The first thing he felt was cold.
Not the kind that bites your skin — but the kind that seeps into your bones, whispers through your nerves, and asks one silent question.
> Why are you still alive?
Aiden Cross opened his eyes.
Darkness. Endless, suffocating darkness surrounded him. The stench of rot and metal filled the air. His fingers brushed something dry and brittle — bones.
A shiver ran down his spine. He tried to move, but his body felt heavy, as if the air itself had weight. His chest rose with shallow breaths, each one scraping like sandpaper.
He wasn't supposed to be here.
He was supposed to be dead.
The memory hit him like a falling stone — the roar of battle, the flash of steel, the laughter of his so-called comrades.
They'd left him behind. Again.
A nobody. A disposable piece in their "glorious" quest.
Aiden clenched his jaw.
"Figures," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "Even in death, I get the short end of the deal."
Then—
> [System Initializing…]
[Fatal Error Detected.]
[Warning: Core Functions Missing.]
[Attempting Auto-Reboot.]
Aiden froze. A glowing text appeared before his eyes, shimmering faintly in the gloom.
His pulse quickened.
"What… what is this?"
He'd read enough novels in his past life to recognize the setup — the System. The magical cheat that guided heroes, granting them power, stats, quests, everything.
But before he could even hope—
> [System Notice: Congratulations! You are now the weakest existence in this world.]
[Error Code: 9999 - Total Failure.]
Aiden blinked. Once. Twice.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
> [System Response: I wish I was.]
His eyes widened. "Wait—what? You can talk?"
> [Clarification: I can do more than talk. I can observe your endless incompetence.]
Aiden groaned. "Oh, perfect. I got reincarnated with a broken AI that has an attitude."
> [Correction: Not broken. Selectively functional. Just like you.]
He sighed and pushed himself up, ignoring the dizziness.
Around him, faint light flickered from moss-covered stones. The space stretched like a cathedral of bones — ribcages forming arches, skulls embedded in the walls, their hollow eyes watching.
It wasn't a grave.
It was a dungeon.
And he was inside it. Alone.
---
Aiden staggered forward, his boots crunching over dust and fragments. Every sound echoed endlessly, swallowed by the hollow air.
"Alright," he whispered, trying to steady his breathing. "Think, Aiden. This is just another nightmare. You'll wake up soon."
> [Dream Probability: 0%. Reality confirmed.]
He frowned. "You're really not helping."
> [Motivational Support Unavailable. Please purchase DLC.]
Aiden stopped walking. "Did… did you just make a joke?"
> [Humor module functioning at 32%. Sarcasm module at 100%.]
He exhaled sharply — half laughter, half despair. "Fantastic. My only companion is a glitch with a sense of humor."
Still, a small part of him — the part that had always refused to give up — stirred.
If this was another world, then maybe… maybe he could start over.
He wouldn't be weak forever. He'd fight, grind, level up, become strong—
> [Stat Window: Unavailable.]
[Skill Tree: Corrupted.]
[Quest Function: Missing.]
[Inventory: 1 item detected.]
"Wait. I have one item?" he asked.
> [Affirmative. Opening Inventory…]
A small, floating window appeared.
Inside it — a rock.
Just… a rock.
Aiden stared at it for a long moment. "You're joking."
> [Item Description: Useless Rock. Value: 0. Symbolic of your existence.]
He nearly screamed. "WHY WOULD YOU EVEN—"
The dungeon trembled.
Dust rained from the ceiling. The walls groaned. A deep, guttural growl echoed through the corridor — low and hungry.
Aiden froze, heart pounding.
The growl came again, louder, closer. Something massive was moving beyond the darkness.
"System," he whispered, "please tell me that's not what I think it is."
> [Analyzing…]
[Result: Undead Minotaur, Level 15. Probability of Survival: 0%. Recommendation: Immediate death for convenience.]
Aiden paled. "You're supposed to help me, not kill me!"
> [Correction: I'm supposed to inform you of your doom. Consider yourself informed.]
A shadow emerged from the dark — a towering creature of bone and sinew, its empty skull crowned by cracked horns. Each step rattled the floor.
Aiden stumbled back, clutching the useless rock in trembling hands.
"Okay… okay, think. There has to be a way."
He scanned the room. No weapons. No exit. Just bones and despair.
> [Advice: Throw rock.]
He glared. "That's your grand plan?"
> [Affirmative. High chance of emotional satisfaction. Low chance of survival.]
"Fine," he hissed. "Let's die creatively, then."
Aiden hurled the rock. It hit the Minotaur's forehead with a faint clack.
The creature paused.
Then, unbelievably—
> [Critical Hit!]
[Skill Unlocked: Reverse Limit — Converts Damage Taken into Experience.]
"What—?"
The monster roared and charged. Aiden had no time to move. The world blurred — claws, bones, pain. He was thrown against the wall, breath crushed from his lungs.
> [HP: 1/10]
[Damage Converted: +9 EXP]
[Level Up!]
A surge of warmth exploded through him. The pain dulled. His limbs tingled. He could feel the energy coursing through his veins.
> [Stat Gained: +1 Strength, +1 Vitality.]
[New Passive: Survival Instinct.]
Aiden coughed blood — and laughed.
"Ha… you've gotta be kidding me. Getting beaten up makes me stronger?"
> [Confirmation: Yes. Suffering suits you.]
The Minotaur roared again.
This time, Aiden didn't run. He clenched his fists and stared it down.
"Alright, big guy. Let's see which one of us breaks first."
The creature lunged. Bones shattered under its weight. Aiden dodged — barely — rolling over skulls and cracked ribs. His every breath burned, his body screaming for mercy, but he moved. Faster. Sharper.
When the Minotaur's claw grazed his side, pain flared — followed by another notification.
> [Damage Taken: +5 EXP.]
[Level Up! Current Level: 3.]
His vision cleared. His body felt lighter, stronger.
It wasn't much — but for the first time, he could fight back.
He grabbed a splintered femur from the floor and swung it with everything he had. The blow connected with the Minotaur's jaw. Bone cracked.
> [Critical Strike! +12 EXP.]
[Level Up! Current Level: 4.]
The creature reeled back, stunned. Aiden didn't stop.
Each strike was wild, desperate, unrefined — but fueled by the thrill of survival. The glow of system messages filled the dark like falling stars.
> [Level 5.] [Level 6.] [Skill Enhanced: Reverse Limit → Reverse Overflow.]
[New Effect: Excess Damage Converts into Temporary Power.]
Aiden's blood sang. His muscles tensed. A faint aura shimmered around him — raw energy born from pain itself.
He let out a defiant scream and swung one last time.
The bone club shattered, but the Minotaur's skull split clean in half.
Silence.
Then—
> [Enemy Defeated. +150 EXP.]
[Level Up! Current Level: 8.]
[Achievement: First Kill — You've Proven You Can Defy Fate.]
Aiden fell to his knees, gasping. Sweat and blood mixed on his skin. His body trembled, but his eyes burned with something new — life.
"…I did it," he whispered. "I actually did it."
> [Correction: We did it. You suffered. I provided commentary.]
He laughed — weakly, but genuinely. "Guess I'll take that partnership."
> [Partnership Pending. Terms and conditions apply.]
Aiden smiled faintly, leaning back against the wall. The dungeon around him had gone eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the System.
For the first time since waking, he didn't feel powerless.
He felt… alive.
But then — another message blinked.
> [System Update Detected.]
[Unauthorized Program Accessing Core.]
[Voice Detected: ???]
A whisper echoed in his mind — soft, melodic, almost human.
> "So you're the one who broke the rules…"
Aiden froze. "Who—who's there?"
No answer. Just the faint sound of laughter — distant, haunting, and somehow… familiar.
> [System Notice: Warning. Unknown Entity Linked to Host Soul.]
[Recommendation: Run.]
The ground beneath him trembled again — and somewhere deep in the shadows, something began to awaken.
Aiden stood, heart pounding, staring into the dark.
He had no idea what awaited him beyond this dungeon, or what that voice meant.
But one thing was certain.
His death had only been the beginning.
---