The next morning dawned cold and crisp. Ken and Alya stood at the edge of the village, having explained everything to the villagers—the dangers, the stakes, and the mission ahead. All eyes followed them as they prepared to step into the barrier.
Theron suddenly appeared before Ken, holding a carefully wrapped sword. "Take this. You're going to need it more than I do," he said, voice firm.
Ken took it with a nod, gripping the hilt tightly. I won't waste this, he thought. "Thank you. I'll put it to good use."
Alya waved at the villagers, her expression soft but determined. Ken also dose the same, and together they stepped into Danger Zone 1.
The instant their feet crossed the barrier, a crushing pressure slammed into their chests. Ken stumbled, clutching his heart.
"My heart… it feels like it's going to—" he gasped.
Alya immediately raised her staff, muttering incantations. A warm glow enveloped them both, easing the oppressive weight just enough to breathe. She nodded toward him. "Hold on… we'll be fine."
Ken exhaled shakily. It's like something invisible is trying to crush me from the inside…
Then Alya's eyes widened, a thought striking her. "Wait! Didn't we get a spell scroll?"
Ken blinked, confused, then remembered. "…Oh, right. From the survival quest."
Their rings glowed faintly, and two scrolls appeared in front of them.
(Rare) – Blood Manipulation
Alya's shoulders slumped. "Ugh… nothing useful again," she muttered.
Ken unrolled his scroll.
(Rare) – Energy Slash Be able to release your mana to create an energy into an object to create an Energy slash (No magical type requires)
A spark of excitement lit his eyes. "Oh… this one's actually useful," he said.
Alya's eyes widened, sparkling. "Energy Slash? More like a sword technique! You're going to look so cool using it!"
Ken made a deadpan face. "Uh… maybe tone it down. If you scream about it, we'll both die before you see me swing it."
Alya covered her mouth with her hand. "Right… totally forgot this is a war zone."
After a few minutes of practice, Ken finally mastered the spell.
"Did you learn it?" Alya asked, peering at him eagerly.
"Yes," Ken replied calmly.
"Can you show me?" she pressed again.
Ken shot her a sharp glance. "Do you want us to die?"
Alya froze. "W-What do you mean?"
"If I cast it here, every creature in this zone will hear us," he explained.
"Oh… right. Totally forgot," she murmured, lowering her hands.
Ken exhaled slowly. "For now… let's go find a creature to—"
Before he could finish, a deafening roar shattered the air.
Both ducked behind a tree, peering toward the source.
"Come on! Use your spell!" a boy shouted, panic in his voice.
The girl beside him had collapsed, frozen with fear. The three other boys abandoned her. But the creature—towering like a living tree—wouldn't let them leave. It lifted its massive arm and hurled a black, goo-like arrow. With a wet splat, it struck the boys, their heads exploding instantly.
The girl couldn't move, paralyzed in terror.
Ken's chest burned with fury. "You damn creature!" he shouted.
"Energy Slash!" he swung his sword, and a wave of brilliant energy shot forth. Ka-boom! The creature was hit squarely.
Alya dashed to the girl, grabbing her trembling hand and dragging her back behind the trees. Ken remained, confronting the monster.
When the smoke cleared, the creature was still alive, but a limb had been severed. Slowly, grotesquely, it began to regenerate.
It… it can regenerate? Ken thought, disbelief twisting his stomach.
The monster raised its arm again, firing multiple goo arrows. Ken dodged each with precision, but one grazed his side, piercing his left stomach. Pain flared, sharp and burning.
No time to bleed… He activated another spell.
"Clone."
A shimmering version of Ken appeared, a perfect replica but weaker—50% of his strength and speed. Ken handed it his old sword.
The clone split to the left as Ken moved right. "Energy Slash!" he commanded.
The clone obeyed instantly. A wave of energy surged forward, slicing into the creature's flesh. Inside, Ken noticed a red glowing stone.
So that's the core…
He commanded the clone, "Throw your sword into the core!"
The moment the sword struck, the creature screamed, firing goo arrows in every direction. The clone lunged to protect Ken but was destroyed instantly.
Ken felt the backlash, but he charged forward anyway. No hesitation. He thrust his sword into the creature's core, shattering it. The creature writhed violently, melting and dying under the impact.
Ken's knees buckled. He coughed blood and collapsed, darkness pulling him under.
When he awoke, he found himself on the ground. Alya and the girl he had saved were nearby, talking quietly in a cave. His wounds had vanished.
"Oh… Ken, you're awake," Alya said, relief in her voice.
Ken groaned, dizziness clouding his thoughts. "What… happened? Is the creature dead?"
Alya nodded. "Yes. After I put the girl in the cave and rushing to help you, you had already defeated it. I just dragged your body back here. Oh, and this…" She tossed something into his hands.
Ken looked down. "What… is this?"
Alya shrugged. "How should I know? I just saw it there when you finished it off."
A system notification suddenly appeared before them.
(System)
▸ Congratulations on defeating the unknown creature. You are the 5th person to do so.
▸ Top 5 achievers earn an Epic Skill Scroll.
▸ Reward: (Epic) Scroll
Alya gasped. "Someone beat it faster than you? I thought you'd be the first!"
Ken glanced to his left. The girl was still trembling. When she saw him looking, she stammered.
"H-Hm… my name is Hoshina Rin. N-nice to meet you, sir."
Ken's face flared. "Huh?! Sir?! I'm only sixteen!"
The girl screamed in surprise. Alya laughed softly.
"Come on, Ken… she probably thinks you're twenty because… what kid could take down that goo monster like that?"
Ken sighed. "Alright… my bad. I didn't mean to scare you. And my name is Ken-ken Carter."
The girl stammered again. "M-Mr. Ken?"
Ken's face twisted. "Stop calling me Mr.! Or sir!"
She screamed again while Alya chuckled. "Just let it go, Ken. She's scared. And Hoshina, I'm Alya Rose. Nice to meet you."
Hoshina nodded lightly.
"Wait… you named Hoshina?" Alya asked, eyes wide.
The girl looked confused and scared. "Y-Yes?"
"Oh my god, Ken! She's Japanese!" Alya practically jumped for joy.
The girl blinked.
Ken explained, "She's just excited to meet a Japanese person in real life… probably because of anime."
Then realization hit him. "Wait… if she's Japanese, how do we understand her?"
Alya froze mid-jump. "…Oh… yeah. How?"
They both stared at the girl, waiting for an explanation.
"I think it's the system," Hoshina whispered. "It lets me understand other people from different countries since I arrived here."
Ken nodded slowly. "When we were in the human continent, there was no system… only magic. But the moment we entered the unknown continent, it appeared out of thin air."
Alya's grin returned. "Looks like we have a lot of secrets to uncover, huh?"
Ken made a weird face. "Just… survive first before worrying about secrets."
Suddenly, the system appeared in front of Alya and Hoshina.
(System)
▸ You have only 10 hours left to complete the quest.
▸ Failing will result in penalty.