Chapter 2
Level up
The hallway was silent.
Too silent.
White metal walls lined both sides. Seamless. Polished. Sterile.
It felt like walking through the inside of a machine.
His bare feet slapped against the floor, each step echoing louder than the last.
No blood. No pain. No wounds.
And yet… the memory clung to him like smoke.
The metal spider.
The shriek of blades.
The burning stab through his shoulder.
The moment he thought he was going to die again.
He flexed his fingers.
No damage. Not even a scar.
Was that… magic? A system perk? Auto-heal for surviving?
Whatever it was, it saved him.
But for how long?
At the far end of the corridor, a soft blue shimmer hung in the air like a vertical pool of water—wobbling, humming.
He stepped forward.
Reached out.
Zzzzp—
The moment his finger touched the light, the hallway behind him vanished. Not closed—vanished. As if it had never existed.
No turning back, huh…
The shimmering screen dissolved into mist.
Silence followed.
Then—
Hiss.
A new door slid open.
White light flooded in.
He squinted, stepping into the next room.
It was clean. Empty. A perfect metal cube, walls untouched by time or dirt. No cameras. No vents. No seams.
At the center: a table.
On the table: a single glass of water.
And beside it, a chair.
He stared at it for a moment.
...Trap? Or test?
Cautiously, he stepped forward.
Sat down.
The chair creaked softly beneath him. The water didn't move.
He sniffed it—nothing. No chemicals. No scent.
He drank.
Cold. Crisp. Too clean.
It hit his stomach like snowmelt. He didn't realize how parched he'd been until that first sip sent a shiver down his spine.
He closed his eyes.
Just for a second.
And in the dark behind his lids…
Something shifted.
Not a dream. Not quite a memory.
His little brother stood in a hallway, beaming, holding up a drawing.
"It's you," the boy said. "If you were a dragon."
Then—his mother, back turned, hands clenched in front of a hospital bed.
The monitor beeped. Slower. Slower.
Then—his sister. Wedding dress. Glowing. Reaching out—
—but his voice wouldn't come.
Then—himself. Pale. Thin. Surrounded by wires.
The beep flatlined.
Too slow.
"Too slow," a voice whispered.
Not the cartoon voice from before.
Something deeper. Colder.
Then—BZZZZZZT.
Static tore through his head.
His eyes snapped open.
"Hellooooo, lucky contestants!"
That sickly cheerful tone again.
He didn't move.
"Did you enjoy your first challenge?"
"Some of you made it. Some of you... didn't."
"But worry not! Because you, lucky soul, have earned… REWARDS!"
Ding!
A glowing blue screen blinked to life above the table.
[LEVEL UP REWARDS GRANTED]
[You have earned: 2 Stat Points]
Please allocate to the attribute(s) of your choosing.
Vitality: 100%
HP: 100%
Endurance: 12
Agility: 11
Perception: 10
Strength: 9
Intelligence: 7
He stared.
Just two points, huh…
Not a lot. But the difference between life and death wasn't always dramatic. One stat could change everything.
He touched his shoulder—no pain. But the memory of that spider's speed, the way it moved—
Agility saved me.
Strength failed me.
And yet…
+1 Strength might be all I need to actually land a hit next time.
He reached up and tapped:
+1 Agility
+1 Strength
Ding.
The screen updated.
Agility: 12
Strength: 10
No fanfare. No glowing aura.
Just a shift. A sensation.
Like he'd loosened something inside himself. Like tension had left his joints without him realizing it was there.
He exhaled.
But the voice wasn't done.
"And that's not all! As a reward for surviving Round One, you've unlocked a SPECIAL BONUS!"
"Choose wisely, contestant!"
The screen changed again. Four icons spun in place like prize wheels.
🔹 Food & Drink
A hot meal and hydration to prepare for what comes next.
🔹 A Bed for the Night
Rest. Recovery. Peace. (Just for a little while...)
🔹 Random F-Tier Ability
Gain a random beginner-level skill. Could be amazing. Could be useless.
🔹 Gambling!
High risk, high reward! Or maybe just a trap! Who knows~?
He stared.
His stomach growled. His muscles ached. The bed called to him like an old memory.
But…
Random ability?
Could be helpful. Could be trash.
And then—
The gambling icon pulsed. Bright. Eager.
Like it wanted him.
...What kind of idiot chooses gambling?
His hand moved before he could stop it.
He tapped.
[BONUS SELECTED: GAMBLING]
Spinning wheel activated...
Rolling rewards...
Dozens of symbols flashed across the screen: coins, swords, fireballs, cards, knives, chains, red Xs.
Too bright. Too fast. Too loud.
Click!
[You have received: Tier F Skill — Bloodspark]
A momentary burst of speed and power triggered upon taking damage.
Caution: may cause reckless behaviour.
Bloodspark…?
The moment he read the word, he felt it.
A pulse.
His heart kicked once, hard. Cold lightning ran down his spine. For a moment, he couldn't breathe.
And then—it was gone.
But something inside had changed.
Pain makes me stronger.
He laughed. Just once. Dry. Bitter.
"Of course it does."
No one laughed with him.
The voice returned.
"Excellent choice, contestant!"
"Please proceed to the next level."
The table and chair sank into the floor with a soft hiss.
He stood. Unsteady.
The far wall opened.
Not into another clean corridor.
This time—
A staircase.
Rusted. Spiraling downward into darkness.
A draft of cold air drifted up. The scent of oil. Blood. Something worse.
He took one last breath.
And stepped forward.
"Level One: Complete."
"Level Two: Begins now."