Surviving These Unfair Scenarios [LITRPG - DIMENSION HOPPING]

The group began to move, their footfalls crunching softly on the dry, desolate earth. They had no particular direction to go, as everything seemed to be one enormous, barren open field that stretched to the horizon. There were no ruins, no cities, not even a hill or rock formation to provide a landmark, which was unsettling. The air was cold, and the setting sun, a brilliant splash of orange and purple against a darkening sky, did little to warm them. It was a silent, empty world, like they were the only living things in it.

The Undead Empress, now in Adam's body, walked in the center of the formation they had instinctively adopted, her head held high, but her movements were stiff. She was a mere prisoner now, forced to be their reluctant companion, and her appearance reflected that. Only now could the rest of the team see that Adam's possessed body was a little thinner than before, his features were more delicate and refined, with his hair now a stark, long white mane that fell to his shoulders.

His eyes, however, were still a brilliant, blood-red, a chilling reminder of the entity that controlled him. The Empress herself was a walking contradiction, radiating a low-level cursed energy while still panting from exhaustion, and the indignity of her capture was fresh in her mind. Her silence was a palpable, uncomfortable presence that everyone felt but no one dared to break. She walked more like a hostage than a companion, and the group treated her as such, careful not to get too close.

It was Drake who finally shattered the oppressive silence. He had naturally taken the role of leader in Adam's absence, as his confident presence and calm demeanor were a solid anchor for the team. He pulled out his system window and navigated to the [Friend List] skill.

"Alright, let's see what's going on with Sebastian."

Drake said, his voice cutting through the quiet before tapping Sebastian's name. A loading icon spun for a moment before an error message flashed.

"Huh, that's weird… His icon is grayed out. It says he's unavailable."

The blond said, frowning at the message. He tried again, this time with a more focused effort, but the result was the same each time. Li adjusted his straw hat and intervened.

"Maybe he just turned off his status?"

He suggested.

"We tried that before."

Drake replied, shaking his head.

"It's just not possible to turn it off. Besides, this is different; the icon itself is a light gray, and there's a small error symbol on it."

He sighed, clearly frustrated. He then looked at Kazue, who was walking beside him.

"Kazue, try your contacts. See if they're available."

Kazue nodded, summoning her own system window and searching for her other two contacts outside of her team.

"Hmm… I've been meaning to check on them anyway."

She said, her usual cheerful tone a welcome sound. She tapped on her contacts, Meera and Angela, the two users she had befriended after their Trade Nexus adventure, but her smile immediately fell.

"Oh no... they're both gray too. And it says 'User not available in this instance' when I try to select them."

A new, more sinister thought settled over the group.

"So that old geezer is missing, eh? HA! It means they're either in an entirely different part of this so-called system… or they're dead."

Adam's body said, the Empress's voice a low, resentful sneer.

"Don't say that!"

Chloe yelped, her face paling. The Empress merely offered a cruel, satisfied smirk, and the pink-haired girl immediately recoiled.

"Unlikely they're dead. The system would have notified us. It's more likely a 'User not available in this instance' means they're in a scenario that's separated from ours… But that doesn't make sense for Sebastian's case."

Drake, however, didn't flinch and said it with some thought.

"But why would he be unavailable? It is because of the collab thing?"

Kazue said, her voice with a worried frown on her face.

"That's the million-dollar question."

Li replied slowly, just to pause for a moment, deep in thought. A glint of curiosity appeared in his eyes, something unusual for him.

"Perhaps, this is a multi-stage scenario, and we're just the first part of a larger whole… I heard that something like that exists in the system; maybe every scenario with an A rank or more is like that."

Emir, who had been scanning the desolate landscape around them, offered his own theory.

"Oh… Or maybe… This is a collab with teams that don't know they're in a collab. They might be going through the same thing we are right now, in a different part of the world."

The thought hung in the air, adding another layer of uncertainty to their journey. The silence returned for a moment, punctuated only by their footsteps, as they mulled over the possibilities.

As they walked, Chloe, with her natural optimism returning, tried to brighten the mood. She walked over to Adam, her eyes on the female ghost's face. The Undead Empress's presence was still chilling, but Chloe, with her innocent demeanor and direct approach, was determined to get through to her.

"So…"

Chloe began, a little too brightly.

"This is a lot different from the last time, huh?"

The Empress simply stared at her, an unreadable expression on her face. Her silence was a clear message that she had no interest in small talk.

"You know… When we went to the ghost world, it was so... gloomy. But here it's so pretty with the sunset! Adam's eyes are a lot redder, though. They glow more."

Chloe continued, undeterred, trying to force the small talk.

"What do you want, human?"

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The Empress's voice was a low, hostile growl. The words sent a small jolt of fear through Chloe, but she stood her ground.

"Nothing! I just... I wanted to talk."

Chloe said, wringing her hands together with palpable nervousness.

"It must be weird for you, too. I mean, being in Adam's body and all... It's... a lot to take in, right?"

The Empress snorted, a dry, humorless sound.

"It is an indignity, a humiliation. I am a ruler of an entire world, and I am being treated like a pet project by a bunch of lowly, disgusting humans. This body is still weak and pathetic, tied to the last string of his own humanity, and you all have stolen my power and basically kept me hostage in my lich's body."

The Empress's voice was a low, hostile growl; however, the pink-haired girl stood firm.

"That's not what we did!"

Chloe protested, her voice cracking slightly as she took a half-step forth.

"We're not sealing you! We're helping you! Adam's body is amazing, and you get to use it for free! And you don't have to be a bad guy anymore!"

The Empress's sneer widened, and in a flash of inhuman speed, she closed the distance between them, bringing her face inches from Chloe's. The sudden, intimate proximity of Adam's face made Chloe's cheeks burn a deep red, and she fumbled over her own feet and almost fell.

"Helping me?"

The Empress's voice was a chilling whisper.

"You have imprisoned me, you foolish girl. You've trapped my essence in that dammed cube. Do not speak to me of 'helping'. I will make you all suffer."

Chloe's eyes welled up a little, and a few tears escaped, but she held her ground.

"Why do you hate us so much?"

She asked, her voice a soft, pained whisper.

"We're just trying to survive, just like you are. And Adam... he wants to help you."

The Empress's expression flickered for a brief moment, a mixture of rage and something else that was hard to read. A cold, dismissive tone entered her voice.

"He is weak."

She spat, though the venom in her words was less potent.

"I can read his pathetic little mind. He thinks he can persuade me… He wants to understand me, not seal me or destroy me. He even dreams of coming to an agreement, of coexisting if he has to. It is an impossible, pathetic, and meaningless goal."

Chloe's voice now filled with a desperate earnestness, a fire igniting in her eyes.

"It's not meaningless! It's what friends do! We help each other! Adam helped me, and now we want to help him. We want to help you, too. We don't want to fight."

She said frantically, something that took everyone by surprise. The Empress looked away, her eyes staring blankly at the orange-streaked sky. She was silent for a long, uncomfortable moment. It was a bizarre scene—a terrifying undead ruler, contained within a boy's body, being lectured on the power of friendship by a bubbly girl. After a while, she let out a dry, exasperated sigh.

"Do not speak to me of your foolish human emotions."

She muttered, but her voice was softer now, maybe even with a little less malice. It was the first time she had responded with anything other than pure hostility. Chloe's innocent earnestness had, for a brief moment, made her think for a bit.

The walk continued, and as the Empress remained quiet, the group began to talk amongst themselves. Kazue, who had been listening to the entire exchange, walked over to Katya, whose face was still covered by the brilliant white mask she had fused with.

"Hey, Katya."

Kazue said in a gentle voice, but with some concern in it.

"How are you? You haven't taken off the mask yet, huh?"

Katya's shoulders tensed slightly at the question. She turned her head towards her friend, the smooth white surface of the mask hiding her expression.

"No…"

The blonde said, her voice a low purr, an unsettling echo of the cursed energy that now infused her.

"I have no intention of taking it off. It feels... intoxicating. The power is wonderful, but more than that... it feels like a part of me."

Kazue's eyes widened, a look of genuine amazement on her face.

"Wow! That's so cool! And it also looks great on you! It makes you look super strong and pretty at the same time!"

At Kazue's words, the tiniest crack appeared in Katya's composure. She let out a small, almost imperceptible gasp, and her shoulders visibly relaxed. The cursed energy she was radiating flickered for a brief moment as if she had been touched by a moment of pure, unadulterated kindness.

"Y-You really think so?"

She asked, her voice softer than before, and with a slight tremor in it. Kazue giggled and gave her a light tap on the shoulder.

"Of course! I'm so glad it makes you feel good!"

A brief, genuine smile touched the corners of Katya's mouth beneath the mask. It was almost a laugh, a small, choked sound of pure delight. The power of the mask was intoxicating, but the simple, sweet compliment from her friend felt even more powerful. It was the last thing she had expected.

The conversation eventually shifted to the scenario's plot itself.

"So, the system sent us here because it's what Adam needs. But what does he need? A way to seal the Empress permanently?

Gregor said, his eyes scanning the horizon.

"Maybe, or maybe he needs to find a way to break the possession completely. Something that will get her out of his head and his body for good."

Drake said thoughtfully, he wasn't sure either; the whole deal was totally alien to him.

"Perhaps it's a way to make peace with her."

Emir suggested quietly, remembering that Adam wasn't so sure about the whole sealing thing, since it had failed once before.

"Or maybe it's something totally unrelated to the Empress."

Chloe chimed in casually.

"Maybe Adam just needed to find a way to communicate with us without talking, so the system brought us to a place where a ghost takes over his body, and we have to communicate with him without a way of talking!"

Everyone stopped and stared at her.

"What?"

Chloe asked, confused.

"It makes sense, right?"

"No…"

Adam's body said, and the Empress sounded deeply annoyed.

"It does not."

They continued their walk, with no sign of civilization, no living things, nothing but the fading light and the cold air. Hours passed, and the sun finally set, plunging the world into a chilling twilight. Just when a few of them were beginning to lose hope, they finally saw something.

In the distance, barely visible in the dying light, were the ruined spires of what looked like a city. A sense of renewed hope washed over the team.

"Finally, we should head there. Maybe we can find some answers."

Drake said, a look of relief on his face. However, before they could move, a high-pitched, guttural shriek echoed from a cluster of distant mountains. The sound was so jarring and full of malevolence that it made everyone instinctively stop in their tracks.

"Quick! Down!"

Drake yelled, his calm demeanor giving way to a new, urgent command. He immediately manifested his divine wings, a brilliant, glowing halo of fiery energy that shot out from his back. He wrapped them around the entire group, forming a protective, incandescent dome. With a focused breath, he activated his [Soulfire Meditation] skill, and the dome immediately turned transparent, cloaking them in a layer of invisibility. They could see out, but nothing could see in.

They waited, listening as the shrieks grew closer. Suddenly, with a thunderous flap of leathery wings, four massive figures landed not far from where they were hiding. They were dragons, or at least that was the best way to describe them, black and grotesque, with multiple spikes and horns jutting out from their bodies. They seemed restless, their heads darting around as they sniffed the air, their twin red eyes glowing with an internal fire.

"I cannot be wrong."

One of them said. Its voice was a deep, guttural sound that seemed to rumble from beyond the grave.

"I smelled humans here just a moment ago."

Another dragon, even larger than the first, chimed in, its voice equally monstrous.

"I did as well, but it is impossible that they would disappear out of thin air."

"Then we will search the area!"

The first dragon said, its voice laced with impatience.

"Even if they used some magic to escape, they cannot have gone far! Find them! We will hunt them down! They are a toy sent to us by the God of Darkness himself!"

The four dragons began to stomp through the desolate field, their massive bodies crashing through the earth as they began their search. The team, now trapped in their invisible dome, looked at one another in shared terror or concern. Their journey to the ruins had just become a terrifying game of hide and seek.