I stared at the glowing text in front of me, my breath still uneven from everything that had happened.
The first time I really looked at myself was in the hospital bathroom mirror.
I hadn't given it much thought before. Everything had been happening too fast—the robbery, the darkness, the star, the hospital bed, the system. But now, standing under the fluorescent lights, I finally saw me.
Tanned skin, like I had spent my life under the sun, though I didn't remember if that was true. Black hair, messy and curly, like it refused to be tamed. And my eyes—purple. Not just any purple, but deep and vibrant, like a nebula swirling in the void. They almost glowed under the harsh lights, and I couldn't look away.
That wasn't normal.
This wasn't normal.
I touched my face, my fingers brushing against my jawline, my cheekbones. The sensation was real, but I still felt disconnected, like I was wearing someone else's skin. Rensei. That was my name now. Not Mauri Moore. That life was gone, stolen in a flash of panic and violence. But was I really this new person, or just a stranger in his body?
The system had called me Rensei the moment I woke up. The men in black suits had addressed me like I had always been him. But I had no memories of this life—no past, no family, no sense of belonging. It was like I had been dropped into existence with nothing but a name and a hospital gown.
I clenched my fists, staring at my reflection. If this was who I was now, then I had to make sense of it.
The system had given me a path, a purpose. Path to Salvation. If I wanted answers—if I wanted to survive—I had to follow it. And that meant getting stronger.
I took a deep breath, pushing down the unease, the lingering fear, the questions that had no answers. Right now, the only thing I could do was move forward.
That was the moment I started running.
[New Quest: "Path to salvation"]
A new quest materialized before my eyes.
[Quest: Foundation of Strength]
• Engage in physical training to enhance endurance and strength.
• Meditate in natural settings to connect with Earth's energy.
• Perform tasks that require patience and stability.
I read over the objectives, my eyes lingering on two words—patience and stability. My chest still ached from earlier when the men in suits left, my mind still racing from the fact that they called me Rensei. That wasn't my name. I wasn't this person. But… I had no way to prove otherwise. My hands curled into fists. Whether I liked it or not, this system was the only thing guiding me. I had nothing left to lose.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "Alright," I muttered. "Let's see what this is all about."
The first task seemed straightforward: physical training. I needed to build my endurance and strength. If Earthbound was a gear of stability, then my body had to be as unyielding as the ground itself.
Without any clear instructions, I started the only way I knew how—exercise. Push-ups, squats, sit-ups, sprints.
The hospital became my personal training ground.
Every morning, before the sun even rose, I was up, moving. At first, my body protested—muscles sore, joints stiff, my stamina barely able to handle more than a few laps around the hospital hallways. But I didn't have the luxury of taking it easy. If I wanted to unlock Earthbound, I had to push myself.
Push-ups, sit-ups, squats—I did them all in the cramped space of my hospital room. When the nurses weren't watching, I slipped out into the hall and jogged. My hospital gown flapped behind me, and I got a few strange looks from patients and staff alike, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was getting stronger.
Over the weeks, my routine became more structured. I used whatever I could find to make my training more intense. I filled an IV stand with bottles of water and used it as a makeshift weight, curling it until my arms burned. The railing along the stairwell became my pull-up bar. I practiced squats with my bed as resistance, lifting it up from one side just enough to strain my legs.
I adapted. I improved.
My runs around the hospital became longer. What started as cautious laps around my floor soon turned into running up and down entire stairwells. My heart pounded in my chest, my lungs burned, but I refused to stop. Every morning, every night, I ran.
And that's when I saw him.
A few floors below, another patient was doing the same thing—running. At first, I thought it was just another random person trying to get some movement in, but this guy was fast. He moved with precision, like he knew exactly what he was doing. I only caught glimpses of him when I looked down the stairwell, his hospital gown barely slowing him down as he sprinted from one end of the hallway to the other.
For a brief moment, our eyes almost met through the gaps between floors, but he didn't stop, didn't acknowledge me. He was focused, determined. Just like me.
I didn't know his name.
Didn't matter.
Seeing someone else training like this only fueled my own drive. If he could push himself to that level, then so could I.
The next few weeks, I trained even harder. My runs turned into sprints, my endurance improved, and my body adapted to the grueling pace. The pain in my legs became familiar, but it no longer slowed me down. My movements grew sharper, my reaction time faster. Even the nurses started to notice.
"Should you really be running like that?" one of them asked one morning as I passed by.
I only grinned, wiping sweat from my forehead. "Gotta make the most of my stay."
She shook her head, muttering something about reckless patients, but she didn't stop me.
Days passed, and then weeks. I barely kept track of time. My only measure of progress was how much farther I could go before exhaustion caught up to me. My body changed. My muscles became firmer, my stamina doubled, tripled. Every morning, I woke up sore but satisfied.
The Earth didn't rush.
It endured.
So I did the same.
I pushed myself past my limits, collapsing onto the floor more times than I could count. My body burned, my muscles screamed, but I didn't stop. Days turned into weeks then turned into months. The soreness became constant, but so did my improvement. Each morning, I ran longer. Each night, I lifted heavier. And yet, despite my progress, something felt… off.
The system gave no indication that I was any closer to unlocking Earthbound. My body was stronger, but that wasn't enough. There was something I was missing. That's when the system issued a new prompt, directing me toward the second objective—meditation.
At first, it sounded ridiculous. I had spent 4 months pushing my body to its limits, and now it wanted me to sit still? But there was no other choice. I followed its guidance, finding quiet places in nature to focus. I sat by rivers, feeling the slow, steady pull of the current. I lay in fields, breathing in the scent of earth and grass. I sat on cliffs, watching the unchanging mountains in the distance.
At first, it was frustrating. My mind refused to quiet down. My thoughts constantly wandered, questioning, doubting. But the more time I spent in silence, the more I began to understand. The Earth didn't rush. It didn't act on impulse. It endured. It remained steadfast, no matter the wind, the rain, or the passing of time. It simply was.
I had to be the same.
One night, as I sat atop a small hill, eyes closed, hands resting on the soil, the system issued a new challenge.
[Trial of Endurance: Survive the Mountain's Wrath]
Before I could react, my body was pulled into a sudden, gut-wrenching freefall.
The world around me warped, the stars vanishing, the hill beneath me gone in an instant. The next thing I knew, I was standing atop a jagged mountain peak. A violent wind howled past me, nearly throwing me off balance. My arms shot out instinctively to steady myself, my heart hammering in my chest.
The air was thin, the cold biting through my clothes. Heavy clouds swirled above, and the ground beneath my feet trembled as distant thunder rumbled through the mountains. The system didn't explain anything, but I knew what this was—the real test.
I had to endure.
I took a step forward, but the wind slammed into me like a freight train. My foot slipped against the rocky surface, and I barely managed to catch myself before falling. Every movement felt impossible, the storm pressing against me as if the very world itself was testing my resolve.
Hours passed.
The cold seeped into my bones. My legs ached from standing, my body numb from the relentless wind. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, thirst parched my throat, but I refused to move. My instincts screamed at me to seek shelter, to find warmth, but there was none.
This was a battle of endurance.
The Earth did not complain when the storms came. It did not waver under pressure.
Neither would I.
I planted my feet firmly against the rock and clenched my fists, refusing to let the wind move me. The storm howled, the mountain shook, but I remained standing. Every muscle in my body screamed, my vision blurred, but I held on. Minutes stretched into hours. The sky darkened. My mind teetered on the edge of exhaustion, but still, I did not fall.
And then—something changed.
A warmth, deep and steady, spread through my core. It started as a flicker, then grew, anchoring itself within me. It wasn't fire. It wasn't heat. It was something else—something unbreakable.
A notification appeared.
[Trial Complete – Earthbound Unlocked]
A surge of power flooded my body. My breath steadied, my muscles no longer trembling. My stance felt… unshakable. The storm still howled, but I barely noticed it. I wasn't just standing on the Earth anymore—I was part of it.
I lifted my hand, clenching and unclenching my fingers. My body felt sturdier, as if my very bones had become denser. The mountain beneath me no longer felt like an obstacle—it felt like an extension of myself. I took a deep breath, the crisp air filling my lungs, and took a step forward. This time, the wind did not stop me.
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips.
For the first time since waking up in this new world, I felt… whole.
The Earth had accepted me. I had endured.
And this was only the beginning.
the system presented a new notification:
[Dungeon Key Acquired: Abandoned Office Complex]
A small, ornate key materialized in my hand, its surface etched with intricate patterns. The system provided coordinates to an old, deserted office building on the outskirts of the city. It seemed this was my next challenge—a chance to test Earthbound in real combat.
The following night, under the cloak of darkness, I arrived at the abandoned complex. The building loomed ominously, windows shattered, and walls covered in graffiti. The air was thick with decay and neglect. I approached the main entrance, the key fitting perfectly into the rusted lock. As I turned it, a faint glow emanated from the door, and it creaked open, revealing a dimly lit corridor.
Stepping inside, the door closed behind me with a resounding thud. The system's interface flickered before my eyes:
[Dungeon: Abandoned Office Complex]
[Objective: Eliminate all threats]
The corridor stretched ahead, lined with cubicles and scattered papers. The silence was palpable, broken only by the distant hum of flickering lights. I moved cautiously, senses heightened, every shadow a potential threat.
Drawing a deep breath, I stepped into the room. The creature's head snapped up, fixing its gaze on me. With a guttural snarl, it lunged. Instinctively, I activated Earthbound. A surge of power rooted me to the spot, my body becoming an unyielding fortress. The creature's claws raked against my arm, but I barely felt it. With newfound strength, I grabbed its limb, twisting it with ease, and hurled the creature against the wall. It crumpled to the floor, motionless.
The system acknowledged the kill:
[Enemy Defeated: Lesser Ghoul]
I continued through the building, encountering more of these ghouls. Each confrontation tested my abilities, but with Earthbound, I felt invincible. Their attacks glanced off me, and my counterstrikes were decisive. The dungeon seemed almost too easy—until I reached the basement.
Descending the creaky stairs, I entered a vast, dimly lit chamber. The air was thick with the stench of decay. Shadows danced along the walls as I stepped forward, my senses heightened. Suddenly, from the darkness, emerged a group of ghouls—ten in total. Their eyes gleamed with hunger, and their movements were eerily synchronized.
The first to approach was a hulking creature with mottled gray skin and elongated limbs. It swung a massive claw toward me, but I sidestepped, feeling the air shift as it missed. I countered with a swift punch to its side, the impact resonating through my arm. The creature staggered but remained upright.
Another ghoul, smaller but quicker, darted in from my left. Its claws flashed as it aimed for my throat. Reacting swiftly, I raised my forearm, deflecting the strike. With Earthbound's strength, I grasped its wrist, twisting until it yelped in pain and retreated.
The others circled, each waiting for an opening. I stood my ground, focusing on the immediate threats. A ghoul with a hunched back and a grotesque, tooth-filled maw lunged at my legs. I leaped over its attack, landing behind it. Before it could turn, I delivered a powerful kick to its spine, sending it crashing into a nearby pillar.
Two ghouls charged simultaneously, flanking me. I spun, catching one by the arm and using its momentum to throw it into the other. They collided with a thud, momentarily dazed. Seizing the opportunity, I advanced, delivering precise strikes to incapacitate them both.
The remaining five hesitated, perhaps reassessing their strategy. I didn't give them the chance. With a battle cry, I charged, my fists moving in a blur. One by one, I took them down—each movement fluid, each strike fueled by Earthbound's power.
Breathing heavily, I surveyed the fallen creatures. The chamber was eerily silent now, save for the distant drip of water. As I caught my breath, a low growl echoed from the far end of the room. Emerging from the shadows was a creature unlike the others—a towering figure with obsidian black skin, glowing red eyes, and a crown of twisted horns. This was no mere ghoul; it was the Ghoul Overlord.
The ground trembled as it approached, each step deliberate. I tightened my grip, preparing for the fight of my life. The Overlord's eyes locked onto mine, and it spoke in a guttural voice.
"Human, you dare challenge me?"
I stood tall, meeting its gaze. "I don't seek death, but I won't back down."
With a roar, the Overlord charged, its claws aiming for my chest. I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the lethal swipe. The force of its missed attack left a deep gouge in the stone floor. I countered with a series of punches, each landing with a resounding impact. But the Overlord's resilience was unmatched. It retaliated with a sweeping tail, knocking me off my feet.
I landed hard but quickly rolled to my feet, activating Earthbound's enhanced strength. The Overlord lunged again, but this time, I was ready. I met its charge, locking my arms with its massive limbs. The struggle was intense, each of us vying for dominance. With a grunt, I twisted, using the Overlord's momentum against it, and sent it crashing into a wall.
The Overlord rose, enraged, and unleashed a sonic roar that shook the chamber. I covered my ears, feeling the vibrations in my bones. Disoriented, I stumbled, but Earthbound's resilience kept me standing. The Overlord advanced, but I wasn't about to let it dictate the fight.
Summoning every ounce of strength, I charged, delivering a series of rapid strikes to its midsection. The Overlord staggered, its defenses weakening. Seizing the moment, I leaped, driving my knee into its face, sending it sprawling.
[Boss Defeated: Ghoul Overlord]
[Dungeon Cleared]