Chapter 6 – The False Protector
The forest was too quiet.
James stood at the edge of the village palisade, dagger drawn, every nerve on edge. The warning from the Keeper wouldn't leave his head: The Hunters are near.
But when he looked back at the village, all he saw were flickering firelights and shadows moving inside the huts. Families. Children. People who had already decided he was cursed.
And now the cursed man was supposed to protect them.
[Quest Active: Protect the Village to Earn Trust]
Time Remaining: 06:00:00
The glowing text hovered faintly in the corner of his vision. Six hours. That was all he had to prove himself—or be marked as "Distrusted. Permanent."
James clenched his teeth. "Why does it always feel like a trap?"
He didn't have to wait long.
From the trees, faint yellow eyes flickered like lanterns. One pair. Then three. Then a dozen. Shadows shifted as the creatures began circling the village perimeter, their low growls echoing in the stillness.
Shades.
But they weren't like the ones in the chamber. These were leaner, faster, moving with intelligence. Their black bodies rippled like smoke, claws glinting faintly under the moonlight.
James braced himself. "Of course it couldn't be easy."
The first Shade lunged.
James ducked, swinging his dagger upward. Steel met shadow, tearing across its neck. The creature hissed and crumbled into smoke—but the effort cost him. His wrist burned, his arm felt heavier.
Stability dropped again.
[System Stability: 12%]
He hissed through his teeth. "This is going to kill me faster than they will…"
Another Shade darted in from the left. James barely raised his blade in time, the impact sending him sprawling. The dirt slammed into his back.
"Damn it—!"
The villagers had gathered behind the crude wooden fence, torches raised, their fearful eyes locked on James. None dared help.
Except one.
Lira stood at the front, gripping a rusted spear. Her braid swung as she glanced at James, determination burning in her face.
"Move!" she shouted, thrusting the spear through the fence. The Shade shrieked, stumbling back into the dark.
James scrambled to his feet, shock flashing through him. "You're insane!"
"You're dying!" she shot back. "I'm not just going to watch!"
Another chime echoed in James' head.
[System Override: Objective Shift]
New Condition: Villagers must NOT interfere.
Failure Condition triggered if: External Assistance Detected.
James froze, eyes wide. "What—no… no, no, no—"
The system's message burned brighter: Failure Condition Armed.
"Lira, stop!" he shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.
She blinked at him in confusion. "What? Why?"
"Just—don't! If you help, everything goes wrong!"
But it was too late. Another Shade rushed the fence, and Lira thrust the spear again, driving it back.
A heavy chime rang in his skull.
[Failure Condition Met]
[Quest Failed: Protect the Village]
Penalty Applied: Villager Distrust (Permanent)
James' vision blurred as the glowing text seared across his mind. His knees buckled, breath catching in his throat.
"No… no, not again…"
The villagers' whispers rose to a furious roar.
"He cursed us!"
"The Mark doomed us!"
"Cycle-bearer brings the Hunters!"
Torches shook. Fear twisted into hatred.
And for the first time, James saw their eyes not as frightened, but as enemies ready to turn on him.
The Shades howled, sensing the chaos. They leapt again, and James forced himself back into the fight. His dagger slashed, his body moved, but his strength was draining fast. His HP plummeted with every blow.
[HP: 4/45]
[System Stability: 11%]
He staggered, barely holding on. The system's quest still glared in his vision, taunting him. Failure. Distrust. Permanent.
This was never about saving the village. It was about breaking him.
"James!" Lira's voice cut through the storm.
He glanced back—just in time to see her knock down a Shade with the butt of her spear. She looked furious, but not at the monsters. At him.
"You knew this would happen, didn't you?" she demanded. "You knew the system would twist it!"
James' throat went dry. She could see it. Somehow, she understood.
Before he could answer, a massive roar split the night. The largest Shade yet emerged from the treeline, its body taller than any hut, its claws dragging trenches in the soil.
Its eyes burned brighter than the rest. And James knew, instinctively, what it was.
A Hunter.
The villagers screamed, scattering. Some fled deeper into the huts. Others dropped to their knees, praying.
Lira gripped her spear tighter, her face pale. "What is that thing?"
James raised his dagger, his hand trembling. "The reason I can't fail."
But he already had.
And now, the Cycle was going to collect its price.