NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11: Stage 0 [7]
The murmurs grew quieter as people began to listen carefully.
Right, there had to be a reason, right? Right?
Harry paced in the center of the group, becoming immersed in the topic. "Let's break it down. Kyle was running, right? Laughing, shouting—basically drawing all the attention to himself. And then… bam! Death by underground tentacle."
He paused, rubbing his chin theatrically. "So, maybe it's noise? Or movement? Or… I don't know, maybe it smelled his fear?"
A hesitant voice spoke up.
"Or sound," someone murmured.
Harry turned, spotting a boy with glasses—one of his quieter schoolmates. The boy adjusted them nervously. "A lot of animals rely on sound or smell when they can't see. It's possible… whatever that thing was, it detected Kyle because of how loud he was."
Harry snapped his fingers, pointing at him. "Exactly! Thank you, uh… what's your name again?"
"Ryan," the boy muttered, looking down.
"Right! Thank you, Ryan!" Harry grinned. "So, if it's sound… then maybe we have a chance. If we stay quiet, move carefully, and don't draw attention, we might be able to avoid triggering whatever's lurking underground."
A ripple of understanding spread through the group. People exchanged glances, their panic shifting into tentative hope.
"But…" someone started, voice shaking. "What if it's not just sound? What if it's… something else?"
Harry shrugged. "Then we're screwed. But hey, let's focus on what we do know, yeah? Better than sitting here waiting to get eaten."
Jess stepped forward, her sharp eyes scanning the crowd. "You heard the boy. No more shouting, no sudden movements. We move carefully and stay quiet. Anyone who can't keep it together—stick close to someone who can."
Harry stepped back, letting Jess and Darrow take over. He exhaled slowly, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease slightly. The group still looked terrified, but at least they weren't falling apart anymore.
"Nice work," Jess murmured as she passed him, approval in her tone.
Harry smirked. "Told you I could play the fool."
Her lips quirked into a faint smile, remembering a saying from her workplace:
'Sometimes, the fool's the smartest one in the room.'
____ ___ _
"Sigh..."
Harry sighed in disappointment.
Even though they had found a possible way to cross the distance to the fortress, no one moved.
The group was still frozen, fear gripping them as they stared at the ground. The image of Kyle being swallowed whole was fresh in everyone's minds, replaying like a nightmare they couldn't wake from
"No way I'm stepping forward," someone muttered.
"Are we just supposed to wait here until that thing gets us too?" another asked, their voice trembling.
But no one volunteered to test whether the ground ahead was safe. It was one thing to theorize about sound and movement; it was another to risk your life to prove it.
Harry felt the weight of the group's indecision pressing against his chest.
'No, I should be clear-minded...'
His breathing had calmed, and his mind had begun to clear.
The earlier panic gripping him had faded, replaced by grim determination. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "Show Status."
A translucent screen flickered into view.
[ Personal Fragment ]
Name: Harry
Health: 76% (Condition: Fatigued)
Stamina: 63% (Condition: Tired)
Core Attributes:
• Strength: 8 → 9
• Agility: 8 → 10
• Willpower: 9 → 11
• Intelligence: 11 → 12
• Wisdom: 15
End Points: 35
Harry studied the updates, his mind racing.
His strength and agility had both increased—one point in strength, two in agility. His intelligence had gone up by one, and his willpower had jumped by two. Even his stamina felt slightly better, though it was still far from full.
"End Points are stacking up too," he muttered, eyeing the total. "What can I even do with these?"
Could he use them to boost his stats? Unlock skills? Or maybe they were part of some kind of shop system?
He sighed. There were no instructions, no manuals—just trial and error.
He had even tried to access a shop by speaking out loud different terms, but nothing worked.
His gaze drifted toward the horizon, where the fortress loomed in the distance. Between them and safety lay uncertainty—and danger. Behind them, the forest remained eerily silent. The Jonkeys, Endwalkers, and Grimlings hadn't made a move, seemingly held at bay by the underground creature or something else entirely.
But Harry wasn't naive. Whatever was keeping the forest monsters in check wouldn't last.
Above, the sky had begun to darken, streaks of orange and red painting the horizon. Nightfall was coming.
"Six hours left," Harry muttered under his breath. "Two hours until dawn. That's all we need to survive. So why does it feel like the clock's ticking slower?"
He clenched his fists, his mind racing.
They were trapped between two nightmares. One behind them. One beneath them.
And if they didn't move before night came…
His stomach twisted at the thought. His eyes flicked over the group. Most were sitting or standing in clusters, whispering anxiously. Their faces were pale, their bodies trembling from exhaustion.
Jess and Darrow were at the edge of the clearing, speaking quietly, their expressions grim.
'We need a plan,' Harry thought. 'But no one's going to step forward. Not after Kyle. Not unless we're sure.'
He glanced back at his status window. His rising attributes gave him a flicker of hope. Then his eyes locked onto the End Points again.
'There's gotta be a way to use these,' he muttered. His fingers itched to test something, but he hesitated. Wasting points on a wrong guess could cost him later.
For now, all he could do was think.
Then it hit him.
They didn't just need a plan.
They needed hope.
Something to rally behind.
Straightening, he exhaled and set his sights on the fortress.
"Alright," he said to himself, a grin tugging at his lips despite the dread creeping into his chest.
"Time to check it out."