"What is this?! Why is the mission like this? And what about the 5,000 coins we paid to stay safe through the night? Isn't that way too expensive for just a single day?!"
"My child! My child died because he couldn't survive the insect attack! If only the clan leaders had allowed us to stay for just one night. If only!"
"What now? How are we supposed to survive the parasite invasion? Had I known, I would've chosen to boost my strength instead of wasting money on room rent!"
"They're liars! They're murderers!"
Shaden calmly observed the chaos unfolding around him. The room that everyone believed would keep them safe in the city center only lasted for a single night. And yet, they had paid exorbitantly—some even going so far as to kill others for the chance to be admitted inside.
Now, all their desperation and anger was being directed at the clans who had monopolized the buildings in the central city from the start.
"At this rate, they'll all be dead before the third mission even begins," Tery muttered in horror.
The resistance from the three clans was brutal. From the beginning, they acted with arrogance, believing themselves to be the strongest. And now, as everyone turned against them, they retaliated with merciless slaughter.
Shaden stayed still, focusing on preparing his weapons as best he could. Unlike the first and second missions, the third was known to be extremely difficult—it required surviving attacks from parasitic insects whose bites caused humans to lose their sanity.
"Should I stop them? More and more people are dying," Leah asked, unable to bear the sight of the massacre carried out by the three clans.
"From the beginning, you never needed anyone's permission to do what you want," Shaden replied.
Leah paused at his words, then smiled and moved. "I'll be back soon," she said.
Shaden watched her stride into the middle of the battle, trying to stop the people from the three clans.
"Stop! There's no use attacking each other! What's done is done and can't be undone. What you need to do now is prepare for the parasite invasion, not blame one another."
Shaden had known from the beginning that Leah wasn't just any woman. Her bravery, sense of justice, and natural leadership were incredible. In a world this broken, someone like Leah still shone like a beacon.
"She's amazing, isn't she? Not even afraid to charge into the fight," Tery commented.
Shaden nodded. "That's just who she is. She can't stay still when she sees something she doesn't like."
But the situation turned dangerous for Leah when the people from the three clans redirected their blame toward her and Shaden, accusing them of monopolizing the protective cubes and refusing to make more for those without safe zones.
Fortunately, before things escalated further, a system notification appeared.
Shaden opened the shop inside his pocket and bought several pouches of garlic powder. He handed one to Tery.
"What's this?" she asked.
Shaden opened his pouch first, then sprinkled the powder all over his body.
"Do what I'm doing. It'll help a lot in this mission."
Still confused, Tery did as he said. Then, Shaden handed another pouch to Leah, who was running toward him, giving her the same instruction.
"C-can we join you again? We're sorry for acting so foolishly before. If you let us rejoin your team, we'll give you all the coins we have left."
Shaden, Leah, and Tery—who were in the middle of getting ready—turned to face Judy and Ely, who had come over. They clearly regretted choosing to rent a room instead of following Shaden's advice from the beginning.
"I told you, we didn't stop you from leaving because we respected your choice. But we also won't accept you back, because that's our choice. We don't need your coins—use them to protect yourselves instead," Leah said firmly.
Shaden chose to stay out of it—Judy and Ely were Leah's concern.
The three of them engaged in a tense conversation, with Judy and Ely begging to be accepted back into the group.
PING
[PREPARE FOR THE MEMORY-EATING PARASITE INVASION!! SURVIVE FOR THREE HOURS UNTIL THE PARASITE COLONY RETURNS TO THEIR HABITAT!]
Less than five seconds after the system warning, a hole opened in the ground, and a massive grasshopper emerged, reeking of foul odor.
Shaden took his battle stance—staff in his left hand, sword in his right. Leah and Tery flanked him on either side, while Judy and Ely, despite the earlier rejection, stood naturally behind them.
"Damn it!" Leah cursed, glancing behind her. She was clearly annoyed by Judy and Ely's presence. They had abandoned the group but now sought protection—yet she couldn't drive them away when the third mission had already begun.
"Don't let them bite you!" Shaden shouted.
The garlic powder on his body served as a repellent. Based on what he knew, grasshoppers detested the smell of garlic.
This fight was deeply unfair from the start. The grasshoppers could fly and attack from any direction, making it nearly impossible for unprepared humans to defend themselves. Those without sufficient preparation eventually lost their minds and attacked wildly.
"Isn't this like fighting zombies? How are we supposed to take on both grasshoppers and infected people?" Tery complained.
Shaden didn't answer. No matter how frustrated they were, the threat remained the same.
"Hold your ground! Don't stray too far!" Shaden ordered Leah and Tery.
He dashed forward, ignoring Leah's yell for him to come back. But he couldn't return—he knew something others didn't.
While fighting the grasshoppers, Shaden pulled out five potions from his pocket—expensive ones that could only be used once. He spotted infected humans, many already killed by the three clans who had managed to survive better than expected.
He moved to the right, staying out of the survivors' sight as they fended off the grasshoppers. He poured a potion on an infected person, held onto them as the reaction set in, counted to ten, and then let go.
He repeated this process, fending off grasshoppers all the while.
More and more grasshoppers emerged from the hole, while the humans began to tire from the constant aerial attacks.
[You have completed the hidden mission – Save five infected humans. Rewards: 20,000 coins, 2x Level C Insect Repellent.]
This was it—the key to finishing the mission. Surviving three full hours against insects was practically impossible. If they tried, no humans would survive in the central city. Even Shaden wouldn't make it.
He ran through the battlefield, heading for the hole where the insects emerged. Without the garlic powder, he would've lost his mind by now. Holding only his staff in his right hand, he gripped the two repellent bottles in his left. He uncapped them with his teeth and tossed both into the hole.
Seconds later, thick black smoke billowed out. Immediately, all the grasshoppers shifted their focus to him.
"Uh-oh. They're pissed," Shaden muttered as he watched the swarm turn his way.
"Alright! I just have to wipe out the ones out here—those inside the nest are probably dead by now, right?"
Drawing his sword again, he braced himself. Just then, Leah and Tery rushed to his side, joining him in battle.
What had seemed like an impossible mission for humans was now suddenly winnable. As the grasshoppers were vanquished, the dark skies began to clear.
Shaden's system lit up with notifications—more than ten of them.
[You have slain a parasitic grasshopper. Points awarded.]
[You were the first to discover the hidden mission. 3,000 coins awarded.]
[The Insect King has taken notice of your actions. A warning has been issued.]
[You were the first to adapt in this mission without getting injured. 500 coins awarded.]
And many more. Shaden couldn't even read them all. The hour-long fight had completely drained his energy.
"This… is exhausting."
Just as he was about to collapse, Leah and Tery caught him.
"Idiot! I knew this would happen when he ran off toward those bugs!" Tery snapped angrily.
Leah, equally exasperated, chimed in, "Should we just toss him into the bug hole?"
In his heart, Shaden winced. Aren't my teammates a little terrifying?
**