======================
"Ha! Ha!"
The boy's lungs burned as he sprinted, the ground trembling beneath the massive feet of the beast behind him. The tyrannosaurus rex-like monster, its boiling, spiked skin radiating heat, roared again—a guttural sound that seemed to shake the very air.
"Why is this happening?!" he yelled, panic surging through him as the beast's shadow loomed closer.
Suddenly, a mechanical chime echoed in his head.
[ Trait Unlocked! When a player performs a certain action repeatedly during the tutorials, traits are added. ]
[ Trait Added: Runner! ]
Before the boy could even process the announcement, more messages flickered in his vision.
[ You have acquired an additional attribute! Speed! ]
[ Whenever Speed increases, the Runner Trait also enhances movement efficiency and stamina recovery. ]
"Not the time!" he screamed, narrowly dodging to the side as a massive, clawed foot slammed into the spot where he had just been standing.
The ground cracked beneath the monster's weight, sending debris flying.
As the system continued its explanation, the boy cut it off with an urgent shout. "Send Additional 25 points to Speed!"
The words barely left his mouth before his body glowed with a vibrant yellow light.
[ Speed: 40 points ]
The surge of energy was immediate.
His legs felt lighter, his movements sharper, and the ground beneath him seemed to blur as he surged forward, outrunning the beast with newfound ease.
But his relief was short-lived.
Focused on the monster behind him, the boy failed to notice the broken edge of the road ahead. The ground gave way beneath his feet, revealing a lake of molten lava churning below.
"Crap!" he gasped, flailing as gravity pulled him toward the fiery abyss.
Just as he braced for the inevitable, a hand shot out of nowhere, grabbing the back of his shirt and yanking him back with surprising force. His momentum sent him tumbling into a side cave, his body skidding across the rocky floor.
"Ugh!" he groaned as his head smacked against the wall, and a jagged rock grazed just below his left eye, leaving a burning sting.
He pressed a hand to his face, wincing as he felt the warmth of blood trickling down his cheek.
Breathing heavily, he looked up to see his savior.
A figure stood at the cave's entrance, silhouetted against the fiery glow of the lava lake. The person was shrouded in a ragged cloak, their face obscured by shadows.
"You'll die if you keep running blindly," the figure said in a low, gravelly voice.
The boy blinked, his heart still racing. "Who... who are you?"
The figure didn't answer immediately.
Instead, they crouched, tossing him a small vial. "Use this. You'll need your strength for what's next."
Before the boy could respond, the cave trembled. A deep, guttural growl echoed from outside as the monster's spiked head appeared, its glowing eyes scanning the entrance.
The figure stood, pulling a weapon— a jagged blade that looked like it had been forged from obsidian— from beneath their cloak.
"Stay down," they said, their tone calm yet firm. "I'll handle this."
The boy's pulse pounded in his ears as he clutched the vial, his gaze shifting between the mysterious figure and the approaching beast.
[ Tutorial - Two: Survival has multiple solutions. Adapt or perish. ]
The system's words flickered briefly in his mind, but the boy was too stunned to react.
For now, all he could do was watch— and pray he wouldn't become collateral damage.
The hooded figure moved with a terrifying grace, charging the monstrous beast with their jagged blade. Each step seemed deliberate, calculated, but also reckless, as if they had nothing left to lose.
The boy stood frozen, his breath hitching in his throat. His gaze locked on the figure's swaying golden hair, catching the dim glow of the lava's light with every movement.
"Aldren...?" he whispered, the name tumbling from his lips unbidden. His voice was barely audible, but the storm of emotions within him surged.
The figure faltered for a split second, their head tilting slightly as if they'd heard him.
Before the boy could call out again, a cascade of notifications burst into his vision.
[ Error! Vessel is being attacked! Error! ]
[ Error! Player body is in danger! Error! ]
[ Game will forcibly logging the player out! ]
"What?!" The boy's pulse quickened, panic rising. "No, no, no! Not now!"
His head snapped back to the hooded figure, just in time to see the man pause mid-stride. As though sensing the boy's distress, the figure turned slightly, their face still obscured.
Then, with a sickening thud, the monster's tail whipped around, striking the hooded man square in the chest.
He was flung through the air like a ragdoll, crashing into the cave wall.
"Aldren!" the boy screamed, lunging forward, but an invisible force stopped him cold. He slammed his fists against the unseen barrier, his cries drowned out by the roaring beast.
The figure crumpled to the ground, their blade clattering beside them.
They tried to rise, but the monster was already looming over them, its molten eyes locked on its prey.
But...
The world around the boy began to dissolve.
The flames, the beast, the hooded figure— it all blurred into a swirling void of darkness. All that remained were the cold, unfeeling notifications glowing in front of him.
[ Please state your name to save progress. ]
Kaizer's breath hitched, anxiety tightening his chest. The system's demand loomed, pressing against him like an iron weight.
Another sense of anxiety crept into his veins.
[ Please state your name to save progress. ]
His hands trembled. "Ka—".
The boy choked on the word, instinctively covering his mouth. His real name almost slipped.
He swallowed hard, forcing himself to focus. "My name is... Kaizer."
The system's response was immediate.
[ Confirmed! Player 'Kaizer' has been temporarily added to the database. ]
He didn't know if he should be happy but he was relieved at the message.
[ See you next time! ]
[ Thank you for playing 'Champion of the Hill.' ]
With a jump, Kaizer's eyes snapped open.
He felt like he'd been yanked from deep underwater, his lungs burning as he struggled to catch his breath.
But before he could utter a word, a cold, solid hand clamped over his mouth.
His heart raced as he recognized the metallic texture. It was K8-7A.
The robot was behind him, one arm locking him in place, the other pressing against his mouth to keep him silent.
Kaizer's wide, yellow eyes darted around.
They were crammed into a tight, pitch-black space, with only a thin slit of light ahead.
"K—" he tried to mumble, but the grip tightened.
The robot leaned closer, its mechanical voice a barely audible whisper. "Quiet."
Kaizer stopped struggling, straining to listen. That's when he heard it— the muffled shouts coming from outside their hiding spot.
"It was just a boy!" Karl's familiar voice rang out, angry and defensive.
Kaizer's brows furrowed. Who was Karl talking to?
A loud slam echoed, making the boy flinch. Through the slit, he caught a glimpse of a towering figure standing by the table.
Kaizer's breath hitched as he peered out.
The figure was cloaked in a shadowy aura, their face obscured by a mask etched with unrecognizable symbols that seemed to shift and shimmer.
The air in the room felt suffocating, each breath Kaizer took shallow and uneven. He couldn't see the figure clearly through the slit, but the distorted, metallic voice carried an unmistakable weight of authority and malice.
"Where is he?" the figure demanded again, their tone colder, sharper.
Kaizer's pulse raced in his ears. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe.
The robot's grip tightened around his mouth, a firm warning to stay silent. Its frame was unnervingly still, save for the faint hum of its internal systems.
Kaizer's mind scrambled for a way out. Panic clawed at the edges of his thoughts, but then... an idea, absurd and humiliating, surfaced.
It might work. They'll never suspect me since I...
He swallowed his pride, forcing his body into compliance.
...look like I'm barely fifteen.
~
Karl exhaled sharply, his frustration evident as he glared at the man standing in front of him. "It's just a boy! Why are you making such a big deal about this?"
The masked man tilted his head slightly, his voice colder than steel. "I don't care if it's a boy. You used the silver card on him. HQ will expect him to have used it, not a random kid!"
The old man's lips tightened. "But it's the truth— he is just a boy!"
The masked man took a menacing step forward. "Then where is he? If he's just a boy, why are you hiding him?"
A faint sound interrupted their heated exchange.
A muffled sniffle echoed from the direction of the kitchen counter, followed by the soft drip of liquid pooling beneath it.
The masked man's gaze snapped toward the source, his eyes narrowing beneath the shadow of his mask.
With a sharp bang, the counter door swung open.
K8-7A burst out, its wiry frame moving with uncharacteristic urgency.
"No! My circuits!" the robot wailed, shoving the boy out of the cramped hiding space in a frantic bid to protect its own systems.
The boy stumbled into view, his head ducked low, trembling under the weight of their collective stares.
The masked man's glare locked onto him, scanning him from head to toe. Black hair, wet and matted. Yellow eyes, wide with fear.
For a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath.
The man's shoulders relaxed slightly, though his tone remained cold.
"Not him," he muttered, a faint mix of relief and disappointment coloring his words.
Then, his gaze shifted to the puddle beneath the boy. A grimace formed beneath his mask as he started to approach, his interest piqued.
But K8-7A panicked, jumping between the man and the liquid. "Noooo! Don't touch that! That's... pee!"
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Karl pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan, and the masked man froze mid-step before retreating a few feet, his revulsion visible even behind the mask.
The boy's face burned red with humiliation, his soaked pants leaving no room for doubt.
"Good," the masked man finally said, his voice low and eerie. "It really is just a boy."
But as the words settled, he reached into his coat, pulling out a sleek black gun. He leveled it at the boy, the barrel steady and unwavering.
Karl's eyes widened in horror. "What are you doing?"
The masked man's voice was devoid of emotion as he replied, "HQ doesn't like loose ends."
K8-7A lunged forward, placing itself between the boy and the gun. "No! He's just a kid! You can't!"
"Don't make this harder than it needs to be," the masked man warned, his finger tightening on the trigger.
The boy's breath hitched, his eyes wide and fixed on the barrel of the gun. His body felt like it was no longer his own, frozen in place as fear consumed him.
Time seemed to slow. The faint hum of the weapon grew louder, and in that moment, the boy squeezed his eyes shut.
And then—
Bang!