Rin approached the group, hands tucked casually into his pockets. His voice came light, almost playful.
"I'll be the scout."
This way, my puppet stays close, and I learn more about this cursed place, he thought.
Hairu turned toward him. "That's useful. Alright."
Useful? Rin's internal smirk sharpened beneath his sincere smile. Then I'll make you useful to me too.
He leaned closer to Nariku, voice still sunny. "Hey, let's head off somewhere quieter—let them do all the hard work, yeah?"
Nariku hesitated. Something deep in his chest twisted, like a warning whisper he couldn't quite hear. But Rin's presence was... commanding. Comforting, even.
"…Okay," he said softly.
They walked off, slipping away from the group.
Hairu's eyes followed them.
Strange... they're close. Too close. That boy—Nariku—he's following Rin like a younger brother.
And then something stirred in Hairu. A fragment. A memory. A face. A sound.
Wait... the timer.
His eyes shot to the burning numbers above.
04:17
"We're running out of time!" he barked. "Everyone—fall into roles based on your stats. If you have high magic, you're the mage. Big stamina? Tank or scout. We move fast, or we die confused."
The group snapped into action. Mostly.
Some people still hesitated, panicking, clutching their status screens with trembling hands.
Hairu scanned the crowd quickly—until a burst of color caught his eye.
A guy with punk-styled hair—half dyed red, half blue—stood at the edge, arms crossed.
"Man, screw this! I don't need any of you losers. I'm going solo!"
He spun on his heel and stomped away.
Hairu didn't stop him.
He's going to get himself killed.
Meanwhile, Rin glanced back at the commotion and whispered to Nariku, "See? Good thing we got out when we did. You might've gotten hurt in that chaos."
Nariku didn't answer, but his silence was enough.
Rin checked the timer again.
00:10
So much for checking my reward. His inventory glowed faintly, the new item still unnamed, unexplored.
00:03
00:02
00:01
Then—light bloomed.
A soft blue glow enveloped their feet, traced with symbols that shifted and pulsed.
A magic circle.
Intricate runes etched themselves into the floor, humming like a heartbeat.
Rin squinted, calculating every detail.
Teleportation glyphs. Layered. Controlled. Someone built this deliberately...
In the final heartbeat before light swallowed them—
Hairu's mind raced. A new life. New rules. New risks. I won't waste it.
Rin's eyes gleamed.
Let's begin.
And then they vanished.