The village gate creaked open just past dawn.
Dawnstead felt different in the early hours—like the calm before a storm. The usual hum of activity was subdued. Players still moved through the plaza, but quieter now. Focused. Armed.
Everyone knew what today meant.
Wilderness zones were open.
The SYSTEM wouldn't protect anyone out there.
We stood at the threshold, just beyond the westward gate. Behind us: safety, quests, inns, rule of law. Ahead: rolling fields that belonged to no one yet.
Rayne grinned, spinning his daggers.
"I feel like we're about to cross into a story that doesn't have a happy ending."
Tessa adjusted the straps of her new shoulder guard.
"Then we make our own ending."
Kale nodded once, silent as ever.
I just looked ahead, past the trees, past the fog rolling low across the fields.
We weren't just stepping into new territory.
We were stepping into a new kind of game.
A SYSTEM prompt shimmered into view as we passed the boundary line:
[You have entered: Wilderness Zone – Unclaimed Territory]
PvP Combat Enabled
Death Penalty Active
Respawn Anchor: Nearest Village
Inventory Protection: 40% Loss Chance on Death
Looting Rights Active
Rayne let out a low whistle.
"Well, they weren't kidding about the rules being off."
Kale muttered, "They didn't say anything about rules at all."
The grass underfoot was taller here. Wildflowers grew unchecked. The trees leaned inward slightly, like they were listening. And everything was quiet—no background music, no soft village ambiance.
Just wind.
And tension.
I pulled up my updated stats while we had a moment to breathe.
Name: Damien Cross
Level: 8
Class: None (Unassigned)
Health: 210
Mana: 85
Strength: 17
Agility: 18
Intelligence: 13
Endurance: 16
Dexterity: 15
Skills: Basic Attack (Starter) Dodge Roll (Starter) Quickstep (Tier I – 52% Mastery) Focus Slash (Basic)
Equipment: Tempered Iron Shortsword (Uncommon) Direhorn Plate Greaves (Uncommon) Worn Leather Tunic (Common) Traveler's Cloak (Common+) Sturdy Belt Pouch (Utility)
I closed the window and scanned the terrain again.
Our destination was an old, unclaimed ruin rumored to be a former guild stronghold in the beta. If the layout hadn't changed too much, it could be fortified. Defensible.
The perfect base—if we could reach it first.
We moved fast and quiet through the fields, keeping low between tall grass and scattered stone outcroppings.
At first, it felt like any other zone—until the first arrow flew.
It whistled past Kale's head and thudded into the tree behind us.
"Ambush!" Tessa hissed, pivoting instantly into a defensive stance.
Four players emerged from behind a ridge, all in low-tier gear but positioned well. Their leader, a tall archer with an iron hood, raised his bow again.
[Party Detected – PvP Hostile: Status Red]
Attackers: Unknown Affiliation
Estimated Levels: 6–9
Intent: Kill and Loot
"Really?" Rayne muttered. "Already?"
I wasn't surprised.
These weren't villains. They were opportunists—just like we would've been, once upon a time.
But this time, I wasn't about to be someone else's stepping stone.
"Fall back to the ridge!" I barked. "Tessa, hold left! Rayne, flank wide!"
They moved instantly, no hesitation.
Kale shielded our retreat, intercepting the first charge from a sword-wielding brawler. Sparks flew as metal met metal.
Rayne vanished into the tall grass, reappearing behind the enemy archer with a spinning slash that drew first blood.
[Critical Hit! 62 Damage Dealt!][Bleed Applied]
Tessa danced through two attackers, her spear flashing in tight arcs. She didn't overpower—she controlled.
I surged forward on instinct, triggering Quickstep and flashing past a stunned rogue. My blade struck clean across his chest.
[Focus Slash – 78 Damage Dealt][Target Status: Weakened]
He staggered back—then turned to run.
Cowards always ran when the tide shifted.
One of them got away.
The others didn't.
When it was over, the grass was soaked with motionless bodies and dropped loot.
We stood there, catching our breath.
Nobody spoke.
SYSTEM prompts blinked quietly.
[PvP Kill Confirmed – Bonus EXP Awarded][Loot Acquired: 19 Silver, Minor Health Potion, Rusted Throwing Knife]
I crouched beside one of the bodies.
Just a kid.
Low-level gear. Generic player name.
He'd probably thought it would be easy.
Rayne exhaled, wiping his blades on the grass.
"Still feeling heroic?"
Tessa didn't answer. She just stared down at the crumpled body of the rogue.
Kale sheathed his sword wordlessly.
And me?
I felt steady.
Not calm. Not proud.
Just… grounded.
"They were just testing us," I said quietly. "Seeing who was ready. Who wasn't."
Rayne glanced over.
"And?"
I looked past them, toward the distant ruins barely visible on the horizon.
"They weren't."
We moved again, slower this time. Wiser.
As the sun rose higher, the landscape revealed more hints of past battles. Burnt trees. Crumbled towers. Shattered swords lodged in stone.
And finally—looming ahead—an old stone ruin with tattered banners and a broken gate.
Our first stronghold.
Unclaimed.
For now.