Warmth.
A sensation so foreign, so distant, it took him a moment to realize it wasn't a dream.
Kade stirred beneath soft, unfamiliar sheets, the faint scent of herbs and something sweet lingering in the air like a lullaby. The dim light streaming through a nearby window caressed his skin, and he flinched instinctively, as though sunlight itself might break him apart.
His body didn't hurt.
Why?
Where…?
His eyes fluttered open, slow and cautious. The ceiling above him was wooden, old but lovingly maintained. A pair of birds chirped just outside the window. Wind rustled the curtains. There was peace. Gentle, quiet peace.
He gasped, air flooding his lungs like a gift he didn't deserve.
"I… I'm alive?"
A child's voice pierced the calm, full of breathless excitement.
"Mom! Dad! He's awake!"
Footsteps thundered down a hallway, bare feet slapping against wooden floors, voices hurried and tangled with worry.
The door opened with a creak.
A man entered. Broad shoulders, faded scars on his face and forearms, and eyes that bore the calmness of someone who had seen storms and survived them.
Behind him, a woman stepped in, her beauty not in her youth but in her quiet strength. And between them, the child, a girl, no older than eight, her smile brighter than the sun.
Kade blinked, dazed and trembling. "W-Who… are you?"
The man gave a gentle smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "My name is Taren," he said, voice low and earthy like rolling thunder before a summer rain.
"I own the forge in town. Was headed back to the shop when I found you lying in the dirt, barely breathing. Bloodied. Mangled. Thought you were dead."
Kade's lips trembled.
Dead.
He remembered. Oh god, he remembered it all.
The ash. The broken bones. The creature's roar. The unbearable pain of being torn apart, limb from limb. He flinched, grabbing at his arms, chest, legs, searching for wounds that should be there. But there was nothing. No cuts. No blood. No pain.
"...This isn't real," he breathed, voice cracking. "This has to be a joke… I was supposed to be dead."
Taren stepped forward, brow creased. "You were barely hanging on. Would've died for sure if I didn't get you back here in time."
"No, you don't get it!" Kade snapped, his voice rising. "I was dead! I felt it—death! I welcomed it!"
His breathing grew ragged.
"Everything went dark, and I... I saw it... "
He stared at them, wild-eyed. Then it hit him. That final moment before unconsciousness, a flash of light… a strange window, like something from a game.
[The host has been granted a second chance. You have ten seconds to make a choice or the host's heart will stop.]
He didn't even remember choosing but something inside him must've screamed "Yes."
Then just now, another panel blinked before his eyes.
[Great damage was found in host's body and internal system.]
[Host's body has undergone full repair and reconstruction.]
Kade's breathing quickened. "C-Can you see this?"
Taren and the little girl exchanged puzzled looks.
"You must still be hallucinating from hunger," Taren said with a light chuckle. Then he called out, "Rina, bring some food."
Then the smell of food reached him.
Steam. Salt. Spices. Rina placed a tray on the small table by the bed, and the child carefully brought it closer. Soup, bread, soft fruit, it made Kade's stomach twist painfully with longing.
"You need to eat," Rina said gently.
"I don't—" Kade stopped as the scent hit him harder. His belly betrayed him with a loud growl.
He sat up with effort, and when he took his first bite, it was like warmth itself had seeped into his bones. He devoured the soup, shoving bread into his mouth like a starved animal.
The little girl giggled. "You eat like a cave troll!"
Kade froze… then laughed. Genuinely. Just for a second. "A cave troll, huh?"
Taren chuckled. "You've got quite the appetite for someone who was on death's doorstep."
Kade nodded sheepishly. "I… didn't realize how hungry I was."
"I'll get you more," Rina said with a mother's grace, already stepping out.
Minutes later, another tray arrived. This time, Kade ate slower, enjoying each bite, each chew, each breath.
Then Rina returned with a small cup filled with a silver liquid that shimmered faintly.
"This will help you sleep peacefully and regain your strength."
He took it without hesitation and drank.
It was sweet. Comforting.
Then the child stepped forward again, holding something in both hands, a worn, patchy teddy bear.
"Here," she said shyly. "So you won't be lonely tonight."
Kade blinked. The gesture, the innocence in her voice… it reminded him of his little sister, Arielle.
He took it carefully, hands trembling. "Thank you… What's your name?"
"Leya," she said with a grin. "You should rest, Mr. Troll."
He smiled again, soft this time. Real.
Taren and Rina guided her out. The door shut quietly behind them.
Kade lay back, clutching the teddy bear to his chest, staring up at the wooden ceiling. Emotions swirled in his chest like a storm.
"I'm alive…" he whispered, more to the bear than anyone else.
Hours passed.
The night was still. Too still.
Then a tremor, the floor vibrated. The cup on the bedside table tipped slightly. Kade's eyes snapped open.
"W-What was that?!" He shot up. "Are the monsters back?!"
He looked toward the door. No voices. No footsteps. No cries.
Just a strange hum… rising in the back of his mind like static.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION STARTED]
Kade's eyes widened in horror.
[System Binding in 1... 2... 3... 4... 5...]
[System Bound Successfully!]
[Initiating First Stage: Survival Trial]
[You have 3 minutes to prepare.]
[This training session will test basic strength, instinct, and adaptability.]
[Failure to complete all challenges will result in: System Lockout for 1 month and Penalty Pain Surge.]
Kade barely had time to process the words before the world around him exploded not with fire, but with fragmentation. It was as if reality itself was a sheet of ice, fracturing under pressure, the warmth of the room evaporating into oblivion.
He plummeted through light, through color, through shards of shattered perception. His body twisted, turned, and flipped in a void of echoing silence.
[Welcome, Host]
His feet landed softly but firmly on damp, mossy ground.
The air was thick, humid, and carried the stench of earth, rot, and blood.
[System Realm: Trial One – The Wilds]
The trees towered around him like titans, their leaves curling like claws, blotting out the moon hanging above, a bloody, oversized orb that seemed to stare down like an eye of judgment.
Mist coiled at his feet like hungry snakes.
[Timer: 2 Hours]
[Objective 1: Survive and defeat a minimum of 3 low-level beasts.]
[Bonus: Escape without sustaining any major injuries.]
[Penalty: System Lockout | Pain Surge Simulation | Emotional Dissonance Loop (24 hrs)]
"You've got to be kidding me? This can't be real." But the window was still before him.
"No weapons? No map?" he whispered. His voice was swallowed by the mist.
Then the first sound came.
A snarl. Low. Playful. Like a beast enjoying the hunt.
[Challenge One: Ashfang Fox]
It darted from the undergrowth, a blur of silver and red, its tails lashing with whip-like motion. Its eyes gleamed with wicked intelligence.
Kade had no time to think. Instinct kicked in.
He spun, grabbing a fallen tree branch, jagged and rough. He stumbled back, heart pounding against his ribs like war drums.
"Come on, come on…" he whispered, watching the fox circle him.
The creature lunged.
Kade dove to the side, rolled into the brush, gasping. The fox followed, teeth snapping shut inches from his thigh.
Then an idea struck.
He sprinted toward a tree. He scaled it, scraping his palms raw on the bark, and perched high above as the fox snapped below.
Reaching into his pocket, he found nothing. No stone, no bait but his boot had come loose. He pulled it off, tossed it far to the right.
The fox chased the sound.
He leapt. The branch in hand came down like a spear. He landed on the fox's back. It shrieked.
He didn't hesitate.
The jagged wood drove deep into its neck. Once. Twice. A third time.
The fox twitched and stilled.
Kade fell back, panting, trembling. His heart was trying to climb out of his chest.
[Target Eliminated. 1/3]
Blood slicked his hands. He stared at them.
"This is real. This is actually happening."
No time to rest.
The trees groaned.
[Challenge Two: Venomback Beetle]
It emerged like a tank, its shell glistening like obsidian, legs thudding into the ground. Its head twitched, mandibles chattering.
Kade backed up.
"I can't stab this one…"
The beetle charged.
He dodged but not fast enough. It slammed into his side, sending him flying into a nearby trunk. Pain burst through his ribs.
The beast hissed and reared again.
Kade rolled to the side, coughing blood.
"Think, dammit—THINK!"
Its underbelly flashed when it moved, soft, unprotected.
He stood, legs wobbling. He looked around, spotted a stone with an edge like a dagger.
The beetle charged again. This time, Kade waited.
At the last second, he dove aside, planting his foot against a root. The beetle tripped, flipped exposing its belly.
With a scream, Kade lifted the stone and smashed it down. Again. Again.
Crack. Crack. CRACK.
The beetle screeched before going still.
Blood. Ooze. His arms trembled. His knuckles were shredded.
[Target Eliminated. 2/3]
He collapsed, gasping, crawling to a tree for support.
"Just… one more…"
[Challenge Three: Duskrat Pack]
First came the rustling. Then the shrill chittering.
Then, eyes. Dozens of eyes. Yellow, soulless, gleaming.
Six. No... eight. Small, rodent-like creatures with fur like shadow and teeth like razors.
They didn't wait.
They attacked.
Kade screamed, swinging the bloodied stone, backing up.
One leapt and sank teeth into his arm.
He slammed it against a trunk. Another caught his ankle. He stomped, hard, hearing the crunch of bone.
They were too many.
He ran.
Branches whipped his face. His shoulder throbbed. His vision blurred.
A fallen log.
He ducked behind it. Quiet. Still.
The pack followed but scattered, trying to surround him.
He breathed, slowly.
Pick them off. One by one.
He waited. A lone Duskrat sniffed the air near the log.
Kade lunged. Slammed the stone.
It screeched. The others turned.
He threw its corpse toward them.
Confusion.
He took the chance and ran again. Up a ridge. More logs. A narrow path.
They followed, two fell behind. He turned, using the terrain rolling logs toward them.
Squish.
More blood. More shrieks.
Then one leapt onto his back.
He screamed. It clawed his neck.
Kade grabbed its tail, flung it off, and stomped it until it stopped moving.
"HOW MANY ARE YOU?!"
He was bleeding. Limping. But only one remained.
It charged and Kade caught it mid-air with both hands. It clawed his chest, bit his collarbone.
He headbutted it.
Slammed it into a rock.
Once. Twice.
It hissed and died.
Kade fell to his knees, gasping, heart roaring in his ears.
[Target Eliminated. 3/3]
The mist receded.
He collapsed onto his back, closed his eyes and found himself back in the small room, breathing heavily.
[Trial Complete.]
[Bonus Achieved: Major Injury Threshold Not Met.]
[System Rewards Calculating...]
"I survived…"