The city square was pandemonium. Players shrieked, scrambled, and yelled in dismay, their terrified cries rising to a cacophony of sound. Ryu and Aris forced through the throng, desperate to make sense of things. The scarlet banner still clung to the sky above, its dark glow casting an evil light over the city.
"This can't be happening," Aris whispered, her breathing shaky as they ducked into a quiet alleyway.
"It's happening," Ryu said bluntly, his fists clenched. He tried to keep his voice steady, though his heart was racing. "We're stuck, and if we die, we lose everything. We need a plan, now."
Aris leaned into the stone wall, her hands quivering. "Do we even know this is happening? I mean, it must be some twisted version, right? No one can risk something like that to happen legally."
Ryu set his jaw. He did not know the answers to this; however, seeing them walk off earlier still haunted him. "Zenith said so himself: the logout button's disappeared. Did you check your system menu?
Aris didn't want to look but pulled up her menu anyway. She scanned it fast, her face going pale. "It's really gone."
"That's all the proof I need," Ryu said, scanning the alleyway for any sign of listeners. The hysteria of the crowd had spilled into the streets, and players were darting in every direction. Some were in denial, while others already seemed to be forming groups.
Aris straightened, forcing herself to calm down. "Okay, fine. If this is real, we need to survive. First things first—what do we know?
Ryu appreciated the change in her tone. If anyone could get themselves together in a crisis, it was Aris. "We know the objective," he said. "Clear the final dungeon, defeat the Nexus Keeper, and escape. But we're Level 1 with basic gear. We're not going anywhere until we level up.
"Right. We grind," Aris nodded in agreement. "But we can't stay near the city. Everyone is going to fight over the resources in these low-level areas. We get caught in the chaos."
"Then we go out to the outskirts," Ryu suggested. "Find a place with less players and start grinding. If we are lucky, we avoid PvP, too."
"PvP?" Aris furrowed his brows.
Ryu met her gaze, his face grave. "You really think everyone's going to play nice? If dying means losing everything, some players will do whatever it takes to survive-including killing others."
Aris swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. "Great. So now it's not just monsters we have to worry about.
That's why we need to move fast," Ryu said. He glanced towards the square, where the chaos continued to escalate. "Let's go before someone decides we look like easy targets."
Aris nodded. Her determination flared anew. "Alright. Lead the way.
They slipped into the side streets, avoiding the large roads. The noise of panicked players receded in the distance as they disappeared from the city gates behind them, and the soft rustling of grass in the open plains filled the air.
The fields lay before them, interspersed with scattered trees and small hills. The place was still crowded with lower-level players, most fumbling with their weapons or grouping up for safety.
"This isn't going to work," Aris muttered, scanning the crowded plains. "We need to get further out."
Ryu nodded. "Agreed. Let's head toward the forest. It's riskier, but we'll find stronger monsters and fewer players."
The forest loomed in the distance, its dark canopy a stark contrast to the bright plains. The sight of it sent a chill down Ryu's spine, but he knew they didn't have a choice.
As they neared the forest's edge, something had shifted. The air became denser, and a different silence replaced the singing birds of the prairies.
"Okay," Ryu said, unsheathing his blade. The sword felt unheavy in his hands, very much unlike the polished, power-draped blades he used back in other games. "Keep close and keep watching my back.
Okay," Aris said, her twin daggers barely glistening in the dim light.
The first meeting was very swift. Pair of wolf-like creatures were seen popping out from bushes, red eyes glowing softly, low and mean growls they made.
"Level 3," Ryu said to himself and read stats for those creatures out of his interface. "Don't matter how.
The wolves leapt together. Ryu sidestepped the first wolf's charge and brought his sword swinging wide in a great arc. It struck with a fine crunching sound, and the wolf let out a howl, its health bar falling a quarter of the way.
Aris dodged in on the flank side, striking quickly, precision in each move. She hit two of the strikes on the second wolf as her daggers sliced the dimness.
"They're fast!" she shouted, dodging a swipe from the wolf's claws.
"Stay focused!" Ryu shouted, blocking an attack with his sword. The impact sent a jolt up his arm, but he managed to hold his ground. He countered with a thrust, his blade piercing the wolf's side. The creature dissolved into particles, leaving behind a small amount of XP and a few copper coins.
She finished the second wolf with a swift combo, stepping back as it dissipated.
"Not bad," she said, catching her breath. "We might actually make it out of this after all."
Ryu smirked, though his grip on his sword tightened. "Don't get cocky. This is just the start.
They pressed deeper into the forest, encountering more wolves and the occasional giant insect. The fights were challenging, but they quickly adapted to the game's combat mechanics, growing more confident with each battle.
After what felt like hours, they reached a small clearing. Aris collapsed onto the grass, wiping sweat from her brow.
"I'm starving," she said.
Ryu sat down beside her, opening his inventory. "Well, looks like the game provides basic rations. Not much, but it'll keep us going."
They ate in silence, the events of the day weighing heavily on their minds.
"What do you think's really going on?" Aris asked quietly, staring at the sky.
Ryu didn't respond. I don't know," he said. "But if Zenith is telling the truth, this thing we're part of is something much bigger than a game."
Aris nodded solemnly. "Then we better get stronger. Fast.
Ryu looked at her. The fire that burned within her eyes was the same blaze he himself carried. For the first time, Ryu felt a spark of hope. They didn't have all the answers, but together, they would face whatever awaited them in the future.
And they wouldn't stop until they broke free from this twisted world.