Cael watched the cart driver disappear into the forest.
The moment the man ran away, Cael knew one thing for sure—
They had been abandoned.
And that meant bandits were already nearby.
Cael quickly scanned the cart, looking for anything he could use as a weapon.
At the same time, a blue screen flickered in front of him.
----------------
[System]
Quest: Survive the Bandits and Save Everyone on the Cart
Reward: Item Analyze Skill
Failure Penalty: If everyone else dies → -50% permanent reduction to stats
----------------
Cael cursed under his breath.
"F*ck… my stats are already miserable, and now -50% on top of that?!"
Even if the system hadn't forced this quest on him, Cael wasn't going to abandon them.
Not after what he swore to himself.
He would do everything he could to save them.
His eyes drifted toward the passengers.
A young couple, trembling, not even understanding what was happening.A kid who couldn't fight at all.An old man whose body looked like it might collapse from a single punch.
And finally…
A woman holding a sword.
But her hands were shaking, and she wasn't even drawing it.
It didn't look like she knew how to use it.
More like it was given to her by someone who wanted her to feel safe.
Cael's eyes locked onto the sword.
He immediately stepped closer and said, "Hey. Give me your sword."
The woman flinched and shook her head.
"No… how can I give you this sword?! It's the only way I can defend myself!"
Cael frowned.
"You don't even look like someone who knows how to use a sword—let alone protect yourself."
The woman glared at him.
"And you do?" she snapped. "You also don't look like someone who knows how to use a sword."
Cael went silent.
A thought hit him like a brick.
Oh… right.
In the game, I only used W-A-S-D to move and mouse-click to swing the sword…
But this is real life.
He didn't know swordsmanship either.
He was just as helpless as the woman in front of him.
Seeing Cael hesitate, the woman's voice turned darker.
"You know what?" she whispered. "It doesn't matter."
"Neither of us knows how to fight."
"No matter what we do… we won't survive."
"We're doomed."
Her eyes shifted toward the couple.
"Me and that man's wife will probably be sold as slaves…"
She looked at Cael, the old man, and the kid.
"And you guys will either be killed… or forced into labor slavery."
Her words hit everyone like a cold blade.
No one could deny it.
The cart fell into silence.
Despair spread through the passengers.
Cael was about to speak—
When suddenly, the blue screen flickered again.
------------------
[System] Emergency Situation Detected.
Weapon Detected.
Sword-Type Weapon Detected.
Sword Mastery is being copied from a past save point.
Process: 1%... 2%... 3%...
------------------
Cael froze.
"What…?"
This never happened in the game.
"Copied from a past save point…?"
Cael's mind raced.
Does that mean… the different weapon styles I used in my gameplay can be copied into real life?
But if that's true, why didn't I get this before?
I've touched other weapons too…
So why did it trigger now?
There was no time to think.
All Cael could do was wait for the process to finish.
But deep down, he felt dread.
Will that same pain happen again…?
A second later—
A sharp pain struck his brain.
Information poured into him violently.
How to hold a sword.How to move.How to swing.How to position his stance.
Like someone had carved sword knowledge directly into his head.
Cael gritted his teeth and endured it.
After a few minutes, the pain finally subsided.
And another system message appeared.
--------------
[System]
Sword Mastery Talent copied from past save point.
Sword Mastery Proficiency: 1%
Description: Knows basic sword movements.
Higher proficiency allows the user to unleash powerful sword arts.
--------------
Cael exhaled slowly.
He didn't fully understand what was happening…
But one thing was clear.
He now had a chance.
Even if it was small.
Cael turned toward the woman and spoke seriously.
"Even if I've never held a sword before… I'm talented with it."
"I know it sounds insane, but trust me."
"If none of us stands in front of those bandits…"
"…we all die."
Everyone stared at him.
The old man narrowed his eyes.
"Kid… what if you take the sword, then run away and leave us behind?"
Cael wanted to shout back immediately—
But he stopped himself.
He remembered something important.
To them, he was a stranger.
And in this world, there were countless people who would sacrifice even their own family just to survive.
Cael nodded.
"…Fair."
Then he spoke calmly.
"I'll take the sword and go in front."
"While I hold them off, all of you run."
The others exchanged looks.
It was the best option they had.
And even though Cael was young, his voice sounded like someone who had already seen hell.
Finally, they agreed.
The woman handed him the sword.
Before she turned away, she whispered quietly:
"…Thank you."
Cael held the sword tightly.
He should've been terrified.
He should've been angry that he might die here.
But instead…
He found himself smiling faintly.
Maybe because someone was going to survive because he stayed behind.
Maybe because this time… his life wasn't meaningless.
Even Cael didn't fully understand why he was smiling.
The passengers began to run—
But suddenly, they froze.
A heavy sound approached.
Slow. Loud.
Thud… Thud… Thud…
Everyone turned toward the front.
A bandit stepped out of the forest.
A huge man.
One eye missing.
One arm missing.
His body was filled with scars—like he had survived dozens of battles.
Behind him were five more bandits, spreading out to surround them.
Cael immediately shouted:
"RUN!"
The passengers finally snapped out of it and sprinted in all directions.
Normally, the bandits would've chased them…
But instead, the five bandits stayed where they were.
Their eyes locked onto Cael.
Cael frowned.
Why aren't they chasing the others?
His gaze turned toward the one-eyed leader.
The leader looked furious.
His voice shook with hatred.
"Those f*cking blue eyes…"
"I really liked them."
"I'll carve those eyes out of your head…"
"…and use them for my new eyes."
Cael's expression stiffened.
"…Huh?"