Chapter 5: A Cozy Flame

  Kade approached the bronze chest with measured expectations. It was a bronze chest from a beginner quest after all. Still, anything would be an improvement over his current equipment, which was nothing.

  He summoned it from his inventory and knelt beside the ornate container, running his fingers along its cool metal surface. No lock mechanism was visible, just a simple latch that flipped open at his touch. The lid swung upward with a soft creak.

  [Bronze Chest Opened]

  [Item Acquired: Basic Leather Vest]

  Kade reached into the chest and withdrew a rudimentary leather vest. The material was supple yet sturdy, designed to cover his torso and provide basic protection.

  He turned the vest over in his hands. Well, it was a bronze chest in level one of a tutorial. What had he expected? Magical weapons? Legendary artifacts?

  Despite his initial disappointment, practicality quickly took over. His shirt was soaked with goblin blood and reeked of sulfur. The leather armor, plain as it might be, would be a substantial upgrade from blood-spattered cotton.

  When he examined the armor more carefully, a blue notification appeared:

  [Basic Leather Vest]

  [Simple protective equipment crafted from treated animal hide. Provides minimal protection for the torso against slashing and piercing attacks. Increases physical defense without significantly restricting movement.]

  Kade stripped off his ruined shirt, grimacing at the tacky feel of drying blood on his skin. He wiped himself down as best he could using a clean portion of the discarded garment before donning the leather vest.

  The armor settled against his body with surprising comfort, conforming to his frame as if custom-made. The shoulder pieces allowed full range of motion while the chest and back panels felt reassuringly solid.

  Fastening the final buckle, he noted the perfect fit. The System seemed to know his measurements better than he did.

  Kade adjusted the leather vest, making sure it was securely fastened. Though it only protected his torso, he felt more properly equipped for whatever this realm might throw at him next. The vest wasn't impressive, but it was certainly better than facing enemies in just a t-shirt.

  With the immediate task completed, Kade stretched his arms overhead. He had been working at his desk when transported here, the evening hours of writing having left him somewhat tired, though not exhausted. The subsequent fighting and constant vigilance had taken some toll, but adrenaline was still keeping him alert.

  He glanced around the goblin camp. The fire still burned strongly, casting a warm glow that contrasted sharply with the perpetual twilight beyond. The dancing flames seemed almost hypnotic after nothing but gray fog and muted landscapes.

  He settled himself near the fire, considering a brief rest. Just for a few minutes.

  The warmth was comforting, even though the temperature in Limbo remained perfectly pleasant—neither hot nor cold. The fire's presence was a welcome anomaly in this bizarre realm. Kade stretched his legs toward the flames, appreciating how the firelight pushed back the oppressive fog. After hours of wandering through the swirling gray haze, the constant pressure of disorientation had taken a psychological toll he hadn't fully recognized until now. The dancing light, the crackling sound—these normal, familiar sensations provided a strange comfort. For the first time since entering the gateway, he felt a small measure of security.

  As he relaxed, his thoughts wandered to his status screen. Perhaps he should have allocated some points to Constitution. If that stat worked how he thought it would, it might have enhanced his stamina, reduced his need for sleep, or improved his recovery rate. Something to consider for future level-ups.

  His mind drifted to his life before all this. The unfinished romance novel waiting on his laptop now seemed like a lifetime ago, though it had been mere hours. What would his readers think if they knew their favorite author was now fighting goblins in another dimension? The irony wasn't lost on him—he'd spent years writing fictional adventures, only to find himself living one.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  College memories surfaced. The biomedical degree he'd worked so hard for, only to find the job market unforgiving. His ex-girlfriend dragging him to book clubs where they discussed romance novels that Kade had found predictable and formulaic. Who would have thought those boring evenings would eventually lead to his unexpected writing career?

  The late-night gaming sessions with friends, dungeon crawling until dawn, had unknowingly prepared him for this moment better than his formal education ever could. The countless hours spent optimizing character builds and debating the merits of different stat allocations weren't wasted after all.

  Kade smiled to himself, remembering how his friends had teased him about being "the romance novelist." If only they could see him now, dual-wielding goblin swords in a leather vest.

  He yawned, but not from deep exhaustion. It was more the body's automatic response to a moment of calm. Sleeping in the open still seemed unwise. Any wandering monster could stumble upon him, and that would be the end of Kade Brown, aspiring hero and unexpected dimensional traveler.

  Still, the idea of maintaining the fire had its appeal. More goblins might see it through the fog and approach. The thought didn't worry Kade as much as it probably should have. In fact, part of him welcomed the opportunity. Each goblin meant more experience, more levels, more power.

  He flexed his arm, watching the muscles ripple under his skin. The stat increases were more than numbers—he could feel the difference in his body, the newfound strength and agility flowing through him. The rush he'd experienced when allocating his points after each kill was unlike anything he'd felt before. That moment when new power surged through him, making him faster, stronger... it was intoxicating.

  His fingers tapped the hilts of his goblin swords. More goblins please. A small part of him recognized this newfound bloodthirst as concerning, but a larger part was already calculating how many more goblins he'd need to kill to reach level 6.

  He lay back, gazing upward at the empty void above. No stars, no moon, no clouds—just nothingness stretching into infinity. It was simultaneously terrifying and awe-inspiring.

  His eyes grew heavy as thoughts drifted through his mind. There had to be a trick to this place. Something that made a person 'worthy' to find the exit.

  The System's message about worthiness kept circling in his mind. Was it combat prowess? Cleverness? Some hidden quest he hadn't discovered yet? At least the new quest to reach level 15 and unlock his first class gave him a tangible goal to pursue. It couldn't be wrong to follow the System's guidance, especially since it had explicitly created these quests for him.

  His writer's brain churned through possibilities, constructing and discarding theories as his consciousness began to drift.

  His eyelids felt increasingly heavy. Just a few more minutes, then he'd move on.

  A sound pierced through his fatigue—faint but unmistakably human. Kade jerked upright, instantly alert despite his exhaustion.

  "Hello?" he called tentatively, rising to his feet and peering into the fog.

  The sound came again—clearer this time. Someone was shouting.

  "Help! Please, help!"

  A figure burst through the fog wall, a man in his thirties wearing torn jeans and a bloodstained t-shirt. His eyes were wide with terror as he sprinted toward the campfire.

  "Help!" the man gasped, gesturing frantically behind him. "He's—"

  Everything happened in an instant. A longsword whistled through the air, spinning end over end before burying itself in the man's back with devastating precision. The victim's words transformed into a choked gurgle as he stumbled forward and collapsed face-first a few feet from the fog.

  Kade stumbled backward, hand reflexively reaching for one of his goblin swords. His heart hammered against his ribs as a new figure emerged from the fog.

  The newcomer moved with predatory grace, his muscular frame covered with chainmail. He approached the fallen man without hurry, yanked his sword free with a wet, sucking sound, and methodically wiped the blade clean on the dead man's clothing.

  Kade's mind reeled in shock. This was a human—not a goblin or some other monster, but an actual person from Earth just like him. The casual brutality with which this man had just murdered another person struck Kade like a physical blow. He'd been mentally prepared for monsters and demons, but not for the nightmare scenario of humans hunting humans.

  "What the hell are you doing?" Kade demanded, voice cracking despite his attempt to sound authoritative. His hands trembled, not just from fear but from the profound wrongness of what he was witnessing.

  The hunter looked up, seeming to notice Kade for the first time. A slow smile spread across his weather-beaten face.

  "Looking at my next prey," he replied, voice casual as if they were discussing the weather.

  Kade's mind raced. This made no sense. Weren't they all supposed to be fighting together against the Agents of Chaos? Why would humans turn on each other in a tutorial designed to prepare them for that fight?

  "We should be working together," Kade said, trying to keep his voice steady while assessing the distance between them. "The System brought us here to save Earth, not to kill each other."

  Just to be sure this wasn't a monster in human flesh, Kade examined the man.

  [Human (Level 9)]

  It was a monster in human flesh, only not the kind he expected.

  The hunter laughed, a harsh, unpleasant sound.

  As Kade watched in horror, a faint glow began to emanate from the dead man's body. Particles of light—just like what Kade had seen rising from the slain goblins—slowly drifted upward from the corpse. But instead of dissipating, the luminous essence flowed toward the hunter, who inhaled deeply as the particles were absorbed into his chest.

  Kade was suddenly struck with the realization of what was going on. A psycho like this couldn't be reasoned with, and his level combined with the way he threw his sword suggested skills Kade couldn't deal with either.

  The hunter took a step forward, twirling his sword with practiced ease. "I'll make it quick. Nothing personal."

  Kade didn't waste breath responding.

  He turned and ran.