Pain!
Pain! Pain! Pain!
Only pain and abyssal fear remained: I'm dying. Right now. What's death like? Nothing like transmigration. After this, I'll vanish from every world---even this terror, these thoughts, gone forever.
No!
I refuse to die!
William strained to open one eye crushed by tentacles. Something floated in the air.
A translucent hexagram. Glowing faint gold. Spinning silently, waiting to be touched.
He didn't know what it was, but instinct screamed: This is your last chance.
He rallied every ounce of strength, lifting his left hand toward the hexagram.
Almost… there…
"Ah!" Agony drained him. His arm fell limp.
"So this… is a human?" Vivian's voice trembled with ecstatic frenzy. "Human blood… human scent…"
"Exquisite! Divine!"
William's skull felt like an egg in her grip---one squeeze from shattering.
She savored it, teetering at the edge of collapse, drinking deep his desperation.
This emotion… priceless.
She might never taste it again.
"William…" Her body shuddered violently as climax neared. "You're kind. I adore you… I love you…"
"I need you!"
"Give me… give me everything !"
The tentacles slackened---a split-second pause before the killing blow.
William seized it. His middle finger hooked the hexagram.
[Beep---]
[System Activated]
[User Data Loading…]
[Complete]
[Name: William. Age: 18.]
[Gender: Male. Species: Human.]
[Status: Awakened.]
[Talent: Luck. Serial: 199. Rune: Divine.]
---A system? Cheat code? Whatever! Activate my talent!
Though mute, his thoughts registered.
[Luck is passive. Cannot activate.]
---Then you're USELESS! I'm dying! HELP ME!
[Session Terminated. System Hidden.]
[Beep---]
The hexagram vanished.
Hope's gone. He shut his eyes. Awaited the end.
...
Why am I alive?
Pain fading… Tentacles retreating…
"Squelch---" Slimey limbs retracted into Vivian's arm.
William collapsed, gasping. "Cough---! Cough---!!"
He looked up.
Vivian's arms were human again. Tears welled in wide, confused eyes.
"Why…?"
Blood bloomed across her chest.
"You… are… mine…" She reached for him.
"Shink---!" A narrow tang blade erupted through her heart. She arched like a speared fish.
"Move." A voice behind her.
William scrambled up. Lynn stood there, gripping the sword's hilt in a lethal lunge.
"Lynn? How did---"
"Move!" Ice edged her tone.
"Okay…" He stumbled back.
"Behind me."
He obeyed.
Lynn ripped the blade free. Blood gersiered, painting the street crimson.
William fought nausea. The sword---spotless silver, not a drop clinging.
Lynn ran a finger down the blade. The 150cm weapon folded into nothingness.
Magic? Superpower? William stared, dumbstruck.
Lynn ignored him. "Go home. Now. Cameras are dead. This never happened."
"But---"
Her glare cut sharper than steel. "You know nothing. Say it."
"I… know nothing."
"Again."
"I know nothing."
"Again."
"I know nothing."
"Good." She vaulted a 2-meter wall. Vanished.
William fled. Home.
His parents slept. Only his sister lurked on the couch, phone glowing. She gasped at his wounds.
"Whoa! Your face!"
"Uh…" Forgot the injuries.
"Oh!" She beamed. "Zombie cosplay!"
"Yeah! Right!" He seized the excuse. "Special effects makeup."
"Sick! Looks real." She smirked.
Who knows if she will buy it?
No time. He grabbed the first-aid kit, locked himself in his room.
Disinfected cuts. Bandaged arms. Sweat stung his eyes.
Exhausted, he collapsed on bed.
Vivian… My childhood friend. A monster?
Did something eat her? Replace her? Like the wolf in Red Riding Hood?
But her voice… her words… Was it really her?
Am I infected? Will I wake up a monster?
The hexagram reappeared. Glowing.
He touched it.
[Beep---]
[System Online]
[Congratulations! Survival Time: 3 Hours]
---Congrats?! I nearly died!
[Reward: 3 Luck Points]
---Why?
[Talent: Luck. Passive Effect: 1 Luck Point per 60 minutes survived]
---What do they do?
[Spend points on upgrading attributes]
---Open stats.
[Stamina:10｜Endurance:10]
[Strength:10｜Agility:10]
[Focus:10｜Charisma:10]
[✦ Luck: 0]
...
Standard RPG stats. But "Luck"? Dodge chance? Loot quality?
With 3 points, everything felt insignificant. His eyes locked on Luck: 0.
---My talent is Luck. How's this different?
[Talent ≠ Stat]
---Useless answer.
---Can I change talents?
[No]
---Show me the talent list.
A dense spreadsheet materialized.
His talent---"Luck (199)"---sat at the bottom. Every entry above Serial 199 was █████████.
---Why's it censored?
[Undiscovered data inaccessible]
---Worst. System. Ever.
"Knock. Knock. Knock." Window taps.
[Session Terminated]
[Beep---]
The hexagram dissolved.
Lynn slid the window open. Slipped inside.
Moonlight outlined her---training shorts, tank top. Limbs are pale as marble.
She toed off her sneakers. Undid her ponytail. Black hair cascaded over her chest.
"You---"
Lynn vaulted onto the bed. Bare feet pinned William's chest.
"Question. Answer."
"Okay…"
"Men or women?"
"W-Women."
"Good." She yanked off her tank top.
"Come on."