The rat's corpse slipped from his mouth and hit the floor with a wet plak.
His legs trembled. His lungs burned. His eyes stung.
Then—
the black gem on his forehead pulsed like a heartbeat.
A window blasted open in front of him.
---
⧉ BLACK PILL WINDOW — QUEST COMPLETE ⧉
Quest: Kill a Living Being (Non-Human)
Status: COMPLETED
Reward:
• SHOP ACCESS UNLOCKED
Before he could process it, another giant window materialized—dark, symmetrical, heavy with ancient authority.
---
⧉ BLACK PILL SYSTEM — PAST-LIFE SYNCHRONIZATION ⧉
Past Life: King of Ruin
Recorded Human Slaughters: 1,043,226
Converted EXP: 104,322,600
Note:
EXP can only be used to upgrade the Black Pill Window.
Cannot enhance appearance, strength, skills, or body.
His fingertips trembled.
> "So… it was all real."
Another panel slid open like a mechanical jaw.
---
⧉ BLACK PILL WINDOW — LEVEL STATUS ⧉
Current Level: 1
Available EXP: 104,322,600
Upgrade Cost:
• Lv.1 → Lv.2 : 100 EXP
• Lv.2 → Lv.3 : 1,000 EXP
• Lv.3 → Lv.4 : 5,000 EXP
• Lv.4 → Lv.5 : 10,000 EXP
• Lv.5 → Lv.6 : 50,000 EXP
...
• Lv.19 → Lv.20 : 5,000,000 EXP
At the bottom, the option glowed in deep crimson:
OPTION:
UPGRADE WINDOW TO MAX? (Lv.20)
Cost: 23,415,000 EXP
He didn't hesitate.
> "Upgrade."
He tapped the confirm button.
---
THE PAIN BEGAN IMMEDIATELY
A shockwave slammed into his skull.
He screamed.
His entire body convulsed as an invisible force grabbed him from inside.
His bones vibrated.
His cursed spine twisted.
His veins felt like they were boiling.
A new window flickered:
Lv.1 → Lv.2 (UPGRADING…)
Pain Synchronization Active
And with the instant the level increased—
He fainted.
---
HE WOKE UP — ONLY TO SUFFER AGAIN
His eyes shot open.
His body was drenched in cold sweat.
His limbs refused to move.
Then:
Lv.2 → Lv.3 (UPGRADING…)
Pain Synchronization Active
A tidal wave of agony shredded through his nerves.
He clawed at the floor.
He bit his own arm until it bled.
He begged the darkness to stop.
Then he fainted again.
---
THE NIGHT CONTINUED
Wake up.
Pain.
Faint.
Wake up.
Pain.
Faint.
Each level brought a new form of torture:
His muscles twisted like rope.
His bones cracked without breaking.
His nerves burned as if electricity ate them.
His eyes throbbed like they would burst.
Every upgrade tore him apart and stitched him back together.
Hours passed like years.
His throat was raw from screaming.
The floor was wet from sweat and tears.
But the window kept going.
Lv.10 → Lv.11 ✔
Lv.11 → Lv.12 ✔
Lv.12 → Lv.13 ✔
Lv.13 → Lv.14 ✔
Lv.14 → Lv.15 ✔
Lv.15 → Lv.16 ✔
Lv.16 → Lv.17 ✔
Lv.17 → Lv.18 ✔
Lv.18 → Lv.19 ✔
Lv.19 → Lv.20 ✔
And finally—
He collapsed one last time.
---
MORNING
Birds chirped faintly outside his window.
He opened his eyes slowly.
His body felt numb.
He couldn't even lift his head.
He lay on the cold floor, shaking.
But he lifted a trembling finger to his forehead gem…
…and pressed it.
The window appeared.
A new one.
A perfect one.
Clean. Aligned. Symmetric.
Sharp like a blade from hell.
---
⧉ BLACK PILL WINDOW — LEVEL 20 (EVOLVED) ⧉
Name: —
Age: 16
Curses:
• Dwarfism (Locked till age 16)
• Severe Acne / Facial Cysts
• Allergic Skin
• Bone Deformation (Spinal + Rib)
• Negative Appearance Rating: -10 (Avg: 5)
Status: Weak / Deformed / Cursed
(All appearance changes locked until future quests)
A second window unfolded:
---
⧉ SYSTEM EXP — REMAINING ⧉
Total EXP Earned: 104,322,600
EXP Spent on Upgrades: 23,415,000
Remaining EXP: 80,907,600
And a final one—dark, majestic, intimidating:
---
⧉ BLACK PILL SHOP — UNLOCKED (Lv.20) ⧉
Unlocked:
• Window Customization (Basic)
• Pain Tolerance Pill (Costs 1,000 EXP)
• Trait Store (Locked)
• Appearance Enhancements (Locked)
• Physical Enhancements (Locked)
• Skills (Locked)
• Curses Removal (Locked)
Requirements:
• Complete higher-tier quests to unlock new categories.
He stared silently.
Not stronger.
Not prettier.
Not fixed.
Just a boy with a broken body…
and a monstrous system finally awakened.
He touched his bandaged face.
> "This… is only the beginning