The vilge had no walls. No gate, no guards. Just a worn-out path fading into the forest, like people had been walking it for years—for firewood... or death.

  We stood at its edge. The wind stopped. The sounds from the pza behind us vanished like a snuffed-out candle—leaving only us and the forest.

  Eerily silent.

  Not what I expected from an "RPG forest."

  "Alright," Daren said, stepping ahead. "We stick together. Saya, middle. Leo, rear. Aiden, can you take point with Viko?"

  I nodded. I didn’t mind. The forest spoke more truth than people ever did.

  With each step, the ground grew softer, the air heavier. Light filtered through the leaves like faded silk, muting the world with a pale gray hue. It smelled of moss and damp soil.

  No one spoke. There was no need. The tension was the same for all of us. As if something watched us from between the trees…

  No—as if? I felt it.

  The first attack wasn’t fshy. Just a snap of branches. A rustle. And suddenly, something bck darted from the undergrowth, racing on four legs. Something between a wolf and a predatory shadow.

  "First one!" Saya shouted, hurling a fireball.

  The beast howled but didn’t fall. Viko was on it in seconds, sshing with his bde. The creature leapt back—and that’s when we saw it wasn’t alone.

  Three more emerged from the bushes. No orders were given. We just moved.

  Saya cast spells from a distance—precise, controlled. Viko fought like a berserker—fast, brutal. Daren supported us with his aura, and it worked—I felt lighter, quicker.

  Leo...

  Leo moved like a ghost. Appearing behind enemies, striking with a short dagger, then vanishing again. For someone so timid, the kid fought like a professional.

  I stood aside. Observing. My HUD flickered. The kill count began.

  [Beasts Sin: 1/20]

  So far, they didn’t need me.

  And then it happened.

  One of the beasts, wounded, fled out of sight… and reappeared behind Leo.

  "Leo!" I shouted—but I knew I’d be too te.

  I didn’t think. I just moved.

  No time for strategy. I reached for the nearest thing—a rock. Heavy. Jagged. I hurled it at the thing’s face, aiming for what looked like an eye.

  Hit.

  The beast shrieked, jerking aside for a split second. It was enough.

  Leo spun around, dagger in hand. A flicker, a blur of motion, steel fshing.

  The creature fell.

  Leo looked at me with wide eyes.

  "Thanks…" he muttered.

  "Don’t treat this like a game," I said coldly, meeting his gaze.

  I didn’t need his gratitude. I needed him to stay alive.

  Leo flinched. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he just nodded slightly, eyes cast down, grip tightening around his bde.

  [Beasts Sin: 6/20]

  Saya was effective—her fire spells struck with precision, keeping the beasts at bay. Viko, despite his common css, moved with a grace that came from real combat experience. Daren kept the formation tight, buffing us at key moments—I could feel myself moving faster, stronger.

  We veered off the trail briefly to catch our breath.

  Saya and Viko chatted in hushed tones, like nothing had happened. Casual talk about XP, loot, maybe better drops from the next spawn.

  "If this works like a normal game, the boss should be deeper in," Viko muttered, leaning on his sword. "Might be something with a rare weapon."

  "I just hope the loot system isn’t completely random," Saya replied. "No way I’m slinging fire just to get wooden wands."

  Their tone was rexed.

  Leo sat off to the side. Silent. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t comment. His eyes were locked on the ground, his hands still clenched around the hilt of his dagger.

  And I sat nearby, my back resting against a tree as I looked up at the sky. There weren’t many stars visible through the thick canopy—but just one was enough. One that looked familiar.

  "Same stars... like that night I first realized the world could be truly cruel."

  I didn’t know why the memory returned. But it hit me with full force.

  Something inside me tightened.

  I gnced at them—the people I barely knew. People who still believed this was just a game. Then I looked at Leo.

  He sat there, hunched over, like he was afraid to even breathe too loud. But he was focused. Present. And in his silence... there was something familiar.

  I smiled faintly to myself. Almost imperceptibly.

  "Just like he was..."

  Time passed. We killed a few more groups of beasts—they were stronger now, more aggressive, but still predictable. Saya controlled their movement with fire like a pro. Daren kept our rhythm steady with buffs. Viko charged in recklessly, enthusiasm outweighing caution. Leo remained quiet—but his precision never stopped surprising me.

  At one point, we stumbled into a broken formation of three monsters trying to fnk us—a cssic ambush. If not for Daren’s quick call and a perfectly pced fire ring from Saya, things could’ve gone badly. I stepped in once, maybe twice—but mostly, I kept watching.

  Combat in this world felt too real.

  Eventually, the counter stopped.

  [Beasts Sin: 20/20]

  Quest complete.

  "We should head back," I said, gncing at the darkening sky. "It’s getting te."

  "One more minute," Daren said casually. "Maybe there’s a boss nearby. Would be nice to be the first to kill it."

  "And grab loot that doesn’t smell like firewood," Viko chuckled.

  I was about to speak—

  But Saya cut in suddenly.

  "Hey… there’s something there. On the tree. Looks like... a note?"

  She rushed over before anyone could stop her.

  "DON’T TOUCH THAT!" I shouted sharply, instinctively.

  But her hand had already reached for the paper pinned to the bark.

  "Looks like some kind of item…" she muttered, and yanked it off.

  In that instant, the ground beneath us lit up with a pale glow. A magic circle bloomed from nowhere, surrounding all five of us.

  "What the—?!" Viko yelled.

  Before I could move—everything shattered.

  The world blurred into light.

  And we were gone.