From just outside the ruined structure, Rachel could hear the unsettling clatter of bones and the sharp rattle of what initially sounded like bamboo wind chimes. It struck her as oddly out of place—until she realized the sound came from within—skeletal limbs, brittle and weathered, scraping across stone and wood.

"Nathan," she muttered under her breath, gripping her sabre tighter, "your damn hollering is going to get us all killed."

She stepped in after him, just in time to duck beneath the arc of his backswing. The motion had been instinctive and wild, but not unexpected. Rachel pivoted and caught movement above her. A skeleton lunged from a collapsed rafter, bone fingers stretching toward her throat. She resisted the impulse to stab, remembering how poorly piercing damage worked on bones. Instead, she lowered her shoulder and drove into it mid-lunge.

The brittle body cracked as it tumbled aside. With a sharp spin, Rachel reversed her grip and slammed the pommel of her sabre into the creature's exposed skull. The impact shattered it with a dry crunch, scattering fragments across the floor.

She turned quickly to assess the others. Nathan had already buried his axe in one skeleton's spine, cleaving it in two. Charles had dispatched the last with a calculated strike to the base of its neck, letting it collapse in a boneless heap. Between them stood an open doorway, the flicker of light bleeding from an adjoining room. Shadows passed before the glow, and that familiar, grating clatter grew louder.

The building was pressed tight against the remnants of an outer wall, leaving only two possible approaches—their entry point and whatever opening let in that light.

Rachel edged closer to the doorway. "Nathan, can you see what's beyond?"

"On it," he replied, darting forward to peek around the edge.

Charles moved in step behind him, shield raised and short sword ready.

Rachel remained still, catching her breath and surveying the room while they scouted. A moment later, Nathan leaned back, eyes sharp.

"Another chamber," he said. "Connected to an entryway. The main door's gone, and there's one window. I saw movement—three, maybe four more skeletons pacing through."

"Alright," Rachel said, adjusting her stance. "You two, post up on either side of the door. I'll lure them in. Let the first one come through—take the second together. I'll handle the lead. Let's see if they're smart enough to spot a trap."

They nodded and took their positions.

Rachel stepped into the threshold and let her footsteps echo just enough to draw attention. It worked. Bones scraped against stone as one skeleton turned and lunged toward her with a dry hiss. She backpedaled quickly, just enough to make it chase.

As the first skeleton burst through the doorway, Rachel engaged it with a low parry and a swift strike across the clavicle, breaking its form in two. Behind it, the second entered—and was immediately flanked by Charles and Nathan. A crunch of bone, the sharp ring of steel, and it collapsed mid-step.

The remaining two followed without hesitation, mindless and relentless. But the trap was already sprung. Within seconds, both were cut down by coordinated swings, battered by shield strikes, and finished by sabre and axe.

Nathan breathed, but—thankfully—no yell this time.

"They're dumb," he said with a satisfied grin. "Good to know."

"Let's hope they stay that way," Rachel replied, eyeing the next darkened hall.

Rachel turned toward the low wall where Paul's head peeked over the edge of the stone outcropping. She gave a quick wave, motioning the rest of the group forward.

While Nathan and Charles moved to secure the front of the building, Rachel kept watch, her thoughts drifting to the broader picture. They still had no clear understanding of this strange place—no idea how long they might be stuck here or what had rendered the portal inert. The quest text mentioned a leader who was responsible for the corruption. Clear out the evil, she figured, and maybe the exit would reveal itself. The classic trial format—survive the nest, earn your way home.

Once everyone had entered and gathered in the center room, well away from the door and windows, Rachel called the group to attention.

"Alright, looks like we've got wandering skeletons."

George raised a brow. "Like real walking skeletons?" He leaned toward the window for a better look, trying to peer out.

Felicity grabbed the back of his shirt, yanking him away from the opening with a muttered, "Idiot."

"They didn't seem very tough," Rachel continued, unfazed, "and I'd wager most of the usual rules apply—blunt force, headshots."

She turned to Nathan, who was crouched near the central doorway. "What do you see out there?"

Nathan slowly leaned out, scanning the street. "Road curves with the outer wall. Pretty sure we're dealing with a circular layout, and that road leads toward the center. I saw a larger street or open square about five blocks down on the left. But…"

He trailed off for a second before glancing back at the group.

"But?" Rachel prompted.

"There are a lot of them. Couldn't get an exact count, but I'd guess over a hundred."

A silence followed his estimate, its weight settling over the group like a thick fog.

Rachel exhaled through her nose and nodded. "Makes sense, the main problem will be near the center. Big roads lead to important places. But if it's a straight fight the whole way in, we'll burn out long before we get there."

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She let the thought hang in the air a moment. "Ideas?"

The team exchanged uncertain glances. It was George who finally broke the quiet.

"Have we tested their aggro range?" he asked. "I mean… we keep assuming things based on games, right? If they only chase us within a certain distance, we can plan. But if everything in this city comes running the second we make a move..."

He trailed off, and Rachel gave him a slight nod of approval.

"Good thinking, George. So who wants to be the guinea pig?"

She smiled as she said it, half-expecting silence.

Instead, Diana raised her hand.

"I'm the fastest," she said simply. "Makes sense for me to test it. I can run circles around them if I have to."

Rachel gave her a nod. "Alright. Keep your distance. Don't get surrounded."

Diana flashed a grin and crouched, gathering a few stones from the ground—rough, fist-sized chunks she weighed experimentally in her palms.

"Just planning to poke the bear, not get eaten by it," she said lightly.

Rachel turned back to the team. "Nathan and Paul, stay at the door. Charles, you're support in case we need to push out. Evelyn, George, and Felicity stay in cover but be ready. Let's be fast, decisive, and loud if we have to be."

Around the room, heads nodded. Everyone understood what was at stake. They just didn't know what would come out of it when Diana made her move.

*****

Diana eased out through the front of the building, keeping her steps light against the cracked stone. The open street yawned ahead of her, still and silent but for the low whisper of wind brushing through broken ruins.

How did I end up being the bait? she wondered, her eyes narrowing. Sure, watching Nathan tear through enemies was thrilling—and yeah, maybe she'd wanted to prove herself. But volunteering to tease out a horde of undead wasn't exactly her brightest idea.

Before the System had upended everything, life had been simple. Fun. Quiet weekends with Nathan and his friends. Hikes, games, laughter. Now she stood in the ruins of some forgotten city, on a planet that wasn't Earth, testing the aggression range of actual undead monsters.

Her gaze locked on a nearby group of skeletons—two clusters of three, lingering near what might have once been a well. They stood motionless, swords clutched in skeletal hands, heads twitching at odd angles. Diana crouched and hefted one of the rough stones, weighing it in her hand before drawing her arm back.

Alright, no reaction yet. Maybe they're blind? Deaf? Hell, they don't even have noses. There's got to be something that alerts them.

She hurled the rock at the nearest pack. It clacked off the cobblestone, bouncing once before hitting one of the skeletons square in the chest. Well that throw was shit. The reaction was immediate—too immediate. The first skeleton snapped upright and turned her way with surprising speed. Within moments, the other two in the cluster followed, their bones rattling as they shambled forward. The second group remained still.

So they don't share vision. That's good to know.

She turned and jogged back toward the building. As she stepped through the entryway, the sound of movement behind her was cut through by the now-familiar ring of steel. Nathan and Charles allowed them to shamble in before jumping on them. The skeletons were dispatched in seconds.

Rachel rattled off a few instructions, her voice clear and practiced. Diana listened, nodded when needed, but her jaw tightened slightly. She knew that Rachel's leadership was solid, but sometimes it still rubbed her the wrong way, feeling like a kid being lectured, even if that wasn't the intent.

Shaking it off, Diana headed out again, pushing further this time. Now that they knew the range, she crept closer, testing it. Fifteen feet. That was the threshold. The second pod reacted almost in unison, rattling to life and starting toward her.

She turned to lead them back again—but this time, something was off.

As she rounded the same path, she caught motion from the corner of her eye. The buildings she'd passed minutes ago... they weren't as empty as they seemed.

Figures moved in the doorways. Skeletons—more of them. Dozens. They spilled into the street, their movements stiff but coordinated, eyes glowing with unnatural light.

"Oh shit," Diana hissed, breaking into a sprint. Ahead, she could see Nathan, Paul, and Charles pouring out of the building.

They'd seen it too.

*****

Nathan and Rachel stood just outside the doorway, eyes tracking Diana as she made her way down the broken street. This time, she hugged the opposite side, sticking close to the crumbling buildings.

Rachel squinted, then suddenly stiffened. "Shit. There are skeletons in those buildings."

Nathan's head snapped toward the shadows where subtle movements betrayed skeletal forms beginning to stir. "Goddammit. How did we only just notice them?"

"She stayed on our side last time. Must've triggered them when she crossed over," Rachel muttered, already turning to the others clustered behind her. "Alright, looks like we're fighting in the street. Everyone get—"

But before she could finish the command, Nathan launched forward like a shot. Charles and Paul were only a step behind him, their boots pounding against the stone. Nathan's axe gleamed in the ambient red haze as he tore across the road, eyes locked on Diana.

"Evelyn, get ready to heal him!" Rachel barked. "George, Felicity—cover us! Watch our rear and call out anything that moves!"

The team moved into action without hesitation. Rachel sprinted after the others, her sabre clearing its scabbard as she ran. Ahead, Nathan was already plowing through the first wave. One skeleton exploded into brittle fragments under the force of his axe, while another was flattened beneath his charging steps. His wild, furious energy turned him into a juggernaut of motion and destruction.

But further ahead, Diana was in trouble. Her twin knives sliced and darted, but they were poor tools against bone. She slashed at joints and eye sockets, doing damage, but not enough. Skeletons were converging around her, blades and broken limbs reaching out.

"Come on," Rachel muttered through clenched teeth.

Then Nathan surged again, closing the last few steps in a flash. With a primal roar, he triggered his Taunt, and a red haze burst from him in a pulsing wave. Instantly, the skeletons turned in unison, glowing eyes locking onto him as their priorities shifted. More than twenty undead focused solely on the behemoth who dared challenge them.

Rachel's heart pounded. "Nathan, you idiot," she called through clenched teeth. "Pull them across the street! Don't get yourself cornered!"

Whether he heard or already had the same idea, Nathan began backpedaling quickly, drawing the horde with him. Diana, now mostly free, stumbled as she turned—scratches streaked her arms, and a slice ran along her thigh.

Evelyn rushed to her, placing both hands on Diana's shoulder as soft light poured into the wounds. The healing was slower than normal, the mist clinging to the magic like sap, but it worked.

Rachel hadn't stopped tracking Nathan. She could see the toll his reckless charge had taken. His armor was shredded in places, and his breaths came in sharp, ragged gasps. The skeletons were weak singularly but they came in high numbers which apparently added up quickly.

"Alright, form up!" Rachel commanded, pointing toward the mouth of the alley where the others had already positioned themselves. "Let's clean this up."

Paul and Charles took the front, shields raised and weapons ready. Rachel and Diana slipped to the sides, flanking the group and probing for any enemies trying to slip through. George and Felicity took up positions behind, their bows already drawn.

The first volley of arrows thudded into the charging line. Bones shattered, and three skeletons fell. Nathan used the moment to reapply his Taunt, yanking another cluster back into his orbit before they could break formation.

It was a grinding fight. Ten minutes of steel on bone, of shouting commands and timing spells. The street became littered with splintered ribs and cracked skulls. Rachel winced as one skeleton clipped Charles across the shoulder, but he stayed upright. Nathan had to duck and roll away once, just barely avoiding a sword swipe that could've gutted him.

Worse still, their tight quarters drew attention. A stray arrow whistled too wide and cracked a skull leaning out from another building. Another pack stirred.

More skeletons joined.

They fought through it.

And when the final skeleton fell, crushed beneath Paul's sabre and a mana-imbued arrow from George, they all stood panting, sweat-streaked and bloodied.

But alive.

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