The alley was dark, the walls narrowing like the jaws of a trap. The gang leader stepped forward, his boots scraping against the cracked pavement. His sneer, twisted and cold, was a mark of someone who had long given up on anything resembling empathy. Scars marred the man's face like a roadmap of past violence, and his eyes gleamed with malice.
"You shouldn't have interfered, outsider," the man growled, twirling a rusted blade with practiced ease. His cronies, equally ragged and menacing, circled like wolves, blocking every potential escape route.
Elliot clenched his fists, his knuckles white. The System hadn't given him a quest to fight these thugs only save the little girl—this wasn't part of the plan—but he had no choice. He couldn't just walk away and leave the girl at their mercy.
He positioned himself in front of her, shoulders squared, trying to block her from view. Her grip on her doll was so tight her knuckles were white, her small body trembling in fear.
"Stay behind me," he whispered, his hand hovering protectively. The words came out sharper than he intended, but there was no time to soften them.
The gang leader snorted, taking a step closer. "You think you can stop me?"
Elliot's eyes narrowed. No, he didn't think he could stop the man, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let him hurt this girl.
The leader lunged forward, slashing his blade in a wide arc. Elliot dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding the steel. But his luck didn't hold. The second strike caught him in the ribs, the blade scraping against his flesh, sending him sprawling against the cold stone wall of the alley.
Pain exploded in his side, sharp and sudden, but he forced himself to his feet. His breath hitched, a wet cough escaping him. Blood, warm and sticky, pooled beneath his fingers as he pressed against the wound. The dizziness was quick to follow, his vision blurring at the edges.
"Not so tough now, are you?" another thug sneered, his voice dripping with mockery as he closed in on Elliot. The man raised his fist, ready to bring it down with brutal force.
Elliot's eyes darted across the ground, looking for something—anything—to give him an edge. Finding nothing and with desperation clawing at him, Elliot accessed his inventory, summoning a half-burned candlestick into his hand. With a grunt, he swung the candlestick with everything he had. It connected with the thug's chest, knocking him off balance. The thug stumbled backward, cursing under his breath.
Without a moment's hesitation, Elliot hurled the candlestick at the leader's face. The impact sent the man staggering back, his blade clattering to the ground. It wasn't a decisive blow, but it bought him enough time.
"Run!" Elliot barked at the girl, his voice tight with urgency. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her with him, darting toward a narrow gap between two buildings. The girl's feet stumbled as she tried to keep up, but she didn't resist.
"After them!" the leader roared, his voice filled with venom. But by the time his men began to give chase, Elliot and the girl had vanished into the shadows.
Elliot's breath came in ragged gasps as they ducked down a winding side street, hearts racing in sync. His side throbbed with each step, but he couldn't afford to slow down. Not now.
They reached a small alcove where he finally allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. His body trembled with exhaustion, but the girl's quiet sobs reminded him of the danger they were still in. She was safe for now, but he couldn't let his guard down.
He glanced at her, watching as she sat huddled against the wall, her doll clutched tightly in her arms. The small figure seemed to be the only thing keeping her grounded in a world that had just proven how quickly it could rip away any semblance of safety.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice rough. He moved closer to her, kneeling down. She nodded once, still clutching the doll. Elliot had managed to escape from the thugs—barely. The leader had been tougher than expected, and Elliot's lack of combat skills had almost cost him dearly.
At least the system had come through.
___________________________
QUEST COMPLETE: A Helping Hand
Reward: +5 Energy
Energy: 5/5
___________________________
The faint ding of the notification had been a welcome reprieve, a reminder that there was some order to the chaos surrounding him. Still, the ache in his ribs and the gash on his side were brutal reminders of how close he'd come to failing.
"What's your name?" he asked, breaking the silence.
The girl hesitated, hugging her doll tighter. "Lina," she finally whispered.
"Lina," Elliot repeated with a small nod. "Do you have a place to go?" he pressed, trying to keep his tone gentle despite the unease gnawing at his gut. He needed to get her back to her family, away from the nightmare she had just witnessed.
Lina hesitated, her small frame trembling as she slowly pointed down the street. "That way," she whispered.
"Alright," he muttered, pushing off the wall. "Let's get you out of here."
They walked in silence, Elliot's senses on edge. The eerie stillness of the street weighed on him like a thick fog. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Before he could analyze it further, a sudden, sharp chime interrupted the silence.
___________________________
SYSTEM ALERT: QUEST UPDATED:
New Objective: Subdue the Cursed Doll
Reward: Skill Unlocked - Observation, +1 Level
___________________________
Elliot froze. His heart skipped a beat as he read the notification.
Subdue the cursed doll?
His gaze snapped to Lina, whose innocent expression had already begun to shift. The air grew heavy, the temperature dropping as if the shadows themselves were closing in on them. Her wide eyes flickered with something else now—something darker.
Elliot stumbled back, his stomach twisting in fear. "What the—"
Lina's form began to shimmer, fading at the edges as though her body were losing its solid shape. Her face twisted grotesquely, her eyes glowing with an unnatural, sickly light. A feral grin spread across her face, and a low, guttural growl bubbled in her throat.
Elliot's blood ran cold. The thugs. The girl. It had all been a trap.
He barely had time to react before Lina lunged at him, her small body transforming into a translucent, spectral form. Her hands clawed at him, but just as she made contact, a familiar sensation flooded his mind.
___________________________
Skill Activated: Mental Barrier
___________________________
A faint, shimmering field surrounded him, repelling the attack. The spirit shrieked in frustration, her incorporeal form twisting and shifting. Elliot's heart pounded in his chest. The barrier had saved him, but it wouldn't solve this situation. His mind raced, seeking a solution. He couldn't fight her head-on—not like this.
In his peripheral vision, he saw the doll still clutched in the girl's hands. It pulsed with dark energy, almost as if it were alive. Recalling the system notification he realized the doll was the key.
With a sharp breath, Elliot reached for the doll before the spirit recovered from touching his barrier. His fingers brushed against it, and the moment he touched it, the world around him seemed to collapse. The girl's form convulsed, her body twisting violently, the air splitting with an ear-piercing scream.
"Stay back!" he shouted, his voice filled with desperation. He held the doll aloft, not caring about the risk. "I'll destroy it if I have to!"
For a heartbeat, the spirit hesitated, her glowing eyes filled with a mixture of rage and panic. But then, as if unable to withstand the pressure, her form began to dissipate, unraveling like a wisp of smoke.
With one final, haunting scream, the spirit vanished into the night, leaving only silence in her wake.
Elliot stood frozen, the cursed doll still clutched tightly in his hands. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, each inhale a struggle against the residual terror gripping his chest. What in the world had just happened?
He opened the system interface, his hands trembling slightly as he accessed the new skill he'd earned:
___________________________
QUEST COMPLETE: Subdue the Cursed Doll
Reward: Skill Unlocked - Observation, +1 Level
[Skill Acquired: Observation]
[Observation is an active skill that allows the user to assess objects, people, and situations with heightened awareness and accuracy. It grants the ability to identify hidden properties, weaknesses, and intricate details that are normally unseen by the naked eye.]
___________________________
He focused on the doll, feeling an almost unnatural clarity flood his mind. A window appeared before him, revealing hidden details of the object he'd just been holding.
___________________________
Sealed Artifact: Deceiving Doll
Grade: 3
Status: Sealed
Appearance: A small porcelain doll with a faded lace dress and black thread pigtails. Its eyes are unnervingly large and seem to follow you. It holds a tiny, worn-out teddy bear.
Function: Upon unsealing, the doll transforms into the appearance of a little girl, pleading for help. Anyone who tries to assist her will be attacked, as the doll's true form reveals a monstrous mouth and attempts to devour the person. The doll grows stronger with each victim it consumes.
Downside: The doll manipulates the emotions of its user, and it slowly enslaves them to do its bidding. It becomes more dangerous the longer it remains active.
___________________________
Elliot's fingers trembled as he read through the details. His stomach turned at the realization that he had been near something so dangerous—and so deceptively innocent-looking. Worse still, it had almost killed him.
"This isn't a game," he whispered to himself, the weight of the situation sinking in. The world he had found himself in was far more treacherous than he had imagined. It wasn't just a test of survival. It was a world where the rules were cruel and unforgiving. One wrong move, and everything could be lost.
He stood there for a moment longer, clutching the doll with grim resolve. The sound of distant footsteps echoed in the alleyway, but he knew that the threat was far from over. Survival would require more than just luck or quick reflexes. It would require sharp minds and hard choices. And Elliot was beginning to realize just how much he would need to grow to survive in this world.
Because in this world, chaos was everywhere—and it was only just beginning.