Rhys watched him approach, shame washing over his features.

"Why?" Marcus bit out the question, teeth clenched in fury.

To his surprise, Rhys answered, voice trembling. "I... I didn't have a choice. I'm sorry. I couldn't let the village lose more of its young men and women."

"You betrayed us," Marcus accused, "You dragged us into a war we have no part in."

"I can't... I can't. I'm sorry." Rhys's words were desperate, fearful. "The king is poisoned, and his son, the crown prince, isn't someone we can cross. We have to meet our quota, and I'm sorry, but I won't send any more of our children into that... that slaughter."

Marcus' anger began to fade, replaced with an icy fear. Rhys's genuine terror was infectious. 'What have we gotten into?' Marcus thought.

"Line up, let's go!" The squad leader called, turning on his horse.

Forcing back his fear, Marcus turned to Rhys one last time, a grim promise in his voice. "If I somehow survive this, I'm going to make you pay."

Rhys only lowered his head further in response. Falling back into line, Marcus and the rest of the conscripts marched off.

They marched for what felt like an eternity. The armor was burdensome, his legs ached, and a monotony set in that was starting to gnaw at Marcus' nerves.

A few places ahead of him, the woman with the newborn struggled with the pace, her face pale and drawn. 

Yet, a look of fierce determination shone in her eyes, her resolve to return to her family strengthening her spirit. 

Marcus couldn't help but feel a pang of envy at her motivation. His ambition and somewhat reclusive nature had led him to live a solitary life, with no significant others waiting for him back home.

However, seeing the woman's struggle, Marcus felt a spark of empathy ignite within him. Silently, he moved to assist her, supporting her whenever her step faltered. 

No words were exchanged, but the gratitude in her eyes was enough. Eventually, fatigue caught up with him too, and another Earthling took over from him.

Unity was paramount now. The people of this world had already betrayed them once; they couldn't afford to be betrayed again. They needed to depend on each other. 

A grin spread across Marcus' face as he thought, 'They don't know what we are capable of. Once we find our footing in this Dreamverse, it's only a matter of time before we show them what we can do.'

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he walked right into the person in front of him. Swearing under his breath, Marcus clutched his nose, annoyance flaring in his eyes.

Before he could voice his irritation, their squad leader's voice echoed out. "Oi, keep it together, you lot!" Marcus' opinion of the man didn't improve. 

"We ain't here for a festival parade, keep those lines tight and move!" Grumbling, Marcus fell back in line, hoping they had halted for a rest.

Marcus watched as the Catkin soldier approached the squad leader, questioning, "Something wrong, sir?"

"Where are the birds?"

Marcus found his gaze drawn to the same direction as the squad leader's, squinting into the depth of the woods, noticing the unusual silence. 

He didn't have to wait long for an answer. 

From the forest shadows emerged a horde of bug-like humanoids and strange creatures. 

Among them stood one cloaked figure that didn't share their insectoid features. None of them looked like they had come for a peaceful chat.

The grip on his spear tightened, his knuckles going white as fear settled within him. 

Beside him, a fellow soldier gasped, whispering in horror, "H-H-Hive."

The color drained from Marcus' face at the mention of the dreaded name. He had heard plenty of terrifying stories about the Hive from the soldiers. 

He had hoped and even prayed - something he rarely did, being non-religious - that they wouldn't encounter the Hive until he was back safely on Earth.

The battle that ensued was a massacre. 

The seasoned soldiers of their group tried to fight back, but the onslaught was brutal and merciless. 

The Hive, for some reason, ignored the trembling Earthling conscripts, focusing their attack on the veterans.

Marcus bore witness to the horror, his stomach knotting as he watched the experienced soldiers fall one by one.

His squad leader was locked in combat with a hulking Hive creature. Its body seemed normal, but its right arm was disproportionately large, armored and equipped with claw-like appendages sharp enough to shred metal.

Then he saw the cloaked figure. It pounced on a soldier, who was frozen in terror, and stabbed him. The scream that followed was gut-wrenching. 

Marcus quickly averted his eyes.

Terrified yet desperate, Marcus looked towards his fellow Earthlings. They needed to find a way out before the massacre ended. 

Yet, their escape route was blocked, Hive warriors surrounding them, not attacking but keeping them contained like cattle.

Tears, prayers, and muffled sobbing filled the air around him as his fellow Earthlings resigned themselves to their fate. 

Marcus could smell the blood, the iron tang filling the air. The desperate screams of the dying filled his ears, accompanied by a faint, horrifying scent of human waste.

He was gripped by fear and doubt. 'Am I going to die? Is this it?'

Yet, a sliver of resolve remained. If he was going to die, he'd take at least one of these monsters down with him.

As he turned to face a smaller Hive soldier, an overwhelming fear suddenly seized him. 

The creature appeared to grow larger in his eyes, hallucinations filling his mind with terrifying images. 

His resolve crumbled, his spear slipping from his weak grasp and clattering to the ground.

The hallucination ceased as suddenly as it started, leaving Marcus even more frightened. 'What the hell was that? Is someone messing with my mind?'

The sound of a guttural roar snapped him back to the battlefield. 

The hulking Hive brute was lifting his squad leader's decapitated head in a grotesque display of victory.

The remaining veterans dropped their weapons in surrender. 

It was over.

The captives were quickly disarmed and relieved of their armor by the Hive. They were herded together and forced to kneel, their positions of submission leaving no room for delusions of rebellion. 

Some tried to protest, their voices quelled quickly and mercilessly. 

One particularly desperate veteran attempted a suicidal charge at the Hive, only to be expertly countered and made a gruesome example of.

The ease with which the Hive handled the situation was disturbing, pointing to a disturbing familiarity and an eerie routine.

Marcus could see the terror and resignation painted across the faces of the Barolan soldiers. 

His fellow Earthlings, coming mostly from peaceful countries where violence was a rarity, were clearly the most ill-prepared. Only a handful of Earthlings from more conflict-ridden lands seemed slightly more composed.

The sight of the approaching cloaked figure distracted Marcus from his musings. The Hive made way, showing an unspoken respect that highlighted the figure's status. 

The figure removed his hood, revealing a youthful face adorned with white hair and two differently colored eyes and pale skin. 

Marcus found himself puzzled at the sight of a child in such a setting.

"Five," the kid's voice cut through the uneasy silence, creating a ripple of confusion among the soldiers.

"That's how many people I can spare," he clarified, setting off a wave of desperate pleas.

One of the captives burst into tears, pleading, "Please, I beg you, spare me. I have a family!"

The dam broke, and pleas began to pour out from the rest. 

"Please, I have children!"

"I'll do anything!"

"I don't want to die!" 

Marcus remained silent, observing the kid's disinterested expression.

"Shut up," the kid murmured. His voice was soft, barely audible amidst the pleas, and went unnoticed. 

This stirred the Hive, but before the situation could escalate, the kid released some energy that immediately stilled the crowd.

Once the desperate cries had quieted down, the boy resumed, "All of those that are tier 1 put your hands up."

Veterans and some conscripts complied, raising their hands, while the Earthlings and a few other conscripts kept their hands down. 

Marcus recalled the rudimentary lessons he had received on the Dreamverse's rank system. 

Head hanging low, he accepted the grim realization that because of their low rank, he and the other Earthlings were likely not among those to be spared.

Marcus' whisper, just loud enough for those nearest to him to hear, seemed to hang in the air, "It's not fair..."

The young prince, surprising everyone, responded. "What did you say?"

The words, directed in his general direction, didn't seem meant for him, until a fellow captive nudged Marcus, pointing toward the prince. 

He looked up, catching the prince's gaze. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes."

Not having much left to lose, Marcus let his feelings out. "It's not fair. It's not fair that the moment we arrive, we're preyed upon. It's not fair that we're thrust into a war that isn't ours.”

”It's not fair that our first mission is an ambush. It's not fair that you'll only save the Tier 1's. It's just not fair..." His voice trailed off, a murmur of agreement passing through his fellow Earthlings.

The kid, a grin stretching across his face, responded, "You're right, it isn't fair."

He turned to the imposing brute from earlier, "Vileclaw, I want them."

The burly Hive member hesitated, "Prince, it's... we won't hit our target."

"I'll make it up to you. But I want them." 

The prince's tone held a thread of annoyance seeing the continued hesitation on Vileclaw’s face. "Do I really need to seek permission?"

The brute known as Vileclaw visibly flinched, a surprising sight for Marcus. "No, Prince. No need."

The prince returned his attention to Marcus, "What's your name, Mr. Level 2?"

"Marcus."

"Marcus," the kid echoed, a small smirk playing on his lips, "How would you like to join my cult?"

Marcus was dumbfounded, "Huh?"

"I'm serious," the prince replied, a serious edge to his tone. "The offer extends to you and all other Earthlings here. If you decline, well... let's just say you won't be yourselves much longer."

"And you'll spare us if we join?" Marcus found himself asking, a glimmer of hope igniting in his heart.

"Yep," the kid nodded, "At that point, you're part of my cult, and the Hive will treat you with respect."

With little hesitation, Marcus started, "Ok, I ac..."

A sudden wave of pain washed over him, so intense it took his breath away. 

Doubled over, he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. 

Just as abruptly as it started, the pain vanished, and a message from the system popped up.

*You are unable to join another organization for a period of 5 years due to your contract with the Barolan kingdom. This is your first warning, any further attempts will lead to increased pain.*

"Fuck you, bastards, ahhh..." The words tore out of him in a roar of rage and pain. 

Blinded by his frustration, he lunged at one of the veterans, a Barolan soldier he was sure had enlisted by choice. 

He managed a single hit before being thrown off with ease, the disparity in their strength and levels painfully apparent.

Marcus was not an inherently violent man, but the day's series of betrayals and hardships pushed him over the edge. 

From being betrayed, to being forced into rigorous military training and subsequently ambushed, his limits were tested.

Just when a sliver of hope appeared, the contract he had unknowingly signed earlier came back to haunt him.

"Calm down," came the voice of the young prince, firmly holding him down. 

Much to his surprise, Marcus found himself complying. He was equally taken aback by the strength the kid displayed.

"Please," Marcus begged, "Give me a moment with him. These Barolan pricks have done enough."

"What happened?" the prince asked.

"They…” Gritting his teeth, ”They tricked me into signing a contract. It stopped me joining your cult."

The young prince's eyes narrowed slightly. He turned towards another Earthling, asking them if they'd like to join the cult.

Upon their eager acceptance, they too were engulfed in the same tormenting pain Marcus had experienced.

"I'll find a way to break the contract," the prince declared. 

He then instructed, "Any Earthlings here, raise your hands."

His gaze sweeping over the crowd, the prince continued, "I don't take kindly to liars. So if you don't want to get hurt, put your hand down if you're not from Earth."

The Barolan soldiers hastily withdrew their hands. 

The prince looked over the remaining raised hands, his face betraying nothing.

Then he focused on Marcus. "I need to see your commitment in another way. If you're willing to follow me, I need to know that you'll follow my orders. I have no use for useless people."

With a nod towards the veteran, the prince kicked a spear towards Marcus, the weapon clattering to a stop at his feet.

"Show me your commitment."