Fight and heal. Engage in combat and then patch wounds. And so on, and so on. That would be their routine for the next half hour.

Even though they walked without rest, the swamp seemed to stretch infinitely. For a moment, some of the participants thought they had been stranded in a foreign land for real.

But no. This is all a simulation within a simulation.

Nicholas knew it was only a matter of time before a more dangerous monster appeared, sent by whoever was in charge of the scenario. After all, this is also a show. I imagine the comment section must be flooded with people demanding more action.

Nicholas checked the current state of the group. Just five minutes earlier, they had been attacked by another pack of murderous frogs called Hopsters, which had eliminated five more participants.

Amid the chaos, some demanded to be healed, while others ignored the pleas, hoping to conserve their mana, despite points being awarded for helping allies.

One would think that a group of 30 healers would be practically immortal, but no. That would be the case if there wasn’t a prize on the line.

“This isn’t working,” a man in his early twenties said, halting. The healers leading the group stopped in their tracks and turned back, glaring at him.

Such hostility is due to the fact that we haven’t advanced the quest, and suddenly this guy demands our attention. He better say something useful or be ostracized for the rest of the event.

“What? Do you have something to say?” the female Field Medic asked in a raspy voice. “Be quick and spit it out.”

The male healer, clad in platinum armor and a white cape—currently stained with mud—looked around and then up. The foliage of the trees made it impossible to see the night sky.

“Is there someone with flying familiars here, so we can send them to scan the terrain? If we don’t identify locations of interest, we’ll continue marching around in circles forever.”

Nicholas examined the man’s outfit. A Paladin... God, I really detest those. Even if this isn’t a Role Player like that wacko over there, they still seem morally superior. As if donning that cape messes with their head or something. I won’t help for now. I’ve done enough for a while.

Nicholas watched the score visible only to him, which stated he had 100 points for healing others, before turning his attention back to the group.

“I could send my Hydrolon,” the shaman, master of the giant water wasp said, pointing at it with his thumb. “But it’s not an eagle, so its long-range vision might not be great. It’s good at detecting nearby threats, though.”

“Noted,” the Paladin said, nodding, before turning around. “Anyone else? We’ll need at least two more familiars.”

“Why do we need that many, pretty boy?” the Medic asked, stepping into his personal space.

The Paladin smiled mildly. “To corroborate what everyone sees. Just in case someone lies.”

The female healer thought about it for a moment and shrugged. “Sure. Why not? I could send a drone. But it’s of cheap quality, so it has average visual range.”

“Good. I’ll send my dove Familiar then. Let me call it.”

What a surprise! I knew this guy was nothing but a walking stereotype.

Nicholas snickered loudly, which did not go unnoticed by the Paladin.

The group waited as preparations were made. Even their surroundings seemed to be holding their breath, maintaining a serene but eerie silence.

The elemental wasp, the electronic drone, and the recently summoned white dove took off, navigating through the hundreds of pointy gray branches blocking their way upward.

“It’s taking a while,” the Medic commented, her gaze obscured by goggles.

“This is a fake swamp. It wouldn’t surprise me if this place had 300-foot trees,” the shaman replied, his eyes shut.

“Heads up. I can see the moon already,” the Paladin said.

They managed to hover and fly above the tree line and got to work immediately. The swamp was vast; they could even swear it was as vast as the city hosting the event. It was nothing but a dense labyrinth composed of thousands of tall trees. After taking note of anything remotely out of the ordinary, they ordered their Familiars and drone to automatically descend.

“A mile from here, northwest, there is a hill with a very suspicious rock formation,” the Paladin was the first to report, then chuckled. “It’s practically begging us to check it out.”

“I also found a small island in the center of a lake, 1.5 miles from our current position, northeast,” the Medic said while taking off her goggles. “It’s the only thing that stands out in this stinky place, besides the rock formation. Looks like a cool place to visit,” she murmured in a dry voice.

The Shaman exhaled. “Which leaves me with delivering the bad news. My wasp detected two large auras nearby. A pair of bosses, most likely.”

“Well, there you have it, folks,” the Paladin spoke, making eye contact with everyone. “Two destinies await us. I bet we’ll find the two lost NPCs there. That sums it all up, doesn’t it?”

Murmurs and whispers spread among the twenty-five participants. Nicholas could even swear he could discern them starting to split into groups. I still have my theory, though! By the end of this, there will be three primary search groups.

“Whoever wants to check the lake, follow me. I’ll guide you,” the Medic was the first to make a move, and after a few seconds of uncertainty, some followed her.

The correct assumption was that the Paladin would offer to lead the way to the rock formation, but half a minute later, he seemed to have fallen into stubborn silence.

The shaman took the opportunity to speak, as if the judge panel were awarding points for leadership skills. “To the rock formation! Those who want to go, come this way! My Hydrolon will guide us from above!”

Nicholas, just like a few others, remained still. He exchanged glances with the rest, who were frowning or sending suspicious looks at the Paladin. Yeah, they also noticed it. The Paladin isn’t making a move in either direction...

The sound of wood cracking alerted them. Then, something akin to a whistle.

“It’s here! A boss is here!” the Medic said from her position, 100 feet away.

“On your guard, everyone!” another male voice said.

That’s the shaman. Surely ambushed by another enemy.

Battle cries and cries of agony were heard immediately from the two opposite directions. That was the exact moment the Paladin began sprinting in a straight line.

Ah, I see. The two large auras the shaman detected have ambushed us. They’re literally protecting the road to the hill and the lake… And this prick… He never mentioned how good his pigeon’s vision was.

Nicholas watched as the Paladin went north, piercing through the crossroad. The few who remained quickly followed him. Five in total.

Yes… This asshole never mentioned the vision range of his pigeon on purpose. I bet he found a third location that neither the drone nor the Hydrolon could see.

Snickering, Nicholas reached for his pockets to pull out a gold coin, but then remembered that the system was currently withholding his entire inventory. Ah, crap. Unable to flip a coin. What to do?

He closed his eyes and began pointing at the two known roads while reciting a French equivalent of eenie meenie miney moe, “Am, stram, gram. Pic et pic et colégram. Bour et bour et ratatam… Am, stram, gram… Pic !” He opened his eyes and grimaced at the randomly picked path, the lake and its island. “Whatever.”

He then dashed forward, encountering the group led by the Medic shortly after. The eight healers seemed to look at their surroundings nervously. The panic in their eyes was palpable.

“Hi!” Nicholas offered a half-smile. “I’m joining you. What did I miss?”

The Medic looked at him and muttered, “Oh, great. A ‘Bribepod.’”

Whoa. I haven’t been called that in a long time.

“We don’t know where that thing went!” a male healer said to Nicholas while looking at the top of the trees. “It’s pretty darn quick!”

Nicholas glanced down. A person lying on the ground was currently turning into vanishing pixels. Then, a whistle. His instinct told him to duck just as something flew above his head. A long-range attack.

He rushed for cover as well as the others. Taking another glimpse at the surroundings did not help. That thing is either moving so quickly we can’t see it, or it can camouflage.

“We can’t stay here, we need to get out of here!” the healer who informed Nicholas shouted, covering his head with both arms. “Let’s escape to the lake and fight it there in an open area!”

“We’re still miles from there!” the Medic yelled back. “We only took a couple of steps in that direction and this thing attacked us immediately! We won’t be able to get halfway there!”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

But it’s not a bad idea.

“If we stay here, it’ll take us down one by one!” Nicholas interjected, locking eyes with the Medic. “And we can’t realistically retaliate in its domain!”

“What do you suggest then?!”

I’ll have to make a demonstration to gain their trust.

Nicholas began casting. “Mid Earth Boost, Living Rock!” He then stomped forward with open arms and yelled, “Your aim sucks, whatever you are!”

The rest stood silent, waiting. No one told him to stop being reckless and take cover. They all saw him casting a Physical Defense Boost, so they waited, but would it work?

The familiar whistle cut through the air, and a shot impacted Nicholas’ chest. He stumbled back but managed to remain standing. Then, he slowly turned around, giving them a faint smile. His HP bar had been reduced to 30%.

“See?”

The Medic glanced at the rest before shouting, “Those who know defensive charms, cast them on the others now! Those who can’t will exclusively heal! Move, move, move! Follow me!”

Nicholas felt the warm feeling of getting healed by another person before they all ran in unison.

Someone began casting, “Mid Earth Charm, Metal Skin!”

“Mid Ice Charm, Frost Armor!” chanted another.

The entire team boosted their defenses and ran forward without looking back as the enemy pursued them, shooting at their backs every 15 seconds. The area of the woods was filled with grunts and cries of pain as the enemy punished them constantly, but no one died.

“Keep the charms active! As for the others, manage your healing cooldowns! We must be ready to cast a healing spell at any moment!”

The wounded resisted until they were healed, and their formation never faltered, but it became clear they would be exhausted before reaching the lake.

“We need a distraction!”

“I can take care of that,” said another, whom Nicholas recognized as the Druid. “I’ve been collecting leaves during our escape. Combined with the slime goo I picked up earlier, I made these!”

He threw small round objects to the others. Nicholas received one as well. It was a rudimentary sphere made of leaves. He could squeeze it and feel something squishy inside.

“A stinky bomb,” Nicholas said after analyzing it with his Unique Talent.

“What, for real?” asked another.

“It’ll mess up its senses!” The Druid laughed. “At least, I hope so. Just make sure to take turns. Don’t throw them all at once!”

Someone threw theirs, and a huge smoke cloud was released on impact. Although they had already left the area, they still could take a sniff of it.

“Whoa, nelly! That thing sure is strong!”

“Good job, stranger! It wouldn’t surprise me if the enemy stops chasing us after that!”

“I’m Liam! Nice to meet you all!”

Just as Liam gave the group a friendly smile, he received a shot in the back of his head that almost knocked him unconscious. The group halted. One healed him, another cast another Earth charm, and another threw a stinky bomb in the direction from which the shot had come.

“All set?” the Medic asked before nodding. “Let’s keep going! We’ve officially reached the halfway point!”

“What, are you serious?!”

“It’s okay! The bombs are stopping it! I guess…”

Once the third bomb was thrown, they noticed the next enemy shot missed them considerably. Encouraged, the group pressed on, eager to see a glimpse of the lake.

“Hey, Liam, can you make more of these bombs?” Nicholas asked.

“Sorry, but I ran out of slime goo.”

Someone threw the fourth one, and by then, they had not sensed or seen any signs of their enemy.

“Guys, give me the rest of the bombs,” Nicholas said aloud.

“What are you planning, Bribepod?” the Medic asked. Nicholas noticed the bomb in her hand.

“We’re almost at our destination, and there’s no need to waste the rest. Give them to me, and I promise you the enemy's head!”

The Medic looked him in the eye for a moment. “Whatever,” she muttered and gave him her bomb. The others did the same. A couple of seconds later, a shot impacted a healer.

“Heal him, we’re almost there!” the Medic yelled as they could see a light through the tree cover.

A minute later, they found a vast body of water and the promised island in the distance, but they did not stop right away. They needed to put some distance between them and the nearest trees.

They eventually reached the edge of the lake before turning back, waiting for the devilish thing to finally show up.

“Do you think it can shoot us from that far?”

“I don’t think so. We’re like, what, 200 feet away from the nearest tree?”

“Are you done preparing your secret weapon, Bribepod?” the Medic asked Nicholas, who was fervently holding four stinky bombs that had changed to a reddish color.

“What, this? I finished like a minute ago. But something tells me that thing will dodge them.”

Nicholas saw the Medic grimace before turning his gaze to the Druid. “Could you trap that thing with your magic like you did before?”

“You mean like the time I bound the Hopsters, right?” The Druid nodded and placed his hands against the ground. “I’ll make some concealed traps all over the place.”

“Yes, you do—” Nicholas fell silent after seeing the lone silhouette observing them from a distance. It had the distinctive features of a frog, just like their previous enemies: greenish skin, a big head and mouth, and webbed toes instead of fingers, but this one was slimmer, and its humanoid shape seemed even more intimidating.

Because it reflects cunningness.

“Advanced Green Hopster. So this is what those frogs evolve into, huh?”

“Whatever it is, I’m currently spreading vines throughout the area, so don’t let that thing get close to me,” the Druid said, eyes on their target.

A second later, the enemy puffed its cheeks and spat, impacting a healer in the chest.

So that’s what it’s been shooting at us this whole time. No wonder I feel wet in the back.

A gunshot startled the group, and an instant later, the Advanced Hopster dodged to one side. The Medic then clicked her tongue; the barrel of her rifle was fuming. “That thing sure is fast,” she muttered. “An experienced warrior would be able to take it down easily. But support units like us?”

That’s true, we don’t have the combat power or the stats to take such a monster down. That’s why we must show our ability to adapt, huh? Is that what you were thinking while designing this test, niece?

Nicholas glanced at the spheres in his arms and snickered. It’s okay. I adapted from the moment you girls spread your wings and flew away from me… But I’m not sure if you’ll like what I’ve become.

“What are you guys waiting for?!” the Medic shrieked to the others. “Cast a defensive charm on him!” She pointed at the healer who had been recently shot. “We’re not done—!”

A shadow suddenly cast over the aforementioned healer. When he looked up, he had a brief glimpse of a silhouette before getting his head crushed. The killer weapon broke in half, and with its lower half, the silhouette stabbed another participant in the arm.

It took a moment for Nicholas to realize that the Hopster had reached their position in a second and attacked them with one of the borrowed mage staves. Surely from a fallen healer. I noticed that this kind of staff remains on the field when its owner dies. But… this is too much! The way this freaking thing fights is—It reeks of human intelligence! Unless…

In that fraction of a second, Nicholas locked eyes with the Hopster’s killer gaze.

I bet someone is controlling the thing! Heck, I’d even bet it’s Amelia.

“Get out of my way!” they heard the Medic yell. A second later, she pulled the trigger of a shotgun without caring if the others had time to duck. The Hopster dodged, jumping away to a safe distance.

The injured healer rushed to cast, “M-Mid Earth Charm, Metal Skin!” But only three out of the seven remaining got the buff. “Q-Quick, who used to cast the Ice Charm?! Do it now!”

“He got killed just a moment ago, so… yeah.”

“At least heal me, quick!”

The Medic grunted before muttering, “Goddammit. Can’t you guys work under pressure? You cry like a bunch of babies.” She then turned to the Druid. “Hey, are you slacking off? Why hasn’t the monster been restrained by your magic yet?”

“I can’t cover every inch of this land with my traps, so I’ve spaced them out. Unfortunately, it hasn’t stepped on one just yet!”

“You,” a young male called Nicholas. “Do you think that’ll work?” he asked, pointing at the bombs.

Nicholas stared at him. He might be the youngest participant. Just look at that baby face.

“Guaranteed!” Nicholas replied, smirking. “But only if it takes a direct hit.”

“And that thing is just playing with us,” the healer said before biting his lower lip. “Fuck it. I’ll have to use some of my mana or we’ll never advance. Cover me, will ya?”

Despite the healer’s contemptuous words, as soon as his body was surrounded by a yellow aura, Nicholas knew something good was coming.

“What took you so long!” the Medic yelled, preparing her rifle. “Out of the bunch, you’re the one that hasn’t done shit, you freaking White Mage! Anyway, we’ll need someone else to distract the monster!”

“I’ll do it. But after seeing what that thing can do, it can only be for a few seconds,” another healer stepped up, removing his robe to reveal a muscular physique. He then took a battle stance, his primary hand formed in a pointed beak-like shape.

A monk, definitely. Heck, I even recognize that stance. It’s the Crane Fighting Style.

The Hopster looked at the monk for a couple of seconds, and Nicholas could even swear it seemed amused.

Meanwhile, the White Mage beside Nicholas began reciting the Words of Power, “Greater Time Conjure…”

The Hopster closed the distance between them in a second, at a speed none of them could match, but the monk managed to block the impending attack. Barely.

“T-This thing really packs a punch!”

Everyone heard the sound of his arm breaking, but that did not deter the monk. He grabbed the Hopster’s arm to perform a grapple, but the monster applied its own strength, impeding it.

“It’s too close to us!” Nicholas warned, and the Medic mobilized.

She took aim, ready to discharge her shotgun at point-blank range, but the Hopster kicked the monk in the stomach and fled. But it’s okay! It’s what we wanted.

“White Mage!” the Medic yelled, and the young participant obliged.

“Before I Get Late!” he chanted.

The air became dense and almost palpable, as if it had been locked in place, frozen in the space around them. For the next minute, everything within a 320-foot radius slowed down. From the water rippling between their legs to the frog humanoid that was slowly landing away from them. He was falling down as if he was as light as a feather.

But that’s just because of the gravity. I bet that once its feet touch the ground, it’ll be able to move faster than any of us. But it’s okay. Now we can see its movements and act accordingly.

Nicholas turned around slowly, as if every muscle in his body weighed a ton, and began the process of stretching out his hand toward the Medic. She immediately knew what he was about to do and began preparing herself too, pulling out a new weapon from under her military coat. Seeing each other’s movements in slow motion was excruciating, but their will to defeat the monster filled them with determination.

Meanwhile, the healer who had been previously stabbed in the arm started channeling mana to heal the monk in case the Hopster charged at them again but soon stopped after witnessing the enemy paralyzed in its place.

Everyone saw it. The Hopster’s right knee touched the ground as if it was hurt, but its health bar was still full. Nicholas then noticed a cloud of orange particles floating around it and the new flowers sprouting from the grass. It was time.

The Medic loaded Nicholas’ promisingly improved bomb into a grenade launcher, took aim, and shot. The entire group could even see the trajectory of the round ball through the air and the exact moment it impacted, causing a blazing explosion step by step. A mesmerizing display they would not have witnessed otherwise.

The time spell ran out, and the explosion finally roared and sped its momentum.

“Way to go, guys!” the monk cheered, pumping his healthy fist into the air. “What are those, by the way?” he pointed at the flowers.

“I knew that thing was avoiding my traps, so I grew those on top of them. Their paralyzing pollen really caught it off guard.”

The other healer sighed. “That thing really got on my nerves, but it’s a good thing we got rid of it. Let me heal you.”

As the others celebrated, Nicholas watched as the Medic stored the grenade launcher inside her coat instead of making it disappear into thin air.

“All those weapons. How can you use them if they locked our inventory?” he asked quietly.

She stared at him with a bored expression. “None of your business, Bribepod.”

He quickly chuckled. “Wrong. It’s also none of your business, but I didn’t buy my way into this spaceship. I earned it.”

The young woman narrowed her eyes and grimaced. “Ugh. So you’re even worse, huh? A Nepopod.” Her tone was high enough for the others to stare at Nicholas, who offered a half smile.

“Hey, I think it’s time we learn each other’s names, right? Before we have a dramatic end.”

“You all already know my name, but I’ll repeat it anyway. I’m Liam,” said the Druid.

“I’m Hugo!” said the Monk. “Nice to meet you all. As you can see, I can fight, but not as effectively. I really miss my regular gear.”

“I’m Finn,” said the White Mage, looking at the Medic bitterly. “I suppose this gal has already spoiled my class.”

“My name is Oliver,” said the shy young man healing Hugo. “I’m a Cleric, so I wouldn’t mind being relegated to healing only…”

The only woman in the group sighed heavily. “I’m Maude, a Field Medic. Sorry, guys, but I might be the winner of this contest. No hard feelings, eh.”

The entire group turned to Nicholas, curious about his class. He smiled back and clapped. “Call me Nick. Now, any ideas on how to reach that island?”