After a moment to recover from that vision, I propped myself up on the hard bed. After shaking off the remnants of sleep, I splashed some water on my face, grabbed my weapon, filled a backpack with the necessities, and left the house.

I went up to the path in a relatively chipper mood. Arriving at my usual spying place, I inspected the camp for what would likely be the last time.

I was completely caught off guard when I saw a small party of humans fighting the goblins at the entrance to the encampment. They appeared to be in dire straits, outnumbered at least twenty to one.

The man in the back shot round after round from his revolver, repeatedly killing the goblins. Another man was in the front, dodging and weaving between the blows, occasionally taking one but using the momentum of the strike to defeat a goblin. A woman in a mottled green and brown cloak wielded a sledgehammer, which by itself was an impressive feat of strength. She smashed it down upon the poor unsuspecting goblins, who got mashed into red paste with every strike. A fourth person appeared to be holding the line with a tower shield braced against the ground, tanking several hits. They were wearing armor, which I thought was unusual given that the apocalypse began only a few days ago. The first System-given loot came from dungeons, and I found it highly unlikely that people had already beaten a dungeon.

The last person was in the center, issuing out orders and occasionally punching a goblin in the face when it got past either of the people in the front.

They would make an excellent distraction, but at the same time, I was a [Hero]. I chose this job, and Chronos would be liable to kill me if I didn't help. I glanced around the perimeter hoping to find a way to aid them and noticed that the goblins had left their flank completely undefended. If I could sneak around the camp, I could pincer them, likely killing off several before they knew what hit them.

I maneuvered to the rear of the encampment and quickly wove through the palisade, making as little sound as possible. The outpost was utterly deserted save for the goblins at the front practically leaping over each other to get at the ‘bad humans’. I tactfully made my way over, careful to be completely silent. I stopped, then waited for the right moment.

After a few minutes of waiting, the woman at the front stumbled a little, and the goblins began surging at her trying to take her out.

Realizing that this was the time to strike, I scrambled forwards.

“Die!” I roared and activated my [Heroic Slash] skill. I sliced and promptly bisected at least three goblins, but I couldn't afford the time to check. I waded forward, amidst all of the bodies. Slash, slash, dodge, slash, [Heroic Slash], dodge...it went on for what felt like forever.

The extended combat began to wear me down. A scratch here, a glancing blow there, they added up. I could feel myself beginning to falter, gradually losing my strength. All it took was one misstep, and I found myself tumbling along the ground, wrestling with a goblin.

It raked my face, sharp claws tearing into my skin. I responded by throttling it, my strength far outstripping theirs. It clawed at my fingers, gradually becoming weaker and weaker until It eventually passed out, and I was given a brief moment of respite.

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I glanced around, searching for any remaining goblins. Not spying any left standing, I stood up and gazed upon the field of corpses. The carnage that lay before me... there was nothing I could do. Even though they were monsters... they had lives too. Later on in the apocalypse, we eventually found out that they came from another plane. They had lives, wishes, hopes. They were people. And I... I had slaughtered them.

I was a [Hero], but I could not consider myself a hero. Maybe Chronos was right. A hero would have been able to stop this. A hero could have ended this peacefully. A hero-

I was cut off from my thoughts when a hand put itself on my shoulder. I flinched, but then a human voice spoke.

“First time fighting in a war?”

“I’m no stranger to combat,” I replied, “but this is my first battlefield.”

I turned around and inspected the person in front of me. She was female, fair-skinned, around my height, and wearing thick boots, faded blue jeans, and wore that mottled cloak I noticed earlier. She still was holding the sledgehammer, drying blood caked over the head. The thing that caught my notice, however, were her eyes. They were a steel-grey, unflinching, unmoving. They expressed a stillness that could only come from witnessing terrible things, far more than I could possibly imagine. It left me pondering what she went through to leave her with those cold, dead orbs.

“You wouldn’t happen to know what that is, would you? She gestured towards the portal.

“Not a clue, but I do want to investigate,” I replied, slightly nervous that she would pick up on my lie.

“Alright, then you can be the guinea pig,” She smiled, showing her teeth. Her smile reminded me of a cat, playing with its food before devouring it.

“And what is your name? For the record, when we send word to your family” she asked, grinning as if she told a funny joke.

‘How could she joke at a place like this?’

“I’m Seamus, and you are…?” I asked in turn.

“Carme. Do not call me Carmen, or that will be the end of your time here,” she warned me, before leisurely walking away towards a small campsite outside of the destroyed settlement where a few other people were gathering.

She turned back, offering one last piece of advice, “And remember, newbie, that whoever raises a hand against you and yours, that is the enemy. No matter how human they may be, no matter their aspirations or families, they are going to kill you. You would do well to remember that.” She finished, before returning to her previous destination.

I simply stared at her, befuddled. Then I smiled, before quickly letting it fall back to its usual neutrality. ‘Hopefully nobody saw that. Can’t have them thinking I’m insane, smiling on a battlefield. Of course, Carme did...is she insane?’ I pondered, before deciding that she was most likely not insane. You could never tell, though.

I turned my gaze back to the dark depths of the portal. ‘I could go in there, right now, and probably take them on myself, monopolizing the gains and gaining a hefty amount of power,’ I turned my sight back towards the campsite, jovial sounds emanating clearly across the distance, ‘or I could go and join this other group. Perhaps make a few friends, but ultimately not gaining the strength I need in order to save the world.’ I stood, unable to decide.

‘What would a [Hero]...no, what would a hero do?’ A hero would probably go into the portal, sacrificing for the greater good of the world.

Having decided, I grabbed my sword, inspected my backpack to make sure not too much was destroyed in the fight, and strode towards the portal.

I went up the stairs slowly, mulling over if this was the correct decision or not. By the time I reached the top, I fully believed I was doing the right thing. Turning back for one last glimpse of the outside world for what would likely be quite a while, appreciating the natural beauty of the park one last time.

I faced the portal. The point of no return. As soon as I walked through that gateway, I would be unable to return until I had completed the dungeon.

After a moment’s hesitation, I took the step.