From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals-Chapter 538 Rogued pain

They continued testing the traps, scattering a few more around and watching the patterns of fire that shot from the disks. After a few rounds, they were confident in their use.

Ty wiped his hands on his pants, standing up. "Alright. We'll place these traps around camp before we settle for the night. They'll be our first line of defense."

As they returned to camp, Rosana glanced at Ty. "What about those silent boots?"

Ty handed them over. "You take them. You move the quietest out of all of us."

Rosana smiled, tucking the boots into her pack. "Thanks. I'll put them to good use."

Kern stretched his arms, his scimitars glinting in the firelight. "This med-kit better work, because I plan on getting into more than one fight tomorrow."

Rosana rolled her eyes. "You'd better hope you don't get too deep into those fights, or you'll need more than a med-kit."

Kern chuckled. "We'll see."

The group gathered around the fire again, settling in for a meal. The mood was lighter now, though the weight of the tournament still loomed over them. They ate in relative silence, the fire crackling softly.

Gisorn, who had been quiet most of the time, finally spoke up. "We need to be smart about how we use the traps. Set them in the right places, and we could force an entire squad into a bottleneck."

Ty nodded. "We'll go over the layout before we move out tomorrow. But for tonight, everyone rests. No watches. The traps will wake us if we're under attack."

Kern raised an eyebrow. "No watch? You sure about that?"

"The traps will give us enough warning," Ty said firmly. "We need the rest. Tomorrow will be harder than today."

Rosana, sitting beside Ty, leaned in. "You still think about your world, don't you? The one you left behind?"

Ty glanced at her, surprised by the sudden shift in conversation. "Yeah," he said after a moment. "Every day. It's hard not to."

Rosana nodded, her eyes soft with understanding. "You think you'll ever go back?"

"I don't know," Ty admitted. "Maybe. But I'm not sure if it's even possible anymore."

Rosana's gaze lingered on him, a mixture of curiosity and empathy. "If you could go back, would you?"

Ty paused, the question hitting harder than expected. He hadn't thought about his world much recently—there hadn't been time. But now, with Rosana asking him so directly, the weight of it settled over him.

"There's someone I need to get back to," he said finally, his voice quieter than usual. "Her name's Jade. Back in my world, before all of this, we were… close. She's in danger now, though. Erebos warned me that she's going to die if I don't find a way back."

Rosana shifted beside him, listening intently as he spoke. She could hear the pain in his words, the sense of urgency that never left him. "Erebos? The same Erebos who's been messing with you here?"

Ty nodded, his jaw tightening. "He's not just here to make my life hell. He's got his own plans, and somehow, Jade is part of that. He showed me a vision of her and the red-haired girl being killed. There's an invasion coming to my world, and if I don't stop it… if I don't get back…" He trailed off, clenching his fists.

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Rosana's brow furrowed, and her hand rested lightly on his arm. "So you don't really have a choice. You have to go back."

Ty glanced down at her hand, feeling the warmth of her touch. "Yeah," he said softly. "It's not about me wanting to go back anymore. I have to. For her."

Rosana was quiet for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she shifted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "That's sweet," she murmured. "And kind of sad too. You're stuck between two worlds, with one foot in each. You have to save someone you love, but here… well, we need you too."

Ty stiffened slightly at her touch, the closeness between them unfamiliar and a bit unexpected. But there was something comforting about it, something soft and warm that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Her head on his shoulder, her breath soft against his neck—it felt too close. Too intimate. For a moment, Ty forgot where they were. His thoughts drifted to Jade, but the reality of the present was hard to ignore. Rosana's presence beside him was becoming overwhelming.

Rosana shifted again, her hand brushing against his thigh as she snuggled in closer, her eyes half-closed. "You've got a lot on your shoulders, Ty. It's sweet how much you care about her. But… what about you? Who takes care of you?"

Her words hung in the air, the tension between them thick. She was too close now, and the way she leaned into him—how her body pressed against his—it was getting dangerous. Ty could feel his pulse quickening.

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He was about to say something, anything to break the tension, when his eyes caught movement across the camp. Kern and Gisorn were deep in conversation, oblivious to what was happening just a few feet away. Kern was laughing at something, his scimitars laid out in front of him as he gestured animatedly.

Gisorn's face was its usual unreadable mask, but he seemed more relaxed, nodding as Kern continued talking.

Ty felt a strange tingle at the base of his neck, a sensation that sent a jolt of awareness through him. Instinctively, he stiffened, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past him, embedding itself in the tree just inches from where he sat.

"Get down!" Ty shouted, springing to his feet and grabbing his sword in one swift motion. He didn't like using it—something about the blade unsettled him. But there was no time for hesitation.

Arrows whizzed through the air, clattering against rocks and trees as the group scrambled to cover. Rosana ducked behind a nearby tree, her claws out, eyes scanning for the enemy. Kern dove behind a large boulder, his scimitars drawn, the edges glinting in the moonlight. Gisorn had already taken cover, rifle raised, eyes narrowed as he sought out their attackers.

"They're in the trees!" Kern shouted, peeking out just long enough to deflect an arrow with his scimitar. "What's the plan, Ty?"

Ty's grip tightened on his sword, but he didn't draw it. Not yet. He could feel the dark energy humming beneath the surface, but something inside him recoiled from using it.

"We draw them out," Ty said, his eyes scanning the treeline. "Force them into close combat. They want to pick us off from a distance."

John's voice came from behind a large tree. "Easier said than done. They've got us pinned!"

Rosana's claws flexed as she crouched, preparing to spring into action. "We need to flush them out. Give them something to focus on while the rest of us flank."

"I'll go," Kern volunteered, his voice eager, almost too eager. "Let them try to hit me."