Kade barely had time to catch his breath before the room around him flickered again.
The white void dissolved into a dark corridor—narrow, cold, and damp. Stone walls stretched on endlessly, lit by dim torches. Chains hung from the ceiling. Somewhere in the distance, a scream echoed.
*System Notice:*
*Welcome to Zone 1: The Initiation Dungeon*
*Objective: Survive.*
*Time Limit: 12 Hours*
*Bonus Reward: First Kill + Player Mark (Unlocks New Features)*
"Of course," Kade muttered. "It's a dungeon. There had to be a damn dungeon."
He turned slowly, noting a rusted iron door behind him. The air smelled like mildew and iron—blood, maybe. The sound of slow, dragging footsteps reached his ears.
And then came the voice.
"Another fresh one?" It was low, gurgling—barely human.
Kade spun around.
A figure emerged from the dark—tall, muscular, but twisted. One eye was missing, replaced by a glowing red socket. Its skin looked like it had been stitched back together.
*Enemy Generated: Failed Player Remnant – Level 3*
*Warning: Combat Imminent.*
Kade backed up. "I don't have a weapon!"
*System:*
*Weapon Unlocked: Improvised Shard (Rusty Pipe Fragment)*
*Durability: Low*
*Damage: 3-5 (Chance of Infection)*
A jagged piece of metal materialized in his palm. It was cold, slick with grime, and barely stable.
"This is what I get?" Kade hissed.
The Remnant lunged.
Kade ducked instinctively, adrenaline surging. He swung the shard blindly. It scraped across the creature's arm, drawing black blood.
*Hit Registered – Damage: 4*
The Remnant growled and slammed its fist into the wall where Kade had just been. Stone cracked. Dust rained down.
"This thing's not just ugly—it's strong."
Kade rolled to the side and swung again, this time at its leg. It stumbled.
*Critical Hit – Damage: 8 – Leg Crippled*
Kade seized the moment and drove the shard into its throat.
*Finisher Triggered*
*Enemy Defeated – XP +15*
*+1 Strength | +1 Agility*
*First Kill Bonus Unlocked: Player Mark (Bronze)*
The Remnant collapsed with a groan. Its body turned to static before vanishing entirely.
Kade stumbled back, panting, the shard clattering to the ground.
"Holy shit…"
A pulse ran up his arm. A faint symbol glowed over his heart—a curved "S" shaped like a blade.
*Player Mark Active. Progression Unlocked.*
Kade looked at his hands. They were trembling, but not from fear. Excitement buzzed beneath his skin.
"I just killed something," he whispered. "And I didn't die."
From down the corridor, more movement echoed.
He grabbed the shard again and stood up straighter.
"Guess I better get used to this."
____
The corridor stretched ahead, dark and twisting, but Kade's heart beat steady now. The first kill had awakened something inside him—a rush he wasn't prepared for, but welcomed all the same.
"System, what else can you tell me?" he asked aloud.
*System Message:*
*Zone 1 Objective: Survive and Clear the Dungeon.*
*Enemies increase in difficulty as you progress.*
*Health: 100/100*
*Stamina: 80/80*
*Mana: 20/20*
*Skills Unlocked: Basic Combat, Survival Instinct.*
*Available Skill Points: 2*
Kade glanced down at the glowing icon over his heart—the Player Mark. Bronze, but a start.
He took a tentative step forward, gripping the shard tightly. The footsteps grew louder, accompanied by guttural snarls.
Then, from a side passage, two figures stumbled out.
One was a massive brute, hunched with thick muscles and jagged teeth. The other was smaller, quicker, with eyes that glowed faintly in the dark.
*Enemies Detected: Zone 1 – Failed Player Remnants*
*Level 4 & 3*
Kade's breath caught. He wasn't sure if he could take both at once. But he had no choice.
The smaller one darted forward first, claws extended.
Kade rolled, swinging the shard, but missed.
The quick remnant pounced, slashing his arm. Pain flared sharp and sudden.
*Damage Taken: 6*
*Health: 94/100*
Kade gritted his teeth. "Not happening."
He jabbed the shard into the smaller remnant's side, hearing a sickening crunch.
The brute roared and charged.
Kade sidestepped, but the brute caught his shoulder with a heavy punch.
*Damage Taken: 10*
*Health: 84/100*
The pain was fierce, but Kade fought back harder, using the shard to slash at the brute's leg. It faltered.
*Critical Hit: Damage 9*
*Enemy slowed.*
The smaller one howled and dragged itself away, bleeding. The brute shook its head and charged again.
Kade readied himself.
He dove low and swept the shard across the brute's ankles. The creature crashed to the ground, growling in frustration.
Seizing the moment, Kade plunged the shard into its neck.
*Finisher Activated*
*Enemy Defeated: XP +25*
*+2 Strength | +1 Endurance*
His vision blurred from the effort, but a warm glow radiated from his Player Mark. His health and stamina ticked back up slowly.
"Okay," he whispered, "this is real."
Ahead, the corridor split into two paths. One led into darkness; the other smelled faintly of damp earth and fresh air.
Kade chose the path with fresh air, hoping for a break. But he knew deep down, this was only the beginning.
The system had plans for him—and he wasn't about to let it break him.