“Run faster!” Rex shouted as he sprinted down the cobblestone streets. The nearby pedestrians immediately rushed to the sides as three men ran through. Looks of terror were painted across each of their faces, and the reason was plain to see. They were being chased by another person and a large black cloud. Several smaller animals were also following the group, though mostly out of curiosity.

“I can’t keep going,” Nicholas cried as the chase continued. He was quickly running out of breath despite the run just starting minutes prior. Unlike his companions, he had never been athletic. That fact compounded with his weak class, resulting in his current state.

“Over there!” Xander yelled. He passed the group in a panicked sprint and pointed at the next corner. The three men used the last of their stamina to run faster from the menace chasing them. They quickly turned the corner and entered a random building before the pursuer could see where they went.

It was dark in the room, but narrow rays of light provided a subtle amount of illumination. The three found themselves in a local storehouse. Several towers of boxes lined the walls. Sacks of preserves were littered throughout the area. Hay was tossed around the floor from a recent spill, and the stone floor was as cold as ice.

“Are we safe?” Nicholas gasped. He was still in the process of recovering but wanted to know more about the situation. The other two men were in much better shape, so they should have a general idea about the current state of the team. At least, that’s what he hoped for. In reality, neither Rex nor Xander had any clue about the whereabouts of the pursuer or the dark cloud.

Nicholas sighed and stepped further into the room. He could see where the wall’s ended and another door led. Along with acting as a storeroom, the structure was used as a tunnel through a certain rock formation. With it, the team could escape the chase without leaving a trace. Or so they thought…

Just as the three approached the other exit, a noise rang out through the room. It was the sound of something scurrying, and it was immediately followed by several identical sounds. A small shadow crept along the floor. It was heading towards the door the men were planning to depart with. The tiny creature bumped against the wooden door and pressed against it. Of course, the insect couldn’t open the door alone. Fortunately, an entire swarm crawled from behind the shelves, boxes, and bags to assist. They slowly made their way to the group, leaving the men with few options.

“Oh no. Run!” Rex screamed. He kicked open the door and led his partners out of the room. They found themselves in the city’s southern plaza, with an immaculate fountain sitting in the center. Several guards turned their heads toward the group that emerged. More poured out of a large building to see the commotion. Looks of terror spread across the scene as the dark cloud came into view.

A woman was seen running from the cloud and toward the three adventures. She was visibly exhausted, and her face was flushed. She wanted nothing more than to stop, but the mass behind her wouldn’t allow it. She screamed at the top of her lungs for all to hear.

“Wait! Tell me how to turn off the skill!” The adventurer, Robyn, cried while running for her life. She was another participant of the Genesis Program and met the three men she was chasing earlier. She was still at level one, and her class remained at [Animal-loving Peasant]. The three felt bad for her and offered to help, leading to the current situation.

“Just stop chasing us and ask Genesis!” Xander shouted. He stood his ground because Robyn was far enough away but prepared to run. His feet couldn’t agree on the right course of action, but he opted to follow the lead of his party members.

“No! If I stop running, the bugs will catch me!” Robyn screamed with tears in her eyes. She would have been happy if her skill, [Lesser Animal Attraction], only sought the attention of small creatures. Unfortunately, Genesis considered insects to be lesser animals.

“That is not our problem!” Nicholas yelled. He was annoyed the situation had yet to pass. True, his team was responsible, but they had no way of stopping the swarm. Only Robyn could disable her skill by requesting Genesis to do so. The main problem was that she wouldn’t stop running. Her constant panting prevented her from calling out to Genesis. Of course, she somehow could shout to the others who got her into this mess.

“It is yours,” Rex said, turning to his partner in crime. A smug look snaked across his mouth as he thought about abandoning the team at the moment. Out of everyone present, Nicholas was the most guilty of causing the ruckus. Xander and Rex didn’t have to get involved. They could easily run in a different direction while the [Smart Peasant] handled everything.

“How was I supposed to know she’d get an animal attraction skill just from talking to the squirrels?” Nicholas asked with a desperate expression. He didn’t want his partners to leave him alone in this situation. Of course, they recognized his fake pleading face and ignored the attempt to win them over. The team’s banter had gone on long enough that Robyn gained ground. Before the men could react, a familiar face stepped in.

“Halt! You are disturbing the peace! Stop or we'll take you to the guardhouse!” Guardsman Oliver said. He had exited the nearby guardhouse at the behest of his underlings. He was irritated at the group of three adventurers but had no idea why. His head shook as he reminded himself of the pressing issue. Oliver aimed his spear at the swarm, but it was too late.

“Great idea! Xander, we’ll leave it to you! Robyn, follow him!” Nicholas shouted. He grabbed Rex by the arm and pulled him away from the plaza. Meanwhile, Xander stayed behind to register what the plan was. His eyes darted to the guard then the guardhouse. A smirk appeared, but he quickly hid it.

“Got it!” Xander and Robyn replied before commencing the operation. Robyn locked her sights onto Xander, who was now running toward the congregation of guards.

Everyone panicked when the bugs came too close. The mass of curious onlookers quickly erupted in a frenzy. If there ever was a perfect image for the word “distraction”, this was it. Xander and Robyn kicked open the door to the guardhouse. There wasn’t an officer in sight. All of them were outside being attacked by insects. Xander grabbed a large chest of confiscated items while Robyn cried as she begged Genesis to deactivate her skill. The two burst out of the building and rushed to the remaining team members.

“Hey! Stop you…criminal…scum…” Guardsman Oliver tried to say, but his thoughts were cut off.

“SKILL [FORGETTABLE] ACTIVATED. SKILL SUCCESSFUL. SKILL [FORGETTABLE] HAS LEVELED UP.”