Our surroundings blurred as we sprinted across the wasteland, the wolves closing in with every step. Their ragged panting grew louder. Their jagged paws slammed against the barren ground, sending tremors through the cracked earth. Run faster, their pounding footfalls seemed to demand. Run faster—or die.

  "Running ain't gonna work—we need to fight!" Sherry shouted, her voice hoarse with exhaustion.

  "Not happening. Rumiel didn’t give us weapons, just these damn rags," I shot back.

  Sherry cursed under her breath as I yanked at the rough fabric clinging to my skin. Hours ago, I’d been wearing my usual work suit—cheap, stiff, and fraying at the cuffs, but at least it was mine. Now, in its place, I had a ragged tunic and boots so worn I could feel every rock stabbing into my feet. The material itched, offering little defense against the biting wind—and even less against the wolves nipping at our heels. Whatever Rumiel expected us to do out here, survival clearly wasn’t the priority.

  "Yeah, yeah, hold on to your underwear, I’m working on it," Rumiel’s voice blasted through my skull like a megaphone, splitting through my thoughts with infuriating ease.

  Meryl clasped his ears, “Could you turn it down a bit?”

  “Quit complaining and let me concentrate, it's my first time. Little bit of this… and a little bit of that… And…done. Okay, grab these.” Rumiel seemed pleased with herself.

  Without a moment’s notice, a flash of golden light, three battered swords materialized in the air, hovering just within our reach—rusted, chipped, and barely holding together. I grabbed one, expecting weight, but it felt almost weightless, as if it were more illusion than steel.

  Combat initialized…

  Barrett Walker (Level 1)

  Class: Rookie

  Weapon: Neglected Shortsword

  Enemy identified: Feral Wolf (level 28)

  Exp gain: ???

  Meryl groaned. "Level one? Are you kidding me?"

  Sherry twirled her rusted blade, scowling. "And we're up against level 28 wolves? Rumiel, what kind of sick joke is this?"

  “What's up with the question marks?” It was starting to become clear that Rumiel hadn’t had the slightest clue what she was doing. What seemed like an interface floated around me as if I had some strange software uploaded to my brain, except some ten-year-old designed it and gave up halfway.

  "Hey, you try materializing weapons from thin air with no tutorial," Rumiel huffed. "Besides, there’s three of you and two of them. Slay them already"

  That’s not how it works…

  Before I could snap back, a feral growl cut through the air. The larger wolf lunged, fangs bared, eyes gleaming with hunger. Instinct took over—I spun around, dug my heel in the ground and swung my sword, but the blade only grazed against the side of the beast like a stiff breeze, barely scraping its matted fur.

  0 damage!

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  My stomach dropped. "Oh, come on."

  Sherry didn't hesitate. She planted her feet and swung at the wolf, aiming for its flank. Sparks flew as her blade scraped against its thick hide.

  0 damage!

  A big fat zero floated above the wolf’s head before fading away.

  "No damage?!" she shrieked, jumping back as the wolf snapped at her legs. "Rumiel, these swords suck!"

  "Hey, be grateful I conjured anything at all!" Rumiel shot back. "You’d rather fight barehanded?"

  Meryl let out a strangled yell as the second wolf lunged at him, barely dodging in time. "Less arguing, more surviving!" He thrust his sword forward, but the wolf swerved, his blade biting only air.

  The wolves circled us, their low growls vibrating in my chest. Their fangs dripped with saliva, muscles tensed for the kill. My grip on the useless sword tightened as I backed up, ready for the next onslaught of attacks.

  The wolves inched closer and closer, their eyes fixed on us. I could hear the sound of their growls reverberating in my chest, and every time they lunged, the air around me seemed to thicken with impending doom. They were fast, too fast. The larger one darted forward again, snapping its jaws just inches from my face, but I managed to dodge to the side, my heart hammering in my throat.

  "Get back!" I shouted, swinging my sword in a wild arc. It passed through the air with no impact, the blade making a soft whooshing sound as it cut through nothing. The wolf barely flinched, stepping to the side as if toying with me.

  0 damage!

  Sherry cursed, dodging a snap from her wolf and barely avoiding its claws. "This is impossible!" she spat, swiping her sword again—this time, the blade scraped against the beast’s fur, but did nothing more.

  0 damage!

  "Rumiel!" Meryl shouted, his voice filled with panic. He swung at the second wolf, but the creature tanked the strike with ease. "What the hell is going on?! Why don’t we do any damage to them?"

  "Stall! Just stall for a minute! I’m working on it" Rumiel’s voice crackled through our minds, loud and commanding. "I’m almost there! Help is coming!"

  "Almost?!" I shouted, barely dodging another lunge. "These things are going to rip us apart before you finish!"

  The wolves circled again, eyes gleaming, their teeth gnashing. The ground beneath our feet trembled with their movements, and each step they took brought them closer to us. My breath came in sharp gasps, and my limbs were starting to feel heavy. My sword was practically useless, and I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever see another sunrise.

  "Barrett! Get it together!" Sherry barked, slicing at the air in frustration. "Rumiel’s our only hope right now. Do your part and stall!"

  I gritted my teeth, backing up against a jagged boulder, the rough surface digging into my back. The wolves were closing in, the space shrinking with every passing second. I took a deep breath, pushing aside my fear, and swung at the larger wolf again, missing by a hair.

  0 damage!

  The beast snarled, eyes narrowing, and I barely managed to dodge as it snapped at my side.

  "Keep them busy!" Rumiel's voice urged again, more insistent now. "I’m almost there! Just a little longer!"

  I clenched my fists around the hilt of the sword, trying to focus on keeping the wolves distracted. Sherry was doing the same, her blade a blur as she swung wildly at her foe, though it was clear none of our attacks were landing.

  The wolves lunged again, their fangs flashing in the dim light, and we were just one mistake away from being torn to shreds. But we had no choice but to keep dodging, to keep stalling, to hope that Rumiel could pull off whatever miracle she was scrambling to conjure.

  I was so focused on dodging that I didn’t see the loose rock beneath my feet. As I took another step back, my boot caught on it, and I pitched backward, falling hard onto the cracked earth. My sword clattered out of my hand as I flailed to regain my balance, but it was too late.

  The large wolf saw the opportunity and lunged again, its fangs gleaming like knives in the light. I froze, wide open, the rush of air before the attack filling my ears.

  Just as the wolf’s jaws snapped shut, Meryl appeared out of nowhere, slamming his shoulder into the side of the beast with a roar. The impact sent the wolf tumbling sideways, crashing into the rocky ground with a sharp yelp.

  1 damage!

  "Gotcha!" Meryl grunted, regaining his footing as the wolf staggered, its claws digging into the dirt to catch itself.

  That small amount of damage shifting the wolf off balance bought us just enough time. I scrambled to my feet, watching as Rumiel’s voice cut through the chaos once more, her tone almost giddy. "Perfect! Hold on, almost done!"

  A flash of golden light surrounded us again, and with a soft pop, a small flask appeared in midair. It floated down and hovered just in front of us—Rumiel’s Whisky—the same strange elixir that had helped her get us through tough spots in the past.

  "Drink it now!" Rumiel urged, the urgency clear in her voice.