The fog along Cipularang thickened as the sun climbed behind the mountains.
Morning light should have been bright.
Instead, it barely pierced through the mist as pale streaks falling onto cracked asphalt.
The highway that once connected Jakarta and Bandung now felt like a corridor leading somewhere no longer fully human.
Arlan walked in front.
His steps were calm.
His eyes were not.
They kept moving. Watching every shadow inside the fog.
Ever since the system warning appeared, his instincts refused to relax.
Behind him, Bara rolled his shoulder.
His large shield reflected the dim morning light.
The sword in his right hand swayed slightly with his steps.
"This place gives me chills," Bara muttered.
"Feels like something's watching us."
Maya walked between them.
Her white staff glowed softly every time it touched the ground.
Green particles of healing energy lingered in the air before fading away.
She stopped.
"Arlan."
He glanced slightly.
"What is it?"
"The life energy here is… thin."
Bara frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Maya looked into the fog stretching along the highway.
"Even wild zones should have life. Insects. Small animals. Normal plants."
She paused.
"But here… almost everything is gone."
Arlan nodded.
He felt it too.
The silence here was too perfect.
No sound.
Just their footsteps echoing on empty asphalt.
Like the entire area had been cleared out.
By something that didn't want to be disturbed.
Then—
A loud impact echoed from ahead.
Clang!
A shout followed.
"Left side! Don't let them dive!"
Arlan moved instantly.
Flash Step.
His body shot forward through the fog like a streak of light.
When his vision cleared…
A battle came into view.
Four massive stone creatures flew low in the air.
Their wings beat heavily, like sheets of metal.
The system reacted.
[Monster Detected]
Stone Gargoyle
Level 39
Below them, three players were fighting desperately.
A large man wielded a greatsword almost as tall as himself.
Each swing slammed into the gargoyles with a heavy impact.
But they were outnumbered.
One gargoyle dove from above.
It struck his shoulder.
The man was thrown across the asphalt.
Behind him, a woman in white robes tried to activate a healing circle.
The magic flickered.
Unstable.
"They're almost out of mana," Maya said.
She raised her staff immediately.
Soft green light formed in the air.
"Healing Prayer."
A wave of warm energy spread forward.
The wounds on the man's shoulder began to close.
He lifted his head, surprised.
At the same time, Bara stepped forward.
His shield rose.
A gargoyle dove straight at him.
Impact.
A loud crash echoed.
His boots slid slightly across the asphalt.
But he held.
"Arlan!"
Arlan was already moving.
Flash Step.
He appeared beside the attacking gargoyle.
His sword flashed.
One clean strike.
The monster's wing was cut off.
It lost balance and crashed onto the road.
Stone fragments scattered everywhere.
Two more gargoyles descended from above.
Bara pushed forward.
His shield slammed into one, knocking it away.
His sword followed with a heavy swing that forced it back.
Maya raised her staff again.
A magic circle formed beneath Bara.
"Sanctuary."
Light wrapped around him.
His defense surged.
The next gargoyle strike bounced off the glowing barrier.
Arlan moved through the opening.
Flash Step.
One step.
Two slashes.
One gargoyle shattered into pieces.
The last one tried to fly higher.
But the large man had already stood up.
With a roar, he swung his greatsword.
The strike hit the gargoyle's leg.
The monster fell.
Right in front of Bara.
The shield slammed down.
Cracks spread across its stone body.
Arlan finished it.
One final strike.
The gargoyle broke apart into data fragments.
Silence returned.
The large man exhaled deeply.
"Thanks for the help," he said, looking at Arlan and the others.
"If you hadn't shown up, we'd be done."
He extended his hand.
"Name's Desta."
He pointed at his teammates.
"Vila. Healer. And Raka… assassin."
[STATUS BAR]
ID: Vila
Level: 36
Class: Holy Mage (2nd)
ID: Raka
Level: 37
Class: Light Bringer (2nd)
ID: Desta
Level: 37
Class: Knight Phantasm (2nd)
Maya's eyes flickered as she opened her class system.
[Class Classified]
Sword Magician → Sword Dancer / Spell Blader
Healer Mage → Priestess / Inquisitor
Archer → Gale Archer / Wind Ranger
Assassin → Night Stalker / Light Bringer
Swordsman → Guardian / Knight Phantasm
Mage → Holy Mage / Dark Mage
Technician → Void Engineer / Alchemist
Her eyes lit up.
Each class branch opened new possibilities.
Arlan introduced himself and his team.
For a moment, they stood in silence in the middle of the fog-covered highway.
Desta spoke first.
"You're heading to Bandung too, right?"
Arlan nodded.
"We're looking for other players."
Desta's expression turned serious.
"Then you've heard about Neo Bandung."
Bara tilted his head.
"Neo Bandung?"
Vila explained softly.
"Some player groups managed to build a safe zone there. Survivors from different cities are gathering."
Raka added quietly.
"If you're looking for players… that's the place."
Arlan looked ahead.
The road disappeared into fog.
But something didn't feel right.
"If that's the case," he said,
"why is the route filled with high-level monsters?"
Desta let out a breath.
"Because the system changed again."
Vila nodded.
"The Jakarta zone just went through a level increase."
Arlan understood immediately.
"Zone upgrade."
"Yeah," Vila said.
"After that, level thirty and above monsters started appearing in areas that used to be safe."
Bara stared into the fog.
"So we're heading to Bandung…"
He paused.
"…while the entire region is evolving."
Raka pointed toward the mountains.
The fog there was much thicker.
Like an ocean of unmoving clouds.
"That's not all," he said.
"The fog has been spreading for days."
Maya narrowed her eyes.
"The mana inside that fog… isn't normal."
A cold wind passed through the highway.
The mist shifted slowly.
Bandung lay beyond those mountains.
But the path there no longer felt stable.
Arlan stared at the fog for a long moment.
His instincts told him something was wrong.
Not just monsters.
Not just system changes.
Something else.
Something deeper.
Bara broke the silence.
"Then let's move together."
He lifted his shield.
"More people. Less chance we get eaten."
Desta gave a small smile.
"Agreed."
He looked toward the fog again.
"As we get closer to Bandung…"
His expression hardened.
"…this place gets stranger."
The mist moved slowly ahead of them.
The road to Neo Bandung looked like a corridor swallowed by shadows.
But they kept walking forward.