I was sent flying backward, crashing hard against the ground on the far side of the arena.
Pain came first.Laughter followed right after.
"Hahaha!"
Before I could even move, something appeared in front of my eyes.
A translucent, blue-tinted window.
[Initializing system]
I frowned.
[Error!][Combat detected][Initiating emergency mission]
"So? Have you surrendered yet?" August asked, wearing a mocking smile. "You need to raise your hand, you know."
He tilted his head, as if inspecting the damage.
"I think I hit you a little too hard."
The laughter grew louder.
My chest rose and fell heavily as I struggled to breathe.
The window flickered again.
[Emergency mission created][Objective: Defeat Rank 320 — August][Refusal will result in severe punishment]
"Relax…" I muttered, forcing my voice steady as I tried to push myself up. "I was just resting."
Two options appeared before me.
[Yes] [No]
What the hell was that?
I was already getting beaten up… and if I refused, there would be punishment on top of that?Was this serious?
"Looks like you want to try again," August said as he approached.
I clenched my teeth.
"I never run from a duel."
The message stayed there, unmoving, waiting for my choice.
I didn't know whether this was a hallucination or pure insanity—but if it was real… I was screwed either way.
"Yes," I answered quietly.
[Mission accepted][Time limit: 01:30]
One minute and thirty seconds.
How the hell was I supposed to defeat August in that time?
A final line appeared. Simple.
[Figure it out.]
"Easy for you to say…" I growled. "You're not the one fighting."
The screen flickered.
[I don't know. Use your head.]
…My head?
Before I could question it, the judge raised his hand.
"Begin!"
August slammed his fist into the ground.
Jagged stone spikes erupted from the arena floor and shot toward me like spears.
I jumped back and started running.
"Hahahaha!"
The crowd roared with laughter.
Idiots.
The screen flashed.
[Time remaining: 01:00]
Shit.
August struck the ground again, and more spikes tore through the floor, racing toward me. I barely dodged, feeling one graze my leg.
Come on… think.
System.Head.
It had to be that.
I clenched my teeth and changed direction.
I ran straight at August.
"Is he insane?" someone shouted from the stands.
August grinned.
Flames gathered in his hands.
He hurled a fireball.
I rolled to the left, feeling the heat pass inches from my face.
[Time remaining: 00:30]
My body burned. My lungs screamed.
"You asked for it…" I muttered between breaths.
August charged.
He raised his fist, magic condensing around it, and came in to finish me.
[Time remaining: 00:10]
No room to dodge.No time to think.
Only one option.
I leaned forward.
And used my head.
The impact echoed sharply across the arena.
My forehead collided with August's face. His body was launched backward, crashing to the ground with his nose bent at an unnatural angle.
Unconscious.
The arena fell silent.
"I can't believe it…" someone whispered. "That useless guy… the very last in the rankings… actually won…"
Murmurs spread through the crowd, filled with disbelief.
The blue screen appeared again.
[Well, it wasn't literally a headbutt… but it works.]
My vision still spun as another message appeared.
[Rewards credited.]
I swallowed hard.
[2 cards acquired.][Open now?]
Maybe…just maybe…this whole thing was real.
[Reveal now?][Yes] [No]
"Yes."
The screen expanded, filling most of my vision. Two cards floated in the air, slowly spinning.
The first one flipped.
[Card 1: Coward's Sprint — Rank F]Greatly increases movement speed while fleeing or retreating.Additional bonus when the user is at a disadvantage.
"…Seriously?" I muttered. "You're calling me a coward to my face?"
The second card shifted.
[Card 2: Goat's Hard Head — Rank F]Increases skull durability.Head-based attacks deal bonus damage.Reduced chance of self-destruction.
"Reduced chance?!"
[You won by using your head.][Evaluation: Functional, but concerning.]
I rubbed my throbbing forehead.
[XP credited: 120]
"XP?" I muttered. "What is this, a video game now?"
[Level up detected.][Current level: 1 → 2]
Another window opened.
[User Status]Strength: 4Agility: 5Endurance: 6Perception: 5Luck: 7
"…Is that good or bad?"
[Evaluation: Bad.]
"Great."
[Available points: +3][Distribute now?]
"You've got to be kidding…"
[Do I look like I'm joking, weakling?]
"Show yourself, you bastard!"
[How exactly am I supposed to do that when I'm a screen, you animal.]
"…So I almost died just to get insulted by an interface?"
The system paused.
[Correction: You should have died. What actually died was your dignity.]
"Go to hell."
[Language recorded. No punishment applied. Yet.]
I sighed.
"Just distribute the points already."
[User indecisive. Points distributed automatically.]
The screen flickered one last time.
[Do you wish to accept a new challenge?][Refusal will result in severe penalties.][Yes] [No]
Great.As if my life wasn't already going downhill fast enough.
Little did I know…that this was the beginning of my ascent.
The screen flickered once more.
[I think that headbutt damaged your brain. You're talking to yourself.]
"Shut up."
A brief pause.
[Noted.][Disrespect registered.][No punishment applied. For now.]
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
That was how it started.My rise.And my curse.
With an idiotic system…and a skull too hard to give up.