The afternoon sun turned the road ahead into a river of gold, its warmth pooling on my back as I followed the system's map. It was a peaceful stretch: birds in the trees, the low hum of distant insects, the sense that the whole world was yawning after lunch. I almost started to believe the system's warnings were just dramatic exaggerations.
Almost.
My boots crunched through a patch of fallen leaves as I rounded a bend and froze. The birds had vanished, as if some unseen shadow had blotted out their songs. My system map blinked with three red dots, closing fast. Human-sized.
"System?" I whispered.
[Host, you are being approached by three hostile entities. Probability of 'friendly chat': zero. Probability of attempted mugging: high. Probability of attempted… other things: do NOT let them get close.]
The system window popped up a display:
Bandit #1: Grug
Level: 5
HP: 52/52
Strength: 11
Speed: 6
Magic: None
Weapon: Club
Bandit #2: Leech
Level: 4
HP: 38/38
Strength: 9
Speed: 8
Magic: Wind Slash (Beginner)
Weapon: Rusty Dagger
Bandit #3: Mugg
Level: 5
HP: 44/44
Strength: 12
Speed: 7
Magic: None
Weapon: Rope, Filthy Intentions
I caught the look in their eyes as they emerged from the trees: hungry, mean, and far too interested in the fact I was alone. They didn't even bother with the "tough guy" act just grinned, blocking the road.
"Well, well," sneered the one with the club Grug, apparently. "Look what wandered into our little toll booth."
The one with the rope, Mugg, licked his lips. "Pretty thing, too. Bet she's got more than just gold on her."
My stomach turned. A cold, tight fear replaced the warmth of the afternoon. For a moment, my body froze, mind screaming to run, to hide, to vanish.
But there was nowhere to run.
The system pinged.
[Mission: Defeat the Bandits. Reward: Survival, EXP, and the chance to keep all your limbs and dignity.]
My hands shook as I stepped back. Fire flickered at my fingertips, less confident than usual.
The dagger-wielder, Leech, noticed. "Oh, she's got tricks. Thinks she's a sorceress."
They circled, like dogs around scraps.
I swallowed, heart pounding so hard it hurt. For the first time, I was about to fight people not monsters. People who could scream, bleed, beg. The line between "useless" and "killer" suddenly felt razor-thin.
Grug lunged first, swinging his club. I jumped aside, fire lancing from my palm a Flame Dart meant for a stag, not a skull. It clipped his shoulder; he roared, club smashing the ground where I'd been.
Mugg came from behind, swinging the rope. My instincts screamed, don't let them grab you. I ducked, rolling, and shot a burst of fire at his feet. He howled, hopping, tripping over his own rope.
Leech darted in, dagger flashing. He was faster than the others, slicing my arm. The sting jolted me, real as any slap.
[HP: -5]
"You're making this harder than it has to be, girl," he hissed.
"No, you idiots are," I spat, backing up, fighting to keep my hands steady.
They pressed in, three on one, and the old, soft part of me the village's invisible punching bag wanted to fold, to cry, to beg.
But something new, hard and sharp, was growing inside me. The system's voice cut through the panic.
[This isn't a story, Host. If you want to live, you fight. If you want to win, you kill.]
I focused, let the fear burn. Fire welled up in my chest anger at these men, at this world, at every day I'd been prey.
Grug charged. I summoned a Fire Shield, his club bouncing off with a crash of sparks. Leech lunged at my side. I dropped the shield, ducked under his arm, and swung my fist, wreathed in flames, into his gut. He doubled over, howling.
Mugg managed to grab my cloak, yanking me off balance. "Got you now " he started, but I spun, fire lashing out in a wild arc, catching his arm. He shrieked, let go, and staggered back.
Grug swung again, catching me with a glancing blow to the ribs. Pain exploded through my side.
[HP: -8]
I screamed, but the pain became fuel. I grabbed the closest thing Leech's own dropped dagger and plunged it into his thigh. His eyes went wide. He screamed, and I felt the blade hit bone.
He fell. My hands shook. Blood on my fingers, hot and slick. Real. Human. For a split second, the world spun. I'd just stabbed someone. Not a monster. Not an animal.
A person.
For a moment, I hesitated horror and guilt making my heart pound.
That moment nearly killed me. Grug came at me, club high, mouth twisted with rage.
"No more playing," I snarled. I let the fear go, let the system's voice fill me, and threw everything into a Fireball big, hot, and desperate.
It struck Grug in the chest, sending him flying back into a tree. The air stank of burnt flesh and panic.
Mugg turned to run, but I was faster now, angrier. I lashed out with fire, catching his leg. He stumbled, tripped, and fell. I stalked over, boot on his chest, flame burning in my eyes.
He sobbed, blubbering, "Please don't please!"
My hands trembled. Could I really do it? Finish this? I remembered the sneer, the rope, the way they looked at me.
I hardened. "If you ever touch another girl, I'll find you and finish the job."
He fainted. Pathetic.
The clearing reeked of sweat, blood, and burned cloth. Leech was writhing, clutching his leg, Grug was unconscious or dead, and Mugg was out cold. My body hurt everywhere my ribs, my arm, my soul.
[Quest Complete: Bandit Scum Eliminated.]+90 EXP, +2 Strength, +2 Agility, +1 Willpower
I dropped the dagger, hands shaking, and staggered to the side. My vision blurred with tears not just pain, but the shock of what I'd done.
The system's voice was softer now.
[You did what you had to. Remember this lesson: mercy for monsters is suicide in this world. Grieve if you must, but don't ever hesitate again. You lived. That's what matters.]
I sat on the grass, blood drying on my hands. For a long time, I stared at the sky through the trees.
No, this wasn't a fairy tale. There were no heroes coming, no rules but survival.If I wanted to live if I wanted power I would have to become stronger, and sharper, and, sometimes, crueler than my enemies.
I wiped my face, stood up, and searched the bandits' bodies for anything useful. A handful of coins. An old ring. Their weapons nothing special.
I buried my shaking hands in the cold stream nearby, watching the blood swirl away.