In this world, there were the strong and the weak—a simple truth that everyone eventually understood sooner or later. The strong preyed on the weak without the slightest hesitation, while the weak often had no choice but to turn on themselves, consumed by helplessness. Yet, what the boy saw at that moment was, at first glance, neither strong nor weak. It was something different, something unsettling. A demon disguised in human form, walking without apparent emotion in the midst of chaos.
The boy trembled with terror, unable to catch his breath. His gaze flickered between the ground and the direction in which Karl had disappeared. His friend lay agonizing a few meters away on the damp earth, his screams of pain growing fainter as life slowly drained from him. The scene was surreal. Karl had just ripped someone's arm off without a second thought, as if the gesture were of no consequence. And worst of all was that calm, almost mundane gait, as if he were simply walking into another room.
Seized by panic, the boy began to run, screaming for help, his voice piercing the forest air. But as he fled without looking back, a Level 2 insect-type monster, concealed above, struck. In an instant, a blade flashed and severed his head mid-stride. Blood sprayed violently, splattering the trees and the ground, as his body collapsed heavily, lifeless.
Only twenty minutes remained before the end of the safe period, and already the monsters in the forest were closing in on the zone. For those still in the tutorial phase, exactly four hours and twenty minutes remained to complete their mission. Meanwhile, Karl was still walking in an unknown direction, advancing with no apparent goal, his mind focused on one thing: finding monsters to eliminate.
As he progressed through the trees, an insect-type monster suddenly surged before him. It looked like a massive centipede, emerging slowly from the earth, its glistening segments twisting with a repulsive sound. Without warning, the creature spat a liquid capable of melting wood, instantly corroding the bark of nearby trees. Karl took a step back, calmly placed his bag on the ground, then gripped his sword in one hand and his chain in the other.
The centipede spat its corrosive liquid again, but Karl was far too fast. He dodged without difficulty, his body reacting almost instinctively. No sooner had he attempted to counter-attack than two more monsters emerged from the vegetation. Now three faced him, their movements synchronized, ready to encircle him.
Karl launched his first attack with his chain. The weapon whipped through the air with impressive speed; his mastery of it seemed perfect. The blade fixed to its end struck the first monster's skull violently, tearing through it with a wet thud. The other two reacted immediately, attacking without respite.
He leaped into the air, avoiding the acid projected by one of them, then landed with precision, driving his sword directly into the skull of the second. A green fluid gushed from the wound, spreading over the ground. In the same motion, Karl swung his chain and drove it violently into the third monster's torso, piercing its carapace.
In a final surge, the creature spat its liquid again, much faster this time. Karl dodged by climbing a nearby tree, using his chain for leverage. Without wasting a second, he jumped again, looped the chain around a sturdy branch, and pulled with all his strength. The monster was hoisted into the air before being sliced in two without resistance.
At that exact moment, an interface appeared before him.
You have killed 3 monsters solo. > Remaining monsters: 1.
Karl briefly observed the display, slowly withdrawing the tip of his chain from the still-smoking carcass.
"Didn't I receive any points?" he wondered, slightly intrigued.
As he straightened up, four monsters of the same type approached simultaneously, emerging from the forest. Karl flashed a smile before standing fully, his gaze sharpening. The four creatures spat their corrosive liquid almost at the same time, covering a wide area in front of them.
Karl jumped high to avoid the attack, then, upon landing, began to sprint toward the safe zone. The monsters were fast, and with every glance behind him, their numbers seemed to grow. There were no longer four, but seven pursuing him, while others still emerged from the trees, attempting to surround him. Despite this, Karl moved with disconcerting ease.
"Seems I left my bag..." he told himself, sighing briefly without slowing down.
He ran, sword held firmly in his right hand and chain in his left, his body perfectly coordinated.
He planted his left leg, spun around at incredible speed, and sliced through two monsters in a single motion with his chain. However, this brief stop nearly cost him his life. Two other monsters spat their liquid directly at his back, seeking to hit him before he could react.
Karl hooked his chain to a branch and quickly hoisted himself into a tree. The monsters clustered below, slowly encircling him.
"If I had a better chain, I would have cut them all to pieces..." he murmured, almost disappointed.
A new notification appeared before him.
You have completed the tutorial mission. > You have eliminated 8 Level 2 monsters.
It appeared the two monsters he had sliced were indeed dead, and those hit by the liquid in his place had also perished.
Following the announcement of his success, the monsters ignored him completely, as if he had become invisible to their eyes. Karl observed the scene around him. He clearly saw creatures emerging from the depths of the forest, heading toward the safe zone—which was no longer truly safe. It had transformed into a veritables battlefield.
Screams of agony echoed in the air, mingled with the sounds of combat. Some people tried to flee back into the forest, but they were quickly caught, hunted down, and massacred without mercy by the centipedes. The creatures used their corrosive liquid against the most agile. For those who could not keep up, they employed two small blade-like hooks layered under their chins, capable of shredding prey effortlessly.
Karl, still perched in the tree, watched this ignoble scene... yet, in his eyes, it was strangely amusing. His gaze stopped on a young woman who seemed to be between twenty-four and twenty-five years old. Her hair and clothes were soaked in blood, and behind her, a centipede pursued her relentlessly.
She was running straight toward Karl. Catching sight of him in the tree, she cried out in a desperate voice:
"Help me, please!"
The monster continued to close in, its legs scraping the ground. Although they could climb trees, the monsters ignored Karl entirely since he had finished his mission.
Karl rested a hand on his cheek, staring intently at the young woman. After a brief silence, he stated calmly:
"You don't interest me."
"What—"
She didn't have time to finish her sentence.
The monster reached her and first tore off both her arms, then her head in a brutal motion. Blood sprayed in every direction, even splashing Karl's face. He slowly wiped it away with the sleeve of his sweater, then looked down at his weapons.
"It's been a long time since I've held weapons like these."