The first watch was decided to be Bjorn and Jasper, despite the latter’s complaints, so Leo found a corner, laid back, and let his eyes close.

  Sleep took him instantly.

  What began as a calm drift soon twisted into something else. A torrent of emotion, not fear, but something vast… powerful, and untamed. He stood in the centre of a storm, but it wasn’t rain or wind that surrounded him.

  Fire danced in arcs, flaring into veins of lightning that cracked through frozen clouds. Ice shards spun lazily past him, somehow untouched by the heat. A maelstrom of clashing elements whirled together in chaotic harmony.

  And then he saw them.

  A pair of massive, dark, rainbow coloured eyes shifting like oil on water watched him from deep within the storm. He couldn’t tell if they were far away or inches from his face. They radiated power. An unshakeable presence.

  But not hostility.

  He opened his mouth to speak—

  “Kid, wake up. It’s your turn to take watch.”

  Leo blinked and sat up. Bjorn crouched next to him.

  “How long was I out?” Leo mumbled, still half in the dream.

  “Four hours or so. Nothing happened. Silent as hell out there. Eerie, but I’ll take it over hearing one of those damn ants screeching again.” He shivered.

  Leo stretched. He felt oddly refreshed. It might have only been four hours, but his body felt like it had gotten a full night’s sleep. His wound was completely healed. His resources at maximum.

  Maybe increased stats help with recovery, worth keeping an eye on, Leo considered.

  Bjorn had already woken up the—not so silent—warrior woman. She joined Leo near the entrance, and the two of them took seats on either side of the poorly erected barricade. The city was quiet—asleep, maybe. Or just waiting to strike when guards came down.

  They sat in silence for nearly ten minutes before Leo finally spoke, his voice low.

  “Sorry if I’m prying too much, but I’d prefer not just calling you ‘warrior woman’. What’s your name?”

  He could have sworn she smirked before replying.

  “Cecelia. Pleased to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too, Cecelia.”

  She studied him in the dark, silver eyes glinting with something unreadable.

  “I saw you. In the restaurant. Just before this “system” thing happened. You were with coworkers—there was a commotion. I normally wouldn’t care, but something drew my attention. You had everyone’s focus. I felt…fear. Discomfort. I’d have sworn there was a monster at your table.”

  She paused.

  “I am not someone who feels fear.”

  Leo looked down. That hit harder than he expected. He made her feel afraid? His animosity and rage affected not only those he directed it at but everyone else too. It made him cringe in self-disgust as he pictured Erin’s terrified face.

  “I..don't know what it was exactly,” he said quietly. “I’ve had anger issues in the past but not that intense. I’ve had it under control for years.”

  His eyes turned sharp. “But my boss—Henry—he’s always tried to make my life hell. Everyone loved him and turned a blind eye to his abuse, almost encouraging it. I let it slide over me as best I could but that day…” Leo’s fists clenched in memory.

  “He insulted my family. Something broke and I snapped. I felt rage just pouring out of me. If I hadn’t gotten control, I think I might have seriously hurt him—or worse.”

  He didn’t mention the bloodline or that the rage could be related. There was nothing substantial telling him this, so it was just a feeling. He didn’t know this woman so he wouldn’t reveal any secrets. Not yet anyway.

  Cecelia didn’t push. But her eyes said she knew there was more.

  Instead, she shifted topics.

  “How do you know so much about all this?” She gestured around her.“You seem familiar with it, somehow. That shouldn’t be possible.”

  Leo scratched his cheek. “Oh, uh… I play a lot of video games. It’s kind of second nature to me. You get stronger, gain skills, level up. Same basic rules, but a lot more real here.”

  “I see,” she said thoughtfully. “So where did you learn to fight? I doubt video games teach you how to kill hardened criminals armed with weapons and fight giant ants.”

  Leo chuckled. “Fair enough. I train at Boyd’s gym. Martial arts, weapons, all that. It’s something I really enjoyed doing in my spare time. Kept me fit and…” He paused, deciding not to mention the fighting of monsters to further embarrass himself. “Helped me unwind.”

  He smiled, then caught himself. “Not that I enjoyed killing anyone. But… the fight itself? The rush was kind of thrilling,” Leo admitted in a quiet voice.

  She smirked again.

  “You’re capable. You’ll be useful to me in this place.”

  He furrowed his brow, unsure how to respond. Part of him wanted to correct her, but the idea of being useful to someone did make him feel a twinge of happiness. The only person who appreciated his help was Natalie these days.

  “I’m not some kind of killing machine, you realise? Also, I’m pretty terrible when it comes to people.”

  She laughed, the joyous sound bubbling up like a melody in the quiet night, bringing a smile effortlessly to Leo’s face.

  “We’ll see.”

  Around half an hour after his conversation with Cecelia, Leo noticed a figure quietly approaching from the shadows. It was Ashley.

  “Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?” she asked softly, her voice hesitant.

  Leo turned to her, offering her a gentle smile. “Of course. Everything okay?”

  “Yes, everything’s fine,” Ashley replied, her gaze briefly dropping to the ground. “I just wanted to thank you for what you did. You risked your life for me—a complete stranger. You could have walked away and I doubt he would have chased you. You could have abandoned me. Like Derek did..” She bit her lip to stop it from shaking.

  “Why did you do it?”

  Leo raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled by her question. “Because it wasn’t really a choice? It was the right thing to do.”

  Ashley stared at him, admiration mixed with confusion in her eyes as a soft blush warmed her cheeks. “That’s incredibly kind of you. I truly appreciate it.”

  Her expression darkened slightly, eyes glistening with the shadow of painful memories. “My boyfriend—well, ex-boyfriend now—Derek, was given the choice of leaving me or fighting to help. He barely hesitated to throw me to those wolves.” Her voice trembled, filled with hurt and betrayal. “I loved him. I trusted him! And he tossed me aside like I meant nothing. They killed him shortly after that, and I just ran.”

  Leo’s expression softened with sympathy, she had said in her explanation earlier that they had killed her boyfriend but not the detail.

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  “I’m sorry you had to experience that. No one deserves to be treated that way.”

  Ashley nodded slowly, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. “I know. I’m just struggling to accept it, I guess.”

  Leo gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, she tensed again for a moment before relaxing, her head tilting slightly towards the heat of his hand. “You’re stronger than you realise, Ashley. You survived, and you’re still fighting. That counts for a lot.”

  Ashley offered a faint, grateful smile. “Thank you, Leo. Really.”

  Leo smiled warmly back. “No worries, happy to help.”

  From a short distance away, Cecelia’s voice quietly broke the silence as Ashley moved away. “And here I thought you were terrible with people,” she said, stepping closer with a teasing smile. “But that was actually quite well done.”

  The next few hours until sunrise passed quietly and without incident. As the sky transitioned from amber hues to clear morning blue, people began waking, visibly relieved that nothing dangerous had occurred during the night. Breakfast rations were quietly consumed as everyone mentally prepared themselves for the day ahead.

  Leo glanced at his secondary quest notification.

  Quest : Survive 24 hours

  Reward : Essence Crystal (F)

  Time remaining : 35 minutes

  They were nearly done with their first quest, and he was intrigued by the reward. Essence crystals had to be connected to the essences they’d unlocked during the initiation. Surprised that no one had brought it up yet, Leo found the courage to speak.

  “Does everyone else have the quest about surviving twenty-four hours?” he asked hesitantly.

  “I forgot all about that!” Bjorn exclaimed. “Popped up right at the start of this hell. Got any ideas what it means, kid?”

  Leo thought for a second. “Did everyone touch that orb thing when the system guy instructed us to?”

  Everyone nodded, and Lena spoke up. Her voice was timid but kind sounding. “I remember feeling sick, like I’d been punched in the stomach. It said I unlocked something called a ‘Water Essence,’ then asked me what stat I wanted to bind it to—whatever that means. I picked Intelligence. Did everyone else get that?”

  Before anyone followed up, Leo thought about her words. It asked her what stat it wanted to bind to. For him they had just been assigned without option. It could just be her so he listened intently, albeit nervously.

  One by one, people shared their experiences. Bjorn had the Earth Essence, Amy a Life Essence. Ron just muttered, “Sun,” earning a quiet chuckle from Cecelia, who simply said, “Moon.” Jasper proudly claimed he had a powerful Nature Essence but neglected to explain why it was powerful. Ashley mentioned that she had a Light Essence.

  It was certainly a wide variety, only Bjorn shared an Essence with himself. The rest all sounded cool as hell though, he imagined being a Sun mage or Moon archer, all the archetypes that existed out there fascinated him. Those thoughts didn’t last long.

  When Leo’s turn finally came and all eyes landed on him, his stomach dropped like an anchor made of anxiety. His palms grew clammy, heartbeat accelerating. Unlike everyone else, he had four Essences. Internally, he decided to hide his uniqueness.

  Unfortunately, Leo was an awful liar.

  Staring at the ground to avoid eye contact, he mumbled quietly, “Fire Essence.”

  Cecelia’s eyes narrowed, seeing straight through his poor deception. “You’re hiding something.”

  Leo’s gaze snapped up, stunned. How could she have seen through him so easily? Cecelia didn’t look angry—just amused by the attempt.

  Bjorn frowned. “What does she mean, kid?”

  Leo sighed deeply, surrendering to honesty. “When I touched the orb, it wasn’t just mild discomfort or a punch in the gut. It was agony. I was on the floor, unable to move, barely able to breathe. I unlocked the Fire Essence… and the Ice Essence.”

  Cecelia raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised for the first time. Before anyone could react, Leo continued quickly. “And Lightning and Earth Essences.”

  Shock spread across everyone’s faces, and Leo braced for accusations or anger. He expected jealousy. Afterall, gamers always hated unfair advantages.

  But the reaction never came. Instead Bjorn broke the tension with laughter. “Hah! If these Essence thingies end up important then it looks like we hit the jackpot when you charged through that door!”

  Leo blinked, confused. “You’re not going to cast me out or think I’m a monster for having extra Essences?”

  “Pff, why would we be jealous?” Bjorn scoffed. “Like I said, we don’t even know what they actually do—apart from giving more of those stat things.”

  Leo realised these weren’t competitive gamers, but regular people who just wanted to survive. This wasn’t a game. These people cared about safety right now, not about who had more stats or better Essences. The feeling of acceptance was an alien one to him but he had to admit… It felt nice.

  As discussions continued about what Essences might mean, the quest timer finally hit zero:

  Quest complete!

  You have survived your first day in this new world. Rejoice, for now you may tap into the power lay within you to help progress your path.

  Anyone who has not bound their Essence to a stat yet will not be able to use this reward until they have done so.

  Reward: Essence Crystal (F)

  An Essence Crystal materialised in Leo’s hand. It was a clear, faintly shimmering crystal. It tingled slightly in his palm.

  Essence Crystal (F)

  Used to unlock an Essence skill based on bound stat.

  Multiple Crafting or Alchemical uses

  Leo grinned, eagerly anticipating his reward, until Bjorn’s voice interrupted him. “Kid! Did you hear me? Do you know what we’re supposed to do with these?”

  “Oh sorry,” Leo replied sheepishly. “We should definitely use them.” Seeing hesitation, he added quickly, “I’ll go first if that helps.”

  “If you’re sure it’s safe,” Ashley added cautiously.

  “The system called it a reward, so I doubt it’s anything malicious,” Cecelia added.

  As if anyone could stop him from unlocking a magical skill. This was a dream come true.

  Leo focused on the crystal in his hand, instinctively willing it to activate. A prompt appeared before him:

  Would you like to use: Essence Crystal (F)

  Yes/No

  He mentally chose “Yes,” feeling a surge of energy rush through him, warm and powerful yet oddly familiar. After a brief moment, the sensation faded, and a new notification appeared:

  You have unlocked the Fire Essence Skill: Kindled Strength (Common)

  Kindled Strength (Common)

  Passive effect: Your stamina continuously fuels your strikes, increasing their impact and adding bonus damage.

  Scales with Strength.

  He tested the new skill, throwing a few punches. Each blow felt stronger, infused with subtle warmth that tingled his skin. This wasn’t exactly what he was expecting but it was undeniably useful to his class. Punch things harder? Sure.

  I’d have preferred a fireball, though, his inner-child complained.

  “That was impressive,” Cecelia remarked dryly. “But care to share with the class?”

  Leo blushed, embarrassed he’d somehow forgotten his audience. After quickly explaining, the group began cautiously activating their crystals one by one.

  The skills they unlocked varied, but all seemed to be useful for their classes.

  Amy gained a healing-over-time spell. Bjorn’s shield was able to be covered in a thick coating of stone. Cecelia’s sword glowed with the pale light of the moon, cutting through the light of day as she swung it in demonstration.

  Jasper bragged about his poison-infused dagger strikes. Doing a few swings to try and show them off but he was unskilled and clumsy, resulting in no one caring.

  Lena was able to summon a blade of water from her wand that shot out and made a clear mark in the stone wall. Ron simply gestured at his quiver and repeated, “Sun,” leaving everyone amused but no clearer.

  Ashley finally admitted confusion. “Mine says ‘Light constructs you create have increased durability.’ I don’t get it.”

  Bjorn glanced at Leo expectantly. “Any ideas, kid?”

  Leo thought briefly. “Maybe you’ll eventually create shields or barriers of light. Sounds defensive in nature if I was to hazard a guess.”

  Ashley brightened visibly. “That’s pretty cool! I think…Thanks, Leo!”

  The group continued excitedly discussing their newfound abilities until Bjorn’s firm voice regained their attention.

  “Alright, folks. We’ve had our fun, but daylight’s wasting. Time to move. Leo said there’s a river a few miles away, but it’s ant territory.”

  “This whole fucking city is ant territory,” Jasper muttered. Bjorn paid him no mind, despite the accuracy of his statement.

  Seriousness settled over the group. The quiet resolve of a bunch of civilians preparing to risk their lives to improve their situation.

  Ensuring everyone was fed, hydrated and equipped, the group began their cautious journey into the unknown.

  Leo did realise something as they left, something that no one had pointed out, perhaps due to its sensitive nature.

  Why haven’t I needed to pee?