Victor kept his eyes on the feed, specifically looking for any info on how Jax died. The guy had been the loudest voice in the public chat just ten minutes ago, acting like having a
B-rank talent made him the protagonist of this new world. Victor had actually marked him as someone to watch, as he could be a potential competitor or an ally.
But reality was often disappointing and he got sent to an early grave the moment he stepped outside that too by a lvl1 mob.
Jax's death was a cold reality check to him and the others showing them just how serious it was but unlike Victor who still maintained a cool head the global chat was going full on melt down. The messages were flying fast now, and they were fully panicked.
[ Xx_ShadowSlayer_xX: YO JAX IS DEAD?? He had a B-rank talent and got folded by a literal caterpillar wtf???]
[D-Class-Dave: I'm not leaving. idc about the 3 days. if i go out there im just monster food. 💀]
[Sarah_H: How are we supposed to survive this?? If a B-rank gets one-shot, what chance do the rest of us have? We need to farm gold or we're dead anyway.]
[Office_Worker_99: I just want to go back to my cubicle. i'd take a 12 hour shift over this nightmare any day. take me back pls 😭]
[BigGains_01: Everyone stop panicking. We just need to group up. Strength in numbers, right? ...Anyone??]
'3 days ?'
Victor murmered inside his mind and he instantly recieved the answer to it from the archive.
The system in Stormgate City was designed to prevent complacency, a tax of three gold coins per day would begin after the third day. It was a clear ultimatum, leave the safety of Stormgate City and fight, or be kicked out and be besieged by monsters anyways.
Victor felt a flicker of annoyance. He wasn't a messiah, and he didn't have a heart of gold, but he could still empathize with those who had drawn trash talents. They had been dragged to this world without their consent, assigned their worth based on a luck-of-the-draw talent system, handed scrap metal for weapons, and told to survive.
But he couldn't help them. Even if he wanted to, he didn't have the luxury of looking out for others when he barely had the strength to guarantee his own safety.
It was selfish, but you don't survive a death game by being anything else...
...
The chat feed was moving at a frantic pace again, but the tone had shifted from pure panic to desperate coordination. Everyone was scrambling to find a party, cozying up to anyone with a combat-oriented talent. In a world where a caterpillar could end you, nobody wanted to be the next Jax.
Suddenly, a new post cut through the noise, an attribute screen of a Level 1 monster.
...
[BigGains_01: Someone finally used Appraisal on a mob. Look! ]
[ System Image ]
[ Level 1 Spiked Caterpillar ]
[ HP: 300 ]
[ Attack: 15 ]
[ Defense: 5 ]
[Sarah_H: 300 HP? That's it? That doesn't seem... impossible?]
[ Xx_ShadowSlayer_xX: Jax probably had 100 HP and zero defense. If it hits first, you're done. Don't get cocky.]
....
Victor felt a wave of genuine relief as he looked at the numbers. The baseline for these early threats was between 300 and 500 HP.
With his base stats and the Rusted Iron Sword he was sitting at a total attack power of 40. But the real deal breaker was the passive of his weapon. His 'Tetanus' effect dealt 1,000 damage over ten seconds.
Victor didn't need to overpower these things in a prolonged battle, he just needed to make contact once. And when the Tetanus kicked in, their health bars would vanish before they could even finish their attack.
"I can actually do this," Victor thought, his grip tightening on the hilt. He didn't need to join a party, and he didn't need to rely on others.
'Archive, where's the best place for me to start?'
[ Based on your current level and attributes, the 'Mistwood' is the recommended zone. A route has been mapped to your interface. ]
Victor didn't dawdle anymore as he moved to the northern exit towards Mistwood feeling a sense of anticipation but never letting his caution fade...
.....
The entrance to the northern gate was a mess of shouting and desperation. It felt like the high-stakes lobby of a hardcore MMO, but with none of the safety. Players were huddled in groups, their voices overlapping as they tried to build strong squads to survive whatever Mistwood had to offer.
"Recruiting anyone with an E-Rank combat talent!" one guy yelled, waving his arms. "I don't care what it is, we just need bodies!"
"D-Rank Strength Enhancement only!" another shouted . "Forming a heavy squad. If you can't hit hard, don't bother!"
"Any Speed-types? We're looking for a guerrilla team—hit and run only!"
In the middle of all this, a man in a rumpled, expensive suit was shouting at the nearby players, his face a deep, indignant shade of red. He looked completely out of place surrounded by players looking for teammates.
"I command you to act as my bodyguard!"