"Hick!"
Max's eyes snapped open, his breath hitching as blinding white light consumed his vision. His head pounded, his chest heaved, and his throat burned—like he'd been drowning just moments ago.
Panic gripped him. He bolted upright, his gaze darting frantically.
Where was he?
There were no walls. No ceiling. No floor. Just an infinite expanse of white. Yet he stood on something solid, though it felt like nothing was beneath his feet.
The silence was suffocating, pressing against his ears, amplifying his every ragged breath.
'Who am I?'
The question echoed in his mind, but no answer came. He reached for memories, for anything—but there was nothing. Just a hollow void where his past should have been.
A soft chime broke the silence.
He flinched, stumbling back as a translucent window materialized before him, glowing faintly in the empty air:
[Welcome back, Traveler.]
[Would you like to skip the introduction and start the tutorial?]
He stared at the words, confusion twisting his expression.
"What…?"
His voice trembled, testing the sound in the oppressive silence. His hand twitched, unsure of what to do. A faint whisper echoed in the recesses of his mind, urging him forward.
'That Max guy told me to press "yes"…'
Without understanding the situation, he said, "Yes."
The window flickered, vanishing—only to be replaced by another message:
[Tutorial Mode: Hell.]
[Will you start the tutorial?]
His stomach dropped.
"Hell?" he whispered.
Uncertainty clawed at him, but there was no escape. The emptiness stretched forever.
"I don't… I don't understand."
Yet something inside him stirred. An instinct buried deep within told him to move forward. He clenched his fists, grinding his teeth before forcing the word out:
"Yes."
Darkness swallowed him.
______ ____ __
When the world returned, he was standing in a massive arena.
The ground beneath him was rough and sandy, littered with jagged stones. Crimson light bathed the air, emanating from a sky that churned like boiling blood.
A deep, guttural growl echoed across the arena.
Max's heart pounded as a massive gate at the far end creaked open. From the shadows emerged a creature that made his blood run cold—a towering, sinewy beast with scales like blackened steel and glowing red eyes.
Above its head, jagged, blood-red text floated:
[Lesser Demon - Dji]
Terror rooted him in place.
"What the hell is this?" he choked out, barely able to breathe.
The demon roared, splitting the air like a thunderclap. Then, a cold, mechanical voice spoke in his mind:
[Trial Commencing.]
[Objective: Defeat Your Opponent.]
Before he could process the words, the demon lunged.
"!"
Pure instinct kicked in, and he threw himself sideways.
The ground where he'd stood shattered under the demon's claws, sending shards of stone flying. Max stumbled, breath ragged, panic surging through him.
The demon turned, its glowing eyes locking onto him.
He scrambled backward, barely dodging another swipe. His body felt clumsy, uncoordinated—like it wasn't his own. His mind and body were working in disarray.
The beast closed the distance in an instant.
"SWISH—!"
Pain exploded through him.
"A-ARGHH—!"
He screamed, collapsing as blood poured from the deep gashes across his chest.
"Arg..."
Darkness crept into the edges of his vision, and the voice returned:
[You failed. Would you like to try again?]
His mind reeled, the agony leaving him breathless. But the voice repeated, cold and unyielding:
[Would you like to try again?]
He should say no. He should stop.
But something inside him stirred.
A faint ember of defiance burned against the overwhelming fear.
Gritting his teeth, he forced out a single word:
"Yes."
The world reset.
_______ ___ _
Max lost count of how many times he died.
Each time, the demon tore through him.
Each time, the voice brought him back.
And each time, he learned.
His movements grew sharper, his reactions faster.
The fear that had once paralyzed him began to fade, replaced by grim determination. The agony of each death became a numb inevitability. He didn't know why he kept saying "yes."
He didn't even know who he was.
But he couldn't stop.
By the seventieth—maybe seventy-fifth reset—he stood before the demon again, chest rising and falling in steady, measured breaths.
His clothes were shredded, his body covered in bruises and cuts. But his eyes burned with resolve.
The demon lunged.
This time, he didn't flinch.
He sidestepped, driving his fist into the creature's ribs. A sickening crunch echoed as the demon stumbled, roaring in pain.
"GARR!"
Max didn't let up.
A kick.
A flurry of punches.
His body moved with precision, no longer hesitant—just pure, honed instinct.
The demon staggered.
With a final surge of strength, Max leapt onto its back and plunged his hand into its chest. He felt its heart, pulsing weakly in his grasp.
"ARRHH!"
With a roar of his own, he squeezed.
"GAR—!"
The demon let out a final, guttural groan before collapsing.
Max fell to his knees beside it, blood dripping from his hands. His chest heaved as exhaustion threatened to pull him under.
Then, a new message window appeared:
[Congratulations! You have cleared the Tutorial.]
His vision blurred. He swayed but forced himself to focus on the words.
[Rewards Calculated:]
- 10 End Points
- 10 Attribute Points
- Skill: Demon Slayer (Basic)
- Item: Lesser Demon's Fang
- Item: Lesser Demon's Blood
- Skill: Demon Destroyer Fist (Standard)
- Special Reward: Timeless Enigma's Favor (Unique Passive)
- Achievement: Tutorial Maniac
A final message appeared:
[Would you like to return to reality?]
His body trembled. Slowly, he nodded.
"Yes."
Warm light enveloped him, washing away the pain, exhaustion, and blood. When it faded, he stood tall—unscathed, power thrumming through his veins.
He flexed his fingers, marveling at the newfound strength.
No time to dwell.
Another window appeared:
[Stage 0 has begun.]
[Teleporting to Stage 0.]
Before he could react, his body dissolved into light once again.
As he was pulled into the unknown, a final message echoed in his mind:
[This is your last End.]
[Embrace the finality of the cycle.]