As they ventured through the woods, an eerie silence hung in the air. Every step they took was careful, deliberate, as they tried to avoid making any noise. The tension was palpable, with Nico sticking close to Jeonne , his face pale with fear. Both he and Jeonne carried swords, while Hector, unarmed, carried the bags for the herbs.
Jeonne (whispering): "How much farther are these Sai Herbs?"
Hector: "Just a little deeper."
Hector suddenly raised his hand, signaling them to stop. The three froze as he gestured toward a patch of ground ahead.
Hector: "Wait... it's around here."
He scanned the clearing, eyes settling on a small patch of herbs growing in an open area.
Hector: "The herbs are there, but we'd have to cross open ground to get them. Do we risk it or look for another spot?"
Jeonne: "We can't waste time. Getting them fast is better than going deeper into the forest."
Hector: "Agreed."
Nico (panicking): "Wait, what? No, no! We should find another—Guys? GUYS!"
But Jeonne and Hector had already made their decision and were moving towards the herbs. Nico scrambled after them, his protests dying as they approached the clearing.
The area seemed calm. No sign of danger, no monsters lurking in the shadows. Hector knelt and began gathering the Sai Herbs, parting the grass carefully to reach them. As he dug for the last few, his eyes caught something— a massive footprint, embedded deep in the earth.
His heart sank.
Hector: under his breath "Oh... shit. They're awake? Someone must've been here!"
Jeonne: tense "What is it?"
Hector: hissing "Shh. Quiet."
Suddenly, a rustling noise echoed from the trees ahead of them. The sound was unmistakable—something large was approaching.
Nico: whispering "This... this was a terrible idea."
Without a word, they slowly backed away, herbs in hand, trying not to make any sudden movements. But the noise grew closer, and then, from behind a colossal tree, a towering monster emerged—three, maybe four meters tall. Its eyes locked onto them instantly.
Hector: eyes wide "Run!"
The three of them bolted through the forest, the monster crashing after them.
Jeonne: (shouting) "Hector, you remember the way we came, right?"
Hector (laughing nervously): "Yeah, maybe."
Jeonne:"WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
Hector (grinning): "Kidding! Of course I do."
Jeonne: "THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR JOKES!"
Nico: "Oh shit, I'm gonna die!"
They raced through the woods, the ground shaking with every step of the monster behind them. But just as they thought they were out of danger, another monster appeared in front of them, cutting off their escape. It moved fast—too fast.
Before Hector could react, the monster swung its massive fist toward him.
Jeonne: shouting "Hector, look out!"
Jeonne lunged forward, pushing Hector out of the way, taking the full force of the blow himself. Hector and Nico stared in horror as Jeonne stood firm, catching the monster's fist with his bare hands.
Nico: stunned "Oh- Oh- Oh shit! Dude! You stop its attack with your hands!"
At that moment, as Jeonne stopped the monster's attack, Nico noticed something extraordinary. He saw it as the scene where the hero of a story saves the day. To Nico, Jeonne was the hero he aspired to be. He wished he was as strong as him, so they could fight together.
Jeonne [internal monologue]: "How... How is this possible? Is it because I put all my ability points into strength? Incredible!"
But before Jeonne could fully process what was happening, the monster kicked him, sending him flying across the clearing.
Both Nico and Hector's faces fell into despair as they saw Jeonne thrown aside, fearing the worst. But before the monster could do anything, a voice echoed through the woods.
Jaide: "Lightning Magic: Might of Thunder!"
With a flash, bolts of lightning shot from the treetops, striking the monster dead where it stood. Jaide appeared, her hand still crackling with energy. But the second monster was already closing in, charging at them from behind.
Before it could strike, another figure arrived—Jaime .
Jaime: "Venom Guardian!"
Jaime slammed his shield into the ground, summoning a massive burst of energy that paralyzed the monster. As it struggled, a third figure leapt into action—Mikael.
With precise aim, Mikael drove his lance into the creature's abdomen, immobilizing it. And then, another two figures arrive which are Baron and Leora and finish off the monster.
[Monster Kill Assist +1000 exp]
[Level Up +2 Levels]
Jeonne regained his senses, "I don't have any broken bones right?"
Jeonne a activated his system to see how much HP he lost.
"Jeonne Gaesin"
"ፈᏂᏗᎷᎮᎥᎧᏁ ᎧᎦ ᏒᏗᎮᏂᏗᏋᏝ"
Lv.12
HP: 60/150
Sigil: Hollowthorn
Skills:
Divine Sense (?)
Jeonne: "Fuck, that kick took 90 HP on me."
Jeonne: "Someone arrived. Who are they?"
And then Jaide came right to Jeonne ."Hey, are you okay.?
Jeonne: "Yeah, who are you guys?"
Ischia: "We are from the Viscous Blade Guild. We were farming monsters."
Everyone went to Jeonne , worried about him.
Jeonne saw Jaime , the janitor he had met at the hospital. Both stood in silence for a moment, but Jaime quickly grasped the situation and kept his composure.
Jaime: "Kid, I get it. This is a lot to process, but we'll talk later."
Jaime was stunned by Jeonne 's nonchalant reaction.
Jeonne: "It's fine. I've been through this before."
Jaime: "What?...Wait, you mean..."
Jaime 's eyes widened as the shocking truth sank in. He froze, unable to speak, but knew he had to accept what had just unfolded before him.
Jeonne: "Yeah."
Mikael: "Hold on, you two know each other?"
Jaime: "In a way,..."
After they collected the Sai Herb, they headed back to camp with the Viscous Blade. Jeonne was injured from the attack and could barely walk, so the Viscous Blade helped him and escorted the group out of the forest.
The Viscous Blade had originally entered the forest to hunt Titania and sell their meat for profit. However, when Jaime , the guild leader, saw Jeonne , they canceled their plans to help him out of curiosity about the camp of survivors.
At camp, Hector used his skills as a herbalist to mix the herbs, flowers, and other resources to create the medicine. As he worked, the others stood behind him, watching.
Hector: "Can y'all give me some space?"
The group stepped back, breaking the awkward silence and easing the pressure on him. Once Hector finished preparing the drink, he brought it to Lisa and helped her take a sip.
Hector: "You should start feeling better in about 30 minutes."
Lisa, weak from her illness, looked relieved after drinking the herbal mixture. She no longer moaned from her deteriorating condition.
Hector expressed his gratitude to Jeonne , Lord Dunebarren, and the Viscous Blade for their help.
Hector: "If it weren't for all of you, we never could've made it out of that forest..."
[SOMEWHERE IN A CORNER]
Jaime, Jeonne, and Nico sit together, tension thick in the air like a standoff. Jaime broke the silence first.
Jaime: "So, kid, when did all this start for you?"
Jeonne: "Two weeks ago."
Nico: "Wait, start? What are we even talking about?"
Jeonne: "You know... this. You, me, him. Everything."
Nico: "This? Oh, wait... he's like us?"
Jeonne: "Yeah."
Nico: "Oh no. I don't know whether to be relieved or terrified now."
Jaime: "Both. It's good to know we're not alone. But why us? Jeonne , do you know of anyone else like us?"
Jeonne: "As far as I know, no one. Well... maybe."
Jaime: "Think carefully. What's the last thing both of you remember before this happened? Any detail, no matter how weird or small, could help."
Jeonne: (thinking) "I don't remember everything, but here's what I do recall. It was a normal day. I went to school, this kid splashed ice cream on my face—embarrassing, but whatever. Then I crammed for a project, stayed up late. The usual stuff."
Jaime: (turning to Nico) "And how about yours? Uh, what's your name?"
Nico: "You mean my real-world name or my name here?"
Jaime: confused "What?"
Nico: "Never mind. It's Nico."
Jaime: "Alright, Nico. What do you remember?"
Nico: "Honestly? I barely think about it. It's all the same—school, home, sleep. Nothing special."
Jaime: "There must be something."
Nico: (pauses) "Well... maybe one thing. A beggar stopped me, asked for money. I gave him some loose change, and then he grabbed my hand. I didn't think much of it, but it was weird. I mean, I was eating. Who does that?"
Jeonne 's eyes widened.
Jeonne: "Wait. That happened to me too. I gave a beggar my last coin, and he grabbed my hand to thank me."
Nico: "You're kidding. Do you think it's connected?"
Jeonne: "Maybe."
Jaime: "A beggar? I didn't meet any beggar. My last memory is just my job—cleaning up as a janitor. Normal stuff."
They all exchanged disappointed glances, realizing their theory was falling apart.
Jeonne: "Either way, we need to figure out how to remember when we wake up."
Jaime: "How do we do that? Any ideas?"
Jeonne: "I've been piecing things together since I got here. I've found out a few things."
Nico: "Like what?"
Jeonne: "First, of course we all know this, we forget everything when we wake up in the real world. But when we fall asleep, it all comes back. Second, if we sleep so extremely tired, we come here. If not, then it's a normal dreamless sleep."
Jaime: surprised "Really?"
Nico: "I didn't know that."
Jeonne: "And third... The more time we spend here, the harder it gets to wake up in the real world. Someone or something has to force us awake. "
Jaime (Grim look): "So, there's nothing we can do to make ourselves remember. We have to break this curse. We can't live two lives forever."
As Nico heard Jaime 's words, his thoughts raced.
Nico [internal]: "A curse? Ha. This is a gift. I don't need to live in that miserable world. I am sure she'll love it here."
Suddenly, Jeonne 's senses started to fade. He felt himself losing consciousness and stumbling. "What? No, not this time. I don't even have class tomorrow. I don't need to wake up early."
Just before everything went dark, he forced himself awake, barely managing to stay in this world.
Nico: "Jeonne ? What just happened?"
Jeonne: "I think..I think I almost woke up."
Jaime: "So that's it. Did you just stop yourself from waking up?"
Jeonne: "I-I did. What the hell? How did I do that?"
A figure appeared— it was Baron. He looked at Jaime . "We should go while the meat is fresh."
Jaime: "You two wanna come with us? Jeonne ? Nico?"
Jeonne: "Where?"
Nico: "Why?"
Jaime: "To the capital. Ever been there?"
Jeonne: "The capital? No."
Jaime: "You'll both love it..."
[IMPERIUS, CAPITAL OF IMPERIAL FEDERATION]
The government of the Imperial Federation holds a political meeting. Present at the meeting are various military and political leaders, including three of the five top soldiers of the Imperial Federation, known as the Generals.
In attendance are the 4th General Lance Vermillion, the 3rd General Vior Valdirosa, and the 2nd General Aastroza.
Fyodor Hannes (Military Leader): "What? The First General is absent again. Where is he?"
Fahrlan Ironjaw (Military Leader): "He's still on a high-level mission."
Fyodor Hannes: "Again? What about Nicola?"
Fahrlan: "I don't know, sir. Let's ask his supervisor, IJeonne ."
Ivan Grevsky (Nicola's supervisor): "I'm not sure either, sir. Last time I spoke with him, he said he was on a mission, but that was a month ago."
Lance Vermillion (4th General): "Maybe he's dead. Hahaha."
The room erupts in laughter.
Fyodor Hannes: "Alright, let's focus. What do you have to say, Ironjaw?"
Ironjaw: "We need to discuss the smuggling tunnels under Darian Fortress. After the cleanup, we found the area is strategically designed with tunnels leading to hidden exits. It's a perfect spot for military use. I'll assign Vladimir's unit there."
Vladimir Darshen (Military Leader): "Good. Finally."
Fahrlan Ironjaw: "Secondly, the Crossing Order is giving us trouble. They're blocking our supplies from moving across the seas. Can I leave this issue to you, General Vior?"
Flein (3rd General): "I refuse, sir. I'm currently dealing with Harden remnants cleanup in the west."
Fahrlan Iron Jaw: "What about you, General Aastroza?"
Aastroza (2nd General): "Consider it done"
Fahrlan Irojaw: "Good, then I won't worry about that. Lastly, we need to address the Scarlet Reaper. We've received reports that this individual has been targeting Majestus soldiers. His actions are causing confusion and putting the Imperial Federation at risk. There's been talk that the Scarlet Reaper is an agent of the Imperial, doing some clean-up operations. We, the military leaders, are looking into it. If it's true, we'll find the culprit hiding within our government and make sure they're punished according to the law."
The leaders raise their right hands towards the air and salute.
"Fahrlan Ironjaw: "No one is above the law. The law is absolute, for it is truth and glory. Hail the Imperial Federation!"
All together: "Hail the Imperial Federation!..
-EPISODE 16: END-