Matthew, he was a young guy currently wearing a dirtied and damaged white shirt along with dark green jogger pants that looked like they belonged to a forgotten corpse someone dug up and tossed into a pit. His skin looked pale, almost sickly, but that was just how he always looked. The slight frown on his face never really left, like the world owed him something, and he had long given up on collecting.
He was crouching behind a thick bush, both hands were clasped tightly together, his fingers trembling, his jaw clenched hard enough that his molars ached. He was preparing to cast [Cut].
His body trembled—not out of fear, at least not the kind that screamed and cried for help—but the kind that sat cold and still in your gut, the kind that whispered you were about to cross a line you couldn't walk back from.
His eyes, dulled yet focused, were locked on the small clearing ahead of him. There was a fire in the middle, flickering low but steady, like the scene itself was too polite to interrupt what was about to happen.
Two figures sat by that fire. One, a tall guy wearing black track suit, its fabric glinting slightly under the moonlight with thunderbolt designs etched in arrogant gold. That was Hans. And beside him, Evelyn, the girl that used to be someone else's everything. The same Evelyn who shattered the last Matthew's heart. Now she was sitting there like royalty, acting as if the world revolved around her.
But to this Matthew? She was nobody. Just a name and a story he never lived.
He stared at them, heart pounding quietly in his ears, as thoughts crashed against each other inside his head. He was here for a reason. The system had given him a task—take down Hans, or lose everything. Lose the skill, lose the edge, maybe even lose the second chance he never asked for but couldn't afford to waste.
And yet... he couldn't move.
His fingers stayed locked. Muscles tensed. Mind fogged.
Because despite everything, he wasn't a killer. Not really. He didn't know how to be. Not like this. Not in cold blood. Killing monsters? Easy. They were designed to die. But this? Killing someone who was just sitting around a fire laughing with a girl? It wasn't survival. It wasn't justice. It was murder. Premeditated. Personal. And despite the memories whispering to him about heartbreak, about suicide, about betrayal... he didn't feel any of that.
It wasn't his pain.
It wasn't his love.
He was just here to finish a task that was given to him.
His grip tightened, knuckles whitening.
"Just do it," he whispered to himself, barely audible, his voice dry and low. "You kill monsters. You killed that wind guy. You can kill him too. Just..."
But this was different. This wasn't survival against a beast. This wasn't an ambush against a stranger. This was two people, laughing, chatting, alive. Human. They had faces. Names. A history, even if it wasn't his.
His stomach churned, bile clawing its way up his throat. His hands wouldn't stop shaking.
'I'm not a murderer...'
He wasn't a killer.
Not yet.
His heart was thumping against his ribs like it wanted out of this situation entirely. Maybe pack its bags and move to another host. One with less baggage. One not currently contemplating murder while crouched in the dirt like some deranged bush goblin.
'They don't even know you, he tried to rationalize. They're not real. Not to you. Just NPCs. Just obstacles.'
But even so, as he stared at the campfire illuminating the faces of people he was technically supposed to know... it didn't make it easier.
"Just go," he repeated. "Just—"
And then it hit him.
Literally.
Something slammed into his back. Heavy, fast, and unexpected. The impact sent him rolling out of the bush and crashing to the dirt like a thrown rag. Dust kicked up. Leaves rustled. And pain flared up through his spine. He groaned, confused for a split second, before the growl reached his ears.
A monster. One of the dungeon beasts. It had caught his scent, or maybe just his pathetic attempt at hiding, and went in for the kill. Its legs, twisted and muscular, twitched as it prepared for another strike—only to be obliterated by a blinding arc of light.
"Thunderbolt!"
The voice rang with arrogance, as if the speaker expected applause. A bolt of lightning tore through the clearing and exploded against the monster's body. The creature didn't even get the chance to scream. It was reduced to a charred mess, limbs twitching uselessly as smoke curled off its remains.
Hans stepped forward, hand still raised, his face twisting into something between amusement and disgust.
"Of course it's you," he said with a laugh. "I should've known. What was your name again? Oh, right. Matthew. The little rat with the trash skill. [Zoom], wasn't it? You still peeping on people from the bushes?" his voice was oozing with arrogance and mockery.
"You must've begged someone to carry your weak ass through this far." sneering at Matthew he spoke.
Evelyn didn't even try to hide her expression. Her lips curled. Her eyes narrowed. She looked at him like he was something she'd scraped off her shoe.
"You shouldn't be here," she said, crossing her arms. "Seriously, why are you even in this exam? Did you follow me? Because if you think I'm going to talk to you again—"
She scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Pathetic. I told you, didn't I? We're done. You need to move on. This is just sad now."
Matthew stared at them, blank-faced. Not because he was trying to intimidate them, but because he genuinely didn't understand what they were talking about.
'Did the old Matthew really fall for this chick?... ew... '
He blinked, face twitching slightly.
what was her name again? was it Angeline or something?
Still, he said nothing. Because he didn't know what to say. He didn't have their memories. Their drama. Their history. And frankly, he didn't want any of it.
But his silence only made it worse.
To Hans, it was insult.
To Evelyn, it was a confession.
Hans lifted his hand again, lightning beginning to gather.
"Still playing mute, huh? Let me jog your memory then."
And just like that, the world exploded into chaos.
Lightning crashed into the ground where Matthew had stood a moment ago. He rolled, body acting on instinct, barely avoiding the searing heat and the shock wave of force that followed. Another bolt came, and another. Each one landing just a few steps behind him, cracking the ground, snapping branches, and leaving blackened scars across the earth.
Hans was grinning now. Enjoying himself. Thunder crackled around him with each motion, each cast of his skill. The nickname "Storm Bringer" wasn't just for show.
He rained down bolt after bolt. Each one struck with a thunderous explosion, sending waves of pressure through the air. Trees cracked. Dirt flew. And Matthew?
He just kept running and dodging. Slid behind trees, only for them to explode seconds later. His lungs burned. His arms shook. His body protested with every move.
But he didn't attack.
Not yet.
I have to kill him. I have to kill him or I'll lose everything.
No. I have to kill him or he'll kill me.
But he's human. So what? So are you. And they would kill you without a second thought.
Getting a hold og the Rhythm in which Hans cast his skill Matthew jumped into the ground — but nothing crash behind him.
'Shit!' screaming in his mind he quickly rolled over.
And as he have expected.. Hans delayed his cast as a lightning strike crashed down beside him and he was sent flying — this time from the shockwave.
He landed hard on his side, pain flaring up through his ribs.The impact knocked the breath out of him. His side screamed in protest. Good thing he avoided the lightning itself.
Dazed, aching, he lay on the ground, dust in his mouth, pain crawling up his ribs.
But through it all, his hands were still clasped.
And then he spoke.
A single word.
"Cut."
It wasn't shouted. It wasn't dramatic. But it was sharp. Final.
The wind didn't howl.
It sliced.
Everything in front of Matthew—Hans, Evelyn, the trees, the smoke, the air itself—was cleaved in a single, perfectly horizontal line. No warning. No buildup. No time to scream.
Silence followed.
And then the two bodies collapsed, their top halves slipping away from the bottom like a scene edited with a butcher's eye.
He didn't move.
Didn't celebrate.
He just sat there, still breathing heavily, staring at the corpses of two people he didn't know, but who had called him by name.
And for the first time since he arrived in this world, Matthew felt something heavier than confusion.
He felt sick.
Because this wasn't a monster. This wasn't a beast. This was murder. He had done it in full control of his mind. He made the call. No panic. No heat of battle. Just choice.
"I —... I killed them"
.
.
.
.
Back at the Coliseum...
The cheers came in waves.
The physical audience, sitting in their gold-trimmed seats and sipping overpriced drinks, was divided. Some were in awe.
Others were just confused. Because they didn't know much about this so-called "Wraith." The feeds that the host had been showing them follow the prodigies. The heirs. The favorites. The children of the Legacies.. not some nobody.
Hans had been one of them.
Not anymore.
But the online audience? They had the freedom to choose which drone unit they watch and oh, they knew Wraith. They'd been watching since day one, following the drone feeds with obsessive dedication.
They saw the setup. The planned baits. The restraint. They saw the moment he clenched his hands, the moment he refused to strike first. And they watched, eyes wide, as he waited until the perfect moment to end it all with a single word.
And now they were losing their minds. As the chats filled with all kinds of messages.
"To think he let Hans monologue just to kill him in one word 😱😱"
"BRO. HE WAS HOLDING IT IN THE WHOLE TIME?!?"
"Yo, rewind that. He was HOLDING HIS HANDS TOGETHER THE ENTIRE FIGHT."
"HE SET THAT UP FROM THE BUSH. MY GUY WAS PREPPING THE ATTACK SINCE THE BENINGING! "
"HOLY SHIT, WAS THAT A PLANNED STRIKE? HE WAITED UNTIL THEY LINED UP???"
"WRAITH = GOAT."
"Bros cooked Hans and Evelyn in a single slice. Bro is HIM 🗿🗿"
The audience had a mixed reaction.. some were shock, some cheered, some cursed. Everything was all for enjoyment.. entertainment. Not caring about the deaths.. because all of them know about the open secret in this event... but that is for another story.
.
.
.
Third Day of the exam
Current Score: 1, 369
Matthew had been staring in the flow of the river stream for quite a while now, he doesn't really know what's his score by.. but he's pretty sure it's enough to pass.. he would still occasionally gagged everytime he remembers what he did.
After that event, he went to hunt some more monster until he was close to collapsing just to take his mind off of his first official kill.
And he was slowly adjusting.. He's pretty sure the next kill he'll do will be easier for him... if that ever happened again at least...
'One thing for sure.... I'll never be a cold blooded killer' swearing on his mind, his hand shivered.. he was scared he'll starts to enjoy killing.
'Never....' Sighing he pushed the thought back in his mind and summoned the system interface.
|Stats | Skill creation | Quest |
|__v__|______________|_______|
[Name: Matthew Magnus]
[Current Level: 1]
[Blessing: Skill Maker T1]
[Class: Scout (E)]
[Skill/s: Zoom(F), Cut(D)]
[Creation Point: 0]
[Experience Points: 1,457/50]
_________________
His eyes skimmed through it.. he had long seen the experience counter. And thought that he either had to do something or maybe be near something to level up?
Like some of those games where you have to reach a certain stone pillar before you convert all the exp into a level... but he wasn't sure.. Hopefully he figure it out after all of this is finished.
He checked the quest tab
|Stats | Skill creation | Quest(2)|
|______|_______________|___V____|
> [One time easy Cpoints Event]
-Completion: Defeat Hans
Reward: Keep the skill: Cut(D)
Failure: Lose the skill: Cut(D)
>>[Claim]
> [To the Academy!]
-Completion: Pass the entrance Exam
Reward: 2 Cpoints
Failure: 2 Cpoints deduction
___________________________________
'It's complete.. now Cut is officially my own' With that thought Matthew imagined clicking the claim button.
[CONGRATULATIONS FOR COMPLETING THE QUEST!]
[The skill [Cut(D)] is now yours truly!]
A small smile reached his lips as he reads the notification that confirms his thought. Then when he was about to check the quest tab again a loud and resounding boom made him flinched.
Looking up to where it came from he suddenly saw a Hologram once more.. He squints his eye, the morning sun is making it hard to see.
"All those who are still alive.. You have done well.. and those who got eliminated.. You also did your best.. hopefully you learned not to bring your guards down as to not let it happen again."
The familiar voice of the principle echoed throughout the forest... but... what is he saying?....
"We will now count the scores that all you had accumulated and we will now display the leader boards"
"those who failed to meet the requirements will be rejected and those who reached it will be the next batch of students"
"Those who managed to reached the Top 10 will receive a chance to choose a skill book depending on their placement."
"10 to 6 will receive a E+ grade skill book, 5 to 4 will receive a D grade skill book, and 3 to 2 will receive D+ grade skill books, and the top 1 will receive a -C grade skill book"
"Again... congratulations... Students.. Welcome to the Academy"
The holographic video fades out.
Matthew was still wondering what the principal was saying earlier... because his wording was just strange.. as if he's speaking to —
His attention shifted in the bright holographic list in the sky.. It was so illuminating that it over shadowed the sun. Despite his attention being caught, he wasn't expecting much.
His eyes slowly began reading the list.
________________________
1st - Eira Lysanthir Frostveil [3,189 pts]
2nd - Artemeer Lycantril IV [3,010 pts]
3rd - Marcus Aurelion Starfox [2,501 pts]
4th - Lumi Everest [2,120 pts]
5th - Melvus Bog [2,111 pts]
6th - Maurice Bronhein Marx [1,892 pts]
7th - Atair Hakonem Virsad [1, 803 pts]
8th - Horus von Baraggante [1,796 pts]
9th - Matthew Magnus [1, 369 pts]
10th - Melkham Vadapt [1, 350 pts]
-------
&
102 Passing Enrollees
________________________
'Top 9?? For real?' His eyes wide as he stare at the gigantic list floating in the air. He looked around not believing what he was seeing.. he thought he would just be one of the passing student's.
He was about to raise his hand when suddenly.
[Ding!]
[CONGRATULATIONS FOR COMPLETING THE QUEST!]
[Head to the quest tab to claim your rewards!]
He wasn't even done celebrating when another thing worth celebrating appeared in his face. He was overjoyed that he almost forget about all the shit he went through... almost..
Summoning the Quest Tab he suddenly realized something... shocking...
"Where am I?" he unconsciously spoke as he realized he was now laying on a soft mattress of a bed.
Looking down he saw a few tube attached on his wrist. Now he was even more confused...
'What the fuck is this?'
"Hello there, congratulations.. you have passed the Dungeon Simulation Exam! You are now officially a student of the Academy. Please take this"
a woman... familiar... handed him a small device that resembles a wrist watch.
But that wasn't the surprising part.... 'Did she just said Simulation?'
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.