Kaldrek arrived on New Earth the moment the system shop closed. The landing point was a narrow strip of white sand, a beach pressed between two vast worlds. The endless blue expanse of ocean before them and, behind, a jungle so massive it blotted out the horizon. The trees were unlike anything most had seen outside the third tutorial stage, colossal towers with bioluminescent blue leaves and mosses that shimmered faintly in the shadows.

Yet these giants dwarfed even those, each trunk so wide that a hundred men could not encircle it, their crowns lost somewhere far above the clouds. Kaldrek stood shoulder to shoulder with Maike in the midst of thousands. Once, the ranks had been a mixture of weak and strong, but now nearly everyone had reached E-grade. Only those who had joined at the very end still lingered on the bottom rung.

"Form your groups and move out!" Kaldrek's voice cracked like a whip as he barked orders into the chaos. Around him, people stumbled over the sand, calling out desperately to find their teammates. Without the guiding tokens from the tutorial, regrouping was far more difficult than they had imagined.

Panic rose in confused voices, scattered screams, and the pounding of feet. An old man with shock-white hair tugged at Kaldrek's arm, his eyes lost. "But where are we meant to go? We're not water cultivators," he stammered. The ocean barred one side, the jungle the other, and already their careful plans unraveled. Kaldrek shoved the man gently toward the treeline, forcing some order back into the tide of bodies.

"Annie! Where are you? Do we have water specialists here?" Kaldrek shouted, his voice straining to rise above the cacophony. But before answers could come, new trouble appeared. Builders, eager and ill-informed, were already hacking their axes into the trunk of one of the towering jungle giants. "No, no, stop them! Don't touch the tall trees!" Kaldrek's cry rang out, but with the press of bodies jostling around him, he could barely move.

Then a booming voice shattered all order. "Huhu! I'm going to smash the big tree! This new world is amazing!" Kargul's laughter thundered overhead as Vorlok, the great flying turtle, soared above the crowd. The orc dangled upside down from the creature's maw, mace swinging wildly, while Evelyn sat calmly astride its shell.

"Kargul, no! The plan has changed!" Kaldrek bellowed, but the orc only laughed louder. A sickening crack split the air as a colossal tree groaned, tilted, and came crashing down, its fall echoing like thunder. Shock rippled through the gathering. Annie appeared suddenly at his side, breathless. "I thought I was scouting first. What's going on?" "Please… don't destroy the big trees," Kaldrek muttered, his eyes darting to where Kargul gleefully toppled another giant in the distance, each swing of his mace reducing centuries of growth to rubble.

"Kaldrek, are you alright?" Annie waved her hand in front of his face, her expression caught between worry and irritation. "No," Kaldrek sighed, despair heavy in his tone. "This landing is a disaster." Before he could say more, a farmer stumbled forward, pale and frantic. "You have to stop them! Those trees, there are fruits and flowers all over them, resources we'll need to survive!" Kaldrek's head swam as if the world tilted. It was worse than he thought. Annie, seeing his struggle, touched her throat, and when she spoke her voice boomed across the beach like a thunder: "Silence! Kaldrek has something to say!"

Deafened by the thunderous roar so close beside him, Kaldrek winced, ears ringing. Still, he forced himself upright and raised his voice to the masses. "Two things: Do not cut down the largest trees. And all those with water affinity, check the ocean immediately. We need to ensure there are no incursions forming beneath the waves!" Murmurs rippled through the crowd. "What? Don't cut the trees? Why not?" one shouted, confusion plain. Another jeered, "Cutting them down will give us materials for homes! Who says you're not being deceived?" And finally, a voice louder than the rest cut through the uncertainty: "He's not even our leader. Why should we listen? Keep chopping!"

Kaldrek's thoughts churned in confusion. What was happening right now? And where was Thalion? Shouldn't he be speaking for himself? His gaze swept the crowd, searching for the familiar mask, but found nothing. Instead, Althirion's sharp voice cut in from behind, laced with disdain. "Are humans always this uncivilized?" the elf murmured, his eyes glinting as he watched the chaos with barely concealed disgust.

"Thalion doesn't seem to be here. Why not call for a change in leadership?" a bearded man bellowed, stepping forward. His companions grinned like jackals at the scent of weakness, while those nearby shuffled hastily aside. Althirion's lip curled. "Barbarians. Nothing but barbarians." Yet the bearded man pressed on, his tone rising. "If Thalion isn't here, then perhaps it's time someone else took charge." His hand lingered near his weapon, his eyes settling hungrily on Kaldrek.

"He is not the leader!" an elderly woman snapped, voice trembling but firm. "Thalion is, and you would be a fool to challenge him. Must you always shed blood for power, even among your own kind?" More voices joined her, muttering disapproval, but the man only smirked. "And where is this mighty Thalion then? I see no trace of him." He stalked closer. In response, Althirion drew his blade with liquid grace and stepped protectively before Kaldrek. The tension in the air grew thick, every breath shallow as people edged back.

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Another woman hissed, her anger flashing. "Enough! Kaldrek isn't the leader. He's just trying to organize the base." But the bearded man's grin widened, teeth flashing. "I say there was never a Thalion. Look at that elf's arrogance, doesn't he reek of command? Shall I cut him open and see?" Steel rasped as he unsheathed a short sword, the crowd recoiling. "What?" Kaldrek blurted, caught between disbelief and rising fury. Who is this idiot and how can he be so reckless?

A young boy's voice cracked across the gathering. "Master Thalion is here!" All heads snapped toward him. The child stood at the edge of the press, pointing toward a figure on the ground. They huddled so close it resembled a colony of penguins craning to see. "He's lying there, holding his head," the boy added. Someone shouted, "Why? What's he saying?" The boy ducked, then popped back up. "Nothing clear. He groaned… but I couldn't understand."

The bearded man wasted no time. With a snarl, he launched himself twenty meters in the air with a single leap, his sword spinning toward the fallen Thalion. Gasps tore from the crowd as warriors surged to intercept. Then Lee appeared out of nowhere, a blur beside the attacker. His kick landed with bone-shattering force. Armor exploded into shards, an arm torn away as the man was hurled to the ground. Unconsious or dead. "Kill him and return to work. We wasted too much time already," Kaldrek ordered, his voice cold. A heartbeat later came the wet crunch of Lee's fist ending the man's life, the earth itself trembling under the strike.

"At least they stopped cutting down trees," Kaldrek thought grimly as he pushed through to the boy and the prone Thalion. The sight unsettled him. Thalion's eyes, normally glowing crimson, were closed behind his mask, his body sprawled flat, one hand clutching his head. He looked less like a warrior and more like a drunk collapsed after too much ale. Yet Kaldrek knew better. He had seen Thalion endure claws and blades without so much as a grunt. For him to be lying motionless now, on New Earth of all places, was a terrible omen. The first incursion could come today, or tomorrow at the latest. And when it did, they would need him.

"Thalion… are you alright?" Kaldrek asked, his voice heavy with unease. Then the truth struck him like ice. Thalion was still F-grade. He had missed his evolution, forfeiting the chance for stronger pathways that the tutorial offered. Did he injure himself with some reckless experiment? Kaldrek's stomach twisted. Their strongest warrior wasn't just wounded. He was weaker than he should be. That loss would shadow all of them.

A low groan rose from Thalion. "Hmm… what is it?" His voice was barely a whisper, his eyes still closed. "You're lying on the ground, and you don't look good," Kaldrek admitted, his words faltering. At his side, Maike appeared, staring down at Thalion with wide eyes, the weight of realization settling over them all.

"Ahh… I don't feel that great either. Don't tell me there's already an incursion attacking," Thalion muttered, his eyes still shut, his voice thin and weary.

"No," Kaldrek replied, the knot in his chest tightening. "We've only just arrived."

"Really? Felt like an eternity," Thalion sighed. "Good then. Wake me when something important happens. I'll lie here for just a little bit longer." His words trailing off,.

Kaldrek exchanged a grim look with Maike, then gestured for Lee to remain nearby. The thought gnawed at him. If more fools like that black-bearded brute lurked in the crowd, someone might slip a dagger into Thalion's throat before he could so much as stir.

"Did you see his level?" Maike whispered, horror bleeding into her voice. Her eyes darted across the restless masses, as though saying it aloud might summon another challenger.

"I know, I know… but what was I supposed to do?" Kaldrek murmured, his shoulders sinking as he lowered himself into the sand. The grains clung to his skin, hot under the alien sun, but he barely noticed.

"We have to prepare for the worst," Maike pressed, her words trembling with urgency. "The base needs to be running as quickly as possible." She spoke low, almost afraid the crowd might overhear and sense weakness.

"Yes," Kaldrek sighed, rubbing his temple. "Let's move. I only hope the others are stumbling through the same chaos and that we aren't alone in this mess." Rising again, he turned from Thalion's prone form and began shouting orders, corralling the dazed clusters of people who still stood idle, staring at the jungle's looming shadows or the endless blue ocean.

This was not the arrival he had envisioned, but perhaps it was only natural. New Earth was no place for smooth landings. If the other groups were anything like his, they too would be wrestling with confusion, disorder, and the creeping dread of what was to come.

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