I walked along the dirt path, deciding to follow the man I had randomly encountered.

I agreed without much thought, even though I had promised myself to be more cautious. But I preferred this over being alone with the looming figures that followed me.

Besides, the man had warned me about the dangers of solitude, and I could sense it was the truth. Perhaps I had made a mistake, but if he turned hostile, I had enough strength to defend myself.

At least, that's what I hoped for.

We hadn't exchanged a word yet; he walked silently ahead of me. Then, he finally broke the silence.

"I rarely see anyone here. Where are you from?" he asked without turning around.

"I arrived from the South. I was looking to gain XP by following a quest, and somehow ended up here," I replied. It was true, though I had omitted some crucial details.

He didn't respond immediately. We continued walking for a while until he spoke again.

"You might not know this, but this forest is dangerous. No one knows why, but it's infested with Drifters," he said, his tone tinged with concern.

"Drifters?" I asked, forgetting to hide my inexperience in Hell.

He stopped and turned, his hood concealed his head up to his eyebrows.

His eyes were in the shadow, but they seemed brown. A curious and harmless gaze observed me.

His lips moved as if following his thoughts.

Then, he finally spoke. "You're level 9; I thought at this level, you'd already know about them."

There was no arrogance in his voice, just confusion, as if reaching level 9 was a milestone that came with knowledge of Hell.

I feared he would realize I hadn't told him everything, and perhaps even discover I had been captured and almost sold.

I didn't know why, but the thought unsettled me. Maybe it made me appear vulnerable, or maybe this man was part of the same group.

I decided to respond to his questions. "If you have a trick to make the screen speak, I'm all ears!" I said, lightening the mood.

He seemed to smile, then resumed walking. "No, the system only provides the minimum information. And when it does offer more, it's for its own interest, not yours," he said.

"Its interest?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, anyway... Let me explain what Drifters are ; it's crucial for your survival," he said, his voice solemn and cavernous.

"Here, in Hell, there are three categories of players. The Dreamers, naive ones who believe in the system and level up to resurrect. Then there are the Dwellers, simple folk who understand that resurrection is impossible and do their best to survive in Hell." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"And finally, there are the Drifters. Players who failed to pay their debt in time, gradually succumbing to madness as their sanity is replaced by the system's impulses. They become bloodthirsty monsters, driven solely by the violence and destruction of Hell," he explained simply.

He didn't need to add such effects to make me afraid.

I was already checking behind me every two minutes to ensure no one was following us.

"What... do these Drifters look like?" I asked, already having a small idea of the answer.

"It depends on their debt level. The deeper they descend into madness, the more their faces deform. Some may almost seem human, while others become grotesque monsters," he explained.

There was little doubt left. I was almost certain that the creature that had attacked me and killed my captor was a Drifter.

"Have you paid your debt since you arrived?" He asked suddenly.

I hesitated for a moment. "Uh, yes, I've paid," I replied.

"Good. The debt is treacherous; it accumulates, and it takes time to realize that you are no longer alone... up there," he said, tapping his temple.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

I hadn't paid off my debt yet, but I didn't want him to know that I hadn’t been here for a month yet, and that I leveled up to level 9 in just a few days.

But the good thing was that I finally understood what this debt meant.

It sounded like a disease that could only be cured by constantly feeding it with points.

"Being in Hell is a constant battle against madness," I thought to myself.

As if he could read my thoughts, my guide spoke again, "I don't know if you've already grasped the kind of place we're in, but it's important to stay strong, no matter what," he said.

His tone was paternal and reassuring, but at the same time, it seemed as if he was talking to himself, as if he was on the verge of breaking. It had the opposite effect; it started to worry me.

"Is he reliable? And he hasn't mentioned which category of player he belongs to," I thought.

My thoughts began to search for a plan B, an escape route. But once again, as if he could read my mind, he spoke.

"We're almost there. However..." he hesitated. "We'll have to cross the forest," he finally said.

I was surprised. For once, I had expected something worse.

"Alright, no problem," I replied.

He turned to look at me, seemingly suspicious of my casual tone.

"Drifters feel more at ease in the shadows or at night. At this hour, we're not at great risk on the road, but as the sun sets, the trees provide enough cover for them to start emerging from their hiding places," he explained.

Suddenly, it seemed worse.

I simply nodded, taking in what I had just heard.

I no longer wanted to flee. My best chance of survival seemed to be with this man; he seemed to know this world well.

He started moving towards the forest, gesturing for me to follow closely. "Stick to me like a shadow. If I walk, you walk. And if I start running… Run." he said.

His words were far from reassuring. Was it really a good idea to follow him? My fear brought back doubts.

But I had no time to hesitate; my guide had already entered the forest.

I followed as closely as possible, my eyes scanning from right to left.

I watched every tree, every bush, every branch. And from time to time, I looked back.

There was a possibility of an attack from behind, and if it happened, would he defend me? Nothing was certain.

We walked swiftly.

One minute, then two, then three.

I had thought we would only need to cross the forest for a minute, but I didn't dare complain. Speaking might attract the monsters.

Five more endless minutes passed.

My eyes scanned the surroundings, then glanced at my screen to check the time and our position.

"Why did he set up camp in the forest, in such a dangerous place?" I thought.

Suddenly, my eyes caught something moving on my left.

It was so dark that it felt like nighttime, but I was certain I had seen something.

Instinctively, I quickened my pace and accidentally bumped into my guide.

He turned around, visibly annoyed, but then froze.

He faced the forest. Had he seen something?

I looked at him and turned my head again to where I had seen the movement. There, just a few Yards away, stood a creature with pale skin and cracks on its cheeks.

I had seen a similar face before. This thing resembled the one that had attacked me the previous night.

It took me a moment to comprehend the situation, and then I regained my senses.

I turned to run, but that's when I noticed my guide had already taken off.

He was running, already several Yards ahead of me.

"How is he so fast?" I wondered.

I didn’t notice it right away, but I was already running too.

My body had reacted unconsciously. It was a strange sensation, as if my body acted on its own.

I saw my legs moving swiftly, and then it felt like I regained control and ran with all my might.

I could sense the creature behind me getting closer, and my guide gradually moving farther away.

The branches crackled behind me; it wasn't just one creature but several.

I prayed that they would turn on each other.

I didn't have the luxury of turning around, but I felt them closing in.

In a desperate move, I invested my last 3 talent points in speed.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of increased velocity.

Slowly, I started gaining ground on the creatures, I thought.

The problem was that my guide had disappeared in front of me.

He was no longer in sight.

I was alone, facing several demonic creatures.

I didn't know which way to go, so I continued running straight ahead.

My profile displayed on the screen, but I didn't dare to look.

I suspected my endurance was low.

I ran as if my life depended on it, because it did.

My lungs burned, and I couldn't feel my legs anymore.

I ran as fast as I could, but the forest seemed to have no end.

Suddenly, a few Yards to my right, I saw my guide waving his hand.

I leaned against the nearest tree with my arms to propel myself to the right while maintaining as much speed as possible.

I lunged to the side, and I could hear bodies hitting the tree just behind me.

I hoped I had gained a slight advantage over those creatures.

In front of me, my guide was running.

"In a few seconds, we'll jump," he said.

Then I saw him making hand signals.

Three fingers.

Two fingers.

One finger.

And at that moment, I jumped alongside him, arms outstretched, eyes closed.

My body crashed onto the ground, and the scent of earth filled my lungs.

I felt a gentle breeze on my hair.

I opened my eyes and saw several people standing, watching me.

Behind them, there was an entire village.

Had I been transported somewhere else?!