"10.
"9.
"8."
The robotic voice echoed through the capsule, cold and detached. Johann gritted his teeth, bracing himself against the straps that held him in place. The reinforced harness dug painfully into his arms, chest, and legs, pinning him so tightly he could barely breathe. It felt like being locked in a vice, as if the capsule knew the landing wouldn't be forgiving.
The harness pressed so tightly against his body it felt like he was being crushed alive. If this is supposed to save us, why does it feel like it's trying to kill me first?
The countdown droned on. Johann tried to push the sprout of fear deep inside him aside, focusing instead on anything but the looming crash. He thought of Korrath—the quiet nights, the steady monotony of construction work, even the times he got stupid drunk. He wanted to be anywhere but here.
"5.
"4.
"3."
The harness around his left arm shifted suddenly. Johann's breath hitched as he felt the pressure ease, the once-tight strap loosening against his skin.
That's… not good. Panic clawed at the edges of his mind as the machinery groaned faintly, the sound barely audible over the countdown. He tested the strap, pulling against it, but it gave way too easily. His pulse hammered in his ears.
"This is fine. This is fine," he muttered under his breath, trying to drown out the growing dread. The words were hollow, nothing more than a desperate mantra.
"2."
The loose strap slipped even further, leaving his arm partially unsecured. His stomach churned, dread coiling like a snake around his chest.
"1."
The capsule erupted.
The impact slammed him back into his seat with brutal force. Pain exploded in his arm as the strap tore free, twisting it unnaturally. A blinding heat shot through his right eye, like molten iron stabbing into his skull. He barely registered the sickening crack of bone before his thoughts scattered into chaos.
The last thing Johann felt was the fiery sting of tears burning down his face before the world went black.
…
Lyn's unconscious body twitched, roused by the commotion around her. Her right eye throbbed from the earlier pain, but she forced herself to sit up, wincing as the straps that had once held her in place now dangled uselessly. She scanned the capsule, her breath catching as her gaze landed on Elias and Johann.
Elias, still struggling to shake off the disorientation, was pressing his palm to his right eye. But it was Johann who drew her attention. His face was unnaturally pale, his lips stained crimson as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His right arm was clearly broken, resting at an unnatural angle. The sight made her heart tighten.
Without a second thought, she moved toward Johann, her footsteps unsteady but purposeful.
"He's in bad shape," she muttered, glancing toward the door. "I'll grab a first aid kit… and someone with medical experience."
She nodded in the direction of Elias, her blonde hair swaying with the motion as the wind from outside swept through the capsule.
"Stay with him."
Elias barely nodded, his eyes still clouded from the shock. He stumbled toward Johann, his hands trembling as he checked for a pulse.
Good, good. He's still alive.
After the brief relief, Elias's attention shifted to the chaos unfolding around them. Adventurers—men and women alike—were frantically moving through the capsule, tending to the injured and shouting over one another. A few were already making plans to explore, while others stood frozen, their fear clear in the way they hesitated to move. In the midst of it all, some were trying to establish order, but it was clear that panic had a firm hold on the group.
Elias didn't know what he could do to help yet. But he knew he couldn't leave Johann alone.
A few minutes later, Johann's body jerked awake, a sharp, involuntary gasp escaping his lips.
"Agh! Shit!"
The sudden movement sent a shock of pain through his left arm, making him clench his teeth.
No, no, no. Why did I have to get hurt this bad?
His gaze shifted slowly to Elias, slumped beside his seat, one hand pressed to his right eye. Johann's voice came out strained, barely above a rasp.
"We lan—"
Cough! Cough!
He cupped his hand to his mouth, but as he lowered it, his eyes caught the blood staining his palm.
Internal bleeding? What the hell…
The thought barely registered before Johann's body slumped back into the restraints, his mind drifting back into the haze of pain. A sharp pang in his stomach broke through the fog, but his attention quickly shifted as he saw Lyn, followed closely by a man slightly taller than her.
Elias, noticing Johann had woken, spoke up, his voice shaky from the throbbing pain in his eye.
"A broken arm's nothing too bad. It'll heal in a couple of months…"
Elias fell silent when the man beside Lyn spoke with a calm, practiced tone.
"I'm Frank, one of the few doctors on this capsule. I'll help treat and diagnose you."
Johann turned his head toward him, giving a slow, weary nod.
Later, after the brief treatment, Johann finally stepped outside the capsule.
The world around him was unexpectedly serene, far more beautiful than he'd anticipated. The vast, thick forest stretched endlessly, and the air felt strange yet fresh. The silence was thick—unnaturally so. He could see unfamiliar plants and flowers scattered around, their presence noted but seemingly harmless. Off in the distance, to the west, a towering mountain range loomed, its snow-capped peaks brushing against the sky.
This place doesn't seem dangerous… but that's probably just wishful thinking.
Suddenly, he broke into a fit of coughing, making sure to cover his mouth with his hand. When it subsided, Johann stared deeply at his bloodied hand, bits of tissue clinging to his palm. Frank had told him that one of his organs was bleeding, but there was little anyone could do to fix it right now. He'd been treated enough to keep the bleeding manageable, but the real work would take time—and with so many others needing attention, there was only so much that could be done in the short term.
Johann leaned against a tree, its bark rough under his palm. The cool night air was strangely still, and his gaze swept across the forest, its shadows deeper under the faint light of the stars. For a brief moment, he found a shred of calm in the eerie silence.
Then, without warning, a sharp, burning pain flared in his right eye.
He staggered, clutching his face as the sensation intensified. It wasn't just pain—it was wrong, unnatural. The veins on his forehead swelled and bulged, snaking outward from his temple like living roots pressing against his skin. His eye felt like it was boiling, the heat spreading across his face in waves.
Gritting his teeth, Johann dropped to his knees, his breaths ragged and shallow. The pain coursing through him was unlike anything he'd felt before. It wasn't just physical—it felt invasive, as though something inside him was trying to rewrite itself.
After what felt like an eternity, the burning began to subside. The veins receded, and his skin settled back into place, leaving behind a dull ache and a trail of bloody tears dripping from his right eye. Johann exhaled shakily, wiping at his face with his sleeve.
It was then that he noticed it—a faint glow in the corner of his vision.
When he opened his right eye fully, a panel appeared, hovering midair. Its faint edges shimmered like light passing through glass, the text blurry but unmistakably there. He froze, his heart pounding, before squeezing his right eye shut. The panel disappeared. Opening it brought it back.
He blinked a few more times, his brow furrowing.
Is this… connected to my eye?
Testing his theory, Johann closed his left eye while keeping his right one open. The panel remained. He experimented further, moving his gaze around and watching as the display followed his line of sight.
Alright. This isn't random and I'm not hallucinating.
Satisfied that he could control its appearance, Johann turned his focus to the blurred text, concentrating until the letters sharpened into clarity.
[Vessel Status]
Injuries/Damage:
• Left Arm: Broken
• Torso: Minor bruising
• Liver: Bleeding
Mental State:
• Stress Level: High
• Clarity: Low
• Focus: 73%
Condition: Stabilizing
…
He frowned as he read. The details were stark and unsettling.
Vessel? The word stuck out to him, but he had no time to dwell on it before the panel shifted. More text replaced the previous lines, listing numbers next to what looked like attributes.
[Stats]
• Strength: 0.24
• Fortitude: 0.26
• Speed: 0.22
• Flexibility: 0.19
• Reflexes: 0.20
• Dexterity: 0.23
• Perception: 0.23
• Intuition: 0.24
• Mental Resilience: 0.25
• Focus: 0.22
…
Johann's eyes widened as he studied the display. It looked eerily familiar—like something out of a game.
So… it works like a system in a game?
He stared at the panel for a long moment, his mind spinning. Everything about it felt surreal, yet undeniably real. And, judging by the injuries listed, it didn't seem fake.
His jaw tightened as the implications settled in. Whatever had changed in him when they landed was far beyond anything he understood.