Blood.
It was everywhere. Staining the ground, soaking into clothes, painting the terrified faces of the people around him. Mo Tang stood frozen, his trembling hands clutching a small healing salve he hadn't even managed to use. The chaos of it all—the screaming, the bloodied bodies, the overwhelming stench of death—it was too much.
What am I even doing here?
He had been a healer, or at least that's what he told himself. Someone meant to save others, not watch them die like this. But here, in this godforsaken world, his skills felt laughably inadequate.
When the [Prove Your Value] mission appeared on his blue screen, Mo Tang's heart sank. He had no weapon, no combat skills, and certainly no experience killing monsters. He was meant to heal, to protect. But now?
He glanced around, watching as people scrambled for weapons and tried to band together, only to fail miserably.
"Stay calm! We can survive this if we work together!" he shouted, his voice cracking.
But no one listened.
The desperate screams of the dying pierced his ears. A young boy, barely older than a teenager, ran blindly into the forest, only to trigger a trap. Arrows shot out from the ground, impaling him before he even realized what had happened.
Mo Tang's legs gave out beneath him.
This isn't real. This can't be real.
He gripped his head, trying to steady his breathing, but his vision blurred with tears. He had never felt so powerless. All the textbooks he had read, the skills he had trained in—they didn't matter here. People were dying faster than he could even reach them.
Through the chaos, Mo Tang's eyes caught Rishitha, standing amidst it all like a beacon. Blood dripped from her arm, and her expression was grim, but she never stopped moving.
"Stay calm!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the noise. "Stick together, and we'll get through this!"
Her words carried a weight he couldn't understand. There was something in her eyes—something that told him she knew more than she was letting on.
And then there was Erin. Calm, commanding, and somehow holding the group together despite the rising panic.
Mo Tang wanted to be like them. To stand tall and face the chaos with courage. But all he could feel was his own inadequacy.
Victor's voice slithered through the crowd, stirring fear and anger.
"She doesn't know what she's talking about," Victor sneered, pointing at Rishitha. "Why should we trust her? What if she's lying? What if she's just trying to save herself?"
People hesitated, their desperation making them easy prey for his words.
"Stop it!" Mo Tang shouted, forcing himself to his feet. "This isn't helping!"
Victor turned to him, his smirk deepening. "Oh, and what are you going to do, healer boy? Heal us to death?"
The words stung more than they should have. Mo Tang's fists clenched at his sides, but he said nothing.
When Erin stepped forward, taking charge, Mo Tang felt a flicker of hope. Erin's voice was steady, his presence calming even in the midst of chaos.
But the group wasn't so easily swayed.
"What makes you think you're in charge?!" someone yelled.
"We're going to die anyway! Why bother?!"
"Please, listen to him!" Mo Tang shouted, his voice trembling. "If we don't work together, more people will die!"
But his words were drowned out by the growing arguments, the cries of the injured, and the madness of those too far gone to reason with.
When the Shadow Beast appeared, its hulking form looming over the group, Mo Tang felt his heart stop.
Rishitha, Erin, and Ragith sprang into action, their movements coordinated despite the panic around them. They fought with everything they had, slaying the beast and completing the mission.
But for Mo Tang, it wasn't a victory.
The system notification appeared, cold and unfeeling.
[Mission Complete. Remaining Participants: 18/30]
Twelve people. Twelve lives lost.
Mo Tang stared at the bodies, his stomach churning. He had barely managed to keep one person alive, his hands shaking so badly that his healing had been sloppy and rushed.
I wasn't strong enough.
As the group gathered, battered and broken, Mo Tang sat alone, his thoughts a whirlwind of guilt and resolve.
He couldn't keep relying on Erin and Rishitha to carry the weight of survival. He couldn't keep standing on the sidelines, watching people die while he hesitated.
"I'm going to get stronger," he whispered to himself, his hands trembling. "I won't let this happen again."
The quiet promise settled in his heart, a fragile but unyielding flame.
Because in this world, he realized, kindness wasn't enough. If he wanted to protect the people he cared about, he had to be more than a healer. He had to fight.
Blood stained the ground beneath his boots, the metallic tang of it heavy in the air. The forest, once eerily quiet, now roared with chaos—screams, the clash of weapons, and the guttural growls of beasts. Erin stood in the center of it all, his sword steady in his hand, his mind racing faster than ever.
This isn't just a nightmare. It's real. Too real.
The [Prove Your Value] mission had shaken everyone to their core. Death wasn't theoretical anymore; it was tangible, cruel, and final. Erin had watched the young boy impaled by arrows, his lifeless body crumpling to the ground, and he'd felt something in him crack.
He couldn't let this continue.
"Everyone, calm down!" Erin's voice cut through the noise, sharp and commanding.
Heads turned toward him, some desperate, others skeptical.
"Take a deep breath and stop what you're doing," he said, his tone firm. He stepped forward, wiping the blood from his sword as he spoke. "Have you all calmed down? May I have your attention for a moment?"
The group hesitated, their panic simmering just below the surface. Someone—a middle-aged man with a makeshift spear—shouted, "Who the hell are you to give orders?"
"I'm Erin," he replied simply, his gaze steady. "A normal person, just like you. But I promise you this—I will not let any of you die."
"Crazy!" someone muttered, but Erin ignored it.
"I'll do everything I can to help us survive," he continued, his voice unwavering. "But I need your cooperation. If we don't work together, more people will die. And I think we've had enough of that, don't you?"
Victor, of course, couldn't resist stirring the pot.
"Why should we trust him?" Victor sneered, stepping forward. "What makes him so special? Who put him in charge?"
Erin locked eyes with Victor, his jaw tightening. He didn't have time for this.
"Fine," Erin said, his voice cold. "You don't have to trust me. But if you want to live, you'll listen."
Victor smirked, his gaze flicking to the others. "See? He's just another wannabe hero. Probably trying to save himself first."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the group.
Erin clenched his fists, frustration bubbling under his calm exterior. He understood their fear, their anger. But he also knew they didn't have the luxury of indecision.
"Enough!" Erin barked, silencing the murmurs. "You can argue all you want later. Right now, we need to focus on surviving."
He turned to Rishitha, who stood silently, her eyes filled with a determination that mirrored his own.
"What's next?" he asked her.
"There are more monsters," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos. "And more traps. We can't stop moving."
Erin nodded, turning back to the group. "You heard her. Stay close. Watch where you step. And if you see anything suspicious, call it out."
The wolves came swiftly, their snarls echoing through the forest. Erin didn't hesitate.
"Formation!" he shouted. "Ragith, take the left! Rishitha, cover the right!"
He moved with precision, his blade flashing as he met the first wolf head-on. Its fangs snapped inches from his face, but he drove his sword into its throat before it could lunge again.
The leader came next, its hulking form charging toward the group. Erin gritted his teeth, stepping forward to intercept it.
The wolf was faster than he anticipated, its claws raking across his arm as he raised his sword. Pain flared, but he ignored it, driving his blade into the beast's chest.
"Now, Rishitha!" he shouted.
She moved quickly, plunging her weapon into the creature's side. Together, they brought it down.
Ragith finished off the last wolf with a furious roar, his blade sinking deep into its neck.
Erin's chest heaved as he wiped the blood from his sword. The wolves lay dead at their feet, but the victory felt hollow.
The system notification appeared, cold and indifferent.
[Mission Complete. Remaining Participants: 18/30]
Twelve people. Twelve lives lost.
Erin turned, his gaze sweeping over the group. Many were injured, some barely standing. Mo Tang knelt beside a wounded girl, his hands shaking as he tried to heal her.
Victor stood off to the side, his expression unreadable.
"We need to keep moving," Erin said, his voice heavy. "This isn't over."
As they walked, Erin felt the weight of the group's survival pressing down on him. Every decision he made, every order he gave, could mean the difference between life and death.
He hadn't asked for this. He didn't want to lead. But someone had to.
Looking at Rishitha, who seemed to carry secrets he couldn't begin to fathom, Erin felt a flicker of hope. They might be trapped in a nightmare, but as long as they kept fighting, there was a chance.
I'll protect them, he vowed silently. No matter what it takes.