Beom Seok was jolted awake by a sharp, splitting pain in his skull. It felt as if his head were being torn open from the inside, a thousand knives pressing against his brain. He clutched it with both hands and rolled off the bed, hitting the floor hard. A scream tore from his throat before he could stop it.
Then came the voice. Cold, mechanical, and merciless.
"Host did not complete daily tasks. Initiating level eight punishment. Fight till death."
His blood turned to ice. The words echoed in his mind, too cruel to be mistaken as a dream. His jaw dropped as he tried to process what he had just heard, but before he could form a thought, a black vortex ripped open beneath him. His body was yanked downward, weightless and helpless, until he slammed against damp soil.
He groaned, lifting his head. A humid breeze brushed his face. Palms and giant ferns towered above him, their leaves dripping with condensation. A lake shimmered nearby, reflecting pale moonlight that slipped between the canopy.
Beom Seok's breath trembled as he muttered, "I should've just done those damn tasks. What the hell does 'fight till death' mean?"
A metallic ding cut through the night.
His stomach dropped. "One hundred? With my stats? Are you insane?" His voice cracked. Rage flared, and he lashed out, kicking a rock as hard as he could.
The rock clanged against something solid. Slowly, ominously, a shadow rose from behind a cluster of trees. A hulking goblin stepped into view, its warty green skin glistening with sweat and its yellow eyes gleaming in the dark. The stench of rotting meat clung to it, and in its hand it hefted a massive iron axe.
Beom Seok froze.
The goblin snarled, guttural words spilling from its throat, and then, with terrifying speed, it hurled its axe.
Beom Seok dove aside, the weapon cleaving into the ground where his chest had been. He scrambled to his feet, panic surging. That thing will kill me. Run. Run now.
He bolted into the undergrowth, branches whipping his face, lungs burning as his stamina drained. Behind him, the goblin's pounding footsteps shook the earth.
Think, Seok, think. His hand brushed against his pocket. The dagger. The one thing he had taken from the weapon room. Gritting his teeth, he slid behind a thick tree trunk and gripped the hilt with trembling fingers.
The goblin's shadow loomed closer. Its guttural growls grew louder.
Beom Seok waited until it stepped past his hiding spot—then he lunged. With all the strength he could muster, he drove the dagger straight into the monster's left eye.
The goblin screamed, thrashing violently. Beom Seok felt the blade grind against bone as he clung to it, refusing to let go. The goblin staggered backward, clawing at his face, but its balance faltered. With a desperate roar, Beom Seok ripped the dagger free and stabbed again. And again. And again.
Hot, reeking blood splattered his face and arms, painting him in sticky green. His muscles shook as the goblin collapsed beneath him, its chest heaving one last time before falling still.
Silence followed.
Beom Seok collapsed beside the body, his breaths ragged. The dagger slipped from his bloodstained hand. His stomach churned and bile rose to his throat. He wanted to vomit. He wanted to cry. But the glowing window appeared again, indifferent to his trembling body.
Beom Seok stared at the cold words. His hands shook violently, but a grim clarity settled over him. "The rules are simple," he muttered through clenched teeth. "Kill or be killed. And I don't plan on dying."
A snap of twigs nearby made his head whip around. More shadows moved between the trees. He didn't have time to rest.
With shaking fingers, he tore at the goblin's armor and pulled it over his own body, its stench clinging to his skin. He staggered away, forcing himself into the cover of a cave not far from the lake.
The darkness swallowed him whole. Water dripped from the jagged ceiling, echoing into the depths. The further he crept, the colder it grew. Somewhere in the distance, a low growl reverberated.
Beom Seok pressed his back against the wall, dagger clenched tight, and whispered, "I should have done the damn tasks."