[Congratulations on the completion of the mission.]
[Gained +400 XP]
[Level 2 → Level 3]
[Unlocked Skill: Brute Strength!]
[Now you can lift slightly heavier things and punch slightly harder! Wow, what a beast! (Disclaimer: Does not make you as strong as an orc. Please do not attempt to suplex one.)]
Kazuki's eyebrows twitched. He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Can't this system give me a good skill for once?"
The system responded cheerfully.
[Of course! You just have to spin the Ultra Premium Platinum Legendary Gacha! (Only 999 pulls to unlock! Have fun!)]
Kazuki's eye twitched harder. "...I hate this."
Closing the status screen, Kazuki stepped forward, inside the massive crater. The charred remains of what was once an orc lay scattered, barely recognizable.
Kazuki exhaled, watching a stray ember flicker out near his feet. "Yep. That was overkill."
He stepped over the scorched remains of the orc, the charred flesh crumbling into blackened dust beneath his boots.
The smell of roasted meat, sulfur and metallic taste—like someone had set off a fireworks show in
a butcher shop lingered in the air. A faint breeze blew, the ash swirling in lazy spirals before settling into the crater, like a finial memento to the grave of orc.
Silence stretched for a moment, sounds of cricket and instead died down.
No howling wind. No distant calls of birds. Just the faint crackle of lingering embers and the rhythmic thump of his own heartbeat in his ears.
Then—another sound.
Crunch.
Sound of footsteps behind him.
Kazuki stiffened. The back of his neck prickled.
From the darkened trees, something shifted. Kazuki's breath got struck in his throat as glowing pair of glowing eyes blinked into existence, one pair, then another, then four more. The figures shifted with movement, grass swaying and the heavy scent of unwashed fur and dried blood drifted through the air.
"Of course," Kazuki muttered, forcing a grin as he took a step back. "Because one orc wasn't bad enough."
More orcs. Bigger. Bulkier. And very, very unhappy.
Panic shot through his veins. He needed another explosive exit—now.
"Alright, you overgrown goblins," Kazuki inhaled sharply, slamming his hands together. "Let's do this again. Summon: EXPLODING CHICKEN!"
Nothing.
"...Summon Exploding Chicken!" he shouted louder, glancing around.
The system dinged cheerfully.
[Skill: Exploding Chicken Summon is on cooldown.]
[Time remaining: 4 minutes 59 seconds.]
Kazuki's brain short-circuited.
"COOLDOWN?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"
The system window popped up again, but this time, it had a winking pixelated chicken doing a smug little dance.
[Fair Play System Activated! You thought you could spam the legendary poultry bomb? HA! Suffer like the rest of us.]
Kazuki twitched. "You—stupid—game-breaking—chicken—"
One of the orcs snorted, then stomped forward, gripping a rusted axe the size of a car door.
The system dinged again.
[New Quest Generated!]
[MISSION: SURVIVE.]
[Rank: D]
Objective: Don't die like a fool.
Rewards: ???
Failure Consequence: Death (Again. Obviously.)
Kazuki's hands clenched into trembling fists.
"I hate this stupid system," he muttered under his breath.
Then he turned—and ran like hell.
The leaves scrunched beneath his feet, each step a desperate beat in the rhythm of his escape. The howls of the orcs rang through the forest, guttural and raw, like a twisted battle cry echoing in the night.
The sound of their massive weapons thumping against the ground, the sound of heavy footsteps, Kazuki didn't dare take a peek, he could feel there eyes on him, like a hungry beast, it gave him a weird chill down his spine.
Like wolves closing in on wounded prey.
His breath hitched. His legs burned. The cold night air sliced against his skin as branches whipped at his face. He vaulted over a fallen log, his mind racing.
"Think, think, think! What the hell do I do?! Chicken's on cooldown, I have no weapons, and I sure as hell am not wrestling a ten-foot orc!"
The system dinged.
[Reminder: Quest Objective – SURVIVE.]
Kazuki gritted his teeth. "NO SH*T!"
Another ding.
[Would you like a help? (Cost: Your dignity)]
He didn't even hesitate.
"TAKE IT! I HAVE NONE LEFT!"
Sprinting through the forest, his breath grew ragged due to constant running, the system chimed in once more.
[New Item Acquired!]
A small vial materialized in his hand, its glass shimmering under the moonlight. The liquid inside swirled with a vibrant, electric-blue hue, pulsing faintly like bottled lightning.
[Elixir of Swift Stride]
[Temporarily increases agility by +10 for five minutes.]
Kazuki barely had time to read before a tree trunk exploded behind him, an orc's massive club missing his head by inches.
"Holy—!" He stumbled, nearly face-planting into the dirt.
Another roar. More heavy footsteps. The orcs were catching up.
No time to think.
Kazuki popped the cork and chugged the elixir in one go.
The moment the liquid hit his throat, a surge of energy exploded through his veins. His muscles tensed—his legs felt lighter—his entire body felt like it had just been hit by a speed hack.
Then—BOOM.
Kazuki launched forward like a bullet.
One second he was surrounded—the next, he was gone. The trees blurred past him, wind howling in his ears as he tore through the forest at an impossible speed.
"WOOOOOO! I'M A FREAKIN' NINJA!"
Behind him, the orcs bellowed in frustration, their eyes barely able to track his movement.
Kazuki grinned—right before realizing he had zero control.
"OH SH*T—TREE—"
CRASH.
His face met bark at full speed.