The figure stood in front of the cave’s entrance like a dark curtain. I forced myself to move forward, each step unhurried. In my mind, I was wondering if this could really be happening. As I got closer, the true scale of the beast became terrifyingly clear. This thing was colossal, a titan of flesh and muscle that made me feel crushingly small. Its broad, powerful shoulders spanned the entire width of the cave, every sinew and muscle coiled with raw strength. The beast’s presence felt like an oppressive boulder pressing on top of me.

I triggered my Status Sight.

***

Ogre (Kiiroi)

Level: 18

Title: Hit First, Talk Later

Description: Ogres are often depicted as large and brutish humanoid creatures. Typically, they’re characterized by their immense size, great strength, and often a lack of intelligence or cunning, though this can vary depending on the interpretation. Ogres are frequently portrayed as being dim-witted and prone to violence, but they can also be described as cunning and sometimes even capable of magic. Their favorite food is peaches—

***

Peaches? Really? I mean, I love a good peach, but this guy? Could he turn out to be like me? I leaf through the rest of the creature’s information.

—the actual fruit, you dumbass!

That bitch of a system! I clenched my teeth. One of these days, I swear, I’ll find a way to kick her in the groin.

My gaze locked onto the ogre. This was the first time I’d encountered a Kiiroi creature with both a level and a title that was staggering. Its level was more than twice my own. The disparity was overwhelming. No doubt, a single swing from that colossal club could flatten me, and its skin looked as tough as iron.

I quickly scanned my surroundings. Where the hell should I run? But there was a problem. The ogre blocked the only path to my essential supplies in the cave. All those things I needed to survive were now trapped behind a wall of muscle and fury.

I took a few deep breaths and considered my options. The ogre started to advance slowly, heavy footsteps sending tremors through the ground, counting down to whatever fate awaited me. Time was slipping away, and I needed to act fast. Desperation birthed a plan, risky, but what else could I do? Drawing on what little I knew about Kiiroi creatures, I remembered their notorious inquisitiveness. It was a slim chance, but maybe I could exploit it. Probably distract the beast long enough to slip past and grab what I needed.

With a deep breath, I summoned every ounce of charm and diplomacy I could muster. A warm, disarming tone slipped from my mouth. “Excuse me… Do you mind if we share the cave?” The words dangled in the air. In that brief lapse, I thought I might have a chance.

But that hope was fleeting. The ogre’s response was immediate and violent, proving how fitting its title was. With a guttural roar, it swung its colossal club downward with frightening speed. The air whistled as the massive weapon hurtled toward me. My body reacted on pure instinct, my ninja reflexes kicking in. I threw myself to the side, diving out of the way just as the club smashed into the ground where I’d been standing. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, and the force of the blow would have crushed me if I’d been a fraction of a second slower.

Summoning my slingshot, I launched an attack. A burst of kōkyū flew from my hands, the steel balls cutting through the air, each one aimed at the ogre’s hulking form. But to my growing dismay, the creature barely noticed. Its thick, armored skin shrugged off the metallic assault like raindrops on stone. This brute was impervious to my attacks. A direct confrontation would be suicide.

With the weight of futility bearing down on me, I pivoted on my heel and bolted toward the treeline. My muscles screamed, desperation fueling each frantic stride as I sprinted away from the comforting shelter that now felt more like a dangerous trap. The earth shook with the ogre’s thunderous pursuit, each of its enormous footsteps growing louder with every passing second. My breath came in ragged gasps, drowning out all other sounds except the persistent thudding behind me.

I dared a glance back, and sheer terror clutched at my throat. The ogre was closing the distance with alarming speed. Its grotesque figure tore through the dense foliage with unsettling purpose, branches snapping like twigs under its strength. The safety of the forest ahead seemed agonizingly distant, a mirage dancing just out of reach as my legs pumped furiously beneath me.

Fear tightened its grip, urging me to push harder, faster, despite the burning ache in my lungs and the stabbing pain shooting through my legs. My mind screamed to keep running, to put as much distance as possible between myself and the monstrous creature closing in. But before I could muster the will to push through the pain, a chilling shadow swept over me.

Instinctively, I glanced back once more, and my blood ran cold at the sight of the ogre’s massive club arcing through the air. The weapon, crudely fashioned yet terrifyingly effective, hurtled sideways with deadly intent. Its sheer size dwarfed anything I had ever faced. In that fleeting instant, time appeared to crawl. All I could do was stare in wide-eyed horror as the grim specter of death cropped up just behind me, ready to strike.

Evasion wasn’t possible this time. The club struck hard against my side, and pain exploded in my ribs. The sheer force of the blow sent me soaring through the air, utterly helpless and weightless.

An unattractive smile tugged at my lips. Here I am, flying without wings for the second time in my life.

As I hung in mid-air, understanding hit me like a tidal wave crashing over my body. It was confirmed. I was on the brink of failure in the tutorial phase, my dreams of advancing in the game about to shatter. All the efforts to level up, increase my stats, and accumulate rewards were about to come to a devastating halt. Ironically, it was a creature with a fondness for peaches that had ended my run.

The system alert appeared in my vision, unadulterated against the backdrop of the situation.

Attention! Your HP is dangerously low! Please consume a Health Potion to prevent further drop. 5% remaining.

The robotic voice reminded me I needed to act to avoid… well, death. But what’s the use? Even if I somehow recovered, the ogre would be upon me the moment I touched the ground, ready to deliver another blow with its brutal club. The memory of its lethal arc was still lucid in my mind. What kind of person would be crazy enough to want to get themselves trounced even further?

HP Countdown:

5%

Well, it doesn’t seem that bad at all getting eliminated since I’ve lasted longer than I expected. Considering I started with pebbles as my weapon, I’d survived more than a few encounters I had no business surviving. Maybe this was just my run coming to a natural end.

4%

3%

I wonder how the other players are faring. Would their levels be higher than mine?

2%

If I could see Mai’s face one more time, getting removed from this game would be worthwhile.

1%

I mean… her peaches.

0%

Not the actual fruit, by the way.

Aoi Player Akira Sakamoto has been eliminated. Transferring to the staging area.

There was a transitory pause before—

SYSTEM FAILURE! SYSTEM FAILURE! SYSTEM FAILURE!

The hell is going on now?

I stared at the screen, the edges of my vision distorting from the tension coursing through me. Just moments ago, I had been soaring through the air, my thoughts racing about the end of my tutorial phase and the expected transfer to the staging area. Now, inexplicably, I stood alone in the center of a forest clearing. The sun hung lower in the sky, casting an amber hue across the treetops and signaling late afternoon.

The transition left me confused. My mind struggled to reconcile the rush from the chase with this sudden stillness. I glanced around, searching for any sign of the ogre or an explanation for my sudden relocation, but the clearing offered none. The trees stood tall and silent, their branches swaying in the breeze as if oblivious to the struggle that had just transpired. The quiet was disconcerting. The absence of any threat left me uneasy. My senses, still heightened by the fight, scanned my surroundings for any hint of what had happened, but the clearing remained peaceful, almost mocking in its calmness.

Questions flooded my mind, demanding answers that seemed imperceptible. Why was I here, alone and outwardly safe, when just moments ago my life had been hanging by a thread? The more I tried to piece together the sequence of events, the more fragmented they became, like a puzzle with missing pieces. It was as if some unseen force had plucked me from danger and deposited me here, in this sunlit clearing, without explanation or warning. Now, this doesn’t feel right at all.