The world was deathly quiet, save for the hiss of something slithering in the distance.

  Isaac crouched low, hidden behind thick bushes. Beads of sweat rolled down his temple as the swarm of worms screeched and writhed, searching for him with maddened hunger.

  WAAAGHH!!

  The furious cries echoed through the forest, shaking the leaves. He peeked through the foliage, his lips pulling into a thin, sharp line that could have been a smile.

  They're scattered just enough.

  His finger slid along the side of his rifle.

  Perfect for a sweep.

  A flicker of orange glinted on his gun's side.

  [Weapon Skill: Drunk Fire]

  [Requirement: User must be in an 'Intoxicated' state.]

  [Notice: No alcohol detected in bloodstream. Would you like the System to administer a 'Combat Spirit' dose? (Y/N)]

  Isaac stared at the blue screen, his eyes wide, but maintained a deadpanned tone. "I'm not old enough to be drunk."

  He mentally recited Article 44 of his home country's penal code. Underage consumption meant a hefty fine and a jail cell. A worm hissed nearby, its serrated teeth clicking inches from his hiding spot. The stench of rot filled his nose.

  Jail should be the least of my worry.

  Isaac gritted his teeth and mentally slammed the [YES] button. The effect hit like a physical hammer. Heat bloomed in his chest, racing up his throat, flushing his cheeks. The world tilted. His rifle felt absurdly light. Fear was gone, replaced by reckless confidence.

  "Alright..." he slurred, his finger dancing over the trigger. "Let's see... who wants to dance?"

  Isaac planted his feet in the dirt. Every muscle locked. The gun poked just past the leaves. His finger squeezed the trigger.

  Click.

  BANG!

  BANG!

  BANG!

  Flashes of flame exploded from the barrel. Bullets tore through the forest air, leaving streaks of smoke behind. Worms fell. Some twitched. Some were severed mid-thrash. All were gone before they could scream.

  Isaac swayed, vision doubling, limbs like overcooked noodles, but he laughed, reckless and free. He fumbled with his rifle into its holster. Fingers brushed against the hilt of his katana. A sharp chime rang in his mind.

  [Lost Katana sensed a familiar substance in the user's bloodstream.]

  [Skill: Refresh (Passive) triggered.]

  A sudden, icy sensation shot up Isaac's arm. It wasn't gentle. It felt like a freezing gale blowing through his brain, forcibly sweeping away the hazy heat of the alcohol.

  "Ugh...!" Isaac doubled over, and gagged. His throat tightened as he retched against the trunk of a tree.

  "The law... cough... the law was right," he wheezed, his voice trembling. "Alcohol is... poison..."

  As he coughed, a faint, glowing blue mist escaped his lips, dissipating into the forest air.

  [Status: Intoxication levels dropping. Precision returning.]

  The spinning stopped. Double vision snapped into a single, sharp focus. A dull ache throbbed behind his eyes. A reminder of the system's "gift". The blur was gone.

  Isaac slipped from the brush and unsheathed his katana. The blade slid free, silent, sharp.

  He moved fast. Each step flowed into the next. The blade cut clean arcs.

  One. Two. Three.

  Heads severed. Cores pierced. Limbs dismembered. The worms didn’t scream before they fell. Then stillness.

  Isaac lowered the katana. His breath fogged the air.

  "That should be all of them," he muttered, surveying the corpses. Blood clung to the steel. "Tch… wrong place, wrong time."

  RIPPPP.

  GRAAAAAHHHH!!!

  A screech tore through the air behind him. Too close. Isaac spun.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  A worm, bigger and faster than the others, erupted from the shadows. Its muscles rippled, fangs glinting with viscous saliva. It was mid-air, aimed straight for his face. Isaac’s heart slammed in his chest. Instinct took over. He shoved his katana into the opening of its snapping jaws, metal biting through fang and sinew.

  DRIP. DRIP. DRIP.

  Sizzle.

  The saliva ate through his clothes.

  "Argh!" He stumbled back, steam rising from his arm, flesh reddening beneath the fabric. He clutched the wound and glared at the beast.

  "This one…" He exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing. "…also has acid saliva, huh. Not as bad as Looney and Monica Jr., but still a pain."

  The worm thrashed, trying to shake off the katana free. Isaac didn’t hesitate. He held the blade firm and drew his gun with his left hand. Cold focus settled over him.

  "Don't sneak up on a person next time."

  BANG.

  The bullet tore through its skull. Brain matter splattered against a bark. The worm collapsed, twitching once before going still. Isaac froze, then bent forward, gasping for breath.

  "Haaa... Ha..."

  Each inhale burned his lungs. He stumbled to the corpse and pulled out his katana.

  "Thank goodness my katana's still in perfect shape. I thought the acid melted it..." He checked the blade and tucked it away. Pain shot through his arm as he moved.

  "Ugh... I better get this treated fast." He opened his inventory, rifling through it.

  "Of course there's nothing for burns." He gritted his teeth. "Even with a Health Potion, the burn effect remains."

  Isaac pressed forward into the forest. His footsteps were uneven and heavy. He scanned his surroundings. No river. No stream. Not even the sound of water.

  "Why is there no river in the forest?" he muttered.

  He paused under a tree and scanned the area. That's when he spotted it. A cave, small and shadowed beneath a thicket of vines.

  Perfect.

  Isaac stayed low and tossed a pebble into the dark. It skittered across the stone floor with a hollow clack-clack-clack. No growls. He flicked a lighter. The flame revealed smooth limestone walls and a ceiling free of monsters. Cold and quiet, it was exactly what he needed.

  Isaac sighed. "Looks like this cave isn't occupied. We can regroup here."

  He opened the chat group and sent the location.

  "Now that's done, I'll just rest and try not to overwork my right arm." He placed his gun beside him and leaned back.

  At least the burn only took a chunk off my HP.

  A deep sigh left his chest.

  Whoosh!

  Rustle. Rustle.

  The forest roared behind her, but Rona only laughed.

  "You can't catch me~ You can't catch me~ Hahahaha!"

  A dozen worms screeched in fury, tearing through roots and leaves.

  She darted between trees, twisting and weaving. One lunged, jaws snapping, barely missing her ankle.

  A low growl cut through the air.

  Rona froze, mid-step. Her ears twitched.

  "…Huh?" Rona tilted her head.

  Silence fell. The worms skidded to a halt, confused.

  Another monstrous growl erupted. Sharper, closer.

  "Ah!" Rona jumped and screamed, hands to her cheeks, heart hammering.

  The worms froze again. Something wasn't right. They slowly inched backward, fangs glinting, saliva dripping.

  GRUMBLE.

  Rona blinked. "Oh. That was me."

  She rubbed her stomach. "I was running for so long, I forgot I was hungry! Hahahaha."

  Then she turned, eyes glinting, lips curling.

  "I wonder if worms are tasty…" Her tongue slid across her lips.

  The worms recoiled, instincts screaming: Run.

  They bolted.

  "My food is running away from me?" Her voice tilted into a sing-song lilt. "Well, not for long~."

  She surged forward, a blur of movement. Leaves whipped aside, twigs snapped under her speed. Screeches echoed as she struck. One worm twitched, another vanished mid-air, a third barely dodged her swipe. Blood splattered across leaves and dirt.

  "Burp."

  Rona rubbed her stomach, eyes gleaming. "Never knew worms tasted so good~."

  She wiped the blood off her shirt. A chunk of meat fell from her sleeve.

  Ping.

  [You got a new message]

  Isaac had sent a coordinate.

  Her eyes sparkled.

  "Isaac~!" She hopped into the air. "Let's go meet Lil and Isaac!"

  With a skip and a hum, she bounced toward her next destination.

  I walked for miles without looking back, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the fresh air.

  I threw my arms up and stretched until my spine popped. "I saw so many animals I never thought I'd get to see! No wonder people loved hiking in the past. Awesome!"

  I spun slowly, arms wide, listening to the rustling leaves. Then something caught my eye. A path covered in fresh leaves.

  The path is covered? Must be Shorty's doing.

  I rubbed my nose. "Oho? Tingling sensation… Must be my gut telling me I'm almost there." I rushed forward, parting the underbrush. "Yohoo~ I'm here!"

  I blinked.

  "…Huh?"

  A massive cliff stretched before me, grey stone cutting through the green. Below, the forest canopy spread like a mossy carpet toward a horizon, hazy with purple mist. The wind tugged at my hair, trying to pull me over the edge into the beautiful, terrifying drop.

  "...I'm really lost this time, huh."

  Silence stretched.

  "YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!"

  A gust of wind smacked my face.

  "Owie!" I teared up and rubbed my stinging eyes.

  I sighed. "Can't waste time here. I have to find Isaac and Rona before I become worm snacks…"

  [You have a message.]

  Isaac: Where are you, Llyne? Why are you so far from the meeting point?

  Llyne: You know where I am?

  Rona: Rona too! Rona too!

  Isaac: The map shows each of us.

  Map? I opened the coordinates Isaac sent and squinted.

  Ah. I am far…

  Llyne: So those markers are us?

  Isaac: Who else?

  Llyne: Oui... I'm so far away from you all...

  Isaac: You were the closest when I sent the coordinates! How did you end up at a CLIFF?!

  Llyne: Chill, chill. I can't read maps, okay?! My sense of direction is coo coo!

  Isaac: I never had headaches till I met you. NOW COME BACK HERE!!

  I stared at the screen until my eyes went dry. "…Boy is he mad." I closed the chat. "Time to retrace my steps!"

  I took a deep breath at the cliff's edge. "Ahhh... Nature smells so good~ Too bad this might be the last time I see it. Take care, all!"

  Whooosh.

  "Thanks for the good luck, wind~!"

  I turned back into the greenery, following the map and my broken instinct.

  [Time Left: 02:03:47]

  Finally, the scenery changed. Beneath a curtain of vines was a small, discreet opening. The vines sagged low, sealing it shut. I was so close to safety I could practically taste it.

  I looked at the map again. The green and yellow dot next to each other, my red flame tethering nearby.

  "Isaac's mark is right there. That must be it!"

  I dropped down to my knees, hands up in the air. "I-I've finally made it to the meeting spot." A tear slipped out the corner of my eye. "And I only got lost for three hours? Wow. I must be amazing!" I yelled to the sky, laughter accompanied with it.

  I skipped toward the cave, humming a little tune, imagining the 'welcome back' hug I was going to force on Isaac. My foot hit the threshold.

  Hehe. Too easy. I rubbed my nose, smirking.

  Click.

  Something cold kissed the base of my neck. The smell followed. Oil. Burnt powder. Blood. My heart slammed once. Then again. Breath caught, every hair standing on end.

  "…?"

  The forest went dead silent.

  The Survival Trial finally splinters into three perspectives. Each testing a different side of our trio: Isaac’s precision, Rona’s hunger, and Llyne’s chaotic intuition.

  The cliffhanger brings all threads back toward convergence.

  Thanks for reading. Predictions on who’s behind that last “click”?