After the system displayed the quest, Kerry tried getting off the bed. But the moment he lifted the blanket—
"What the—?!" he shouted, realizing he was completely naked.
His face twisted in shock. "How the hell did this happen? Did someone… see me?"
He yanked the blanket around his waist, wrapping it tightly. Just then, the door opened and a nurse stepped in, holding a tray with injections.
"Oh, you're awake," she said, placing the tray on the desk.
Kerry froze. His eyes widened when he realized she was a woman. He immediately turned to face the window, clutching the blanket closer.
"Hey, ma'am! Where's your sense of manners? Can't you see I'm naked here? Get me some clothes!" he barked, his voice sharp with embarrassment.
The nurse flinched, quickly turning away. "Oh, s-sorry! I'll bring some right away," she stammered and hurried out.
Kerry exhaled, rubbing his face in disbelief. "Unbelievable…"
Moments later, the door opened again, the same nurse returned, holding folded clothes and a small mirror.
Kerry spun around with an exasperated groan. "Seriously?!"
"I—I just brought your clothes," she said softly.
"Just drop them and leave."
"O-okay, sir."
She set the clothes on the chair and hurried out of the room.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Kerry grabbed the clothes. It was a simple set — blue trousers, a white shirt, and a blue hoodie with a light hood attached. He slipped them on, then picked up the mirror.
The reflection staring back at him made him freeze.
His hair, once half red and half white, had turned completely white with just a few red strands scattered through it. His face looked sharper, more defined, his features refined into striking perfection, his jawline clean, and his eyes brighter. His once thin body had gained muscle, giving him a lean and athletic build. Even his height seemed different, like he had aged into someone around nineteen or twenty.
"What… the system changed my appearance too?" he whispered, running his fingers over his face in disbelief.
He sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. I just need to get this over with. Let's find somewhere to finish these stupid tasks."
He opened the window and leapt down into the hospital compound. The cold wind brushed against his face as he scanned the surroundings.
"Yeah, this spot should work," he muttered, eyeing a quiet open area surrounded by stone statues in the center of the courtyard.
The blue system interface flickered before him again.
---
[Daily Quest — Strength of the Dead]
Push-ups: 0 / 100
Sit-ups: 0 / 100
Squats: 0 / 100
Run: 0 / 3 km
Time Remaining: 23:17:03
---
He took a deep breath. "Let's just get this over with."
Dropping to the ground, he planted his palms flat against the cold floor and started.
"One… two… three…"
Pain shot through his arms and chest with each movement. His muscles tensed, his breathing quickened.
[Push-ups: 12 / 100]
Sweat rolled down his face, soaking into his shirt.
[Continue. Muscle Reinforcement in Progress.]
Kerry clenched his teeth and pushed harder, forcing his body to move.
---
30… 40… 50…
By the time he reached fifty, his arms shook uncontrollably. His vision blurred, but he refused to stop.
[Push-ups: 50/100]
He paused, gasping for air. His body screamed to rest, but when looked at the panel again, the glowing numbers in front of him reminded him what awaited if he failed.
[Time Remaining: 22:45:26]
"Not stopping now," he muttered under his breath.
He pushed again, one rep, then another.
67… 74… 82…
His palms bled against the ground, red mixing with dust. Yet even then, he didn't stop.
[Push-ups: 100/100 — Complete]
A faint light flickered before him.
[Strength +1]
Kerry collapsed on the ground, panting, his chest rising and falling in rough rhythm. But the system gave him no moment to rest.
[Next Task: Sit-ups — 0/100]
He lay on his back, wiped the sweat from his face, and started again.
1… 2… 3…
Each motion tore at his half-healed wounds, reopening them slightly. But pain no longer felt like suffering, it was a reminder that he still existed, that something in him hadn't died completely.
By the time dawn bled through the horizon, he was still moving. Slow, steady, relentless.
[Sit-Ups: 100/100 — Complete]
[Squats: 100/100 — Complete]
[Run: 3.0/3.0 — Complete]
[Daily Quest Completed]
+2 Strength | +1 Agility
1×E-Rank Gate Key (Trial of the Fangs) obtained.
Kerry fell flat onto the ground, staring up at the pale morning sky. His chest heaved, his entire body aching like it had been torn apart and remade.
A black mist coiled around his fingers, cold and heavy. Then a faint shimmer appeared beside his hand. Something metallic began to form, piece by piece, until the glow dimmed, leaving a key resting in his palm.
It was unlike any metal he had seen before. Dark, jagged, and pulsing faintly with purple veins that moved like something alive.
[Gate Key Identified]
Item Type: Dimensional Key
Rank: E
Gate Type: Trial Class
Designation: "Trial of the Fangs."
Kerry stared at the glowing runes crawling along the key's edge. "Trial of the Fangs…" he whispered.
Before he could think further, the ground beneath him trembled.
The world darkened. Shadows twisted across the courtyard, spiraling toward the center like living smoke. A violent wind erupted from nowhere, whirling around him in circles.
[Gate Activation Detected.]
Warning: Non-human presence approaching.
A black fissure tore through the air, lightning crackling along its edges. The temperature plummeted, cold enough to bite through flesh.
Beyond the rift, another world waited, one filled with dead trees and drifting gray mist.
[E-Rank Gate "Trial of the Fangs" has been opened.]
Objective: Eliminate the Fang Devourer Beast.
Failure Penalty: Soul Fragment Loss (-1)
Kerry's heart pounded once. He should have been afraid, but all he felt was an eerie calm spreading through him.
He clenched his fist around the key. The moment his fingers closed, the gate pulsed like it was breathing.
A voice whispered from the rift, low and mocking.
"Come, little Necromancer… let's see if your soul belongs to the living or the dead."
Kerry took a breath and stepped forward. The black mist wrapped around his ankles, pulling him in.
The world warped and light disappeared.
When he opened his eyes again, the stench of death filled his lungs. The ground was littered in bones, and the sky above was a dull sheet of ash.
Far ahead, something enormous moved — its outline hidden by fog, except for two crimson eyes staring straight at him.
[Trial Begins.]