[Five]
[Four]
[Three]
[Two]
[One]
[Zero]
As the countdown reaches zero, more messages began to scroll in:
[Hunt Over]
[Deactivating Hunt mode]
[Hunt Mode Deactivation completed]
[Dear H-Kai, the hunt goal was met. However, due to the explosion, the crystal ball was destroyed. You failed to activate the crystal ball and acquire its power before it was damaged.]
[This means you have lost. In addition, your failure to survive the second Kishi has resulted in a rank reduction. However, since you currently hold no rank on the hunters' list, the consequences will differ. You are hereby suspended indefinitely from hunting.]
Kaiza, though blurry-eyed, managed to skim through the message hovering above his sight before his eyes gave in to the thick darkness...
Once again, Kaiza's eyes shot open, staring subconsciously at the newly surfaced messages:
[Transformation ongoing...]
[Exiting Kishi Den...]
As the messages appeared, Kaiza's surroundings began to shift. However, he didn't stay awake long enough to witness what would happen next. His eyelids grew heavy, and he slipped into a deep sleep, his vision fading into darkness.
---
The following day.
Kaiza's eyes shot open, and almost immediately, his system interface flickered to life. Lying on his side, he attempted to turn onto his back when a sharp pain in his lower back jolted through him, making him groan.
"Argh!" Kaiza winced, his eyes squeezing shut.
[User Awake]
[Activating Regeneration...]
[Regeneration will now begin.]
As the message blared, Kaiza felt an odd sensation spreading through his back where the pain had originated. Slowly, fragments of his memory began to flood in—the endless battle with the two beastly creatures, the relentless punishment, and the agony that lingered in his mind and body.
The memories continued to surge, allowing Kaiza to relive every painful moment until his recollection hit a wall. The last thing he remembered was the blurry message signaling his exit from the Kishi's den before his eyes finally shut, succumbing to the darkness.
But that happened next?
It remained a mystery.
"After that... did I return to the punishment desert, or was I pardoned?" Kaiza pondered, trying to piece together the fragmented memories in his mind.
The more he thought about it, the more questions flooded his mind. Yet, his focus soon shifted from what happened afterward to the fight itself. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride over his performance. However, faint memories of the system message about his failure to activate the crystal ball began to creep in, leaving him both worried and pained.
He had wanted that crystal ball so badly—he had worked so hard for it.
Kaiza's mind flashed back to the moment when the Kishi fired at him. At the last second, he had placed the crystal egg in front of him. That must have caused the damage, he thought. After that, there was no sign of the crystal ball around him.
"Did it... save me?" he whispered to himself.
Kaiza then realized that if he had activated the crystal ball before the sudden attack, he could have used one of its crystal points to protect himself. All his suffering felt in vain now. And yet, another question lingered—how did he end up back in his room, lying on his bed?
Suddenly, faint memories flickered in his mind. Kaiza saw himself from a third-person perspective, starting from the moment he was logged out of the Kishi's den and sent back to the punishment ground. The final message about his exit resurfaced, though blurry and fragmented. It lasted less than three seconds before darkness swallowed everything again—until a faint light broke through.
He realized it was because his eyes had shut occasionally, heavy with exhaustion. But he fought to keep them open, knowing that death was only a blink away.
The flash returned.
Kaiza was back in the punishment ground. Everything came back to life, unfreezing in an instant. The lower-rank fire creatures and the raging storm resumed their relentless pursuit. However, Kaiza alone remained still, not resuming his run. He lay half-dead on the ground, drowning in his pain. His health points had dropped to zero, and his strength was completely depleted, leaving him almost paralyzed.
Then something unexpected happened.
His view shifted, and his gaze locked onto the two creatures that had journeyed with him through the lower-rank creatures' path until his hunt quest began.
They moved closer to him, settling on either side of him. Their eyes flicked between Kaiza and the approaching doom, as if silently communicating with him—urging him to summon whatever little strength he had left to fight his enemies.
Strangely, they didn't seem anxious or frightened by the impending danger.
Then, darkness crept in again.
In the pitch-black void, Kaiza dwelled on the moment. He had been certain the creatures were going to devour him, yet nothing of the sort had happened.
"Dumb me... if I had been eaten, I wouldn't be here," Kaiza muttered, cursing himself for his senseless assumption.
"But how did I survive?" he questioned, his mind swirling with confusion.
Suddenly, the fragmented clip in his mind continued, playing another piece of the broken memory.
As one of the lower-rank creatures approached the area where Kaiza lay half-dead, one of the creatures beside him suddenly turned toward the newcomer.
To Kaiza's surprise, the two creatures looked strikingly similar, yet they stood against each other. The lower-rank Kishi carried thin chain weapons on its back, unlike the thick, heavy chains wielded by the high-rank Kishi Kaiza had previously fought.
Then, once again, darkness swallowed everything, leaving Kaiza even more curious about what would happen next. The void left him with nothing but his own imagination to fill in the blanks.
"Why are they fighting each other?" Kaiza wondered, confused. "Weren't they supposed to eat me?"
His mind wrestled with the questions for what felt like an eternity, but no answers came.
Suddenly, light returned.
Soft groans filled the air as the two creatures began to communicate. With each sound they made, Kaiza felt an odd connection—almost as if he could perceive what they were saying. It wasn't entirely clear, but there was something familiar in their exchange, as though their words were on the edge of his understanding.
The next scene Kaiza witnessed, from a slight distance, was the two creatures locked in a chaotic fight. Meanwhile, his body was being moved away from the scene, drifting through the slumbering high-rank creatures.
"What is moving my body?" Kaiza wondered as he felt himself being carried away.
Then, the answer revealed itself.
The second creature had lifted him off the ground with its thin chains, extinguishing its flames as it carefully tied Kaiza to its back. It moved cautiously through the high-rank desert, ensuring not to disturb the sleeping beasts.
Meanwhile, the other creature battled fiercely, trying to prevent the lower-rank Kishis from awakening the high-rank ones. But the situation quickly turned messy as more lower-rank Kishis flooded into the scene.
Kaiza felt a pang of pity for the creature, overwhelmed by the growing numbers. Yet, it seemed the Kishis weren't trying to hurt it—they were merely trying to stop it from deviating from its purpose.
As the battle raged on, Kaiza's eyes fluttered shut once again...
When his eyes reopened, he found himself being gently dropped to the ground. A translucent barrier formed between him and the Kishi that had saved his life.
The creature, now bearing a wide, visible smile, stared at him for a moment before turning to leave.
Then, it stopped...
"The Kishis saved me? But why?" Kaiza wondered, confusion swirling in his mind.
Just then, his system interface blared to life:
[Regeneration Completed]
As the message surfaced, Kaiza skimmed through it while instinctively reaching for his back to confirm. His fingers traced over smooth skin—his back was fully healed, as if the injury had never happened.
Then more messages appeared:
[Daily Quest]
[Jumping Jacks: 0/200]
[Push-ups: 0/100]
[Squats: 0/100]
[Run: 0/20 km]
---
[Weekly Quest]
[Learn five basic combat skills (Learned: 0)]
[Pass two combat tests (Passed: 0)]
[Reward – Hidden]
---
[Other Quests]
[Save two victims (Saved: 0)]
Kaiza quickly scanned through the list of quests. Seeing them laid out so clearly, a new determination ignited within him.
This time, he thought, I'll follow the system wisely. I'll do whatever it asks of me.
Now, Kaiza had undeniable proof that the system wasn't just a game—it held real power. Power he could tap into, as long as he obeyed its commands.
Before he could reflect further, new messages began flooding in...
[Hunt Reward]
[Unmatched Move for Beginners – 3]
[Crystal Balls +3]
[Achieved Hunt Goal +2]
[Acquired New Ability: Super Strength and Dash +3 Hunt Tickets +1 Crystal Ball]
[Total Hunt Rewards]
[6 Crystal Balls]
[3 Hunt Tickets]
"I was rewarded even though I failed to survive the hunt?" Kaiza muttered, excitement flickering in his voice. Knowing his efforts weren't entirely wasted filled him with relief.
But that excitement was short-lived as he read further.
[Hunt Expenses]
[Hunt Ticket – 1]
[Protection – 1 Crystal Ball]
[Damaged Crystal Egg – 1 Crystal Ball]
[Mending Outfits and Weapon – 1 Crystal Ball]
[Total Hunt Cost]
[3 Crystal Balls]
[1 Hunt Ticket]
"What?!" Kaiza exclaimed, startled. But instead of questioning the system, he found himself lost in thought. He quickly realized that if he hadn't acquired the crystal balls during the hunt, he wouldn't have survived the final blast... even though the blast had drained his last ounce of energy and depleted his health points.
Before he could process further, another message popped up:
[Punishment]
[Acquired Fire Creature – 2]
[Survived Punishment]
[Rewards]
[Made Ally +2]
[Expenses]
[Bought Survival – 2 Crystal Balls]
"Bought survival? How is that even possible?" Kaiza wondered, staring at the screen with confusion clouding his expression.