Gon stood apart, whispering with the men who'd met them earlier.
The topic was obvious.
Akhil's eyes never left them.
Something about it was wrong.
The way Gon smiled, the way the men laughed under their breath—it didn't sit right with him.
He crossed his arms and shifted his weight, his gaze flickering toward Aria, who stood quietly by his side.
Nibo was a few steps away, keeping a firm hand on the hostage.
The man's face was pale, beads of sweat running down his forehead. Nibo's towering frame and menacing fangs were enough to keep him in line. That, combined with the cold glare in Nibo's eyes, could make even the bravest man lose control of his bladder.
Aria followed Akhil's line of sight and sighed. "You're smart. Didn't you feel like it would be dangerous to walk into the base of the same people who tried to kill us just a few days ago?"
Akhil turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Exactly what I've been thinking."
She scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "Well, I did think of that… but—" She hesitated, her eyes drifting toward Gon. "I guess it's Elder Gon. Most of his judgments turn out right."
"Most," Akhil repeated dryly.
He looked back at the Elder, who was now laughing lightly with the humans. Gon's posture was relaxed, his tone casual, and that wry smile of his… too controlled, too deliberate.
Something was off.
Akhil frowned, his instincts screaming a silent warning. "Does Elder Gon have any ability?" he asked after a moment.
Aria paused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Now that I think of it… none that I know of. Maybe it's not combat-related. But if he's never mentioned it or used it, then I doubt it's worth anything." She shrugged. Then, after a brief pause, she added quietly, "Or maybe it's dangerous—one that shouldn't be used carelessly."
Her tone carried unease.
Before Akhil could reply, movement caught his eye. Gon was walking back toward them, his face split into a wide, almost triumphant smile.
"It's a deal!" Gon announced proudly. "If we bring back the second hostage, they'll hand us the serum."
"That's great then, we should get going," Akhil chipped in.
"Why are you in such a haste to leave? Is my face that bad to see?" the middle-aged man asked as he walked forward from behind Gon.
Akhil looked at him, replying with a rather neutral expression, "Perhaps."
The man's brows twitched at the reply, but he kept a calm smile on his face.
"You have quite the sharp tongue there. Do you mind having a talk with us for a moment?" he offered.
Akhil thought for a moment, then took a cautious step forward, following the man to a corner where they couldn't be heard.
{Character Name: Samxon Kreg}
{Mutant Level: 3}
Akhil obviously used the opportunity to get a clear view of the man's stats.
As they reached the corner of the field, Samxon turned to him with a bright smile.
"Player Nexus, my men told me about you. So far, you're the first Level Five Mutant that has emerged. That's a really amazing feat!" Samxon said, using a flowery voice.
Almost as though praising Akhil.
Apparently, that didn't seem to work.
'Yeah, you know what's not amazing? Waking up as a mosquito in a world like this,' Akhil scoffed inwardly but remained expressionless on the outside.
He already didn't like the man's company, and he already had the disturbing feeling in his chest.
"What do you want from me?" Akhil fired straight away.
"Oh, you're quite straightforward. That's good, then I don't need to beat around the bush," Samxon let out a soft sigh as a dark grin cut across his face.
"The second scenario has already been announced, and it's not going to be an easy one. The beast horde will come from the mountain range, and the orcs are the closest to the range, so you'll most likely be the first to be cleared out. The orcs won't stand a chance against the beast horde, and they'll be wiped out. You've seen how weak they all are," Samxon said, momentarily throwing a glance toward Aria and Nibo at the far corner.
Akhil paused for a moment, his eyes wide open in shock.
'How did I fail to realize this on time?' his thoughts churned, the weight of reality pressing down on him.
The memory hit him like a slap.
When they first entered the game, the first scenario they had to face was to clear the beast horde and kill the first titan of the game—
the Beast Titan.
They realized that the orcs were close to the mountain range where the beast horde would be coming from.
Back then, he'd used the orcs as cannon fodder — a perfect, heartless tactic.
But now those "NPCs" had faces. Voices. Fear.
That was a smart tactic that Akhil used in the game.
But obviously, that technique couldn't work now, since he was an orc himself!
Not just him—but the entire orc village were now people.
They were real, living people!
He couldn't use that same technique.
'But how is that same tactic being replicated now? Aren't things meant to have changed since it's a new world?...'
'Someone from the beta testing program. They must be trying to replicate the idea that I gave them during the test,' Akhil's eyes widened with realization.
That also explained why he could see people building walls around the city!
"Hey! Are you going to work with us? Staying with those orcs won't do you any good. No one knows what type of beast could be in that horde, but we do know how weak a couple of Level One mutants are... We have more Level Twos with us, so you'll stand more chance with us than them," Samxon urged. From Akhil's quietness, he thought the latter was probably considering his offer.
'Someone actually wants to be ruthless enough to use real lives for this tactic? Couldn't they think of something better?!' Akhil felt a pang of guilt hit his chest as the thought crossed his mind.
At the end, he was still the person who used the idea in the game.
But that didn't mean he couldn't stop the madness that was about to spread.
"No, I'm not joining you. And none of the orcs will be dying," Akhil declared, his red eyes brimming with determination.
Samxon looked at the young man, startled, then let out a loud laugh, as though he had heard the craziest joke.
And for a moment, a dark light glinted in his eyes.
"You better think through this offer. I won't be offering it twice," Samxon said in a dark voice.
"No." Akhil's voice echoed resolutely as he turned his back on the group, leaving them in confusion.
But his reasons were clear.
'I never remember human life suddenly becoming a commodity when there could be other options.'
Perhaps he had slept for too long.
But he had finally woken up to this new reality.
Civilization was crumbling, and he had to rebuild what was lost.