Roxana didn't slow down.
Branches whipped her face. Wet leaves slapped against her sleeves. Her white robes, once pristine, once made to be admired, were now streaked with mud and sweat, clinging to her skin like a second, humiliating layer.
Still, she didn't slow..
"Did they… huff… give up on chasing us?" she gasped, forcing the words out between burning breaths.
No one answered her, because no one could. The few remaining players around her were too busy running for their lives, coughing, stumbling, their footsteps crashing through the underbrush like a herd of panicked deer.
And Roxana, despite the flicker of relief that tried to bloom in her chest, didn't slow down even a fraction.
But then the forest behind them answered her instead.
A roar rolled through the night, deep and furious.
This was the sound of something that had tasted slaughter and decided it still hasn't had enough.
Along with it came the chorus; angry hisses, frantic clucks, sharp squawks, like the woods themselves had turned into a war drum.
Roxana's throat tightened.
It seems they hadn't given up.
Her breath hitched and for the briefest moment, she imagined the lizard's claws again. That obscene strength. That unimaginable speed. The way it moved like a living war machine built especially for massacre.
She swallowed hard and forced her legs to move faster.
Ahead, through gaps in the trees, she could see it.
A shimmer.
A faint distortion in the air, like a heat haze made of moonlight. The Novice Village, so close now it felt like a taunt.
'Just a little more.'
Her lungs screamed. Her calves felt like they were tearing. The game's "immersion" was both its strong and weak point, it was so real that it's like a second world, too real that every suffering was just like in the real world.
Sweat slipped from her chin and dotted her robe. A drop ran along her neck, cold as it slid down her skin.
A sound snapped near her right.
CRACK!
A rock the size of a fist slammed into a tree beside them, exploding bark outward.
Splinters peppered her cheek.
Roxana flinched, eyes widening as she glanced back, then her stomach dropped.
They were here.
Shadows between trunks. Glowing eyes. Movement too coordinated for "mobs." A wave of small bodies, rabbits, chickens, snakes, skittering and hopping and slithering with murderous intent.
And behind them…
The thing that had turned a battlefield into a butcher shop.
Obsidian scales caught thin moonlight like wet stone. Its golden eyes burned with a predator's focus, not from hunger, not instinct but a purpose.
It was closing the distance.
Roxana's teeth clenched. A thin line appeared between her brows, tiny, almost invisible.
She bit her lower lip hard enough that a thin line of blood slid down the corner of her mouth.
Pain sharpened her mind.
Her eyes narrowed.
Her smile, gentle, teasing, practiced didn't vanish.
It never did.
Because Roxana Soprano doesn't panic in front of an audience.
Even if the audience was about to watch her get torn apart.
'Damn it'
She lifted her eyes, trembling.
And activated her talent again.
A panel flashed across her vision.
[Talent: Bewitchment - Activated]
A glow bloomed in her eyes, crimson-pink, luminous and unreal and something inside her clicked. A familiar drain, like someone pulling warmth straight out of her bones.
'Protect me with your lives.' She simply spoke in her mind, her tone soft as a lover's whisper.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then the effect hit like a hammer.
The players running around her jerked as if injected with something hot and poisonous. Their posture straightened. Their eyes widened. Injuries that should've made them collapse were suddenly ignored.
A man with a bleeding scalp laughed, as if the pain had become a joke.
Another, limping with a broken ankle, planted his foot like it didn't matter and bellowed.
"Protect the Goddess!"
"Protect Lady Roxana!"
"I WILL PROTECT LADY ROXANA WITH MY LIFE!"
"Leave this to us! Make sure Lady Roxana reaches the Novice Village!!"
Fanatic.
That was the only word for it.
What made her talent dangerous wasn't that it made people throw away their common sense for her.
It was that they did it while believing it had always been their own choice.
They turned, without hesitation, without survival instinct, throwing themselves back into the path of the pursuing monsters.
One player raised trembling hands, forcing his Talent to activate again despite already coughing blood.
A translucent barrier flared, cracked and then flared again.
"GO!" he screamed, eyes wild. "DON'T LOOK BACK LEAVE THIS TO US!"
A woman grabbed a rock midair bare-handed, her palm shattered as she hurled it back with a sobbing laugh, her eyes fierce with determination.
Two men leapt at the black-scaled lizard like idiots, like bugs trying to stop a boot.
They slammed into its legs, wrapped their arms around its shins, and hung there with their full weight.
The lizard roared, furious.
It shook.
One man's shoulder dislocated with a wet pop.
He didn't let go.
Roxana felt her stomach churn from the sheer drain.
Her vision blurred at the edges. Her steps stumbled and someone caught her.
A hand around her waist. Another at her elbow.
"Miss Roxana!" a voice cried, breath ragged. "Don't, don't fall!"
Roxana allowed herself to lean into the support like a delicate porcelain doll.
Inside, her mind was cold and neat.
She forced her feet to keep moving, half-dragged now, half-carried as the woods behind erupted into screams, crunches, and the sickening sound of flesh meeting claws.
The shimmer ahead grew brighter.
The clearing before the village was near.
And behind her.
The screams cut off, one by one.
Like candles being snuffed.
Their "small group" shrank with every second.
A player vanished in a flash of white particles, dying with Roxana's name on their lips.
Another tripped, something grabbed his ankle, he didn't even have time to beg for help before he was pulled back into the dark.
The weight supporting Roxana changed again and again as bodies disappeared.
Until…
Until the forest opened slightly, the clearing coming into view like salvation.
And only two pairs of footsteps remained.
Roxana, half-lidded and swaying.
And the frail-looking player beside her, thin shoulders, shaking hands, short in stature, still clutching her as if she were an actual goddess that would punish him if he let go.
He looked back once.
His face crumpled.
"T-that looks like it hurts," he choked, tears spilling down his cheeks. "I don't want to die. I'm so tired, Miss Roxana, what should we do?"
Roxana's gentle smile twitched slightly in disdain but she kept it in place anyway.
Outwardly, she looked like kindness itself. Soft eyes. A teasing curve of lips.
Inwardly however.
'Pathetic'
Her gaze flickered to his trembling hands on her waist. She felt repulsed. The warmth of his touch made her skin crawl. She wanted nothing more than to cut away the part of her that had been touched by anyone other than her beloved.
Her mind couldn't help but wander as it flashed an image: broad shoulders, calm eyes. A clear voice that cut through chaos as he helped her.
Remembering that day, her chest tightened. Her heart pounded so loudly it felt ready to burst.
Then she scolded herself, forcing focus back into the present.
The tremor behind them grew stronger.
The lizard was done playing with the sacrifices.
Roxana's eyes lowered slightly as she assessed the player beside her. Looking at his cowardly figure she couldn't but click her tongue.
'It seems my talent's effect… worn off already.'
Her head swam.
And they were this close to the village.
So close.
The clearing opened fully ahead.
Moonlight spilled into it.
Grass shimmered silver. The village entrance stood less than a hundred meters away, wooden palisade, torchlight, and that strange shimmering barrier that marked safety.
The player beside her was sobbing so loudly it was almost embarrassing.
Her throat burned. She coughed into her sleeve.
A mouthful of blood wet her lips.
A dramatic spray.
But also a reminder that her body still had limits.
[Talent: Bewitchment - Activated]
[Overusage: Talent Deactivated]
'Looks like I don't have a choice'
Roxana turned her head slightly, letting her smile soften further.
"Fufufu~" she giggled, voice sweet as honey. "We've experienced so much together and I don't even know your name yet… Do I?"
The sobbing man blinked as if she'd slapped him.
He looked… honored.
Confused, terrified, but honored.
"M-my name? You want to know my name?" he stammered, voice cracking. "I, uh, Angel… my name is Angel."
Roxana's smile stiffened for the smallest fraction of a second.
'Angel?'
She nearly snorted.
'What kind of name is that? Pfft. I guess it suits someone like him'
"Cough… then, Angel," she said softly, letting her voice wobble just enough to sound fragile, "can you promise me you will reach the novice village on my behalf?"
Angel stared at her, wide-eyed.
Roxana's lashes lowered. She made herself look… pitiful, delicate. Someone worth sacrificing for.
"Although my talent is that of support," she continued, careful with her wording, "I won't be able to buy much time… but I will try. At least… a couple seconds."
Angel's breathing hitched.
For a moment, Roxana thought he might actually agree.
And then.
His expression twisted into something painfully dramatic.
A surge of bravery rose in him like a cheap movie soundtrack.
"N-no," he said, shaking his head violently. "It's fine, Miss Roxana. It's a man's job to defend women."
He puffed out his chest.
If his body wasn't smaller than Roxana's, it might've looked heroic.
Roxana's inner laughter was almost cruel.
'Success~'
Angel's hands began to glow.
Golden holy light spilled from his palms, flooding into Roxana like warm water.
Her muscles loosened. The crushing strain behind her eyes eased slightly.
Angel swallowed, eyes burning with conviction.
"Go, Miss Roxana," he said, voice steadier than it had any right to be. "Leave this place to me."
Roxana tilted her head, making her concern look real.
"Angel… are you sure?" she whispered.
"Don't worry, Miss Roxana," he said earnestly. "You can trust me. I will defend you with my life."
He looked into her eyes like he was witnessing heaven.
Roxana almost gagged, how dare another man look at her with those eyes.
But instead, she smiled.
"Alright," she said softly. "I trust you."
And she ran.
No hesitation.
No second thought.
Behind her, Angel's footsteps slowed.
He turned, squaring his shoulders as if he could stand in front of a storm and stop it by will alone.
Roxana didn't look back.
"Just a bit more," she muttered under her breath. "A little bit more…"
This was a mission William had given them, no, given her.
It broke her heart that he hadn't put himself in the squad that needed to run towards the Novice Village. No matter how subtly she'd hinted, how she'd tried to steer the plan so he'd be "forced" to go.
Even with the opposing voices she rallied using her talent…
Her William had stayed stubborn.
Roxana's nails dug into her palms.
If she kept objecting, it would look suspicious.
So she swallowed it.
Smiled and agreed.
Left him behind with a heart full of knives.
Ah… if she could, she would dissect every filthy creature in this forest tissue by tissue. Tear them apart slowly. Make them regret every second they had looked, had touched her William.
Because every claw that touched William.
Every tooth that bit him.
Was unforgivable.
Tears gathered in her eyes, frustration at her lack of strength.
Then the tremor hit again, much closer. Jolting her out of her reverie.
Roxana's eyes widened.
She glanced back.
The black-scaled lizard burst through the trees like a nightmare given shape. Its claws tore soil. Its eyes locked onto her instantly.
And behind it, the smaller creatures flooded in hissing, clucking, squacking.
Angel was there for half a second.
Then a blur.
A snap.
A scream that cut off mid-note.
Roxana's lips curled in disgust.
"Useless trash," she whispered, voice flat.
It hadn't even bought her a couple seconds.
Her heartbeat hammered.
The village was right there.
So close.
Was she really going to fail the first task William had entrusted her with?
No.
No, she refused.
She ran harder, forcing her body to its absolute limit.
The clearing swallowed her.
Moonlight opened above. The village torches flickered like stars.
She could see the entrance.
Less than a dozen meters.
Then suddenly.
Pain exploded across her back.
The lizard's claws raked her robes, tearing fabric and flesh.
Roxana screamed, raw, involuntary and the force flung her forward.
She flew, hit the ground, and slid through grass and dirt until she stopped on her back, breath knocked out of her.
Her vision swam.
Something warm and sticky spilled beneath her.
In the moonlight, mixed with mud and crushed leaves, it looked almost black.
She lifted her head shakily.
The village entrance was still there.
So close yet so far.
A distance that might as well have been a continent.
"Ah…" she breathed, voice trembling. "It seems… I won't get praised by Will after all…"
The lizard stepped into the clearing behind her.
Roxana's mind scattered, then snapped into strange clarity.
Why hadn't she spawned together with William?
Why had she wasted almost a whole day exploring alone?
It had been fun, yes, this world's realism, the sensation, the awe.
But it was nothing compared to being near him.
Still… she was thankful. The commotion earlier had caught her attention. If it hadn't, she might have missed it.
Missed the fact that he played this game.
Her William.
To think they would meet again like this.
Even if he looked a little different here, she could recognize his voice anywhere.
His presence anywhere.
But… he didn't seem to remember her.
Her lips curved faintly, strangely happy.
Maybe it was better that way.
Back then, she had been nothing. An insignificant being. Someone no one but him would care about. Someone who was despised just for living. He was her light, her savior and her only warmth in the world.
She had wanted to go with him back then, but she didn't, she couldn't. Not after understanding the difference between their statuses.
There was no way he would look at her.
But now?
Now she was Roxana Soprano.
The most beautiful woman in Univerra, one of the most famous celebrities out there.
Her starting line was much higher than the "previous her."
"Fufufu~" she giggled weakly, the sound wet with blood.
Even as her lungs burned, her breath dwindled, her body growing cold… she couldn't help smiling at the fact that she'd decided to try this game.
After all, it was almost impossible to see William outside the Octagon. She'd needed something to distract her growing anxiety before his next match.
And no matter what she tried she couldn't get closer to him.
In the real world, she had tried every method possible to get his attention, but it was all for nothing. Every collaboration request, every show of support, ignored. It was as if he had no interest in worldly matters.
But she didn't get discouraged.
Her William was a bit dense when it came to romance, after all. He had no idea how many girls had chased him in his school years.
…Well. She'd taken care of them before they could confess.
What a dummy~
It was a blessing he had her protecting him, or he might have fallen into the hands of those filthy whores.
Now that she finally had an excuse to get closer to her beloved, she would use it to the fullest~
THUD.
The lizard drew closer in slow motion. Snapping her out of her daze.
Her mind sharpened to a needle as everything else blurred.
"Is this the zone they talked about?"
That strange state William had described in interviews as something he wanted to achieve. The one she'd heard about in documentaries and movies.
But it didn't matter.
Her body refused to move.
She had failed her mission.
She was ready to close her eyes.
Ready to accept death.
Ready to wait, happily for the next respawn where she could find William again.
Then a panel flashed across her vision.
[Quest: Assist at least one player to survive the ambush and reach the Novice Village before dawn - Completed]
[Reward: All Players Respawn Anchor set on Novice Village #2]
"Huh…?"
Roxana blinked.
Before she could process what that meant.
A violent impact shook the clearing.
The black-scaled lizard's body was suddenly gone from her immediate view. Even with her slowed perception, she failed to catch what happened as it was launched backward like a toy.
It crashed through trees in the distance, splintering trunks, until it finally stopped with a heavy, wet thud.
Silence.
Roxana's eyes widened.
A figure stood between her and the approaching horde, appearing out of nowhere.
A woman.
Fluffy orange tail with white tips swaying lazily left and right.
Pointy ears twitching.
She held up a single finger, staring at it in mild dismay like she'd just spilled tea.
"Ara~" she murmured, voice light, amused, holding her cheek with a palm as she tilted her head. "Did I flick it too hard? Hopefully it's not dead… I'm just doing my job, you know~"
Her gaze lifted to the forest edge.
To the creatures hissing and clucking and growling as they spilled into the clearing, angry and uncertain now.
But before they decided to attack they suddenly paused and retreated after hearing a cluck from somewhere out there.
Then the fox-eared woman sighed, like she was dealing with children.
"Ah! I almost forgot about you."
She turned.
Her eyes landed on Roxana.
And she smiled.
"Little fox," she said softly, then corrected herself as if remembering something. "Or rather… otherworlder."
Her tail swayed once, slow and deliberate.
"You are one day late."