Since that was the case, I decided to check out the other two areas. Maybe if I ran into weaker mobs, I could find a small chance to level up. I was being way too hopeful—forgetting that I was still in Hell.
Holding onto a tiny spark of hope, I walked toward an area hidden behind a green screen. This zone was home to social media creatures, and honestly, the place was full of freaks.
Youtuber LVL 1
Instagrammer LVL 1
Vlogger LVL 1
Those were the names floating above a few of the Fallen I saw. The weird thing? They were all passive mobs. They didn't attack you directly, but instead, they made you waste your time watching them do pointless things. Their whole power came from draining people's energy until they burned out.
I saw lots of people just staring at these mobs, mouths wide open, completely hypnotized. It didn't take me long to realize: there was no way to survive here either. Without wasting time, I turned around and walked to the last zone.
Before I could even wish I hadn't come, this place greeted me with a red energy shield. One step inside and… total madness.
Tirrek LVL 1
Cruel LVL 1
Apache LVL 1
I jumped back just in time, nearly crashing into the barrier. The scene inside was insane. Fallen and humans were dancing together like it was the end of the world. It looked like some kind of cursed party. The dance moves were so bizarre they almost hurt to look at.
That was the final blow to my hope. I didn't know a single brave soul who had made it past these zones. My feet, as if giving up, dragged me toward the center market. That's when I saw them—people starting to show up in front of me.
At first, I thought they were new sinners, just like me, arriving for punishment. But I soon realized I was wrong. These people didn't look like fresh arrivals. No, they looked... different.
Some of them stared blankly into space. Others were chewing gum nonstop. Their faces were dull, almost like they were broken inside. Then it hit me: these were the ones who had entered the shield during the first wave and got wiped out by the Fallen. Now, eight hours later, they were returning.
I'd heard a rule before—every time you die, or if you don't kill enough mobs for your level, you suffer eight hours of torment. But there was more to it. These people didn't just suffer and come back. It was like something had changed them. It seemed like they had started acting like the very Fallen that had killed them.
I stood there watching them for half an hour. None of them seemed to break out of this strange trance. The vague warning in the starting inscription finally started to make sense. My fear grew, and I could feel it in my body. My hand was shaking. My right eye twitched. Cold sweat ran down my spine.
I waited, hoping someone would snap out of it, and soon some of the first-round victims began to regain control. I quickly grabbed one of them.
"Hey man, how was the torment? Is it bearable?"
Yeah, it sounded like a dumb question, but I had to know. The guy looked at me like a dead fish—his eyes hollow, his soul barely present.
"Brother… whatever you do, just try to kill a Fallen," he said, his voice trembling. "You can't even imagine the pain unless you live it. Trust me."
Four hours had passed since their torment, but his body was still shaking. He was clearly not okay. Around us, other people like me—new sinners—were clinging to the survivors, desperate for any advice. We were all scared, unsure, and full of silent dread.
"Well, it's already begun. If there's no escape from fate, I might as well play the same game," I muttered.
As those rhyming words slipped out of my mouth, I headed toward a familiar scent—booze. Since I'd fallen here because of raki, I figured it would be poetic if my next enemy also came from the liquor family.
I was nervous but focused. I didn't look around. Instead, I watched the mobs carefully, observing their patterns. My target: a group walking together.
Tiddly LVL 1
They sat in groups of three. If someone got close, they'd summon them over. If the person tried to run, they'd stand up and chase them. I'd seen people try to fight back—but every time, they ended up drained and defeated.
"Well then, at least we didn't sell our dreams," one mob mumbled dramatically.
They had captured someone. The three mobs surrounded him and started what I later called an Emotional Binding attack.
"What should we do? We never became great men, bro!"
"Life chewed us up and spit us out. Just like you, huh?"
I could see the victim's forehead veins bulging from stress. Then came the final line:
"Are you just like us, another failure drifting through life?"
Boom. That was it. The poor guy dropped to his knees, and seconds later, he vanished completely. The Fallen each took a sip from their bottles and smiled.
"These guys are dangerous," I whispered to myself. "They never move alone, and their attack speed is insane."
I crossed Tiddly off my list. Too risky.
Next up: Lush LVL 1
This group looked a bit more promising. They were all over the place, scattered and stumbling. Even though they moved in a group, there was no real coordination between them.
Then it happened.
A team of four sinners decided to ambush one of the Lush mobs who had wandered too far from the others. I held my breath, watching it all go down.
Ten steps away. Five. Then two.
Suddenly, Lush turned around and—BURPED. Not just any burp, either. It was thick, heavy, and glowing green.
The blast hit the four attackers like a toxic bomb. All of them were knocked out instantly. It was a powerful area attack. One shot, four casualties.
Yeah. I crossed Lush off my list too.
Then I saw them: a pair of mobs walking side by side, arms over each other's shoulders.
Drunk LVL 1
This was my last shot. I stayed hidden and watched closely. I waited until one of them separated from the other, targeting a sinner walking nearby.
This might be my chance…