I fell again. But this time, my senses were not obscured. The darkness around me was not just the absence of light—it was the world itself. A forest, once more. Yet something was off. I couldn't see the canopy above, no outline of trees against the sky, nor could I hear any of the usual sounds. No birds, no scurrying animals. It was as if life itself had abandoned this place.

The reason became apparent soon enough. This forest was dead. The trees were mere skeletons, stripped bare with not a single leaf left clinging to their withered branches. The moon was absent, leaving the sky a void, and the air was tinged with the acrid smell of smoke. Beneath me, there was no soil, only coarse sand that stretched across the ground like a blanket of decay.

The rune wasn't in my pocket this time. I realized it was wrapped tightly in my hand, my fingers instinctively curling around it as though it held some answer. I sat there, lingering in my thoughts, trying to process what was happening. Nothing seemed different. There was no sudden shift, no update or notification. So this was Level 1. And yet, it felt no different from where I had been before.

I was skeptical about calling the messenger. Lisa Ember. That was her name. Would she even respond here? I called out anyway, half-expecting silence. My instincts were right—there was no reply. It confirmed what I already knew: I had made it to Level 1.

My rune hadn't changed, still the same dull stone with its curved lightning bolt. But something told me this level would be different. If the old man and the king were the standard here, I would encounter others on their level, if not stronger.

I stood up, brushing the sand from my cloak, and began to search for higher ground. Just like the last time. A vantage point would help me understand this new terrain, though I could already tell it was hostile. As I moved through the forest, every area seemed to bear the scars of battle. Shattered branches littered the ground, dismembered trees sprawled out like corpses, and massive craters pocked the earth.

A fight had taken place here. And it wasn't a small one.

I ignored the disaster zone and walked on. If I had any solid shot at surviving here, it would be through this rune—whether it was mine or not. If I couldn't unlock its secrets, then this place would surely become my grave. I opened my hand while avoiding the craters and broken trees, surprised by the absence of corpses. The notion of players disappearing into pixels upon death felt distant; I saw bones scattered about, remnants of those who had fought before me, their struggles echoing in my mind as I recalled witnessing players dying right before my eyes while battling alongside Vincent.

The rune lay in my palm, pulsing faintly. "Can you hear me?" I asked, uncertain if the rune could even respond. "I don't know if you chose me or someone else in my body, but I would be really grateful if you could help me. You'll have to go to that witch once I die anyway. I hope being with me is better than being in possession of that witch." The rune remained silent.

As I sighed and closed my palm, a jarring shock shot through my spine, and I fell to my knees, the rune slipping from my grasp. My head bowed as I felt something skim past my hair; an object struck the tree in front of me, exploding it into flames. Before I could react, someone caught my hands, pinning them behind my back and pushing me onto the ground. I surrendered, showing my vulnerability.

"What the heck was that?" a voice, likely a woman's, grumbled behind me. "Did you miss your shot, or did this guy just trip over?"

"Oh, shut up, will you? I was going for the heart; he obviously tripped. What dumb luck." A man stepped closer, retrieving the rune stone from where it had fallen. I chose to remain still, attempting to convey my powerlessness.

"What the fuck? This thing is barely emitting any aura. Yo, Maki, take a look. Guess this is just a dud." Another voice chimed in—this one softer, almost gentle, and sounding only a few years older than me.

"Hm, I can feel its pulse, even if it's faint. But I don't think it's worth anything."

"How much nyu is it?" the giant who was pinning me down asked. I doubted she was a real giant, but her size and strength were enough to immobilize me completely. The young woman sounded disappointed.

"It says zero."

"Oh, come on, man! We didn't even find a single rune since morning. Are you sure players even come around here? This area doesn't look fit for battle."

"What do we do with this boy?"

"This rune doesn't look like it belongs to him. I even doubt this guy has any rune; he's so fucking weak."

"Maybe he stole this stone, thinking it's a precious rune or something."

"So do we kill him or not?"

"Maybe this guy got scammed, lol."

They were exchanging words as if I were deaf. Finally, I decided to speak up. "Or maybe that thing really belongs to me, and I'm just a beginner."

Silence fell over them. I could almost feel their stares, as if they were watching a fish talk.

"Beginner? Sent to Lugusia Forest? Come on, do you really think we would fall for that?"

I didn't reply, but the young woman piped up. "Umm, maybe he's right. I mean, there aren't any powerful players around here anymore, so I don't think a beginner popping up would be a surprise."

"Even so, aren't we enemies anyway? If we leave him here, he'll be killed today or tomorrow. Why not give him a merciful death right here?"

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I refused to hold back any longer. "The rune you're holding isn't a dud."

They fell silent again, but I pressed on. "That's a dormant rune, one yet to be awakened. Depending on me, it can become the strongest or the weakest."

"Hm, doesn't that mean you might become a threat to us in the future? Killing you might be the best course of action."

Man, I hated this guy. "That would be your loss, because if you spare me and I become strong, I will be your strongest ally."

"Lol, this guy is desperate."

"Maybe we should ask Garron about this."

"Huh? Why should we ask that fool? You're the leader of the party."

"Umm, but I'm the weakest, and I guess asking him would be best since he's the strongest."

"Tchhh!" They fell into silence for a moment.

"Fine. How do we take this guy there?"

"Just bind his hands and ask him to follow; if he claims this rune is so precious, he'll follow us until he's with us."

"What do you say, little man?"

I agreed, feeling a flicker of hope amidst the uncertainty.

"Hey, Zara, do you have any ropes or binding material on you?" the guy asked, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice.

"Nope," she replied, her playful smile unfaltering.

"What then, Maki?" he turned to the young woman, who had been silently observing the exchange with a bemused expression.

She didn't answer, just shot him a grin that seemed to mock his predicament. He sighed dramatically, clearly irritated. "Oh come on! How do we even bind his hands now?" He glanced around the forest, as if hoping some magical solution would materialize from the dying trees. "Maybe we can just break his hands and heal later," he suggested, his grin reappearing.

"Huh?" Maki's brow furrowed at the suggestion. "Are you serious?"

The thought of them actually breaking my hands sent a chill down my spine. Sure, I didn't have a proper rune yet, but I couldn't trust these guys. What if they shattered my arms and later discovered no one could heal me? The very notion made me sweat, my heart pounding a little faster as I weighed my options.

Finally, Zara, the strong woman, broke the tension. "Maybe we can just leave him be. With this dud-ass rune, he can't do anything to hurt us; he's no better than a regular human."

She was right, and while that fact offered some relief, I still felt uneasy. "Well then, be a fool and follow us. Don't even think about running away, or you'll end up like that tree," the guy said, gesturing to the burning tree behind us. He had a bow slung across his back, flames still flickering ominously at its tips. I couldn't see where he kept his rune, and I certainly didn't dare to search their bodies. For now, it seemed my best option was to follow them to their base.

I nodded reluctantly, wanting to show compliance. "Well then, let's return to the base with yet another failed day," he said, disappointment lacing his words.

I found myself wondering what their base would look like. I half-expected it to be just a cave, a dimly lit hovel hidden among the dying trees. As they began walking through the dead forest, their conversation faded into the background, allowing me to focus on keeping up with them.

The atmosphere was eerie; the air was thick with an unsettling silence, interrupted only by the crunch of debris beneath our feet. The trees loomed over us like ancient sentinels, their branches twisted and gnarled, creating a haunting canopy overhead. Maki held the rune tightly, a curious light flickering within her grip, and she seemed to command a level of respect despite her self-proclaimed status as the weakest.

Zara, towering above the rest, walked with a stone club strapped to her back. Her rune glinted in the dim light, a diamond gray in color that shimmered faintly as we moved deeper into the forest. I couldn't help but wonder how strong Garron, the guy they mentioned, really was. If he surpassed Zara and the guy with the fire arrows, I'd need to tread carefully, for any misstep could be my last.

As I walked behind them, I weighed my options, mentally preparing myself for whatever lay ahead. I felt like a mouse being led into the lair of a dragon—intimidated yet oddly intrigued. Despite being caught by a party of strangers ready to kill me at a moment's notice, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was somewhat lucky. There could have been far more dangerous individuals lurking in the shadows, menacing and devoid of sanity.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this encounter could lead to something beneficial if I played my cards right. In this chaotic world, where death was as commonplace as the trees that surrounded us, forging alliances might be the key to my survival. As we moved deeper into the heart of the Lugusia forest, the flickering embers of hope ignited in the pit of my stomach, urging me forward.

As I had expected, the path led to a mountain, as lifeless as the forest surrounding it. Instead of climbing directly, the party ahead chose to navigate around the base of the mountain, a decision that intrigued me. We walked for a bit before they halted near a massive rock, wedged against the mountain's wall. Zara stepped forward, her imposing figure dwarfing the stone, and with a powerful grunt, she hugged it tightly. With a show of raw strength, she lifted the rock, which was nearly twice her size, and shoved it aside as if it were nothing more than a child's toy.

The guy turned to me, a hint of pride in his voice. "Shocked, right? She has some deviant rune that gives her that kind of strength. But aside from that, it's a complete waste."

Zara turned her gaze toward him, a fire flickering in her eyes. "Well, you sure have fun sharing our team's secrets with the unknown boy," she shot back, her tone dripping with playful menace, as if she was ready to drill that information right back into his head.

"Um, what will this guy even do with that info, anyway?" he protested, a nervous edge in his voice. "Can we go now?"

With a reluctant nod, Zara acquiesced but gave him a playful smack on the back of the head, a gesture that seemed both affectionate and exasperated. Maki watched the exchange with amusement, her smile a blend of enjoyment and familiarity with the antics.

Once they moved inside, I followed cautiously, my curiosity piqued. Deviant runes, huh? That hinted at a world of possibilities beyond the elemental ones I had heard of. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was so much more I needed to learn, especially with the game updates that had escaped me.

The cave's darkness enveloped us, with only a few torches flickering along the hallway, casting dancing shadows on the rocky walls. As we ascended the narrow passage, it felt as if we were climbing the mountain from the inside. Despite my rune remaining dormant, I could sense a powerful aura beyond the door that the stairs led to. I had a nagging suspicion that it was Garron on the other side.

"Well then, little guy, don't pass out," Zara said with a teasing lilt, swinging the door open with a casual grace.

Inside, the hall was shrouded in shadows, save for two flickering candles flanking what appeared to be a couch carved from rock. In the dim light, I saw him sitting there, his posture relaxed, head leaned back, almost as if he were asleep. A chill ran down my spine, my instincts kicking in.

Garron's rune was prominent, resting at the base of his neck. It was a dark brown stone, jagged and rough, resembling a rock, with copper imprints shimmering against its surface. The rune's irregular shape and the aura it exuded hinted at a powerful force contained within.

"We're back! Can you get up, please? We have a guest," Zara called out, her voice echoing in the stillness, slicing through the tension that filled the room.

Garron shifted slightly, his eyes opening slowly. The intensity of his gaze caught me off guard, and for a moment, I felt as if he could see right through me, gauging my worth. I held my breath, the atmosphere thick with tension as I stood before him. My life was now in his hands.