Running away.

Everything seemed to be so peaceful, until she nearly ran into a group of three players stabbing a baby bear to death. Overwhelmed with panic, tears streaming down her face, she stumbled backward, desperate to escape the haunting scene.

There was no way she was fighting with them. Nope.

But they already saw her. They dropped the screaming ball of fur glistening with the fresh blood and followed her with a promise of much better fun. 

With her heart pounding, she frantically darted deeper into the darkened forest, praying that they would not keep up with her. A naive wish. The sounds of heavy steps, twigs snapping and leaves crunching behind her only fueled her terror.

Every fiber of her being screamed at her to keep running, even as her legs grew heavy with exhaustion. At that moment, her hope mingled with undeniable desperation as she searched for any way to escape from the relentless pursuit of these men.

She lost a few precious moments by trying to log out of this server, but it was of no use.

Error. Unable to proceed, there are hostile monsters nearby.

Her lungs burned and she felt sharp pain in her waist as she ran a bit further. She could feel an oppressive force coming closer, swallowing up the air in the area.

Warning. Night time has started.

She glanced back, hoping she got away, but they ran persistently after her, with eyes fixed on their target.

As she slipped through some bushes, her body swiftly flew into a wide ravine. The fall was far from smooth; she was jostled and knocked around by the rough fall, losing around 50% HP. What was worse, Anna rose to her bleeding knees and realized that she was near a provisional camp other humans probably built.

Her eyes stopped at its only inhabitant just as he reached for the huge battle axe and slowly stood up, enlightened by the soft campfire light, towering above everything else.

Paralyzed by fear, she could only stare at him wide-eyed. This night might be dark, but she still noticed his skin being tainted with blood and some old body paint already peeling off. Is he injured too? Yes, most definitely, those thick arrows plunged into his upper chest didn't look very comfortable. His heavy breath and the wheezing sound he made when he tried to breathe could mean the only thing. He was dying. Slowly and painfully.

High orc ~ hostile ~ 8% HP

That's not a human.

He wore some kind of leather armor strengthened with bones, but it was still sparse, so he could maintain his agility. She couldn't help but notice his impressive physique, even when his posture was deformed under the unbearable pain. From his thick neck and broad shoulders, solid chest to his sturdy waist and thighs. It was clear - just his physical presence left her in awe, even when he was heavily bleeding and at the edge of his strength.

Despite her confusion over his dark hair, which was weirdly braided into a wide mohawk, there was no denying it. She was drawn to his striking features, unable to ignore the magnetism. His appearance left her torn between fascination and fear.

But for him - she was merely a lamb obediently waiting to be slaughtered. Every human was. Even her, despite her pretty lips and long legs. He approached her with a clear intention to grant her quick death and her green eyes widened in shock as he made another step closer.

"Help me," She breathed out, as cold sweat trickled her back. 

As he turned his gaze to the spot where she fell from, his attention was drawn to the subtle movement between the massive rocks. At first, it seemed like a trick of the light, but then he noticed them - stirring in the shadows as they tried to slowly climb down the steep hillside.

It took them only a moment to consider whether it was worth trying their luck. But she seemed to be by the end of her strength and that NPC over there was half dead already. 

 The one with a short dagger charged at the wounded orc to get rid of this inconvenience, distracting him for a brief moment. 

Anna quickly grabbed her chance and attempted to rise to her trembling feet, desperation urging her to flee. 

Her body froze, when she heard the loud yelp and glanced back. 

The third body just hit the ground as that orc managed to butcher them without much struggle, leaving her no time to escape.

Breathing shallowly, with his fingers pressing onto his wound, he watched her trembling eyes for a short moment before he opened his mouth and spoke. 

"Why would they hunt you, if you are of their kin? Are you a human, or not?