Erik cast her gaze about, flanked on both banks by verdant canopies, the air alive with birdsong and the melodies of warblers. Laughter and joyful chatter mingled with the gentle rustling leaves, lifting the spirit into a serene euphoria.
The sky had darkened; fine tendrils of rain slanted through the dense foliage above, cooling droplets upon her skin.
In the distance, thunderclouds thickened, ominously black, intermittently lit by flickering lightning—sure signs of an imminent downpour.
Beneath her feet, the stream's waters were crisp and clear. Looking down, Erik saw the water only lapping past her ankles, its bed of smooth pebbles and bright green moss vividly visible.
NPCs camped in the shallow stream, vibrant parasols dotting the scene in myriad hues. Small tables and chairs hosted leisurely tourists, gently swinging their legs in the water. Children giggled as they splashed and played with toys; a raucous symphony of delight filled the air. Somewhere nearby, a barbecue grill emitted tantalizing aromas that drifted like a siren's call along the riverbed, stirring appetites irresistibly.
The shallow stream stretched some five or six meters wide, winding downstream between trees tossed irregularly about, wildflowers and grasses dappling the banks. A fresh breeze stirred, brushing cool against faces—a balm to the soul.
Yet, this idyllic tranquility did not extend to Erik and the other players.
No sooner had she surveyed her surroundings than Erik resolved to distance herself from the crowds, steering away from the narrow terrain to ensure a swift escape should calamity arise.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed several others—likewise swift in movement—whom she intuitively recognized as fellow players.
As she ran, the once-clear water beneath her feet began to cloud, not stirred by her passage but visibly murky from upstream.
Suddenly, a piercing, heart-wrenching scream shattered the festive cacophony: "Run! Flash flood's coming!"
The cry sliced through the laughter, embedding itself vividly in some ears.
Some patrons paid no heed; others rose with perplexed expressions, scanning the horizon; parents called desperately for their children.
"What's going on?" a young man at a barbecue, one hand gripping a skewer, the other wielding a brush, looked up in bewilderment.
Erik pressed on without distraction.
She weaved past travelers, skirted colorful parasols, and vaulted over a small chair, sending sprays of water flying. Nearby guests cried out indignantly, "Watch it! Don't you see people here? Have some manners!"
Erik paid no mind, quickening her steps to exit the shallow stream. Though shallow in depth, the riverbed was anything but—the channel plunged nearly two meters deep. The gentle banks, though low, were composed of loose earth, interspersed with pebbles and refuse; one often found feet sinking into the clinging mud, reluctant to release.
She braced with both hands, planting her feet firmly into the damp soil, deftly scrambling upward.
Atop the slope stood a ring of weathered fencing, several sections cunningly cut away. Without hesitation, Erik slipped through one such gap.
"Run! The flood is coming for real! Run—!"
The laughter behind her faded, replaced by frantic shouts and the roaring crescendo of rushing water.
Reaching solid ground, Erik dared a backward glance. Through the gaps in leaves and branches, she witnessed a towering wall of churning, yellow-brown torrent, two meters high, hurtling downstream—devouring everything in its path.
Colorful parasols were swept away, tables and chairs tossed within the muddy deluge, terror-stricken tourists scattered across the riverbed in desperate flight.
What had once been a picturesque array of stones and pools, home to small fish and shrimp, now transformed into death's grasp, ensnaring fleeing feet.
"Help! Somebody save us!"
Echoes of desperate cries dissolved into the overwhelming roar of the flood.
The muddy waters engulfed the riverbed in an instant and surged outward across the banks.
The surging flood was less than ten meters from where she had just stood!
Flight to the shore was but the beginning. Upon grasping the full scope of the menace, Erik swiftly averted her gaze and broke into a frantic run.
Low shrubs clustered near the bank; no clear paths revealed themselves, the terrain flat. Erik guessed this area was not a designated recreational zone but rather an impromptu "camping sanctuary" carved out by visitors.
She plunged deeper into the forest, her abundant wilderness escape experience guiding her toward thickets dense with tall trees. Though unfamiliar with this map, she reasoned it wiser to seek the shelter of a sturdy, lofty tree rather than risk aimless flight in unknown terrain.
Confident in her climbing prowess, she trusted she could scale a tree before the flood engulfed her.
Her eyes brightened with a new direction as Erik changed course.
Water gushed downward in torrents, submerging the low shrubs and grasses. Players who had reacted swiftly had already evacuated the riverbed before the flood arrived. Like Erik, most sought refuge in the nearest sturdy tree.
Her focus locked onto a particularly imposing tree, likely over a meter in diameter and nearly two stories tall. As she reached it, a fellow player clad in yellow also arrived.
They exchanged glances without a word, instinctively beginning their ascent.
Leveraging her altered physique, Erik scaled the tree effortlessly, swiftly securing the prime perch.
Perched on a branch, her arms wrapped around the trunk, she peered toward the riverbed.
The once serene area was now a churning sea of muddy yellow, its colorful canopy afloat amidst debris. She spotted desperate tourists battling against the tide—a rising wave surged forward, swallowing one body entirely.
Within seconds, the cheerful campsite was utterly consumed by roaring floodwaters.
Having filled the channel beyond capacity, the waters began spilling over the banks, inundating the shores.
"A hand, please!" came a panicked cry from below.
Tearing her gaze from afar, Erik saw the first wave had drenched the tree's base, rendering the already slippery bark treacherous. Breaking off a sturdy branch, she lowered it; the yellow-clad player grabbed hold and hoisted himself up.
He had scarcely settled when another surge hit, rocking the entire tree.
"Thanks!" the yellow-clad player panted, seated below Erik, visibly shaken. "That was terrifying—the flood came so fast!"
The waters raged, overwhelming all it touched, the world awash in a muddy haze.
Survivors clung desperately to refuge—some in trees, others grasping debris or furniture, swept along the current. Many vanished beneath the watery onslaught, some to never resurface.
Erik's heart pounded; the sheer number of NPCs and the realism of the catastrophe struck her profoundly.
Rain cascaded in heavy sheets, drenching her. Glancing down, she saw the tree half-submerged—its future uncertain.
The yellow-clad player voiced her concerns: "Where's the light ring? Got any ideas?" he asked.
"Survive the flood first—the ring can wait," Erik responded.
Her companion scoffed, evidently unimpressed with her pragmatism.
"By the way… what's with the look? Are you some throwback?"
"A side effect from a mission," Erik replied curtly.
As further queries went unanswered, Erik focused on her surroundings—nothing but the murmur of water, the patter of rain, and the distant cries for help.
No leads meant staying put on the tree.
Spurned by her silence, the other player subsided, his questions dwindling.
The deluge worsened as the storm intensified.
Half an hour later, the water was within a meter of Erik.
Yellow-clad's feet submerged, a passing stone clipping his skin, he groaned, climbing higher.
Not wishing to stand idly by, Erik shifted to grant him space as the flood rose—soaring briefly before beginning an eventual descent. After two hours, the waters receded, leaving behind a bed of silt and debris, the channel still surging with turbid currents.
Clambering down, Erik began her search for the portal.
"The ring's here!" rang someone's voice not far off.
Rushing to the source, Erik found the caller absent, the portal shimmering beneath a weathered sign.
Rust marked the aged notice: "Floods prone in rainy season—value life, keep off the river!"
Below the sign, the ring emitted a soft glow.
She stepped through.
[Player Erik has completed the common level: Wilderness Deluge, earning 4 points.]
Quick and of modest difficulty, Erik reassessed her condition, deciding she could tackle another mission that afternoon. After a brief rest in a secluded corner, she selected another stone pillar, stepping into the glowing ring beneath.
The scene shifted, revealing a desolate street ensconced in midnight's hold.
The air seethed with an unplaceable tension—Erik promptly retreated from the open to the sheltering confines of a storefront.
Entry was made through a shattered window; she crouched behind the counter.
Within seconds of reaching refuge, two bone-chilling screams fractured the stillness.
Echoing through the night, their rise and fall only deepened the enshrouding terror.
The voices—a man and woman—might have been players too slow to hide.
Listening intently, Erik detected whispers of movement outside, drawing near, becoming clearer.
Footsteps—like someone dragging their heels along the ground.
Or perhaps the heavy thud of an unconscious body being hauled.
Both possibilities, in this alien place and amid such desolation, were profoundly unsettling.
Her enhanced sight proved an advantage in this darkness.
As the sounds neared, Erik prepared to peer out cautiously—only to hear a voice close enough to feel its breath upon her ear, cold and slimy skin brushing her lobe.
"Hello there."
Her hair stood on end—she suppressed the surging urge to scream at the shock.
Pulse thundering, beads of sweat formed on her temples.
The fright emptied her mind momentarily, rapidly filling with recollections of horror films.
But fear availed nothing. Erik grasped her cleaver, whirling around.
Nothing. No one.