When the group had first met with Sarah, they had established a clear plan of movement.
They had discussed their route carefully and agreed on a destination. According to Sarah, if they could reach that area safely, then finding the route to the exit would be relatively easy. The environment around that place was more stable, and from there, they would be able to navigate toward the exist without too much trouble.
At least, that was the plan.
Unfortunately, due to a series of unexpected events that had transpired along the way, they were unable to head toward that location immediately. One problem after another had delayed them. Some were caused by external dangers, others by circumstances beyond their control.
But one thing was certain , each incident slowed them down, drained their energy, some even increased the pressure on them, even if it was just for a moment. Fortunately , every incident was resolved .
However by the time everything was finally resolved, valuable time had already been lost.
Still, after discussing among themselves, they had come to the conclusion that it was no longer wise to stay where they were. Remaining in one place for too long in this stage was dangerous. It attracted attention. It increased the chances of being discovered by enemies.So, in the end, they decided to move.
And that decision had led them to this very location.
Along the way they talked allot about the famous game GTT , well actually Johnson was the one doing all the talking , and the others did more of listening , while asking questions .
Everything seemed to be going well, that was until their sixth mutant detected something, or more precisely some one...
The area around the group was quiet, almost unnaturally so. Broken terrain stretched in every direction, with large rocks and uneven ground scattered across the landscape. Visibility was good, but there were also enough obstacles to provide cover when needed.
As they advanced cautiously, something changed.They felt it.At first, it was only a faint sensation, almost like a light pressure in the back of their minds.
Then it became clearer.
Their mutant sixth sense had been activated.
It was the first thing to register the presence of others.
Someone was nearby.
Close to their destination, three individuals stood not far ahead of them. From a distance, it looked as if they were discussing something. They were positioned facing one another, occasionally pointing in different directions, as though arguing about which route to take.
Perhaps that was why they had not noticed Fai's group.They were too focused on their own discussion.Fai, with his enhanced eyesight, had no difficulty spotting them, even without a mutant sense .
After carefully observing for a few seconds, he estimated the distance between his group and the other individuals to be around Roughly two hundred meters.
Not close enough to hear them.Not far enough to feel safe.When the group realized that there were people ahead, they immediately changed their behavior.
Without speaking, they moved quietly toward a huge rock on the side of the path. The rock was large enough to conceal all three of them if they positioned themselves properly.
They crouched low behind it.
From there, they could observe the group in front without being noticed,They waited, watched,listened.The three individuals ahead still seemed unaware of their presence.
"What do we do?" Johnson whispered.
His voice was low, barely louder than the wind.
At his current state, it was clear that getting into a fight was not the best option for him. His body was still weakened from previous encounters, and he had not fully recovered. A serious battle could easily leave him injured again, or worse.At least for him, fighting was a bad idea.
However, there was another problem.Due to
His deal with Fai.He was still two coins short of the required number to pass through this stage.
Only two,But those two coins meant everything.If he failed to reach the demanded amount, he would lose this stage.If he failed this stage, everything he had endured so far would be meaningless.If he were alone, attacking would probably be his first choice. A fight meant rewards. Rewards meant coins. Coins meant the next stage was certain, but provided he won the confrontation.
But unfortunately, he wasn't alone.
He was part of a group.He couldn't make such decisions by himself.He needed the others' opinions.Even if those opinions reduced his chances.
"I think it's best we lay low," Sarah said quietly.
To her, that was clearly the safest option.
"From the looks of it," she continued, "they're about to choose their route. If we stay hidden, they'll move soon. Once they're gone, we can continue."
She paused briefly.
"That way, there's no need for confrontation. We'll avoid unnecessary risks, and we can choose a different path from theirs."
She wasn't ready to gamble.Johnson's condition wasn't good.She wasn't sure how strong Fai really was.If anything, Fai might even be the weakest among them in direct combat.If they made a reckless move and attacked, the responsibility would fall on her.
And she wasn't confident she had enough energy to fight three opponents alone.
Especially when she didn't even know how strong those opponents were.
Johnson listened carefully,he understood her reasoning,he knew she was right.The situation was too dangerous,too uncertain,too risky.
Still…
A feeling of disappointment settled in his chest.What if they reached the exit without him getting enough coins?What if he failed because he played it too safe?
If only he wasn't injured, maybe he could do something, after reaching so far .. was he going to fail?
"I… I think you're right," he said slowly.
Then he turned toward Fai's direction.
"Right, Fai? What do you think?"
But that was when he noticed something was wrong.Fai wasn't there.
The place where he had been crouching was empty.
"What the…?" Johnson whispered. "Where's Fai?"
Sarah immediately turned her head,her eyes widened,he was gone.And then she saw him.
Fai was already rushing forward,running at full speed.Straight toward the three individuals ahead.
"Sorry, guys," Fai said softly, though excitement could be heard in his voice. "But I think I prefer quests."
As he sprinted, the system interface appeared before his eyes.
[QUEST]
[USE YOUR SKILL AUTO FAIRY DEFENCE ON THE OPPONENTS AHEAD OF YOU]
[REWARDS]
[EACH INDIVIDUAL DEFEATED = 50 EXP]
[ADDITIONAL BONUS FOR TAKING THE QUEST = 100 EXP]
When the notification first appeared, Fai hadn't planned on accepting it.It was risky,not only for him, but for the entire group.
Why fight people who hadn't even attacked them?If letting them choose their route first would help avoid conflict, then that was clearly the smarter option.
At first, he had intended to ignore it, to ignore the quest , but that was until he saw the bonus.
Extra exp.A guaranteed reward just for accepting the quest ,the system did have a way to manipulate this kid .
At that moment, temptation took over,at this moment he was sure of one thing.The system wouldn't trick him into danger without reason.
And this time, the quest didn't even include "Survive."It only asked him to defeat them.
That meant his chances of winning were good,So what did he really have to lose?
Even though, deep down, he knew he was acting on impulse.
He knew he was justifying his actions with convenient thoughts,He knew he was chasing experience.Still, he ran.
The distance between him and his opponents closed rapidly."You've got to be kidding me…" Sarah muttered.
She watched Fai sprint forward, disbelief and worry in her eyes.
"Is he crazy? What's gotten into him?"
Her voice trembled slightly.
Johnson, on the other hand, slowly smiled.
A dangerous, excited smile.
"Yeah, you said it all right ,his crazy " he said quietly, watching Fai charge ahead.
"And I like that."
******.
I made this chapter longer , hope it's makes up for the other inactive days .
Like I said , I will be starting my medical training this month , so it would be hard for me to write, due to time shrinkage. But I'll try my best to find time and write.
Thanks for the support guys , and thanks for the votes , it keeps me motivated.