Arin opened his eyes.
The white void was gone.
In its place stretched a harsh, rocky wasteland. Jagged stone formations rose from the ground like broken teeth, and loose gravel crunched beneath his boots.
A cold wind swept across the barren land.
Above him, thick gray clouds covered the sky, blocking most of the light.
Arin stood still for a moment, carefully observing his surroundings.
Uneven ground.
Large boulders scattered everywhere.
Natural choke points formed by narrow rock paths.
The terrain looked dangerous.
Perfect for ambushes.
A soft chime suddenly rang inside his head.
A glowing panel appeared in front of him.
Floor 1
Mission 1
Objective: Survive
Arin frowned slightly.
"...Survive?"
That was incredibly vague.
Before he could think further-
A voice echoed across the rocky field.
"ARIIIIIN!"
Arin slowly turned toward the sound.
In the distance, someone was sprinting toward him.
Arin squinted.
Then sighed.
"...Of course."
Kael.
And behind him-
A swarm of goblins.
At least twenty of them.
Small green creatures with sharp teeth and crude wooden weapons. They screeched wildly while chasing him across the rocky terrain.
Kael waved enthusiastically.
"HEY BUDDY!"
Arin immediately raised a hand.
"Go away."
Kael kept running toward him.
"Don't bring them here."
Kael got closer.
Arin sighed.
"Kael."
"Yes?"
"Leave."
Kael grinned mischievously.
"You wound me."
He pointed behind himself at the goblins.
"Well..."
Then he shrugged.
"We're brothers."
He laughed.
"We share everything."
Arin closed his eyes for a moment.
"...I regret forming a duo."
The goblins were closing in fast.
Kael finally reached Arin and stopped beside him, breathing heavily.
"...So."
Arin stared forward calmly.
"...So."
Then they both turned and started running.
Loose stones scattered beneath their feet as they sprinted across the rocky terrain.
Behind them, the goblins screeched even louder.
One of them hurled a jagged rock.
It whizzed past Kael's head and shattered against a nearby boulder.
Kael glanced back briefly.
"Okay, they're getting really motivated now!"
Arin didn't look back.
"Focus on running."
Kael glanced behind them.
"...Still a lot of them."
Arin replied .
"Keep running."
Suddenly-
Something appeared in Kael's hand.
A gun.
A strange revolver made of dark metal with unfamiliar symbols carved along the barrel.
Arin noticed immediately.
"...Where did you get that?"
Kael grinned while running.
"My power."
Arin blinked.
"You're joking."
"Nope."
Kael lifted the weapon proudly.
"Pretty cool, right?"
Arin kept running beside him.
"What does it do?"
Kael shrugged.
"Well I was about to explain but-"
Arin cut him off immediately.
"Not now."
The goblins were getting closer.
Arin pointed at the weapon.
"Use it."
Kael hesitated.
"...Wait."
Arin frowned.
"What?"
Kael looked down at the gun.
"There's only one bullet."
Arin's eyes narrowed.
"...One?"
Kael nodded.
"And it looks... funny."
Arin suddenly stopped for half a second.
"Give me the gun."
Kael handed it over without hesitation.
Arin quickly checked the chamber.
Inside sat a single strange-looking bullet.
Large.
Heavy.
Wrong.
Arin's expression immediately darkened.
"...Shit."
Before Kael could react-
Arin suddenly threw the gun.
The revolver spun through the air and slammed directly into the face of the leading goblin.
The barrel pierced straight into its eye.
The goblin shrieked and collapsed to the ground.
The other goblins slowed slightly.
The injured goblin pulled the gun out of its eye socket.
Blood ran down its face as it stared at the weapon.
Then it did something strange.
The goblin raised the gun.
Like it somehow knew how to use it.
It aimed directly at Arin.
Kael stared in confusion.
"...Why did you do that?"
But he didn't question Arin further.
He trusted him.
Arin suddenly shouted.
"Run faster!"
They both sprinted harder.
Their feet pounded against the rocky ground as they pushed their bodies to the limit.
They gained some distance between themselves and the goblins.
Behind them-
The goblin tightened its grip on the gun.
Its finger slowly pulled the trigger.
Then-
BOOM
A thunderous explosion ripped across the rocky field.
The sound was so loud it felt like the sky itself had cracked open.
A massive shockwave blasted outward from behind them.
Arin and Kael were thrown forward as the ground beneath their feet trembled violently.
Both of them slammed into the rocky dirt and rolled several meters before finally stopping.
Dust filled the air.
Loose stones rained down around them.
For a moment, everything was silent except for the wind.
Arin slowly pushed himself up from the ground.
He brushed the dust from his clothes calmly.
Beside him, Kael groaned as he sat up, coughing while wiping dirt from his face.
The air behind them was still filled with thick clouds of dust.
The wind slowly began clearing the debris.
Kael turned his head to look back.
Then he froze.
His eyes widened.
"...Holy shit."
End of chapter