"Ugh, I feel like shit. You could've warned me that the transportation would feel like an extreme roller coaster ride, you know," Axel complained as he struggled to stand.
[Apologies, Master Axel. We experienced some disturbances during the transportation. Complications often arise when traveling between worlds.]
"Ugh... Fine... So, what am I supposed to do now?" Recovering from his disorienting state, Axel asked while examining his surroundings. He found himself enclosed in a dimly lit chamber resembling an unfinished dungeon, with a massive steel gate on one side. Faint echoes of roaring monsters could be heard from beyond the gate, adding an eerie vibe.
[Your goal in this trial will be to defend yourself against the monsters roaming the labyrinth. Once the trial begins, the monsters will be drawn to your location one by one. This chamber will serve as your fort. I will provide a limited amount of resources for you to set up. The trial will start once you confirm readiness.]
As the system finished explaining, a large wooden chest appeared out of thin air beside Axel.
"Huh, let's see what I've got to work with."
---
Rumble... Rumble...
The chest's contents filled only half the space inside—far less than Axel would've liked. Inside was a set of leather armor: helmet, chest guard, vambrace, leggings, and boots. Alongside the armor and weapons—a sword and a dagger—lay a collection of traps and miscellaneous utilities: torches, ropes, gunpowder, sticks, and other items Axel didn't recognize.
"Haah, finally... How many monsters are we talking about here? And how the hell do you expect a city boy like me to know how to set up these traps?" Axel asked, fumbling with the armor and weapons, clearly unaccustomed to the equipment.
[Roughly 50 or so monsters roam the labyrinth. You will need to eliminate every single one of them to complete the trial.
As for the problem of setting traps, I shall now impart the fundamentals of survival and hunting, which should aid you in this trial. You may experience slight dizziness during the process.]
"UGH... You call this a SLIGHT DIZZINESS!? More like a FUCKING MIGRAINE! UGGHHH!!!" Axel shouted as a splitting headache tore through his skull, followed by severe nausea and fatigue, before collapsing to the floor.
---
An hour later...
"Haaaa... Haaa... Fuckin' hell. Are you trying to kill me? And what the heck are these weird things in my head?" Axel groaned, still recovering from the ordeal while trying to make sense of the supposed knowledge imparted to him.
[I truly apologize, Master Axel. It seems the system is not functioning as intended.]
"Not functioning as intended?! You mean I got a faulty system? And aren't you the system? Can't you fix this crap?"
[I apologize, Master Axel. I am merely the AI responsible for relaying instructions. The system itself handles all operations. I will investigate the issue immediately.]
"...So let me get this straight. You're just a manager giving orders to a bunch of workers—who are the system—and if they screw up, you can't do anything?"
[That would be correct, yes.]
"Haaaah... Just great. Well, at least I got something useful out of this," Axel muttered, turning his attention to the knowledge now embedded in his mind.
It seemed that aside from the fundamentals of survival and hunting, he'd been imparted with far more knowledge than expected—probably the reason it hurt so damn much.
Starting with the basics, Axel now knew how to set various traps such as snares, pitfalls, tripwires, and spike traps. He also understood pressure points and trigger mechanisms for the more advanced designs. Beyond traps, he learned how to track, move stealthily, and identify water sources and edible foods in the wilderness.
But then came the unexpected. Axel realized the system had thrown in additional knowledge far beyond what was necessary for survival:
1. Advanced Trap Engineering – Expertise in designing complex traps like collapsing rooms, elemental traps, and illusion-based pitfalls.
2. Monster Taming and Bonding – Techniques to tame summoned creatures, manage their aggression, and train them for specific roles.
3. Martial Techniques and Tactics – Instinctive knowledge of combat with swords, daggers, spears, and other weapons, as well as basic battlefield tactics.
4. Basic Rune and Glyph Inscriptions – The ability to enchant walls, floors, and traps with effects like elemental damage, slow, haste, and sharpness.
5. Basic Alchemy – Skills for brewing simple potions and poisons for traps or survival.
"Huh, pretty neat. I can use most of this right away," Axel said, nodding in approval. "Say, have you figured out what went wrong? I really don't want to go through that sort of shit again."
[...]
'Oh shit, don't tell me...'
"Uhh, System? Hello? You dead or something?"
[...Apologies, Master Axel. I was running diagnostics. I have some bad news.]
"...Haaaah, just my luck. Didn't say I didn't expect it. Alright, out with it now. What sort of fresh hell is it this time?"
[There is actually nothing wrong with the system itself.]
"...What do you mean there's nothing wrong with the system?"
[The issue lies with the core—the Labyrinth Nexus—integrated into the system.]
"And? What's that supposed to mean?"
[The core you possess contains elements of paradox, which have introduced irregularities into the system.]
"...And you're telling me there's no way to fix this?"
[That is correct, Master Axel. The core has fused with the system, making separation impossible.]
"Fucking great. So how often is it going to act up?"
[Everything about the irregularities is completely random, Master Axel. From when they occur to where they occur, up to their outcomes.]
"Haaaah... Just one more glitchy-ass system to add to my growing list of problems..."