I burst out of the forest and into the clearing, lungs burning, legs trembling with every desperate step. My vision swam as I stumbled forward and dropped to my knees, the world tilting for a moment. In my exhaustion, Isabella slipped from my grasp. She hit the ground with a dull thud, her head striking the dirt.

  I winced. I hadn’t meant to drop her. If I’d had any strength left in my arms, I would have set her down gently. But every muscle in my body screamed with agony, each one refusing to obey.

  Isabella groaned and sat up slightly, rubbing the back of her head with a wince. “Ah, man... we barely made it out.”

  The clearing was silent except for the faint rustle of grass in the wind. No one else was around. No voices, no footsteps. Just the sound of our heavy breathing. There was no one here to help us. All we could do was wait, hoping the other teams would return soon.

  But the thought of going back into the forest without Haruto—it was unthinkable. Every branch seemed to whisper threats. Without him, we’d be swallowed whole.

  So I clasped my trembling hands together, knuckles white, and prayed. I knew who I was praying to. It was God.

  Time crawled by. Two hours passed. My body ached, and Isabella leaned against me for support, both of us damp with sweat, our clothes clinging to our skin.

  Then movement stirred at the far end of the clearing. Shapes appeared through the wavering haze. It was Sosuke—the one who had stepped up as leader when all others hesitated—and his team. They moved at an unhurried pace, chatting lightly, their postures relaxed, as though they’d been strolling through a park rather than surviving in this cursed place.

  Meanwhile, Isabella and I crouched at the clearing’s edge, bedraggled and shaken, looking like survivors dragged from a shipwreck.

  We need their help.

  As soon as the thought flashed in my mind, a sharp whistle of wind cut through the air.

  Before I could blink, Sosuke—who had been at least ten meters away—was suddenly kneeling in front of me. His body moved like a phantom, his arrival marked only by the breeze he left in his wake. He rested one arm casually on his knee, his hand brushing the hilt at his side, though it hadn’t shifted even an inch from its place.

  "Are you alright?" he asked, his calm voice carrying an authority that was impossible to deny.

  That speed... it was inhuman. It was the kind of speed that bent the limits of reality itself. If it was him, maybe—just maybe—Haruto had a chance. If he was still alive.

  I opened my mouth, but no words came out. My throat tightened, lungs constricting. The attempt to speak dissolved into strangled, breathless gibberish.

  One of Sosuke’s teammates called out from the back. A woman’s voice rang clear across the clearing. "Sosuke! We're supposed to enter the forest again after our break! What are you doing?"

  She didn’t even glance toward us, still staring up at the clouds as though none of this mattered.

  Sosuke half-turned. "Give me a minute!"

  My chest heaved. Each breath felt like I was drowning on dry land. Panic tightened around me, stealing my voice. Haruto was still out there—bleeding, maybe dying—and here I was, powerless, suffocating.

  Sosuke placed a firm hand on my shoulder. The touch was steady, grounding. "Take a second." he said.

  I clutched at that voice, and after a few moments, the crushing weight on my chest loosened. Air came easier, though shakily.

  Isabella stepped forward in my place, her voice steadier than mine. "Haruto, our teammate, saved us. We were being chased by an orc hours ago! He's still over there, right behind us!"

  She reached out, and a shimmer of light materialized in her palm, forming into a glass vial filled with a glowing green liquid. She extended it toward Sosuke, her hand trembling only slightly. "Take it! It's my class’s first perk. Every week, I get a free health potion! It's of an intermediate level, but it should be enough!"

  Sosuke took the potion with a solemn nod. “Good idea. Taking our healer out there would take too long. I'll find him.”

  I forced myself to focus, closing my eyes and digging deep into the well of my power. The surrounding air seemed to hum faintly. Being a psychic meant I could locate what others could not—pierce through the veil of material.

  I turned toward the forest. A pulse of energy rippled through me, and then the familiar outline—etched in violet light—burned its way into my vision. Like an x-ray of the world, the faint silhouette of Haruto emerged.

  I gasped. My voice, raw but clear, finally broke through. “He's three hundred meters that way!” I thrust my finger in the direction, my whole body shaking with the effort.

  Sosuke vanished, the forest swallowing him. Only the whisper of disturbed leaves marked his passage.

  The rest of his team barely reacted. The woman with a gun yawned and stretched. “Eh, whatever. We don't have much more time to grind anyway. I'll let him act the hero.”

  My eyes stayed locked on the forest. Sosuke’s speed was unimaginable. Even if he had poured every ounce of his strength into nothing but swiftness—level after level—it shouldn’t have been possible to move like that.

  And yet, he did.

  Someone lifted my shoulders, dragging me up from the darkness. My eyelids fluttered open, vision blurred and unfocused. A thick, viscous liquid was being poured into my mouth. I gagged at the bitter taste, forcing myself to swallow as it coated my tongue and throat. It was awful—like drinking medicine brewed in a swamp.

  I blinked rapidly, the fog in my head starting to thin. My sight cleared enough to recognize a hand supporting me, guiding the glass to my lips. Instinct. I pulled back suddenly as strength returned to my muscles, falling awkwardly onto the ground.

  The liquid still lingered in my mouth. I forced the rest down, grimacing. Almost immediately, warmth spread through my body. My chest loosened, breath flowing easier. The ache in my limbs dulled to a manageable throb. Life itself had been poured back into me.

  The leader of us twelve stood over me, Sosuke, I think it was. His face was etched with concern. His presence was steady, commanding, and overbearing. “You only drank half.”

  I coughed, wiping my lips with the back of my hand. “Half of what?”

  He tossed the glass aside with a casual flick. It landed with a dull thump in the grass. “Never mind. You'll learn later. Can you stand?”

  He extended a hand, offering to pull me up. I hesitated, then shook my head and pushed myself upright. My legs trembled but held. I was still tired. My body is sluggish, but nowhere near as ruined as before.

  He tapped the sheath of his sword lightly, a metallic clink breaking the silence. “You took down that orc, I see. Impressive. Only two other teams did so, and it took them their entire team.”

  I froze, the words striking something buried in my memory.

  Huh? Oh yeah! I forgot! I’m only at thirteen points, and Isabella’s at eight!

  I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling out. “Who cares?! Right now, our team lacks the points needed to beat this mission!”

  Sosuke rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as if considering something trivial instead of life and death. “I guess you're right. There is only like thirty minutes left.”

  I was out for that long? I got lucky no goblin killed me while I was asleep.

  I stared at him, unsettled. How could he be so calm? This wasn’t a game. It was survival. Has he already adapted that quickly? Or... was something else driving him?

  Without warning, Sosuke drew his blade with a smooth, practiced motion. The steel glinted in the dim light. “Don't worry. I have a plan. Follow me to the clearing.”

  I hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.” I wasn’t sure what he was planning, but I had a suspicion. He must have realized it too. The point system. You didn’t need the finishing blow to gain credit. Still, even with that knowledge, forty points was no small feat. That meant ten orcs or forty goblins. In this time? Nearly impossible.

  I pushed aside the hanging brush and stepped into the clearing. The sight before me took my breath away. All the other teams were gathered here, standing close in small clusters. Bonds had already begun to form, alliances forged in the short time we’d been trapped together.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  We were dividing.

  Sosuke strode in confidently, raising his voice for all to hear. “Ta-da! He's alive.”

  Immediately, Desmond and Isabella broke away and ran straight for me. They crashed into me with a forceful hug, the impact knocking me flat onto my back. My breath caught from the sudden weight; their arms wrapped tightly around me.

  It was touching—so much so it almost hurt. But at the same time, it felt strange. I had only known them for half an hour at best. Could someone really grow attached so quickly?

  But the thought faded as I felt their warmth. Whatever the reason, they cared. And right now, that was enough. I smiled faintly and hugged them back.

  Sosuke’s voice cut through the air, commanding the clearing. “Alright, so right now, two teams don't have enough points. The three right next to me and group one. Group one was close, but they are all off by ten.”

  One of the group raised a hand sheepishly. “My bad. Haven't been to the gym in a while.”

  Laughter rippled faintly through some of the crowd.

  Sosuke’s sword sang as he drew it again, the edge gleaming. “Now, my team has gathered the most points. All of us are well into the hundreds. I specifically have killed ninety goblins and twenty-two orcs.”

  A collective murmur of disbelief spread through the crowd. My stomach twisted. That’s insane. He's at least level ten.

  Sosuke continued, his tone firm but oddly upbeat. “The barbarian in group one, Soto, has a great first technique. It's called Shout. It brings all monsters in a seven-hundred-meter radius to him. Of course, this would result in him and his entire group dying. But with all of us together, I bet we could take down all the monsters and gather the necessary points.”

  Isabella finally released me, rolling off to the side and lying on her back, eyes fixed on the open sky. “This is a safe zone, though. Monsters can't enter.”

  Sosuke snapped his fingers sharply, the sound echoing. “That's exactly what I want. The monsters won't vanish or retreat back into the forest. This reality we now live in has bugs. Or errors, for the old folk. The monsters must be within fifty feet for the effect to wear off, as the description says. When Soto shouts and the monsters pile in, they will get stuck right on the edge of the clearing and be easy pickings. They can throw punches or throw their spears, in the goblins' case, but they will be stuck. You see what I'm saying?”

  I couldn’t help myself. A laugh burst out of me, echoing through the tense crowd. “Sosuke, you're obsessed with video games, aren't you?”

  Desmond and I exchanged a glance and instinctively moved back, putting distance between ourselves and the clearing’s center.

  Sosuke chuckled in response. “Yes, I am. Now, Soto, come to this spot over here.”

  He walked with deliberate steps, showing Soto exactly where to stand. The barbarian took a breath.

  The moment Sosuke lowered his hand, Soto let loose.

  A thunderous roar exploded from his lungs, the sound so fierce it made my bones vibrate. It had to be at least one hundred and ten decibels—the very air seemed to split apart. Pain stabbed into my ears, forcing me to cover them. The scream tore through the clearing for two whole seconds, then cut off abruptly.

  Even through the ringing in my ears, I heard it. The pounding of countless feet. The guttural growls. The forest shook as the horde came.

  The first monster slammed into something unseen—an orc, grinding against an invisible barrier. Then another orc. Then goblins, snarling and shrieking as they piled against the edge. Within moments, at least fifty monsters pressed into a jagged wall of flesh and fury, their weapons frozen as they clawed to reach us.

  Desmond stepped forward, approaching the thickest part of the horde, where goblins snarled and slammed their crude clubs against the unseen wall.

  I raised my hand, focusing my energy. A faint red aura spread from my palm, wrapping around Desmond’s body like a protective flame. I whispered, "Mana Enhancement."

  The system never said it could only be cast on myself, so why not him? My mana hasn't recovered fully, but this way, for at least a couple minutes, I’d still get credit.

  Desmond flexed his wrist, feeling the surge course through him. “This is...”

  He clenched his fist, power radiating off him like heat. “Thank you, Haruto!”

  With a roar, he charged forward and threw a devastating right haymaker. The punch connected with brutal precision, the force so immense it blew the first goblin’s head clean off in a spray of gore.

  That status window. Every monster killed triggered another notification. It would eventually clutter.

  That will get annoying. I said, “Don't give me notifications for every monster defeated. Only notify me when I level up.”

  The system obeyed with a faint ding, the clutter vanishing. Glad it listened.

  Desmond sent another goblin flying with a brutal uppercut, his knuckles cracking bone. He threw his head back and laughed, wild and manic. “I shouldn't be enjoying this so much!”

  His fists blurred, soaked in blood and ichor, tearing through enemies as though they were made of clay. But how were the others going to get their kills with him rampaging like this?

  Movement at the edge of the clearing caught my eye. Soto, the hulking barbarian, unwrapped a cheeseburger the size of his fist and devoured it in three bites. His muscles swelled almost instantly, veins bulging beneath his skin. That was the cook’s buff, I think. Support classes got credit whenever their allies benefitted from their skills.

  My mind snapped back to earlier, to the bitter liquid forced down my throat. Green, glowing faintly. A potion. Isabella’s potion. I spun toward her, urgency burning in my chest. “Isabella. Did you get credit because I drank your health potion?”

  She brushed hair from her face, panting lightly, and gave a small nod.

  “Yes, I did.”

  That’s pretty overpowered!

  When I turned back, Desmond was in the middle of a storm of carnage. He’d reached an orc now, towering over the goblins. Without hesitation, he pulled up his Status Window, the glowing panel reflected in his eyes. His finger hovered for a heartbeat—then tapped the strength icon twice.

  His body rippled, muscles tightening, his frame becoming sharper, deadlier. He roared and unleashed a flurry of strikes. Each blow punctured deep, leaving gaping holes in the orc’s body. The massive creature dropped to its knees, crashing into the invisible barrier and dragging it downward as it fell.

  My chest tightened. Mana drained from me at an alarming rate, my vision flickering. It had only been thirty seconds, but the strain of maintaining Mana Enhancement gnawed at me, hollowing me out. I summoned my Status Window in desperation.

  If I had one hundred max mana, with thirty remaining before... Now, it felt like my maximum had risen to one hundred and fifty, with fifty remaining. Not a full recovery, but enough to keep going.

  I steadied myself and fed more energy into Desmond.

  He tore through goblin after goblin, and each time the glow of level-ups washed over him, he funneled everything into raw strength. His body grew larger, heavier with power.

  I stole a glance at the barbarian. Soto was doing the exact same thing, each strike shaking the ground, his growth more measured but no less terrifying. He must’ve been stronger than Desmond even before we got transported here. Their stats varied, each reflecting their old selves.

  Yes! I yelled to Desmond, “Desmond, kill a few more! I just got it!”

  Desmond ignored me, fists still flying. Orcs and goblins fell before him like grass beneath a scythe. Every few seconds, he pushed his strength and speed higher, ignoring everything else.

  I shouted louder, my voice hoarse. “Upgrade your class too!”

  This time, he heard me. His eyes lit up with sudden realization. “You're right!”

  He dipped low and drove an uppercut into the chin of a final orc. The blow snapped the creature’s head back with a wet crunch, sending its massive body collapsing a few meters into the forest.

  My mana flickered to its last tenth, the tether of Mana Enhancement snapping violently. I staggered, gasping for air.

  Only stragglers remained now—scattered goblins and orcs still trying to force their way through the invisible wall. The chaos had thinned into scattered skirmishes.

  A firm hand landed on my shoulder. I turned. Sosuke stood there, calm. "Good job, Haruto. Everyone has passed."

  My knees buckled. I bent forward, palms pressing hard into my thighs just to stay upright. I managed to lift one shaking hand and flash him a weak thumbs up.

  "With time to spare."