The silence after the explosion of slime guts was oddly satisfying. Like, "hey, I might be stuck in a broken system, but at least I'm good at making a mess."

  I stood over the remains of the slimy creature, its vibrant green goo dripping off my boots as I wiped my hands on the grass. The "Misfortune Magnet" ability was starting to feel a lot less like a curse and more like a twisted blessing. I was going to need a lot more of these slimes if I wanted to survive.

  But I didn’t have time for that. Not now.

  A strange feeling crept over me as I started walking further into the forest. It wasn’t just the whole "being thrown into a floating platform with no explanation" vibe I was getting — there was something else. A deeper, more unsettling feeling that nagged at me.

  The trees around me weren't normal.

  I mean, sure, trees are trees, but these? These were alive. I could almost feel them watching me, like their roots were digging into the very fabric of the world itself. Their branches twisted into unnatural shapes, some even glowing faintly.

  This isn't good, I thought, but then again, nothing had been good since I stepped into that cursed mess.

  I kept walking, hoping I was just paranoid, but the feeling didn’t fade. If anything, it grew stronger.

  That’s when I saw it.

  A glowing red stone, embedded in the trunk of one of the trees. The stone pulsed with an eerie light, like it was... waiting for something.

  Instincts kicked in.

  I reached out and grabbed it.

  The moment my fingers touched the stone, a jolt of electricity shot up my arm. Pain. Pure, unfiltered agony coursed through my veins, making my vision go white for a split second.

  Then, everything stopped.

  I pulled my hand back, heart pounding. The stone remained where it was, calm as ever. No more electricity, no more pain.

  But something had changed.

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  A voice, deep and distorted, echoed in my mind.

  "You have activated the ‘Fragment of the Void.’"

  What the hell? I looked at my hand, but nothing seemed different. No glowing runes, no weird symbols, just my regular hand, covered in grime and slime goo.

  "Warning: the Fragment is incomplete. You must collect the other pieces to gain control over the Void."

  Great. Just what I needed. A half-assed magical artifact that promised power but probably wanted me to play some twisted scavenger hunt.

  I glanced around, but the forest seemed eerily quiet. The trees were still staring at me, their branches swaying in the wind as if they were whispering secrets. Or maybe they were laughing at my expense. Who knows?

  "Alright, alright. One step at a time," I muttered to myself. "Let’s get to the bottom of this ‘Void’ nonsense later."

  I turned back around, but my eye caught something moving in the distance. My heart skipped a beat as a figure stepped out from the shadows.

  A person.

  They were tall, cloaked in dark robes, and their face was hidden beneath a hood. For a moment, I thought they might be a trap. Another monster. Another failure waiting to happen.

  But no. They weren’t moving like a monster. They weren’t shuffling or twitching like one of those damn slimes.

  They were calm.

  And that freaked me out more than anything.

  "Who the hell are you?" I asked, my voice low and cautious.

  The figure tilted their head, as if considering me.

  "Someone who doesn’t want to see you get yourself killed," they replied, their voice smooth but cold.

  "Is that so?" I raised an eyebrow. "And why would you care?"

  The figure stepped closer, revealing a long, jagged sword strapped to their back. "Because," they said, "you’re not supposed to be here."

  My brain stalled. The hell was that supposed to mean? "Not supposed to be here? What, you think I asked for this? I’m just trying to survive."

  The figure took another step forward. "Doesn't matter. You're here now. And I don't think you understand the kind of trouble you've just walked into."

  I squinted at them. "Trouble? The only thing I’m in trouble with is not knowing what the hell’s going on."

  "Then allow me to enlighten you," the figure said, stepping into the dim light of the forest. They slowly lowered their hood, revealing a face that was strikingly beautiful, but it had an almost unnatural edge to it. Pale skin, sharp eyes, and something in their gaze that made me feel like I was a bug under a microscope.

  A cold shiver ran down my spine.

  "Who the hell are you?" I asked again, trying not to sound as shaken as I felt.

  "I am someone who knows exactly how broken this world is," the person said, their voice carrying a cold certainty. "And if you want to survive it, you'll need help. A lot of it."

  I narrowed my eyes. "And why should I trust you? For all I know, you’re another one of the System’s ‘associates’ trying to put me through some twisted trial."

  The person smiled. "Oh, no. I’m not here to kill you. At least, not yet. I’m just here to offer you an... opportunity."

  I took a step back. "An opportunity for what?"

  "For you to make it out alive. This... game isn’t what you think it is. And you’re about to learn that the hard way."

  I swallowed, the weight of their words hanging over me. I didn’t know if I could trust this person, but right now, they might just be my only chance of getting answers.