Chapter 7: Hybrid
"No! Don't go! We're not gonna win that war!"I shouted at Gabby and the others, but my warning came too late. They had already leaped into the battlefield, joining the players in a fierce confrontation against a horde of monsters pouring in through the gate.
Though we initially had the advantage, our forces were diminishing rapidly, and casualties were mounting. Suddenly, the scene of the battlefield transformed, and we found ourselves amidst a haunting graveyard.
On the decaying ground, bloodied corpses were strewn in every direction, and among them lay Gabby, motionless.
"You will never be able to save them." As a white light materialized behind me, before I could even turn to look, the ground began to fracture and everything around us was lifted into the sky.
Everything was going well until everything was utterly destroyed, and Gabby's lifeless body now floats aimlessly in the vast expanse of space.
"N-no!" With a cry of terror, I managed to break free from the nightmarish realm I had dared to explore.
Once more, the haunting scene replayed itself. The players abandoned us to ruin, and the malevolent entity continued its relentless assault, further decimating our already ravaged world. My only family, the ones I held dear, were mercilessly slaughtered and perished before my eyes.
"I won't let that thing happen again, this time…" I muttered, clenching my fist out of anger toward the player. "I won't forgive those damned entities… I'm gonna kill them in sight…"
The memory of that dream ignited a fiery rage within me, consumed by thoughts of vengeance against those who had wronged us. But amidst my seething anger, a sudden, loud noise jolted me out of my thoughts, catching me off guard.
"ZZ… "The girl lay there, snoring with an unsettling grin, and drool trickling down her cheeks. The intense hatred I once felt transformed into a deep sense of disgust as I observed her in that vulnerable state.
"Hey, wake up! It's already morning!"
"W-what? Daddy, I'm still tired. Five more minutes…" she requested, continuing on her slumber.
"Your daddy isn't here so get the heck up already! We still have to find a way to get out of this place" I shook her but to no avail. She was persistent in her sleep and it was starting to annoy me. "Continue sleeping and I'll shove you down the tree. 1… 2…"
"Alright, alright… Jeez," she claimed, clicking her tongue. "So, what's for breakfast?"
"We're not taking barbecue today."
"Aw, really? Why not?" she asked.
"First of all, this is our only provision. Like I said last night, we have to save it. Second, we need to find another source of food. Leveling you up to match the others isn't gonna be easy. We'll probably be in this world for days until we know we're prepared"
"Can't we just distract them? Head to the portal while they are on the search for us?" she asked.
"Groups like them aren't stupid. One would still be left behind to guard the portal." I replied. "And who knows what lies behind the portal? Maybe they've already their base there…"
Her face suddenly sullen, replying "... you're right. I forgot there were others on the other side…"
"Our only option is to make you stronger. Strong enough to beat the crap out of our kidnappers and escape this place alive." I claimed yet she didn't look too confident of the idea.
Despite her insistence on accompanying me in the search for prey, her mind remained in a daze, and every rustle in the bushes seemed to startle her excessively.
"Alright, this isn't gonna work. What's wrong with you? You were so confident back at the dungeon and now you can't even move without flinching?"
"I-I just don't want to die, okay!? The goblins were too strong to fight and the whole forest seemed to be watching us. How can you not be scared?"
"Die? Why would you even die? You're a player! An immortal entity! God knows where you guys came from!"
"I'm not like them! I'm not… like my father…" she claimed. "And what's the point of it raising anyway!? You do get stronger but once you die, it'll just decrease. Once it hits zero, you die. Permanently. And I don't want to die yet…" She claimed, wrapping her arms around her knees as she settled back on the soft, grassy ground.
"I never heard that one before. So, once your level is zero, it's bye-bye?"
"That's just what I said! Were you even listening!?"
"But aren't you a player? You players have this shitty ability that lets you revive in a cathedral right after dying. Once you reach a certain level, you can escape but revive back somewhere else. You're all basically immortals so why don't you just revive and run back home?"
Upon hearing the suggestion, her face visibly darkened, and she stated her response. "I'm not a player…"
"Not a player, my foot. Quit lying, I already know you are."
"No, I'm not. My father is the player, I'm just what everyone calls a child with a broken system. An abnormality. A bug." she claimed, staggering to stand up. "I don't go back to life when I die. I'll just die. Just like my mother"
"How are you sure about that?"
"Cause I once died…" Her response took on a more serious tone, and unexpectedly, she exposed a scar on her chest, positioned close to her heart. "My father, everyone else, they waited until my body turned to light and be brought back to life when I was eight. They waited… but nothing happened…"
"If it hadn't for the great priest's help three years ago, I could no longer be breathing the air I am taking right now" she added.
"Alright, alright! I heard you so please stop flashing your… thing…"
"My what?" She experienced a brief moment of lag as if she was processing the situation, and then her face started to turn red with embarrassment. "Stop looking, pervert!"
"The heck's your problem!? It's your fault you just flaunted your chest… oh, don't you dare!" In her hands, flames formed then she started chasing me with it.
"Get back here! I'm just gonna roast you for a second!"
"No way! I'll instantly die if I get hit by that!" I shouted back as I fled from the flames. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side. A goblin took me by surprise, swinging its wooden club at me with unexpected force. The impact sent me hurtling through the air, experiencing excruciating pain as I clumsily fell to the ground, disoriented and disheveled.
** You've received 12 damage **
** Warning notice! **
Health point is too low.
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"Crap… I'm already beaten? This is freaking embarrassing…" I hissed, enduring the excruciating pain. "Elizabeth! Attack now!"
Motionless and trembling, she stood there, petrified at the mere sight of a solitary monster.
"Ellie!"
"I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… please… " In an endless loop, she kept muttering those words, seemingly unaware of her surroundings, as the goblin slowly approached her, while another one emerged stealthily from the bushes.
"Ellie! I know it's hard and unfair but that's how shitty life is. You may not be like the other players but you still had their abilities. You still have the ability to protect yourself and anyone around you. And in reality, we only have one life so for god sake, fight for it! Blast those monsters away already!"
"Arghh!" With a loud shout, she unleashed a colossal ball of flames, engulfing the two goblins and turning them into a charred, inedible mess resembling a barbecue. However, her mighty display had drained her mana, and she soon collapsed, exhausted from her effort.
Just as the previous goblin fell, another one emerged from the shadows, wielding a rusty machete and stealthily closing in on Ellie.
"Oh, no, you won't, you ugly bastard!" Summoning all my strength, I let out a fierce shout and swiftly impaled the goblin from behind, preventing it from reaching her in time.
The creature crumbled to the ground, its green blood seeping into the grass below, leaving a grim reminder of the fierce encounter.
** You've slain a living thing **
** Receiving 0.2 Abyssal Points **
"Ellie! Hey, Ellie. Are you okay?" I called, tapping her cheeks.
"I… I'm fine… Just drained of energy." she replied as her eyes shifted upwards.
"Well, at least you took down two goblins… without burning the whole forest" I chuckled, and my gaze shifted towards the floating screen near her, causing a smile to appear on my face.
** Player Information **
Name: Elizabeth Hunters
Class: Mage
Level: 2
HP: 50/50 MP: 2/150
Str: 1.3 Agi: 3 Vit: 5 Int: 7 Magi: 1.5
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"And look, you leveled up and got a little stronger! Congrats!"
"ugh… I hate you… " Before I could react, she mumbled a few words and then collapsed, unconscious, onto the ground.
"Ha-ha, Hate you too," I couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a wave of relief wash over me, finally finding some respite in the situation. I let out a sigh, grateful for the momentary calm. "I'm glad you survived."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone