The chirping of birds and the rustle of leaves filled the cold air.
After fighting a few more monsters, Akhil had finally gotten the hang of it.
It was much easier to kill them once he realized they wanted his life too.
At first, he had been hesitant—until a beast nearly slashed off his head.
Now, he fought with a clear mind.
The experience also helped him understand how the system's rewards worked.
Killing a beast for the first time granted the person who landed the final strike some coins and a one-time-use attribute skill.
The supporting characters only received the skill.
Coins could also be used to purchase items in the system market.
After asking Aria and Nibo, Akhil learned that some items in the market were tailored specifically for each individual, while the rest were available to everyone.
His own tailored item was rather costly, but it piqued his interest.
{Gene Stabilizer: 1000 Coins}
'Killing a level two mutant gives me a hundred coins, and a level one gives me about ten per kill! It'll take forever to get that,' Akhil thought defeatedly.
Most of the time, he wasn't even the one to land the final strike, which made things even harder.
Still, he was determined to get the item.
'It could be really useful to me,' he told himself.
He didn't know how much the game had changed, but one thing was clear—he needed to grow stronger, and fast.
After what felt like hours of walking, the team decided to take a break and set up camp in the forest.
Aria turned out to be surprisingly skilled in wilderness survival. She gathered dried leaves, arranged some wood, and struck two stones together until a small flame came to life.
Thanks to her fire, the cold wasn't biting as harshly as before.
Akhil sat with his back against a tree while Aria and Nibo struggled with the water gourd.
'They're both so carefree... like nothing's changed,' Akhil thought, unable to hide his admiration for their strange calmness.
Ever since he had awakened as a mosquito in this twisted world, he had been struggling to accept the new reality.
The first thing that came to his mind was Maria—he had no idea where she was.
'Did she even survive?' His thoughts were a storm of uncertainty.
Still, watching Aria and Nibo bicker brought him a strange sense of comfort.
Aria walked up to him, holding the gourd.
"That tank would've drunk everything if I gave him the chance. I had to keep some for you," she said, glaring at Nibo, who sat pouting with a bump forming on his head.
'She didn't have to hit me that hard,' he grumbled inwardly, rubbing the sore spot.
Akhil looked up at her, surprised. He wasn't even thirsty, but refusing her felt rude.
"Thank you," he said, taking the gourd.
Aria sat beside him. "You seem lost in thought... or do you just not talk much?"
Akhil paused. He was still trying to come to terms with everything that had happened.
Would he really have to kill people too?
It was just a game—but no game had ever felt this real.
Even after killing the Mammoth Bear, the memory of its blood soaking into the earth disturbed him deeply.
All these thoughts weighed heavily on him.
If he didn't feel like his life was at stake, he doubted he would have been able to kill any of the beasts they had faced so far.
His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Aria sighed and looked up at the sky.
"You know, now that I think about it... we're no different from the animals that wander through this forest," she said softly. "The only difference is that we were never placed in their position. We lived in houses and used civilization to protect ourselves.
Now, the walls that upheld that civilization have been shattered. We're exposed to the real world, and we find it hard to accept what it truly is.
Maybe we should just—"
"No," Akhil interrupted. "We don't need to accept things as they are. That's probably what the system wants. We can rebuild that wall—we can bring order back."
Aria turned to him, catching the determination in his eyes.
A small, amused chuckle escaped her.
"That could work," she said. "But trust me, it'll be difficult. Some people who were always monsters won't want to be bound anymore. You'll need a good leader for that."
She wasn't wrong, and Akhil knew it.
In this new world, power ruled everything.
To bring back the civilization he dreamed of, he would have to become strong—strong enough to crush every obstacle that stood in his way.
Leadership wasn't an easy task. Akhil knew that better than anyone, and the thought alone unsettled him the most.
'I've never led anyone... and now I want to lead everyone?' he thought. He couldn't argue with her. Even he wasn't sure of his own capabilities.
"A good leader, huh?" Akhil muttered, lost in thought.
'Then again... I already have a basic understanding of the game. If I went solo, I could—'
"But you know," Aria interrupted his thoughts, smiling faintly, "for you to say something like that... maybe you could be a good leader. I've accepted this new reality. Even though I want to restore things to normal, I can't see myself doing it alone."
A small, uncertain smile formed on her lips.
"Anyone who wants to change this world will have to make impossible choices—choices I know I can't make. But you... you could try. The system practically made you the leader of the orcs. That can't be a coincidence," she said with a light laugh as she stood up.
Akhil scoffed, "It was obviously a coincidence. A mistake even"
"The best leaders are sometimes picked by mistake"
Akhil watched her walk back to Nibo, her laughter fading into the forest breeze.
'I should try?' he thought, lying back against the tree.
That thought stayed with him long into the night.