions. Even the thirteen-year-old prodigies that are praised as talented still put in thousands of hours of hard work and effort. A natural aptitude isn¡¯t a requirement for mastery, but time is, practice is, and hard work is. So, what is talent then? Nothing. It¡¯s just a word that attributes people¡¯s success as natural ability and discounts their hard work. How is that not an insult? As Liam was thinking, Keith held out his hand again. ¡°Here, give me the bow. I¡¯ll show you the proper form, so watch closely.¡± Liam handed the bow to Keith and studied his stance. Keith stood with his feet side-by-side, shoulder-width apart. Standing up straight, he rotated his chin over the shoulder of the arm holding the bow out. With his other arm, he pulled the bowstring back, close to his chin. Aiming, he held the bow steady, letting out his breath, he fired. Whoosh! The arrow flew straight towards the target and pierced the center. ¡°You catch that, Liam?¡± ¡°I think so¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not great with words. So, I¡¯ll demonstrate a few more times.¡± Keith shot the bow four more times before handing it to Liam. ¡°Okay, now you try. I¡¯ll fix your form if anything is off.¡± Liam mimicked Keith¡¯s form and shot. The first arrow missed, and so did the second, but there was a notable improvement. As Liam shot, Keith corrected his form, telling him to drop his shoulders or tuck his back. After shooting around thirty arrows, Liam needed a break. ¡°Haa¡­haa¡­¡± Tired and out of breath, Liam put down the bow and stretched his wrists. Keith looked at Liam with a confused expression; Liam should be far from tired even if he was a new Earthling. There was only one reason Keith could think of. ¡°Hey, Liam, what are your stats like?¡± Hunched over, Liam looked up at Keith with a hint of annoyance in his eyes. ¡°What, so you can laugh at me? Yeah. No, thanks.¡± ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m in any position to laugh?¡± Keith tapped his wooden leg, chuckling. ¡°Hahahaha! Even if my stats were maxed out, I still couldn¡¯t outrun you! Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t make fun of you. I just want to know so I can help you train.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll pass. A few minutes ago, you were worried I might be another hopeless trainee. Why would you suddenly want to create personalized training for me? I bet it¡¯s probably nothing good.¡± ¡°Why? Well, why not? I''ve got nothing better to do. Plus, you¡¯re not bad. I mean... at least, you listen to my instructions.¡± Liam kept staring into Keith¡¯s eyes; it didn¡¯t look like Keith was lying. Liam was suspicious, but what harm was there in Keith knowing precisely how bad his stats were? The Association already knew, and anyone who saw him exercise would know how out of shape he was, so his poor stats weren¡¯t much of a secret. ¡°Fine¡­¡± Liam opened his status window and read his stats out to Keith.
Liam collapsed to onto the ground, out of breath. ¡°Haaa¡­haaa¡­cough¡­haaa...¡± His clothes and hair were drenched in sweat, after having exercised more than he ever had before. He rolled onto his back and looked up. Keith stood above him, his shadow blocking out the strong mid-morning sun. Keith¡¯s eyes said what he was thinking ¨C pathetic. ¡°Done already?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­wh-haa-at I was-haa expecting...¡± The training consisted of cardiovascular and strength exercises to the extreme. Keith made him continue until he puked, and even then, his ¡®break¡¯ was only long enough for him to rinse the vomit out of his mouth. Far from what you would call special training, it¡¯d be more fitting to call it spartan training. Seeing Liam glaring at him, Keith laughed. ¡°Hahaha¡­! Well, how do you think I felt hearing those lousy stats! I mean¡­ I thought you¡¯d have one or two E grade stats, but¡­ all E¡¯s... Buahahaha!" Keith doubled over, holding his stomach, acting like he just heard the joke of the century. ¡°¡­Ahahaha! You even had an F in Endurance¡­!¡± When he finally stopped, he reached out and helped Liam up. ¡°Listen, before you can even start thinking about archery, you need the fitness level of an average person. All the technique in the world doesn¡¯t mean jack shit if you can¡¯t even run a mile. Monsters aren¡¯t going to wait for you to be ready. In a battle, you always need to be on the move regardless of your class. If you can¡¯t do that, you won¡¯t last long.¡± Liam grumbled internally, resisting the urge to yell at Keith. He knew that Keith¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong. His lack of physical capabilities had already shown up in the Tutorial. Keith pointed to the weapons racks where Earthlings were gathering as they started to arrive. ¡°Looks like you can rest for now.¡± For the first time in a long time, Liam was glad to see other people. Because of them, at least for now, he was saved. Chapter 17: Interlude - Waking Up When Erika awoke, the first thing she felt was relief. ¡®So, it was a nightmare. Thank God. I was so scared.¡¯ A slight smile appeared on her face. Everything that happened in her dream was over now, and she never had to think of it again. She giggled as she thought about telling Claire and Alexandra about the nightmare. ¡®I bet they¡¯ll make fun of me. Claire will tease me for being so scared. She¡¯ll tell me I should¡¯ve known it was a dream because if it were real, then she wouldn¡¯t have let anyone get hurt¡­ Alex will probably just tell me to grow up.¡¯ Erika pushed herself up and looked around the room. It was almost empty except for two beds, a large dresser, and bucket with a strange red liquid in it. Her clothes were gone, and all that was left was her underwear. ¡®Huh? Where am I? This isn¡¯t my dorm room?¡¯ Creeeaaaak¡­ The door opened and Erika turned to see Claire walk in. She was wearing weird looking linen clothes and carrying a bucket of water. Erika thought she looked funny. ¡®Jeez. It¡¯s not Halloween, Claire.¡¯ Erika swung her legs over the edge of the bed and jumped to her feet, rushing towards Claire, excited. ¡°Claire!¡± ¡°So, your awake¡­¡± Claire gave a monotone response while closing the door. There was an apathetic look on her face, but Erika didn¡¯t notice. She jumped onto Claire and wrapped her arms around her, giving her a big hug. Claire nearly spilled the bucket she was carrying. ¡°Hey, watch it!¡± Claire scolded Erika, as a small, sorrowful smile appeared on her face. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re finally awake and I know that you must be having a-¡± ¡°Claire! Claire! Guess what you¡¯ll never believe the crazy nightmare I had! I bet you¡¯ll probably laugh when you hear how scared I was.¡± Claire¡¯s expression immediately darkened, but Erika was too busy squeezing Claire to notice that. ¡°Erika¡­ what was your dream about¡­¡± Claire already had an idea what Erika¡¯s ¡®dream¡¯ was about. ¡°Eh, you want to know, don¡¯t you? Well, you¡¯ll have to wait until Alex is here. I¡¯ll tell you both at the same time¡­ Anyway, what¡¯s with your clothes Claire, you look funny. Also, where is this place? And what¡¯s that red stuff in the bucket over there?¡± Claire bit her quivering lower lip. She knew this wouldn¡¯t be easy the moment Erika fell into a state of shock after Alexandra¡¯s death. Yesterday, Erika was nothing more than a broken doll, unable even to undress or wash the blood off her skin. Claire had been prepared for Erika¡¯s recovery to be long and difficult, not this. ¡°Claire, are you listening to me??¡± Hearing Erika¡¯s unusually energetic voice, Claire felt her chest tighten. What would happen when Erika learned the truth? Would she be able to continue living after having her world shattered, not once, but twice, or would despair crush her spirit? Claire didn¡¯t want Erika to revert to her previous state, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t hide the truth. ¡°Claire?¡± Erika tilted her head as Claire forcefully separated herself, shaking off Erika¡¯s clingy embrace. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Claire? You¡¯re acting kinda weird.¡± ¡°Erika...¡± There was a somber tone to Claire¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­Alex is dead.¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about? That was just a dream. It¡¯s not ¨C wait, huh¡­?¡± Erika suddenly stopped mid-sentence, and her voice became shaky. ¡°C-Claire, how do you know about my dream?¡± ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t a dream, everything was real. We were brought to another world, almost froze to death, fought mutant dogs, ran away from a monster, and Alex died protecting¡­¡± ¡°No! No! No! No! It was a dream! Just a dream!¡± Claire''s chest tightened again as she watched Erika shake her head, desperately trying to deny everything. ¡°Erika¡­ I know it¡¯s hard, but denying it isn¡¯t going to help.¡± ¡°No! Stop lying! I don¡¯t-!¡± Slap! Claire¡¯s open hand struck Erika¡¯s left cheek, leaving a dark red mark behind. ¡°W-Why?¡± Erika held her cheek with both hands, looking a Claire in a daze. It was the first time Claire had ever hit her ¨C it hurt. ¡°Erika, stop.¡± Claire¡¯s stern voice instantly shattered the last of Erika¡¯s attempts to escape reality. This wasn¡¯t another dream; there was never a dream in the first place. Denying it and wishing for everything to be a lie, wouldn¡¯t work, Erika knew that. ¡°But¡­ but¡­ I¡­¡± Erika dropped to the ground. As legs splayed into a ¡®W¡¯ shape and her arms lost strength, hanging lifelessly at her sides, tears began rolling down her cheeks. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ want it¡­ to be¡­¡± Without speaking, Claire crouched down and hugged Erika, squeezing her tightly. She didn¡¯t know what to say, so she didn¡¯t say anything. What could she say to alleviate Erika¡¯s pain? Did such words even exist? If so, she didn¡¯t know them. Erika cried, burying her head into Claire¡¯s shoulder, each of her cries strengthened a thought that had formed in Claire¡¯s mind ¨C she hated herself. If she hadn¡¯t been so emotional and rushed into battle, abandoning Erika and Alexandra, then Alexandra might still be alive. It was her fault that Alexandra was dead, and her fault that Erika was in this state. So, why? Why wasn¡¯t she crying? Why wasn¡¯t she grieving Alexandra¡¯s death? Why was she only thinking about how to survive in this world? Why was she happy when the Association recruited her as one of their Elites? Why, was she alive?
Cling! Erika¡¯s sword clattered as it hit the ground. ¡°Owwww¡­¡± There were tears in Erika¡¯s eyes as she looked at the blisters on her hands. Another one had burst, leaving behind a tender flap of skin as fluids dripped out. ¡°Pick it back up, Erika. There¡¯s no time for breaks.¡± Hearing Claire¡¯s cold voice, Erika turned, watching as Claire stuck the wooden training post again without even glancing in her direction. It was already their fifth day at the Association training facility, and likely one of their last; the funds they had started with were running out, and they still needed to purchase equipment. ¡°But, Claire¡­¡± Erika whined. ¡°No but¡¯s, Erika.¡± Claire¡¯s sharp voice cut Erika off; there wasn¡¯t a hint of friendliness in it, unbefitting a tone between friends, especially ones as close as they were. Erika bent over and picked up the sword, wincing in pain as the rough handle touched her raw skin. She didn¡¯t want to train anymore; it was hard, and she was tired. All she wanted was to go home, back to Earth, back to her everyday life.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Whoosh! Before Erika could return to training, her attention was caught by the sound of an arrow cutting through the air. She looked at the archer; it was someone she knew from the tutorial ¨C Liam. Whoosh! Erika watched Liam shoot another arrow, this time he hit the target. Compared to a few days ago, the difference in skill was like night and day. On the first day, he couldn¡¯t even reach the target, but now, he hit at least seven out of ten times. Every day from dawn till dusk, he was either shooting arrows or exercising in some way. It was to a point Erika wondered if he ever slept. It was impressive. Even the instructor seemed to pay special attention to him. Erika began to feel depressed when she started comparing her progress to Liam¡¯s. ¡®I wish I was talented¡­¡¯ Claire had told Erika about the invitation to join the Association Elites. Joining them meant a better, easier life in Orbis. They would provide specialized assistance to talented Earthlings and raise them to be proper warriors. However, that offer only applied to Claire and didn¡¯t include Erika, who wasn¡¯t up to their standards, so Claire had declined the offer. Still, they gave her a medallion, with the symbol of the Association engraved, and told her to bring it to them if she changed her mind. Erika looked at her status.
[Status Window] [General] Name: Erika Lawrence Age: 19 Class: Warrior (Rank 1) Sub-Class: None [Skills] None [Stats] Strength: E Stamina: E Agility: C+ Endurance: C+ Magic Power: B [Personal Traits] Timid ¨C Shy, has difficulty interacting with strangers. Reliant ¨C Over reliant on friends and colleagues. Anxiety ¨C Panic¡¯s easily. Unable to maintain calm in stressful situations. Average ¨C Average at everything.
Erika didn¡¯t have talent, especially for a Warrior. Her agility and endurance were on the high side, but her strength and stamina were low. The only stat that was significantly above average was Magic Power, which didn¡¯t matter for a Warrior. ¡°Erika!¡± Erika jumped, startled by Claire¡¯s voice, and quickly began practicing with her sword again. Ever since Alexandra¡¯s death, Claire had changed. Her angry outbursts were far less frequent, and when they did happen, there was no flare, passion, or raw emotion; instead, it was a chilling, silent kind of anger. Erika used to look forward to the day Claire outgrew her short temper, but now that it had happened, she found herself missing the old hotheaded Claire. Even so, Claire was Claire, that would never change. Claire was probably grieving Alexandra¡¯s death in her own way, and in time she would return to her old self, Erika looked forward to that day. Until then, she and Claire had to survive. Without Claire, Erika would be lost. If she lost Claire as well as Alexandra, then what reason was there for her to live? To make sure that never happened, she needed to be stronger. If that meant training, then so be it. Erika¡¯s expression hardened as her grip tightened around the sword handle. Thud! The dull blade collided with the wooden post as Erika swung down with the sword and all her strength.
Erika stared at the creature trying to crawl away at her feet, it looked similar to a rabbit, but only with a quick glance. On its head was a long sharp horn and in its mouth were two deadly fangs, being pierced by either of these proved to be fatal; therefore, its fluffy appearance was misleading. ¡°Erika, kill it.¡± Hearing Claire¡¯s instructions, Erika¡¯s hands trembled as they held the sword. ¡°Claire, it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Kiiiiiiiiiii!!¡± Erika jumped back, frightened by the monster¡¯s deadly screech as it desperately tried to escape, but it¡¯s attempts proved futile. Claire had already severed both its hind legs. The only reason it was still alive was so Erika could kill it. Claire kicked the monster, sending it rolling across the ground, landing at Erika¡¯s feet. ¡°Do it.¡± Erika closed her eyes tightly and thrust her sword into the monster¡¯s tiny body, but the dull blade didn¡¯t piece the monster¡¯s thick fur. ¡°Push harder.¡± Erika put all her weight into it and pushed the blade into the monster¡¯s body, blood seeped out, staining its white fur. It made one final cry, and its body twitched before falling limp. Erika fell back, landing on her butt. The warm rays of sun peeked through the forest¡¯s thick tree cover overhead, illuminating her and the various corpses littered around. In the background, the various cries of Earthlings and monsters could be heard. It had been almost two weeks since they arrived in Orbis. A few days ago, they had stopped training, and Claire had dragged Erika out of town and into the forest to kill monsters with other Earthlings. That was when she realized the savagery of this world. The gore and screams surrounding her as Earthlings slaughtered the weak monsters, made her want to curl up and hide. But Claire wouldn¡¯t let her off that easy, on her first visit to the forest she had forced Erika to take the life of a small harmless monster. She still wasn¡¯t used to it, and since then, it has only escalated, now reaching the point where she had to skin the monsters and dismantle their bodies for material. In a single word, it was horrifying. ¡°Erika, you know what to do.¡± Claire handed Erika a small, sharp knife. Unlike their swords, it could easily cut the monster''s skin, the reason they didn¡¯t each have one was simple ¨C it was expensive. Buying their swords, spare clothes, and a knife had left them penniless. ¡°Claire, I don¡¯t want to. Can¡¯t we stop for today? I¡¯ve already¡­¡± ¡°Erika.¡± At Claire¡¯s sharp tone, Erika quieted, lowering her head in dejection, she took the knife. Erika looked at the monster¡¯s face, frozen in fear. It was weak enough that even new Earthlings could kill it, so long as they weren¡¯t outnumbered or carless. Gulp. Erika swallowed and crouched next to the dead monster and began to skin it and remove its horn, which could be sold in town. She hated this; she really, really hated this world. ¡®I miss home.¡¯ Erika looked at Claire who was calmly, dismembering the other corpses, and wondered if she felt the same. ¡°Hey, are you guys done yet?¡± A teenage boy named Flynn shouted at them from behind a tree. Claire and Erika had met he and his two friends, George and Abigail, during the Association¡¯s Earthling training, and they had since teamed up to complete missions. Initially, Claire was against working with others, especially when Erika mentioned Aaron or Liam, but that had changed after their first trip into the forest, where they quickly realized how dangerous it was to work alone and had formed the team with Flynn. Claire called out, ¡°We¡¯re almost done!¡± ¡°Alright! When you¡¯re done, come over here! We got some more!¡± With a wave, Flynn ducked back behind the tree and returned to his dismantling. Erika looked at her red hands. ¡®Blood.¡¯ She had seen a lot of blood since arriving in this world and no longer gagged at the sight of it. She was slowly becoming desensitized. Would her life ever return to normal, or was this the new normal? She often wondered.
Later that evening, after returning they headed to the Association Earthling Branch to collect their pay and have a drink. ¡°Damn! That hits the spot!¡± Flynn¡¯s mug hit the table with a loud thud. From across the table, Abigail reproached Flynn. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t drink too much again, Flynn! George had to carry you back to the inn last time, and I¡¯m not gonna let him do it again!¡± She grabbed George¡¯s arm and pulled him close as if someone might try and take him away. Flynn groaned, ¡°Just shut up and get off my back for once, Abigail¡­ What¡¯s so bad about cutting loose after a hard day¡¯s work? Maybe if you gave it a try, then you wouldn¡¯t be so uptight all the time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with you, ''cutting loose''... I have a problem with you going overboard! And for your information, no, I¡¯m not uptight. It¡¯s called maturity, but I guess you wouldn¡¯t know that, would you?¡± ¡°Whatever, I don¡¯t care. Just leave me alone and let me drink in peace, please¡­¡± George quietly sipped his beer while Abigail and Flynn bickered like an old married couple. On one side was his girlfriend and the other was his good friend, taking either side would result in a loss, so he stayed silent. Claire ignored the ruckus at the table and continued meticulously separating today''s earnings for distribution among the team members. Money was tight, extremely tight. After splitting up the reward from the beginner subjugation missions, they barely enough to cover their daily living costs, and what was left was put towards purchasing new equipment and weapons, which they desperately needed. All they had now were dull swords and single bow for Flynn, their Ranger. Since everyone else was a Warrior, they couldn¡¯t be careless and get injured ¨C they needed armor. Finding a Cleric was impossible; there were far too few of them, so they tended to be recruited quickly. Claire had finished separating the money, putting aside a portion to go towards their equipment fund. Flynn called out to Claire; his face was slightly flushed. ¡°Claire, how¡¯d we do today? Is there extra this time? I¡¯m tired of eating the same thing every day! I wanna change it up!¡± ¡°I bet you just want more beer!!¡± Abigail yelled at Flynn but seeing that he didn¡¯t pay any attention to her, she turned to Claire. ¡°Claire, whatever you do, don¡¯t give this idiot anything! He¡¯ll waste it all! Split his share up between everyone else, or better yet, put it in the fund for equipment! Just don¡¯t let him have a dime!¡± Claire looked up at both of them; they had jumped out of their seats and were now leaning towards her. ¡°There¡¯s no extra, but we will have enough for some new equipment soon.¡± Flynn whined, ¡°How much do we have? We¡¯ve been saving for a week. It¡¯s gotta be a lot by now.¡± ¡°A little under 60 nickel, and if we pooled together all of our savings, then maybe it¡¯s close to 100 nickel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it???¡± ¡°Yes¡­ We need to keep saving. At best, we can buy slightly better weapons than we have now. If we want anything decent, then we should save more, especially since we need to buy the chain mail for George.¡± George was the vanguard of the team, and because of that, they all agreed to get him armor first; for a full set, it was a few hundred nickel, so they only planned to get a chest guard, which was still eighty nickel. Flynn threw his arms up in the air. ¡°This is why I said we need to do harder missions! There are plenty of other teams doing them! If we wait, by the time we save enough, we¡¯ll be too far behind, and we¡¯ll never catch up!¡± Claire shook her head. ¡°The answer is no. There¡¯s no need to rush. This isn¡¯t a race. The teams that are doing those all have Clerics, and we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°So, what? Is it that big a deal that we don¡¯t have a Cleric? None of us have gotten hurt yet, and I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll change just because the monsters are a little bit bigger. Their size doesn¡¯t change the fact that they¡¯re stupid.¡± ¡°The answer is still no.¡± Flynn plopped back down in his seat, lazily laying his upper body on the table. ¡°Ugghhh, come on! Why are you so cautious!?¡± Abigail folded her arms across her chest. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I agree with Flynn on this.¡± George nodded his head and then spoke. ¡°I feel the same. If this was a few days ago, I might not agree, but after today¡¯s performance, I think we are more than ready to take the next step.¡± Seeing the intensity in everyone¡¯s eyes as they stared at Claire, Erika stepped in; she didn¡¯t want a rift to form in their group now, not after all the effort they had put into improving their teamwork. ¡°Claire¡­ I think we should listen to them¡­ it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve been careless¡­¡± ¡°Erika, I¡­¡± Claire hesitated for a moment and looked around the table, seeing three pairs of determine eyes and one pair with a hint of worry, she held up her index finger. ¡°One week. Starting at the end of this week, we can take harder missions. Until then, we save up as much as we can to get some leather armor and sharper weapons, deal?¡± Flynn grinned and hoisted his mug into the air, letting out a loud cheer. ¡°Wooooohooo!!¡± Chapter 18: The Beginning Liam released the bowstring, firing the arrow. Whoosh! The arrow pierced the target thirty yards away; four others had already hit and five were stuck in the ground around it. ¡®Well, at least I hit half this time.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t great, but it was significantly better than where he had been two weeks ago; back then, he hadn¡¯t even been able to hit the closest target, which was only ten yards away. Liam followed Keith¡¯s training regimen to the letter. In the morning, he trained his body, and in the afternoon, he worked on his archery skills. It would have been easier to do the opposite, practice archery in the morning, and exercise in the afternoon. But Keith told him, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if you can hit the target when you¡¯re at your best because you¡¯ll never be at your best in a fight.¡¯ It was a bit of a cryptic message, but Liam understood what he meant. In a real battle, he would be exhausted or even injured. By forcing himself to practice after tiring out his body, he could replicate at least one of the conditions he would be under in a fight. His archery would be rough around the edges, but that was a given seeing how little time he had to prepare. What mattered now was being ready for a fight, not mastering archery. He was already behind the Earthlings because of his fitness level; if he wanted to catch up, he needed to push himself. Liam couldn¡¯t count the number of times he wanted to quit, but he persevered, and it was paying off. His status reflected his hard work.
[Status Window] [General] Name: Liam Harvell Age: 23 Class: Ranger (Rank 1) Sub-Class: None [Skills] None [Stats] Strength: E+ (was E) Stamina: E- Agility: D(was E+) Endurance: E- (was F) Magic Power: C+ [Personal Traits] Distrusting ¨C Does not trust others. Cold ¨C Hard to approach, unfriendly. Loner ¨C Prefers to be alone. Levelheaded ¨C Maintains calm. Fast Learner ¨C Improves quickly.
All of his stats except for Magic Power had risen slightly, and even though most were still below average, Liam was content with his progress. If he continued exercising in the mornings, then in less than a month, all of them would be much closer to average, a massive improvement. However, after that, it would be much harder to raise his stats. According to what Keith had told him, stats above C grade were rare, much rarer than what Liam had originally thought. It could take years to improve from C to B, and even more from B to A. This was probably the reason why Scott recommended Liam to focus on other things such as gaining skills and mastering weapons; it was a more efficient use of time. Closing his status, Liam looked around the training facility, taking it all in one last time. Today was his last day, tomorrow he would start taking missions. All the other Earthlings had stopped showing up after the first week for the same reason ¨C lack of money. Liam was no different; he was broke. There was only one nickel and nine copper remaining in the coin purse. Even though he had eaten only two meals a day, his expenses were still one nickel and four copper every day, and after he paid for dinner tonight and his inn, he¡¯d only have seven copper left. If he hadn¡¯t met Ryan and gotten a recommendation to the old man¡¯s weapon shop, he would¡¯ve left last week too. As Liam finished putting the bow, wrist guards, and quiver away, he heard someone¡¯s footsteps. From the distinct sound of a wooden peg leg, Liam could tell who it was without looking. ¡°So, you¡¯re finally leaving today, right?¡± The way Keith phrased his question made it sound as if he was excited to see Liam go, but Liam knew that wasn¡¯t true. Over the last two weeks, Keith had paid particular attention to Liam, giving him one-on-one training and useful information about surviving Orbis. While Liam personally, wouldn¡¯t call them close, they were more than acquaintances at this point. Liam took Keith¡¯s outstretched hand and shook it. ¡°Yeah, thanks for everything. I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Hahaha, I should be thanking you for being a good student. I don¡¯t get those very often these days¡­¡± When Liam tried to leave, Keith¡¯s grip on his hand tightened. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Keith¡¯s expression turned serious, far more than Liam had ever seen before. ¡°¡­You should be careful of the Association.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Yeah, I know that already. They¡¯re a bunch of lazy assholes.¡± ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re not wrong, but that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± Keith¡¯s expression became dark as his sentence trailed off. It was an expression Liam knew well, one of someone who remembered a part of their past they¡¯d rather forget. Keith sighed, ¡°Let me explain¡­ When I arrived in Orbis, like everyone else, I was nervous about how I would survive. But unlike them, I had high stats, three B¡¯s and one A grade stats. That made me special in the eyes of the Association. They referred to me as a talent that came around once in a decade, and I trusted them. I had no reason not to at the time. So naturally, when they offered to let me join the Elites, I accepted¡­¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Keith paused after seeing the confusion on Liam¡¯s face. ¡°Ah¡­ Do you not know about the Association Elites?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve never heard of them.¡± ¡°I see¡­ The Elites are a unique group of Earthlings handpicked by the Association, who all have either two stats above B grade or are a Mage. The Association provides personal training, quality equipment, lavish meals, and luxurious housing. In short, they treat you like a King. In exchange, the Elites are sent to the South after leaving Kelm, where they are recruited to work for Nobles and other powerful figures. It¡¯s not a bad deal, especially compared to the other Earthlings who are sent North and left to fend for themselves... ¡­I¡¯ll go back to what I was talking about before. After joining the Elites, I lived a more luxurious life than I did on Earth, and since I didn¡¯t want to lose it, I trained hard and pushed myself to live up to their expectations. Everything was fine until my eighth month in Orbis¡­ ¡­It was my team¡¯s last mission before we left Kelm and headed South. We were tasked to exterminate a tribe of Orcs that had settled in the mountains around Kelm. At the time, we were all rank two, so a group of Orcs wasn¡¯t a threat to us¡­ ¡­In hindsight¡­ I can say we were overconfident¡­ ...When we arrived, we quickly eliminated over half the Orcs. There were more of them than the scout¡¯s report, but it didn¡¯t make a difference to us, and we finished off the remaining half. That was when the leader showed up¡­¡± Suddenly, Keith¡¯s face twisted in rage as he kicked the ground with his bad leg, sending dust flying. ¡°Damnit! I still remember that bastard¡¯s ugly face! If only the scout didn¡¯t fuck up his report, then¡­!¡± Keith stopped himself and let out a sigh, calming himself down. ¡°Anyways, the leader was a mutant. They often get nicknames base on their unique features, so some people call them Name Monsters, too. This one had four arms and was twice the size of a normal Orc. His strength was equal to a rank three or four Earthling Warrior, but that wasn¡¯t what was dangerous about him ¨C it was his intelligence. Counting only his raw strength, he wasn¡¯t much of a challenge for my team, in a head-to-head fight, nine out of ten times we would win¡­ ¡­But it wasn¡¯t a head-to-head fight. As I said, that bastard was smart. Before we even knew of his existence, he launched a surprise attack on our Cleric and crushed her skull. Without a healer, it was a difficult battle, but in the end, we defeated him. It was impressive. We managed to win with only one death and the loss of my leg considering our initial disadvantage¡­ ¡­ I wasn¡¯t too distraught over my leg. I was just glad we were alive. We all believed that the Association would take care of us, but we were na?ve. As soon as the Association learned that I had lost my leg and the ability to fight, they abandoned me without a second thought. I got kicked out. All my equipment and money were confiscated as payment for all the kindness they had shown me up to that point. ...If it weren¡¯t for my teammates, I probably would¡¯ve died. They negotiated with the Association and cut a deal that allowed me to live in town as a resident and not an Earthling, which let me avoid the Earthling tax and work as an instructor here¡­ ¡­In exchange, they were sent by sea to the other side of the continent where Earthlings are sent sometimes, often not by choice. From what I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s a Kingdom over there that¡¯s in desperate need of talented fighters, Earthling or not.¡± Keith paused after finishing his story before saying one last thing. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this in case you¡¯re ever given an opportunity to join the Elites or any other organization, especially ones made by Orbis natives, be careful and don¡¯t trust anything they say, don¡¯t make the same mistake I did.¡± Liam nodded; he had a lot to think about. ¡°Thanks for the warning.¡± Liam was about to leave when Keith stopped him again. ¡°Before you go, I want you to have this. It¡¯s my backup knife from my days as a Warrior. I have no use for it anymore, so rather than letting it sit around, collecting dust, you should take it. It¡¯s always good to have a backup weapon.¡± Keith handed Liam a knife with a six-inch blade and an engraved wood handle. From its sharpness alone, Liam could tell it was a high-quality item. After taking the knife, Liam thanked Keith again and left the training facility, heading for the old man¡¯s weapon shop. It was one of two stops he had to make before the end of the day.
Liam entered the shop and immediately noticed that it was empty, less the old man in the back. ¡®Does he ever get customers?¡¯ Over the past two weeks, Liam had been here a few other times to familiarize himself with the different kinds of weapons and armors available, yet the store was always empty. Walking through the store, Liam called out to the shopkeeper. ¡°Hey, wake up. You have a customer.¡± Grumbling to himself, the old shopkeeper opened his eyes and glared at Liam, displeased that he had been woken from his afternoon nap. ¡°What do you want¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for the equipment. You still have it, right?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± The shopkeeper grunted as he pushed himself up and began moving around the store, gathering items from the shelves. Before long the same equipment from two weeks ago was piled on the counter. Liam picked up and meticulously inspected each item. Compared to his last visit, he had a much better understanding of what he needed as a Ranger. Watching this, the shopkeeper frowned. ¡°Hey, do you think I¡¯m trying to scam you or something?¡± Liam paused for a moment, glancing up. ¡°Maybe.¡± He immediately resumed inspecting the items, leaving the shopkeeper wearing a sour expression. Once Liam finished, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll take them.¡± Nodding, the shopkeeper grabbed a ledger and began to scribble something. ¡°Okay, kid. I¡¯ll put 120 nickel on your tab.¡± ¡°80 nickel.¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s pen stopped moving, and his head snapped up. ¡°What?!¡± He ground his teeth while thinking, ¡®This brat! Has he ever heard of the word gratitude before!¡± If anything, Liam should be thanking him not haggling with him. There wasn¡¯t a single store in Kelm that would offer items on credit to any Earthlings fresh out of the tutorial. Who would, when there was a high chance they would die or not pay? ¡°Listen, kid, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in the position to be bargaining, so just take the deal and-¡± The shopkeeper stopped talking after noticing that Liam had started walking towards the door. ¡®Shit, he¡¯s actually going to walk out over 40 nickel!?¡¯ When Liam was about to reach the door, the shopkeeper yelled. ¡°W-Wait! 110! 110 nickel, and it¡¯s yours!¡± Liam stopped and turned around. ¡°81 nickel.¡± ¡°Tsk. 105 nickel.¡± Liam paused and held his chin, thinking for a moment before speaking. ¡°How about 85 nickel.¡± ¡°9¡­95 nickel! Final offer!¡± ¡°Okay, deal.¡± Liam immediately agreed; his goal from the beginning was to get the price as close to 100 nickel as possible. As Liam gathered up the equipment and exited the shop, the shopkeeper was left with a pained expression on his face, realizing that he had been out-negotiated. Liam dropped his equipment off at his inn before heading to his next destination, the Association Earthling Branch. When he entered the building, he made his way through the familiar rowdy crowd, stopping in front of the mission board. Liam scanned the contents of the missions near the bottom of the board. ¡®Five copper, four copper, one nickel, eight copper, three copper, five copper¡­¡¯ Most of the rewards were too low. The only reasonable ones involved hunting monsters, but Liam didn¡¯t want to take those until he saw the forest at least one time. He wanted to know what kind of terrain he would be fighting in before jumping into battle, anything that he could learn might be useful at some point. Of course, he didn¡¯t need a mission to enter the forest, but if he was going there anyway, he might as well earn some money. Liam continued to search the board, only to find nothing. He was about to give up when he noticed a mission buried underneath the others. ¡®Huh, what¡¯s this one?¡¯ It was a scouting mission. The Association was looking for an Earthling to scout a cave, suspected of being a monster nest, and report back with any information discovered. The type of monster that was inhabiting the cave was called a Viermin, which Liam knew nothing about, but that wasn¡¯t a problem since he could find out about it from the other Earthlings and the Association. What Liam didn¡¯t understand was¡­ ¡®Why hasn''t anyone taken this yet?¡¯ The reward was five nickel, significantly more than the other missions. Thinking there had to be a mistake, Liam looked at the other missions again. Immediately, he realized why no one had taken it. Most Earthlings worked in groups, so they had to split the reward. In that case, five nickel wasn¡¯t much. It could even be considered a waste of time, compared to monster subjugation missions, which paid per monster killed. For a group of five, it would be easy to earn ten nickel killing monsters, which would give each member two nickel. Liam reread the contents of the mission. It was tempting. Liam preferred stealth over direct confrontation, so a scouting mission was a good match for him. There was a chance he could run into monsters, but that was a risk no matter which mission he took. At least with this one, he could avoid fighting by being sneaky. After reassessing the dangers one last time, Liam made up his mind and tore the mission off the board. This was the best mission for him. There was still information that he needed to learn, but once he did, he was confident about succeeding. Chapter 19: The Stench of Sweat and Blood Viermin ¨C a parasitic monster with a humanoid body and a height of about four feet. They have three sets of arms, two smaller sets on their torso, and one larger set with crab-like pincers that are used as their primary arms. Their exact appearance is similar to a shellfish, due to their pincers and thick exoskeleton. However, it isn¡¯t their appearance that makes them so frightening ¨C it¡¯s their means of reproduction. Viermin have no reproductive organs. Instead, they infect a host, typically humans, and mutate them in a Viermin; that¡¯s why they are classified as a parasite monster instead of an insect or humanoid. The mutation process takes place over a few days, during which the Viermins needs to continue infecting the target. Once the infection gets inside the host, reversal is impossible, all that awaits is either mutation or death. Despite all this, they aren¡¯t considered dangerous. Individually they are weak, only a bit stronger than goblins, so they prefer to fight in groups and launch sneak attacks on unsuspecting humans. The only time they would be considered a threat is if their group numbers were large enough, but that¡¯s unlikely given the low success rate of the mutation process and lack of weak, unsuspecting targets wandering the forests. However, in this case, it¡¯s a bit different due to the arrival of new Earthlings. While a veteran wouldn¡¯t be caught off guard, the same isn¡¯t true for a beginner, which makes them perfect targets. After Liam finished assessing all the information that he had gathered on Viermins, he decided to proceed with the mission, and head into the forest the next morning¡­ Rustle, rustle. Liam pushed aside the branches as he passed through the bushes. Stopping, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and pulled out his map. ¡®How much further is it?¡¯ It was mid-morning, and it had already been over an hour since he started searching for the cave. At this point, he didn¡¯t know if he was lost or misjudged the distance. ¡®This thing¡¯s useless! What kind of map doesn¡¯t have a scale?¡¯ Liam shoved the map back into his pocket. All it had been good for was having the guard outside Kelm point him in the general direction of the cave, yet he kept looking at it, hoping something would change. ¡®I guess it¡¯s what I deserve for buying something from the Association¡­¡¯ When he asked the Association where the cave was, instead of answering, they sold him the map with the cave marked on it. He should have had the foresight to know it would be useless in a forest, how could it identify the difference between one tree or another... it couldn¡¯t. Cursing, Liam pulled out his knife and quickly carved an ¡®X¡¯ on the trunk of a tree. Throughout his travel, he had been marking the path so that he wouldn¡¯t get lost on his way back. When he finished, he sheathed the blade and continued forward. The journey had been uneventful so far. Liam had seen a few monsters, but they all ran away when they saw him. For that alone, he was thankful. If the cave were further in the forest, there would be stronger, more aggressive monsters, in which case, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to accept the mission. After another half hour passed, Liam finally reached the cave. It was buried in the side of a small hill and led down into the ground. The entrance was only about two feet wide, making it smaller than the average doorway. ¡®Is this the cave?¡¯ Between the narrow entrance and plants covering it, it didn¡¯t look like any cave that he envisioned; instead, it looked closer to a crack in big rock or large hole. ¡®Maybe I should keep looking. They said the cave was small, but this is tiny¡­¡¯ Liam thought about it for a minute before deciding to wait; there was no rush. He picked a location set off a bit and crouched down in the bushes, observing the cave from afar. He didn¡¯t want to get close, yet. ¡®Something definitely, is or was living here.¡¯ The area around the cave entrance was a clearing with no plants or grass growing. It appeared that various monsters and animals had trampled it. Liam decided to wait for a bit before doing anything, hoping he might catch sight of whatever was living inside. Soon two hours passed and¡­ Nothing had changed, and Liam couldn¡¯t wait in the bushes all day when he didn¡¯t even know if this was the right place. Pushing himself up, Liam cautiously moved into the clearing and began inspecting the area. There were various tracks leading into the cave. Viermin had three long claws and one short claw at the heel, similar to a chicken¡¯s foot. It was distinct enough that even Liam could identify it without ever having seen it before, but¡­ ¡®Damnit, I can¡¯t tell if these are Viermin or something else¡­¡¯ The sheer number of tracks, all mixed, made it impossible to distinguish any one pair from another, everything blended into one muddled mess. Liam thought about his next move carefully. He had a few options available. ¡®Either I give up and head back to town, go inside, or wait longer.¡¯ Giving up was the safest choice of the three, but it was also the worst. Failing to complete a mission results in a fine of up to half the mission reward; it was how the Association prevented Earthlings from hoarding missions and quitting when things got tough. Liam had less than a nickel to his name. The fine would put him in debt with the Association, and after hearing Keith¡¯s story, that was the last thing he wanted. Failure had always been a risk going into this, but the reward was worth it, especially since he was already in debt for ninety-five nickel. Unless he had no other choice, giving up wasn''t an option. Between the remaining two options, waiting was the safer choice, but also the least likely to pay off. Liam had already waited for two hours and saw nothing; he wasn¡¯t confident waiting a few hours more would make a difference. Ideally, that meant nothing was here. However¡­ Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. In this case, the worst thing, aside from being captured, would be making a false report to the Association, which would be found out one way or another. While he didn¡¯t know the consequences, they were bound to be severe. While there were three options, there really was only one choice ¨C entering the cave.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡®Okay, if there are any inside, there shouldn¡¯t be many. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve seen them by now. The tracks are probably from the same ones. At the very least, I¡¯m pretty sure there isn¡¯t a horde of them inside.¡¯ After deliberating for a few minutes, Liam reaffirmed his decision and approached the cave entrance. Picking up a rock, he tossed it inside; the sound echoed throughout the cave. He waited for a moment before trying it a few more times until he was satisfied. As he squeezed his way through the narrow entrance, the coarse rock walls scraped against his elbows. After a few feet, the passaged opened up enough that, if he wanted, he could spread out his arms side-to-side. The ceiling was low, leaving less than a foot above Liam¡¯s head. Liam unsheathed his knife and proceeded down the tunnel. Not only did it get darker, the deeper he went, the air became sticky and humid as well. There was also a tinge of a pungent odor in the air. The further he went, the stronger it got. His eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light, and he was able to make out more of the surroundings. There wasn¡¯t much to see, aside from rocks and stone walls. ¡®I should¡¯ve brought a torch or something.¡¯ Not that he had anything to make one with, lighters and matches, were luxuries that didn¡¯t exist in Orbis. If he wanted, he could go outside and rub to sticks together, but after coming this far, that seemed like a waste of time. ¡®When I get back to town, I¡¯ll buy a piece of flintstone¡­ there¡¯s a few other things I should get too.¡¯ Liam¡¯s mind wandered, considering all the things he needed. There was plenty of survival equipment he realized he had neglected at this point, backpack, rope, bandages, compass, etc., etc. Some of the items might not exist in Orbis, but there would be alternatives, magic appeared to be more prevalent than science here. However, that could all wait till later, Liam returned his focus to the task at hand. The tunnel came to an end, connecting to a small cavern. It was the size of a two-bedroom apartment, about 1,000 square feet, and a dead end. ¡°Uuegh¡­¡± Liam covered his nose and mouth due to the strong, unpleasant odor. He held back the strong desire to vomit. The source was easy to spot. The cavern was empty, aside from a deformed pile of organic mass in the back, taking a closer look, Liam could see both human and insect-like limbs sticking out. ¡®That confirms it, Viermin are here.¡¯ Liam quickly determined that these were the corpses of failed Viermin mutations, roughly ten of them. ¡®I¡¯ll take a sample back. I wouldn¡¯t put it past those fucking scumbags to withhold my reward for lack of evidence.¡¯ Using his knife, he cut off one of the mutated limbs, causing a mucousy substance to pour out onto his hands. ¡°Uulck.¡± He gagged as he wiped his hands off on his pants, but suddenly he froze¡­ ¨C NOOOO!! A chill shot down his spine, hearing the scream echoing down the tunnel. ¨C Kreeeeee¡­! Quiet human! This time it was a raspy voice that spoke in broken English. ¨C Help! Help me! I don¡¯t want to-! WHACK! With that, the screaming stopped. It was silent, except for the sound of footsteps, slowly getting closer. ¡®Shit! Just my fucking luck!¡¯ The Viermins must have returned, bringing along new victims, and Liam was in the worst position possible. Not only was he trapped inside, rendering his bow infective and escape impossible, he knew nothing about their numbers, but presumed there was more than one, given the number of corpses. Fighting wasn¡¯t an option ¨C he had to hide. Liam climbed into the mound of decomposing flesh, the rotting scent seeping into his skin and fluids staining his armor. He pulled the corpses over himself until he was fully covered, leaving only a small enough gap for one eye to see out. Holding his breath, he waited. Tak¡­tak¡­tak¡­ Liam¡¯s hearted pounded as he heard the sound of the Viermins¡¯ claws, entering the cavern. Thump! Thump! Thump! Peeking through the gap, he could make out three short-statured figures as they approached, dragging two unconscious humans behind. ¡®Please¡­please¡­¡¯ The humans were tossed against the wall, mere feet away from Liam. Thud! Hitting it, they collapsed to the ground. Their arms and legs were bent in different directions, even if they were conscious, escape was impossible. The three figures approached, and Liam could better take in their appearance. They were hideous. The descriptions he had heard failed to depict how ugly. Rather than putting it into words, it would be better to say they looked like a mixture of various insects with a humanoid figure and let your imagination do the rest. Using the smaller, nimbler sets of arms attached to their torsos, the Viermins began tearing off the human''s armor, stripping them bare. Once they finished, one of the Viermins, which had stayed near the back, came forward. Its appearance was slightly different than the others as it stood a head taller and had an extra set of arms and six tendrils wiggling on its face. But Liam wasn¡¯t paying attention to that; his eyes were fixed on the long tubular tongue extending from its mouth, injecting something into the humans that made them convulse; this process continued for a long time, the humans moaning and twitching the entire time. How much time passed? Liam didn¡¯t know, but when they finally left, a wave of relief hit him hard. As his muscles relaxed, his entire body felt sluggish, that or the bodily fluids that covered him from head to toe were messing with his senses. Liam stayed still and waited for a few minutes longer before moving. When he stood up, he headed for the exit, moving as quickly and quietly as possible. The thought of helping the captives didn¡¯t even cross his mind, nor was it guaranteed they could be saved at this point. Reaching the exit, the bright rays of the mid-afternoon sun blinded him. Squinting, he looked around for the path he had marked, and upon spotting it, sprinted into the forest. Thump! Thump! Thump! His heart was racing as he shoved aside the branches and jumped over roots, heading to Kelm as fast as possible; he wouldn¡¯t feel safe until he was back inside the town walls. ¡®Fuck! What was I thinking?! I barely made it out. If the smell of the corpses hadn¡¯t been enough to mask my scent, I¡¯d be dead¡­ no, worse, I¡¯d be turning into one of them¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have taken this mission¡­¡¯ Looking back, he considered his actions as reckless. What made him think he was ready for this mission? Not even a month had passed since he arrived in Orbis, yet he decided to skip the beginning missions and jump right into the real ones. Was he stupid? ¡®No, that¡¯s not it. I wasn¡¯t reckless or stupid¡­ I did everything I could to prepare and took reasonable precautions. It just wasn¡¯t enough.¡¯ Before accepting the mission, he had gathered information from numerous Earthlings and even the Association receptionist. On which, he concluded that while it might be difficult, the risk was worth it; that feeling hadn¡¯t changed. As for entering the cave, how could he have predicted that the Viermins would¡¯ve shown up at the same time? Unless he had the Godly power of foresight, it wasn¡¯t possible. Next time, he needed to prepare more, knowing about a monster¡¯s habitat, hunting patterns, sleeping habits, etc., would help in making critical decisions. It might even prevent him from making a mistake that could cost him his life. ¡®¡­ There¡¯s so much more I could¡¯ve done.¡¯ Hindsight is always 20/20. The ideas that had eluded him before were only becoming clear after the fact. He could have set up traps in the tunnel or placed strings with bells outside, something to alert him of the Viermins¡¯ approach. ¡®I just don¡¯t know enough about this world yet.¡¯ Orbis was a strange world. While similar to Earth, at the same time, it was entirely different. People and infrastructure were the only aspects similar enough that his past experiences were of any real use. Monsters, weapons, combat, and survival were things he knew nothing about outside of his basic instincts, and they were all proving to be the foundation of surviving in this world. ¡®Looks like I¡¯m starting over again...¡¯ When his life had been inverted after his father¡¯s death, he managed to turn it around. Having done it once, he could do it again. ¡®¡­ I guess it isn¡¯t any different than before in that regard¡­¡¯ Back then he had to start over from square one, and this time it was no different. Almost everything he had learned over the past twenty-three years was proving useless in Orbis. In a world where the strong survive and the weak perish, logic and decision making can only get you so far; you need strength to back them up. ¡®I need to change something, but¡­ I just don¡¯t know what yet¡­¡¯ Last time he had formed his list of guidelines. This time, only time would tell. For now, what he needed was experience. It would take time, many more failures, and brushes with death before his intuition was honed. With his confidence renewed, Liam¡¯s pace slowed as he neared the gates of Kelm; the guard pinched his nose and shot Liam a look of disgust as he passed. There were two things he still needed to do today. First, was reporting his findings to the Association and collecting his reward. Next was taking a bath and getting himself and his equipment clean¡­ ¡®Maybe, I should switch the order of those two things¡­¡¯ Judging by the expression of people passing by, he must smell truly, and utterly disgusting as a few had even dry heaved. After being stuck under the corpses for so long, he had grown accustom to the smell. Changing his direction, he headed to the inn to scrub down every inch of his body. Chapter 20: An Awkward Reunion On a bright and sunny Monday morning, the pitter-patter of a boy¡¯s footsteps could be heard coming down the staircase. It was the boy¡¯s first day of second grade, and he was excited, not for school, but for what came after. His father had promised to take him to the movies, which was unusual since his father was always away for work or getting home late, so he rarely got to see him, let alone spend time with him. The night before he wouldn¡¯t go to bed, it took both his parents¡¯ persuasion to get him to settle down. Only when his father agreed to move their plans forward an hour as well as promise to pick him up from school, did he go to sleep. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a big smile on his face. He wanted to tell his mother about the movie he was going to see for the 15th time. At this point, it was no less than torture for her to hear the title alone. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m ready! Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!¡± Thump! There was no response, only the sound of something heavy being dropped. As he rounded the corner, he slid across the hardwood floor in his socks and shouted again. ¡°Hey, mom! Did you hear me?!¡± ¡°A-ah, s-sweety, you¡¯re already up? You should go back to bed. School¡¯s canceled today.¡± His mother¡¯s voice was shaky. ¡°Really?¡± He was a little disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t get to see his friends, but that thought quickly faded. ¡°Does that mean I can go to the movies earlier with dad? He doesn¡¯t have work today, so it¡¯s fine, right?¡± The boy¡¯s eagerness evident in his voice. ¡°Y-Your father got a call for work and won¡¯t be home for a while. I¡¯m sorry, I know you were looking forward to it¡­ Oh! How about I take you to the movies later? That¡¯ll be fun.¡± ¡°Nooooo! I wanted to go with dad.¡± The boy whined and ran into the kitchen where his mother was. He immediately spotted her hunched over behind the counter, but when he turned the corner, he froze. ¡°M-Mom?¡± His mother stopped wiping up the liquid on the floor and slowly turned around to face him. ¡°¡­¡± She stared at him silently; her eyes were hazy, yet there was strange clarity within them as if she had become aware of something lifechanging. It was bone-chilling. The boy trembled as he looked at his father on the ground. There was red splatted everywhere, on the cabinets, the floor, his mother¡¯s clothes, and most of all, over his father¡¯s entire body. ¡°W-why is dad on the ground?¡± He already knew but still asked. What made him do that? His mother nervously glanced between her son and the body behind her, before speaking. ¡°Ah, your dad just fell. Yes, that¡¯s right. He fell, and mommy was helping him.¡± She nodded as if convincing herself of the story. ¡°M-Mom, why do you have a knife? I-Is that b-blood?!¡± The boy took a step back in fear. His mother stood up and held her arms out as if she was going to hug him. She opened her eyes wide, exposing the full whites of them, making her look deranged. ¡°You see, your father wouldn¡¯t listen to me when I told him about the colors. White. It¡¯s all white. White, white, white, white¡­ I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, there was too much, too much white. I needed to see something else, a different color so¡­¡± The boy shook his head, retreating from the approaching strange woman. ¡°S-Sweety? What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t worry. I fixed it. There¡¯s no more white¡­ Listen, I didn¡¯t have a ¨C Aaaahhh!¡± The boy grabbed whatever he could and threw it at her before running away. That might have been the smartest decision of his life, or maybe it was the worst. He didn¡¯t know.
Liam opened his eyes. ¡®Damn, that dream again¡­¡¯ Pushing himself out of bed, he sleepily walked across the room and began putting on fresh clothes, preparing for the day. A week had passed since the scouting mission. Last week, when Liam reported his detailed findings about the nest, including the exact number of Viermins and estimate on the number of victims. He was half expecting the Association to withhold the reward for some bullshit reason. So, it was surprising when he got a bonus instead. It was only one nickel, but nickel was nickel; he wasn¡¯t going to complain. Two days later, there was a Viermin extermination mission on the board, which was ironic considering the title was, ¡®URGENT: Subjugation of Viermin Nest.¡¯ Liam figured it would be snatched up quickly by some Earthlings considering the generous reward of twenty-five nickel plus an additional five per Viermin head, but the next day it was still there. It didn¡¯t take him long to find out why. The reward per Viermin head had increased to six nickel. It would continue to grow every day until it was taken; this was the unique aspect of an urgent mission. In theory, it was supposed to incentivize Earthlings to accept it. Still, all the Earthlings waited, letting the reward ripen until it was ready for picking. In this case, it was a huge jackpot. Everyone knew that the longer Viermins were left unchecked, the more their population would grow, and with it, the reward. As a result, the usually rowdy atmosphere inside the Association was gone, replaced by the tension that formed as people stared each other down with bloodshot eyes. None of them wanted anyone else to take the mission, but at the same time, they wanted the reward to keep growing ¨C it was a standoff. But the difficultly of the mission was out of Liam¡¯s league, so he paid their shenanigans no mind. Instead, over the past week, he had been focused on completing subjugation missions in order to get more accustomed to combat; lack of experience and knowledge were his biggest weaknesses, and there was no better way to learn than hands-on experience.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The Association classified monsters into four simple categories based on their threat level: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Very Hard. Each category could be further broken down into three ranks: lower, middle, and upper. The ones that Liam fought belonged to the Easy-lower rank and were all small, weak creatures such as the Horned Rabbit. However, for as weak as they were, there was still something to be learned. Each species had a unique trait; some were nimble, while others had a strong defense. As Liam continued to fight them, he gathered knowledge and formed strategies that he could use as a reference for any similar monsters that he might encounter in the future. Liam had improved. He still had a long way to go, but his ability to track, stalk, ambush, and even trap monsters were far better than a week ago. At first, he struggled to kill ten Horned Rabbits in an entire day. Now he could kill the same amount in a third of the time. The only thing that prevented him from killing more was the number of pelts he could carry back to town. While he had bought a small bag after his first mission, it was filled with survival supplies and there was no room to fit any monster materials. However, it was time to hunt something else ¡ª this time, something bigger. Liam finished putting on his equipment and left the inn. Today his routine was different than usual, he had decided to participate in a collective mission along with other Earthlings. Goblin Hunt. The objective was to wipe out a settlement that had formed inside the west section of the forest, near the base of the mountains surrounding Kelm. It was an opportunity that Liam wasn¡¯t going to miss, not only was it a chance to learn about an Easy-middle rank monster, it was also a chance to learn about the other Earthlings fighting styles. Liam arrived at the meeting point; it was the plaza near the Church, where all the Earthlings had arrived when first entering Kelm. There was already a small group of about ten Earthing¡¯s gathered near the center, so he approached them. A handsome man with a chiseled jaw and blonde hair, stepped out and waved at him. ¡°Hey, are you here for the Hunt?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Awesome, that¡¯s great to hear!¡± The man walked over to Liam with a grin on his face. ¡°Mannnn, it¡¯s always good to have a Ranger around. Things are wayyyy easier when you¡¯ve got someone sniping targets from afar. It¡¯s so cool, too! You¡¯re all-like KABOOM! BAM! BAM! Damn, makes me jealous thinking about it¡­¡± He waved his arms in the air, making exaggerated gestures as if reenacting a scene from an action movie. ¡°So¡­¡± The man got close and slung his arm around Liam¡¯s shoulder. His eyes darted around suspiciously, on the lookout for something, before he whispered in Liam¡¯s ear. ¡°¡­Are you alone? Or, you got teammates you¡¯re waiting for?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he pushed the man¡¯s arm off his shoulder. ¡°Is it a problem if I am?¡± The man waved his hands, assuring him it was fine. ¡°No, no, of course not! It¡¯s just¡­ you see, my team¡¯s been lookin'' for a Ranger, so when I saw you alone, I thought, ¡®hey, wouldn¡¯t it be perfect if we team up?¡¯ So, whaddya think? Interested?¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad offer. Competing against the other teams was going to be less efficient than working with them. If not for the man¡¯s suspicious attitude, Liam might have jumped at the offer. Suddenly, a stern female voice was heard. ¡°Connor¡­¡± The man stiffened, hearing his name. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not causing trouble again, are you? Don¡¯t tell me you already forgot our little talk the other day?¡± A familiar woman walked up behind Connor, adjusting her glasses. It was Sherry, the woman who had treated his wounds in the castle during the Tutorial. She looked the same, less the bloodstained clothing from back then; her brown hair, tightly tied into a bun, and her face wearing the same stern look. Connor put on a bright smile, acting as if he had just run across an old friend. ¡°Ah, Sherry¡­ I didn¡¯t know you were here yet¡­ Why didn¡¯t you say anything? Did you sleep well? How¡¯s your morning been so far? Hey, isn¡¯t the weather just great today? It sure is shaping up to be a fine day.¡± His manner of talking had swapped from casual to polite in an instant. Sherry¡¯s brow creased slightly in irritation. ¡°I¡¯ve told you already. It¡¯s Ms. Williams to you. And don¡¯t try to change the subject. Who is this man?¡± ¡°Oh, him? He¡¯s someone I just met. I was having a friendly chat with him about joining our-¡± ¡°I see. So, you were harassing him, weren¡¯t you? We¡¯ll have-to-have a talk about this later it seems.¡± After hearing the word ¡®talk¡¯ again, Connor shuddered before desperately pleading. ¡°No, wait! You¡¯re misunderstanding! I swear, I wasn¡¯t pushy like before. This time I made sure to be polite and respectful¡­ You see, I¡¯ve thought about it a lot since last time, and I realized that I might be a little¡­ well¡­ forceful at times, but I promise I¡¯ve changed.¡± Sherry raised one eyebrow. ¡°Oh, really? Is that so?¡± Connor clasped his hands together, begging; it wouldn¡¯t have surprised Liam if he fell to his knees. ¡°Yes! Yes, it is! Please, believe me! I know that might not mean much coming from me. So, if anything, believe in me as your teammate! I¡¯ve never let you down in the field, right?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, yes, that is true. On missions, you¡¯re a completely different person, dependable even.¡± ¡°So then, you¡¯ll¡­¡± Connor¡¯s eyes glistened with hope. ¡°No.¡± Sherry looked at Connor with scorn. ¡°Had I known what you were like off the battlefield, I never would¡¯ve joined this team.¡± ¡°Sherry, even for you¡­ that¡¯s a little harsh¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Well, no¡­ but don¡¯t you think everyone deserves a second chance?¡± ¡°You¡¯re on number fifty-six.¡± Connor¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Y-You¡­ You¡¯ve been counting!?¡± ¡°No. I stopped on the third. At that point, I realized what kind of person you were and gave up hope that you¡¯d correct your ways¡­ I don¡¯t expect much from you.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep lecturing me all the time!?¡± Sherry snorted, ¡°Because even if you¡¯ll never change. It doesn¡¯t change the fact you cause problems for the rest of the team and me. Someone has to keep you in line, or you¡¯ll end up creating an even bigger mess.¡± ¡°You¡­ You think that poorly of me!?¡± ¡°Not just me, all of us do¡­ Alright, I¡¯ve heard enough excuses. Apologize and wait with the others. Or would you like to continue this discussion later.¡± Connor hung his dead in dejection and muttered under his breath. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Good, then hurry up and apologize.¡± Connor turned to Liam. ¡°Sorry for bothering you¡­¡± He trudged back to the others. When he was gone, Sherry let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to listen to that, and for any trouble, he may have caused.¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. He was just offering me a spot on your team for the Goblin Hunt.¡± ¡°I know that, but he tends to go overboard. If he¡¯s left unchecked, he¡¯ll¡­ Wait¡­ Aren¡¯t you¡­?¡± Sherry paused and began studying Liam¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Have we met before?¡± ¡°Yeah, you treated me back in the Tutorial. I never introduced myself, though. I¡¯m Liam.¡± ¡°Ah, I was under a lot of stress back then, sorry, I¡¯m not usually that coarse¡­ Oh, and call me Sherry¡­¡± Her eyes gravitated to the bow strapped to Liam¡¯s back. ¡°Liam, are you by chance a Ranger?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why your teammate was talking to me earlier. He asked me if I wanted to team up for the Goblin Hunt¡­ If the offer is still available, I don¡¯t mind.¡± After thinking it over, Liam had concluded that from a cost benefit perspective, teaming up was the best choice. If it was just Connor, he would have declined. He didn¡¯t mix well with people like him. But it appeared that Sherry kept him under control, and based on what she said, the rest of the team seemed to support her in that regard. Sherry gave a swift, curt nod. ¡°Of course, it is¡­¡± Spinning around, she started walking towards the group. ¡°Come. I¡¯ll introduce you to the others.¡± Liam followed, wondering if this entire situation could have been avoided if Connor had explained himself better. When they joined the others, Sherry got right to the point and introduced Liam to the others. ¡°This is Liam. He¡¯s a Ranger and will be participating with us for this mission.¡± Connor shouted and threw up his hands in protest. ¡°Woah! Hold on a minute! Didn¡¯t you just get mad at me for trying to recruit him? Why is it wrong when I do it, but its fine for you?!¡± Sherry glared at Connor, holding her chin high. ¡°Given your history, I don¡¯t think my actions were unjustified. For all, I knew you could be extorting him.¡± ¡°When have I ever extorted someone!? Do you think I¡¯m some petty thug?!¡± Ignoring Connor, Sherry¡¯s teammates introduced themselves. Along with Connor and Sherry, there were three others, Brett, Jackson, and Maggie. All three of them, as well as Connor, were Warriors. While Sherry was a Cleric, fitting given her actions in the Tutorial. Brett was a tall, well-built man in his thirties that wielded a one-handed mace. Jackson and Maggie were siblings in their twenties, with Maggie being older by a couple years. Both had similar curly, frizzy brown hair and freckles. The remaining six people participating in the mission were part of a different team. None of them bothered to introduce themselves, and all Liam knew was the leader was called Clint. Unlike Sherry¡¯s team, they had a rough, unfriendly air about them. When Liam noticed a few of them greedily eyeing his equipment, he made a mental note to stay away. They were the type that stabbed you in the back without a second thought. After a few minutes, they headed into the forest¡­ The Hunt had begun. Chapter 21: The Hunter and the Hunted (1) The subjugation force proceeded through the forest with Clint¡¯s team leading the way. Liam hung back, positioning himself at the rear of Sherry¡¯s team. The other¡¯s formation was as follows: Brett and Connor leading followed by Sherry with Jackson and Maggie on either side, guarding her. Everyone was spread out, leaving a few feet between each other. ¡°Hey, Liam!¡± As Liam was busy observing the others, Jackson called out to him in a friendly tone. He slowed his pace to walk beside Liam. ¡°Wanna come up and join us? I know we introduced ourselves earlier, but we still don¡¯t know anything about each other.¡± Compared to their teammates, Jackson and his sister didn¡¯t stand out much. They weren¡¯t timid; they were just overshadowed by the unique personalities of the others. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You sure? Since we¡¯ll be working together, it might be nice to get to know one another.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather stay back here. It would be bad if something happened, and we were all grouped together.¡± Liam threw out an excuse, hoping that Jackson might leave him alone. ¡°Hmm, I guess you have a point¡­ Mind if I stay back here instead?¡± ¡°¡­Suit yourself.¡± Liam shrugged; he didn¡¯t care enough to argue over it. A big smile appeared on Jackson¡¯s face, and he began chatting energetically. ¡°Cool¡­ So, what did you do back on Earth? My sister and I were in college. I was an undergrad in the Engineering Department, and she was in Law School. I was going to graduate this year, already had a few job opportunities lined up.¡± ¡°I was a waiter at a local diner, nothing special.¡± Jackson was unfazed by the clear disinterest in Liam¡¯s tone and continued chatting. ¡°Oh, were you a student, too? Or, a recent graduate? I knew a lot of people who worked in service while they were looking for a job. Thinking about it, I was pretty lucky, huh¡­ Well, not that it matters anymore.¡± Liam stayed silent. He didn¡¯t particularly enjoy talking with others, especially when it came to his past. Catching on that it was a touchy topic, Jackson laughed awkwardly before changing the subject. ¡°So, what have you been doing for missions in Orbis? I bet it¡¯s a lot harder alone. I couldn¡¯t do it, that¡¯s for sure. Wayyy too scary for me.¡± ¡°Mainly killing critters and other weak monsters.¡± ¡°Oh, we did those too. But that was a while ago. We¡¯ve been doing mid-ish difficulty missions for about a week and a half now, but that''s only because we have a Cleric. Things are sooo much easier when you don¡¯t have to worry about dying from a stab or cut¡­ Just wait till you see Sherry in action, you¡¯ll be like, ¡®Wow, that¡¯s unreal!¡¯ It¡¯s crazy, trust me.¡± Suddenly, Maggie looked over her shoulder and shouted ¡°Jackson, stop bothering him and get back up here! We¡¯re getting close to the settlement.¡± Jackson muttered under his breath. ¡°Uuuuh, I wish she¡¯d get off my back for once¡­¡± ¡°Hey, idiot! Did you hear me?!¡± Maggie was glaring back at Jackson, clearly irritated by his carefree attitude during a mission. ¡°Yeah, I heard you! I¡¯m coming, just give me a sec!¡± Jackson turned to Liam, rubbing the back of his head with a regretful look on his face. ¡°Sorry, man, looks like I gotta go. We¡¯ll have to talk more later.¡± With a wave, Jackson trotted back up, returning to his previous position. Liam breathed out a sigh, hoping that Jackson wouldn¡¯t be back anytime soon. He didn¡¯t want to get to know anyone here. His goal was to kill goblins, not make friends, so conversations outside of the ones involving the mission were pointless to him. Up ahead, Clint¡¯s group came to a sudden stop. They all turned around and faced the others, an air of intimidation surrounding them. A man, covered in tattoos, most notably the claw-shaped one covering the left half of his face, stepped forward. ¡°Before we go any further let¡¯s get one thing straight, we¡¯re calling the shots which means I¡¯m in charge¡­ And I don¡¯t want your fucking help, so stay back here and wait for us.¡± Connor smiled and laughed a little, acting as if a close friend was playing a joke on him. ¡°Awwww, don¡¯t be like that, Clint. We¡¯re buddies, aren¡¯t we? We just had drinks together at the bar last week. Don¡¯t tell me you forgot already?¡± ¡°Ooh, now that you mention it, I do¡­¡± ¡°See? So-¡± ¡°I remember you were offering to buy me a drink as an apology for stealing our mission last week, then you got shitfaced and left me with the bill. Thanks for reminding me! So, do you wanna pay up now or when we get back to town?¡± Connor¡¯s smile instantly vanished.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Connor, you fucking idioooot!¡± Brett ran over and smacked Connor¡¯s head, hard enough for it to jerk forward. Immediately, he began apologizing while Connor was crouched on the ground, holding the back of his head and groaning. ¡°Sorry about him¡­¡± Pulling out his coin purse, he began searching through it. ¡°How much did he owe? I¡¯ll pay.¡± ¡°Five nickel.¡± Brett¡¯s hands stopped, and his head snapped up. ¡°What??!¡± ¡°Did you not hear me? I said, it¡¯s five nickel.¡± ¡°No, no, that can¡¯t be right, that¡¯s way too much. Are you sure it wasn¡¯t five copper?¡± ¡°Nope, that¡¯s the income we lost that day because you fuckers took our mission. Well, you gonna pay up or what?¡± Clink, clink.The people at Clint¡¯s sides grabbed the hilt of their swords, glaring at Brett with hostility. Brett ground his teeth. ¡°We¡­ We aren¡¯t responsible for that just because Connor skipped out on the tab¡­¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Clint gestured with his chin, and the people surrounding him unsheathed their weapons. At the same time, Brett¡¯s team pulled out their weapons, including Liam, who loaded an arrow and pulled back the bowstring. It was a standoff, but in terms of intimidation, the winner was clear. The edges of Clint¡¯s mouth rose into a big grin as the others backed away, but before anything could happen¡­ ¡°Here, take it.¡± Sherry walked over, holding her chin high, and stuck out her hand, which contained five nickel coins. ¡°Ooooh, a smart woman.¡± Clint licked his lips, and quickly snatched the coins, shoving them in his pocket. ¡°With this, we¡¯re done, right?¡± Sherry wiped off her hands; her voice curt as usual. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be asking for any more money.¡± Sherry adjusted her glasses. ¡°No, I¡¯m referring to the mission. You¡¯re fine with us participating, correct? If you would rather work separately, that¡¯s acceptable, but this is a collective mission. Both teams must participate, and I¡¯d rather there not be any tension between us.¡± Clint stopped picking at his ear and flicked whatever he had dug out at Sherry. ¡°You sure talk a lot, maybe try listening sometimes.¡± Sherry frowned in disgust at both Clint¡¯s manners and words. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean. We gave you the money, that¡¯s what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡± Clint shook his head. ¡°This is the problem with woman. They never listen... All they¡¯re good for is fuckin¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Clint sighed. "Listen, bitch. When the fuck did I say that I¡¯d let you join?¡± ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t, but you implied-¡± ¡°There¡¯s your answer. Be good and stay here. Don¡¯t follow us unless you want trouble, got it?¡± Clint walked away with his lackeys before Sherry could respond. They stood in silence until they were gone. Brett kicked the ground, sending a rock flying at a tree. ¡°Fuck this! Why should we listen to them!?¡± Brett pointed in the direction Clint had gone. ¡°Let¡¯s go after them! The reward is per head. Nothing is stopping us from killing them, collecting the ears, and turning them in. What are they gonna do, fight us instead of the goblins? No one¡¯s that stupid.¡± Brett¡¯s face was bright red; his blood was boiling, and rightfully so after the disrespect Clint had shown him. Liam didn¡¯t disagree. While he didn¡¯t know much about Clint and his gang, there wasn¡¯t anything they could do about them once the battle started. ¡®Clint¡¯s bluffing. He can¡¯t do anything to us¡­ No, he won¡¯t do anything.¡¯ If there was one thing Liam was confident in, it was his ability to read people. If Clint¡¯s team was strong enough to fight them and the goblins at the same time, then why bother threatening them? It would be more profitable to kill and loot them. Even without the goblins, Clint would have done something earlier when they were walking through the forest. So, it was obvious Clint was bluffing, but¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t say anything¡­ at least not right now.¡¯ The only ¡®evidence¡¯ Liam had was his intuition, but that was worthless in the eyes of strangers, so he could only sit back and watch as things unfolded. ¡°No, we stay here. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± Connor spoke next; his attitude and tone had changed entirely, coming off as mature and strong. Brett snapped at Connor''s straightforward response. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you believe that shit about him murdering those guys in the Tutorial?! Everyone knows that¡¯s bullshit! Clint¡¯s just talking out his ass!¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s true, but we need to error on the side of caution. A few nickel isn¡¯t worth our lives.¡± ¡°Then why the hell did you call him your buddy?!¡± ¡°Brett, you know me, I¡¯m like that with everyone¡­¡± Clenching his fists, Brett turned to the others. ¡°What about you guys?! Don¡¯t tell me you agree with Connor?!¡± No one answered him. ¡°Damnit!¡± At that moment, Sherry stepped forward, speaking in her usual rational voice. ¡°Connor is right. Even if it¡¯s a rumor, we need to be cautious. If they are murders, then¡­ are you prepared to kill them if necessary?¡± Brett calmed down. Killing monsters was one thing, but humans, that was too much for him. ¡°No¡­ you¡¯re right¡­¡± He breathed out, collecting himself before continuing. ¡°Okay, so what do we do then? We can¡¯t sit here and do nothing. Going back empty-handed after coming this far is just¡­ shitty.¡± Jackson threw out a suggestion. ¡°Let¡¯s just stay back and kill any of the stragglers that run away. It won¡¯t be a lot, but at least it¡¯s something.¡± Since no one had a better idea, everyone agreed. They quickly got to work setting up a perimeter to catch any goblins, and soon¡­ Woosh! An arrow flew from Liam¡¯s bow and pierced through a fleeing goblin¡¯s shoulder, causing it to trip and fall to the ground. ¡®Damn, missed again.¡¯ Liam was aiming at the area where its neck, heart, and head were. He was used to shooting small, moving targets after hunting so many critters, but consistently hitting a specific point required more precision. ¡°Nice shot, Liam!¡± Connor enthusiastically yelled as he ran over and sliced off the goblin¡¯s head with one swing. For close to an hour now, the goblins had been sporadically popping up, fleeing from their settlement; it was obvious that Clint and his team were the cause. For the sake of efficiency, Liam¡¯s team split up into three groups of two: Sherry and Brett, Jackson and Maggie, and Connor and Liam. ¡°Whew, there¡¯s sure are a lot of them¡­¡± Connor wiped the sweat off his forehead and crouched down, cutting off the ear of the goblin¡¯s severed head. ¡°How many is that now? Let¡¯s see¡­ one, two, three, four¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s around ten.¡± Connor stopped counting the goblin ears inside his bag and looked up at Liam; his eyes twinkled as if he was impressed. ¡°Ooh, so you were counting¡­ A Ranger and reliable¡­ Hey, wanna become a permanent member of the team? I promise it¡¯ll be worth it. You¡¯ll make more than you are now.¡± ¡°No.¡± Not seeming to care about Liam¡¯s instantaneous refusal, Connor stood up and patted Liam on the back. ¡°Hahaha¡­ If you turn me down that fast, you¡¯ll hurt my feelings¡­ I¡¯ll ask you again later.¡± Liam wondered, if that was even possible. Nothing appeared to get under Connor¡¯s skin, no matter what insult people said, he brushed them all off as if a friend was messing with him. Either he was the best actor, friendliest guy, or most oblivious person in the world. In any case, he wasn¡¯t the kind of guy Liam got along with. Rustle, rustle.The bushes shook, and both Liam and Connor glanced at each other before switching into battle mode. Connor raised his sword, and Liam pulled back his bowstring.Rustle, rustle¡­ Liam and Connor¡¯s eyes widened in shock and surprise as a person stumbled out of the bushes. ¡°!!!¡± ¡°!!!¡± Streams of blood ran out of the man¡¯s eyes. His irises were cloudy, covered by an opaque film, making his eyes appear almost entirely white. Liam and Connor both took a step back, out of caution and fear. Something was wrong with him, and neither of them wanted to get close, their instincts told them to keep their distance. The man¡¯s skin was dyed a glossy shade of red. Blood seemed to seep out of every pore. It dripped from his arms, from his chin, and rolled off his legs; a puddled had begun to form near his feet. As he took a step forward and weakly raised his arm, he opened his mouth to speak. ¡°He-luueeeck!¡± Bloody vomit shot out of his mouth. He made a gurgling sound as more vomit poured out. As the soupy liquid rolled off his chin, his eyes rolled back, and he swayed side to side. Thud! He fell face-first onto the ground. Chapter 22: The Hunter and the Hunted (2) ¡°Fuck! Is that one of Keith¡¯s guys?!¡± Connor broke the silence and rushed over to the man. He turned the man over and immediately cursed. ¡°SHIT, it is! What the fuck happened to him?!¡± Connor¡¯s head snapped towards Liam. ¡°Liam, get Sherry! QUICK!¡± Liam nodded and ran off to find Sherry. If anyone could figure out what was wrong with the man, it was her. And for their safety, knowing what happened could be the difference between life and death, every piece of information was important. When Sherry arrived, she rushed over to the collapsed man and shouted at Connor. ¡°W-What happened?!¡± Her shock and confusion were understandable. Liam had only told her the bare minimum ¨C that they had found one of Clint¡¯s men collapsed and bleeding. There wasn¡¯t time to explain, nor were there words to describe the man¡¯s condition, so Liam kept things brief, only letting her know the situation¡¯s urgency. ¡°No clue. He came out of the bushes lookin¡¯ like this and collapsed before saying anything¡­ I checked his whole body but can''t find any wounds¡­ How is that possible?¡± Connor had a troubled expression. He seemed to be attempting to unravel the mystery using what little information they had, but everything about it was too bizarre. Sherry didn¡¯t respond. Her hands were busy moving. She checked his pulse, eyes, mouth, and every inch of his skin before her hands stopped. ¡°He¡¯s alive, but¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish her statement, and instead, resumed her inspection, meticulously checking the man¡¯s body as if searching for something. ¡°But? But what?¡± Connor impatiently urged Sherry to continue. ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure¡­ I think he¡¯s been poisoned, but then there should be an entry wound. Even a scrape would be enough, but I can¡¯t find anything¡­ Unless it was orally ingested, then¡­ no, that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Sherry trailed off as she began muttering to herself. ¡°F-Fuck¡­¡± Connor''s face paled. ¡®Poison, but by what? And how?¡¯ Did he eat something? Get stung, or bitten? Or was it something else? A chill ran down Liam¡¯s spine at the numerous possibilities that came to mind, depending on which it was they might be at risk too. However, his thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone shouting at them from afar. ¡°Hey, what happened?! Is everyone alright?!¡± Brett ran over with Jackson and Maggie following behind. They had been stuck finishing off some goblins but were concerned when Liam had rushed over to get Sherry. After the situation was explained, their expressions stiffened. Everyone was silent; their brains were working to rationalize things and ease their rising unnerve, except¡­ ¡°Umm, sooo¡­ yeah, I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s the big deal? Why are you guys so tense?¡± Jackson casually shrugged. While he understood it was dangerous, it was just that¡­ ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a bit spooky and bizarre. But c¡¯mon! This is Orbis! We¡¯ve seen weirder shit than poison before. Once Sherry heals him, we¡¯ll find out what happened. There, mystery solved. No need to-¡± Whack! Maggie smacked Jackson. ¡°Owwww¡­¡± Rubbing the back of his head, Jackson looked at her. ¡°What was that for?!¡± ¡°Are you stuuuupid?! Did you forget Sherry has a limit of three, THREE spells a day! She can¡¯t just go around healing people left and-!¡± Whack! Jackson smacked Maggie back. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that! I was asking a question! Who knows, maybe Sherry can¡¯t heal him, or something! Bet you didn¡¯t think of that, huh? So, tell me again, who¡¯s the idiot?¡± ¡°Grrrrrr¡­ you¡­ you¡­!¡± Maggie ground her teeth, glaring at Jackson with a vengeful look. A sibling fight could break out any second, but the others weren¡¯t focused on that. Brett stared at Connor, who had been unusually silent for a long time. Unable to bear it any longer, Brett finally said something. ¡°Connor, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing¡­ I was just thinking about something I heard in the bar a few days ago¡­¡± Connor tried to brush aside Brett¡¯s concern, but that only intensified Brett¡¯s interest. ¡°Well, what was it?¡± ¡°It was just a rumor. And the guys talking about it were drunk, so I don¡¯t know how credible it is. It might not even be related at all¡­ Shit. Maybe I should¡¯ve asked them about it¡­¡± ¡°Fuck Connor! Just spit it out! What¡¯d ya hear?!¡± Everyone¡¯s attention turned and focused on Connor, even Jackson and Maggie had stopped their bickering to listen. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll tell you. Calm down. There¡¯s no need to be so pushy¡­ They were talking about some creepy stuff that¡¯s been going on in the forest recently. It was shit straight outta a horror movie. Disappearances, mauled corpses, deaths from supernatural causes, you name it¡­ Mannnnn, just thinking about it gives me chills.¡± Connor paused and rubbed his arms as if he were cold. ¡°Anyways¡­ one of them thought it was a magic-user, and probably an amateur at that. The others laughed saying it was either that or a rampaging lunatic based on how sloppy the killings were¡­ It got me thinking, are this and that related? Is the poison some kind of magic?¡± Silence. None of them knew much about magic. The only time they had seen it was when the Host used it in the Tutorial, or when Sherry used hers to heal. Outside of that, their exposure was zero. They couldn¡¯t even begin to guess how limitless it was and the forms it could take. All of them were in the same position, except¡­ ¡°What do you think, Liam?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liam was caught off guard by Connor¡¯s inquiry. He hadn¡¯t been expecting Connor to ask for his opinion out of all of them. They hadn¡¯t known each other for more than a few hours, which was too short a time to establish any form of trust. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a Mage or something else? You¡¯ve had different experiences than us, so I thought you might know something we don¡¯t. If not, that¡¯s fine too.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The truth was Liam did know something. He wasn¡¯t one-hundred percent sure about it, but he didn¡¯t need to be. ¡°It¡¯s not a Mage¡­ well, at least it¡¯s not a human one.¡± ¡°Huh, wha-? How can you be so sure about that?¡± Connor hadn¡¯t expected Liam to give such a fast and confident answer. ¡°You said they called it a magic-user and not a Mage, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but that doesn¡¯t guarantee it¡¯s a monster, does it? It could easily be referring to both.¡± Liam shook his head. If what Keith told him was correct, new Mages should be receiving special treatment from the Association. Unless they were a psychopath that enjoyed killing for fun, which was unlikely, there was no need for them to rampage throughout the forest. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this, but the Association recruits every Mage into a group known as the Elites. They are trained and live a pampered life without any concern for money. There¡¯s no reason for them to bother with a mission like this. Plus, I can¡¯t see the Association letting their new talents wander around the forest alone and risk being hurt.¡± From Keith¡¯s story, Liam had gathered that the Association regarded the Elites as investments, not people. As long as the Elites were still profitable, they didn¡¯t want to risk losing them. ¡°Where did you hear that? I did hear something about a superior group of Earthlings, but nothing about the Association''s involvement.¡± ¡°From the instructor at the Earthling Training Course a few weeks ago. But does it matter? There¡¯s no reason for me to lie, and you just said that you¡¯d heard of an elite group of Earthlings. Our information matches.¡± It wasn¡¯t that Liam didn¡¯t want to give out Keith¡¯s name, he just knew that Connor wouldn¡¯t know him. Neither he nor his teammates participated in the Training Course. If they had, Liam would have recognized them as he was there more than any other Earthling. ¡°Hmm, I guess you have a point.¡± Connor nodded, seemingly satisfied, as he walked over to Liam. ¡°Andddddd¡­¡± There was a smile on his face that stretched from one ear to the other. ¡°¡­We¡¯re buddies, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure¡­¡± Liam hesitantly bumped fists with Connor; he was a little uncomfortable with Connor¡¯s overly friendly nature. ¡°Well, now that that¡¯s settled. Let¡¯s get to work, team!¡± ¡°What are you going on about? Get to work on what?¡± Sherry snorted as she stood up, brushing off the dirt on her knees. Connor ignored her question; instead, focusing his attention on the poisoned man. ¡°Hmm... Sherry, weren¡¯t you treating him? I know you can¡¯t heal him, but you¡¯re still a nurse. Can¡¯t you do something to help him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s¡­¡± Connor became downcast for a moment but perked back up. ¡°Anyways, we need to focus on ourselves right now. As Brett said earlier, it would be a waste go back empty-handed, and¡­ it looks like Clint and his team got into some trouble. So, the way I see it, this is the prefect opportunity for us. Let¡¯s finish up the mission, go back to town and collect the reward.¡± ¡°Correct. You¡¯re missing a few of the finer details, but that¡¯s nothing new¡­ First, we need to scout the settlement. After assessing what we¡¯re up against, if the mission looks impossible to complete, then we¡¯ll have to reevaluate our options. We also need to keep an eye out for the magic-user.¡± Sherry¡¯s stern tone was the same as always, but the edges of her lips were turned upwards. She wasn¡¯t alone, either. Everyone was pleased with how things were turning out; none of them held any goodwill for Clint or his team. A beaming smile appeared on Connor¡¯s face as he looked at Liam. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing we have a Ranger for that, right Liam?¡± Liam nodded, affirming that he was up for the task. His last scouting mission hadn¡¯t gone as planned, but since then he had gained a lot more experience. He wouldn¡¯t make the same mistakes again. Quickly and stealthily, the group began to move through the forest¡­ Rustle, rustle¡­ On the perimeter of the goblin¡¯s settlement, Liam crawled through the bushes as quietly as possible. He pushed aside the branches, making a hole large enough to look out of and surveyed the area. ¡®One, two¡­ seven, eight, nine¡­ fifteen, sixteen¡­ nineteen¡­¡¯ Liam stopped counting the dead goblins scattered on the ground; there were too many. This wasn¡¯t a settlement; it was a gruesome battlefield. The straw huts were torn apart and the ground was soaked in blood. Goblins were chopped up, missing arms, legs, and heads. Some were even bisected; their lower half separated from their upper, organs spilling out. ¡®There¡¯s eight alive.¡¯ A few goblins were weeping over the corpses, sometimes even cradling the dismembered body parts. It was a scene that made you wonder¡­ Who were the bad guys, again? To Liam, that was a meaningless question. Monsters were monsters. If the tables were turned, would they spare him? It was pointless to consider such thoughts. His own survival was all that mattered, and that hinged on his ability to grow and adapt to this world. Killing monsters wasn¡¯t a choice. It was his work, his new life. Liam¡¯s eyes continued to search the area. ¡®Where are they? Are they still alive?¡¯ There were no human bodies, which could mean a few things. One, Clint¡¯s team was still alive, and the man earlier was the only victim. Two, they had escaped and fled after encountering the magic-user. Three, they were still fighting. And finally, they were killed, and their bodies were taken elsewhere. The latter three being the more likely of the four. Unable to find anything else, Liam retreated back into the bushes and rejoined the others. ¡°Well? What¡¯d you see?¡± Connor spoke in a hushed voice, cupping his mouth and leaning close to Liam. ¡°There were eight goblins still alive and at least thirty dead. As for Clint and his team, nothing. I couldn¡¯t see any of their bodies.¡± ¡°Are you saying that they¡¯re still alive?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s more likely they fought somewhere else or their bodies were hidden.¡± ¡°Right. What about the magic-user? Did you see them?¡± Again, Liam shook his head. ¡°No, not unless it¡¯s one of the eight goblins, but that¡¯s doubtful. They looked too shabby, no different than normal one. I didn¡¯t see anything that could be related to magic, nor any signs of it being used.¡± ¡°I see. Good work, Liam¡­ Well, team¡­¡± Connor paused and his lips curled into a greedy grin. ¡°¡­It seems that Clint did the hardest part for us and wiped out most the goblins. All that¡¯s left is for us to swoop in, collect the spoils, and clean up a few remnants¡­¡± Connor checked that everyone was in agreement before moving on to their plan of action. ¡°Here¡¯s the plan... We take out the ones left and collect what we need, then get out of there. If possible, I want to avoid a run-in with the magic-user. They won¡¯t be expecting another group to show up so quickly after the first, and their guard will be down¡­ Liam, you take out the ones that are farthest away from the forest¡¯s edge, and we¡¯ll get the ones closer. We do it at the same time. I¡¯ll give a signal, so look for this¡­¡± Connor held up his hand and made an ¡®okay¡¯ hand sign. ¡°When you see that, we take them out before they can alert the others. Sound good?¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± With that, the plan was set in motion¡­ Liam positioned himself inside the bushes on the edge of the settlement again. It was the ideal spot for a Ranger. He was hidden from sight and had a full view of the battlefield. The only way it could be better is if he were on higher ground. ¡®One¡¯s missing.¡¯ Scanning the area, he only counted seven goblins. The one missing must have moved away while they were discussing their strategy. ¡®This makes things easier.¡¯ Excluding Sherry, who wasn¡¯t fighting for obvious reasons, they had five on their side. If they wanted to remain unnoticed, two of them needed to take out at least two goblins in quick succession. Liam was one of the two. Since he used a bow, his task was sniping the targets in the middle of the settlement, the ones the other four couldn¡¯t sneak up on. While they were moving into position, Liam nocked an arrow and aimed, readying himself. Jackson, Maggie, and Connor each marked one goblin while Brett took the remaining two. Once everyone was ready, Connor gave the signal and Liam released the bowstring. Whoosh! His arrow cut through the air, piercing the neck of a goblin. Without wasting a second, Liam nocked another arrow and fired at the second goblin. Whoosh! ¡°Kyaaaaahk!¡± The goblin screamed as the arrow hit its shoulder, narrowly missing its neck. Liam cursed under his breath and prepared to fire again. The others had already taken out their targets, and this was the only one left. The goblin stumbled to its feet and began to run, but¡­ Slice! Connor had bolted over and sliced off its head before it could run more than a few feet. ¡°Phew.¡± Liam let out his breath and relaxed his body. It was a short, tense battle, but ended in a clean victory for them. They were lucky that one of the goblins left; otherwise, things would¡¯ve been much more difficult. ¡®Things worked out well.¡¯ Liam was satisfied with the outcome. While it was unfortunate that he didn¡¯t get to practice as much as he hoped, a big payday was nothing to complain about either, especially when he barely needed to lift a finger. Clint¡¯s misfortune was their fortune. Seeing Connor waving at him, Liam stepped out of the bushes to join the others. ¡°See? Easy, right? I told you everything would work out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we scouted and made a plan. At first, you wanted to charge in headfirst, remember?¡± Sherry corrected Connor as soon as she joined the circle. ¡°And don¡¯t forget, one is missing. We need to keep an eye out for it and any others that show up.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. I know. But can¡¯t you let me celebrate just this once? We all did really well.¡± ¡°Celebrate as much as you want but do it while collecting the ears, don¡¯t forget we need proof of the kills.¡± ¡°Fineeeee¡­¡± Connor whined but got to work collecting the ears with the others; they needed to hand in a pair of goblin ears to receive the reward from the Association, which was typical of any subjugation missions. Liam crouched down near a pile of goblins and began cutting. Luckily for them, Clint¡¯s team didn¡¯t have a chance to collect any ears. ¡®This is the worst part.¡¯ Although he had done it a lot over the past week, dismantling and collecting parts of monsters was still unpleasant. It wasn¡¯t the visual aspect that made it gross so much as the physical act of touching slimy tissue and organs. Maybe one day, it would become no different than handling raw chicken to him. Liam finished cutting off the last goblin ear and stuffed it into his bag. When he was about to stand up, behind him¡­ ¡°Gyuuuaaahk!!¡± Jackson suddenly coughed up a pint of blood and collapsed. Chapter 23: The Hunter and the Hunted (3) ¡°JACKSON!!¡± Maggie screamed as Jackson hit the ground. Connor was already running over to Maggie with his sword drawn, ready for battle, shouting¡­ ¡°SHERRY!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Everyone except Liam rushed over and stood around Jackson. Sherry began inspecting him as Connor started questioning Maggie; she was next to Jackson when he collapsed. ¡°Maggie, what happened?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know¡­ he was fine and then¡­ and then he just¡­¡± Maggie¡¯s voice was stricken with panic. ¡°Calm down, Maggie! We have Sherry! He¡¯ll be fine!¡± Maggie took a few deep breaths and collected herself before speaking again. ¡°He was fine, and then... and then he suddenly collapsed! I know he wasn¡¯t hurt unless... unless he tried to hide it. But he¡¯s a wimp, so he¡¯d definitely whine about it¡­ Sherry, is he gonna be okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sherry, who had finished her inspection, stayed silent. ¡°SHERRY ANSWER HER!¡± Connor yelled. Out of all of them, he was the most worked up. He seemed frustrated at his inability to help Jackson. All he could do was put his faith in Sherry; Jackson¡¯s fate was in her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to panic¡­¡± ¡°JUST SAY IT!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as the man before ¨C poison.¡± Instantly, Connor eyes began darting around the area, searching for the attacker. He raised his sword and moved his body in front of Sherry. Brett followed suit and covered the other side. Connor spoke in a hushed but urgent voice. ¡°¡­Does that mean the magic-user¡¯s here? No, more importantly, can you heal him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I¡¯ve never used magic on anything besides broken bones and cuts, and the spell¡¯s description in my status window says that it¡¯s for physical wounds¡­ It might not work on magic or poison. I don¡¯t want to waste any spells. We might need them for-¡± Maggie grabbed onto Sherry¡¯s arm and started frantically shaking her. ¡°N-No! You have to try! Please! Please don¡¯t let him die! He¡¯s my brother!¡± Sherry¡¯s composure didn¡¯t falter. ¡°I understand that, but¡­ I need to consider the rest of the team as well. He¡¯s not in any immediate danger. Look¡­¡± She pointed at the pile of vomit on the ground. ¡°There¡¯s blood mixed in, but it¡¯s not as much as the other man. I¡¯m pretty confident that the poison affecting Jackson is weaker than what we saw before. Otherwise, his condition would be much worse. By my estimate, he has at least an hour left. I would rather not waste spells on uncertainties, at least not until the magic-user is killed, but if his condition gets any worse, then I¡¯ll use my magic.¡± ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± Sherry¡¯s cold voice cut off Maggie¡¯s whimpering. ¡°I have nothing against Jackson. This is simply the most rational decision.¡± Connor cut in; his voice was sharp as a knife, not a hint of his usual playfulness remained. ¡°Sherry. Heal him.¡± ¡°No. I already told you, this is the optimal decision. If he¡¯s about to die, then I will. But until-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t argue. Heal him. That¡¯s an order.¡± Sherry snorted. ¡°Since when are you the leader? You may have created this team, but I don¡¯t remember agreeing-¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± Sherry bit her lower lip. ¡°Fine¡­ Don¡¯t blame me later.¡± Reluctantly she began casting a healing spell on Jackson. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Connor whispered as a faint smile appeared on his face. He knew Sherry hadn¡¯t made her decision lightly. This was harder on her than anyone else. After all, she had to restrain herself from healing one of her comrades for the sake of the greater good. As Sherry said, it was the logical decision. Perhaps, it was also the better one too, but Connor didn¡¯t care. He only cared about saving his teammate. The future was something he would deal with when it came. While the others were dealing with Jackson, Liam was¡­ ¡®Why hasn¡¯t it attacked anyone else yet? It¡¯s had ample time to prepare, so why¡­?¡¯ Liam scanned his surroundings, searching for where the magic-user might be hiding. As his eyes searched, his mind thought. ¡®Are there conditions to the magic? Or is it something else? It seems that it can only attack one person at a time¡­¡¯ Liam became positive of one thing¡­ ¡®Sitting here is the worst decision! We need to find it before it attacks again!¡¯ They couldn¡¯t give the magic-user time to prepare another spell, especially when the time between attacks was so long. Liam¡¯s search hastened. The fact it only attacked after they showed themselves meant it needed to see the target for the magic to work, meaning it had to be close. ¡®Out of six of us, it attacked Jackson. Sherry and I were hiding, so it couldn¡¯t target us. But the others weren¡¯t¡­ If I can find the place that had a line of sight on Jackson¡¯s position, I might be able to narrow down it¡¯s hiding spot.¡¯ Liam quickly moved over to where Jackson was before he collapsed and resumed his search. ¡°Liam, what are you doing?¡± Brett tilted his head. He found Liam¡¯s behavior odd, especially given the severity of the situation. ¡°The magic-user is hiding¡­¡± Liam paused, causing Brett greater confusion. ¡°Yeah, we know that. That¡¯s why we¡¯re on guard¡­ Liam, are you feeling okay?¡± Liam ignored him and pointed towards a cluster of bushes. ¡°There¡­¡± ¡°Huh? I still don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying.¡± ¡°There, there, there, and there¡­¡± Liam pointed to four more places. They were all the sections of bushes on the edge of the settlement that had a clear line of sight on Jackson. Assuming the magic-user hadn¡¯t moved, it was in one of those five places. Liam finally clarified to the others what he was talking about. ¡°Those are all the places the magic-user could be hiding. We need to find it before it attacks again. It can¡¯t use the poison spell consecutively, or else it would¡¯ve already used it again. It¡¯s biding its time.¡± Liam didn¡¯t need to say anymore; everyone instantly understood. His theory was logical, and it was all they had. ¡°Okay, but what makes you say it¡¯s in one of those places? Are those guesses, or are you basing it on something?¡± Connor questioned Liam as he eyed the nearest hiding spot; clearly, he was itching to take out the magic-user as soon as possible. ¡°It¡¯s partially a guess, but all of those places have a line of sight on where Jackson was positioned earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear.¡± Connor nodded and pointed at two of the locations, claiming them. ¡°I¡¯ll take those two over there. Liam and Brett, you two split the last three. Maggie, stay here and protect Sherry!¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± Maggie gave a resolute nod and wiped the tears from her eyes.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Connor, Liam, and Brett split up¡­ Liam pushed his way through the dense thicket, searching for any trace of the magic-user. Many bushes and trees were tightly packed together, making perfect hiding places. He checked them all but found nothing. Exiting the thicket, Liam looked around. Brett was already searching his second area, and Connor was still on his first. Instantly, Liam came to a decision and headed to the final location, one that Connor had previously claimed. It didn¡¯t matter who searched it as long as someone did and fast, finding the magic-user was their top priority. Liam arrived at the cluster of bushes at the same time as Connor. Without speaking a word, a single nod was all they needed to understand what the other was thinking. They divided the area in half, each searching one side. When they had made it deep enough into the forest¡­ Swishhhhh! With the sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air, the branches in front of them were sliced in half as something flew toward them at lightning speed. Liam¡¯s feet moved before his mind did. He instinctually jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the invisible blade; if not for the branches and leaves being blown away, it would have been impossible to perceive. Shhhhhh! ¡®Wind?¡¯ Hearing the whistling sound as the attack passed, that was the first thought that came to mind. After that, it was¡­ ¡®Magic.¡¯ It was the only explanation. He looked in the direction the wind-blade had come from, and that¡¯s when he saw the humanoid creature. It had an ugly face, pointy ears, bald head, and green skin. At a glance, it appeared no different than a goblin, except taller, closer to a human¡¯s height. Hobgoblin, the bigger, stronger, and more intelligent form of a goblin. That by itself wasn¡¯t an issue, even new Earthlings such as themselves could take out a single hobgoblin. The problem was that it was a magic-user. ¡®No¡­ rather than a Mage, it looks more like a shaman.¡¯ A necklace made of bones hung around its neck, and in one hand it held a straw doll, which was similar to a voodoo doll. ¡®Does it use curses or something? Is that what happened to Jackson and Clint¡¯s team?¡¯ Liam didn¡¯t have time to think about that. The shaman was preparing for another attack, waving its free hand in the air. He nocked an arrow and fired. Woosh! ¡°Keurk!¡± The shaman dodged, interrupting the spell. It glared at Liam and began recasting the spell, but it was no use. Liam was faster and fired a second arrow before it could finish. The shaman shouldn¡¯t have shown itself if this was the best it could do. It seemed to be more suited for assassination than head-to-head confrontation. That being said, the shaman effortlessly dodged Liam¡¯s second arrow. ¡®Shit! I missed it again!¡¯ Liam cursed at himself. Whether the shaman was skilled at dodging or Liam was unskilled at shooting was yet to be determined. It was a stalemate, but¡­ Liam wasn¡¯t alone. Slice! The shaman staggered backward, narrowly avoiding the sword swinging at its neck. Clack, clack. The bone necklace fell to the ground, and a thin red line appeared near its collar bone. Blood started flowing from the shallow wound. ¡°Kreeeeuuuuuurk!!¡± Screeching in rage, it threw away the voodoo doll and began casting again. Liam pulled back the bowstring and prepared to shoot, but¡­ Swishhhh! ¡°!!!¡± He dove to the side, trying to avoid the wind-blade rocketing toward him. But he wasn¡¯t fast enough. ¡°Aaaa-!¡± Liam clenched his jaw, suppressing a scream as the blade cut his arm. Rolling on the ground, he shouted at Connor. ¡°Careful! It¡¯s faster now!¡± The casting speed had increased more than two times. ¡°I see that!¡± Connor moved in for another strike, but before he got close enough, another wind-blade shot out, forcing him to retreat. ¡°Damnit! How many of those things can it shoot!?¡± ¡°Not sure. It seems-¡± Rustle, rustle. The leaves rustled, capturing their attention. Rustle! Brett burst out of the bushes with his mace in hand, ready for battle. ¡°I¡¯m here! Where¡¯s the-!?¡± The shaman flashed a toothy grin and switched its target from Connor to Brett. ¡°Brett, dodge!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Connor¡¯s warning meant nothing to Brett. He didn¡¯t know the attack was invisible, so he couldn¡¯t react. Slice! ¡°Aaaaaaaaaahk!!¡± Brett screamed as the wind-blade sliced into his shoulder, gouging out a large piece of flesh, and nearly cutting off his arm. He collapsed to his knees, holding his arm. ¡°Goddammit! SHERRY! SHERRY, GET OVER HERE!¡± Connor yelled at the top of his lungs, and at the same time, Liam shot the shaman, and his arrow pierced its shoulder. ¡°Kreeeeeeeeeurk! ¡°Fuck!¡± The shriek brought Connor¡¯s attention back to the battle. He tightened his grip on the sword; his eyes were blazing, filled with a desire for revenge. ¡°Brett, hang on!¡± Pushing off the ground with the balls of his feet, Connor launched toward the shaman. Swish! Swish! Swish! The shaman fired a volley of attacks at Connor, but it was no use. Between his quick footwork and Liam¡¯s covering fire, Connor dodged all of them and¡­ Slice! With the swift swing of his sword, the shaman¡¯s head was cut off. Liam lowered his bow and let out a sigh. It was over; they had won. Both his mind and his muscles relaxed, knowing that the threat of being attacked by magic was gone. Thud! Hearing the loud sound, instantly, Liam¡¯s looked in the direction it came and saw Connor collapsed, face first in the dirt. Liam¡¯s guard instantly returned. ¡®Is there something else here?!¡¯ There were other possibilities, but Liam¡¯s mind jumped to the worst. His eyes were about to start scanning the surrounding forest, when he noticed the state of Connor¡¯s body. It was shredded. Numerous cuts and slashes covered his skin, making it hard to say who was in worse condition, Brett or him. Liam was the last one standing, which meant there was only one thing he could do. Turning, he prepared to get Sherry, when¡­ Rustle, rustle. With near perfect timing, Sherry popped out of the bushes; she was responding to Connor¡¯s call for help earlier. Following behind her was Maggie, supporting a weak Jackson whose complexion had improved a little, at the very least, it seemed his life was no longer in danger. ¡®Was the magic lifted when the shaman died?¡¯ Liam could think of multiple reasons for Jackson¡¯s recovery. Perhaps, the shaman could only use one magic at a time and the spell was canceled when the shaman started firing the wind-blades. It could also be connected to the voodoo doll or bone necklace, and of course, there was Sherry¡¯s healing magic too. Liam wanted to know exactly what happened in case he ever ran into a similar type of magic in the future, but now wasn¡¯t the time to ask. Sherry brushed off the leaves sticking to her cloths and glanced between Liam and the other two before speaking. Her voice was calm, unfazed by the destitute state of her comrades. ¡°What happened? Which one is more serious, do you know?¡± Liam shook his head. ¡°We killed the magic-user... As for them¡­ sorry, I don¡¯t know which is worse. Brett¡¯s arm was nearly chopped off, and Connor was cut multiple times during his final charge.¡± Hearing the last bit about Connor¡¯s charge, Sherry snorted and walked toward Brett, seemingly annoyed. As Sherry treated both Brett and Connor, Liam learned what had happened on their end. Sherry¡¯s magic didn''t work. Maggie had insisted that she keep trying but Sherry adamantly refused, saying it would be a waste. Things were looking bleak for Jackson and they had prepared for the worst. However, around the time that Connor called for Sherry, Jackson suddenly began showing signs of recovery. From that, Liam guessed that the voodoo doll was responsible for the magic, since the timing of Jackson¡¯s recovery and the shaman discarding the doll roughly matched up. It made him wonder if the magic was a type of curse, and not poison. Fortunately for Brett and Connor, and unfortunately for Liam, Sherry had two spells left. While her magic couldn¡¯t fully heal Brett and Connor, it was enough to stabilize them until they reached the church in town. Liam, on the other hand, didn¡¯t get healed. The cut on his arm was minor compared to the other two, so Sherry cleaned and stitched it up, promising to heal it tomorrow. The journey back to town took twice as long due to the injured, so It was late afternoon when Liam, Sherry and Maggie delivered the other three to the church. After helping, Liam was about to leave when Connor grabbed his arm. Still half-conscious, Connor insisted that Liam join their team and become an official member. Liam declined. After parting ways, Liam headed straight to the Association to collect his reward. They had split the goblin ears between them, each getting six pairs. It was equivalent to twelve nickel, a hefty sum for Liam, who had barely made three nickel a day. Entering, Liam headed straight to the back and dropped the bag of ears in front of the receptionist. She grumbled as she raised her head off the counter, annoyed at having her daily nap interrupted. She opened the bag and counted the ears before handing Liam his reward. Liam checked the amount, and after making sure it was correct, he went over to the bar and sat down. It had been a long time since he had a drink, the last was when he ran into May three weeks ago. Considering how often he drank back on Earth; this might have been the longest time he had gone without one. Liam signaled to the bartender, a middle-aged man with combed-back gray hair. He spoke to Liam in a tired voice. ¡°You want something?¡± ¡°One beer and¡­¡± Liam looked at the juicy steak that the man next to him was eating. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had a good meal, even back on Earth, he ate nothing but frozen meals and cheap takeout. Treating himself to something nice every once in a while, wasn¡¯t a bad idea. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll take that. Whatever he¡¯s eating.¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯ll be five copper.¡± Liam paid the bartender and waited for his food. It didn¡¯t take long, no more than ten minutes passed before a sizzling steak was placed in front of him. Cutting off a big piece, he stabbed into it with his fork and stuffed it in his mouth. ¡®So, gooood.¡± His mouth was in heaven. Having eaten only dried meats, bread, and soup, the juicy steak was nothing short of delicious. SLAM! Suddenly, the door flew open, but Liam didn¡¯t turn around. He had already grown used to the noisy atmosphere here and continued devouring his meal. A girl had stumbled inside and fell onto the ground. Covered head-to-toe in dirt and blood, the area around her eyes was red, and her face was ghastly white. She screamed in a panicked voice as she pushed herself up. ¡°H-HELP! PLEASE HELP!¡± While Liam showed no interest, the same wasn¡¯t true for the other patrons who were always starved for entertainment. The bar had fallen silent and everyone was staring at her, waiting to hear what she had to say. ¡°Please help! My... My team was¡­!¡± The girl got choked up and couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. It didn¡¯t matter though. Everyone had already lost interest the moment the words ¡®help¡¯ and ¡®team¡¯ were put together. If her team had gotten themselves into trouble, it wasn¡¯t anyone else¡¯s problem. Immediately, as if someone hit the play button on a remote, the room returned to its usual noisy atmosphere. The girl¡¯s eyes darted around, as she whimpered, hoping that someone might look her way and offer help. ¡°Please¡­¡± No one cared. This fact seemed to fuel her determination. She stormed over to the receptionist and began pleading. ¡°Please, please, you have to help! My, my team is¡­ about to die! I need-!¡± The receptionist interrupted her. ¡°If you want to make a request, then fill out the form over there.¡± There was an apathetic look on her face. Dealing with all these people alone was bad enough, she didn¡¯t care about dealing with this distraught girl, especially not at the end of the day. ¡°H-How¡­ How long will that take?¡± The girl¡¯s voice quivered slightly. She was trying to hold onto hope that her team would be fine, but things were looking bleaker by the second. The receptionist shrugged. ¡°Maybe a week. Depends.¡± The remaining color in the girl¡¯s face instantly drained and her eyes widened. ¡°I-I can¡¯t wait that long!¡± ¡°Those are the rules. No exceptions¡­ If you¡¯re done, then leave. I¡¯m busy.¡± The receptionist did her best to shoo the girl away, but she wasn¡¯t listening. Instead, she was fishing something out of her bag. She pulled out a medallion and slammed it down on the counter. ¡°Please! I¡¯ll do anything, just save them!¡± ¡°Listen, I already told you ¨C !!!!¡± The receptionist¡¯s eyes shot open, and she jumped out of her seat when she saw the medallion. Her attitude did a 180-degree turn in an instant, apologizing and slightly lowering her head to the girl. ¡°Oh my gosh! I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t know the Association was looking to recruit you... Follow me. I¡¯ll take you to the Branch Head.¡± The receptionist turned and promptly began leading the girl to a door in the back. As she entered, Liam finished his steak and leaned back, catching a glimpse of her face. ¡®Claire¡­?¡¯ Despite her dirty appearance, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t recognize her, not after being stuck with her in the Tutorial. The question was what had happened to her, and why she was being treated so kindly by the Association when she wasn¡¯t an Elite; if she was, she wouldn¡¯t have been at the Training Course a few weeks ago. ¡®Strange.¡¯ But since there was nothing he could do, and it wasn¡¯t his problem, he ordered another beer and kept drinking. After a long and stressful first few weeks in Orbis, now that he had some spare money, he could finally take some time and relax a bit. Chapter 24: Misfortune By the time the receptionist returned after escorting Claire to her destination, Liam had already started his second beer. She sat down, fidgeting restlessly and squirming in her chair, seemingly anxious about something. After a few minutes, she finally got up and began organizing the messy stacks of paper as if trying to appear productive. But her newfound motivation didn¡¯t last long, within a few minutes, she resumed her afternoon nap. Liam finished his beer and leaned back, stretching his sore muscles as he debated about whether or not to order a third. SLAM! Suddenly, the backdoor flew open, and a burly man stepped into the room, followed by Claire. He had a messy beard and shaggy hair, the look of someone who had put off maintaining their appearance for a few months. His muscular arms were covered in scars, giving the impression that he had served many years on the battlefield. The receptionist grumbled, having been roused from her sleep, she lifted her head to look in the direction of the sound and¡­ ¡°!!!¡± She jumped up, knocking her chair over, startled by his sudden appearance in the room. ¡°B-Branch Head i-is something wrong? W-Why are you¨C¡± The Branch Head cast her a sharp glance that seemed to say, ¡®I¡¯ll deal with you later,¡¯ instantly silencing her. She sat back down with a look of dread, imagining the lecture that awaited her. The Branch Head¡¯s brow creased as his eyes scanned the room. The Earthlings were behaving the same as always; none of them were paying attention to him, even the ones who knew who he was only glanced at him before turning away. The scowl on his face deepened as he was reminded of the reason why he never bothered to come downstairs. ¡°Listen up, you lazy fucks and drunk bastards!!¡± His harsh tone matched his foul language. Despite this, most of the Earthlings still didn¡¯t pay any attention to him; unruly patrons and loud drunks were nothing new, so the Branch Head¡¯s vulgar words were filtered out. Tap¡­tap¡­tap¡­ The Branch Head impatiently tapped his foot. His face twisted as if he was trying to hold himself back from exploding. Tap¡­tap¡­tap¡­tap¡­ Unable to restrain himself any longer, the Branch Head raised his foot and smashed it down with enough power to bend the floorboards. BANGGG!! ¡°HEY, YOU SHIT HEADS!! FUCKING LISTEN TO ME WHEN I¡¯M SPEAKING!!¡± The building quaked from his inhuman strength and booming voice. The Earthlings who had raised their glasses to take a sip received a face full of lukewarm beer instead. And soon, angry shouts filled the room. ¡°Ahhh! What the fuck?!¡± ¡°My beeerrrrrrrr!!¡± ¡°You fucker, you better pay for that!¡± If garnering respect was the Branch Head¡¯s goal, he had undoubtedly failed. However, he only wanted to capture the attention of the room and had succeeded flawlessly, although not in a good way. The Earthlings exhibited a variety of responses as they stared at the Branch Head, but most could be separated into two categories: those who recognized the Branch Head and those that didn¡¯t. Within the first category, some Earthlings cursed and groaned, others that straightened their backs as they listened attentively, and there was even a small minority that eyed the exit. The response from second category was similar to the first except most of the Earthlings showed signs of confusion at the man¡¯s sudden appearance and demanding attitude. However, a few of the drunker, more hotheaded Earthlings stood up and cracked their knuckles in a threatening manner, under the impression that the man was looking for a fight. The Branch Head ignored their gazes and continued to speak. ¡°I¡¯m issuing an emergency mission!¡± With those words, the Earthlings within the first category settled down, and their expressions turned stern, except a few who had stood up during the confusion and started to make their way towards the door stealthily. The other Earthlings, who were unfamiliar with both the man and the mission classification, either whispered to their neighbors, asking if they knew anything about emergency missions, or continued glaring at the man, seemingly ignoring every word he said. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about leaving, unless¡­¡± The Branch Head didn¡¯t need to finish his threat, those heading toward the exit stopped dead in their tracks, petrified to take another step forward. The courage they had managed to muster, vanished instantly the moment they were spotted; they knew who he was and what he was capable of, the risk wasn¡¯t worth it. ¡°Oh? I was sure that a few of you would still try and make a dash for the door. I guess you aren¡¯t as dumb as I thought. That¡¯s good, but¡­¡± He turned towards the handful of Earthlings, who still looked eager to start a fight and plant their fist in his face. ¡°¡­There¡¯s always a few dumbasses who need to learn things the hard way.¡± The Branch Head cracked his neck, provoking them. Their faces distorted in rage as they prepared to charge. Whether it was due to alcohol or this was just their temperament, they clearly were people driven by emotion rather than logic. Either way, it didn¡¯t appear they were about to sit back and listen as a random stranger insulted them. But before they could take a step forward, their comrades stepped in and pinned them to the table. ¡°Well? Come on, what are you fuckheads waiting for? Come at me¡­ I could use a light workout.¡± The Earthlings'' faces dyed red as their struggle to break free intensified. ¡°Scared?¡± The Branch Head had a slight smirk. For some unknown reason, it appeared that he was determined to make an example out of these Earthlings. Provoked by his words, the pinned down Earthlings bucked like enraged bulls as they tried to throw off their comrades and charge at him. It was clear that they were far from sober; they were intoxicated to the point where logic and reason had left them, leaving them to behave like crazed beasts hell-bent on blood. But as strong as their desire to fight was, eventually, they were all incapacitated by their teammates. ¡°Wow. No one? Really? That¡¯s a surprise. I don¡¯t think this has ever happened before. Usually one of you always manage to break free¡­ Oh well, I guess this is easier.¡± The Branch Head seemed a bit disappointed; perhaps he was looking forward to a fight. He cleared his throat before he continued speaking, getting to the point of his visit. ¡°You morons created a reaaaaaal big mess this time! How long¡¯s it been? Maybe, ten years since there¡¯s been a mess this bad¡­ Well, I hope you''re happy with yourselves since you¡¯ll be the ones cleaning it up.¡± While no one attacked, they glared at him with blatant hostility, wondering if he was only here to insult them. The Branch Head continued in a low voice. ¡°The fucking Viermin mission¡­ You guys just had to wait, didn¡¯t you? You wanted to keep letting the reward get bigger and bigger. I bet you were looking forward to that big payday, weren¡¯t you?¡± Everyone nodded as if it were the obvious choice. Glancing at the mission, still tacked onto the board, a slight grin appeared on some of their faces as they fantasized about how they might spend the hefty reward. The base amount had doubled from twenty-five to fifty nickel, and the price per Viermin was approaching fifteen nickel. Originally, there was an unofficial agreement, a pact between everyone to wait until it was ten nickel per head before anyone took it. But when it reached that, they decided it wouldn¡¯t hurt to wait a little longer; twenty nickel sounded like a good number. If this pattern continued, no one would end up taking the mission. ¡°Well, guess what? It¡¯s over. We''re upping it to an emergency mission! Because you waited so long, the nest''s population has exploded! There¡¯s well over 100 of them now, and their numbers keep multiplying¡­¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The room became quiet. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the Branch Head, waiting to hear what he had to say next¡­ At least, that¡¯s how it looked on the outside. In their heads, they were calculating the profits. One hundred Viermin at fifteen nickel per head, that wasn¡¯t a hefty sum, it was a fortune. The Branch Head¡¯s tone became serious, stressing the importance of the mission as he continued. ¡°I bet some of you are thinking it doesn¡¯t make sense. The nest¡¯s population shouldn¡¯t be that high. Based on the average mutation speed and high failure rate, at most, it should be around ten. But it¡¯s the truth. We¡¯ve had increased reports of Viermin over the last week and with the most recent one, we¡¯re sure of it¡­ ¡­ The nest¡¯s leader is probably a mutant with a faster transformation speed, and we also think it has been using monsters instead of humans as the hosts for the infection. There¡¯s never been a record of them using monsters, so we don¡¯t know how the mutation affects them. They might be stronger or weaker than usual. It could go both ways.¡± The Branch Head paused after finishing his assessment of the situation. Many of the Earthlings hadn¡¯t paid close attention to him after they concluded that there was money to be made. Of course, there were still plenty of Earthlings like Liam, who were diligently making mental notes. ¡®Maybe, I should take the next few days off, or at least until the problem is dealt with.¡¯ This couldn¡¯t have come at a better time for Liam. Had it been a week ago, he would have had no choice but to venture into the forest despite the risk. But now, his wallet was full, so he could afford to take a few days off. Unfortunately, his plan was shattered by the Branch Head¡¯s next words. ¡°This is a REAL emergency, so everyone here who isn¡¯t drunk¡­ No, fuck it! Even if you¡¯re drunk, you¡¯re participating! All of you are going out to the forest to take care of the Viermins, right now! I want it done before morning!¡± When he added the last comment, the room seemed to stir. People began groaning, not wanting to do it today. A brave soul among the Earthlings confidently stood up, voicing his objection. ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem with participating, but it¡¯s getting close to night.¡± ¡°And¡­? Your point?¡± The Branch Head looked at the Earthling with a complete lack of interest. ¡°A night mission, with this many people, is bound to be chaotic. And Clerics like me, who¡¯ve used all their spells for the day, will be completely useless. Wouldn¡¯t it be best to wait until morning before we start? Everyone will be in much better condition by then. It¡¯s not like anything will happen between today and tomorrow.¡± The Branch Head snorted, almost laughing. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? Do you think I give a shit about what happens to you? You¡¯re doing it today, end of story.¡± Hearing the Branch Head¡¯s response, which left no room for negotiation, the Cleric mumbled to himself. ¡°The reward better fuckin¡¯ account for the extra risk we¡¯re taking.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± The Cleric twitched; he hadn¡¯t intended for the man to hear him. He quickly began backpedaling. ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t mean it like that! I was just-!¡± The Branch Head wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°You think there¡¯s a reward?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly, the Cleric, as well as all the other Earthlings, became confused. Why wouldn¡¯t they get a reward? Even though an emergency mission was a step up from an urgent mission and allowed the Association to issue a draft, that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t paid. However, this time¡­ ¡°You greedy bastards are the ones who created this mess. You think I¡¯m gonna pay you to fix it?!!¡± Everyone in the room groaned, and a few began to shout complaints, but the Branch Head¡¯s next words quickly silenced them. ¡°Quit your whining and go!! If you don¡¯t hurry up, I¡¯ll make you pay me! How¡¯s thirty nickel each sound?!¡± The Earthlings began to move. Some got up and slowly made their way to the exit, grumbling about how this was unfair, calling it slavery. Others stayed seated, taking their time as they finished their drinks. ¡®Goddammit!¡¯ In the span of a few minutes, things had gone from good to bad and then bad to worse for Liam. Did the shaman curse him with misfortune? He might have thought that if he wasn¡¯t already an unlucky person. ¡®Can I get out of this?¡¯ The whole process seemed unofficial, making him wonder how the Association planned to keep track of who participated. Could he skip the mission and go back to his inn? Would they know? What would happen if he was caught? While Liam was evaluating his options, an argument broke out between Claire and the Branch Head. ¡°I¡¯m going too.¡± Claire declared as she stepped forward, but the Branch Head grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. ¡°Listen, girly. You ain¡¯t going anywhere. My bosses won¡¯t be happy if they hear that I let you run off. I already had to pull a few strings as it is, so just wait here and let the other take care of everything.¡± ¡°No.¡± Claire tried to push off the Branch Head¡¯s hand, but his grip was too strong. ¡°Arggghh, why do you have to be so difficult? We went over this ten times upstairs, but I¡¯ll say it again. You¡¯re alone. There¡¯s nothing you can do by yourself, and I¡¯m pretty sure you know that too. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have come to me for help, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Claire fell silent at the Branch Head¡¯s last sentence. Her expression turned grim as if she had recalled some unpleasant memories. Seeing this as a good chance to drive his point home, the Branch Head continued. ¡°Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re the one that told me the Viermin attacked you out of nowhere. You said your teammates were helpless, right? And by the time you barely managed to kill one, all your friends had been knocked out and were being... Alright, I¡¯ll stop there. It looks like you get it now.¡± He stopped talking once Claire hung her head. Small droplets of water began falling to the ground, and a low murmur could be heard. The Branch Head scratched the back of his head. ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t take it the wrong way. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing this because I want to. Trust me, I know how you feel, I¡¯ve been there before¡­¡± It was an irrefutable fact that he was callous, boorish, aggressive, and violent, but he wasn¡¯t emotionless. So, when he saw Claire¡¯s depressed state, he realized that he went a little too far and attempted to cheer her up as best he could. He wasn¡¯t expecting anything to come of it, so he didn¡¯t give his words much thought as he prattled on. "¡­But you gotta understand I can¡¯t just let you rush in there. With your mental state and lack of teammates¡­ well, let¡¯s just say I can¡¯t see things going well¡­ I mean¡­ maybe if you weren¡¯t alone, then I¡¯d reconsider, but that¡¯s not the case so¡­¡± Suddenly, Claire¡¯s head snapped up, and her eyes scanned the room, spotting a certain individual, she spoke with confidence. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Huh? You¡¯re not what?¡± The Branch Head tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯m not alone.¡± Claire pointed at Liam, who was still sitting at the bar. ¡°That guy over there. Liam. That¡¯s his name. We¡¯ve worked together before.¡± ¡°What? What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°You said that you¡¯d reconsider if I wasn¡¯t alone. I¡¯m showing you that I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°I might have said that but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re gonna go back on your word? Was everything you said upstairs about honor a lie? You seemed pretty adamant about it when you talked about being a Knight. What was it you said? Once a Knight always a Knight. Was everything you said a lie to get me to make a deal and join your¡­¡± ¡°Now listen here! Nothing I said was a lie! And that doesn¡¯t change the fact you¡­¡± The Branch Head closed his mouth when he saw Claire cross her arms like a stubborn child. A curse escaped his lips. ¡°¡­fuck¡­¡± Having dealt with her stubbornness upstairs, he realized that she wasn¡¯t going to budge. If it came down to it, he could always use force, but roughing her up wouldn¡¯t reflect well on him. ¡°Dammit! Fuck! Shit! What¡¯d you say his name was again?¡± ¡°Liam.¡± The Branch Head turned towards Liam. His only chance of convincing her to stay here rested on the hope that this man didn¡¯t know her. In his heart, he prayed for that to be true as he shouted. ¡°Hey, Liam!¡± Liam broke out of his thoughts, inadvertently looking in the direction of the voice after hearing his name. Seeing Claire pointing at him and the Branch Head standing next to her, he thought... ¡®Fucking hell.¡¯ His expression remained unchanged, but inside he was cursing up a storm. The chances he could avoid participating had vanished the second he was recognized. The Branch Head pointed at Claire. ¡°Do you know this girl?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liam didn¡¯t want to get involved in this problem any more than he was already. ¡°You sure? She says she knows you, and you responded pretty quickly when I called your name¡­¡± There was no denying that, but it was a weak argument at best. ¡°My name¡¯s Liam, but I¡¯ve never worked with that girl before. She must have gotten me confused with someone else.¡± ¡°Hmm, well, guess I can¡¯t argue with that.¡± The Branch Head shrugged, showing no intention of pursuing the truth any further. He tried to feign indifference while hiding his relief. ¡°Sorry, girly. Guess you¡¯re gonna have to give up and-¡± ¡°He¡¯s lying.¡± Claire didn¡¯t give up that easily. The Branch Head fell silent. He genuinely didn¡¯t know what to say or how to refute her. At this point, it seemed the only way to make Claire stay was breaking her legs, which wasn¡¯t exactly an option for him. After a moment, he ruffled his hair in frustration. ¡°Arrrrgh!¡± If he had to deal with Claire¡¯s stubbornness for any longer it would drive him crazy. ¡°Fine, whatever! Just don¡¯t forget our deal, girly! And you¡­!¡± He glared at Liam; his eyes were sharp and intimidating, causing Liam to flinch. ¡°Make sure she doesn¡¯t die! If you come back without her, I¡¯m holding you responsible!¡± The Branch Head swiftly turned and stormed back upstairs, spewing out loads of curses as he slammed the door shut. SLAM! ¡®FUCKKK!!¡¯ Liam lifted his mug, taking a big gulp of beer, both to finish it and drown his frustrations. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Claire¡¯s tone was demanding, not a hint of friendliness or gratitude, despite forcing Liam to work with her. Setting down the glass, Liam didn¡¯t bother to hide his hostility as he venomously glared at Claire. ¡°Hey. Did you have to drag me into this shit? Are you still holding a grudge about what happened in the tutorial? Are you that much of a bitch?¡± Liam¡¯s tone and words were meant to provoke a reaction out of Claire. Since they were alone, and Claire had made it abundantly clear back in the tutorial that she didn¡¯t like him, there was no reason for him to act respectful to maintain his image. He could let out his frustrations without fear of making enemies. Well, that and he couldn¡¯t hold himself back. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Let¡¯s go.¡± Liam brow creased. He wasn¡¯t expecting a calm, almost robotic response from her. In the tutorial, she would have screamed her head off at him. ¡°Where are your two friends? Alexandra and Erika, right? Shouldn¡¯t you be asking them instead of me?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± Claire¡¯s voice was sharp and icy, making it clear that it was a touchy subject. Liam hadn¡¯t been listening when Claire entered the bar, so he didn¡¯t hear about what happened to her team, nor did he know of Alexandra¡¯s death. Still, he wasn¡¯t oblivious. He could tell that something had happened to her team and decided to drop the subject. He wasn¡¯t one to delve into other¡¯s personal matters, and it was already obvious that she was involved with the Association and this mission in some way. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Claire curtly turned and stormed off towards the door. ¡°Hey! Wait up!¡± Liam got out of his seat and chased after her. If the Branch Head¡¯s words weren¡¯t an empty threat, he had to keep her under control. Chapter 25: Fire in the Night (1) Townspeople, who were closing up their shops for the day, stopped and stared as the mob of Earthlings passed through the streets, heading toward the forest. They whispered to each other, both curious and concerned about what was happening. It wasn¡¯t every day that these kinds of things happened. Claire pushed her way through the mob, trying to make her way to the front. The only thing on her mind was saving her team. With each second that passed, it became harder to breathe. Her chest tightening, knowing that at any moment, Erika and the others might die. The Viermins had ambushed her team while they were fighting another group of monsters. At the time, they knew nothing about the strange insect-like monsters that attacked them, only that their weapons couldn¡¯t break through the monsters'' hard shells, leaving them at a disadvantage. It was only after repeatedly hitting the same place that Claire finally managed to kill one. But by then, it was too late. The monsters had incapacitated the rest of her team. She wanted to stay and fight, but her team yelled at her to get help, so she ran. She ran and ran as fast as she could back to town, praying that they would survive. ¡°Hey, slow down!¡± Liam grabbed Claire¡¯s shoulder, stopping her. ¡°Listen, I know you might not like it, but we¡¯re a team. We need to stick together. Stop trying to go off on your own.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. Let go.¡± Claire shook off his hand and began moving again. Liam didn¡¯t let her escape. He grabbed her arm, yanking her back with more force this time, spinning her around to face him. ¡°I said, let go!¡± Claire shouted as she tried to free herself. ¡°Are you stupid?! You forced me into this! If you get killed, that guy¡¯s gonna fucking kill me!¡± Claire stopped trying to pry Liam¡¯s hand off, becoming quiet for a moment. It was true that she had dragged him into this for her selfish reasons. Her only intention was to get permission to partake in the mission, having Liam ordered to protect her was an unintended consequence. While she didn¡¯t regret her actions, it would be a lie to say she didn¡¯t feel a bit guilty about dragging him into this mess. ¡°¡­Fine. If you want to stick together, then keep up with me.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re going to stay back here with me.¡± Claire glared at Liam, irritated by his flat-out rejection of her compromise. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get it?! I have to hurry if I want to save my friend and-¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about that. My only job is to make sure you don¡¯t kill yourself, and that means I¡¯m not going to let you charge headfirst into battle, dragging me along with you¡­¡± Liam stopped, realizing this wasn''t the best approach to dealing with Claire. Their goals might not align, but they were still in this together, and that meant they needed to work together, butting heads with her wasn¡¯t the answer. ¡°Listen, if you want to see this through and save your friends, you¡¯re going have to work with me. I get you might not want to, but don¡¯t forget that there¡¯s only two of us. Since that limits what we can do, we should stay in the back while the others do most of the fighting. If we''re going to work together, we both need to make some compromises. You understand that, right?¡± Claire paused and gave some thought to Liam¡¯s words. Saving Erika and the rest of her team had been the only thing on her mind, nothing else mattered. But Liam was right. If she wanted to save anybody, she needed to be alive to do it, and she couldn¡¯t do it alone, that was obvious the moment she was forced to run. Truthfully, she was weak. Despite having high enough stats to be recruited into the Association Elites, stats meant nothing when she didn¡¯t have the necessary skills or experience to go along with them. Losing her will to argue, Claire mumbled a response before walking beside Liam. ¡°Fine¡­¡± When they reached the edge of town, the sky had already turned an orangey shade of red as the sun disappeared behind the mountains. Liam crouched down and began gathering some sticks, before pulling out a bottle of liquor and a few rags from his bag. He soaked the rags in alcohol before wrapping them around the sticks to make torches. He took out the flint and tinder that he had made sure to buy after his first mission. Back then, if he had a torch, he could have finished searching the cave before the Viermins returned and would never have gone through that horrifying experience. Liam lit the torches and handed one to Claire. ¡°Here, take one. You¡¯ll need it when it gets darker.¡± She snatched it from him without saying a word of thanks. A look of displeasure appeared on her face as she let out a short snort and turned her back to him. Liam paid no attention to her. He looked around at the Earthlings, inspecting them as they finished their preparations. None of them showed any intention of working closely with anyone outside of the teammates they already knew. They had nothing in common except they all wanted to get this over with quickly so they could get on with their lives. However, they knew better than to rush into the forest alone and chose to wait for everyone else. What was more apparent was the size of the group; it was smaller than before. There had been close to thirty people when they left the bar, but now, only a little under twenty remained. At least one or two teams had the same idea as Liam did earlier and had snuck away while no one was looking. Unfortunately, Liam didn¡¯t have that option¡­ ¡®I got stuck with babysitting duty.¡¯ Liam looked at Claire, who had turned back around and was staring at him with eyes urging him to hurry up. Even though he had convinced her to cooperate earlier, her bad attitude hadn¡¯t changed. ¡®At least she¡¯s quiet.¡¯ Having someone glaring at him all the time was annoying, but it was much better than listening to constant complaints or insults. Still, it would be nice if she would stop. It felt like he was sitting at a red light with someone honking their horn behind him. If she had a problem with how slow they were moving, she should take it up with the other teams, not him; he was just following their lead. Liam continued his observations. Excluding him and Claire, there were five other groups, one of three, one of four, and two of five. In total, there were nineteen people, including themselves. The only person among them, who Liam recognized, was the Cleric who had stood up to the Branch Head. The Cleric seemed particularly upset about being forced into this mission. He kept blurting out complaints, saying how it was stupid to make a Cleric fight without any spells and calling the Branch Head incompetent. His teammates were rolling their eyes, telling him to shut up. ¡®Should we group with another team?¡¯ It was hard to call Liam and Claire a proper team, and the terrain they were fighting in was also a problem. Having been in the forest more than once now, Liam was aware that, as a Ranger, he became useless in dense, woody areas and enclosed spaces. Both of which they would encounter during the mission. At those times, he would have to rely entirely on Claire, which made him uneasy. ¡®No¡­ It might be better to take our chances alone¡­¡¯ If he joined a team that meant he had to participate. No team was going to let him sit back and stay out of harm¡¯s way while they did all the work. He would have to fight on the front lines. For now, he chose to wait and see which was safer, fighting with everyone else or hiding. Soon, the other teams began heading into the forest. Right away, Claire tried to hurry and join up with the first team, but Liam stopped her. ¡°Hey, hold on! Let¡¯s wait until at least one more team enters, okay?¡± Claire begrudgingly agreed. Liam relaxed a bit. Being in the middle of the group was the best choice for them. The front was the most dangerous, and the back was open to ambushes. From the research he gathered on Viermins weeks ago, he knew they preferred sneaky tactics, so being in the back left them vulnerable. The forest was dark. The trees overhead blocked most of the remaining sunlight, making it hard to see more than ten yards ahead. The dense shrubs lining the trail limited the Earthlings¡¯ vision on their left and right flanks. It was dead silent except for¡­ ¡°Fuck this shit!¡± ¡­the Earthling walking behind Liam, who kept complaining. Liam could tell who it was without looking. While he didn¡¯t know their name, there was only one Earthling lively enough to be chattering at this point, all the rest had begrudgingly accepted their fate and planned to complete the mission dutifully. Only the Cleric, who argued with the Branch Head back at the Association, held onto his resentment. ¡°How¡¯s it our fault that the Viermin nest expanded?! If they wanted the nest cleared out immediately, they should have said so from the start! How are we supposed to know it would turn into this? Ridiculous. Just because a mission is issued doesn¡¯t mean we have to accept it!¡± The Cleric kicked a rock. The blow sent it tumbling down the dirt path, bouncing and skipping until it hit a tree and ricocheted off into the bushes. ¡°Fucking dumbasses. Telling a Cleric to fight with no spells, might as well tell me to kill myself¡­ what a joke¡­¡± His sentence trailed off as he mumbled various insults directed at the Association in a low voice. Having been subjected to the Cleric¡¯s rant for close to thirty minutes, Liam had given up hope that it would stop anytime soon. At first, he found satisfaction in the Cleric¡¯s complaints, as he too was angry at the Association, but that feeling quickly faded as the Cleric continued. At this point, the Cleric was complaining for the sake of complaining, repeating the same things over and over like a broken record. Liam had become convinced the Cleric could find a reason to whine even if he won the lottery; he came across as that kind of person. When Liam was beginning to think the Cleric¡¯s voice would kill him long before the Viermins, a savior appeared. ¡°HOLY FUCK! Would you shut up already?! You¡¯re driving me insane!¡± The Warrior walking next to the Cleric screamed as he grabbed the Cleric¡¯s shoulders. He violently shook the Cleric, causing the Cleric¡¯s head to bob up and down like a bobblehead stuck to the dashboard of an eighteen-wheeler.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°We get it! WE FUCKING GET IT, DUDE!¡± While the rest of the Cleric¡¯s team had opted to ignore him after realizing that their attempts to silence him only fueled the fire, the Warrior couldn¡¯t take it anymore and snapped. ¡°Uh, I¡­uh¡­I¡­¡± The Cleric had a stupefied look on his face, surprised by his teammate¡¯s sudden angry outburst. ¡°None of us want to be here! But we don¡¯t have a choice. It¡¯s not like we can tell the Association to fuck off. Either those guys that ditched are idiots, or they haven¡¯t been here long enough to know how things work. Even if they¡¯re lucky and get off with a slap on the wrist, they¡¯ll regret it later. I mean, paying those fines drains your wallets, and the week-long ban on taking missions... don¡¯t get me started on that¡­¡± The Warrior stopped shaking the Cleric and let out a long sigh before giving him a pat on the shoulder. ¡°Listen, let¡¯s just get this over with and be thankful it¡¯s Viermin instead of Dwellers or any other Hard rank monsters.¡± After a short moment of silence, the Cleric regained his composure and snorted. ¡°So what?! That doesn¡¯t change the fact it¡¯s stupid to send Clerics on a mission with no spells! What am I supposed to do to defend myself, huh?! I can¡¯t cast a barrier or even heal a small cut! I¡¯m basically useless!¡± ¡°Oh, for God¡¯s sake, would you shut up about that! We all know you have two spells left. And don¡¯t even start with, ¡®Well, there¡¯s no way the Association could¡¯ve known that.¡¯ Do you think the Branch Head is that stupid? Everyone knows it¡¯s rare for a Cleric to use all their spells. The only time that happens is when a mission turns into a complete shit show. In which case, there¡¯s no way we¡¯d be relaxing and drinking at the bar.¡± The Cleric ignored the Warrior as he threw his arms up in the air, shouting his complaints for everyone to hear. ¡°Goddammit, this town sucks! I swear, once I¡¯m outta here, I¡¯ll never deal with the Association again. What a bullshit organization. They bring us here, yet they push us around and fuck us over all the time! What was the point of summoning us in the first place?! If they need us for something, they should at least treat us with a little more respect!¡± The Warrior made one last-ditch attempt to quell the Cleric¡¯s anger, but his voice lacked its previous vigor. After seeing the Cleric bounce back from his verbal onslaught, his spirt was crushed, and now he realized that his effort was in vain. ¡°Please, for my sanity and everyone else¡¯s, give it a rest already¡­ I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wrong, but it could be worse. If they wanted to, they could have made us all slaves. At least, they let us do what we want most of the time¡­ Trust me. We¡¯re better off than those snooty Elites. Who cares if they get to live luxurious lives? I¡¯d rather be a poor freeman than a rich slave.¡± While Liam did his best to ignore the argument behind him, the team leading the Earthlings suddenly came to a stop. ¡®Huh, what¡¯s going on now?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t the first time the leading team had stopped. It had happened frequently throughout the journey, so Liam wasn¡¯t too alarmed. However, the other Earthlings were quickly becoming annoyed. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this like the fifth stop in half an hour? Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± ¡°Yeah, this is getting old, fast.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it. None of the Rangers have noticed anything suspicious, so what¡¯s with this over the top level of caution?¡± The whispering behind him eventually stopped as all the Earthlings focused on listening to the conversation up ahead; even the whiny Cleric stopped talking. ¡°Hey, Pat, what¡¯s up? Why¡¯d you stop?¡± Up ahead, a Warrior, carrying a small shield and sword who also appeared to be the leader, questioned the Ranger, Pat, whose eyes had narrowed on the dark forestry to his right side. Pat didn¡¯t respond right away; his eyes continued to scan the area before he finally held his finger to his lips and spoke in a hushed voice. ¡°I think¡­ No, I¡¯m certain there¡¯s something ahead¡­¡± The Leader gave a slow nod to Pat as he turned around and gestured to the two other Warriors behind him, a spearman and a swordsman, with his chin. All three of them moved to form a tight circle around the unarmed woman, presumably their Cleric. They kept their eyes fixed on the surroundings with their weapons raised. Pat crouched down and pressed his ear to the ground. No one spoke, and no one moved, causing the forest to fall dead silent in an instant. ¡®What? What is it?¡¯ Liam¡¯s looked back and forth between dark forest on either side of him, trying to discern what was happening, but he couldn¡¯t hear or see anything suspicious. His surroundings seemed lifeless except for low hum as insects buzzed around his ear. Time passed. Seconds turned into minutes, yet Pat still didn¡¯t move. Eventually, one person had enough and let out a long sigh. ¡°Haaaaaaa¡­ This is taking too long¡­¡± A bald man, from the team in front of Liam, trotted up to Pat¡¯s team. He had his hands tucked behind his head as he whistled a catchy tune in a carefree manner. It wasn¡¯t the attitude someone should be displaying have given the tension in the air. At the same time, the man didn¡¯t give the impression of a blundering fool either. He seemed more confident than careless, as if nothing in this forest posed a threat to him. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the holdup? If it¡¯s nothing major, then we should get moving. I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m not lookin¡¯ to spend all night here¡­ So if there¡¯s a problem, let me know because maybe I can-¡± ¡°My Ranger heard something. Can¡¯t you see that?¡± The bald man frowned, hearing the Leader¡¯s sharp tone which sound like he was telling him to buzz off. ¡°Yeah, I can see that, I¡¯m not blind. I¡¯m asking if you know what he heard. Because right now, none of us have any clue why we stopped. If there were monsters within 30 to 40 yards of us, the other Rangers would have noticed. I could understand the extra caution if stealth-type monsters were living around here, but those are only found deeper in the forest.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t sure what it is yet, but my Ranger is confident there¡¯s something ahead. Just wait for him to finish, and I''ll tell you.¡± ¡°Okay, but I still don¡¯t get why you''re going this far. Isn''t giving us a heads-up enough? Or, did you forget what we¡¯re up against? It¡¯s Viermin, VIERMIN. They¡¯re only Medium-Lower rank monsters. Even if five of them attack us together, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. The same is true for everything in this part of the forest. All the monsters are weak for Earthlings who have been in Orbis for a while like us¡­¡± The bald man abruptly stopped his sentence and facepalmed. ¡°Aw, shit! I get it now! Gaaah! Why didn¡¯t I realize sooner? You guys, you¡¯ve only been in Orbis for two or three months, haven¡¯t you?¡± The Leader didn¡¯t say anything, his expression remained stiff, and his eyes stayed focus on his surroundings. Anyone watching could tell the Leader was ignoring the man; however, the man took the Leader¡¯s silence as confirmation. ¡°Ahh, I knew it! I shouldn¡¯t have let another team take the lead. Well, at least I caught it early¡­ Listen, no hard feelings, but my team will take things over from here. You did a good job until now, it¡¯s just that we need to keep things moving¡­¡± The bald man walked up and reached his arm out to pat the Leader on the back. ¡°Woah! Watch it, man!¡± He jumped back as the Leader swatted his hand away. ¡°Friend. If you¡¯ve got a problem with me and my team, save it for when we get back to town. Right now, my Ranger is working, so be quiet and stay out of the way.¡± The bald man quickly waved his hands in the air as if trying to dissipate the tension. ¡°Hey, hey. I¡¯m not looking to start a fight. I was just offering to help out since you guys were having some trouble. If we keep this pace, we¡¯ll be here until morning. My team needs to get some sleep. We¡¯re trying to save for our departure from Kelm in a few weeks, so we can¡¯t afford to miss a day of work. I¡¯m sure everyone here has similar circumstances.¡± ¡°I understand your concerns, but we have things under control. We¡¯ll be moving again soon, so be quiet and wait patiently.¡± The bald man sighed and shook his head while giving an exaggerated shrug with his arms raised and his palms facing upwards. ¡°Looks like you just don¡¯t get it¡­ Well, maybe I should have phrased it better¡­ What I¡¯m saying is, you should listen to your seniors when they offer you advice. I¡¯ve been here for almost twelve months, and my team and I are all almost Rank 2. Trust me. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°Oh? I see, so that¡¯s why¡­¡± The Leader¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. But for some reason, he didn¡¯t look all that impressed with the man. The bald man smirked and raised his chin with pride as he began lecturing the Leader. His demeanor was similar to an older sibling bragging to the younger one, trying to impress them. ¡°I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s good to be cautious, but you¡¯re going a little overboard for a few Viermins. If you keep stopping for every sound, we¡¯ll be here all night. Just relax a bit and let me take over. My team and I will wrap this up quickly so we can all be on our way.¡± The swordsman, standing next to the Leader, grit his teeth as he listened to the bald man belittling his teammate. He tightened his grip on his sword, causing the veins in his muscular arms to bulge. As he took a step forward, the thin spearman next to him moved the shaft of his spear and blocked the swordsman¡¯s path. The spearman shook his head at the swordsman as if to say, ¡®Don¡¯t get involved.¡¯ The swordsman stopped moving and clenched his jaw harder. His face twisted in rage as he sent a hostile glare towards the bald man. While the man continued to talk down to them, bragging about his accomplishments and experience, Pat stood up and quietly approached the Leader. ¡°Nate.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up? Did you find anything?¡± Nate turned to Pat. ¡°Yeah, it looks like there''s a group of Viermin ahead.¡± ¡°Oh? What are their numbers and location?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about 70 to 80 yards down the trail¡­ I¡¯m not sure how many, but if I had to guess¡­¡± Pat held his chin and closed his eyes as he thought of an estimate. ¡°Hmm, maybe a little over thirty of them.¡± ¡°Damn, really? If there¡¯s that many, then I guess the Branch Head wasn¡¯t lying when he said their population exploded. Man, I really thought he was exaggerating like usual so they could take down that Viermin mission. The reward was getting a little too high for those money-grubbers, so I was expecting them to do something about the mission eventually, just not so soon¡­ But if there are that many, I can see why they upped it to an emergency mission so fast. Having a bunch of Viermin running around the forest would be a big problem, especially since another group of Earthlings will be summoned in a few weeks.¡± When Nate finished, he turned to the man who had previously been nagging him. The bald man had fallen silent after hearing Pat¡¯s report. Beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead, and his skin had turned ghastly pale. ¡°So¡­¡± Nate smiled. ¡°¡­Do you still want to take the lead?¡± The bald man let out a big breath of air as if he had been holding his breath the entire time. ¡°Ahahaha¡­ On second thought, it looks like you have things under control.¡± He slowly crept back and rejoined his team. While Viermins were weak monsters to every Earthling who had been in Orbis for a few months, that changed when their numbers surpassed a certain amount. With numbers, even the weakest of monsters could overwhelm a skilled fighter. The man was well aware of this, so when he heard Pat¡¯s report, his courage instantly vanished. As soon as he was gone, the swordsman, who had been holding his tongue, snorted. ¡°I knew that bastard was trash from the moment he opened his mouth! Fuck! Rex, you should¡¯da let me punch him. Then we wouldn¡¯t have had to listen to his shitty voice.¡± ¡°Calm down, Marc. Punching him would¡¯ve caused trouble¡­ But I know what you mean. Twelve months and still Rank 1, that¡¯s pretty bad. I bet the dude¡¯s a spineless coward who¡¯s only survived until now by leeching off others¡­ Speaking of Rank 2, what¡¯s the average again? Wasn¡¯t it ten about ten months?¡± Rex had a calm voice. From this alone, he seemed much more levelheaded than Marc. ¡°Who gives a shit! All I know is that I made it to Rank 2 in nine months. That shithead can¡¯t even reach my feet. He should know his place before he opens his mouth.¡± The female Cleric shyly interjected. ¡°Um, Marc? It actually took you ten months, so technically you¡¯re average. Rex and Nate did it in nine months.¡± Marc whipped his head around, his mouth agape. ¡°Wha-? H-Hannah? Why are you saying that?! And why do you sound so confident about it?!¡± Hannah looked to the side, avoiding eye contact with Marc. ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s because you always mess these things up. You exaggerate your achievements and downplay your losses. Like last week when you said that you bought a sword for 250 nickel, but it was actually 275 nickel¡­ I always found it a bit annoying, so I started keeping track. Sorry.¡± ¡°W-Wha-What the fuck?!¡± Nate yelled at them before anybody had a chance to respond to Marc. ¡°Hey, cut it out, you guys! This isn¡¯t the time to be messing around!¡± Hearing Nate¡¯s stern voice, the three of them became quiet. They had relaxed a bit because the Viermins were still a distance away, and they had time to prepare. ¡°Let¡¯s let the other teams know what¡¯s going on, then we¡¯ll head out, got it?¡± Nate¡¯s teammates nodded at his instructions and quickly informed the other Earthlings about the Viermins. They offered a simple warning, ¡®There are around thirty Viermins ahead, watch out.¡¯ That was all. No strategies, instructions, or finer details were given. It wasn¡¯t out of malicious intent, but rather, this was Orbis. A world where it wasn¡¯t the duty of the strong is to protect the weak; it was the choice of the strong to protect the weak. Everyone was responsible for their own lives. If someone couldn¡¯t defend themselves, that was their problem, not someone else¡¯s. The Earthlings with righteous beliefs and altruistic mindsets either died or lived long enough to see their ideals change. Simply put, there were no heroes in Orbis, only survivors. A few minutes passed before the Earthlings resumed their journey toward the Viermin nest. Since there was only one trail that headed in the nest, it was impossible to avoid the Viermins. Of course, they could make their own trail by going through the forest, but that wasn¡¯t a good idea. Movements became restricted, and it was harder to see once they left the trail. Additionally, their mission was to exterminate all the Viermins, so avoiding a fight was pointless. Not to mention that leaving the Viermins alive would leave their backside open to an attack. Despite this, the Earthlings carried an air of confidence. Knowing where the Viermins were gave them time to prepare for the fight. They were as ready as they could be, but no expected what happened next¡­ Shhhhhkkk¡­ THUD! When they were around fifty yards down the trail, Liam heard a swishing sound followed by something heavy hitting the ground. ¡°Wh-What the hell?!¡± Hearing the shout, Liam whipped his head around and saw the whiny Cleric laying face first in the dirt. There was a foot-long needle in his head, running through his temples. The Cleric was dead. Chapter 26: Fire in the Night (2) ¡®What just¡­ What just happened!?¡¯ Everything happened so fast that Liam couldn¡¯t react. Even now, he was still grasping at straws, trying to piece things together. The Cleric was dead; he was certain of that. No one could survive having a needle, as thick as a pencil and long as a ruler, skewer through their brain. The problem was¡­ the attack had no warning or sound, making it impossible to predict or trace. The unseen sniper. An enemy who struck fear into the bravest of soldiers. Attacks could come from anywhere and at any time. And until the sniper was dealt with, no one was safe. ¡®How¡­How am I supposed to defend myself against something like this?!¡¯ If Earthlings, far more experienced than him, were helpless, then what about Liam? ¡®Damn, I have to do something!¡¯ Liam pushed aside his encroaching fear and moved. He crouched down and crawled closer to some nearby trees, using them as cover. Given that the enemy was a sniper, staying low to the ground and out of sight was the best thing he could do. A man, one of the Cleric¡¯s teammates, crouched down and turned over the Cleric¡¯s body. The Cleric¡¯s face was expressionless, his eyes were still wide open, and his mouth ajar. The man began inspecting the body with a complex expression. Having been in Orbis for far longer than Liam, the experiences he accumulated allowed him to maintain his calm and approach the situation rationally despite losing an ally. As he looked at the needle, he began muttering something. ¡°Wait¡­ isn¡¯t this¡­?¡± His eyes popped open, and he shouted in a panic-ridden voice. No trace of calm remained. ¡°Goddammit! It¡¯s a fucking Puffer!¡± ¡°Wait, what!? That can¡¯t be right. We¡¯re too far from¡­¡± His teammate tried to speak, but he cut them off and pointed at the needle lodged in the Cleric¡¯s head. ¡°Look at it yourself! That¡¯s a Puffer needle!¡± ¡°¡­Oh God, you¡¯re right¡­ Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What¡¯s a Puffer doing out here?!¡± ¡°Hell, if I know! But we need to find it, fast!¡± ¡®Puffer?¡¯ Liam couldn¡¯t follow the conversation. He had no clue what a Puffer was, only that it was dangerous enough to strike fear into the other Earthlings, and it didn¡¯t sound like it was supposed to be in this part of the forest. Something was wrong, very wrong. Liam could feel it. ¡®Shit¡­¡¯ Liam changed his evaluation of the mission. He had been fully aware of how dangerous this would be from the start; however, he wasn¡¯t expecting it to be on this level. One wrong move could be his last. The same was true for everyone else. It didn¡¯t matter if they had been in Orbis one month or ten, no one was safe from this sniper. Liam couldn¡¯t risk relying on them. If he wanted to survive, he needed to protect himself. The only problem was he didn¡¯t know how to. Thump! Thump! Thump! Liam¡¯s heart pounded. The initial shock of seeing someone drop dead, followed by the Earthlings panicked reactions, had caused his instinct to take hold. He needed to calm down. His nerves were getting in the way of his decision making and clouding his judgment. Liam took a deep breath, filling his lungs, and as he breathed out, his head cooled down. With his mental state solidified, he looked around. The Earthlings behind him had entered the forest to flush out the Puffer. They couldn¡¯t let the sniper sit back and pick them off one by one. But Liam didn¡¯t have time to worry about them. He had his own problems to deal with. Up ahead, Hannah and another Cleric had set up a translucent barrier to protect themselves from the sniper; the only reason Liam could see the barrier was because of the faint glow coming from the Clerics¡¯ hands and the distorted air around them. Liam¡¯s immediate thought was to get inside the barrier. Since the two teams behind him were gone, he and Claire were the only Earthlings left on the trail who were outside the barrier; they were basically sitting ducks. Liam sharply turned to Claire and barked an order. ¡°Hey, we need to go over there! Inside the barrier!¡± He pointed at where the Earthlings had gathered. Claire nodded, and they both started running. ¨C Kreeeeeee! When they were halfway to the barrier, a blood-curdling shriek came from the forest. A moment later, a Viermin jumped out and rushed toward them. ¡®!!!¡¯ Startled, Liam skidded to a stop and pulled out his bow. Whoosh! He fired an arrow at the Viermin. Thwack! The arrow bounced off one of the Viermin¡¯s exoskeleton. He remained calm and fired again, this time aiming for the head. Whoosh¡­ Thwack! The arrow hit the Viermin¡¯s shoulder, missing by only a few inches. Viermin had no neck, so their head connected directly to their upper body, similar to a lobster. It was a small target, too small for Liam to hit in the middle of combat. His shots weren¡¯t powerful enough to break through the Viermins¡¯ hard shells, and they weren¡¯t accurate enough to hit the Viermins¡¯ heads. ¡®Oh, fuck!¡¯ Liam lowered his bow, turning to the side, he prepared to avoid the Viermin¡¯s charge, but before he moved¡­ Crack! Claire¡¯s sword struck the Viermin¡¯s torso, stopping it. Her sword was incredibly dull and couldn¡¯t cut through the shell, but her brute strength was enough to make a crack. And more importantly, it captured the Viermin¡¯s attention. ¡°Kreeeee!¡± In a fit of rage, the Viermin raised its claws and snapped them. Claire raised her sword and bent her knees, taking a defensive stance, as the Viermin swung its massive claws down. THUD! Claire jumped back as the claws smashed into the ground, leaving a deep indentation. Had the blow hit Claire, there was no doubt her bones would be broken. As the Viermin was raising its arms, Claire put power into her knees and lunged forward, stabbing her sword through the cracked shell. Splat! There was a wet sound as slimly liquid spurted out of the Viermin¡¯s abdomen. Claire twisted her sword side-to-side, digging the blade in and scrambling up the Viermin¡¯s insides. ¡°Kreeeeee!¡± The Viermin screeched, wildly swinging its arms at Claire in a desperate attempt to save itself. Claire yanked her sword out and jumped back. The Viermin hunched over, clutching the gaping hole in its stomach as if trying to stop its insides from falling out. ¡®Now!¡¯ Seeing an opening, Liam swiftly fired an arrow. Whoosh¡­! THUCK! The arrow hit, cleanly passing through the Viermin¡¯s head, skewering its brain like a kabob. The Viermin let go of its stomach, allowing a greenish green liquid to pour out, before staggering forward and collapsing.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡®The head is definitely its weak spot.¡¯ As long as Liam had time to aim, he could kill the Viermins. Their bodies were tough, and their blows were heavy, but in terms of speed, they were only as fast as the average human. Still, that didn¡¯t mean he could let down his guard. One blow was all a Viermin needed to kill him. Liam was about to continue running forward but stopped after seeing two Viermins heading towards him. ¡®I can¡¯t even catch my breath!¡¯ His entire body was aching from fighting the goblins earlier today. If the Viermins kept appearing this frequently, he didn¡¯t know how long it would be before he ran out of energy. Liam shouted at Claire. ¡°Hey! Watch out! Two more!¡± Immediately, Claire raised her sword. Holding it like a baseball bat, she swung at one of the Viermin. Thwack! Her sword connected, and the Viermin smashed into the ground. Splat! Its shell split open and green guts shot out of its back. ¡®I guess that¡¯s one way to do it¡­¡¯ With the two short fights, Liam could already tell that Claire¡¯s fighting style had no technique. She fought recklessly and used brute strength to bulldoze her way through enemies. It was inefficient and had many flaws, but surprisingly, it allowed Liam to make the best use of his abilities. Whoosh! Whoosh! Liam fired two arrows at the second Viermin, which had turned its attention to Claire. Crack! The first landed, crippling one of the Viermin¡¯s smaller arms on its chest. Thuck! The second pierced its head, instantly killing it. Its limp body fell forward, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Claire and Liam made a good pair. While she distracted the enemies, he could take the time to aim his shots. Rustle, rustle! Three more Viermins popped out of the bushes. ¡®Is there an end to them?!¡¯ ¡°Claire! More!¡± Liam shouted; his words were cryptic but carried a clear message. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Claire had her hands full fighting two Viermins that had appeared behind them and couldn¡¯t help him. ¡°Damnit!¡± Liam gritted his teeth and fired an arrow at the Viermins. Whoosh! Liam¡¯s arrow hit one of their shells and bounced off. He jumped back to distance himself from them. Whoosh! Whoosh! He fired two arrows in quick succession, but his aim was off, and both missed. ¡°Shit!¡± Liam cursed as he reached into his quiver, grabbing another arrow. Liam ignored his instinct to flee and took an extra second to aim his next shot. Whoosh! The arrow cut through the air, making a crisp sound and¡­ Thuck! It penetrated one of the Viermins¡¯ heads, causing its limp body toppled over, somersaulting across the ground. Liam reached into his quiver again but stopped. The distance between him and the Viermins was rapidly shrinking. ¡®!!!¡¯ Liam spun around and sprinted the other way. ¡®Where can I go?!¡¯ His eyes searched the battlefield, looking for a safe spot, but it was hopeless. ¡®Damnit! I have no choice! I have to try and make to the barrier!¡¯ And there was only one way there ¨C through the Viermins blocking his path. Liam skidded to a stop and spun back around to face the Viermins. Reaching into his quiver, he grabbed an arrow and fired. Whoosh! Without checking if the arrow hit, he repeated the same action. Arrows flew rapidly at the Viermins. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The Viermins charged through the volley of arrows, showing no signs of injury as the arrows pelted their shells. As Liam nocked another arrow, pulling back the bowstring, his eyes widened at the Viermins, now mere feet in front of him; they had closed the distance. ¡®Is this it¡­?¡¯ In the face of death, time seemed to slow. Liam could see the outline of the Viermin¡¯s claws opening, preparing to clamp down on his limbs, crushing his bones. Their tentacle-like whiskers wiggled in the air, and their beady eyes stared at him, longing to kill him. Liam gnashed his teeth, reaffirming his desire to survive at any cost. Kill or be killed, that was the way of this world. He had already come too far to roll over and die. Liam released the bowstring. The arrow rocketed toward one of the Viermins. Whoosh! Up close, it was impossible to miss, and the arrow, having just left the string, was still at maximum velocity. Thud! The arrow hit the Viermin¡¯s chest with a powerful force, causing its body to quake as the arrow broke through its tough shell. The Viermin collapsed before reaching Liam. The last remaining Viermin was already mid lung. It was too late for Liam to move out of the way. Using the bow as a shield, he blocked the Viermin¡¯s claw. Crack! The bow split in half, sending pieces of wood flying in every direction. Liam tossed the broken bow aside and reached for Keith¡¯s knife. At the same time, the Viermin tackled him to the ground. ¡°Aaargh!¡± Liam struggled to hold the Viermin back with one hand while his other fumbled at his waist, trying to grab the knife. As he desperately held back its snapping claws, Liam¡¯s hand connected with the knife. ¡°Fucking bastard!¡± Liam swung the blade around, stabbing the Viermin in the back repeatedly. Mucus-like blood oozed out of its shell, covering Liam¡¯s hand, making his grip on the knife weaken. ¡°KreeeEEEeee!!¡± The Viermin let out an angry screech but didn¡¯t falter. Its claws continued to get closer to Liam as the Viermin gradually overpowered him. ¡®!!!¡¯ Liam¡¯s eyes widened as the slimy, cold shell of the Viermin¡¯s claws pressed against his neck. It was going to crush his throat. Liam dropped the knife and used both hands the push the Viermin back with all his strength, as he pressed the back of his head into the ground, trying to move his neck away. Snap! The Viermin¡¯s pincers snapped shut, mere centimeters away from his throat. Immediately, Liam kicked the Viermin¡¯s abdomen with both his feet, knocking it off him. He quickly rolled away and tried to push himself up, but the Viermin was already charging. Smash! Liam rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the Viermin claw as it smashed down on the spot his head was a moment ago. While the Viermin was preparing to attack again, Liam scrambled to his feet and darted over to the knife. By the time he grabbed it, the Viermin was again rushing towards him. Liam firmly gripped the slimy handle with both hands, and focused all his attention on the Viermin¡¯s arms, waiting for the exact moment when¡­ Swish! The Viermin swung its arms horizontally, and Liam ducked down, dodging the attack. From underneath the Viermin¡¯s chest, he pushed off his feet and extended his arms, plunging the knife into its chest. Liam twisted the blade and, using all his weight, pushed the Viermin to the ground. He drove the knife as deep as he could into its chest before pulling it out and stabbing back down. Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab¡­! Liam repeatedly stabbed until it stopped twitching. ¡®I¡­It''s dead¡­¡¯ Liam¡¯s clothes and armor were covered in different shades of green slime, blood, and sticky mucus. There were mud and dirt caked on his skin and stuck in his hair. Disgusting was a fitting term, but after hiding in a pile of rotting corpses, he wasn¡¯t bothered by some blood and guts. Liam didn¡¯t care about his appearance because right now, he needed to get to the barrier. As he stood up, he quickly glanced at Claire. It looked like she had things under control; she had killed one of the Viermins and was finishing off the second. That being the case, he decided to continue on without her. Normally, Liam wouldn¡¯t think twice about another person, especially someone like Claire, but this was a special situation. The Branch Head had ordered him to protect Claire; he didn¡¯t know what the consequences of failure were, nor did he plan to find out. Still, that didn¡¯t mean Liam would die protecting her, in the end, he always put himself first, that¡¯s why he decided to continue forward; it would be suicide for him to head back into battle without a bow, and he wasn¡¯t planning to die a meaningless death. When Liam arrived at the barrier, one of the Earthlings inside shouted at him. ¡°Hey, you! Get in here! Hurry up!¡± The Earthlings provided covering fire, killing the Viermins jumping out of the forest, as he ran through the barrier. ¡®I¡­I made it¡­!¡¯ Liam dropped to his knees from exhaustion. His muscles ached, and he was sore all over. The near-death battle with the Viermin had sapped the last of his strength, more than he initially realized. Now that he was safe, fatigue had hit him like a truck. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The sound of arrows cutting through the air caught Liam¡¯s attention. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Liam looked and watched as Pat shot three more three arrows with incredible speed. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Every time Pat fired, three Viermins dropped to the ground. ¡®Woah¡­ He¡¯s like a machine¡­¡¯ Pat¡¯s feet stayed planted on the ground as he rotated his torso to shift his aim between targets. Each time he released the bowstring, three arrows shot out like a machine gun set to 3-round burst. ¡®Is that a Skill, or is he just that skilled?¡¯ Either way, be it power, speed, precision, or accuracy, Liam fell short of Pat in every way. The two of them couldn¡¯t be compared; the difference in skill was that significant. Pat wasn¡¯t the only Earthling killing the Viermins in droves. Standing on opposite sides of the barrier, Rex and Marc fought the Viermins that were trying to break inside. Bodies were quickly piling up. Rex thrust his spear forward, stabbing into the chest of a Viermin. With a sharp twist of his wrist, blood spluttered out of the wound. He yanked his spear out and stabbed another Viermin before the first one¡¯s body hit the ground. ¡°Huaarhh!¡± Marc let out a roar as he cleaved a Viermin in half, his sword passed through its hard shell with ease. Swish! He swung his sword to the side, slicing off the arms of another Viermin. He kicked the arms-less Viermin away, sending it flying into a tree, as he lunged forward, stabbing his sword through the chest of a third Viermin. Marc glanced over his shoulder at Rex. A big grin appeared on his face when he saw there were only three corpses at Rex¡¯s feet as opposed to the five at his feet. ¡°Hey, Rex!¡± Marc shouted in an upbeat voice. ¡°What?¡± Rex responded as he stabbed his spear through the Viermin; he had a look of boredom on his face as if he was repeating the same monotonous task that he had done a thousand times before. ¡°Wanna make a bet on who can kill the most?¡± As Rex casually pulled the spear out of the Viermin, a hint of interest appeared in his eyes. The edges of his lips curled into a slight smile. ¡°Hmm. Sure. What¡¯s the wager?¡± ¡°50 nickel!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± A look of surprise appeared on Rex¡¯s face; he was a bit taken aback by the hefty sum. Even for Rank 2 Earthlings, fifty nickel was at least a few days¡¯ work. Rex decided to offer Marc a chance to back out. ¡°Are you sure you? We can do 15 nickel if you want. Considering what happened last time, you might want to¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! That was a long time ago! This time, it¡¯ll be different!¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m scared?! HA! Fine! Let¡¯s make it 100 nickel!¡± Rex grinned, having roped Marc in. ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t get mad when you lose.¡± Rex jumped out of the barrier and charged toward the attacking Viermins. He thrust his spear forward with more vigor than before and quickly killed two. He shot a smug smile towards Marc and spoke with a teasing tone. ¡°I think that makes us even, right?! You better pick up the pace, or you might end up going broke again!¡± ¡°You little-!¡± Marc stopped himself short of yelling when he saw Rex moving to kill his sixth Viermin. His hands became sweaty, as he watched his initial lead evaporate in an instant. The possibility of losing started to look real, and he was beginning to regret his cocky confidence earlier. ¡°Shit!¡± He jumped out of the barrier and rushed toward a Viermin, determined not to be outdone by Rex. But just as he was about to reach the Viermin, there was a high-pitched whistle. Wieeeeeeeeee! ¡°Huh?¡± The Viermin charging toward him turned around and started running in the opposite direction. It wasn¡¯t just that Viermin, all of them were retreating into the forest. ¡°Hey, get back here, you little bastard! Let me kill you! I can¡¯t let Rex win!¡± Marc chased after the Viermin, but he came to a stop when he heard Nate¡¯s voice. ¡°Marc! Rex! Don¡¯t chase them! Let them retreat for now! We need to regroup!¡± ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Defeated and dejected, Marc hung his head as he slowly walked back and rejoined the group. Chapter 27: Fire in the Night (3) Liam stayed kneeling on the ground even after the Viermins retreated. Although this wasn¡¯t the ideal place to be resting, he didn¡¯t bother moving. The fatigue earlier was only the start, what came next was the mental fatigue, since he wasn¡¯t in anyone¡¯s way, he decided to put off moving until his exhaustion subsided. Liam looked around the battlefield. In a short time, a lot had changed. The barrier protecting Liam and the other Earthlings had disappeared, and now the Clerics were resting off to the side. They were a bit pale and droplets of sweat had accumulated on their foreheads. Apparently, maintaining such a large barrier for an extended period took a bigger tole on Clerics¡¯ stamina than healing wounds. At least that¡¯s what Liam thought since compared to when Sherry used her magic, these Clerics showed greater signs of exhaustion. The other Earthlings were walking around surveying the area; some dismantled Viermins, taking any parts of value while others stood watch. Pat and the other Rangers were collecting arrows that could be reused, and Rex and Marc were arguing about who had won the bet; Marc insisted the challenge wasn¡¯t over until the last Viermin was dead, while Rex teased him about being a sore loser. His eyes eventually fell on Claire, who was standing off to the side, far away. For the most part, she was unharmed, except for a few scrapes and bruises. ¡®Good. She¡¯s not dead.¡¯ As Liam finished observing the other Earthlings, a sharp voice called out to him, accompanied by a shake of his shoulder. ¡°Hey, how long do you plan on sitting there? If you¡¯re hurt, move off to the side or something, just don¡¯t sit in the middle of the trail.¡± ¡°Ah, my bad. I¡¯m a little tired, so I¡¯ll move in a minute.¡± As Liam turned, he was a bit surprised to see the person speaking was the bald man who had argued with Nate. The man had a deep frown on his face, an utter contrast to his carefree attitude earlier. ¡°Tired? That¡¯s all?¡± The man looked like he was going to say something else, but he held himself back. After a short pause, he rattled off a few questions. ¡°Whatever¡­ Hey, were you part of the teams that went to kill the Puffers? Did you get them, or are they still out there?¡± ¡°Puffer?¡± Liam inadvertently said his thoughts aloud; he had momentarily forgotten that Puffer was the name of the monster that launched the surprise attack which killed the Cleric. The bald man¡¯s brow furrowed; the look on his face expressed both confusion and surprise, after hearing Liam admit to not knowing information that he regarded as common knowledge. ¡°Huh? How can you not know what a Puffer is ¨C Wait.¡± He looked Liam up and down, inspecting his equipment. However, that only caused him to become more confused. Liam¡¯s equipment was dirty and a little worn out, but its craftsmanship was impressive. It wasn¡¯t something that a new Earthling could afford, but at the same time, there was no other explanation for Liam¡¯s lack of knowledge. Unable to reach a definitive conclusion, he decided to ask. ¡°How long have you been in Orbis?¡± ¡°About a month.¡± ¡°Fucking hell! From your gear, I was hoping you''d been here for at least a few months! But a month, fuck, that¡¯s it?! Why you would come here if¡­¡± The man paused after remembering the unique circumstance of the current mission. He kicked the ground in frustration, mumbling to himself. ¡°Dammit, the Branch Head was so pissed he forgot to tell the new Earthlings to stay back¡­ Fuck, just my luck getting stuck with newbie!¡± Liam was shocked by the man''s words. ¡®What?! If they aren¡¯t supposed to send new Earthlings, then why the hell did they send me?! The Branch Head even told me to watch Claire! He should have¡­¡¯ Liam suddenly recalled his interaction with the Branch Head. ¡®Shit.¡¯ He realized what happened. Claire had said she knew him, but she never said how. There was no way the Branch Head could have known how long he had been in Orbis. As the bald man just said, based on his equipment, he looked far more experienced than he was. The Branch Head probably thought he been in Orbis for at least three months, maybe more. It was also possible that the Branch Head thought Liam had a team. After all, why wouldn¡¯t Liam have a team? Almost every Earthling worked with one. Not to mention, Rangers were hard to come by, so they were recruited quickly. The fact Liam didn¡¯t work with a team made him an anomaly when compared to other Earthlings. The bald man turned to Liam and spoke with a sharp voice. ¡°Hey, newbie. This isn¡¯t something you can handle. Normally, I¡¯d tell you to go back to town, but given the circumstances, I think you¡¯re better off staying here. I need you to tell me how many members are in your team? It''s important.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only two of us.¡± ¡°Okay, good. It¡¯s not that many. If it were then the rest of us would be in serious trouble¡­ I hope you realize you¡¯re pretty much useless. No, worse. You¡¯ll only get in the way during a fight.¡± Liam nodded. He didn¡¯t think the man cared to hear his opinion, and he didn¡¯t disagree. While ¡®useless¡¯ might be a bit of an exaggeration, Liam and Claire certainly weren¡¯t up to par with the other Earthlings. ¡°Good. Keep that in mind, and we won¡¯t have any problems.¡± With a quick nod, the bald man turned and rejoined his teammates. Fortunately, Liam and Claire looked to be the only other new Earthlings. This wasn¡¯t purely coincidence. The majority of new Earthlings couldn¡¯t afford to eat out, since they were busy saving for equipment and weapons. Liam was no different; the only reason he ordered food at the bar was because he made a considerable amount of money from the Goblin Hunt and had a little money to spare. A few minutes passed, and the Earthlings who had gone after the Puffers returned. Except for a few minor wounds, all of them were unharmed. Liam was relieved. It meant the surprise attack earlier had only caught the Earthlings off guard, and the mission¡¯s difficulty hadn¡¯t skyrocketed as much as he initially thought. It didn¡¯t change the fact that the mission was too dangerous for Claire and him, but it was reassuring to know that the other Earthlings weren¡¯t in the same position. The returning Earthlings approached Nate, who had become somewhat of a de facto leader for the group since his team discovered the Viermins. ¡°Did you guys kill the Puffers?¡± One of the Earthlings spoke up, acting as a representative for the group. ¡°Yeah, we did, but I think you should see this.¡± He dropped the corpse of a strange creature in front of Nate. The body was short and stubby, making it look like an inflated balloon with small arms and legs attached to it. Nate furrowed his brow as he crouched down to look at the creature. ¡°What¡¯s this? I¡¯ve never this kind of monster before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Puffer.¡± Nate looked up at the Representative. ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? Puffers don¡¯t have arms or legs, and they aren¡¯t this big¡­ I guess, if you disregard that, then I can see the resemblance, but so what? That only means it¡¯s a mutant.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Well, about that, we¡­ we aren¡¯t sure¡­ At first, we thought the same as you, but that changed when four more attacked us. As far as I know, mutants are unique. There shouldn¡¯t be more than one¡­ None of us could pass it off as a fluke, so we all tried to think of another reason¡­ That¡¯s when we remembered what the Branch Head said about the Viermins mutating monsters instead of humans¡­¡± Nate¡¯s expression stiffened as he listened, he didn¡¯t like where this was heading. ¡°So we thought, what if this isn¡¯t a Puffer but a Puffer that has been turned into a Viermin. It didn¡¯t sound impossible. Up until now, we¡¯ve always thought of Viermin as Viermin, we¡¯ve never considered they could be any different because they¡¯ve always been the same. But¡­ couldn¡¯t that be because they¡¯ve only used humans? What if the Viermin we¡¯ve known until now is the human Viermin, and this is the Puffer Viermin?¡± ¡°Are you saying that you think the Viermin transformed from monsters retain their monster features, like a hybrid?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± The Representative nodded and began talking faster as his voice became panicked. ¡°Couldn¡¯t this be bad? And I mean really bad. What happens when the Viermin infect any high-rank monsters? Puffers are only Medium-Upper rank, and these things were a bit stronger than that¡­ If they captured any Hard monsters, then¡­!¡± ¡°Woah, woah, woah. Calm down. I doubt they have anything that strong. At the end of the day, they¡¯re still Viermin. They may have captured a few Puffers, but Hard rank is a completely different level. Even if they''ve managed to capture a few Hard monsters, we can still handle them¡­ Listen, I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re wrong, your information is good, it¡¯s just you need to stop overthinking things.¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re missing the bigger issue! If they captured Puffers, that means they¡¯ve been to the swamp. If they¡¯ve been to the swamp, then they¡¯ve already encountered high-rank monsters! There are fucking Blight Sinkers there! If they have any of those, we¡¯re screwed. No, we¡¯re beyond that, we¡¯re straight up fucked!¡± The Representative looked around as if he was reading the mood; everyone had a grim expression. ¡°I think¡­ I think we should go back. This is worse than expected. I¡¯m sure the Association will understand why we decided to retreat¡­ I¡¯m not saying we should give up. I just think it would be better to come back with more Earthlings. I really don¡¯t want to get killed because we were unprepared, dying like that makes me¡­¡± As Nate stood up, he cut off the Representative. ¡°I agree that it would be bad if they had a Blight Sinker. But the odds of that are one in a million at best. It takes a group of ten to fifteen Rank 2 Earthlings to take one of those down. So it would be impossible for a bunch of Viermin to capture one alone, let alone transform it¡­ From what I can see, there¡¯s no reason for us to go back to town yet.¡± ¡°What?! Are you fucking crazy?! How can you say that after seeing this thing?!¡± The Representative pointed at the hybrid Viermin¡¯s body. ¡°How? Well, I could say it¡¯s because of experience, but there¡¯s a more obvious reason¡­¡± Nate pointed to the dead Viermin littered on the ground. ¡°You see those Viermins? We just fought about thirty of them, and none of them had any ¡®monster¡¯ features. They were normal Viermins. If you remember what the Branch Head said about the Viermins using monsters, then I¡¯m sure you remember he said the reason why he thought that was because there haven¡¯t been a lot of missing people over the past week. I¡¯m pretty sure thirty people is enough to be considered a lot. At the very least, I¡¯m positive the Association would notice if that many people went missing.¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with this! I¡¯m talking about this thing!¡± The Representative began kicking the hybrid Viermin¡¯s body, moving it closer to Nate¡¯s feet. ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit that you ran into a bunch of normal Viermins! What we need to worry about are the hybrids, not the normal ones! Why can¡¯t you understand that?!¡± Nate sighed and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t! What you¡¯re saying is nonsense!¡± ¡°Just calm down and think about it for a second. There¡¯s no way all of these Viermin were human. Maybe a few, but I bet most were monsters. Thirty is just too many¡­¡± ¡°Okay, andddd?¡± ¡°Well, based on that, I¡¯d say the chances of a Viermin become a hybrid are extremely low. At best, we might run into a few more of them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only a guess. And an overly optimistic one at that.¡± Nate chuckled. ¡°A guess? You could call it that. But isn¡¯t what you said a guess too? If you think about it, isn¡¯t everything a guess? It¡¯s impossible to predict the future. All we can do is try and make the best choice based on the information we have¡­ Like I said, you need to calm down and think about this reasonably.¡± ¡°What? How is saying we should retreat unreasonable? If anyone is unreasonable, it¡¯s you! You¡¯re the one who wants us to charge in headfirst despite knowing the risks!¡± ¡°I never said anything about charging in headfirst. I said that I didn¡¯t see any reason to go back to town yet. First, I want to send the Rangers ahead to scout the area and the Viermin nest. Once they come back, we can discuss what to do next.¡± The Representative crossed his arms and snorted. ¡°You¡¯re saying that after your Ranger messed up? He said it was 80 yards ahead, but we were attacked way before that. And let¡¯s not forget that he completely missed the Puffers. You expect me to rely on someone like that?¡± Nate snapped back at the Representative. ¡°And what did your Ranger do again? That¡¯s right, nothing. Don¡¯t try and blame it on my Ranger when the other Rangers did jack shit¡­ And for your information, my Ranger is Rank 2, and his Sub-Class is Archer. He doesn¡¯t specialize in tracking, so there¡¯s no way he¡¯d be able to pick up traces of a stealth-type monster like Puffers.¡± The Representative frowned; it was harder to argue with Nate¡¯s reasoning, especially about the Puffers. He was also beginning to calm down since Nate had kept a level head and refrained from yelling, there was nothing to rile up his emotions, so they were gradually fading. Still, he wasn¡¯t completely done. ¡°That just proves my point. If the Rangers can¡¯t pick up traces of the Viermins, then we should retreat. This isn¡¯t something they can handle.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t trust your Ranger?¡± ¡°No, wait, that¡¯s not what I¨C!¡± The Representative tried to correct himself, but Nate didn¡¯t let him. ¡°If you can¡¯t trust your Ranger, then why are you on the same team? How can you complete missions? Do you give up every time a small mishap occurs?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. The Rangers made a mistake. All of them did. But that¡¯s not a reason to give up. It¡¯s just an excuse¡­ Mistakes happen all the time. They¡¯re inevitable on missions. I trust my Ranger and my teammates, and I¡¯m not going to let one mistake change that. My trust in them isn¡¯t that fragile.¡± The Representative bit his lip. Nate was correct. Had this been any other mission, the Representative would have agreed, but this was an emergency mission, and they weren¡¯t getting paid. From a cost-benefit perspective, there was nothing to gain by continuing, which made him reluctant to give up on retreating. ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll wait and see what the Rangers have to say, but I want a vote. I think that¡¯s fair.¡± The Representative decided to compromise, and a vote was the best way to resolve this issue. Although nothing was stopping the Earthlings from splitting up, they knew doing so would cause both groups to fail. The Earthlings who went to fight would end up dying and the ones who retreated would be treated as deserters. Whatever decision they made, everyone had to be on board with it. Nate nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine with me.¡± The other Earthlings agreed as well. Three Rangers volunteered to scout the Viermin nest and quickly set out. After some time had passed, the Rangers returned and shared their findings. The report could be summarized as follows: The Rangers estimated that there were over fifty Viermin. It was less than the Branch Head had told them, but if they included the ones they had killed earlier, then the Viermins¡¯ forces were close one to hundred in total. The worrisome part wasn¡¯t the Viermin¡¯s numbers, it was the organization they showed. Viermins were positioned outside the cave as guards, while they weren¡¯t rank and file like well-disciplined soldiers, it was more than Viermin usually showed. Many of the Earthlings had already suspected that the Viermins had a chain of command after they retreated in unison, so few were surprised. The report wasn¡¯t all bad though, since Nate¡¯s assumption about the hybrids appeared to be correct. The Rangers only saw five hybrids, and none of them looked to be stronger than Medium rank. While this was a relief, the Earthlings didn¡¯t rule out the possibility that there might be stronger hybrids lurking somewhere else. The question of whether to proceed forward or retreat was still up for debate. However, one side had lost the biggest part of their argument. Nate turned to the Representative, who had a frustrated look on his face. ¡°So, do we still need to have a vote?¡± The Representative stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking with a pained voice, as if he still had some lingering attachment to his old idea. ¡°No¡­¡± It was a hard decision to come to, but it was the right one. Even if they held a vote, the overwhelming majority would vote in favor of continuing. Everyone knew that the Viermin¡¯s numbers, which were now only half of what the Association had estimated, along with signs of organization, weren¡¯t enough to convince the Branch Head to postpone the mission. If anything, going back would result in severe consequences, and they would still have to complete the mission anyway. As for lying, there was no point since the Association would figure it out as soon as the mission resumed. ¡°Well, I guess that settles it. We¡¯ll continue forward.¡± Nate shifted the conversation. ¡°Alright, before we get started with our plan, it would be good to get a better idea of what resources we have to work with. Let¡¯s keep things simple and have one person from each team give a brief introduction. Your name, Rank, Class, and a summary of your team should suffice. Here, I¡¯ll start. Nate, Rank 2 Swordsman. My teammates are two Warriors, one Ranger, and one Cleric, all Rank 2.¡± The bald man stepped up next, giving a slow clap as he spoke with a hint of sarcasm. ¡°Wow, impressive. Very cool¡­ I¡¯d say I¡¯m jealous, but I¡¯ll be Rank 2 soon enough. Besides, everyone knows Sub-Class is what matters most. Get a bad one, and you¡¯re no different than a Rank 1¡­¡± Nate frowned but chose to keep his mouth shut and let the man finish. ¡°Anyway, you can call me Hayes. I¡¯m a Rank 1 Warrior, and my teammates are the same as Nate¡¯s, two Warriors, one Ranger, and one Cleric, all Rank 1.¡± The Representative spoke next. ¡°I¡¯m Glenn, a Rank 1 Warrior, and my two teammates are a Warrior and a Ranger.¡± Immediately following Glenn, a man from the dead Cleric¡¯s team stepped forward. ¡°Well, unfortunately, we lost our Cleric, and the rest of us are all Warriors, we don¡¯t have a Ranger.¡± ¡°Indeed, that was unfortunate. Having another Cleric is always a plus. Also, what¡¯s your name and Rank?¡± Nate asked. ¡°Right, sorry. I¡¯m Jay, and all of us are Rank 1.¡± As Jay stepped back, everyone¡¯s eyes shifted to the last team. Finally, it was Liam¡¯s turn. ¡®Well, let¡¯s see how this goes.¡¯ He had been looking for an opportunity to mention something, but now that it was time, he wondered how the other teams would take it. He stepped forward and spoke with a calm and collected voice. ¡°Liam, Rank 1 Ranger and my teammate is a Rank 1 Warrior¡­ And both of us have been in Orbis for one month.¡± Chapter 28: Fire in the Night (4) The Earthlings blinked several times, unable to comprehend what they just heard. ¡°Um, can you say that again?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve only been in Orbis for a month. To be specific, we came here after the last tutorial.¡± The Earthlings fell silent. All of them had a similar look of shock, surprise, and uncertainty on their faces once they realized they hadn¡¯t misheard Liam. ¡°Hang on a second. This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Suddenly, Glenn stepped forward, shaking his head from side-to-side. ¡°Why wait until now to say anything? You should have realized a while ago that this mission wasn¡¯t meant for newbies. No, before that, you shouldn¡¯t have come in the first place. Weren¡¯t you listening when the Branch Head said that all Earthlings from the last summoning didn¡¯t have to participate?¡± Liam quickly responded with a confident voice. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything about that.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m saying he did.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Hayes. He¡¯s the one who told me that new Earthlings weren¡¯t supposed to be here.¡± Glenn raised one eyebrow. ¡°Hayes? Why does it have to be him? If you¡¯re as confident as you sound, why not just ask anyone here? That doesn¡¯t make sense unless you two are up to¡­¡± ¡°You can ask anyone¡­ In fact, it¡¯s better if you ask everyone.¡± Liam sharply cut Glenn off; he had nothing to hide, and giving the others a reason to be suspicious of him would only cause problems. ¡°Okay, fine.¡± Glenn gave a satisfied nod before speaking to the others. ¡°Can anyone else remember if the Branch Head forgot to tell the new Earthlings to stay in town? Because I sure as hell can¡¯t. He always mentions that rule. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s been a time when he hasn¡¯t.¡± Nate and then Jay answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wasn¡¯t listening for that since it doesn¡¯t affect my team or I. Also, we left as soon as he told us to scram, so I don¡¯t know if he said anything after that.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I remember him saying anything, but I¡¯m not sure, like Nate, I wasn¡¯t listening for that.¡± The other Earthlings also chimed in, but most of their answers were similar. No one had paid enough attention to know for sure if the Branch Head mentioned the rule; after all, it didn¡¯t affect any of them. At the same time, because he always mentioned it, it was hard to believe he forgot. Everyone could tell this wasn¡¯t going anywhere, so Glenn turned to Hayes, who had yet to speak. ¡°Hayes, are you gonna vouch for this guy? Is he a newbie or not?¡± Hayes¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°What?! Hell, no!¡± ¡®Fuck, don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to play dumb.¡¯ This was one of the reasons why Liam hated calling people out. When you put someone on the spot, there was always a chance the other party would deny what they said, especially when their opinion was part of the minority. People tend to conform to the group in those situations. When that happened, your credibility fell apart, and you were left in a worse position than before. Liam wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Hayes tried to do something similar. Based on Hayes¡¯s interaction with Nate, he came across as a small fry trying to act tough, all bark and no bite. Not the type of person who stood behind their words. ¡°So you¡¯re saying he isn¡¯t a newbie?¡± ¡°No, he is.¡± Glenn was a bit taken aback by Hayes¡¯s firm reassurance. ¡°Wait, then why won¡¯t you vouch for him?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious? He¡¯s a stranger. I don¡¯t want to be held accountable if it turns out I¡¯m wrong.¡± ¡°¡­Fine¡­ But can I ask what you¡¯re basing this on? Looking at his gear, I¡¯d say he¡¯s been here for a few months.¡± Hayes nodded. ¡°I thought the same until I found out he had no clue what a Puffer was. Anyone who¡¯s been in Orbis for at least three months has heard of a Puffer. Knowing about them is a must for anyone planning to travel deeper into the forest where the Medium rank monsters live.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t he be lying?¡± ¡°No, that wouldn¡¯t make sense. If you heard the context that I asked him in, then you¡¯d realize there was nothing to gain from lying¡­ I¡¯d say he had more to lose from lying. I mean, who¡¯s gonna listen to the guy that doesn¡¯t know basic information? No one. So, unless you have some weird hobby of wanting people to disregard your opinion, it¡¯s stupid to act clueless.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say that¡¯s true. It doesn¡¯t change anything. I need more evidence. Not having a reason to lie isn¡¯t enough of reason for me to believe him¡­ Normally, I wouldn¡¯t care about something like this, but this time it¡¯s important. If he¡¯s a newbie, then we¡¯re going to have to adjust our plan. And if he¡¯s lying, well, I¡¯m sure we can all agree that it wouldn¡¯t be fair to let one guy take it easy while the rest of us work our asses off¡­ Look, I want to figure this out, but I¡¯m gonna need a bit more to go off, okay?¡± Everyone seemed to agree with Glenn¡¯s assessment. They couldn¡¯t believe Liam was a newbie without solid proof, the timing was too convenient, and the benefits he could gain were all good. ¡°Sure¡­¡± Hayes nodded. While he wasn¡¯t the type to defend a stranger, there was an incentive for him to convince the others that Liam was telling the truth. If they gave Liam and Claire a role meant for veterans, then their entire plan could fall apart, a newbie¡¯s role in the battle would be much smaller. ¡°¡­Aside from that, I¡¯d say it was his battle sense and fighting.¡± ¡°Can I ask why?¡± ¡°Because both were horrendous. I couldn¡¯t even explain how bad they were if I tried. He looked like a melted pile of jelly in the middle of the trail after the battle ended.¡± ¡°A melted pile of jelly?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen someone that haggard and that was only after fighting three Viermin! THREE!¡± Hayes held three fingers up to emphasize his point. ¡°He could just be bad.¡± ¡°He could, but that doesn¡¯t change anything. What¡¯s the difference between someone who¡¯s bad and a newbie? They¡¯re the same if you ask me.¡± Glenn still didn¡¯t look convinced, but before he could say anything, Nate stepped into the conversation. ¡°This isn¡¯t going anywhere. Right now, all we¡¯re doing is wasting time¡­ But I think I know a way to clear this up¡­¡± He looked towards Liam. ¡°Mind if I ask you a few questions?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Can you describe the environment of the tutorial?¡± Liam didn¡¯t know how this would help, but it appeared that Nate had a plan, so he decided to play along. ¡°Um, it was a big abandoned city with a castle in the center. It was reminiscent of medieval Europe. The place was a ghost town.¡± ¡°What about the weather?¡± Liam shivered. ¡°Cold. Very cold. In terms of temperature, I''d say it was below freezing because of the snow.¡± ¡°Mhm, and what about the rules?¡± ¡°Rules?¡± As far as Liam knew, there were no rules to the tutorial. ¡°Sorry, I should¡¯ve clarified. What were the objectives, tasks, or instructions that you were given at the start?¡± ¡°None¡­ Well, at least, there were none that I knew of. I guess the objective was to reach the castle, but we weren¡¯t told to. We just went there because it was the only intact building in the entire city. If we didn¡¯t go to it, we would¡¯ve died.¡± ¡°Are you sure? They would have come up in a digital window like the status screen.¡± ¡°Positive. So, is that all?¡± ¡°No, two more things. What were the monsters in the city like, and can you describe the Host?¡± ¡°There were two-headed dogs and a creature which looked human except it was boney, seven feet tall, had long hair, a big sword, sharp teeth, and glowing red eyes. If you need more detail, just ask.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Can you tell me about the Host?¡± Liam frowned; his impression the Host wasn¡¯t favorable. ¡°It was a woman with blonde hair. I¡¯d say she was attractive, but that only applies to her physical appearance. Her personality was shit. She was cold, callous, and lazy. Just imagine a lazy, grumpy employee, and that¡¯s her.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Nate chuckled at the bluntness of Liam¡¯s last sentence. ¡°That¡¯s quite a harsh way to put it.¡± ¡°Well, if she worked for me, I would¡¯ve fired her¡­ Oh, yeah, she was also a Mage. I saw her use ice magic to freeze two guys when they tried to steal an extra bag of nickel.¡± ¡°Mm. That¡¯s all, thanks¡­¡± Nate turned back to the Earthlings, who were still confused by the strange questions. ¡°Hayes is right, Liam¡¯s a newbie, same with his teammate, the girl¡­ We¡¯ll have to take that into account when we start planning.¡± ¡°Wait a second!¡± Glenn waved his hands in the air, getting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need you to explain this to me¡­ I mean, what the hell?! How does any of that nonsense prove anything?!¡± Nate calmly responded. ¡°Since the last tutorial was a bit peculiar, I figured that if he knew the details, then he probably wasn¡¯t lying.¡± ¡°No, wait, that still doesn¡¯t explain things¡­ Except for the Host, the tutorial is always the same. And it isn¡¯t exactly a secret that the last Host was a bitch. I¡¯d be more surprised if someone didn¡¯t know that by now. All the Association employees were complaining about the limited selection and poor quality of new Earthlings for an entire week. They were pissed at the Host, saying that this was her fault for letting so many of them die.¡± ¡°Oh, it looks like you don¡¯t know¡­ Well, that makes sense considering most people forget about the tutorial after it¡¯s over. I¡¯m a bit odd because I make a point to ask the newbies about it every time. I guess you could call it a hobby of mine. I like to think that it gives me a better idea of what is outside Kelm and what¡¯s possible in Orbis.¡± Nate paused and got back on topic. ¡°Anyway, the location changes once a year, and as you said, the Host changes every summoning. Earthlings that came to Orbis over six months ago took the tutorial in a completely different place. I took mine in a forest. I¡¯m sure Hayes can back me up on that. He¡¯s been here for more than six months too.¡± ¡°Yeah, we had to survive there for a week before getting to Kelm. The only good thing was the monsters weren¡¯t too strong.¡± After Hayes finished, Nate turned back to Glenn. ¡°See?¡± ¡°I get it, but that just means he¡¯s been here for at least six months, same as my team.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I asked about the other things. The Host has some control over the tutorial, that¡¯s why the last one turned out poorly. From what I know, the Host can set the rules, give starting items, choose the monsters, add a time limit, set conditions and objectives, as well as a few other things. Of course, there are probably restrictions on those things, but you get the point.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it¡­ So, since you¡¯re so confident he¡¯s telling the truth, I¡¯m guessing his answers matched up perfectly, down to the letter, right?¡± ¡°No, not exactly. There were a few things that I hadn¡¯t heard, like the humanoid creature. Although that could be because most people that ran into it died¡­ Overall, his answers were close enough to what I¡¯d heard that I¡¯m confident we can believe him.¡± Glenn stayed silent for a moment before responding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust you... But I want to get moving soon. We¡¯ve wasted too much time on this.¡± The most convincing part for Glenn wasn¡¯t the evidence; it was Nate¡¯s honesty that Liam¡¯s answers didn¡¯t match up perfectly. Had Nate said they were exactly the same, Glenn would have been suspicious. So, he was trusting Nate¡¯s honesty, not Liam¡¯s testimony. ¡°Agreed¡­ And I think we can also agree that Liam and Claire shouldn''t play a crucial role in the battle. It would be a disaster if we have two newbies running amuck. We¡¯re already at a disadvantage in numbers. We don¡¯t need to add chaos to the mix.¡± The other Earthlings nodded, including the team leaders. Liam clenched his fists. ¡®This is better than I expected!¡¯ For a while, he thought no one would believe him, so he was glad things hadn¡¯t ended like that. Hayes talked over the murmuring Earthlings. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that, but I don¡¯t think they should sit out. Even newbies are good for something.¡± Nate nodded. ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t planning on letting them take it easy¡­ Hey, you two! You said you¡¯re a Ranger and a Warrior, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a Ranger, and she¡¯s a Warrior.¡± Nate raised his eyebrows. ¡°Hm, wait a second, where¡¯s your bow? Or do you use daggers?¡± He eyed the knife at Liam¡¯s waste. ¡°No, my bow broke earlier¡­¡± Marc chuckled behind Nate. ¡°Well, shiiiiiiit, that really limits things, doesn¡¯t it, Na ¨C aahhh?!¡± Rex elbowed him in the side, causing him to fall silent. ¡°It does¡­ I was thinking of using them as supporters, but if one of them is unarmed, putting them anywhere near the battlefield could be a problem.¡± ¡°I mean, he still has a knife.¡± Glenn pointed out. ¡°Yeah but having a knife and knowing how to fight with a knife are two completely different things. He¡¯s only been here a month. I bet he¡¯s barely comfortable with a bow, expecting him to be good with another weapon is too much. If he were that talented, he¡¯d be part of the Elites, not our ragtag bunch of Association rejects.¡± ¡°So, lookout duty? We can have them watch the back in case anything tries to flank us. And if things get really bad, they can run back to town and tell the Branch Head to send reinforcements.¡± ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t get to that, but yeah, I think that¡¯s the best option. Anything else is too risky for them and us. Being down two people won¡¯t be much of an issue, even if we lost four, we¡¯d be fine as long as our plan is good.¡± Everyone seemed to agree, so Nate quickly moved on to the next topic. ¡°Speaking of plans. I think it¡¯s obvious, but we should use¨C¡± Suddenly, Claire shouted. ¡°Wait! I want to¨C!¡± But before she could finish her sentence, Liam slapped his hand over her mouth. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. ¡°Listen, just shut up, okay? This is good for both of us.¡± He wasn¡¯t about to give Claire a chance to ruin this, not after he had somehow managed to be exempt from fighting. ¡°Mmmhpp!¡± Claire pulled at the hand that was plastered over her mouth. Liam could tell she wasn¡¯t going to give up with just that, so he added to his earlier statement, speaking quietly but hastily. ¡°You remember what I said earlier about staying alive, right? The Viermin aren¡¯t going to die any faster if you¡¯re participating. Let the others kill them. After that, you can do whatever you want.¡± Hearing this, Claire stopped and glared back at Liam. Of course, she remembered his earlier words, that was the only reason she cooperated until now. She shoved Liam away and send him a hostile glance, one that conveyed she¡¯d step down here but wouldn¡¯t give up. Liam ignored her and instead spoke to the group of Earthlings staring at them. ¡°Sorry about her. She can be a bit reckless. Don''t worry. I won''t let it happen again. We¡¯ll watch the flank and stay out of the way.¡± ¡°Reckless? I¡¯d say that¡¯s an understatement.¡± Nate frowned as he stared at Claire. Her outburst reaffirmed that it was the correct choice to exclude her and Liam from the actual battle. Someone like her could only be called a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, bringing her into battle would be disastrous for everyone. Nate sighed. ¡°Well, as long as you understand, then I have no problems¡­¡± Liam and Claire hadn¡¯t seen nor experienced the things he and the other Earthlings had, it was hard to expect them to display the same level of professionalism as the others, and even then, there was always an exception. Still, he couldn¡¯t pass off Claire¡¯s outburst that easily. ¡°¡­And you, girl. Keep in mind that there¡¯s a difference between bravery and recklessness, don''t mistake the two. In case you haven¡¯t realized, this isn¡¯t a game, there are no second chances here. If you die, it¡¯s over. Don¡¯t forget that.¡± Claire stayed silent with her head turned to the side. It was unclear if she heard Nate or chose to ignore him. Either way, Nate had already said what he wanted to, so he picked up where he left off. ¡°As I was saying, we should use hit-and-run tactics. While we could win a head-on-head battle, it wouldn¡¯t be without a few sacrifices. There are just too many Viermin to come out unscathed¡­ So, does that sound good?¡± No one seemed to disagree, so they quickly began working out the finer details of the plan¡­
As the other Earthlings moved into their respective positions, Liam and Claire stayed in the back, a safe distance away from where the battle would take place. While they were told to watch the rear in case the Viermin tried to flank, it was safe to say their role of ¡°lookout duty¡± existed in name only. Not only was the likelihood of an ambush low, but Pat and the other Rangers would notice anything suspicious long before them. So, if they did manage to spot something, it would be counted as a fortunate surprise; no one was relying on them to produce actual results. The surroundings were silent as Liam and Claire waited for the battle to start. Claire hadn¡¯t said a word after she tried to speak out against Nate¡¯s decision and immediately got shut down. Liam had been expecting her to complain, or at least, show a bit of uncooperative behavior; he hadn¡¯t expected her to be so obedient. While he welcomed the silence, since it was coming from Claire, he couldn¡¯t help but find it a bit foreboding. WhoOOOosh! WhoOOOosh! WhoOOOosh¡­! A thunderous roar resounded through the silent forest. The wind sounded menacing, powerful enough to knock over trees and tear the roofs of houses, but Liam knew that wasn¡¯t the case as he looked toward the sound. ¡®It¡¯s starting.¡¯ The sound signified the start of the attack; the howling wind was from the barrage of arrows raining down on the Viermins. If he focused, he could even hear the screeches of Viermins as they dropped dead, impaled by numerous arrows. A vivid image of the bloody battlefield appeared in his mind, reminding him once more of how fortunate he was to be stationed in the back and not up there. Tak! Tak! Tak! At the sound of hurried footsteps, Liam whipped his head around just in time to see Claire¡¯s back disappearing into the forest. ¡®You¡¯ve gotta be¨C!¡¯ While he had only taken his eyes off her for a second, it was enough time for Claire to get a head start. ¡®Damnit!¡¯ Liam sprinted after Claire.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Pat¡¯s arrows shot out of the forest towards one of the Viermins¡­ THUD! With a booming sound, the arrow broke through the Viermin¡¯s chest, sending pieces of its shell flying in every direction. The other Viermins looked around. Unable to determine where the attack had come from, they began to show signs of panic, and the organization in their ranks began to crumble as Pat fired another volley of arrows, killing three Viermins. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Arrows shot by the other Rangers flew toward the Viermins. They had less power than Pat¡¯s but still packed enough of a punch to take down the Viermins. Thud! Thud! Thud! Bodies dropped to the ground one-by-one. Whoosh! THUD! Whoosh! Whoosh! THUD! Whoosh! Crack! Whoosh! THUD! Whoosh! Arrows rained down on the Viermins, shredding their hard shells like paper. Within seconds, the area outside the cave had turned into a sea of blood. A group of Viermins charged into the forest, hoping to deal with the Rangers who were quickly racking up kills, but as soon as they entered¡­ ¡°Now!¡± Nate shouted as soon as the Viermins had stepped within range. Simultaneously, Rex¡¯s spear and Marc¡¯s sword shot out of the bushes and impaled the Viermin running by. The Viermin stopped dead in its tracks, with a spear stabbing through its left side and a sword through its right, it didn¡¯t even have a chance to resist. ¡°Ohhh? So, what do we call this? A point for both of us?¡± Rex said with a musing tone, dragging out the syllables in his words. Marc snorted and curtly turned his head to the side. ¡°A tie?! Don¡¯t fuck around. My sword was clearly faster! Look! It''s in deeper than your sp-!¡± When Marc looked back at the Viermin¡¯s body, Rex¡¯s spear was gone, or rather, Rex himself was gone. Stab! Marc¡¯s gaze shifted towards the sound behind him, and his eyes shot open. In the brief moment he had been distracted, Rex managed to kill a second Viermin and was eyeing his third. ¡°You¡­ You¡­!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Rex paused as he pulled his spear out of the Viermin¡¯s corpse. ¡°Oh, you can have that one. You¡¯ll probably need it.¡± Marc didn¡¯t miss the sly smirk on Rex¡¯s face. His face dyed a deep shade of red, realizing he was being played with. ¡°You fucker! Just wait until I-!¡± Rex had already run off to kill his third, so Marc swallowed his words. ¡°Fuck,¡± He said in a hushed voice as he went to pull his sword from the Viermin¡¯s body. Thud¡­ The sword didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Huh?¡± Marc pulled again; this time, he stepped on the corpse to hold it in place. Crack! He heard a sound similar to a lobster claw being cracked as the leg he was stepping on snapped off. Marc¡¯s eyes wandered toward where Rex was slaughtering Viermins left and right. Seeing one, two, and then three bodies hit the ground in quick succession, another curse escaped Marc¡¯s lips. ¡°Oh, shit¡­¡± Marc pulled on his sword again, but it was stuck inside the corpse at a weird angle, making it hard to exert his full strength. Not to mention, when his blade crossed paths with Rex¡¯s spear, the insides of the Viermin appeared to have shifted and locked his blade in place. He quickly gave up and tried to twist his sword back and forth to loosen it somehow, but since the entire blade, all the way to the hilt was stuck inside, it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit! How did it get so far in?!¡± Marc was beginning to regret his overzealous attack earlier as he desperately tried to free his sword. With every second that passed, he fell further and further behind Rex. Feeling the rising pressure as his chances of victory vanished, he stomped, kicked, twisted, pulled, and swung the sword until finally¡­ ¡°It¡¯s off!¡± Marc cheered as the sword slid out of the Viermin¡¯s mutilated corpse, which looked no different than a pile of minced meat. ¡°Alright, time to¡­!¡± As Marc took a step forward, he heard Pat shouting in a loud voice. ¡°RETREEEAT!¡± ¡°Gahh! You¡¯ve gotta be fucking kidding me, already?!¡± Marc pulled his hair in frustration; retreating was part of the plan once too many Viermin entered the forest, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so soon. Rummmmble!!! The ground began to quake as a horde of Viermins rushed into the forest. Based on the sound alone, Marc knew that the rest of the Viermins around the cave were coming after them. ¡°Fuuuuck!¡± Marc groaned as he turned and ran.