Chapter 5 – A Day in the Real World
As the golden light surrounded Kairo, signaling the completion of Floor 3, a new option appeared before him.
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[Do you wish to exit the Trial?]
Yes
No
---
Kairo hesitated for a moment. The Trial had been an intense and eye-opening experience, pushing his body and mind to the limit. But before he left, he needed to make sure of something.
A second option appeared beneath the first one:
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[Save Progress?]
Yes
No
---
His eyes lit up.
This meant he could leave and return whenever he wanted, without losing progress.
That was huge.
Without hesitation, he selected "Yes", watching as the words [Progress Saved] flashed before him.
Then, he pressed "Exit".
The golden light intensified, swallowing his vision completely.
---
Back to Reality
The next thing he knew, Kairo was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
His heart pounded.
He immediately sat up, looking around. He was back in his room—his familiar, slightly messy room, with posters on the wall and clothes scattered around.
The clock on his desk read 7:42 AM.
He had entered the Trial yesterday around 8 AM…
That meant—
"Holy crap…" Kairo muttered. An entire day had passed.
The realization hit him like a truck.
Before he could process anything else, his bedroom door slammed open.
"KAIRO!"
His mother stormed in, followed by his father. Their faces were a mix of anger and relief, eyes burning with concern.
"Where the hell have you been?!" his mother shouted. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?!"
His father crossed his arms, his voice firm. "We called everyone—your school, your friends. We were about to call the police!"
Kairo's mind raced.
What was he supposed to say? That he had been inside some kind of mystical trial filled with powerful creatures and hidden challenges?
No way.
"I—I was just…" He struggled to come up with an excuse. "I… went on a hike."
His mother's eyes widened. "A hike?! Alone?! Without telling us?!"
His father clenched his jaw. "Do you even understand how reckless that was? We thought something had happened to you!"
Kairo sighed, rubbing his temples. He hadn't expected this. The Trial didn't freeze time in the real world—which meant every time he entered, he would actually be missing in reality.
That was a huge problem.
"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "I really didn't mean to worry you guys. I just… needed some time alone."
His mother exhaled sharply, clearly still frustrated, but some of her anger faded. "At least tell us next time," she muttered.
His father nodded but still looked upset. "You're grounded for a week."
Kairo barely reacted. He was too busy processing what he had just learned.
A week's grounding?
That didn't matter. What mattered was that the Trial operated in real-time.
And that changed everything.
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Rest and Reflection
After the argument ended, Kairo went downstairs to grab some food. His body felt sore, as if he had actually been running, climbing, and surviving in a dangerous forest.
Which meant…
The Trial wasn't just a dream or a simulation.
Every cut, every bruise, every moment of exhaustion—it all carried over to the real world.
That made the rewards even more real. His reflexes, speed, and stealth improvements weren't just numbers on a screen.
He had actually grown stronger.
After eating, he went back to his room and collapsed onto his bed.
He needed rest.
Tomorrow, he had school.
And all he could think about was what came next in the Trial.
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The Next Day – School Life
The blaring sound of his alarm clock snapped him awake.
Kairo groaned, sitting up. His muscles still felt sore, but he was already recovering. The enhanced regeneration from the Trial was working, even outside.
After getting ready, he left for school.
But the entire day felt… different.
As he walked through the hallways, everything seemed slower to him. He noticed things he never would have before—the slight hesitations in people's movements, the way their weight shifted before taking a step.
It was like his awareness had been heightened.
At lunch, he barely paid attention to his friends' conversation. His mind kept drifting back to the Trial.
What would the next floor be like?
What kind of enemies would he face?
Was there a bigger purpose behind all this?
He tapped his fingers against the table, staring at his uneaten food.
He had already made up his mind.
As soon as school was over…
He was going back into the Trial.
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End of Chapter 5
To be continued-