Oliver stepped backward into the surrounding darkness while Rook dashed forward, reducing his own presence almost instantly as instinct screamed at him to abandon the area without hesitation.
Fighting a Rank 2 Puppet while still Unranked was not a matter of bravery or determination.
It was suicide.
Besides, no character within the novel possessed something as convenient as 'plot armour.'
Anyone could die at any moment regardless of their importance, and that fact alone should have been obvious considering a mere side character had once killed the protagonist like a ragged doll.
Not to mention that this world was no longer a novel anymore, but reality itself.
Oliver had absolutely no intention of gambling against something like that.
Unfortunately, just as he prepared to fully retreat by dashing into the darkness ahead, his eyes caught something unusual about the creature standing in the distance.
…The Drifter was wounded.
