---
"Hey! Are you crazy!? Have you forgotten the rule—we're not allowed to kill? Who knows what they'd do to us if he dies?" Brine exclaimed.
Revenge and beating Fai up were their goals, sure, but passing the assessment was still their top priority. Brine wouldn't sacrifice that for anything—not even for the satisfaction of seeing Fai crushed.
"Relax, I can tell he held back," Prime chimed in. He had known Leo long enough to trust that he wasn't reckless. Brine knew it too, but unlike Prime, she always prioritized the assessment above everything else.
"And again, if anything, Leo's the reasonable one. He wouldn't do something stupid like that… right, Leo?" Prime asked.
In their group, everyone had a distinct role. Leo's was always clear—he was the one they relied on for reason.
"Of course," Leo affirmed. Then his eyes sharpened. "But you're forgetting something."
His gaze fell on the crater where Fai had landed. "His watch still has the red glow. That proves he's still human—yet somehow he's in the second stage. Doesn't that mean we're up against the strongest human right now?"
The words struck the group like lightning. Apart from Fai, no one's watch glowed red anymore. A red glow meant the person was still an ordinary human—and yet, somehow, Fai had survived everything up to now.
"You're right," Brine muttered. "But that still doesn't give us a reason to fight carelessly. If he dies, we'll all be in trouble."
"That's exactly my point," Leo replied firmly. "We can't fight him recklessly—we need to be smart about it."
Prime scoffed. "Overreacting. That's all this is. He's just a no-name. Even if he dies, who would care? Nobody. In my opinion, killing him wouldn't cause us any trouble."
Brine and Leo didn't agree, but they couldn't deny there was some truth in Prime's words. At the end of the day, the strong didn't care about the weak, and the no-names sat at the bottom of society.
---
Meanwhile, in the crater, Fai lay half-buried in the dirt, consumed by his own thoughts.
Leo's attack had left him badly shaken, and he knew he was at a huge disadvantage. His opponents weren't just stronger—they were mutated humans. Worse, three of them were about to fight him at once.
Damn, what a cruel fate. But still, he reminded himself of one thing: the system wouldn't have given him this quest if it wasn't possible to complete. There had to be a way.
Pulling up his status screen, Fai scanned for anything that might save him.
---
[STATUS]
[Name: FAI Oberon]
[RACE: FAIRY]
[STAGE: Seedling]
[LEVEL: 3]
[EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 125/200]
[ATTRIBUTES]
[STRENGTH: 10] (Physical power)
[STAMINA: 5] (Sustain physical and mental effort)
[SPEED: 5] (How fast the body can move)
[AGILITY: 5] (Reflexes, evasion)
[ENDURANCE: 5] (Resilience and pain tolerance)
[PERCEPTION: 5] (Awareness, sensory)
[HP: 13/20]
[USEABLE STATS: 6]
[SKILLS:]
[Fairy Storage]
Description: Can store non-living things. Limited space due to seedling stage.
[Fae Eyes lvl 1]
Description: Reveals information about anything the user scans or focuses on.
---
The glowing panel floated before him. His opponents had speed, strength, and mutation abilities on their side. If he wanted a chance to survive, he had to use his stat points wisely.
But that was the problem—how should he distribute them?
His broken hands throbbed as he thought. They were twisted at unnatural angles, slowly but painfully knitting back together. Perhaps that was a perk of being a Seedling—but right now, it didn't matter. His enemies were closing in.
'Damn it… their numbers alone put me at a disadvantage. Their stats are higher, and they've got mutations. If I want to stand a chance, I need speed—and more HP. Endurance too, since that ties to how much damage I can take.'
His reasoning was quick. Strength was already decent, but without speed or endurance, it wouldn't matter.
'Okay… I'll go with this: HP +2, Endurance +1, Speed +3. That way, I can take more hits and maybe keep up with them.'
With trembling resolve, he placed the points.
---
[STATS UPDATED]
[HP: 15/22]
[ENDURANCE: 6]
[SPEED: 8]
---
A surge of energy coursed through his body. His breathing steadied, his muscles tightened, and despite his injuries, he felt faster—lighter on his feet.
"Alright…" Fai muttered under his breath. "Let's see if this gamble pays off."
---
Above, Leo signaled the others. "Move in. Don't give him time to recover."
Brine clenched her fists, ready to strike. Prime grinned, his mutation flickering through his veins. The ground cracked beneath his step as he leapt forward like a bullet.
Fai's eyes widened—then his body reacted.
Woosh!
He dodged to the side, faster than even he expected. Prime's punch smashed into the crater wall, shattering rock and sending debris flying.
'It worked! My speed—it's higher now!' Fai realized, adrenaline rushing.
But Brine was already there, following up with a sweeping kick. Fai twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding it, but the motion tore at his still-healing arms, sending a flash of pain through his body.
"Tch—he's faster than before," Brine muttered.
Leo narrowed his eyes. He's adapting.
"Don't underestimate him," Leo warned. "Focus. Pin him down together."
Prime pulled his arm free from the rubble, his grin unfading. "Hah! Now this is getting interesting!"
The three mutated humans closed in from different angles—Prime from the left, Brine from the right, and Leo directly ahead.
Fai's heartbeat thundered. His new stats gave him a fighting chance, but only just. He couldn't win head-on. If he wanted to survive, he had to use every ounce of strategy—and maybe, just maybe, find a weakness.
---
And so, the battle truly began.