Rain patters lightly around me. It falls
slowly, tiny rivulets flowing down my
back and over my shoulders. My body aches, and I don't want to open my eyes just yet. Something soft and damp presses against my legs, but I can't bring myself to move.
Three sharp beeps crash against the
silence, sending spikes of pain
through my skull. I wince and, with tremendous effort, crack one eye open.
A silver screen flickers into existence
in front of me.
ERROR HAS TAKEN NOTICE OF YOU.
QUEST ISSUED.
PROVE YOUR WORTH:
OBJECTIVES: STAND UP
REWARDS: CLASS CHANGE
What? What is this? I try to move my
hand toward the screen, but my arm
refuses to budge. Paralyzed? No, that
can't be right--I can still feel the rain.
The screen flickers, vanishing for a
split second before reappearing, its
glow pulsing faintly. But in that brief
moment, I see something that freezes
my blood.
A corpse's face-wrenched into a
mask of terror
My breath catches. The screen
flickers again. The face reappears
Again. Again. Again. Familiar. Too
familiar.
Minutes pass. Or hours? The rain
stops. A faint warmth trickles into my
fingertips.
Movement. A small twitch. Then
another. I focus, forcing my fingers to
curl. It takes a dozen tries before I
manage to form a weak fist.
Pain bites through my arm as I reach
toward the screen. My hand passes
through=
-and lands on cold, lifeless flesh.
A corpse's face.
I jerk my hand back, biting down a
gasp. Pain flares in my aching limbs,
but it's nothing compared to the ice
spreading through my veins
The screen fades slowly. This time, it doesn't return. With effort, I turn my head away from the corpse. My neck pops multiple times as I force myself onto my side. It's no better on this side. Only more corpses. I look down at what's pressing against my legs-only to see the mound rise higher above me.
I tear my gaze away from the corpses
but my view is immediately swallowed
by dense fog. I try to pull my legs free, but I don't have the strength. A sharp beep pierces the silence as the silver screen flashes into my vision.
CURRENT STRENGTH: 1
It disappears just as quickly as it comes. Strength? Does this mean I have other stats? Another beep. The screen blinks into existence again.
CURRENT STATS:
MAX HP: 1
MAX MANA: 0
MANA REGENERATION: 0
STRENGTH: 1
DURABILITY: 1
AGILITY: 1
LUCK: 0
The screen fades again just as I finish
reading. What are these stats? They're terrible. I wait, hoping the screen will provide an answer, but it stays silent.
This isn't the best situation, but at least I'm not in immediate danger.
As if on cue, I hear a distant howl. Laugh? Scream? I'm not sure. It starts high-pitched before warbling into something deeper.
I can't tell if it's getting closer, but with all this meat around me, it's only a matter of time before something hungry comes to investigate.
I turn onto my back, grab my knee with both hands, and give it a sharp tug. My skin is still damp from the rain, making it slippery and difficult to pull free. It takes a few tries, but my first leg finally comes loose.
The second is easier, and with nothing left pinning me down, I slide ungracefully down the pile of corpses. Thankfully, it isn't a far drop, and more bodies cushion the fall.
I pull myself upright, using the corpses for support. Three sharp beeps. The screen blinks to life once more.
QUEST COMPLETE.
YOU'VE BEEN AWARDED THE CLASS: ERROR.
YOU'VE REACHED LEVEL 1
YOUR STATS HAVE INCREASED.
MAX HP 1>2
MAX MANA 0>50
MANA REGENERATION 0>0.5
STRENGTH 1>5
DURABILITY 1>10
AGILITY 1>5
LUCK 0>1
YOU'VE GAINED A SKILL
YOU'VE GAINED A SKILL
YOU'VE GAINED A SKILL
ACTIVE SKILLS [1/10]
TIER 1
MANA GEYSER: CAUSES A MAGICAL EXPLOSION USING PURE MANA.
DAMAGE: 1 per MANA USED Ă— SKILL LEVEL
RANGE: 1ft Ă— SKILL LEVEL
COST: 100% CURRENT MANA
PASSIVE SKILLS [1/10]
TIER 1
MANA VAULT[1/100]: MULTIPLIES MAX MANA BY 1 Ă— SKILL LEVEL.
MANA CONVERSION[1/100] WHEN MANA POOL IS FULL COVERTS 1% MANA REGENERATION INTO HP.
It takes me a few seconds to read through everything, but even longer to process it. The skills are great, and I can already feel strength flooding through my body. But my HP… If I get killed in one hit, nothing else matters.
I take a few steps away from the pile of corpses before looking back. I'm completely naked. So are they. I don't think I'm gonna find any equipment here. I hesitate. Just walking into the fog unarmed and bare-cheeked doesn't sound appealing.
I glance back at the pile, hoping against the odds that I missed something. Nope. I guess that point in Luck isn't high enough to help here.
I step forward into the fog.
At least I have some kind of attack. Even though the range is awful, I wouldn't want anything getting close enough to hit me.
That warbling howl again. I stiffen and promptly alter my course to get further away. It sounds closer this time.
I pick up the pace. Not quite running—I can't see far ahead, and I don't want to risk running blind.
After a few minutes of power walking through the fog, a sudden beep startles me.
QUEST ISSUED.
FIND SOME EQUIPMENT:
OBJECTIVES:
FIND CLOTHES [0/1]
FIND WEAPON [0/1]
REWARDS: ACTIVE SKILL.
I stop in my tracks. My eyes widen. I can get another skill just for doing something I was gonna do anyway I'm starting to like this system already. A grin tugs at my lips as I start walking again.
The ground is soft and soggy. Each footfall sinks slightly, squishing softly.
Squish. Squish. Squish.
A prickling unease crawls down my spine. Then— squish. A single footstep. Behind me. I whip around—only to be met with fog. I stare into the mist for minutes.
Waiting.
Just as I'm about to turn away, something catches my eye. A glimmer in the fog. I squint, trying to focus. But that's all I can make out. I take a hesitant step forward. Nothing happens. Another step. Then another. The glimmer grows closer. A shape begins to form. Knee height.
I freeze. I don't know what this thing is. And I don't want to find out. I take a step back. It lunges. Either it was closer than I thought—or it's far faster than my eyes can track. Instinct kicks in. "MANA GEYSER."
A blinding explosion erupts as the creature crashes into me. The impact hammers me into the ground.
WARNING: HP LOW. [0.1/2]
WARNING: MANA LOW. [0/50]
SKILL LEVEL UP!
MANA GEYSER [2/100]
EXP GAINED: [52/100]
I stare at the silver screen, dazed. My skin burns. The scent of cooked flesh fills the air. Mine? Or the creature's? Minutes pass. Agonizing. Then—relief. Slight. But there. A few more minutes, and I drag myself upright.
The ground glistens red beneath me. I don't think there's anything left of that creature.
I look down at my body. It's pink and dry, and i can see a few burns healing over. I smile. At least, i won't cripple myself if i use my skill. A sharp long beep followed by three shorter beeps as the screen appears again.
WARNING... ERROR... SYSTEM OVERIDE IN PROGRESS... ERROR...
I freeze. The air around me feels wrong...