Kael leaned against the cold stone wall, his body still aching from the last battle. His breath came in slow, measured draws, his mind already preparing for what came next. Around him, the survivors of Level 2 sat in exhausted silence, their expressions vacant.
From 1,000 players, only 173 remained.
The air was thick with the unspoken weight of their losses. Some players stared at the floor, their hands trembling. Others cleaned their weapons with mechanical precision, as if focusing on routine could keep the fear at bay.
Emily sat nearby, methodically sharpening her daggers. Her movements were steady, but Kael noticed the way her shoulders remained tense, the way her lips pressed together as she stole occasional glances at Ethan.
Ethan himself sat with his staff across his lap, his face pale. He had healed those he could, but even magic couldn't bring back the dead. His hands still shook slightly, but there was no time for hesitation anymore. He knew that. They all did.
Kael rolled his shoulders, his mind calculating. He had leveled up again, but the cost of survival was growing steeper. Each level was harder, deadlier. He had no doubt that Level 3 would push them past their limits.
And then the countdown began.
[Time Until Level 3: 00:10]
Kael clenched his fists.
00:05
Emily tightened her grip on her daggers. Ethan swallowed hard.
00:03
The warrior adjusted his stance. Other players took deep breaths.
00:01
A blinding light consumed them. Their bodies lifted, torn from the chamber, as reality twisted and blurred around them.
Kael didn't scream.
He had learned by now—there was no point.
Then, darkness.
Kael gasped as he hit the ground hard, the impact sending a sharp jolt through his limbs. He pushed himself up quickly, his instincts already screaming at him to be alert.
The air was thick with dust and decay. The silence was absolute, suffocating. Kael blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to his surroundings, but nothing—nothing—was visible.
It was total darkness.
He reached out, fingers brushing against the cold surface of a wall. The texture was rough, old, the wallpaper peeling beneath his touch. Slowly, he took a cautious step forward.
Then another.
His own breath was deafening in the silence.
Where am I?
His system interface flickered to life.
[Level 3: Trial of Isolation]
Objective: Escape the building.
Warning: No external communication available. You are alone.
Survivors must reach the exit. Only those who escape will proceed to Level 4.
Kael's heart pounded. This wasn't just a survival test.
It was a culling.
His fingers twitched, summoning his stats screen. He was on Level 3 now, stronger than when he had first started, but even that didn't matter if he couldn't see.
I need light.
He gathered mana in his palm, summoning a Mana Bolt, but instead of firing it, he held it steady. A small sphere of blue energy flickered in his hand, casting a dim, ghostly glow around him. The faint light revealed his surroundings—cracked walls, broken furniture, old, rotting carpets.
And a sign on the far wall: 7th Floor.
Kael exhaled slowly. Seven floors up. I need to find the stairs.
He moved carefully, using his Mana Bolt as a makeshift torch. Every step echoed through the silence, his own heartbeat hammering in his ears.
Then, he heard it.
A distant scraping sound.
Kael froze.
The sound came from the stairwell ahead.
His grip on his sword tightened as he pressed himself against the wall. The door to the stairs creaked open, and a figure shambled through.
A zombie.
Its body was twisted, its limbs hanging at unnatural angles. Its milky-white eyes scanned the darkness, searching.
Kael held his breath.
The moment it stepped forward, he released his Mana Bolt.
The glowing sphere of energy blasted through the zombie's skull, shattering bone and sending its rotting body crumpling to the ground.
And then—
The light vanished.
Kael was plunged into darkness once more.
His pulse quickened.
This is really a freaking horror show…
He quickly formed another Mana Bolt, casting its faint glow across the hallway. He needed to keep moving.
He stepped over the corpse and cautiously made his way toward the stairs.
But when he reached the 6th floor—
The stairs had shifted.
The path down was gone.
Kael's teeth clenched. You've got to be kidding me.
This wasn't just an abandoned building. It was a twisted labyrinth.
He turned, searching for another way down. That was when he saw them.
Two zombies.
They rounded the corner at the far end of the hallway, their rotting faces locking onto him.
Then—
They charged.
Kael cursed under his breath. He didn't have time to waste mana. He readied his sword in one hand while keeping his Mana Bolt active in the other.
But then a realization hit him—he couldn't fight effectively with one hand occupied.
He had to improvise.
Spotting a small gap between the walls, he jammed his sword's hilt into it, angling the blade outward. If he timed it right…
The first zombie lunged.
Kael tilted the sword's tip upward—impaling the creature's skull as it fell onto the blade.
The second zombie lunged—
Kael blasted it point-blank with his Mana Bolt, shattering its head into pieces.
Then, darkness again.
He summoned another Mana Bolt, breathing heavily.
One zombie on the 7th floor. Two on the 6th.
His mind worked quickly. If the pattern continues, I'll face more zombies on each floor.
That was fine for now. But later?
Later, it would be a problem.
Especially because every time he killed a zombie, the world was plunged back into darkness.
He took a slow breath.
I need to be smart about this.
Unbeknownst to Kael, the administrators had adjusted the challenge. Healers and Tamers, unable to fight, had been paired with Warriors and Rogues for balance.
But three players had been left alone—
Kael. Emily. The Warrior.
The three top-ranked players in their respective categories.
Emily, quick as ever, was already navigating the darkness using her agility. Her movements were precise, her daggers flicking out like fangs, slashing at zombies before they even had a chance to react.
The Warrior, on the other hand, relied purely on instinct. He had no light, no magic—only brute strength and battle-hardened reflexes. He cut down anything that moved, the darkness be damned.
Meanwhile, Kael continued deeper into the abyss, descending floor by floor, one battle at a time.
He knew the numbers would keep growing.
Knew his mana wouldn't last forever.
And worst of all?
He still had no idea where the exit was.
The real nightmare had only just begun.