They were ready.
The hours they had spent waking up their powers had changed them. The first shock of their arrival was gone. What replaced it was a cold, sharp focus.
They were a team now. Armed with skills that broke the rules of their old world. More importantly, they understood the brutal truth.
Only six would survive.
The fastest way to get stronger was through violence. Kill and absorb.
And this forest, Zone E, was the starting area. The nursery with the weakest monsters.
It was here they would take their first life.
They moved through the dark woods in formation. Jin and Eric were at the front, their eyes scanning the shadows. Talia moved like a ghost on their side, her steps silent.
Masha and Erica walked in the center, their hands glowing faintly. Rina, their most important member, stayed protected in the middle.
The rest, Edgar, Juno, Neil, and Dante, were at the back. The brain of the operation.
'They're learning,' Dante thought. 'Fear is an excellent teacher.'
"Hold," Dante whispered, raising a hand.
The team froze.
Fifty yards ahead, a hunched creature crouched by a stream. Its skin was splotchy green. Long, pointed ears twitched at every sound.
It chewed on a root with sharp, yellow teeth. Its black eyes darted nervously into the darkness.
In its clawed hand was a crude club. Wood and sharp stone tied together.
A goblin.
Their test.
Gulp. Jin swallowed hard, his hand tight on his sword.
Erica's breathing quickened. Even Masha had gone rigid, frost forming at her fingertips without thought.
"Edgar," Dante said quietly. "Appraisal."
Edgar's eyes went unfocused. "Goblin Scout. Rank E. Low health and stamina. One skill, Vicious Strike. No special defenses." He paused. "It's weak."
"Juno?"
Juno analyzed the energy. "Hungry. Scared. Left leg is injured. That's the weak spot."
'Perfect. A wounded, paranoid target.'
"Alright," Dante said. "Clean kill. Jin, you go first. Hit the weak leg."
"Masha, freeze the ground when he moves. Erica, hold fire unless it runs. Talia, cut off escape."
He looked at them. "Just like training."
'Except the target was a tree stump. And failure meant death.'
"Let's go."
Jin burst from the trees, his blade flashing.
SCREEE!
The goblin shrieked and tried to bolt.
"Masha, now!"
Tssk.
A sheet of ice spread across the ground.
The goblin's feet slipped out from under it. Its run became a clumsy slide.
Jin closed the distance. His sword struck the injured leg.
CRACK!
Bone snapped.
The goblin howled and swung its club wildly. The weapon glowed with dirty yellow light. Vicious Strike.
CLANG!
Jin blocked easily.
The goblin tried to drag itself away, claws digging into dirt. Whimpering sounds came from its throat.
No one moved.
This wasn't just a monster. It was a living thing, terrified and broken.
Erica's face went pale. Her hand wavered.
"Erica," Dante said. His voice was calm.
She flinched. Then her jaw set.
A small fireball shot from her palm. It slammed into the ground ahead of the goblin, showering it with hot sparks.
The creature squealed and stumbled backward right into Jin's waiting sword.
Shlk.
The sound was wet.
Jin's blade punched through its chest. The goblin made one last gurgling sigh, black blood bubbling at its lips.
It fell.
A faint wisp of energy rose from the corpse.
Erica turned away, hand over her mouth. Her shoulders shook.
Jin stood there, sword extended, breathing hard. His hands were shaking.
"Jin," Dante said quietly. "Absorb it."
Jin focused on the wisp. It flowed into him.
His eyes widened. "I feel it. Not much, but I feel stronger."
A shaky laugh escaped him.
The team relaxed. Shoulders dropped. Weapons lowered.
They had done it. First kill. Perfect execution.
Rina managed a small smile. "We actually pulled it off."
Edgar let out a long breath. "That was—"
SCREEE! SCREEE! SCREEE!
The goblin's death shriek had been answered.
From every shadow, identical cries erupted. The rustling of leaves became a roar. Branches snapped.
Dozens of pairs of black eyes lit up in the darkness.
They had killed the scout.
Now they had to face the nest.
"Oh no," Masha whispered.
They poured from the trees. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. A screeching horde of green skin and crude weapons.
The perfect plan was gone.
This was no longer a hunt.
This was survival.
"Formation! Now!" Dante shouted. "Rina, center! Eric, shield her! Masha, ice wall!"
Masha threw both hands forward. A barrier of thick ice erupted from the ground.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The first wave slammed into it. Clubs bounced off. Claws scraped.
But more were already swarming the sides.
"Talia, left! Edgar, right! Jin, hold the front!"
The world became violence.
Erica launched fireball after fireball into the thickest clusters.
WHOOSH! BOOM!
Each blast sent goblins flying, bodies smoking. But for every one that fell, three more scrambled over the corpses.
Jin fought at the ice wall's edge. His blade was a blur.
Shnk! Shnk! Shnk!
But the numbers were pushing him back, one step at a time.
"Too many!" Jin yelled. Sweat poured down his face. "I can't hold them all!"
A club got through. Thwack! It caught his shoulder, spinning him.
"Hold the line!" Talia screamed.
She moved fast, her rapier finding throats and eyes.
Shnk! Gurgle.
But as soon as one dropped, two more lunged to fill the gap. A club whistled past her ear.
Eric stood in front of Rina, his body taking the hits.
CRUNCH!
A club slammed into his ribs. Something cracked. His face twisted but he didn't move.
"Eric!" Rina cried. Her hands were already glowing, pressing against his back. Green light pulsed as she healed the broken bone.
But healing took time. And time was running out.
Dante's mind raced, trying to see patterns in the chaos.
A goblin broke through. Its eyes were wild. It charged straight at him, club raised.
'I'm about to die to the weakest monster in this forest. How pathetic.'
Before he could react, a spike of ice shot up from the ground.
Shlk!
It impaled the goblin from below.
Black blood sprayed.
Masha didn't even look at him. Her focus was on launching ice shards into the horde.
"Focus on leading, Dante!" she shouted. "We'll keep you safe!"
But they were slowing down. Getting tired.
Erica's fireballs were getting smaller. Thwack! A club grazed her arm, tearing skin.
She hissed, clutching her arm. Her next fireball went wide, exploding against a tree.
Jin took a slash across his thigh. His footing slipped.
Talia intercepted the goblin lunging at him, but another club caught her shoulder. Crack! She stumbled.
Rina was glowing constantly, hands moving from one injury to the next. Her face was pale, dark circles under her eyes.
"I'm running low," she gasped. "I can't keep this up."
They were taking damage faster than she could heal it.
'We're losing. I need to change this. Now.'
But how? They were surrounded. The goblins kept coming.
Dante clenched his fists. His dominance in new world meant nothing if he couldn't see the answer.
And right now, all he could see was his team being torn apart.
The horde pressed closer. Weapons rose and fell. Blood, both red and black, painted the forest floor.
They were completely surrounded.
And the goblins just kept coming.