The clearing was silent but tense. Ash swirled in lazy spirals as if the forest itself were holding its breath. Smoke curled from the charred remnants of trees, branches hanging like skeletal arms in the dim light.
Ahmed lay prone, glowing faintly from the Beginner Pack's unstable energy, veins flickering with bursts of raw qi. He shivered—not from cold, but from a mix of fear, excitement, and the faintly alarming sense that he might spontaneously combust.
The roar of the Nightmare Beast echoed in the distance, a guttural promise of fiery death. The creature had been wounded, sure, but it had survived. And now it was returning, angrier, larger, and possibly in a worse mood than before.
Ahmed groaned. "…Fifty-nine minutes… I might just survive… or explode… or die laughing. Either way, adventure continues."
🔊 [SYSTEM NOTICE: BEGINNER PACK FULL POWER AVAILABLE IN… 59 MINUTES.]
Testing Fireball #1
Ahmed struggled to sit upright, his hands trembling with anticipation. The small crystal from the Beginner Pack hovered above his palms, sparking occasionally, threatening to explode. He glanced at Liuyue.
"…Ustaadha of Blades, how do I… not die while using this?"
Liuyue pinched the bridge of her nose. "…Do not die? That is the only advice you need."
Ignoring her, Ahmed raised his hands and muttered: "Unstable… fireball… activate!"
A tiny orb of fiery qi formed, wobbling like a jelly on a plate. It hovered uncertainly, sparks sizzling. Ahmed's eyes lit up. "YES! IT WORKS!"
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST TECHNIQUE 'UNSTABLE FIREBALL' SUCCESS RATE: 0.01%. COMEDIC POTENTIAL: 100%.]
Before he could celebrate, the orb suddenly erupted, releasing a small but violent explosion. Ahmed was sent sprawling backward into a pile of ashes, coughing violently, hair singed.
"…okay, maybe not that much success," he wheezed.
Liuyue groaned. "…You could have burned the forest down. Again."
Ahmed weakly raised a finger. "…Maybe a tiny scorch? Adds… ambiance?"
🔊 [CORRECTION: HOST AMBIANCE = NEARLY EVERYTHING ON FIRE.]
Testing Fireball #2
Determined to redeem himself, Ahmed tried again. He inhaled, focused, and whispered, "This time… no explosions… hopefully…"
The fireball reappeared, smaller this time, wobbling precariously. Ahmed nodded with pride. "…Perfect. Just a tiny… very tiny fireball."
He flicked it toward a nearby tree. The fireball wobbled, spun, then…
BOOM.
A chain reaction occurred: the tree caught fire, a nearby bush exploded, and a small plume of smoke drifted into Liuyue's face.
She swatted it away, glaring. "Do you even know what control is?!"
Ahmed coughed, waving frantically. "…I thought it was… instinctive?"
🔊 [CORRECTION: HOST HAS NO CONTROL. HOST'S INSTINCT = CHAOS.]
The System's laughter filled Ahmed's ears.
🔊 [SYSTEM NOTICE: HOST FAILS TO CONTROL BEGINNER TECHNIQUE. SUCCESS RATE: MINUS 9000. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: MAXIMUM.]
"Minus 9000?!" Ahmed groaned. "…I'm officially useless."
Liuyue's eyes narrowed. "…You are consistently useless. Congratulations."
The Nightmare Beast Returns
In the distance, the Nightmare Beast had arrived. Its molten eyes glowed brighter than before, its black smoke trailing behind like a stormcloud. Its claws scraped the earth, leaving molten furrows in the forest floor.
Ahmed's heart nearly exploded. "…Oh… oh no… it's back…"
Liuyue raised her blade. "…Stay close. Do not die before mastering even a single technique."
Ahmed gulped, clutching the crystal. "…One technique… maybe… if I survive thirty more minutes."
🔊 [SYSTEM NOTICE: HOST CHANCE OF SURVIVAL WITHOUT BEGINNER PACK: 0.0001%. WITH BEGINNER PACK: 0.0002%.]
"…0.0002%?!" Ahmed screamed. "…I'M STILL DEAD!"
🔊 [CORRECT. HOST DEATH IS IMPENDING.]
Ahmed's Brilliant "Plan"
Ahmed's eyes flickered to the fireball in his hands. "…If I can… maybe… stun it? Distract it? Or… accidentally annoy it into leaving?"
He muttered a few incoherent words and lobbed the unstable fireball toward the approaching beast. The orb bounced off a rock, wobbled, then exploded midair, sending a shower of sparks and minor debris toward the beast.
The Nightmare Beast paused, confused. Its eyes narrowed.
Ahmed patted himself on the chest. "…See? Distraction. Genius plan. Totally intentional."
Liuyue stared, incredulous. "…You're still alive? Somehow?"
🔊 [SYSTEM NOTICE: HOST SUCCESSFULLY DISTRACTED BEAST. ACTUAL EFFECTIVENESS: 0.00001%. COMEDY VALUE: 100%.]
Liuyue Intervenes
Liuyue moved like a shadow, her blade slashing a clean arc toward the Nightmare Beast. Sparks flew as steel met molten scale. The beast roared, recoiling slightly.
Ahmed flopped to the ground beside her. "…Did… did that help?"
"…You distracted it, yes," Liuyue replied tersely. "But do not think your useless fireballs contributed meaningfully."
Ahmed tilted his head. "…Contribution is contribution… even if accidental?"
Liuyue exhaled. "…Perhaps… accidental contributions are better than intentional death."
🔊 [CORRECTION: SYSTEM APPROVES COMMENTARY. COMEDIC INFLUENCE INCREASED.]
Attempting Control
Ahmed tried once more, focusing on the crystal in his hands. "…Okay… fireball… please… stay… in… one… place…"
The fireball quivered, shivered, and floated obediently for a brief moment. Ahmed's eyes lit up. "…YES! CONTROL! SYSTEM, DID YOU HEAR?! CONTROL!"
🔊 [SYSTEM NOTICE: HOST ACHIEVES BRIEF CONTROL. DURATION: 2 SECONDS.]
Ahmed squealed. "…Two seconds! But still… CONTROL!"
Liuyue sighed. "…A minor miracle. But do not celebrate. That fireball is still liable to explode."
Ahmed nodded eagerly. "…Liuyue, your skepticism is noted! I will continue… mastering… slowly… carefully… maybe."
Chaos Ensues
Before Ahmed could fully savor his two-second control, the Nightmare Beast lunged. Ahmed panicked, waving his fireball wildly. The orb spun out of control, ricocheting off the ground, exploding against trees, setting small fires all around.
"AAAAHH! I AM A FIRE HAZARD!" Ahmed screamed.
Liuyue dodged debris effortlessly. "…You are the fire hazard. You are the human hazard. You are everything hazardous!"
🔊 [SYSTEM NOTICE: HOST HAS MAXIMIZED CHAOS VALUE. LETHALITY: MINOR. ENTERTAINMENT: 1000%.]
Ahmed tripped over a root, flying forward face-first. "…Accidental roll! Totally tactical!"
Minor Victory
Despite the chaos, the Nightmare Beast staggered back slightly, annoyed by the constant explosions. Ahmed clapped weakly, puffing out smoke from singed hair. "…I… did… something? Maybe?"
Liuyue raised an eyebrow. "…You did. But only because the beast is stubbornly idiotic. Do not take credit."
🔊 [CORRECTION: HOST ACCIDENTALLY SUCCESSFUL. SYSTEM RECORDING HIGHLIGHT.]
Ahmed grinned. "…Accidental genius… I like that title."
Liuyue groaned, gripping her blade. "…I cannot believe I am witnessing this."
Cliffhanger Setup
The clearing burned gently, smoke curling in lazy spirals. The Nightmare Beast roared again, its molten eyes fixed on Ahmed.
The Beginner Pack pulsed faintly, unstable energy radiating from the crystal in Ahmed's hands.
Ahmed wiped sweat and soot from his face. "…Okay… maybe I can… survive… possibly… probably… maybe not."
Liuyue glanced at him. "…Do not die. Or I will personally leave you here for the next monster."
Ahmed's weak thumbs-up glowed faintly. "…Noted. Survival… goal number one."
🔊 [SYSTEM NOTICE: BEGINNER PACK FULL POWER AVAILABLE IN… 39 MINUTES.]
The forest shivered. Shadows deepened. The Nightmare Beast advanced.
Ahmed inhaled sharply. "…Adventure continues. With fire… chaos… and hopefully, no spontaneous combustion."
Epilogue Cliffhanger :
Ash swirled in the dim light. Fires smoldered around the clearing. Ahmed, glowing faintly, unstable fireball in hand, faced the distant roar of the Nightmare Beast.
Liuyue's blade gleamed in the fading sun, poised for battle.
The System chimed mockingly.
🔊 [NOTICE: HOST SURVIVAL PREDICTION: MINIMALLY IMPROVED. CHAOS LEVEL: MAXIMUM. COMEDY VALUE: UNRIVALED.]
Ahmed groaned. "…Thirty-nine minutes… I might live… or blow up… or set the entire forest on fire… either way, fun times ahead."
And with that, the chaotic comedy of destiny marched onward, leaving nothing but smoke, terror, and laughter in its wake.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]