Will gasped awake, the sharp stench of rot hitting him like a punch. His throat clenched as he gagged, clamping a hand over his nose. The air was thick, carrying the scent of rot that clawed at his throat.

Pushing through the nausea, he sat up, head spinning. What the hell happened? The dream—or whatever it was—slipped away, leaving only a heavy feeling in his chest. He looked at his leg, expecting pain but… Nothing. His skin was smooth. Unmarked.

No... that’s not right.

His brow furrowed as he stared at his leg, the memory of quills tearing through flesh-flashing through his mind. Yet his skin was smooth, unblemished as if the injury had never happened. That’s not possible.

 Something had changed him in this tutorial. This wasn’t just healing—it was more. His body still felt normal, but if that was so, where had the like it had the injuries gone?

And his mind…

His gaze softened the memory of his family surfacing. The pain that should’ve crushed him wasn’t there—not fully. Grief lingered, but it was distant, like an old memory. It wasn’t that he didn’t care or wasn't sad it was just that it felt... manageable. A part of him, though, wondered if it was too manageable. Was he starting to numb himself? He didn’t want to lose that part of him, the part that still felt. Then a faint sound, a soft, constant ticking interrupted his thought.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The sound cut through the silence. Will frowned. What the hell? His fingers twitched as the ticking grew louder. Familiar. Then it hit him—the watch. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the battered silver timepiece. The only thing that had survived so far. Everything else had been torn apart, burned, or destroyed by one of those creatures. Even all the electrical stuff had crumbled to dust—gone, like it had never been there.

He flicked it open. Eight hours. His brow creased.

Eight hours? No way. He could have only blacked out for two, maybe three tops. Shaking his head, he tried to make sense of it as…

Snap.

The sharp crack of a branch broke his thoughts. He froze, head snapping toward the sound, his face nearly smacking into a chunk of wall. A moment later, he heard voices. The words grew clearer.

"Did you really have to kill all of them?" a woman's voice spoke sharp and irritated.

A second voice deep, gruff answered. "Oh, don’t start. It’s not like they mattered. Plus they were unaligned."

Will’s grip tightened on the watch. Unaligned? What are they talking about? He crouched lower, straining to hear more.

"I'm just saying," the woman hissed, her voice sharp. "You're going to draw every beast in this forest with that stench."

"And?" The man chuckled, his voice deep and careless. "Let them come, we're already level 10. It might even be fun."

Will’s breath caught. Level 10? What the hell are they talking about?

He pressed himself further down, blood pounding in his ears. Whoever these people were, they were dangerous. If they spotted him, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Slowly, he began to back away, careful not to disturb his soundings. Looking up the wreckage seemed to shift in the distance, the crunching of debris underfoot carrying in sudden silence. Will held his breath, every nerve on edge as their footsteps slowed. The woman’s broke the quiet again.

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"Wait. Did you hear that?"

The man snorted. "Relax. If someone’s dumb enough to stick around, they’re as good as dead anyway. Let’s just get moving."

Before either could take another step, a low growl rumbled from deeper in the ruins. Both people froze. The sound grew louder, guttural and wet, sending a chill up Will’s spine. Something large was moving through the ruins, its movements slow and deliberate, stone fragments crunching under its weight.

A beast emerged into view. It stood chest-high to the tall man, its muscular body stretched long and lean, jagged, spik-like bones rising along its back. Its snout curled, revealing rows of sharp, uneven teeth, and its black eyes burned with an unnatural intensity as they locked onto the pair.

The woman hissed. "What the hell is that?"

The man stiffened, his confidence faltering. "Looks like a Spineback Cleaver," he muttered, pulling a blade that Will hadn't seen on him before. "That’s... not supposed to be here."

The woman’s hand flicked toward her belt. A faint shimmer passed over her eyes, and her expression darkened. "It's a low-level Alfa, but it's level 14," she said sharply. "It’s higher level than us."

The man’s lips pressed into a thin line, then his shoulders straightened. "There are two of us and only one of them. We can handle it."

The beast growled again, its massive claws sinking into the ground as it prepared to charge.

The man moved first. With a sharp battle cry, he lunged forward, his sword raised high. The Spineback Cleaver let out a guttural roar and leaped to meet him, its jagged teeth bared. Metal met flesh in a deafening clash as the man brought his sword down, slamming the beast to the ground with sheer force. Dust and debris scattered from the impact, but the creature was far from finished.

Before the man could press his advantage, the Cleaver twisted its lengthy body, spines along its back bristling. With a sharp motion, one of the spikes shot out like an arrow, embedding itself in the man’s arm. He stumbled back with a grunt of pain, blood staining his sleeve.

"Damn it!" he growled, clutching his arm.

"Ryan!" the woman shouted. "Don’t just stand there! Attack!"

"I’m trying, Kara!" he snapped back, his face contorted in pain. "Give me a second!"

The woman-Kara- acted next. Dropping to one knee, she slammed her hands onto the ground. Green whiplike tendrils of energy shot outward, the earth cracking as vines erupted from the ground. They lashed out, coiling around the beast’s legs and midsection. The Cleaver thrashed violently, but the vines held firm. A sudden burst of flame ignited along the whips, scorching the creature’s flesh. It howled in rage, the sound echoing throughout the aria.

Ryan recovered quickly, his blade back in his good hand as he charged again, aiming to end the fight. But the Cleaver, despite its injuries, was still quick. It dodged to the side, its tail whipping around in a blur. The man barely managed to duck under the attack, the spiked tail passing just inches above his head.

Will flinched as the tail swung again, this time launching a volley of smaller spikes toward the woman. She didn’t have time to react. Two of the spines struck her, one lodging in her shoulder and the other piercing her side. She let out a choked scream, blood spilling out as she fell to her knees.

"No!" Ryan shouted, his face twisting in panic. He hesitated, his grip on the sword faltering as the Cleaver turned its attention back to him.

The beast pounced, claws outstretched. It collided with the man, tearing at his satchel and sending him sprawling to the ground. The bag opened, its contents scattering across the ground. Desperation flared in the man’s eyes as he raised his free hand, a burst of blue energy erupted from his fist as he struck the creature’s neck with a magically enhanced punch. The Cleaver let out a strangled cry, its body collapsing to the side, momentarily stunned.

The man scrambled to his feet, but his gaze snapped to the woman. She was slumped over, blood pooling beneath her, her breath wet and ragged. "Hold on! I’ve got you!" he shouted, grabbing one of the red vials that fell out of his bag.

Will’s heart raced as he watched, frozen in place. His eyes darted to the edges of the ruins. Movement. Smaller shapes came into view, their forms hunched and wiry. These creatures, smaller versions of the Spineback Cleaver, had fewer spikes along their backs and leaner bodies. Their low growls cut through the silence.

The first of the creatures lunged at Ryan, claws slashing wildly. He managed to deflect it with his sword, but another sprang onto his back, dragging him to the ground. He yelled in pain as its claws tore into his shoulder. More of them leaped forward, overwhelming him, their combined weight pinning him down. His sword clattered to the ground as he struggled beneath them.

Kara tried to rise, blood still pouring from her wounds, as one of the creatures turned to her. It lunged, knocking her flat on her back, its jagged teeth snapping at her throat. Her scream was cut short as blood bubbled in her throat.

One of the smaller beasts suddenly paused, its snout dipping to the ground. It sniffed deeply, its body stiffening. With a sharp yelp, it turned and howled, the sound echoing across the ruins. The pack hesitated for a moment, then as one, they turned and bolted, leaving the pair behind. Their focus had shifted, and they charged toward the direction Ryan and Kara had come from, their forms blending in with the terrain.

Will stayed frozen, his breathing ragged as he tried to process what he’d just witnessed. The pack had left—but not before finishing the too.

"What the actual holy fuck did I just see?"