Dave had never felt so uneasy. He stared at his phone, reading the notification about his failed weekly mission. He had been so close, but not close enough. A deep sense of dread filled him. He wondered what the system had in store for him.
Suddenly, the mechanical voice of the system echoed in his mind, cold and emotionless:
"Punishment for failing the weekly mission: Host will be transported to the Punishment Realm for 2 hours. Survival is the only requirement. Host must evade all threats. If successful, Host will be returned to the real world."
Before he could fully process the message, the world around Dave blurred, his surroundings vanishing in an instant. He felt as though he was being pulled through space, and within moments, he found himself standing in a place unlike anything he had ever seen. The air was heavy, thick with an ominous feeling. The sky above him was a sickly orange, and the land was barren, filled with jagged rocks and twisted trees. It was a desolate, hostile environment.
'This… this is the punishment? What is this place?' Dave thought, his heart pounding in his chest. He took a cautious step forward, scanning the area. There was no sign of any other people, but he didn't have to wait long to discover he wasn't alone.
From behind one of the twisted trees, a low growl echoed. Dave's blood turned cold as he saw several creatures emerge from the shadows. They were monstrous, their bodies covered in dark, scaly skin, with glowing red eyes and sharp claws. They were hunting him.
"System!" Dave shouted, his voice trembling, "What the hell are those things?"
"Host is required to survive for 2 hours. Evade or defeat all threats. If Host survives, the punishment will end, and Host will return to the real world. Fail to survive, and you will be trapped here indefinitely."
'Indefinitely?!' Dave's mind raced. 'There's no way I can fight those things! I barely trained!'
Without another moment to think, the creatures charged toward him, their claws slashing at the air. Dave turned and bolted, sprinting away as fast as he could. His body was working harder than it ever had before, but thanks to the stat boosts he had gained from his daily missions, he was faster than he used to be. Still, his increased speed didn't feel like it would be enough.
He could hear the monsters behind him, their footsteps pounding on the ground, getting closer. Every instinct in his body told him to keep running, but he knew he couldn't outrun them forever.
'I need to hide or something… think, Dave, think!'
Spotting a narrow ravine, Dave darted into it, hoping the creatures wouldn't be able to follow him through the tight space. He pressed his back against the jagged rock, trying to quiet his breathing as the monsters passed by above, their growls echoing in the barren landscape.
For the next hour, Dave used every bit of his agility and intelligence to stay one step ahead of the creatures, ducking behind rocks, climbing trees, and moving through the shadows to avoid being spotted. His mind raced with fear and desperation, but he knew that he had to survive. There was no other option.
'This is insane,' he thought as he wiped the sweat from his brow. 'I'm not cut out for this… but I have to make it.'
As the second hour neared its end, Dave's body was starting to give out. His legs felt like lead, and his heart pounded in his chest. He had evaded the creatures so far, but his luck was running out. One of the monsters had caught sight of him, and it was gaining on him fast. Dave pushed himself to keep running, his breath ragged, his vision blurring from exhaustion.
With only minutes left on the clock, Dave stumbled, his foot catching on a rock. He hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his body as he struggled to get up. The creature was almost on him now, its claws gleaming in the eerie light.
'No… not like this…'
But just as the monster lunged at him, a bright light enveloped Dave, and everything around him vanished. He was back. The Punishment Realm was gone, and he found himself lying on the floor of his apartment, panting heavily, his body trembling from the ordeal.
"You have survived the Punishment Realm," the system announced, its voice as calm as ever. "Warning: Host must improve stats to avoid future punishments. Weekly mission requirements have been adjusted to reduce difficulty."
Dave lay on the ground, staring up at the ceiling, his body drenched in sweat. He had survived by the slimmest of margins, and he knew he couldn't let that happen again. The system had given him a second chance, but it was clear that he needed to get stronger—much stronger.
'If I'm going to keep up with this system, I need to stop slacking off and focus. No more cutting corners. I'm going to train harder, invest smarter, and push myself until I can handle anything this system throws at me.'
With that thought, Dave slowly sat up, his mind made up. He would never allow himself to get caught in a situation like that again. It was time to step up his game. The system had given him incredible potential, but it was up to him to make the most of it.