"What in the world is this..."
Malik's voice cracked out of his throat, barely above a whisper. His legs locked in place, refusing to move as his eyes scanned the horror in front of him.
The forest was dead.
The air, the soil, the trees — everything soaked in blood. Not the dark, almost-black blood of monsters. Human blood.
Bodies — torn open, slashed apart, some barely recognizable — littered the ground like broken toys. It was like the entire place had been wiped clean of life and left behind nothing but corpses.
"Players? Or NPCs?"
His voice sounded distant even to himself, like his mind couldn't decide if this was real. His gaze darted from face to face, hoping to spot a floating username. There was nothing. Just stillness.
"Am I still... in God's Realm?"
The question left his mouth as panic crawled up his spine. His hand snapped up, calling for his system UI.
Nothing.
No response.
He tried again. And again.
Still nothing. Even the map was completely greyed out.
That's when the dread finally settled in.
I'm lost. Trapped inside the game. The system's dead.
His survival instincts kicked in fast, pushing his body to turn and leave, but the moment he took a step — something grabbed his ankle.
"Aargh!"
The scream ripped out of him as he stumbled backward, trying to yank free, but the grip was strong. His sword was in his hand, but his mind locked up, too paralyzed to use it.
And then — a voice.
Weak, shaky, full of dying breath.
"Heavenly Blessed individual... please... save the Princess."
The grip loosened. Malik tumbled forward, landing hard on his hands and knees. He turned, but the figure — the man who had grabbed him — was already gone. His body had gone still, his last strength spent on those final words.
Save the Princess...?
Malik's eyes drifted over the corpses again, mind racing. He looked down at the man's body, seeing the blood-soaked white robes. Something about them felt... different.
"Was it the Princess who called for help earlier?"
The same voice — the one that had pulled him deeper into this forest — echoed faintly in his memory.
But what can I do? I'm a Level 0 trash.
Part of him wanted to run. Another part couldn't move, frozen by curiosity. His gaze drifted to the corpse's hand — and that's when he saw it. A sword, half-buried under the man's body.
Shiny. Flawless. Unlike anything a beginner could ever own.
"A peak-quality sword..."
Malik's breath hitched. His hands reached for it, but before his fingers closed around the hilt, his mind snapped back to reality.
Players can't use NPC gear. It's against the system.
But his curiosity crushed the logic. He grabbed it anyway.
Nothing happened.
No error message. No system warning. No rejection.
Instead, as his fingers wrapped around the grip, something inside him shifted. Subtle, but real. His body felt lighter. His arms steadier.
He raised the sword, giving it a few cautious swings.
"...I feel like I could solo a Level 3 beast with this."
Before the thought could even settle, the earth beneath him rumbled. The ground trembled, a deep quake that shook the trees and the broken corpses.
The sound jolted his memory.
The voice. The one that called for help.
Without thinking, Malik sprinted toward it, legs pumping faster than they should. His stamina wasn't crashing like usual. His steps were faster. Lighter.
What the hell is happening to me?
But there was no time for answers. The quake grew stronger until he reached a clearing.
And then he saw them.
Bodies. Dozens more, scattered across the blood-soaked ground.
And at the center, a fight.
Five men in black robes, swords drawn, surrounding a single figure — a young woman in white, her robes tattered and soaked in red. She was moving fast, barely blocking the relentless flurry of attacks. The air around her shimmered with raw power. Her aura alone made Malik's legs stiffen.
That has to be her... The Princess.
But he couldn't move. He was frozen behind a tree, watching the battle unfold — so far above his level, it was like watching two worlds he didn't belong to collide.
The girl's sword danced, but she was losing ground. Her strength was fading.
And then one of the black-robed men broke formation.
"Where are you going, Jarion?" one of them barked, but Jarion didn't answer. His eyes were locked on Malik's hiding spot.
"I saw movement."
Malik's stomach dropped.
Busted.
He barely dove away before the tree behind him shattered — cleaved clean in two by Jarion's blade.
No time to think. He bolted.
The only direction left was forward, toward the girl and her attackers.
His eyes locked onto one of the black-robed men who had stepped away from the fight, his sword raised, channeling energy for what looked like a devastating attack.
If he unleashes that, it's over. For her. For me. For all of us.
Malik gritted his teeth, adjusted his grip on the sword, and ran straight for him.
The man was too focused. Too confident.
Malik's blade drove into the man's back and tore through his chest in one clean thrust.
The black-robed man staggered, his spell collapsing — the energy spiraling out of control.
The young woman saw it happen. Without wasting a breath, she leapt back, retreating at full speed.
The explosion followed an instant later.
Three of the black-robed men were caught in the blast, their bodies disintegrating under the force.
The clearing fell silent for a second, the smell of blood and scorched earth heavy in the air.
Malik stood frozen, eyes wide, his brain struggling to piece together what had just happened.
'That attack... would've killed her. I... I actually saved her?'
The shock was short-lived.
"IMPUDENT!"
Jarion's roar shattered the silence as his figure lunged straight for Malik, blade raised, eyes burning with murderous rage.
Malik's instincts fired first. His body twisted, sword flying up just in time to meet the incoming strike.
The two blades clashed, a violent sound of metal scraping against metal echoing across the forest.
The impact sent Malik flying backward. His body tumbled through the air, out of control, his vision spinning.
And then Jarion's voice rang out again.
"Blood Sword Strike!"
Three crimson arcs of energy shot toward him, slicing the air as they closed the distance.
Malik couldn't dodge. His body was still mid-air, spinning, helpless.
'Am I going to die for real this time...?'
That was the only thought in his mind as the light swallowed him whole.