My Best Friend, the Final Boss Chapter 2

Carter and his team operated with a chilling efficiency. A single glance was all they needed to communicate. As the temperature in the forest plummeted, they expertly started a fire and began roasting their rations.

I was completely out of the loop, so I huddled to the side, trying to start my own small fire.

Now I understood why the chat was so ominous about Carter's squad. Every new player unfortunate enough to be matched with them probably got the same treatment.

This was their first time in this instance too, so on the first night, they stuck to the rules, unwilling to make any reckless moves. After eating, they prepared to sleep.

The heavy-set one, Gus, grinned at me. "Hey, newbie. You're on watch tonight."

It took me a second to register. "Huh?"

His smile didn't waver as he pointed to the fire he’d built a dozen feet away. "You warmed yourself by our fire. It's only fair you pay us back now."

The red-haired woman, Ruby, shot me a disdainful look. "You should be grateful. We're giving you a chance to gain some experience."

The other two said nothing, simply closing their eyes.

I was trapped. I couldn't risk being ambushed by some monster while I slept. I still had to find my best friend and get her protection; I couldn't die here.

So, I kept watch all night, my heart pounding with every snap of a twig.

The next morning, Carter’s team woke up refreshed and full of energy, ready to tackle the instance objectives. My eyelids felt like lead weights, but I forced myself to trail behind them, terrified of being left alone.

After last night, they seemed to have decided I was a total pushover. Under the guise of "training me," they ordered me around constantly. And when it came time to collect rewards, they snatched all the credit, having the points transferred to their accounts.

The chat was full of pity.

[They’re really walking all over this noob.]

[The three-day sacrifice is coming up. Guess we know who they're picking.]

Someone argued back.

[It's survival of the fittest. This is a horror game, not a charity.]

Carter's team saw the comments, of course. The cold cruelty in their eyes was unmistakable. They might as well have said it out loud.

But I wasn't upset. In fact, I kept pushing the boundaries of the rules, doing little things to attract attention.

I couldn't wait for the BOSS to show up.