The cavern smelled of smoke and iron. Dust still rained from above, settling over Kyle's skin like ashes from a funeral pyre. His chest heaved, his throat burned, and his mind whirled with one single question:
Why am I alive?
He should have been dead. His last memory—his brother's blade sinking into his heart, the fire swallowing his body—should have been the end. And yet here he stood, heart pounding, lungs pulling air, wounds erased as though they had never existed.
But the screen hovering before his eyes told him this was no miracle.
[System Activated]
[Quest: Survive and Rise]
[Warning: Betrayer Detected]
[Hint: Choose your path wisely]
The words pulsed with cold indifference, not offering comfort, only judgment.
Kyle's fists clenched. "Betrayer…" His voice cracked, still hoarse from smoke and blood.
A sharp crack echoed through the cavern—stone splitting. He froze, every instinct screaming. His ears strained, his vision darting into the shadows. Something… someone… was moving.
A figure emerged.
Tall. Familiar. The man he had once called brother. His smile hadn't changed, that same twisted curve of lips Kyle once trusted.
"You thought death would free you, Kyle?" His tone dripped venom. "You thought you could escape me?"
Kyle's chest tightened. Memories stabbed at him—shared meals, laughter under the stars, vows of loyalty. All shattered now, ground into dust beneath betrayal.
He wanted to scream, to demand answers. But instinct screamed louder. The man's eyes weren't those of a friend. They were the eyes of a predator.
Then came the voice. Not his brother's. Not his own.
The System.
[Battle Instinct Lv.1 Activated]
The world shifted.
Sound sharpened, time slowed. He could hear droplets of water splashing into puddles, the faint grind of stone beneath boots, the sharp intake of his enemy's breath. His vision locked onto every twitch of muscle, every subtle shift.
The betrayer lunged.
Kyle's body moved before thought. He twisted aside, blade barely grazing his ribs. Pain seared, hot and immediate, but not fatal. His hand snapped out, shoving against his attacker's wrist.
Metal clanged as steel scraped stone. Sparks spat into the air.
Kyle stumbled back, chest heaving. "Why… why are you doing this?"
His brother sneered. "Because weakness disgusts me. You disgust me." His blade gleamed crimson in the dim light. "You were never meant to survive. Not then. Not now."
Kyle's blood chilled. Not then? What did he mean?
The cavern trembled again. This time not from his enemy—but from the System itself.
[Secondary Trial Initiated]
[Objective: Survive First Encounter]
[Timer: 05:00]
Kyle's vision snapped to the corner of his screen. A countdown had appeared. Five minutes.
His pulse spiked. "Five minutes? Survive?"
The betrayer licked his lips. "Oh, this will be fun."
He struck again.
Steel flashed. Instinct carried Kyle aside once more, but not unscathed. The blade nicked his shoulder, hot pain ripping through muscle. Blood poured, crimson against the gray dust of the cavern.
Kyle staggered back, gasping. His mind screamed. He wasn't strong enough. He wasn't ready. He couldn't—
[HP: 72/100]
The number dropped, glowing red. His life reduced to digits.
Kyle's breath hitched. He wasn't just fighting his betrayer. He was fighting the System itself.
The timer ticked.
04:11.
He had to last. He had to endure.
The betrayer pressed harder, slashes faster, footwork sharper. Kyle dodged, rolled, blocked with bare arms when necessary. His knuckles split, his skin tore, but he kept moving.
Each second felt like a century.
But something strange began to happen.
Every movement, every near-death strike, fed into him. The System was watching. Recording. Adjusting.
[Skill Progression: Evasion Lv.1 → Lv.2]
[Battle Instinct: Calibrating… Efficiency +3%]
Kyle's eyes widened. His body… it was learning. Faster than humanly possible. Each dodge became sharper, each roll cleaner.
The betrayer's smirk faltered. "You're adapting…?"
Kyle bared his teeth. "You should have finished me with one strike."
03:01.
The cavern narrowed into a tunnel. Kyle stumbled into it, buying seconds as the betrayer pursued. His lungs burned, his body bled, but his mind refused to surrender.
Another flash. Another swing. Kyle ducked, slammed his shoulder into the betrayer's chest, and for the first time—landed a hit.
The man staggered back a step, eyes flashing surprise.
[Strength: +1]
Kyle froze. His stat had risen. Not from training. Not from rest. But from fighting for his life.
The System wasn't just a curse. It was feeding him power.
02:15.
The betrayer's grin returned, wider. "Good. Good. Grow stronger, Kyle. It makes breaking you so much sweeter."
He charged again. Their blades clashed—no, his blade against Kyle's bare arm, bone meeting steel. Pain shot through Kyle's forearm, but he pushed forward, slamming a knee into his enemy's gut.
The man coughed, stumbling back.
Kyle's body screamed, but the numbers danced.
[HP: 41/100]
[Strength: 7]
[Agility: 12]
He could feel it. Every drop of blood was fuel. Every heartbeat was transformation.
But time was running out.
00:59.
The betrayer's eyes burned with rage. "Enough games. Die already!"
His blade rose, glowing faint crimson with unnatural energy.
Kyle's chest tightened. This wasn't normal steel. The System was empowering him too.
The strike fell.
Kyle had nothing left. No weapon, no shield. Just his fists, his instincts, his will.
He raised his arms. The world slowed again.
[Breaker's Instinct: Prototype Activated]
What—?
His body shifted, moving faster than thought. He caught the blade with bare palms. Steel screamed against bone, slicing flesh. Blood poured. But the blade stopped.
The betrayer's eyes widened. "Impossible—!"
Kyle roared, shoving forward, twisting. The blade wrenched sideways, striking stone. Sparks exploded.
00:00.
The cavern thundered with a chime.
[Trial Complete]
[Reward: Stat Boost +5]
[Reward: Skill – Iron Resolve Lv.1]
[Warning: Betrayer remains in pursuit]
Kyle staggered back, chest heaving, hands torn and bleeding. The blade still gleamed inches from his face. But the System's voice cut through the haze:
[Survival achieved.]
The betrayer snarled, eyes burning. "You won't escape me. Not in this world. Not in any."
Kyle's heart pounded. His body ached. But for the first time since his death, his lips curved into a grim, determined smile.
"Then come," he whispered, voice hoarse but steady. "I'll survive every trial you throw at me. And when I'm done… I'll end you."
The cavern trembled. A new path opened ahead—an exit lit with faint blue light. The System was guiding him forward.
Kyle didn't hesitate. He turned, running toward it, every step fueled not by fear—
But by vengeance.
---