Elliot woke to the sound of beeping.
Not dungeon alarms.
Not goblins.
Hospital machines.
White ceiling. Sterile lights. The smell of antiseptic replaced the rot of the dungeon. For a moment, he wondered if everything had been a dying hallucination.
Then snowflakes drifted down onto his chest.
They melted before touching the blanket.
HO. HO. HO.
[Good morning, Santa.]
Elliot bolted upright with a gasp—then immediately regretted it as pain flared across his ribs.
"Not… not a dream," he whispered.
A translucent interface unfolded in the air, red and green text scrolling like a festive nightmare.
[Condition Report]
Status: Stabilized
Cause of Survival: Emergency Gift — "Second Chance" (Consumed)
Remaining Cheer: 12
"Cheer?" Elliot muttered.
A nurse passed the open doorway. The interface vanished instantly, like it had never been there.
Only I can see it.
That realization hit harder than the goblin's cleaver.
Two hours later, Elliot stood outside St. Thomas' Hospital, London's grey winter sky pressing down on him. His jacket had been replaced with a thin discharge coat. His phone buzzed nonstop.
UNKNOWN GUILD RECRUITER (17 MISSED CALLS)
HUNTER REGISTRY: INCIDENT REPORT REQUESTED
He ignored all of it.
Instead, he looked at his right hand.
"Show status," he whispered.
Snow swirled.
[Santa System — Basic Status]
Name: Elliot Crane
Title: Unregistered Santa
Cheer: 12 / 100
Spirit: 20
Joy: 1
Authority: 0
Naughty List (Local): Active
Below it, a new line blinked.
[Warning: Cheer Decay in 72 Hours]
"Of course," Elliot sighed. "There's a timer."
Back in his tiny flat, Elliot locked the door, shut the curtains, and collapsed onto his bed. The television flickered on by itself.
Dungeon news.
"…another unexplained monster death inside an F-rank dungeon. The goblin's body showed signs of extreme cranial trauma inconsistent with known skills—"
Elliot switched it off.
They're already noticing.
"System," he said quietly. "What am I supposed to do?"
The response came instantly.
[Santa Does Not Wait.]
[Cheer Is Earned Through Action.]
[A Naughty Act Has Been Detected Nearby.]
A minimap bloomed into existence.
Three streets away.
Red blinking dot.
Elliot's stomach dropped.
"You want me to go out there? Now?"
HO. HO. HO.
No comfort. No explanation.
Just a countdown ticking in the corner of his vision.
Cheer Decay: 71:59:43
The alley smelled like p*ss and rain.
Elliot stayed in the shadows, heart hammering as voices echoed ahead.
"—told you he wouldn't fight back."
A man cried out. Someone laughed.
Two hunters stood over a third, bloodied and kneeling. Guild jackets—Silver Guild insignia. The kneeling man's rank band flickered weakly: F-Rank.
"Please," the man begged. "I cleared the dungeon. You already took the core."
"Payment for protection," one of them sneered. "Be grateful."
Elliot's hands shook.
They're hunters.
Stronger than him.
He should leave.
He took a step back.
[Naughty Act Confirmed.]
[Severity: Moderate.]
[Judgment Available.]
The red dot pulsed brighter.
Elliot swallowed.
"If I do nothing," he whispered, "what happens?"
The answer was soft. Almost sad.
[Then the World Stays Naughty.]
Something warm settled in his chest.
He stepped forward.
"Hey," Elliot said, voice cracking. "Leave him alone."
Both hunters turned.
They laughed.
The snow began to fall.
The first punch came faster than Elliot expected.
He barely had time to register the hunter's sneer before a fist slammed into his jaw, snapping his head sideways. Pain exploded behind his eyes and he hit the wet concrete hard.
Stars burst across his vision.
"Idiot," one of the Silver Guild hunters scoffed. "Another wannabe hero."
Elliot groaned, trying to push himself up. His limbs felt heavy—wrong. He thought he'd be stronger now. Different.
But his body was still his body.
Weak.
The second hunter kicked him in the ribs.
Something cracked.
Elliot screamed.
[Warning: Critical Damage Detected]
[Cheer Gain Opportunity: Active]
"Stay down," the first hunter said, grinding a boot into Elliot's chest. "You don't get involved in guild business."
The kneeling F-rank hunter—young, maybe Elliot's age—looked up despite the blood running down his face.
"Stop," he croaked. "Leave him. He didn't do anything."
That earned him a backhand.
"Shut it."
Elliot coughed, blood on his lips. His vision swam, snow mixing with rain above him. The red dot from before pulsed wildly in his mind.
I can't win, he realized.
I don't even know how to fight.
"System," he gasped silently. Help.
No lightning.
No miracle.
Just text.
[Judgment Requires Will.]
[Power Without Understanding Leads to Ruin.]
"Fantastic," Elliot wheezed. "Very helpful."
The hunter raised his foot again.
Then the F-rank lunged.
It was clumsy. Desperate. He wrapped his arms around the hunter's leg and dragged, throwing both of them off balance. The second Silver Guild member cursed, staggering back.
"Run!" the F-rank shouted hoarsely at Elliot.
Elliot blinked.
"You—why—?"
"Because," the man gritted out, taking a knee to the stomach, "someone should."
Something clicked inside Elliot's chest.
Warmth.
Not power—resolve.
He forced himself upright, legs shaking.
"Hey!" Elliot shouted, voice raw. "I'm still here."
The hunters turned, annoyed now.
That was when the snow thickened.
[Nice Act Detected.]
[Self-Sacrifice: Confirmed.]
[Gift Authorization: Temporary.]
A small, glowing box materialized in Elliot's hands.
Red wrapping. Green ribbon.
"What the—" Elliot muttered.
It popped open.
Light poured out.
[Gift: Borrowed Courage]
[Effect: Pain Suppression + Minor Strength Boost (30 seconds)]
Elliot didn't hesitate.
He charged.
It wasn't graceful. It wasn't skilled. But this time, when he took a punch, it didn't drop him. When he swung, his fist connected.
The hunter stumbled, surprised.
"What skill is that?!"
"I don't know!" Elliot yelled back, tackling him anyway.
They crashed into a pile of rubbish bags. The second hunter swore and dragged Elliot off by the collar, slamming him into a brick wall.
The timer in Elliot's vision ticked down.
00:05… 00:04…
The strength drained instantly.
Pain rushed back in like a tidal wave.
Elliot collapsed.
The hunters stared at him, breathing hard.
"Tch. Freak," one spat. "Not worth it. Someone's watching."
They kicked the F-rank once more for good measure—then vanished into the night.
Silence returned to the alley.
Snow melted.
Elliot lay on his back, staring at the sky, chest heaving.
"…you okay?" a voice asked weakly.
Elliot turned his head. The F-rank was sitting beside him now, holding his side.
"Define okay," Elliot groaned.
The man huffed a laugh, then winced. "Name's Tom. Thanks for… that. Even if it was stupid."
"Yeah," Elliot said. "I'm getting that a lot today."
They sat there in the cold, two broken hunters nobody would write news articles about.
Then the system chimed softly.
[Nice Act Completed.]
[Reward Issued.]
A new gift appeared—smaller this time.
[Gift: Kindred Thread]
[Effect: Bond Formed — Ally Recognized]
Elliot felt something settle into place. Not power.
Connection.
[Cheer Increased: +15]
[Current Cheer: 27 / 100]
Tom blinked. "Uh… is it snowing again?"
Elliot smiled faintly through the pain.
"Yeah," he said. "Guess someone thought we did alright."
Far above London, bells rang—soft, approving.