Ji-hoon left the Trader's Camp just after sunrise. The mist clung low to the ground, curling around his boots and Dusty's hooves as they trotted northward. He had a small satchel strapped to his side—inside were sealed supplies: medical bandages, dried meat, and a rolled-up note addressed to someone named "Watcher Griggs."
The map Ada gave him was hand-drawn but clear. A winding trail led through the woods toward a ridge. The Northern Watchtower sat up there—one of several old lookouts used to spot infected herds or bandit raids. He'd need to reach it before nightfall.
Ji-hoon kept one hand near his system menu, the other clutching Dusty's reins.
He still had no weapons.
No armor.
No powers.
Just a borrowed horse and the weight of a world he didn't understand.
The forest to the north was different from the twisted woods near the barn. Here, the trees stood tall and still. Birds chirped. Rabbits darted into the brush. For a moment, Ji-hoon let himself breathe.
"This part of the game looks normal," he muttered.
Every few minutes, he checked his system.
Still no logout button.
Still no sign of players.
Only his name, "Klein Arkwood," and a long list of grayed-out traits and locked abilities.
An hour passed.
Then two.
The sun crept higher, burning off the mist. Ji-hoon hummed a tune under his breath to fight the creeping silence.
Eventually, he reached a broken fence that marked the halfway point. A faded sign hung by one nail:
[BEWARE: ROGUE AI ZONE BEYOND THIS POINT – SURVIVAL NOT GUARANTEED]
"What kind of game lets that slide?" Ji-hoon whispered.
He pushed on.
The trees thinned. Hills rose gently, covered in dry grass and old stones. Ji-hoon dismounted and walked Dusty uphill—his legs aching but steady.
Halfway up the slope, a shape appeared in the distance: a small wooden tower, leaning slightly to one side. A red flag fluttered on top. It had to be the Northern Watchtower.
Relieved, Ji-hoon pressed forward—
Then froze.
His system pulsed.
[Warning: Presence Detected – Unknown Entity Nearby]
[Initiate Passive Mode – Caution Advised]
He crouched, pulling Dusty low behind a fallen log. In the distance, something shuffled through the tall grass.
Ji-hoon peeked.
It looked like a man—but moved like something broken. Limbs too stiff. Head jerking from side to side. His clothes were torn, like a former soldier or watchman. A long rifle hung across his back, rusted and bloody.
Ji-hoon checked his system.
[Entity Scanned]
Name: Former Guard (Corrupted NPC)
State: Glitched
Behavior: Hostile/Unpredictable
Weak Points: Chest, Head
Notes: AI Instability Detected]
"Perfect," Ji-hoon muttered.
He slowly backed away. The corrupted guard hadn't seen him yet. He could circle around—take the ridge from the opposite side.
Dusty snorted softly. Ji-hoon hushed him and tugged the reins.
The long way it was.
It took another forty minutes to find a safe path. Ji-hoon climbed carefully along a rock shelf and eventually reached the backside of the tower. No infected. No patrols.
He knocked on the door.
Nothing.
Again—this time louder.
A slot opened in the wood, revealing tired gray eyes.
"What do you want?"
"I've got a delivery from the Trader's Camp," Ji-hoon said quickly. "For Watcher Griggs."
The door creaked open. A tall, thin man stood in the shadows. He wore a patched coat, one hand resting on the butt of a revolver.
"You're not one of Ada's usual runners."
"Yeah, I'm new."
"Unarmed too. You're either brave or stupid."
Ji-hoon shrugged. "Bit of both."
Griggs took the satchel, opened it, checked the contents, and grunted. "All here."
He walked over to a nearby table and dropped a few silver coins into a pouch, then tossed it to Ji-hoon.
"Your pay. Camp rules."
Ji-hoon caught it.
[You received 10 Silver]
[+1 Reputation – Trader's Camp]
[+5 XP]
It was the first XP he'd earned since being trapped in the game.
Griggs leaned against the wall and lit a pipe. Smoke curled through the air.
"You really didn't see the corrupted ones on your way here?"
"I saw one. Stayed low and avoided him."
Griggs nodded. "Smart. The game's changed lately."
Ji-hoon hesitated. "You mean the world?"
"Call it whatever you like. Doesn't behave like it used to. NPCs vanish, others talk in loops. Some don't even realize they're part of something."
Ji-hoon stiffened. "You know you're…?"
Griggs looked at him with something like pity.
"I don't think it matters what I am. I know things are wrong. That's enough."
Ji-hoon left after a short rest. The trip back was quieter, but not peaceful. He couldn't shake what Griggs had said—or the way the corrupted NPC had wandered the field like it was lost.
These weren't just enemies in a game.
Something was learning.
Changing.
Watching.
And Ji-hoon wasn't sure how much longer he could keep pretending this was just code.