Elias and Lyra went back to the others, and there was this gloomy look on everyone's face.
It was like everyone was waiting to hear the next task and move.
The others looked at each other expectantly, but neither spoke.
It wasn't as though they had answers. They stood there in uneasy silence, waiting.
The system didn't disappoint.
[Ding!]
[Next Challenge: Reach the Safe Zone before Sunset.]
[Penalty for Failure: Death.]
[Reward: Hidden.]
[Timer: 7 Hours Remaining.]
A faint shimmer illuminated the clearing as translucent maps unfurled before each participant, though they could only see their own.
Elias squinted at the glowing lines, trying to make sense of it.
A small blue dot pulsed at his current location, and a red symbol marked his destination: Safe Zone Beta.
The map wasn't simple. Warnings etched in sharp red spirals marked hazard zones.
Between him and his goal lay a treacherous patch labeled Rifted Marsh.His stomach twisted.
The words felt ominous.
Elias wasn't the only one unnerved. Around him, whispered voices rose, each person trying to piece together their tasks.
"What zone are you heading to?"
"Alpha. You?"
"Gamma. Alone…"
"Quiet!" Markus's voice cut through the growing din, his tone sharp and commanding.
All eyes turned to him as he stepped into the center, towering over the rest. His presence alone seemed to steady the group, but his stern gaze offered little comfort.
"Check your maps, understand your objectives, and move. If your paths overlap, stick together.
Don't try to outsmart the system. Nobody gets to play the hero, and for your own sake, don't waste time."
Elias hesitated. He wanted to ask what Markus had seen on his map, but something about the man's clenched jaw and rigid posture stopped him.
Markus scanned the group, his expression darkening. "I'm heading to Zone Alpha. East." His voice was clipped, leaving no room for debate.
He tightened the straps on his pack and adjusted his sword.
Lyra stepped forward. "You're going alone?"
Markus nodded. "That's how it's designed.
Focus on your own survival.
We'll regroup... if we're lucky." Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the forest, his silhouette swallowed by the encroaching shadows.
The group remained frozen for a moment, the gravity of the situation settling over them.
One by one, they began to check their maps again, murmuring quietly to one another.
Elias glanced at Lyra, her face unreadable as she studied her glowing map.
He couldn't see what it showed, but the tension in her shoulders told him enough. "What about you?" he asked softly.
Lyra didn't look up. "Beta," she replied. "And you?"
"Same," Elias said. Relief and dread washed over him in equal measure. At least he wouldn't be alone.
Dan, the young man to whom Lyra had given a healing potion in the dungeon, approached them hesitantly. "I'm heading to Beta too," he said.
His voice was steadier than before, but his pale complexion betrayed his nerves.
Before Elias could respond, another figure stepped closer, a quiet girl who had barely spoken since the trials began. "Beta," she said simply, her eyes flicking between them.
Elias felt a sliver of hope. Four of them heading in the same direction. Strength in numbers.
But then he remembered the system's warning:
[Individualized Objectives Unlocked. Your task will vary based on your rank, abilities, and contributions so far. Collaborations allowed where paths overlap.]
Even if they were headed to the same place, their paths... and challenges... might not align.
"Let's move," Lyra said firmly, snapping him out of his thoughts. "We don't have time to waste."
The group adjusted their gear and began their journey.
The forest seemed darker now, the trees pressing in as if the system itself sought to make them feel unwelcome.
...
The Rifted Marsh loomed before them, a stark shift from the dense forest.
The air grew damp and heavy, carrying an acrid tang that stung their nostrils.
Gnarled roots jutted from the soggy ground, and pools of stagnant water reflected the pale, sickly light filtering through the canopy.
Dan whistled low under his breath. "This place is worse than I imagined."
"So... does anyone else feel like we're walking into our graves?"
"No one's laughing," Lyra snapped.
Elias glanced at his map again, the glowing lines pulsing faintly.
He couldn't see the others' maps, but the shared tension told him they all faced the same destination.
Lyra knelt, studying the ground. "The system called this place Rifted Marsh: Beware of Illusions," she said, her tone clipped. "Keep your wits about you.
Don't trust what you see."
Elias frowned. "Illusions? What kind of illusions?"
Lyra straightened, her expression hard. "If I knew, I'd tell you. Just stay focused and stick together."
The quiet girl spoke up for the first time since they entered the marsh. "What happens if we don't?"
The silence that followed was answer enough.
...
They moved cautiously, the uneven terrain forcing them to slow their pace.
The marsh seemed alive, every rustling leaf and bubbling pool sending a spike of paranoia through the group.
Elias gripped his sword tightly, the Dark Shard's faint glow a small comfort in the oppressive gloom.
He tried to focus on the path ahead, but his thoughts kept drifting.
The mention of illusions gnawed at him. Would they see monsters? Traps? Or worse... memories?
The first sign of trouble came when Dan suddenly stopped, his eyes wide and fixed on something in the distance.
"Do you see that?" he whispered, pointing toward a faint figure standing among the trees.
Elias squinted. There was someone there... or something.
A pale silhouette, barely visible through the haze.
"Stay close," Lyra ordered, her voice low. She raised her weapon, her movements deliberate.
The figure didn't move.
"It's just standing there," Dan said, his voice trembling.
Lyra took a cautious step forward, her blade glinting faintly in the dim light. "It's not real. Ignore it."
Dan didn't move. "But what if..."
"It's not real," Lyra snapped, cutting him off.
"Don't be a weakling!"
Elias reached out, grabbing Dan's arm. "Come on. Let's keep moving."
Reluctantly, Dan followed, his gaze lingering on the figure until it vanished into the mist.
...…
The deeper they ventured, the worse the illusions became.
Shadows twisted into grotesque shapes, and whispers filled the air, their origins impossible to pinpoint.
Elias felt his resolve faltering.
He thought he heard his sister's voice... a soft, familiar melody she used to hum when they were younger. But she wasn't here. She couldn't be.
"Elias," Lyra's sharp voice broke through his thoughts.
He blinked, realizing he had stopped walking. The others were staring at him.
"Focus," Lyra said, her eyes narrowing. "Whatever you're seeing, it's not real."
Elias nodded, swallowing hard. He forced himself to keep moving, ignoring the haunting melody that seemed to follow him.
…..
They reached a clearing that was marked as a "checkpoint" on their maps.
The ground was drier here, and a faint glow emanated from a series of runes etched into the earth.
Dan collapsed onto a fallen log, his breath ragged. "We're not even halfway there, are we?"
"No," Lyra said bluntly.
The quiet girl was scanning the perimeter, her daggers drawn. "We can't stay long. The timer's still running."
Elias checked his map again. Five hours remaining.
They had made progress, but the most dangerous stretch of the marsh still lay ahead.
Lyra knelt by the runes, her brow furrowed. "These marks… they're guiding us, but I don't trust them."
"What choice do we have?" Elias asked.
Lyra didn't respond. Instead, she stood and tightened her grip on her weapon. "Let's go."