Not just because of the time he had left or his impending doom—Kaiza saw this as a rare opportunity to add a crystal ball to his treasure archive. He had always focused more on weapons than other items in the system book, studying them closely to understand their intricacies.
Among all the weapons, the crystal ball had captured his attention the most. Its mysterious concept and unique features left him wondering whether such a weapon truly existed. Now, the system was practically handing him the chance to claim it.
To Kaiza, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—one he had no intention of letting slip away. He was going to seize it and make the most of it.
After Kaiza settled on his choice and secured the option on his system interface, something beyond his imagination happened.
[High-Rank Fire Creature – Dangerous]
[Wields Fire Power]
[Chain of Fire]
[Aggressiveness – 30%]
[Hunts Prey Within Its Territory]
[Toughness – 40]
[Super Strength – 40]
[Hard Shell – Difficult to Penetrate]
After this long list, a message appeared at the end:
[H-Kai, do you still want to fight this creature?]
Kaiza was determined. He wasn't going to let this slightly terrifying and, as he concluded in his mind, misleading warning throw him off. His focus wasn't just on surviving this phase of the game—it was about achieving something far greater.
He wanted extra crystal balls, not just for their power but to understand their true functions. More importantly, he needed them for protection—especially against the harsh realities of military school. He knew that without power, survival there would be anything but easy.
Wanting to fully grasp what he was up against, Kaiza minimized the page and clicked on the Low-Rank Fire Creature option to analyze its features. After reviewing its stats, he found that defeating two low-rank fire creatures would be relatively easy.
But greed and the thirst for power clouded his judgment. Instead of playing it safe, he made his decision—he would fight the high-rank creatures.
"Let's do this," Kaiza muttered with a heavy sigh. He stretched his neck, loosening the tension, and readied himself as he completed the final step to activate the fight.
Without warning, everything around him froze—except for two things: the two beastly creatures at his side, which he had completely forgotten about. The ground beneath him began to shift, and a translucent barrier emerged, forming a wide circle around him.
"Is this it?" Kaiza pondered, staring in wonder. The scene before him resembled an arena, though it lacked seats for onlookers.
Beyond the barrier, he could see figures of fire-bodied creatures standing eerily still, frozen in their tracks. Had they simply lost their target, or had something else caused them to stop? Kaiza couldn't be sure.
Just then, a message appeared on his interface. A new tab opened, hovering over the previous pages.
[Loading…]
That was all it displayed.
Kaiza frowned. "What is going on?" he exclaimed.
The loading indicator kept spinning in an endless cycle, testing his patience. Tired of staring at it, he began navigating through the system, clicking through different tabs without a clue what he was searching for.
During this aimless exploration, he slid back to the previous page—only to be met with something shocking.
Now, he could see what was happening beyond the translucent barrier. Or rather, what wasn't happening.
The outside world was frozen.
Even without the system displaying data, Kaiza could tell—the page's countdown had stopped, the storm had stilled, and the low-rank fire creatures were locked in place, unmoving.
Time itself had come to a halt.
"..."
As the realization hit Kaiza, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. How on earth could an entire world be frozen just because he was in another?
However, he couldn't afford to get lost in this trance. The newly opened tab for the Crystal Hunt forcefully reappeared, layering over all the other tabs he had opened.
[Loading…]
[Crystal Hunt]
[Location – Fire Desert]
[Summoning Creatures…]
[Creature Summoned]
[Gate Opening…]
[Hunt Duration – 10 Minutes]
[Let the Hunt Begin]
[Outfit Features Activated]
[Weapons Activated]
Scanning the messages quickly, Kaiza noticed something alarming—his outfit features had just been activated. Meaning, throughout his entire run in the desert, he had been wearing nothing more than an ordinary suit, devoid of its enhancements.
As soon as the activation message popped up, a change swept through his body. The once unbearable heat subsided, confirming that the suit had finally activated its features. It was as if it had built-in weather resistance, adapting to the harsh environment.
Feeling a surge of relief, Kaiza relaxed slightly, bracing himself for what was to come next.
Then, something cold and metallic dropped into his hand. Instinctively, his grip tightened around it. A glance confirmed his suspicion—it was the same weapon from the training ground.
A new message appeared:
[H-Kai]
[HP – 10]
[Strength – 10]
[Ability – Level 1]
[Weapon – Dagger]
[Weapon Taps into Ability]
[User Control – None]
[Regeneration – Level 1]
[Dash – Level 1]
[Special Ability – None]
[Skill – None]
Kaiza felt the crushing weight of impossibility settle on him.
With stats like these, how was he supposed to win against a deadly beast—one the system itself had warned him about?
Fear clawed at him, creeping into his gut. Kaiza felt weak, the weight of doubt pressing down on him. A part of him wanted to give up, but—
"I can do this!" he muttered, a soft encouragement to himself.
The words echoed in his ears, and just like that, his spirit lifted—if only slightly.
Then, something happened.
From out of nowhere—or perhaps from somewhere he had failed to notice—a creature emerged from the ground. Had it been there all along, lying in wait?
Kaiza only became aware of its presence when he heard a low, guttural groan. The creature stretched, shaking off the dust and sand that had settled on its body, as if it had been in a deep slumber.
Now fully awake, it stood before him.
Kaiza's eyes widened. This was not what he had expected.
The creature loomed over him, at least three feet taller. Its form bore a striking resemblance to a giant feline, yet it had no fur. Instead, its entire body was covered in a hardened shell—one that, even from a distance, Kaiza could tell was impossibly strong.
But its face… its face was disturbing.
It wasn't a majestic beast. It wasn't something awe-inspiring. It was terrifying.
Its eyes were pure black, devoid of pupils—just like the creatures Kaiza had traveled with through the Low-Rank Fire Creature Desert.
The realization struck him. He quickly glanced around, expecting to see those creatures beside him.
But they weren't there.
His gaze shifted beyond the translucent confinement, and there they were—seated just outside the barrier, like spectators awaiting the fight.
"What are they?" Kaiza muttered, a mix of fear, curiosity, and anxiousness in his voice.
Before he could dwell on it further, a deep, rumbling growl came from the beast in front of him.
That sound alone made his bones feel weak.
This—this was what his greed had led him to.
And yet, Kaiza didn't regret it.
It was his choice. And now, he had to face the consequences—consequences that felt overwhelmingly insurmountable.
Kaiza's system blared.
[Ready?]
The message appeared before him.
Seeing this, Kaiza steadied himself, tightening his grip on the dagger within his palm.
But just as he did, something unexpected happened.
A sudden, sharp pain shot through his hand—a tingling sensation that intensified, like tiny needles piercing into his skin.
"Ah!" Kaiza hissed, wincing. He still wasn't used to this feeling. It was the same burning sensation he experienced whenever the symbol appeared in his palm and activated.
[Weapon Tapping into Bloodline Ability]
[Activation – 70%...]
[Activation Completed]
[Bloodline – Mixed]
[Ability – Super Strength]
[Control – 0]
[Level – 1]
[Usage – 0]
Below this long list of stats, a button appeared, prompting him to start the hunt.
Kaiza exhaled sharply, his nerves steadying. With a sigh, he clicked the button.
A new message immediately popped up.
[Hunting Rules]
[Dear Hunter Kai,]
[Hunting for crystal balls in the High-Rank Fire Creature Den requires high-level skill. Attack the creature only after activating the hunt.]
[Every five minutes into battle, a new creature will be added—either of the same rank or lower.]
[This serves as a bonus for a hunter who has completed their first hunt.]
[However, for a hunter who hasn't completed their hunt or can't handle two creatures, it is a death sentence.]
[Survival Conditions:]
[If a hunter dies in the hunt, they will remain forgotten—food for the creatures.]
[If a hunter is badly injured, they will be saved, but their rank will be reduced.]
[Every failure results in a rank decrease.]
Kaiza's fingers twitched. This wasn't just about fighting anymore—this was about survival. His heart pounded. There was no turning back.
[Hunters cannot change weapons during the hunt. Once a weapon is destroyed, the hunter must use anything available within the den to complete the hunt.]
[In front of you is a projection of the creature you will be battling. If you are ready, activate hunting mode.]
"Ah… it looks too real," Kaiza muttered under his breath.
His eyes remained fixed on the projection before him. It was so detailed, so lifelike, that he found it hard to believe it wasn't the actual creature. The sheer realism unsettled him.
Yet, something was off.
The creature didn't move. It didn't react. It simply stood there.
That was when Kaiza confirmed—this wasn't the real thing. Just an image. A warning.
At the bottom of the message, his gaze landed on a familiar prompt:
[Activate Hunting Mode]
His finger hovered over the button. For a moment, hesitation crept in. A second chance to reconsider.
But surprisingly, Kaiza found himself unwilling to yield to fear. Something within him refused to back down. Determination settled deep in his gut. With that resolve, he pressed softly against his system interface—activating the hunt.
[Hunt Activated]
His system interface blared, signaling the start of the challenge.
Instantly, the tab closed, and something unexpected happened.
The projection of the fire creature vanished.
Then—a shift.
The ground trembled slightly before a section of it slid open, revealing a dark, gaping hole.
"That must be the den's entrance," Kaiza murmured, his eyes narrowing.
His body tensed in anticipation, but his feet moved forward, conveying his silent resolve.
Standing at the edge, he peered inside.
All he could see were endless steps, descending deep into the earth, swallowed by the shadows below.
A rush of emotions flooded his mind—curiosity, adrenaline, and an undeniable sense of déjà vu.
It felt like that moment. The moment he first stood at the entrance of the cave that granted him this system. The thrill. The unknown. The lingering fear.
But now… something was different.
There was no M. Boss to escape from. This time, the only thing standing between him and survival—was himself. Kaiza exhaled sharply, steadying his nerves.
"Let's do this," he said, voice firm. With that, he took the first step in.