I ran.
Fire raced through my thighs, step after heavy step, while fatigue tried to drag me down. Air turned sharp in my chest, each pull of breath like broken glass moving slow. The beat inside me roared louder than sound, rattling bone, threatening to burst free.
Faint screams rose from behind, sharp cries cutting the jungle air without warning. Darkness shivered under their weight. Bladelike sounds sliced between trees where silence had been.
SCREEEEE! SCREEEEE! SCREEEEE!
What came through the air froze me stiff. Not of this world. Twisted somehow. My bones knew before my mind did - get away, move now, fight to stay alive.
My eyes stayed forward.
I had no reason to.
A shrill shriek tore through my head - the Spider Sensor wouldn't stop. Needles seemed to stab at my neck with every pulse. Six dangers, moving closer now. Each one ready to kill. They were all after me.
There's no way I could take them on. Fighting would be pointless.
Some miss the mark entirely.
Five breaths left. Maybe four. The air tastes like rust, like old blood on my tongue
My odds would be zero.
Out the door I go.
This one choice stands clear.
Run or die.
Faster than a blink, I hurled Reverblade into the blackness - no pause, no second thought. It tumbled, slicing air, then punched deep into bark with a heavy thud.
Teleport.
Everything spun out of control - the ground tilting sideways, the air thick with dizziness, my gut twisting like a wrung cloth -
A shape formed near the trunk, fingers closing on metal before the sound of steel sliding broke the quiet. The edge cleared the wood with a single pull.
On I went. Not a break. Eyes forward, never looking back to see if the Phthirens trailed behind.
They had to be, really.
Breathing hard, I pushed forward, each footfall thudding on damp earth while tangled roots clawed at my path. Stones shifted beneath me, eager to send me sprawling with every leap ahead.
From where I stood, the sound came fast - wings cutting air in sharp snaps while they leaped over logs and rocks. Each flap drove them forward, bodies low, feet shredding plants apart, snapping twigs under pressure that bent everything in their path.
They're too fast.
Way too fast.
What chance do I have escaping what soars above?
Bent and breathless, yet still closing the gap. Shadows didn't slow them one bit.
Footsteps closed in - shrill cries rising, nails grating on wood and rock, breath hissing between trees like something trained by hunger. The noise didn't stop.
A second toss sent Reverblade flying toward a distant tree. The instant it hit, I vanished. Space snapped shut behind me as the world shifted.
Everything spun as I appeared. The ground leaned sideways without warning.
No. Stay conscious.
Falling unconscious means it's over.
Burdened limbs dragged forward, every movement a deliberate act, as though trudging across wet clay. Heavy feet refused ease, progress slow, resistance clinging like damp cloth. Walking became labor, not flow, each stride met with silent pushback from unseen weight.
Breath by breath, each one a knife - ribs fractured, scraping raw inside my chest. Pain shot through me, relentless, every inhale worse than the last.
This won't last much longer. It's wearing thin now.
My body is giving out.
Fuel is nearly gone. Tired bones keep moving anyway.
Out of nowhere, a Phthiren shot past on my right, racing ahead and blocking the way fast enough to scare me still.
Mud squelched underfoot as I stopped dead, gaze fixed on the creature. Stumbling slightly, breath caught - there it stood. My shoes slipped but stayed upright, staring hard at what loomed ahead.
That Level 10 creature stood there - one arm gone, a wing torn off from an older battle. Jolting forward, it twitched with every step, as if gears inside had slipped loose. From open cuts, thick green fluid seeped out, slow drops hitting leaves below. Each wound left a mark on the ground, something strange soaking into soil.
It's already dying.
Yet danger remains present.
Perhaps worse, since it feels so urgent.
Frozen in its stare, the last eye of the Phthiren burned with pure hate. Rapid clicks came from its jaws - each one sharper than before - leaving my arms prickled. Then silence.
A shriek tore through the air - fury given voice - as it sprang forward, one jagged limb reaching, fixed on my neck.
Fear cut through me - its aim obvious now. To seize. To pin. Jaws primed to tear into skin, driven by something cold, relentless.
Not happening.
Out came Reverblade, tossed aside before I even thought about it, my body moving on its own.
Teleport.
Beyond its shadow I came, steel in motion, plunging the weapon hard between its shoulders using every ounce of strength from arms locked together.
A shriek ripped through the air - sharp, raw, nothing like before. Pain twisted it. Surprise too.
With sudden jerks, it flailed toward me, muscles twisting without control.
The knife turned hard, cracking through shell-like layers. Out it came, ripped sideways now - cutting deep behind its head without pause.
SLASH.
Blood the color of moss burst out, gushing sudden and heavy, hitting my skin in warm streaks. It ran down my neck, sticky and fast, pooling along the collarbone before dripping lower.
A sudden silence swallowed the creature's scream.
A sudden lurch downward, a spasm - first one jerk, then another - before it froze without motion.
Dead.
One down.
Victory felt distant, even then. A quiet moment passed without fanfare.
Not once did I stop to breathe.
Back I spun, then sprinted off, the body lying where it fell.
The chase continued.
Some Phthirens kept going. Speed picked up after one fell, anger pushing them ahead.
Breathing loud, they were right there, following hard. The sound of claws on tree trunks mixed with wingbeats cutting air. Behind me, getting nearer, every step sharper than before.
SCREEEEE! SCREEEEE!
One voice cut through the air, another answered right after. Moves lined up without a word being wasted. Stalking together, like they'd done it a hundred times before.
Intelligent monsters.
It isn't aimless running. Teamwork drives their move.
Trapped with nowhere to run. Pushed straight into danger.
Footsteps echoed as I hurled Reverblade forward, shifting through space, sprinting now, each motion ticking like a clock gone loose.
Go ahead, toss it. Jump somewhere else next. Move fast after that. Again now.
Frozen inside, yet moving - each step happened without me deciding. The need to live simply took over.
Yet my pace began to drop. Still, the weight of each step grew heavier.
Each foot forward made my legs shake. Around the corners of my eyes, the world began to fade. Gasping came between broken breaths.
Getting rid of some should help balance things out.
Running faster won't save me from every one of them.
Survival is what matters now. What comes next depends on staying alive today.
A shape stepped into view up ahead - one of those Phthiren things, dragging a leg. The thing had no front hand at all, just a raw end leaking that thick fluid slow and steady.
That Level 5. The one hurt during our initial meeting.
Still breathing. Came across the others. Here now because of what happened before.
A glint sparked deep within those clustered eyes. Memory stirred inside it - me.
A shriek ripped through the air - pure rage made noise - as it sprang forward.
A blur of movement sent me sideways, the beast's talon slicing air just above my skull. That instant, Reverblade carved through space like a last plea.
A sharp edge met the throat - no smooth slice, yet deep it went.
A shudder ran through the Phthiren as it stumbled, one claw gripping the gash in its side. Between jagged fingers, thick green fluid spilled out - steady, unrelenting, like water forced through split metal.
Something attempted another scream, yet it choked into a bubbly rasp instead.
It never got time to heal.
Fingers numb, I swung once more - each ounce of strength pulled into that blow.
SLASH.
This time, the edge sliced straight across. It moved without stopping.
A severed head spins downward, breaking free mid-air before it hits the ground with a heavy slap, lying still at last.
The body collapsed.
Two down.
Four left.
Bent at the waist, breath jagged, palms pressed into thighs.
Still too many.
Way too many.
Up I got, still moving forward. Then on my feet again, pushing through each step. Forward motion never stopped. Running stayed even when hard. Still going despite every urge to quit.
Something inside me kept begging to quit. Not now, said another voice. Just lie down, whispered the tiredness. But a quiet force pushed back against it all.
No.
Last thing on my mind is giving up - after what I've lived through.
Survival meant something back then - Phthirens one moment, Hobgoblin the next. That kind of trial changes a person, reshapes what matters. Moments stacked on chaos, each worse than before. Through all that noise and danger, clarity emerged. Not later. Not ever again.
Far as I've come, giving up isn't what happens here.
Shadows of trees smudged the edges of my vision. Mud sucked at my feet, thick and cold. Roots twisted like traps underfoot. Everything in that green chaos seemed bent on stopping me.
Down I went, tripped by whatever was underfoot, face rushing toward the ground.
Slamming down, my palms hit first - just quick enough to stop the fall, jolts of hurt racing up both arms.
I pushed myself up fast, breath gone, iron sharp on my tongue.
On your feet now. Motion follows.
Footsteps dragged ahead, hands slamming into bark for balance, breath loud in the ribs.
A jolt shot through my spine, sudden and hot. There it was, loud in the sensor's voice. Right at my back, too close for comfort
I spun.
A shape moved close - just a few steps off - and that claw cut through air, aimed at my neck.
Breathing felt heavier. Moments stretched like taffy pulled thin. The air held still. A clock ticked slower than thought.
Beyond the pale glow, each curve of its claws caught the light. Moonbeams traced the wetness left behind - sticky trails along armored plates. Staring back at me, those many-faceted eyes held something sharp, unblinking rage just beneath the surface.
This will be the death of me.
Back I crashed, hitting the trunk hard, panic driving every move.
A breath away, the claw swept past - near enough that wind tugged at my skin, near enough for feather-light scrapes along my throat.
If I had moved just a bit later -
Dead.
A shape lunged, then paused, jaws spreading like cracked stone - ready to snap
Footsteps pounded behind me when I hurled Reverblade - no aim, only motion. The weight left my hand before thought caught up.
Teleport.
Fifty paces off, I dropped to a single knee without warning - breath jagged, eyes blurred by flickering shadows.
This weight feels too heavy now. There is no more strength left inside me.
I'm too tired.
Too weak.
This place will be my end.
Now came the Phthirens, gliding close in tight formation. From every angle their bright eyes held my gaze, leaving nowhere to run. Anticipation rang through each sharp click of their jaws - click-click-click-click - as if feeding had already begun.
One after another, they stood there - four in total. Each one strong, each one prepared. Ready to come at me from every side. Nothing weak about any of them.
This is it.
Falling asleep under a sky that forgets names. Breathing slows while roots curl into stone. Voices fade where the path splits without signs. A whisper stays when the light bends wrong. Time cracks like old glass holding dust.
Shredded by beasts where shadows swallow the trees.
Even now, once every plan was made, each vow spoken aloud…
One day will simply end like any other.
ROOOOOAAAARRR!
A roar ripped through the air, so fierce it seemed the ground might tear apart beneath us.
Deep. Guttural. Primal.
Thunder cracked - old fury staking its claim through vibration.
One breath they moved - then stillness. Every head turned at once, drawn sharp to the sound.
Spinning around, pulse loud in my ears, I couldn't tell - was this rescue or simply another kind of end arriving?
There they were, standing right in front of me.
Canopy Brutes.
Out of the woods they came, a cluster - five? Six? Too dark to count. Shadow shapes, huge, cutting across the pale light slipping through leaves above. Towering figures, seven feet maybe, some less, all thick with raw strength and something wild underneath. Not quiet. Never quiet.
Hair on their backs stood up. Sharp nails caught the light. Anger flashed in their stare, staked claim in every blink.
This place belonged to them, wild vines curling around every step they took.
The Phthirens began their invasion of the place.
A second roar tore through the stillness, vibrating so hard it sent tremors into every breath of wind. Branches shivered, then dropped their leaves like sudden rain.
Suddenly, the Phthirens shrieked back - wings flared wide like warning flags, jaws snapping nonstop. Their noise cracked through the air just as fast as their movements.
One stood firm. The other refused to move. Stalemate held them both.
That is when the fight started.
Off I went before anything showed up.
Winning meant nothing to me. Who came out on top? Not my concern.
Footsteps pounded behind me. Off I sprinted.
Shaking, my legs threatened to give way - vision blurred from tiredness and too much blood lost - yet forward I pushed anyway.
Here goes nothing.
Perhaps this is the one shot I've got.
As they argue among themselves, slipping away becomes possible.
Far off now, the clash of combat rose up - screams, metal, chaos drowning out every fight I'd known before.
Bellowing split the air. Tremors followed underfoot.
Sharp sounds tear through silence. Screams rip open the sky.
Something snaps underfoot - brittle, sharp. A mix of hard shell and brittle frame gives way. Not quiet. Never quiet when it crushes like that.
Claws ripped meat, making a slick noise.
Trees crashing down.
Ground trembles under sudden strikes.
Footsteps faltered under thick vines, air sharp in my throat, fingers pressed hard against the cut on my ribs.
My fingers were wet with blood one more time. The running must have torn it open again.
Doesn't matter.
Just keep moving.
Run until the horizon swallows your shadow.
Bushes clawed at my arms as I shoved forward. A branch snapped back behind me when I dipped beneath it. My foot hit solid wood mid-stride - then launched over a rotting trunk.
Frozen breath by frozen breath, agony rolled across me with each step - yet forward I went.
I'm alive.
I'm actually alive.
Out of nowhere, those Canopy Brutes stepped in. Saved my life without a word.
Fog pressed behind my eyelids, maybe from being worn down, maybe from letting go, perhaps it was the hurt - or everything at once. Figuring it out? Not a thought I held onto.
Darkness swallowed my words. A shaky breath left me. Gratitude slipped out, raw and broken. Not loud, just there. Relief followed, quiet like dawn. This moment stayed between us - me and whatever listens
Out of my mouth slipped a sound close to silence, each word scraped thin by breath torn through a damaged throat.
"You always... you always save me at the last second."
Leaning on a trunk, my legs trembled hard - standing felt nearly impossible.
"Why do you cut it so close, though?" I laughed weakly, the sound half-sob. "My heart can't take this."
A shaky hand dragged across my skin, clearing away sweat, then blood. My fingers trembled like leaves in wind.
Footsteps echoed less, the clash of steel thinning out behind me. Distance stretched slow, each step pulling me further from the noise that once roared close.
Still not strong enough, I thought out loud, since nobody else was around. Weakness clung to me like morning fog
Foot against bark, I moved forward, pace low, saving the last bits of power in my legs.
"I need to get stronger. Much stronger."
The Phthirens? They stood at Level 5 and Level 10, nothing more.
That time came close to ending my life.
Imagine meeting a challenge marked Level 15. What shifts then? A tougher test appears at Level 20 - how does that feel?
Now here's a thought - those shiny Phthirens. Not just any creatures, but the top-tier ones.
Survival on a thread - that stops now.
One day, luck could run out. Maybe then things won't go my way.
Maybe I won't have tree-climbing warriors watching my back again.
A shape flickered at the edge of sight - something real, something new, after hours of running without looking. The message sat there, still, waiting like it had always been part of the air.
Phthiren falls. Level 10 fades into stillness
Killed Phthiren they were at level five
Your journey hits a milestone right here - Level 7 now unlocked
Level 7.
For a second, I just looked at the message before brushing it aside.
Fine. Yet falls short of what it could be.
Still too weak.
Far off yet from the place I'm aiming for.
On I went, legs carrying me without thought.
Farther into the trees, silence settled like dust after shouting. Gone were the clashes, swallowed by dark green shadows. Only usual noises remained - crickets ticking through grass, a lone owl low in the canopy, air shifting between broad leaves.
Strange how quiet it got when the noise finally stopped.
Could this be the end?
Am I Actually Safe?
Still I crept forward, Silent Stride dulling each step while the Spider Sensor pulsed faintly near thought. Quiet stayed with me like a habit.
Bones heavy, each pulse lit up the cuts like sparks on wire. Tired does not come close - this went deeper than sleep could fix. Every breath reminded me I was still here, whether I wanted to be or not.
Yet forward I went.
Move forward by taking each moment as it comes.
Step ahead without pause.
Keep moving till safety finds you.
Out of the green tangle, step by step. Fewer trunks stood around, spaced wider apart. Thickets dropped away, leaving patches of bare soil. Underfoot, the earth packed tight, losing its squelch.
I'm getting close.
Getting close to -
Respawn Town.
A weight lifted, sudden, like air returning after holding breath too long. That idea hit - knees nearly gave way.
Here, you won't take damage. A quiet spot where breathing slows. This place gives time to heal. Stay awhile until ready.
Footsteps behind me kept coming. That place up ahead - walls thick, door heavy - was the only spot they wouldn't go.
Still, what really mattered was reaching my Respawn Town.
Visfotown.
Memories rushed in as soon as the name appeared - my first spawn point in OmniWars flashing into view. That initial moment stood out, feet unsteady on virtual ground. Confusion had clouded every move at the start. Then came the slow awareness: this place held weight beyond rules and scores.
Back in Visfotown is where it first took shape. My new beginning unfolded there.
One of many Respawn Towns dotting the OmniWars realm stood quietly - a haven made just for players. Not far off, similar spots repeated the same layout. A few simple structures grouped together, ringed by a shield monsters could never breach. Within those bounds, strength came back bit by bit. Injuries faded over time. Peace meant something here, since attacks never reached inside.
Peace ruled here. Fighting wasn't permitted. Creatures never appeared. Safety stood firm.
Each player got their own Respawn Town the moment they joined. This spot turned into your safe corner - where you'd pop back after falling, swap items with townsfolk, or simply step away from constant battles.
Then came Visfotown, handed to me without a word.
Back there is where I have to go.
Rest comes first. Healing follows after that. What happens next will show itself in time.
There was work waiting for me as well. Tasks that called my name. Plans demanding attention before moving on.
Survival comes before anything else - this journey has to be made through. The road ahead holds its share of risk, yet moving forward is nonnegotiable. Every step matters more now than ever before.
Fog hung low between the trees, quiet except for distant growls. Near a Respawn Town like this, you'd think it was safe - no such luck. Creatures slinked through the undergrowth, not the worst kind, mind you, just banished by the shield around civilization. Still more than enough to finish me off if I slowed down.
Fifteen points left. Could be lower once you count the sprinting.
A single solid strike ends it.
Step by step, I slowed down further, checking each dark patch ahead while listening hard for anything out of place.
Quiet, Spider Sensor stayed silent - just right.
Yet something felt off about it. Not every danger showed up on its radar.
A shape might be staring at me this second, patient. Silence holds its breath till it strikes - I stay clueless.
Paranoid? Maybe.
Fear sharpens your senses when everything feels uncertain.
I kept walking.
Up above, the moon had climbed, spilling more glow across the ground. Seeing clearer brought a kind of ease, though fear crept in too - danger might be noticed by me sooner, yet I'd stand out just as well to it.
One shaky foot followed another down the path. Air clawed its way into my lungs, sharp and uneven, each pull stinging where bones had cracked beneath skin.
How much further?
What comes next when the weight won't lift?
It came as a surprise. Distance meant nothing now, nor how long it had been. One step followed another until moments melted - watching, moving, always braced for what might come next.
Breathing slow, I whispered my name like a reminder. This much already done, keep moving forward now
"You survived Phthirens. You survived a Hobgoblin. You survived a night in the jungle that should have killed you ten times over."
"You can make it a little further."
Fueled by something deeper than energy, I moved forward when every part of me wanted to stop.
Starting over. A new path opens when the old one fades. Not every ending is final.
Far from reckless, I won't vanish into wild greens while shelter waits nearby.
Now the trees stood farther apart. Light slipped through where leaves once tangled.
Out of nowhere, far off, a shape caught my eye - suddenly everything inside me jumped.
A flicker danced along the walls. Light barely broke the dark. Shadows stretched without end.
A sudden flash of orange cuts through the black. Light trembles without warning. Shadows shift as color pulses off and on. Not steady, never still.
Visfotown.
Fine, maybe not quite there yet. Still, I'd narrowed the gap.
Almost there.
A bit more ahead.
Staggering ahead, everything fuzzed out - too tired to stand, yet somehow lighter.
Fine, I'll get there.
I'm about to take a different path here
My hand hit bark just as my legs gave way, air sharp in my chest.
Hold on. Celebration can wait.
Move ahead of the others. Slip past the line before anyone else does. Only then will it be time to stop.
My spine snapped upright, one foot dragged ahead after another.
One step.
Then another.
Then another.
Light from the flames climbed higher the farther they walked.
Shapes of structures began to show, faint but clear, as night softened into dawn.
Visfotown.
My Respawn Town.
My safe zone.
Almost there.
Footsteps carried me forward, night wrapping close, drawn by a glow far off.
Quiet came from the trees at my back. Gone now - the creatures - some killed, some tearing into one another, others chasing fresh targets through the green.
I was alone.
Far from now, just me walking through dark hours, chasing a distant safe place.
Strength grows tomorrow. Each day builds a little more.
Starting fresh again when the sun comes up. Moving forward without pause once more.
By morning, a plan should come clear.
But tonight...
Right now, my only goal is making it through the night so I can get to Visfotown.
I kept walking.
Flickering firelight pulled eyes from far away.
Patience lived in my Respawn Town.
One foot dragged after another, closer now, despite the dark. Each move sharp, slow, a weight in my bones.
Alone, but alive.
Battered, yet still standing.
This story still had more to tell before it ended.
Yet the finish line drew near, clear to me now.
A bit more ahead.
A bit further ahead.
Footsteps carried me ahead, Visfotown pulling closer with every step, a place where breathing felt easier. Rest waited there, not promised - just possible.
A hush settled deep, yet light always finds its way through. Dawn waits behind the long dark.
Far enough was all I needed to go.
Move forward by taking each moment as it comes.