"You seem completely uninjured… How did you save me without a scratch?"
Anik shook his head faintly, voice low. "I was injured. But after you passed mana, my recovery... it was unnaturally fast." He hesitated, eyes flicking to mine. "We need to get help from a healer..."
His words cut off mid-thought. He froze.
Then, his head turned slightly—eyes sharp, scanning the broken buildings surrounding us. We were on a narrow war-torn street, flanked by crumbling stone. Some buildings leaned at precarious angles, others completely leveled. The silence was wrong. Watching.
Without another word, Anik tested the nearest door. It creaked open.
"What's wrong?" I whispered.
He didn't answer. Just helped me up and guided me inside, his touch gentle despite the urgency. Once I was seated against a wall, he shut the door quietly and turned to me with a simple gesture.
Check your scenario box.
I did.
SCENARIO: SURVIVAL MODE ACTIVATED You are in a hostile kingdom. Powerful forces are hunting you down. Escape or eliminate the threat to survive.
What the actual hell…
Again? I was nowhere near being able to sense my surroundings normally anymore leave alone run or fight.
I flicked through the interface, hoping for a clue—anything. No map. No hints. Just that chilling line.
And then I realized Anik wasn't standing anymore.
He was collapsed near the entrance. Blood pooled beneath him, staining the stone floor. Thick crimson streaked from his temple, running into his eyes. His thigh was ripped open, muscle visible through the gash. He looked half-dead.
"When did—"
He met my eyes—desperation blazing in his expression. He didn't need to speak. I heard the message anyway.
Run.
And then the world shifted.
I wasn't in my body anymore. It felt like I was floating above myself, like an observer in someone else's nightmare. I tried to hold onto the strange sensation—maybe analyze it—but it snapped back instantly.
Now I was no longer on the floor.
I was in the air.
A massive orc held me like a ragdoll in its meaty hands, bouncing me around like a toy. But its giggles… they sounded young. Curious.
A child?
It was a baby orc—still monstrous, still dangerous—but just a child.
It started shaking me violently. Up, down. Side to side.
Then it got frustrated.
And threw me.
I silently promised myself at that moment,- I'll take good care of my toys if I survive this.
I crashed a few feet from Anik, every nerve screaming. Bones crackled. Blood oozed from my shoulder and abdomen. I couldn't even cry out—it hurt too much.
Anik wasn't moving anymore.
Panic flared. I reached out with my mana, shoving it into him again—desperate to stabilize him.
Nearby, another orc sat, disinterested. It wasn't even fighting. Just… sitting.
I almost laughed. We looked pathetic. No dramatic save. No heroism. Just defeat.
Except—there was still one thing left.
Imagination.
I tried to concentrate—
But then a harsh system message cut across my vision.
ALERT: POWER PENALTY Your abilities have been reduced by 80% due to the death of your partner.
What?
No.
Anik?
I whipped my head around—and saw the orc's massive foot.
Pressing down on something.
Right where Anik had been.
"No. No no no—!"
I clutched my head, the scream ripping out of me before I could stop it. My breath shortened, panic choking me.
It couldn't be real.
He couldn't be dead.
He was the main character. He had that vibe.
He wasn't supposed to die.
I lost track of time. Of everything.
And then—
I blinked.
And the world was… whole again.
No injuries. No dead bodies. The girl from earlier was talking softly nearby. The man I thought I'd killed? Alive. The air shimmered with static, but the battle hadn't even started yet.
And Anik? Nowhere.
He hadn't arrived yet.
I checked my skills window.
SKILLS UNLOCKED:
Imagination
Future Premonition
Close Combat (Beginner)
Unlimited Mana
Future Premonition. Had it activated?
That nightmare—was it a hallucination, or…?
No. It wasn't a dream. It was a warning.
A glimpse of what could happen.
The system hadn't glitched—it had tested me.
I took a shaky breath. I had to finish this scenario before that future became real.
This could be finished easily with imagination but no risks. Mana transfer would work but he is not here yet. I couldn't pass mana to him. And I wasn't strong enough alone.
Unless…
"Everyone! Gather around!"
The others hesitated at first, but instincts pushed them forward. They listened to me now.
I placed my hand on the frontliner's shoulder and pushed.
Blue light spilled from my palm—gentle, glowing, steady. Not the unstable red or blood-tinged haze from before. This was pure.
I passed mana down the line—one teammate to the next.
One by one, they straightened. Roared. Laughed.
They felt it. They believed.
And I?
I swayed where I stood, vision blurry. No way I am gonna die in orc kid's meaty hands... or foot maybe, premonition didn't show how I died.
Within minutes, the enemy lines started to falter. We advanced.
By the time the sun lowered behind the castle's broken towers, the enemy was kneeling. Even their leader was down—barely conscious.
Then the system rang again.
SCENARIO COMPLETE You are now the ruler of this land.
I staggered toward the enemy leader. "Don't kill them. Bind them. Take them to the prison."
He looked up—defiant. And smiling.
My gut twisted.
Something's wrong.
I turned, scanning—counting bodies. Everyone was restrained except—
The healer.
I spun around, but too late.
A familiar cold feeling. A knife plunged into my side.
"Again…?" I gasped.
And blacked out.
.....
When I woke up, everything felt wrong… and right.
My body didn't hurt.
Was I dead again?
A soft breeze brushed my cheek. A chandelier above swayed slightly.
Then I flinched.
A kid hung upside-down from the ceiling, face too close, eyes unblinking.
"What the hell—"
"Hey, kiddo," a familiar voice called from behind me. "Get down from there."
Anik.
I whipped my head around.
He stood at the door, unharmed, calm, like none of it had ever happened. The strange kid scampered down and followed him in like a shadow.
"You're alive…" I muttered, too stunned to process it.
Anik raised a brow. "You okay? You look like you saw a ghost."
I almost laughed. Or cried. Maybe both.
The girl from earlier walked in. "You seem better. If you're already smiling like that."
She was followed by an older woman.
"Our healer," the girl said.
"Finally."
Wait—that was from the vision. They don't know we were looking for one
"Oh—finally!" I blurted. Then immediately froze. "I mean… the other guy said he was a healer but—"
She frowned. "He's already been executed. Publicly. Had to make an example."
"Beheaded?!" I choked.
"In the square. In front of everyone."
My jaw dropped.
Public executions?
What twisted RPG hell was this again?