I slowly lowered my right hand, the staff humming quietly in my grip.
Then—blink—a translucent screen flickered into view in front of me.
A status window.
---
Name: Dila
Age: 17
Class: Support Mage – Alchemist
Gender: Female
---
I stared at it for a moment, blinking.
Then let out a dry, bitter laugh.
"Huh… looks like my age got pulled into this world after all."
I sighed, eyes tightening.
It was just a character. Just a support role I made for fun.
But now?
Now this was my reality.
I was about to go back at the town right away instead I wandered aimlessly through the haze, my eyes caught the shimmer of a small pond tucked in a shallow dip of the earth—a pocket of still water, untouched by corruption.
Drawn to it, I stepped closer.
Kneeling at the edge, I looked down.
And stared.
The reflection rippled gently, but it was clear enough.
She stared back at me.
A girl—no, me—with long, snow-white hair cascading like silk down past slender shoulders. I reached up and brushed it with hesitant fingers.
"Huh… silky," I muttered under my breath, surprised by the softness.
Her—my—eyes were light blue, soft but sharp, almost glasslike. They shimmered faintly under the dim sky like frost lit by moonlight.
A face that was calm… quiet… maybe even a little cold.
But behind the stillness, something heavy stirred. Uncertainty. Confusion. Me.
She wore a robe lined with faint runes, layered over fitted armor for mobility—more practical than elegant, but still bearing that elven grace. Floating fragments of metallic charms clung to her waist, like tiny satellites orbiting a fragile moon.
I stared at her for a long while.
Cute, I thought. But also... distant. Like someone who didn't belong here any more than I did.
"So this is who I've become."
The reflection didn't answer. It only watched me back.
After a long, quiet breath, I stood and turned from the pond, the image of that unfamiliar-yet-familiar face still lingering in my mind.
As I walked toward the ruined town, the wind picked up—dry and sharp, carrying the faint scent of ash and metal.
Then I heard them.
"Come on, guys! There's nothing to lose! Let's go and fight those infected demons!"
A shout rang out across the cracked stone path.
I stopped in my tracks and narrowed my eyes.
A small band of adventurers—young, loud, and far too confident—rushed down the slope toward the wrecked town. Their weapons were drawn, armor half-buckled, and grins too wide for a world like this.
I stood at a distance, watching from behind a withered tree.
"Such airheads…" I muttered under my breath, arms folded, staff resting lightly at my side.
They had no idea what was really waiting down there.
No clue about the Veil.
Or what respawns after it pulses again.
But I couldn't stop them.
And deep down, part of me wondered… would I have been just like them once?
Before all this?
I walked toward the town slowly, my boots brushing over cracked stone and ash-coated grass. The wind had gone still. Only the faint hum of my staff and distant voices broke the silence.
Up ahead, the group of adventurers came to a sudden halt at the edge of the ruins.
"Whoa... it's already wiped out?" one of them muttered, looking around in awe.
"There's no way this just happened on its own," another said. "Someone went on a rampage here—not long ago."
They were right.
It had just happened.
I lowered my gaze, stepping behind the shadow of a crumbled archway. I didn't want to be seen.
Then one of them shouted, "Hey! Survivors!"
My ears twitched.
Another voice called back. "Yes—we're okay!"
And then—"Please! Someone help! My husband's trapped under the rubble!"
I paused, letting out a quiet sigh.
"Maybe having long ears really is a blessing," I whispered to myself.
The voices carried so clearly. Not just from my elven blood—but from the passive skill: Eavesdrop.
A faint glow pulsed at the edge of my vision—the skill icon confirming activation.
I could hear more than they thought possible.
Their worry.
Their panic.
And their hope.
As the other adventurers worked to rescue the trapped townsfolk, I stayed in the shadows, watching.
One of them knelt beside the rubble, trying to lift a shattered beam.
Another shouted, "We've got movement over here!"
Then—
Rrrrmmmmm…
A low, deep rumble shook the ground beneath us.
Dust rose from the cracks. The air thickened with pressure.
One of the adventurers froze.
"W-What's that rumbling…?"
My eyes widened as realization slammed into me.
"The Veil…" I whispered, clutching my staff. "I forgot to purge it."
It had matured. Too long left unchecked.
Now—it was breaking through.
The ground split open.
And from the heart of the ruins, a massive form emerged—armor-clad, jagged, and monstrous.
A giant scorpion, encased in blackened steel, its tail glowing with toxic crimson light. Shadow flames hissed from its joints.
One of the adventurers stumbled back.
"What the hell is that?!"
Another screamed, "It's a boss! A calamity-type!"
Panic erupted.
Some ran. Others dropped their weapons.
The ones helping the townspeople turned and fled—leaving the wounded behind.
Cries filled the air.
"No! Don't leave us!"
"Help! My leg—please, someone—!"
I stared, frozen. My grip on the staff trembled.
"Shit…" I whispered. "What do I do? I can't fight that. Not like this… I'm support. I'm non-combat…"
I watched the chaos unfold, heart pounding in my chest.
And for the first time since falling into this world—
I felt truly powerless.
The boss let out a hideous shriek—
"EEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!"
The sound tore through the town like a blade through flesh.
A powerful shockwave burst out, shaking the rubble, shattering loose stones, and rattling bones.
People screamed.
"Aaaargh!"
Some collapsed, clutching their ears, blood trickling down from burst eardrums.
The noise was unbearable—like metal grinding against metal inside your skull.
I winced, frozen in place.
Then—
FWOOM!
A shimmering dome of light bloomed around me. A pulse of energy surged from the base of my staff.
A pale blue barrier expanded out, humming softly against the chaos outside.
My ears rang—but I wasn't hurt.
Cascade Shield.
A passive support skill.
It had triggered on its own—reacting to the lethal wave.
I lowered my staff slightly, stunned by the glow that danced in the air like fragments of glass.
"It protected me…" I whispered.
Around me, the screams continued. Dust fell like snow. People were running, dragging injured bodies behind them.
I stared through the flickering shield, heart pounding.
I wasn't strong.
But maybe...
Just maybe...
I wasn't useless either.
But seriously... last time, I didn't even know I had Cascade Shield in my arsenal.
A hidden skill.
My heart pounded in my chest as the shield hummed softly, the blue glow flickering with each passing second.
"This is gonna be a pickle to deal with." I muttered to myself, clenching my teeth. "I didn't sign up for this... I'm not a fighter."
The boss scorpion's screech continued to echo, a bone-rattling sound that still vibrated through the air.
The chaos around me was only getting worse. The adventurers who hadn't run were struggling to regroup. And the townspeople were scattered, desperate.
My hand tightened around my staff, but I could feel the weight of helplessness pressing down on me. I wasn't supposed to be in this situation. I was supposed to be supporting, healing... not this.