As the system had indicated, Kaiza was on the run, carefully maneuvering through danger-free paths to reach the Masha.
Suddenly, the system pulled up another page—a map projection displaying his current location, the approaching storm, the fiery droplets of rain, and the Masha's position.
Seeing this, Kaiza whispered to himself, "This is helpful!"
The map hovered above the previous page, allowing him to glance between them effortlessly. With a quick scan, he could pinpoint the storm's position, his own location, and the path to the Masha without straining his eyes.
Suddenly, the storm resumed at high speed, surging directly toward Kaiza.
The system blared.
[Incoming threat]
Kaiza quickly glanced at the map and spotted the storm—but something was off. What had once been three separate storms had now merged into one, racing straight for him. Yet, he remained unfazed. With the map's guidance, he could clearly track its trajectory.
To outmaneuver the storm, Kaiza altered his course, veering onto a vertical path interwoven with both safe zones and cautionary yellow zones.
But what he didn't anticipate was what came next.
Without warning, the merged storm split back into three, each one closing in on him from different directions.
"What?" Kaiza exclaimed, his voice laced with worry.
The storm moved at an unimaginable speed, far faster than he had expected. But he still had a chance—he was already in the zone, close to the Masha. All he had to do now was reach it and activate it before the storm swallowed him whole.
Kaiza sprinted toward the Masha, the merged storm roaring behind him. The map hovered before his eyes, displaying his position, the storm, and his destination. With every step, the ground beneath him grew hotter, the air thick with the scent of burning sand.
"Almost there," he muttered, his gaze locked on the small structure ahead.
Then, just as he reached the Masha, everything changed.
The fire rain froze mid-air. The storm halted in its tracks. The deafening roar was replaced by an eerie silence, so absolute it sent a chill down Kaiza's spine.
He exhaled sharply, relief washing over him—until the Masha's interface flickered to life. A holographic screen projected before him.
[Welcome, user: Kai]
[This is Masha, your only protection in the fire desert]
[Are you in danger?]
Kaiza stared at the message, then clenched his fists.
"What kind of stupid machine is this? Of course, I'm in danger! Can't you see that?" he yelled in frustration.
[User, yelling is unnecessary. I didn't send you here—you broke the rules.]
Kaiza groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Just activate already!"
[Error: User input unclear. Please rephrase your command.]
He muttered under his breath, "I'm going to die because of a sarcastic machine."
[Not going to die if you obey simple rules.]
Kaiza exhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay calm—not because of the system's response, but because he could hear the storm rumbling closer.
Slowly, he refocused and gave a clear command. "Activate protection."
The Masha didn't activate immediately. Instead, more information appeared on its screen, listing crucial details Kaiza needed to know before full activation.
[Device Name - Masha]
[Use - Protection]
[Strength - 5]
[Regeneration - 0]
[Protection Against Fire Rain - 4 Hits]
[Protection Against Raging Storm - 1 Hit]
At the bottom of the display was an activation button.
Kaiza wasted no time, whispering, "Activate protection," as he pressed it.
[Protection Activating - 66%...]
As the percentage climbed, he noticed subtle shifts in the ground around him. The system was responding.
Once the activation reached 100%, a translucent shield flickered to life, encasing him in a protective dome.
Kaiza let out a relieved sigh. Now, all he had to do was wait and see how the shield would hold up against the storm.
But he didn't have to wait long.
Just before the storm collided with the shield, his system flashed a warning.
[Activated: Masha]
[User Protected]
[Storm Incoming]
Kaiza read through the notifications, a smirk forming on his lips. He felt safe—for now—and was determined to endure whatever came next.
As the storm closed in, the three separate formations merged again, striking the Masha shield at full force.
The system blared.
[Storm Struck]
[Effect - 3]
[Shield Weakened]
[Strength - 2]
[Protection Deactivated]
Kaiza didn't panic. He knew there were more Mashas out there to protect him.
He stepped out cautiously, and just then, more notifications scrolled across his system interface.
[Phase Completed - 2
]
[Duration - 7 Minutes]
[Break]
Kaiza exhaled sharply. Now, he could see how long he had endured this punishment.
"Three more minutes to go," he groaned, stretching his muscles.
But before he could fully relax, the system interrupted with a new set of warnings.
[Phase 3 - Dangerous]
[Duration - 3 Minutes]
[New Threat - Fire Creature]
[Method of Survival - Masha]
[Masha Located in a Dangerous Zone]
[Let's Begin]
Kaiza stood frozen. "..."
He had assumed this phase would be similar to the last. He had allowed himself to believe things were getting easier. But now, reality hit him hard—there was always a twist.
His eyes remained locked on the screen, his mind racing. For a moment, he felt like giving up. The information before him was terrifying. A part of him wished the system hadn't warned him at all—maybe facing the unknown head-on would have been easier than dreading what was coming.
But another part of him knew better.
At least now, he could prepare.
Kaiza was both grateful and terrified at the same time.
"Fire creature? And protection in a danger zone?" Kaiza muttered, still struggling to wrap his head around the information. It felt unreal, yet he couldn't dismiss it. The truth was bitter, and it weighed heavily on his mind.
As he processed this unimaginable twist, he realized he should have expected it by now. The system was designed to become deadlier with every phase—there was always a trap hidden in its progression.
Before he could even catch his breath, the system blared again.
[Break Over]
[Phase 3 Begins Now]
The countdown for the three-minute span began ticking down.
Kaiza immediately noticed changes around him. Glancing at his system guide, he knew this phase wouldn't be as manageable as he had hoped. The danger zones had multiplied.
"These must be the danger zones the system warned about," Kaiza muttered, his voice low as he studied the map. The once small red areas had now expanded, consuming most of the green paths he was supposed to follow.
The realization hit him hard. With the map flashing before him, it was clear—a single wrong step could lead to unimaginable harm.
As Kaiza studied the map, new shapes began emerging from the underground. Threats multiplied rapidly, surrounding his marked location. The system pinpointed his position, making it unmistakably clear—he was at the center of the chaos.
Kaiza glanced around, sliding his interface to the side, and finally saw them: the creatures the system had referred to.
"The fire creatures," he whispered, his voice trembling as his wide eyes took in the monstrous forms. His jaw dropped in awe and terror.
"Dragons."
Massive, blazing beasts stood before him, their fiery scales glowing like molten lava. They exuded both beauty and destruction, a sight too unfathomable to fully process.
Before Kaiza could lose himself in the overwhelming combination of amazement and fear, his system flared, yanking his focus back to the harsh reality.
[Cross the Fire Creature Land in 2 Minutes]
[Survive with the Help of High-Rank Masha]
[High-Rank Masha Offers Greater Protection Than Low-Rank Masha]
[However, High-Rank Masha Are Hidden—Find Them to Survive the Attack]
[Start in 10 Seconds]
Kaiza's pulse raced as the countdown began. The stakes had never been higher, and now survival depended not just on quick thinking but also on finding the hidden high-rank Mashas amidst the dragons.
Kaiza was beginning to shiver. Fear clawed at him, tightening around his chest, and he could no longer suppress it. He wanted this to be over—either to finish it quickly or to escape altogether. The whole ordeal felt deliberate, as if he had been thrown into this nightmare not just as punishment for his offense but as a cruel training ground to prepare him for something far worse.
With a glance around, Kaiza noticed a faint glowing line ahead. It occurred to him—this was the starting point. Once he crossed it, Phase 3 would be over.
As the countdown reached five, a loud rumbling erupted behind him. The raging firestorm, hungry and impatient, roared to life once more.
"Is the storm part of Phase Three too?" Kaiza muttered bitterly. His frustration boiled over. Not only did he have to survive an onslaught of fire creatures, but now the relentless storm was still in play.
[Zero.]
The moment the timer hit, Kaiza crossed the line and broke into a sprint. He navigated through the safe zones, occasionally slipping into danger zones, but to his surprise, nothing happened—no immediate attack, no fire rain like in the first phase.
Still, as he pushed forward, something strange caught his attention.
The fire creatures weren't moving.
They were massive, terrifying beings, yet they stood eerily still. As Kaiza got a clearer view of one, he realized—
"Are they... sleeping?"
He stared at them in disbelief. If they were asleep, why was this called the most dangerous phase?
The thought lingered, his mind churning with unease. Then, unknowingly, he took a step too far.
His foot landed on a red zone.
His system blared.
[You Stepped on the Danger Zone]
[Fire Creature Awakened]
Kaiza's heart lurched.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the air, vibrating the ground beneath him. Slowly, the once-motionless fire creature began to stir, its massive body shifting as molten cracks along its scales glowed brighter.
Kaiza took an instinctive step back, his breath caught in his throat. "Damn it..."
The creature's eyes snapped open, blazing like twin suns.
Then came the worst part.
One fire creature waking up was bad enough—but the tremor of its movement sent ripples through an area of the land, triggering a reaction. Another dragon-like creature began to stir.
Kaiza barely had time to process what was happening before his system blared again.
[Immediate Threat Detected]
[Run or Find High-Rank Masha]
[Survival Chances Without Masha: 0%]
His pulse pounded in his ears. There was no time to hesitate.
He ran.