Bait.

Elias leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he lazily twirled his coffee mug. "Hey, Rael, you ever wonder why humans don't get any racial talents?"

Rael glanced at him. "Not really. Makes sense, though."

Elias waved a hand. "I guess, but like—every other race gets cool shit. Elves get affinity boosts, beastkin get heightened senses, dwarves get insane constitution. Meanwhile, humans? Nothing."

Rael sipped his coffee. "We get civilization."

Elias scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, the Order runs the central continent, so humans don't need talents. But tell me this—what happens when you drop a human somewhere without all that protection?"

"They die."

"Exactly! Humans are frail!" Elias threw up his hands. "But instead of giving humans something to compensate, the devs were like, 'Nah, they have social infrastructure, that's enough.'"

Rael smirked. "Sounds like someone regrets his life choices."

Elias narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Rael set his cup down. "You chose to be an Umbravore. You literally picked a race without a homeland, a safe zone, or basic human rights under the Order."

Elias scoffed. "Okay, first of all, Umbravores sounded sick on the character creation screen. 'A mysterious race that feeds on the unknown, existing in the shadows between realms.' That's fire. You know that's fire."

Rael nodded. "And what's the reality?"

Elias threw his arms up. "I get jumped at every Order-controlled city, half the NPCs talk to me like I'm a walking disease, and my racial skill is literal gambling."

Rael fought back a grin. "You chose this."

Elias pointed at him. "And yet I suffer." He groaned dramatically, slumping in his chair. "Bro, I finally hit level 11, but I can't even grind near Order cities without getting swarmed by paladins. And the worst part? My 'Consume' skill is actively trying to kill me."

Rael raised an eyebrow. "How bad are we talking?"

Elias sighed. "Last time I used it, I got a debuff saying if I drank water within 24 hours, I'd die."

Rael blinked. "Wait—what? That's actually insane."

"I know!" Elias groaned. "You know what I had to do? I lived off milk for a whole day. Just milk, Rael. You ever tried grinding while chugging dairy like some kind of cursed farmhand?"

Rael raised an eyebrow. "So your racial talent is more like a racial curse?"

Elias threw up his hands. "Right?! 'Consume' is supposed to be my racial trait, but it's straight-up RNG hell. Every time I eat something, I either get a random buff, a useful material, or absolute garbage. One time, it gave me a chunk of raw iron. Another time? A single copper coin. And then there's the nightmare fuel—like that water debuff."

Rael chuckled. "So you're telling me your survival hinges on rolling good drops every meal?"

Elias slumped further into his chair."Bro, I live in fear. I wanted a cool monster race, not a gambling addiction."

Rael took a slow sip of his coffee. "Sounds like a skill issue."

Elias glared at him. "I hope your subclass is trash."

Rael's smirk faltered for a split second. Subclass, huh?

When he hit level 20, there was no choice—no branching paths like everyone else got. Just a single prompt tied to that fragment. World Ender. A complete class evolution, but at a cost.

No subclass. Ever.

For a moment, he wondered what that really meant in the long run. Everyone else would keep refining their builds, unlocking new abilities to specialize their playstyle. Meanwhile, he was locked into a path with no clear future, no roadmap—just whatever this class decided to give him.

Elias perked up. "Oh yeah, the marks. Forgot about that." He tapped his temple. "Apparently, once players get their subclass, they're eligible to receive an Order mark. It's basically a special status that says, 'Hey, I'm not a wild NPC, don't kill me on sight.'"

Rael nodded. "So it's the devs' way of letting non-human players actually interact with the main continent without breaking immersion."

"Exactly. Though, knowing my luck, I'll get the shittiest tier mark that still gets me detained at the gates."

Rael leaned back, considering something. "Well, if you want to get there faster, I can power level you to 20."

Elias froze mid-sip, slowly lowering his mug. "...What?"

Rael shrugged. "I'll carry you through some dungeons or quests. You hit 20 faster, get your subclass, and then you can actually join my guild without dying every time you step into Order territory."

Elias immediately sat up, eyes shining. "Master, this dog serves you!"

Rael groaned. "Don't—"

"I shall walk in your shadow, oh great one!" Elias clasped his hands together in mock reverence. "I shall drink only milk if you command it!"

Rael sighed. "I take it back."

"NO!" Elias shot forward, gripping Rael's arm. "The deal is sealed! I will become your sword, your shield, your disposable dungeon bait!"

Rael shook his head, regretting everything.

* * *

The sun hung high over Vash'kar, casting warm light over the city, but inside the Eclipse guild hall, the mood was less radiant.

Rael sat across from Gale and Leon, both eyeing him with varying degrees of skepticism. A half-empty mug rested in Leon's hand, while Gale leaned back, arms crossed, waiting for Rael to elaborate.

"So let me get this straight," Gale finally said. "Your roommate—the same guy who chose to be an Umbravore, knowing damn well that the Order purges his kind on sight—now wants us to power level him to 20 so he can step into a city without getting turned into a holy bonfire?"

Rael nodded. "That about sums it up."

Leon let out a slow breath, rubbing his temple. "You know, I respect the commitment, but does he realize he picked the most self-destructive race possible? Even aside from the Order trying to smite him, his racial talent sounds like a constant near-death experience."

Rael smirked. "Yeah, he gave me a whole speech about how 'Consume' is actually a racial curse because it's pure RNG. His latest achievement? Getting a debuff that would instantly kill him if he drank water within 24 hours."

Gale blinked. "…What?"

Leon choked on his drink. "Wait, what?"

Rael shrugged. "Yeah. Dude was just vibing, used 'Consume' on some random drop, and suddenly—boom. Fatal hydration intolerance."

For a moment, there was silence. Then Gale leaned forward, brows furrowed. "Hold on. That means… if he even pretended to drink water for immersion, he'd die?"

Rael nodded solemnly. "Instant death. Just add liquid."

Leon wheezed, setting his mug down before he dropped it. "That's—That's the dumbest thing I've heard all week."

"I know, right?" Rael smirked. "And yet, here we are. He hit level 11 and now he wants to catch up. So, power leveling?"

Gale sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This is a bad idea."

Leon, still grinning, waved a hand. "Nah, I like this. Power leveling a guy who could accidentally self-destruct at any moment? Sounds like entertainment to me."

Rael chuckled. "Then it's settled. We drag Elias through the grind until he hits 20, get him his Order mark, and let him join the guild."

Gale shook his head. "If we find his corpse in the wilderness because he ate something he shouldn't have, I'm not looting it."

"No promises," Leon muttered under his breath, sipping his drink.

* * *

Leon sipped his drink, watching the absolute disaster unfolding in the distance. After a moment, he sighed.

"I take back my words."

As the distant figure flailed and screamed, a glaringly obnoxious gamertag hovered above his head in bright, unmistakable text—[Chad_God]

Gale blinked. "Please tell me that isn't Elias."

Rael sighed. "It is."

Gale turned to him, incredulous. "Bro. 'Chad God'?"

"I don't control his life choices."

Leon looked back at the scene, where Elias was now swatting at the bird assaulting his face while simultaneously dodging troll clubs with sheer, desperate instinct. "How the hell did he even—?"

"LESS TALKING, MORE SAVING ME!" Elias screamed, nearly tripping over a rock as the trolls roared behind him.

Rael pinched the bridge of his nose. "You guys ready?"

Gale cracked his neck. "Yeah, let's go save Elias before the trolls finish what his own decisions started."

The three of them took off, closing the distance as Elias barely managed to keep ahead of the horde.

His "elite" dodging skills consisted of frantic zigzags, near falls, and occasional jumps that made him look like he was performing some sort of chaotic dance routine.

"Oh, come on!" Elias wheezed. "I just wanted to test my damage on one troll! ONE!"

"And somehow ended up with an entire family reunion on your ass?" Gale called back.

Leon squinted at him. "Also, why do you have a bird's nest in your hair?"

"Bad decisions were made!" Elias shouted, swatting at the squawking bird that refused to leave its stolen home.

Rael exhaled sharply. "Alright, we're ending this before the game bans him for crimes against nature."

With a nod, the three of them split into action.

Leon raised his staff, summoning sharp icicles in the air before launching them at the nearest troll. The frozen projectiles struck home, staggering the massive creature as frost spread across its thick skin.

Gale, wasting no time, charged in, sword flashing as he cleaved into the distracted troll's leg, making it stumble.

Rael moved in with swift precision, his sword finding the gaps between their thick hides, delivering precise, brutal strikes that cut them down before they could fully react.

Meanwhile, Elias had finally stopped running and was gasping for breath. "Thank God! I thought I was gonna die before I even got power-leveled."

Rael glanced at him. "You still might."

Elias grinned weakly. "Master, this humble dog serves you. Please carry me."

Leon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Just try not to pull half the damn region next time, 'Chad_God.'"

Elias groaned. "I regret everything."

Gale clapped him on the back hard enough to make him stumble. "You should. But hey, at least we get free EXP out of your suffering."

Rael sighed. "Let's just finish up here and get you to 20 before the trolls develop grudges."

The group made quick work of the remaining trolls, systematically cutting them down before they could retaliate. Between Leon's magic, Gale's brute strength, and Rael's precise strikes, the fight was over in minutes.

Elias, meanwhile, stood off to the side, still swatting at the stubborn bird that had somehow fused with his head like an unwanted helmet.

"Would you just—" Elias yanked at the nest, but the bird pecked his hand in defiance. He flinched back. "Bro, it's personal now."

Rael shook his head, sheathing his sword. "You do realize you could've just unequipped your helmet, right?"

Elias froze. Slowly, he reached for his inventory and removed his headgear. The nest fell to the ground, the bird screeching in betrayal before flying off.

"...I hate this game," Elias muttered.

Leon and Gale burst into laughter while Rael just sighed, already reconsidering his decision to power-level this guy.

"Alright, 'Chad_God,'" Gale smirked, slinging his sword over his shoulder. "You ready to actually grind properly, or do we need to get you a babysitter?"

Elias dusted himself off, looking surprisingly serious for once. "No more distractions. No more dumb decisions. From now on, I am focused."

Rael arched an eyebrow. "Focused, huh?" Without a word, he pulled up his menu and sent an invitation.

[You have been invited to join Eclipse.]

Elias blinked as the prompt appeared. Then, a slow grin spread across his face. "Hell yeah! I'm finally in!" He accepted without hesitation.

Rael nodded, adding him to the party. "Welcome to the guild."

Elias stretched, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, so what's the plan? Where are we going?"

The three of them just smirked.

Elias narrowed his eyes. "Oh? A surprise, huh?" He crossed his arms, playing along. "Alright, I'll bite. Let's see what kind of grand adventure my trustworthy guildmates have planned for me."

* * *

"You HAVE to be kidding me."

Elias stood frozen at the entrance of a massive cavern, staring into the abyss of thick, pulsating webs and glowing red eyes. The air was damp and carried a faint, rancid smell, like something old and rotting.

It was a spider's den. A big one.

Skittering sounds echoed from the depths, dozens—maybe hundreds—of creatures shifting in the darkness.

Elias turned very slowly to face the others. "This. This is what you had planned?"

Gale clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You're the bait."

Elias' eyes twitched. "Of course I am."

Leon adjusted his grip on his staff. "You're level 12 now. These things range from 10 to 20. They'll naturally aggro onto you first."

Rael gave him a small nod. "And since EXP is shared, you don't even need to fight. Just keep them distracted."

Elias inhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "So let me get this straight. You want me to run around, chased by nightmare fuel, while you three casually farm XP off my suffering?"

"Basically." Gale grinned.

Elias exhaled through his nose. "Cool. Cool cool cool. Just one question—"

He turned back toward the abyss.

Then bolted in the opposite direction.

"OH HELL NO!"

Leon sighed. "Saw that coming."

Rael casually reached into his inventory and pulled out a rope.

Five minutes later, a very unwilling Elias stood at the entrance, his arms crossed and a deep scowl on his face.

"This is abuse," he muttered.

Rael patted his shoulder. "Think of it as an opportunity."

Elias gave him a dead stare. "An opportunity to what? Die?"

Gale shrugged. "Or, you know... level up."

Elias groaned, running a hand down his face. "...Fine. But if I get webbed, I'm coming back to haunt your ass."

Rael just smiled. "Noted. Now, go say hi to the spiders."

Elias took a deep breath. Then ran straight into the den.

As Elias disappeared into the shadows of the cavern, the silence stretched. Then—

"HOW AM I EVEN SUPPOSED TO PULL THEM?!" his panicked voice echoed from inside.

Gale cupped his hands around his mouth. "I don't know, figure it out!"

Leon shook his head. "He's gonna do something stupid."

Rael just leaned against his sword, watching. "He's already doing something stupid."

Inside the den, Elias crept forward, boots crunching lightly against brittle webbing. He squinted at the clusters of spiders hanging motionless along the walls and ceiling—grotesque, multi-eyed creatures the size of wolves.

"Alright," he muttered to himself. "No big deal. Just gotta get their attention."

He picked up a rock and hurled it at the nearest web cluster. It hit with a dull thwump. Nothing.

Elias narrowed his eyes. "Alright, plan B."

He unsheathed his sword and poked the nearest spider.

The creature didn't react.

"Oh, come on, really?" Elias scoffed. "What do you need, a formal invitation?"

Then, in a stroke of genius—or pure idiocy—he reared back and kicked it.

Squelch.

The impact sent a disgusting ripple through the webbing. The spider twitched, then dropped from the ceiling with an ear-splitting screech.

Every. Other. Spider. Moved.

The cavern walls came alive, chittering echoes rebounding as dozens of red eyes snapped toward him.

Elias stared. "...Oh. Oh no."

Then he turned and ran for his life.

"RAEL, I HATE YOU!"

From the entrance, Rael watched as a stampede of spiders poured out of the den, all skittering at an alarming speed toward Elias.

He smirked. "There it is."

Leon raised a brow. "Did he seriously just kick a spider?"

Gale winced. "I think I felt that bad decision from here."

Elias screamed something unintelligible as he scrambled up a rock, spiders snapping at his heels. "HELP! DO YOUR JOBS!"

Rael cracked his neck, drawing his sword. "Alright, let's farm."

And with that, the three of them charged in.

Flames roared to life as Leon swung his staff, sending a wave of fire crashing into the swarm. The cavern lit up with the blaze, the spiders screeching as their bodies curled and blackened.

Gale followed up immediately, his sword carving through the scorched creatures with brutal efficiency. His strikes weren't just raw strength—faint blue runes flickered along his blade, traces of his martial magic reinforcing each blow. He twisted mid-swing, bringing his sword down in a heavy arc, shattering a spider's carapace like brittle glass.

Rael moved through the chaos like a shadow, his footwork precise, each thrust of his blade exploiting the weak points in their chitin. His strikes were sharp, decisive—completely devoid of the flashy, overwhelming force the others wielded. And yet, his efficiency spoke volumes. Every attack was calculated, every kill methodical.

Meanwhile, Elias was still running.

He vaulted over a fallen boulder, dodging a web shot at his legs, before finally committing to the fight. With a flick of his wrist, he thrust his rapier forward, piercing cleanly through a spider's eye. His weapon lacked the brute force of Gale's sword or the sheer destruction of Leon's spells, but it was fast. Ridiculously fast.

He twisted, slashing another spider across the underbelly before kicking it aside.

"See?" Elias huffed. "Totally under control!"

Another spider lunged at him. He screamed.

The fight blurred into a frenzy of motion—flames bursting, blades carving, bodies falling. The cavern reeked of burnt chitin and blood. Within minutes, the entire floor was littered with corpses, only the soft skittering of stragglers echoing from the darkness.

Elias collapsed onto a rock, panting. "I'm... I'm alive. We're good. We're fine."

Rael sheathed his sword, exhaling. "Not bad."

Leon wiped some soot off his sleeve. "Though, Rael... you haven't used a single one of your class abilities this entire fight."

Gale frowned, glancing at him. "Yeah, what's up with that? You've got Templar spells, right?"

Rael opened his mouth—

A deep, guttural screech shook the cavern.

Elias paled. "Why do I hear boss music?"

The cavern walls trembled. From the depths, something massive moved.

[Broodmother Ysh'thra – Level 23]

A grotesque, pulsating Broodmother emerged, its swollen form writhing, countless eyes locking onto them with hunger.

Rael sighed deeply. "Of course."

The Broodmother lurched forward, its grotesque legs slamming into the cavern floor, sending tremors through the ground. Its mandibles clacked together in a sickening rhythm, thick, venomous saliva dripping onto the stone, hissing as it corroded the surface. 

Then it screeched, and everything went to hell. 

Leon barely managed to raise his staff before a torrent of webbing shot toward him. "Move!" he yelled, diving to the side. 

Gale met one of the monstrous legs head-on, his sword flashing as he swung with all his strength. The impact ripped through the thick chitin, but instead of staggering, the Broodmother lunged at him, knocking him backward with terrifying force. 

"Son of a—" Gale grunted, rolling back onto his feet. 

Elias darted around the side, his rapier striking at the softer joints, but it was like stabbing a moving fortress—his blade barely sank in before the creature twisted, nearly crushing him with one swipe of its grotesque limb. 

Then, without warning, the Broodmother exhaled a thick, toxic mist. 

Rael immediately backpedaled, but the damage was done. 

[You have been poisoned – HP will slowly deplete over time.] 

A system notification flashed before his eyes. The others cursed as their health bars ticked down, a sickly green effect surrounding them. 

"That's not good," Leon muttered, gripping his staff. "Poison's stacking." 

"We need to kill this thing now," Gale growled. 

Despite their combined efforts, the Broodmother was still relentless. Its body was covered in deep wounds, its exoskeleton cracked and leaking dark ichor—yet it showed no signs of slowing down.It was, however, already half HP.

Rael narrowed his eyes. 

The Broodmother reared up, its massive form casting a terrifying shadow over them, mandibles spreading wide— 

Rael moved. 

Faster than before. 

His sword glowed, but it wasn't the warm, golden light of a Templar's magic. It was something else. Something dark. 

Rael twisted his grip, the blade shuddering with a deep, unnatural energy— 

"Ruinous Strike." 

The moment his sword connected, the cavern dimmed. 

A terrible, crushing force slammed into the Broodmother's body. Its grotesque form froze, every one of its eyes bulging in horror as its entire HP bar dropped by 400 in an instant. 

A shriek—high-pitched, inhuman—ripped through the cavern as its legs buckled. 

Then, just like that— 

The monster collapsed, its body crumbling into itself, as if every fiber of its existence had been violently unraveled. 

[You have slain the Venomous Broodmother – 45,000 EXP Gained!] 

A silence fell over the battlefield. 

Leon, Gale, and Elias stood completely still, their heads slowly turning toward Rael. 

"...What," Gale finally said. 

Rael shook off the lingering energy from his sword, exhaling sharply. 

Elias pointed at him. "Did you just—did you just almost one-shot a level 23 boss?!" 

Leon narrowed his eyes. "That wasn't a Templar skill." 

Rael adjusted his grip on his sword, letting their words hang in the air. 

Then, after a moment, he simply said, 

"My class isn't Templar anymore." 

They all gawked at him. 

Rael sheathed his blade. "I'd like to keep it a secret." 

A long beat of silence.