Six days had passed.
Lately, I'd been grinding alone. No high-risk dungeons. No parties. Just solo farming in low-level areas that other players didn't want.
As I was halfway through roasting a lizard on a stick when the sky suddenly lit up like a comet smashing into a billboard—a massive system alert, flashing in gold and red:
[ALERT]: [Over 464 Players Have Been Eliminated Attempting to Clear the First Dungeon in Arkanos City]
Almost five hundred players. Gone. Just like that.
An hour later, I looted an unguarded village of low-level ogres about four kilometers from Arkanos City. The place was a mess. Their huts were made of rough wood and mud, and inside, they had shaped human bones into chairs and tables.
In the ogre chief's hut, I found a chest hidden under a pile of rotten animal hides and old scrolls covered in ash. The smell was strong, but I pushed through it and opened the chest. Inside was a silver dagger, a pair of leather bracers, reinforced boots, a light tunic, and two Ethers. None of it was high quality, but it was still much better than the worn-out gear I had been using.
The next early morning, I started walking toward Arkanos City. That's where most players were gathering and where hundreds had already died. The trail was quiet. No monsters, no signs of players. Birds were chirping, the wind was steady, and somewhere nearby, a Feral Wolf howled.
"I hope I don't get jumped by some monsters early in the morning..." I thought.
Suddenly, a sharp yell broke through the quiet.
"FIREBALLLL!!!—Oh, come on!!"
Then a loud thud, followed by a series of high-pitched squeals.
I turned towards it. "What the hell was that?"
I crouched low and moved slowly toward the noise. When I reached the bushes, I carefully peeked through a small gap between the leaves. In the clearing ahead, a tall, skinny Australian man with messy brown hair stood in a blue robe. The fabric hung loosely on his thin frame. He held a wooden staff tightly in both hands, gripping it like he was afraid to let go.
Five goblins circled around him. They were short and hunched, with rough green skin and sharp teeth showing as they snarled. Their yellow-green eyes caught the light. Long claws dragged across the dirt as they stepped closer, moving in a slow circle that tightened around him.
A system window appeared above the goblins' heads:
[GOBLIN] — (LEVEL 1)
[HP]: [1/1]
I tightened my grip on my dagger. "I can kill it in one hit..." I muttered.
The man's shoulders tensed, and he muttered something under his breath, readying himself for the attack.
He raised his staff again. "C'mon, you useless stick!" he shouted.
I sighed. "Time to be the hero no one asked for," I said, slipping out of the bushes.
A goblin jumped out from behind a bush and swung its wooden club at my head. I ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as it passed over me, and thrust my dagger straight into its face. And before I could catch my breath, another goblin rushed at me with its claws raised. I dropped low and rolled to the side as its claws sliced through the air where I had been. As I came up from the roll, I drove my dagger into its back. Both goblins froze for a split second, then their bodies cracked and broke apart, shattering into small, scattered fragments that fell to the ground.
"Two down," I said with a faint smile.
The man blinked, eyes wide. "Wait, who are you—?" he said.
"No time for questions!" I said, sidestepping another goblin's attack. "You got anything left in that fancy stick of yours?"
He grinned. His fear turned to excitement. "Actually… one more shot," he said as he lifted his staff and shouted a ridiculously dramatic spell name. "SUPER DUPER OMEGA FIREBALL!!!"
A fireball shot out, exploding in the middle of the remaining goblins, sending burning green chunks flying everywhere.
"Is... this... guy serious?" I muttered, eye twitching. "Who even shouts their skills..."
When the smoke that the fireball made cleared, we both stood there, panting, the clearing eerily silent except for the faint hiss of smoldering grass.
A system window popped into visibility in front of me:
[+1 Level gained]
[1x Ether]
"I leveled up?" I thought, blinking once"That was fast…"
The man straightened up, breathing hard but grinning—then extended out his right hand. "Lars Dracule. Mage class. Probably the worst one right now," he said.
I shook his hand. "Lu Ryo. No Class. That's... literally my class."
He squinted. "Wait. No Class? Like—like actually?"
I nodded once.
He blinked once—then burst out laughing. "Dude! You might be the unluckiest guy on earth!"
I raised my right eyebrow. "I should've just let the goblins kill you earlier," I said. "Oh! and looted your body!"
We laughed. That kind of laugh you let out only after barely escaping an accident or death.
"So," I said, brushing dirt off my pants. "Where are you headed?"
"Arkanos City," he said, pulling out a mana potion that was in a yellow potion bottle. He popped the cork with his teeth and took a long drink.
I grinned. "Same destination. And yeah, soloing right now sounds like a good way to die."
He gave me a knowing look. "Ya thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Form a party, get some levels, die less stupidly?" I said.
He smirked, lowering his staff. "Exactly."
I extended a hand. "You die first, I loot your body."
He shook it firmly. "Same goes for you."
We both grinned.
Just like that, a duo was formed.