I kept up the mapping, my eyes flicking between the path ahead and the faint shimmer of the barrier. Then — movement. Beyond the field, a figure appeared. A woman.

  She was walking away, her pace steady, her posture calm. For a moment, I thought she might turn back — maybe she’d seen me — but she didn’t. She just kept going, swallowed by the haze.

  “Shit,” I muttered under my breath. “I’ll try again later.”

  I kept moving, eyes flicking to the Mini Map every few steps. A few Kobolds appeared on it from time to time, but I gave them a wide berth and stayed focused on mapping new ground.

  My mind wandered as I walked — replaying everything that had happened: the people I’d met, the things I’d seen, the System, the losses, the strange sense of routine that was starting to form in this new world.

  I must have lost track of time, because when I finally checked the sky, the light had shifted. The sun was already dipping low. Late afternoon.

  I still had to find a Kobold to hunt… and then make it back home before dark.

  I put the Mapping Crystal away and studied my Mini Map more closely. I could probably postpone collecting my Food and Water Packages until tomorrow, but honestly, I’d rather start the day with breakfast.

  I hadn’t tried drinking from the basin — the one where I brush my teeth and wash my hands — but if the System went to the trouble of providing Water Packages, there was probably a reason. I imagined that water wasn’t exactly meant for drinking… and I didn’t feel like testing that theory.

  I spotted a lone Kobold — a Level 5 — moving along the street. No others appeared nearby on the Mini Map, so I decided to get it over with and head home afterward.

  Level 5s didn’t bother me much anymore.

  I broke into a jog, keeping low, the Kobold’s tail flicking just ahead of me as it walked. It didn’t seem to notice I was there. I slowed my pace, following it for a while — waiting for the right angle, the right distance.

  It kept walking. So did I.

  I quickened my pace and unleashed two Mana Slashes in quick succession. Both struck the Kobold square in the back, leaving faint arcs of blue light where they cut through the air.

  It spun around with a snarl, spear levelled, and charged. The creature was just as fast as I remembered — maybe faster.

  I cast Quickstep, slipping to the side as the spear sliced past me, close enough that I felt the air shift.

  My next spell, Sapping Bolt, flared to life in my hand. I aimed for its chest, planning to finish this quickly.

  But then, something went wrong. Very wrong.

  Pain exploded across my lower back — sharp, hot, and sudden.

  I staggered forward, instinct kicking in, and threw myself to the side. My vision blurred for a moment as I turned — and there it was. A Level 4 Kobold.

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  My blood stained its claws. Fear tried to take hold, but I wouldn’t give it the chance. If I panicked now, I was as good as dead. I had to fight — and win — or that would be it.

  It would be harder now, with my wound burning and blood soaking into my shirt, but I was still confident. Even against a Level 4 and Level 5, I could do this.

  I cast Freeze on the one that had clawed me, then turned on the Level 5. Sapping Bolt reactivated in my hand, and the blast dropped it to the ground in a flash of blue light.

  One down. One to go.

  Time always blurred in combat. I never trusted my sense of it, so I assumed I had less than I thought. I unleashed a Mana Slash, then another, forcing the frozen Kobold back as its claws scraped along the pavement.

  It lunged — claws flashing — and I barely managed to cast Mana Shield in time. The blow hit like a hammer against glass, but the barrier held. Barely.

  My mana reserves were draining fast. I had to end this. I raised my hand, ready to release another Sapping Bolt, when movement flickered on the edge of my Mini Map. Another red dot. Another Level 4 — closing in.

  I didn’t hesitate. Fight or run. Run.

  I cast Illusionary Double and followed it with Fleetstep, sprinting away as the illusion drew their attention. I veered toward the side of a nearby building, hoping to lose them around the corner.

  I didn’t look back. Couldn’t.

  I hit the sidewalk running, every breath sharp in my throat — and then a shape burst from a shattered storefront. A Level 3 Kobold.

  Its sword flashed and bit into my side. I felt the blade tear through fabric, then skin, then flesh.

  I gasped — the pain blinding — as the creature howled, the sound sharp and echoing down the street. Calling the others.

  I couldn’t stay. I pressed a hand to my side and ran harder, bleeding and stumbling, desperate to survive.

  I ducked into a small store. I knew all the doors were open, and I remembered this one had a back exit that opened into a narrow passage behind the building.

  I needed cover, and I needed to stop the bleeding.

  The Kobolds might be able to track me by scent or by the blood trail. I slipped through the back door and stumbled into the passage, running between overflowing trash bins and cracked brick walls until I reached the next street.

  I didn’t look back.

  I ran — or stumbled — a bit farther, but I needed to tend to my wounds soon. I hid inside a store, behind the counter. I could still hear the Kobolds howling outside.

  As quickly as I could, I retrieved a Healing Package. I went for the Rare one — and was not disappointed. A bottle appeared in my hand: the Elixir of Rejuvenation. It promised complete renewal, though I knew better than to expect miracles.

  The liquid shimmered like molten sunlight, thick and smooth as honey. As I drank, warmth spread through my chest, radiating outward until the ache in my limbs began to fade. The worst of the bleeding stopped at once; torn flesh mended before my eyes. Yet some pain lingered — a dull reminder that I was still mortal, still breakable.

  The bleeding had finally stopped, but I knew I couldn’t stay. The Kobolds would be able to track me here sooner or later.

  I moved to the door and glanced outside — then remembered my Mini Map.

  My stomach tightened.

  The map was swarming with red dots. Dozens of them. They must have answered the howl from that last Kobold.

  But something else bothered me. Ever since I’d reached Level 6, they felt… different. More organized. Before, they’d wander in pairs or small clusters. Now they moved with purpose — coordinated.

  I moved down the street, and with a sinking heart I noticed the darkening sky. I had never been outside after dark since the System took over. The complete darkness was only one reason.

  I kept my eye on the Mini Map and made sure to avoid the Kobolds. It felt like all the ones in my area were converging on my position.

  I didn’t get too far, and it was getting dark very quickly. I knew I wouldn’t make it back to my apartment, and travelling in the dark would be unwise.

  I found a store with a back door and hid under a counter. I needed two exits in case the Kobolds found me. One last time, I checked my Mini Map. The red dots were slowly dispersing.

  I sighed in relief — but it was short-lived. Silver dots began to bloom across my Mini Map, spreading like frost. Then, from outside the shop, came that sound: the wind curling around the corner, carrying within it the soft, sad sigh of a woman.

  It wasn’t loud — just enough to send a chill down my spine.