Eden entered Ahartohaim the moment he arrived home from his meeting with Jason. Exhaustion tugged at him, but there was no time to lose. Nearly a day had already slipped by, and since the competition was against time and other players, every day mattered.

“Is everything ready?” Eden asked, glancing around at his assembled team. With the exception of him and Cole, everyone else had been training since dawn.

“Yep,” Cole replied, handing Eden a grappling hook, pickaxe, and a vial of healing potion. Following Eden’s earlier instructions, he’d stocked up on supplies in preparation for an unknown journey.

“Everyone has a hook, pickaxe, potion, ten water pouches, and ten bread?” Eden’s sharp gaze swept over the group, and each member nodded in turn.

Raul, the newest addition to the group, asked. “So, where exactly are we heading, boss?”

Eden shot him a steely look. “Drop the sarcasm, or I’ll stick that spear of yours where the sun doesn’t shine,” he said. Raul’s smirk vanished. “None of you know where we’re going, Cole included. You’ll find out soon enough. But be warned: until we arrive, we hunt our own food. Stay sharp.” Without waiting for a reply, Eden set off into the wilderness, his team falling into silent formation behind him.

They trekked through dense forests, their path occasionally interrupted by lurking beasts. But Eden steered clear of the most dangerous territories, his experience guiding them safely around high-level threats. After hours of relentless walking and only brief rests, they finally reached a mountainside where the trees began to thin.

“We’ll camp here to rest and eat,” Eden declared. “Gather wood and cook some meat.”

Karas collapsed onto the ground. “I can’t feel my legs.”

“On your feet, Karas. Help Aurin prep the meat,” Eden ordered, his tone leaving no room for complaints.

Karas grumbled but did as he was told. Raul, hoping for a break, volunteered to scout ahead.

“Bring back firewood if you have nothing better to do,” Cole said, handing him a thick branch. Raul scowled but took it.

“Is this place safe?” Damian asked as he and Eden gathered wood.

“Nowhere is safe in Ahartohaim,” Eden replied, casting a wary eye over the darkening landscape. “You always stay vigilant—even in your own room.”

“Doesn’t sound too good for stress,” Damian muttered with a nervous laugh.

Eden fixed him with a hard stare. “I said be prepared, not paranoid. There’s a difference. I'll train you all to be ready for combat in a heartbeat.”

The weight of Eden’s words sank in, and Damian felt a chill; this was no ordinary leader. But what happened to his mood today?

Suddenly, Mason’s alarmed shout cut through the camp. “A monster!”

“It’s a Level 2 scorpion!” Cole called back.

“If it’s only one, let Mason handle it solo!” Eden shouted.

“What?” Mason yelped, hastily trying to widen the distance between himself and the scorpion. As an archer, he wasn’t exactly built for close-range fights.

“You got this!” North called out, offering encouragement from a safe distance.

* * *

Half an hour after breaking camp, they stumbled upon a strange pillar. A skeleton, clad in the remains of leather armor, slumped against it in eerie silence.

“What...is this?” Karas murmured, eyes fixed on the brittle bones at his feet.

“Human remains,” Eden replied, barely sparing it a glance as he continued forward. His composure was unsettling to the others; clearly, he’d seen worse in his lifetime.

“Damn, it feels so real,” Mason said, gingerly touching one of the bones.

“Glad it’s to your liking,” Cole quipped, clapping a hand on Mason’s shoulder. But his joke was interrupted by Eden’s sharp command.

“Battle formation!”

The team sprang into action. Maras and Karas rushed forward, taking defensive positions in front of Eden, weapons drawn. Emerging from the shadows were two hulking, black-furred creatures, each the size of a full-grown man, with feral eyes and unnervingly human-like features.

“What are those?” Damian asked, eyes wide as he analyzed the beasts.

Cole pulled out his [Character Card] and scanned them:

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[Tormented Disaster] (Level 3)

HP: 380

Defense: 0

Attack Power: 20

Movement Speed: 50

Skill: Corrode

- close-range attack inflicting 2 seconds paralysis on the victim and blood drain equal to [ -12] HP/second for 3 seconds

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Description: These beasts guard forsaken places—abandoned mines, ruins, dead forests. Flesh-eaters immune to mind control and illusion, they live in large tribes and are untameable.

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He read the information out loud, for everyone to hear.

Eden’s expression remained unflinching. “They’re flesh-eaters. Don’t let them bite you. Target their legs first.”

Without another word, the group engaged in combat.

“Here they come. Ranged classes, only shoot when they’re stationary. You won’t land a hit otherwise,” Eden commanded, standing in the middle of the group. “Melee classes, protect your ranged allies. Don’t let these creatures get a bite in.”

The black, skeletal monkeys charged forward, jaws agape and eyes filled with hunger. They lacked any discernible strategy, attacking recklessly despite their open wounds, their long arms flailing wildly, slashing at the players even as they suffered cuts from sharp weapons.

Aurin broke formation, darting behind one of the creatures. He lunged forward, stabbing with his dagger and dealing [-28] damage. The monster immediately shifted its focus, using its superior speed to attack Aurin in a chaotic flurry: [-20], [-8], [-7], [-13], [-20]—the numbers flashed in the air as it unleashed a barrage of strikes before attempting to bite him.

Aurin managed to block some of the blows with his hands and dagger, absorbing only two full-force hits before Maras thrust his weapon into the creature’s back. Raul swiftly followed suit, plunging his spear into the monster's neck.

The creature turned, furious, toward its new attacker. But Maras and Aurin seized the opportunity, launching a relentless assault that pierced through its flesh, ending its pitiful existence.

The other monster met a similar fate, and the party quickly regrouped, ready for the next command.

Eden shook his head. Aurin had taken considerable damage from his own stupidity.

“Don’t use your potion just yet,” Eden advised Aurin, who was panting heavily. “Stay in the center of the group and let your HP regenerate naturally. Use your potion wisely, and be cautious with your attacks. These monsters have much higher movement speed than us, and they’ll try to catch us off guard. Avoid fighting alone and keep your eyes peeled.”

The bodies of the defeated creatures faded into the digital ether, leaving only the 30 EXP earned by each team member. Eden led the way forward, the thrill of their recent victory still buzzing in the air.

They arrived at a massive man-made passageway flanked by broken gates. The sheer size and thick, metal bars hinted at their former glory, designed to keep both beasts and intruders at bay.

Yet now, time had ravaged the gates, which lay half-buried beneath grass and large stone blocks that had fallen from the mountain. The once-imposing barrier was now a shadow of its former self.

Inside the passageway, only the strongest rays of sunlight dared penetrate the suffocating darkness. Iron torch holders clung stubbornly to the stone walls, but the torches were long gone, leaving only a desolate corridor.

The ground was strewn with stones, debris from the crumbling ceiling and walls, remnants of a structure once proud and strong. The tunnel echoed with their footsteps, the sound reverberating off the curved walls. What began as rhythmic taps transformed into soft splashes as rainwater pooled at their feet.

As the group approached the end of the passageway, two cracked, towering statues loomed ahead, welcoming them into a realm lost to time. Beyond these guardians lay a whole new world, hidden between mountains and nature’s relentless grasp.

Nestled in the valley was an ancient city, a ghostly relic of a once-thriving civilization. Echoes of its former glory resonated through the silent ruins, standing as solemn witnesses to the passage of centuries.

Overgrown with vegetation, the city whispered its tales through crumbling stones and timeworn structures, an ultimate testament to the inexorable march of time. No birds filled the sky, and no sounds of life stirred the air—only the hushed whispers of stone.

Under the piercing sunlight, the remnants of the city emerged in fragmented glory. Grand archways, now stripped of their vibrancy, stood as silent sentinels beneath the newcomers’ curious gazes.

Ivy twisted around the facades, interlaced with intricate stonework, illustrating nature’s triumph over civilization. Moss blanketed the cobblestone streets, a soft carpet reclaiming territory once tread by a long-gone populace.

“What is this place?” Raul asked, goosebumps prickling his skin.

“One of the ruins of this world, an ancient city,” Eden replied, scanning the area for the ominous shadows of the monkeys. “You can tell by the symbols engraved on the pedestals of the statues.”

Damian pointed toward a pedestal, noting the broken head of a statue facing him. “It’s eerie.”

“I think I’ve stepped into something,” North said, rooted in place as he surveyed the area, waiting for confirmation from the others.

“It’s just another skeleton,” Eden said, taking a deep breath. His instincts were on high alert; he suspected a trap.

“Are those the residents?” Cole asked, gesturing at a pile of shattered bones.

“No, most likely explorers. No one could survive nature’s erosion from ancient times until now,” Eden replied, though a nagging thought lingered—what if they were more than just explorers?

“Are we here to search for treasure?” Aurin asked, excitement creeping into his voice.

“Not really. This place has been picked clean by those who came before us. We’re here mainly for training, but finding valuable items and ores is not out of the question,” Eden explained. “Come on, we need to find a safe place to camp for the night.”

Though he spoke of training, he harbored two hidden motives. Both would be crucial for his class selection. He wasn’t destined to be just another swordsman; he wanted his power back—and perhaps more.

Eden was acutely aware that the city had likely been stripped of any valuable loot. However, he couldn’t lead his team to a secret location without igniting suspicion and raising countless questions.

“Keep noise to a minimum. We need to fight as silently as possible,” Eden cautioned, having caught a glimpse of a Tormented Disaster lurking in the shadows.

Before they could take more than a few steps, Maras cried out from the back. “Ambush!”

Cole, right behind him, leaped to assist the melee tank.

“Stay alert! Don’t leave yourself open!” Eden commanded just as Cole felt a sharp pain—another monster had appeared from behind and bitten his hand.

Two more creatures emerged from the front and left side of the group, forcing them to divide their strength. Maras, Cole, Raul, and Damian engaged the two monsters at the rear, while Karas teamed up with North, leaving Eden with Mason. Aurin remained vigilant, watching their surroundings, his HP low.

The battle didn’t last long; Mason and North, both bow users, proved especially effective. However, their skirmish had attracted more monsters, so the group wasted no time in retreating.

“Why aren’t we moving in a straight line?” Karas, who was leading the group, asked Eden.

“Because we need to navigate through less populated areas to avoid being overwhelmed,” Eden replied, urgency in his voice.

Karas opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, a stone flew from the ruins of a house, striking his shoulder.

“Another wave!” Eden shouted, preparing to engage.

Their destination—the temple—was known only to Eden. It was the only structure still keeping its glory, serving as a base for explorers who ventured into the city. But the temple was on the far side of the city. They would need to navigate blocked streets and fend off constant monster attacks.

On the bright side, their EXP increased with each defeated creature, but drops were rare, and they weren’t collecting any currency. To make matters worse, their HP barely had time to recover, and Eden had strictly forbidden the use of the single potion in their inventory.