Boom! Boom! Boom!
Trees fell one after another behind him, the sound like thunder cracking through the forest. Wallace's lungs burned, his legs screamed with every step—he'd been running for what felt like forever, chased by the massive shadow of the [Great Dire Wolf].
He knew he couldn't keep this up. Eventually, his strength would give out, and when it did, that monster would tear him apart. But the unstable forest path he'd been following… that was part of Dean's prologue. Unfortunately, so was the Dire Wolf.
In the game, the tutorial forced players to learn the timing of a "Perfect Evade." Wallace had done it countless times before. But here, in reality, with only one Evade charge left and his body on the verge of collapse? Things weren't so simple.
In Nexus of the Future Heir, the goal wasn't to kill the Dire Wolf—just survive long enough to learn how to use Evade properly. But Wallace didn't have the luxury of waiting for some scripted survival event. This wasn't a screen. This was life and death.
If he wanted to make it to the next episode, there was only one way out. He'd have to kill it.
The thought made him laugh bitterly. "Kill a boss monster without even fighting anything else first? Who the hell do I think I am?"
Still—what choice did he have?
A claw swiped past his head, tearing through a massive tree like it was made of paper. Wallace ducked low and kept sprinting, his mind racing. It didn't matter if this was a "tutorial boss." At the end of the day, it was still a wild animal—a predator. And predators could be outsmarted.
Then, through the gaps in the trees, he saw it: a clearing. Up ahead was an unstable rope bridge stretched across a cavern. Below, a river churned violently between jagged rocks sharp enough to shred through flesh and bone.
Wallace's lips curled into a grin. He skidded to a stop at the bridge's edge, wiping sweat from his forehead. His chest heaved as he turned, steeling himself.
The Dire Wolf burst through the trees, saliva dripping from its fangs, hunger burning in its crimson eyes. It lunged, claws raised to shred him apart.
Wallace's legs trembled, but his grin only widened.
Come on…
5… 4… 3… 2…
The beast's claws were inches from his face when Wallace muttered under his breath:
"…One."
[Evade]!
Time slowed to a crawl. The Dire Wolf's strike drifted through the air like a wave frozen in place. Wallace's vision sharpened, his grin splitting into something wild.
[Perfect Evade:Successful!]
A system message blinked before him. He didn't have time to celebrate. Instead, he pushed off the ground, using the beast's snout as a springboard. His momentum twisted unnaturally, carrying him across the bridge in a single leap. He tucked, rolled against a tree, and came up gasping for breath—but alive.
The Dire Wolf staggered in confusion, pawing at its nose. Then its glowing eyes snapped toward him again, and with a furious snarl, it lunged onto the bridge.
Crack!
The planks groaned under its enormous weight. One board gave way, then another. The monster thrashed, struggling to keep balance.
On the other side, Wallace staggered upright, still panting. He said nothing. Instead, he rushed to the wooden supports anchoring the bridge and kicked with all the force he could muster. The first beam splintered. Then the second.
The entire bridge tilted violently to one side. The Dire Wolf roared, claws scrabbling against rope, but it was too late. The bridge collapsed, sending the beast plunging into the river below. Its body was torn apart against jagged rocks, its final howl echoing through the cavern before fading into silence.
Wallace stumbled back from the edge, dropped onto his rear, and laughed. First a dry chuckle, then full-on, breathless laughter.
"Heh… ha… ha ha ha! I did it… I actually did it…"
It was his first real fight, and somehow, he'd survived. Maybe all he did was run away—but dammit, it still counted.
He didn't have long to celebrate.
Across the cavern, the soldiers from before appeared at the treeline.
"There he is!" one shouted.
Another pointed at the broken bridge. "Tch. It's gone."
The burly soldier pushed forward, scowling between the fallen bridge and the gap to the other side.
"Do we have mages with us?" he barked.
"Yes, sir," a soldier replied, "but their mana is nearly depleted from using detection magic. They can't teleport all of us across."
The burly man clicked his tongue in irritation. He glanced back across the gap—only to realize Wallace was gone.
"WHERE THE HELL DID HE GO?!"
The soldiers shifted nervously as he cursed, but eventually, he waved them off. "Forget it. He's headed into Imperial Nebula territory. Chasing him there would be suicide. Fall back."
As they retreated, the man clenched his fists. His glare lingered on the empty ledge.
"We'll meet again, brat. And when we do… I'll rip your head off myself."
—-
Meanwhile, Wallace trudged through the forest path, exhausted but alive. He'd escaped the soldiers. He'd killed the tutorial boss. And he'd nearly died about ten different times along the way.
He remembered the moment the soldiers reappeared. The second they started talking, he had bolted. No hesitation. No second chances.
Thankfully, he knew where this path led: the southern gate of the Imperial Nebula's capital. That also meant the end of Dean's prologue.
As if on cue, a system message appeared before his eyes:
[Episode 0: Escape]
[Episode 0: Escape.Has been cleared.!]
Wallace slowed to a stop, finally catching his breath. For the first time since this nightmare began, he wasn't in immediate danger. "God, I've been running forever… finally…"
But then another message appeared.
[You have gained EXP!!]
[You have altered the story in a unique way and will be rewarded accordingly.]
Wallace blinked in shock. "Altered… the story?"
That was impossible. Nothing like this had ever happened in NOTFH. Was it because he killed the tutorial boss? Or… something else?
He shook his head. No time to think about it now.
If he didn't hurry, he'd miss his only ride to the next episode.
Soon, he reached a crossroads. A carriage rolled into view, pulled by a pair of horses. Wallace grinned tiredly.
"Speak of the devil…"
He waved it down, and the driver brought the horses to a halt.
"Lost, are you? Need a ride?" the man asked kindly.
Wallace nodded. "South," he said.
The driver chuckled. "Good timing. We're headed that way too—the southern gate of Imperial Nebula's capital."
The man asked his name. Wallace froze. His real name caught in his throat. Then, with a cheerful smile, he gave the only answer he could.
"Dean. Dean Mayfest."
The driver greeted him warmly, and Wallace climbed into the back of the carriage. Inside were several hooded mages, robes of different colors marking their ranks. Dean sat quietly to one side, gazing out as the carriage began to roll forward.
He'd made it past one of the hardest parts. But if he wanted to survive this world… this was only the beginning.
——
Hours later, the carriage approached the southern gate of the Imperial Nebula capital. Dean's heart swelled at the sight. It was so much more breathtaking than any game screen. The towering walls, the colossal gates, the guards standing vigilant—this was a true fantasy city.
But then reality hit him. His smile faltered. He frantically searched his coat pockets, only for his stomach to drop.
He didn't have an ID.
"…Shit."