We had not walked very far into the forest before something felt wrong.
The path ahead was quiet, and the sound of our footsteps was steady, but suddenly, a sharp pain struck my head without warning, making my entire body stiffen as I stopped in place.
Before I could even react, the pain spread quickly, pressing down on my chest and tightening around my body as if something invisible was crushing me from the inside.
My breathing became uneven.
My vision blurred.
I reached up and held my head tightly, trying to steady myself, but it only made it worse.
"Yanyu?" Liu Muyan's voice came quickly, filled with worry as she moved closer to support me.
"What is wrong?" Uncle Han asked, his voice tense as he stepped forward.
Zhang Lei looked around sharply, his expression turning dark as he said, "Who did this?"
But there was no one.
No attack.
No enemy.
Only me—
Struggling to stay standing.
Another wave of pain hit, stronger than before, forcing my body to bend slightly as I tried to endure it, but it felt as if my heart was being squeezed tightly, making it difficult to breathe.
Then the system's voice sounded in my mind.
[ Warning: Host is deviating from mission. ]
My fingers tightened.
So this was it.
[ Mission objective ignored. Penalty will be applied. ]
The moment those words ended, the pain became unbearable, spreading through my entire body as if every nerve was being pulled apart at once.
My legs weakened.
I dropped to one knee.
"Yanyu!" Liu Muyan cried out as she tried to hold me.
My breathing became rough, and sweat quickly formed on my forehead as I struggled to stay conscious.
You… did this…
I spoke in my mind, my voice strained.
The system responded without emotion.
[ Host must follow mission. ]
Another wave hit.
It was stronger and more painful.
My vision darkened for a moment, and I could feel my body trembling as if it would give up at any second.
I tried to endure it.
I really did.
But the pain did not stop.
It only grew worse.
If this continued…
I knew I would not last.
My teeth clenched tightly as I forced the words out.
"…Fine."
The moment I gave in, everything stopped.
The pain disappeared completely, as if it had never existed.
The forest became quiet again.
Only the sound of my heavy breathing remained.
I stayed still for a moment, trying to steady myself, while the others looked at me with shock and worry.
Then slowly, I stood up.
"I'm fine," I said calmly, even though my body still felt weak.
Liu Muyan held my arm tightly. "You didn't look fine just now…"
I did not respond.
Because there was nothing I could say.
I already understood one thing clearly—
This system would not let me ignore it.
I lifted my head and looked at everyone.
"Change of plan," I said.
They all froze at once.
"We're going back."
Zhang Lei frowned immediately. "Back? To where?"
"To the villagers," I replied.
Silence followed.
Liu Ruyan narrowed her eyes slightly. "You just said we shouldn't follow them."
"I know," I answered.
My voice was calm.
"But now we will."
Uncle Han looked confused as he asked, "What changed?"
I did not explain.
Instead, I simply said, "Trust me."
My tone was steady and left no room for argument.
They looked at each other, clearly unsure, but none of them spoke against me.
After a moment, Zhang Lei nodded.
"…Alright. We'll follow you."
Liu Muyan tightened her hold on my arm. "If you say so, we'll go."
Liu Ruyan sighed softly but did not object.
Uncle Han and his family also agreed, even though confusion still showed on their faces.
I turned without another word.
"Let's move."
And just like that, we changed direction and began walking back toward the path the villagers had taken.
Because now whether I liked it or not.. this was no longer my choice.
....
Back at the river bank, everything had fallen into chaos.
The place that had looked calm and safe not long ago was now filled with screams, running footsteps, and panic. People were scattering in all directions, some trying to escape the river, others trying to avoid the swarming bees, while a few stood frozen, not knowing where to go.
"Move back! Stay together!" Wu Huan shouted, his voice loud as he tried to control the crowd.
But no one listened.
Fear had already taken over.
Wu Lian stood nearby, her face pale as she tried to steady herself while calling out, "Don't run blindly! Stay calm!"
But her voice was drowned out by the chaos.
A child cried loudly as someone stumbled near the water, while another person shouted after spotting a snake in the grass. The buzzing of bees grew louder, and the sound alone was enough to make people lose control.
Not far from them, Yan Mo moved quickly through the crowd.
He pulled a child away from the river's edge, then turned to help an elderly man who had fallen. His movements were fast and steady, his expression focused despite the danger around him.
"Stay behind me," he said firmly as he guided them away from the water.
But there were too many people.
Wu Lian looked around, her breathing uneven as she took in the situation.
Nothing was under control.
Everything was falling apart.
Her expression changed.
"We can't stay here," she said quickly. "Everyone, leave the river bank now!"
Her voice was louder this time.
Desperate.
"Run! Get away from here!"
Some people heard her and began to run deeper into the forest, but others were still stuck, still panicking, still unable to move properly.
Wu Lian did not wait.
She turned and started running.
But then—
She stopped.
Her eyes landed on Yan Mo.
He was still there.
Still helping people.
Wu Lian rushed back toward him and grabbed his arm tightly.
"Let's go!" she said urgently. "We need to leave now!"
Yan Mo pulled his arm back slightly.
"There are still people here," he said. "We can't just leave them."
Wu Lian shook her head, her voice rising.
"If we stay, we will all die!"
She tightened her grip.
"We leave first, then we can come back for them later!"
Yan Mo looked at her, his expression hardening.
"They came here because of your decision," he said. "And now everything is falling apart, and you're the first to run?"
His voice was calm, but cold.
"That's wrong."
Wu Lian froze for a moment.
Then her expression changed.
"If you want to get yourself killed, then stay," she snapped.
Her voice was sharp.
Unforgiving.
Some of the villagers nearby heard their argument.
Their faces changed.
Before Yan Mo could respond again, Wu Lian pushed him away.
Then she turned around without hesitation.
"Let's go!" she called.
Wu Huan quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her along, and the two of them ran without looking back.
Leaving the rest behind.
Yan Mo stood there for a second.
Then he looked at the people around him.
Still struggling and afraid.
He let out a quiet breath and moved again, helping another person to their feet.
As he worked, his voice dropped into a low whisper.
"…Who would have thought."
He paused briefly.
"That fatso was right all along."