The mountain shimmered in the early morning sun, bathed in a soft, golden light. Layla remembered how beautiful it was, how everything felt perfect and warm. She had been there, waiting, her heart doing a frantic dance, an unfamiliar giddiness bubbling up inside her like lemonade on a hot day. All the girls in the village had a crush on Yusuf, the golden boy, and somehow, impossibly, he had chosen her.
She saw him then, a lean figure against the rising sun, walking towards her. With every step he took, Layla felt her breath get shorter, her chest tightening giddy with anticipation. He looked so charming that morning, a bright smile on his face. That slight smirk of his, which she thought was so endearing, probably hid the sinister thoughts that she, in her teenage foolishness, couldn't even dream of. She didn't know any better then.
The memory was a sudden, jarring jolt, like waking up from a daydream. It slowly faded back, leaving behind the chilling reality of the forest. Layla's breath grew shorter now, but not from excitement. It was from sheer terror as the green wolves, horns glinting, took slow, menacing steps towards her. No giddiness now. She knew better than to smile and wait for what was to come. Her breath was shallow. Panic grasped at her throat, suffocating her thoughts until all she could focus on was the terrifying truth: she was about to be eaten. All she could hear was the monotonous voice of the system in her head, like a buzzing fly, persistent.
The poison in her system, made the panic worse. It pushed her heart to hammer faster, made her blood feel like it was boiling.
'No. Not here. Not like this.'
Layla didn't know why, didn't know how, but a stubborn, primal refusal flash through her. Even if this was God's will, even if this was hell, she refused to die here, not now, not like this.
With that defiant thought, a sudden, sharp clarity cut through the haze. Her mind, pushed to its breaking point, clicked into focus. The flickering light blue boxes of the system interface solidified before her eyes, no longer just a chaotic blur but a clear, readable screen.
A wave of emotions hit Layla: surprise at the unexpected sight, confusion at what it meant, and a desperate sliver of hope that this...this impossible thing...might save her.
"Help me" she whispered.
[Ping: Isekai Store Activated.]
[Ping: Recommendation: Combat Protection. Item: Tactical Plate Carrier Vest (Level IIIa Ballistic Plates). Cost: 30 Isekai Coins. Confirm Purchase?]
[Ping: Recommendation: Close-Quarters Weapon. Item: Glock 17 (9mm) Handgun. Magazine Capacity: 17 rounds. Cost: 50 Isekai Coins. Confirm Purchase?]
Layla didn't hesitate. "Yes!" she croaked, the word a rasp from her dry throat.
[Ping: Isekai Coin spent: 30. Item acquired: Tactical Plate Carrier Vest (Level IIIa Ballistic Plates). Item equipped: Tactical Plate Carrier Vest (Level IIIa Ballistic Plates).]
[Ping: Isekai Coin spent: 50. Item acquired: Glock 17 (9mm) Handgun. Item equipped: Glock 17 (9mm) Handgun.]
Just like that, from thin air, a sleek, dark grey vest materialized over Layla's torn clothes, settling snugly around her torso. It felt heavy, solid, protective. A cold, metallic weight appeared in her right hand – a pistol, dark and powerful, unlike anything she'd ever held. The smooth, hard grip fit her hand perfectly, surprisingly natural.
Seeing the prey they had been toying with suddenly transform, clad in strange, hard skin and holding a mysterious, dark object, felt like a declaration of war to the green wolves. Their low growls deepened into snarls, and they lunged. The closest of the beasts, its green fur bristling, went for her thigh, snapping its jaws. Pain, sharp and searing, shot through Layla as its fangs tore into her skin, but the heavy fabric of her pants and the vest beneath held out, preventing a deeper wound. It drew blood, but not much. The other wolves rushed towards her, a blur of green and spikes.
This pain, this terror, didn't compare to what Layla had suffered her whole life. The constant shame, the beatings, the crushing weight of expectation and blame. She refused to die here, not today. But she knew nothing about combat. She knew nothing about fighting, or guns, or these monstrous wolves. Her eyes darted to the only thing that had been trying to help her, the system, silently screaming for guidance.
[Ping: Combat Protocol engaged. Recommendation: Point offensive tool at threat. Apply pressure to trigger mechanism. Repeat until threat neutralized.]
[Remember: Stick 'em with the pointy end.]
Layla stared at the instruction. Pointy end? Was that all it had? She swallowed, tasting the metallic tang of fear and determination. No time for questions. Layla lifted the dark pistol, shaking, aiming it vaguely at the head of the wolf still gnawing at her thigh. She squeezed her finger, just like the system said.
BANG!
The sound exploded, deafening in the quiet forest, and the gun bucked in her hand. The wolf attacking her head snapped back, a horrifying spray of green blood and brain matter scattering across the purple-tinged leaves behind it. It fell, twitching once, then lay still, dead. The sudden, violent noise startled the other wolves. They recoiled, their predatory snarls momentarily silenced by the shock.
But that pause quickly turned into feral rage. There were six of them left, and they rushed Layla, their green eyes blazing with renewed savagery. Layla, still reeling from the recoil and the sight of the dead wolf, instinctively raised her gun. Her shots were wild, guided by pure panic, but there was a surprising hint of accuracy in her desperate aim. She fired three rapid shots, the bangs echoing through the trees. Two more wolves crumpled, hitting the dirt with heavy thuds. But the third shot went wide.
One of the smarter wolves, its eyes gleaming with cunning, used the split second of her missed shot. It feinted, then pounced, aiming for her hand. Its jaws clamped down, hot breath on her skin, and searing pain shot through Layla's other hand, similar to the bite on her thigh.
A raw, guttural scream ripped from Layla's throat, a mix of rage, fear, and pain. Just as the wolf's teeth began to grind, another gun materialized, warm and solid, in her other hand. It was the same as the first.
[Ping: Isekai Coin spent: 50. Item acquired: Glock 17 (9mm) Handgun. Item equipped: Glock 17 (9mm) Handgun.]
Without thinking, Layla lifted the new gun and fired directly at the wolf biting her other hand. The bullet hit its lower jaw with a sickening crunch, blowing out blood and flesh. The wolf yelped, releasing her hand, and fell back, thrashing.
Now armed with two guns, one in each shaking hand, Layla screamed, a desperate sound to express her pain. She swung both firearms wildly, firing errantly at the remaining three wolves, but her aim was surprisingly steady, as if her life depended on every shot. Bullets tore through the forest, hitting the wolves not always in vital spots, but enough to rip into their flanks, shatter their legs, and tear their bellies. The green beasts howled, thrashing, slowly bleeding out, immobilized by a hail of gunfire as Layla emptied both magazines. The rapid-fire click of empty chambers finally silenced the chaos.
The last wolf fell, twitching. Layla stood for a moment, chest heaving, the stench of gunpowder and fresh blood thick in the air. Her entire body screamed with pain, but the tactical vest had held out, protecting her torso from the worst of the bites. Her hands throbbed where the wolves had bitten, but the armor had done its job.
Then, the final ping.
[Ping: Host Status: Critical. Armor Integrity: 72%. Head: Undamaged. Torso: Undamaged. Right Thigh: Damaged (Bite Wound). Left Hand: Damaged (Bite Wound). Primary Threat: Neutralized. Secondary Threat: None.]
That was the last thing Layla felt, the monotone voice of the system detailing her injuries, before the world spun and she sank to the ground, moving unconsciously towards the base of a large, purple-tinged tree, and lost consciousness.