Beom Seok and the four hunters trudged through the scorching desert, every step a battle against exhaustion and thirst. The sun blazed overhead, turning the sand into a relentless, burning ocean.
"Don't give up hope," Cha Yeol called from the front, his voice steady but strained, urging the group onward.
Haneul, one of the hunters, gritted his teeth as he carried the unconscious healer, Sun Hee. "Don't give me hope! We've been walking for hours, and our only healer is out cold! She's useless right now!" he snapped.
Cha Yeol sighed but kept his tone calm. "We haven't encountered any monsters yet. That's something to be grateful for."
Haneul's shoulders slumped slightly, guilt washing over him for his outburst. The tension lingered, but the hunters pressed onward, quickening their pace to escape the oppressive heat.
Beom Seok struggled to keep up. His low stats and limited endurance made every step a monumental effort. This is hopeless, he thought, collapsing onto the burning sand. He watched the four hunters fade into the distance, their figures wavering under the heat haze.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he longed for the life he had left behind.
All those transmigration novels… such nonsense, he muttered, his voice barely audible over the wind. Traveling to another world seems amazing if you're the main character, but I'm clearly not.
He clenched his fists, feeling the harsh reality settle in. This isn't a story I get to read about safely. This is my life now. And I'm fighting for it. I want to go home! he shouted, the words swallowed by the endless desert.
Then, the familiar, cold voice of the system echoed in his mind, cutting through his despair.
System: Would you stop being weak…
System: And that world was never your home to begin with. It's time you accept reality.
System: You must get stronger beyond limits. There is no second chance this time.
The voice fell silent, leaving Beom Seok in a stunned, reflective silence. He stared at the endless sand stretching before him, heart pounding. The words sank in, harsh yet undeniable: there would be no hand-holding here. No safe escape. If he wanted to survive, he had to grow stronger—fast.
Clenching his jaw, he rose slowly to his feet, a new determination flickering in his red eyes. No more collapsing. No more hiding. If I'm going to survive, I'll do whatever it takes… even if it kills me.