Renji woke up with a heavy feeling in his shoulders. His body felt more exhausted than sore, as if he had slept for days. His eyes widened and he realized he was being carried. Toru and Yui held his arms, dragging him up the stairs.
"Where are we?" he mumbled, trying to get his bearings.
"Remember the staircase where the goblins appeared?" replied Toru.
Renji blinked a few times, his mind still confused. "Yes... I think so."
"We're climbing it. You fainted after the fight against the Goblin King, so we decided to carry you."
"There was no other way out?" Renji frowned. "We could be heading straight for one of their nests."
"I searched the surroundings with my goblins," said Toru. "There was no other route than that."
Renji sighed, accepting the situation. "Right... you can let me go now. I'll walk alone."
As soon as his feet were on the steps, he straightened up, stretching his neck as he took in his surroundings. The corridor was narrow, made of dark, uneven bricks, as if it were part of an ancient ruin. The stone stairs looked worn by time, and torches attached to the walls cast shadows along the way.
Arisa was at the front, bow in hand, on the lookout for any sign of danger. Yui and Toru walked just behind, while he was still a few steps down.
"How long have we been climbing?" asked Renji, breaking the silence.
"At least ten minutes," replied Arisa without taking her eyes off the path.
It was then that Yui looked at him with a hesitant expression. "Renji... I didn't want to bother you, but... how did you survive that?"
"Are you talking about when that goblin slit my throat and smashed my face?"
Yui nodded, Toru and Arisa stopped momentarily, casting attentive glances at the conversation.
Renji put a hand to his head, trying to organize his memories. "I don't remember completely... but I saw something. It was like a dream."
"..."
"It was a castle... a completely white castle. The floor, the walls... everything was made of immaculate stone."
He closed his eyes for a moment, searching for the image in his mind. "And there was a throne. Huge. Gigantic. As if it had been made for a colossal creature."
"How big was this throne?" asked Yui, his voice laden with curiosity.
"I don't know for sure... but it was at least ten times bigger than me."
Everyone was silent for a moment, absorbing the information.
"So... what happened next?" Yui insisted.
"Before I could understand what that place was, the system beeped. It said I was in a 'dangerous area' and then... I awakened my ability. The next instant, I came back to life."
"So you were teleported?" Yui frowned.
Toru crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"Not even in front of the Goblin King did the system beep like that. Where the hell were you, Renji?"
Before they could continue their conversation, Arisa interrupted them.
"Look!"
At the top of the stairs, a light shone down. The end of the corridor.
"Finally!" exclaimed Toru, stepping forward without hesitation.
"Hey, you idiot!" shouted Arisa, running after him.
Renji and Yui looked at each other and dashed after, not wanting to be left behind.
As soon as they left the staircase, they were greeted by a gust of fresh wind. Renji narrowed his eyes at the sunlight and saw before him a vast valley surrounded by imposing mountains. Below, a dense forest stretched out, cut by a crystal-clear river that meandered through the terrain.
The exit from the staircase was a rudimentarily carved stone portal.
Toru took a deep breath and opened his arms. "Ah, I'm finally out of that manhole!"
Arisa, wasting no time, struck him in the back.
"You asshole, if there was a trap at the exit, you'd be dead by now."
"Oh, suck it, you little bitch!" grumbled Toru, massaging his back.
Renji ignored the argument and walked over to a small stone tablet next to the portal. He caught the others' attention and read the inscriptions engraved on it.
"Welcome to Level 1 - The Valley of the Dragons."
"Dragons? Does that really exist here?" asked Toru, his eyes widening.
"We haven't returned to the normal world yet..." muttered Yui.
It was then that Arisa pointed to the sky.
Renji raised his head and his heart almost stopped.
Huge creatures were gliding over the valley. Winged lizards with scales that varied between shades of red and green. Their wings cut through the wind and their fangs glistened in the sunlight.
"Hahaha! I can't wait to have one of those!" exclaimed Toru, fascinated.
Arisa cut him off on the spot. "Don't even think about it."
"What? Why?"
"We can't fight these things. We've already had a hard time against goblins. Imagine against these monsters that can fly?"
"Arisa's right," Renji interjected. "Besides, we have to remember that Yui hasn't awakened yet. If we engage in combat, she could get hurt."
Yui blushed. "N-No need to worry about me..."
"Let's go down the mountains and through the forest," suggested Arisa. "Those things are too big to follow us down there."
"Ah, what a drag," grumbled Toru.
○
The group made their way through the forest, moving under the cover of the trees to avoid being noticed.
"There seems to be no end to this," commented Yui.
"I very much doubt it will," replied Toru, with his arms crossed.
"Don't be so pessimistic! You're making me anxious."
"You saw what was written on the sign, didn't you? This is just the beginning."
"Oh, don't talk like that..."
Arisa looked at Renji, who seemed lost in thought.
"What are you thinking?"
He looked away from her. "Survive. Evolve. Or perish. Do you remember those words?"
Arisa blinked in surprise. "Yes... that's what we heard when we came in here."
Toru and Yui also confirmed it.
"Do you have any theories about this?" asked Arisa.
"A boss, level systems, experience... the very concept of the hero's path... everything here works like a game."
Toru snorted. "Wow, what a genius. I didn't even notice that."
Renji cracked his neck. "You only look at the surface, Toru. Stop and think... if this place really is like a game, there must be a way to 'reset' it."
"Are you saying we can finish it?" asked Toru.
"Exactly. There must be quests, NPCs... maybe even other players."
"Nerd talk," muttered Yui.
Arisa pondered. "I don't know much about games, but I'll hold off on that possibility. Explain it to me later, Renji."
Before they could continue, a burst of fire exploded in front of them.
The ground shook, and a rumble echoed through the forest, followed by a gust of hot wind that shook the surrounding trees. Dry leaves were thrown into the air, swirling in a storm of embers.
A whirlwind of flames rose up on the path ahead, consuming the treetops and illuminating the sky with an orange glow. From the middle of the glowing maelstrom, a figure emerged.
A colossal dragon with four outspread wings glided out of the flames. Its skin was covered in crimson scales, which seemed to absorb and reflect the fire around it. Its claws sliced through the air with a hiss, and its golden eyes stared at the group, like a predator assessing its prey.
But what really caught the group's attention wasn't just the dragon.
Mounted on its back was a knight wearing black armor made from the same scales as the creature. In his right hand he wielded a golden spear, which reflected the glow of the fire. Even without saying anything, his presence was overwhelming.
The rider pulled on the creature's reins, and the dragon landed softly on the ground blackened by the fire. The force of the impact cracked the earth beneath its paws. The beast then flapped its wings, dissipating some of the flames and raising dust all around.
The group instinctively retreated.
"What the fuck?" muttered Toru, clenching his fists.
For an instant, time seemed to freeze.
Renji felt a shiver run down his spine. The students were motionless, as if any abrupt movement could attract the attention of that imposing figure.
The knight stood motionless over the beast, as if he were assessing them. The silence was suffocating, charged with an invisible danger.
What would he do next?