Emrys cheers as he loots abandoned supplies. He looks around what was obviously a camp set up by other players and wonders where they all are. He was cautious about approaching at first because it seemed like a trap, but even after a long time passed, the area remained empty.

He continues moving up the mountain at a sluggish pace.

“It’s been a while since I ran into any monsters or players,” Emrys murmurs to himself.

Just then he hears a nearby growl.

“I should stop speaking aloud.”

He scrambles onto a tree branch as creatures approach, but they suddenly seem to sense something coming and scurry away as if they can’t escape fast enough. Emrys feels a chill fill the air as shadow creatures slowly move in.

Emrys swallows nervously as the shadows move past slowly. Despite being slow and few, they are especially eerie. Eventually, the shadows pass and Emrys jumps down from the tree.

From behind him, bright red eyes give a deadly glow as a hand reaches out from the darkness.

Emrys feels a hand on his shoulder. “Emrys,” a quiet, low voice speaks.

Emrys turns around to see his teammate from the first phase. “Hey! I was looking for you after the first phase, but I couldn’t find you, and I didn’t know your name so I wasn’t sure how to even look for you… But I’m glad you’re okay. A ton of scary monsters passed by just now.”

“Cas.”

“?”

“My name. It’s Cas.”

Emrys blinks and stares at him blankly for a moment. Then he smiles. “Cas. Nice to meet you.”

Having reunited with his teammate, Emrys and Cas continue their trek up the mountain together. Time seems to blur together as they move through the rugged terrain with a steady pace. Emrys packs away supplies they loot from abandoned camps, supply crates, and the unfortunate remains of other players.

His hands move quickly, efficiently, but his eyes keep darting around, wary of danger. Cas stands guard, his stance relaxed but alert, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Whenever they encounter monsters, Cas fights them off with ease, using a pure black sword and infusing his shadow ability into each slash. His movements are fluid and deadly, each strike precise. While he fights, Emrys finds a hiding spot, quickly becoming skilled at climbing trees.

The two of them take frequent breaks so Emrys can catch his breath and recover his energy.

During one such break, Emrys sits down heavily, gasping for breath. Cas remains standing, vigilant as always, scanning the horizon for any signs of movement. Emrys looks up at him, observing him for a while before speaking.

“You should rest sometimes too, you know. Come sit.” Emrys pats the ground next to him.

Cas nods, sitting down nearby with a quiet grace. Emrys takes a deep breath, leaning back against a rock and closing his eyes for a moment. The constant exhaustion weighs heavily on him, but he feels a lot better with Cas now by his side.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

After a few moments of silence, Emrys opens his eyes and looks over at Cas. “Thank you,” he says softly. “For helping me. I don’t think I’d have made it this far without you.”

Cas’s expression remains neutral, but there’s a flicker of something in his eyes. “It’s nothing,” he replies. “Just focus on surviving.”

Emrys nods, a small smile playing on his lips.

They continue their ascent, the mountain trail growing rockier and less defined the further they go. As the path narrows, they take care to move carefully to avoid missteps. The occasional sound of distant growls and rustling leaves keeps Emrys on edge, but they fortunately don’t run into any strong monster hordes.

Night falls, and they set up a small, temporary camp. Cas insists on taking the first watch, allowing Emrys to get some much-needed sleep. Emrys, despite his exhaustion, takes a moment to appreciate the stars above, a rare sight that brings a fleeting sense of peace.

Living in the city in their modern era, he had gotten used to the bustling nightlife and bright lights, and in such a short time, he had forgotten what the unpolluted night sky looked like. Or rather, he never took the time to appreciate it until it was gone.

As dawn breaks, they pack up and resume their journey. The mountain seems to stretch endlessly before them, like it reaches right into the heavens, but the two of them trek on, undeterred.

By the next night, they find what looks like remnants of a camp, hidden behind jutting rocks and plants encircling it.

“Let’s take a break here,” Emrys sighs, plopping down and leaning against some long protruding rock formation. Despite being well-covered by rocks and foliage, whichever group stayed here before must have had to leave in a hurry as some stuff was left behind, though none of it is useful.

“It’s strange. After all this time, we haven’t run into any other players. Even monsters are sparse.”

The crunch of rocks under a boot startles Emrys. When he hears more movement from behind, he jumps, climbing halfway up a tree. A man with glasses limps out from his hiding spot.

“Another player?” Emrys asks. He considers grabbing Cas and running, but the stranger’s physique looks only slightly better than his own, plus he’s injured, yet still took the risk of revealing himself.

In the end, Emrys keeps a cautious attitude, a hand on Cas’s forearm just in case they need to run.

“You haven’t run into anybody because they’ve all been wiped out.”

Emrys frowns. “Wiped out?”

“Someone—something far more dangerous than anything I’ve seen so far. My whole group was wiped out by it. I barely escaped alive by sheer luck,” the man warns him. “I’ve been hiding out around here since then to recuperate, but if it comes back we’re done for.”

Emrys rushes over to the man as he collapses. His bandages around his leg are dirty and barely hanging on, but it’s the only thing he has to work with. Emrys takes out some of his own supplies and helps him.

As he cleans his leg wound and wraps it with new bandages, the man says, “Thank you, but why are you helping me?”

“It’s rare to run into other decent people,” Emrys responds. “So we should team up.”

“I won’t be of much help, especially like this.”

“That’s fine. I’m pretty useless as well.”

“...”

As they settle down, Emrys introduces himself.

“I know who you are. I think pretty much everyone remembers you for being crazy,” the man says. “I’m honestly surprised you’re still alive.”

Emrys, “...”

“I’m Wesley.”

Wesley then turns to Cas. Something about the other man unsettles him even though he hasn’t done or said anything. He just can’t help but feel uneasy. Then again, other players are often far more dangerous than monsters. “And you are?”

“Cas.”

Wesley nods.

“It’s getting dark, and I’m sore, so let’s get some rest for the night and continue up the mountain in the daylight,” Emrys says. “I can be first watch.”

“No,” Cas says immediately. “I’ll keep watch.”

Emrys shrugs and says, “If you’re sure.”

Emrys falls asleep quickly while Wesley uses his earth ability to create some more rock formations to keep them more hidden. Despite the extra fortifications, Wesley still feels like he’s on pins and needles. He trusts Emrys to an extent, because if it comes down to it, he can beat the other in a fight. But Cas is a different story.

In the end, Wesley can only half-rest, ready to get up at the slightest sign that something is wrong.