The sky did not just break.
It screamed.
Arjun was the first to notice the sound.
It wasn't thunder. It wasn't wind. It was something deeper—like glass grinding against glass above the clouds.
He stood frozen in the middle of the road as every car around him stopped.
The world tilted.
A thin white line split the sky from horizon to horizon.
Not lightning.
A crack.
And through it—
Darkness moved.
His phone vibrated violently.
A notification filled the screen:
SYSTEM ACTIVATION COMPLETE
Survival Mode Initiated
Host Identified: Arjun Mehta
Level: 1
Time Remaining: 23:59:59
A timer began counting down.
"What the hell…?" Arjun whispered.
Around him, people screamed.
The crack widened.
Something fell through.
Not a meteor.
A creature.
It slammed onto a parked bus, crushing metal like paper.
Eight limbs.
Skin like burned stone.
Eyes glowing violet.
The monster lifted its head.
And it looked directly at Arjun.
QUEST GENERATED
Survive for 10 minutes
Reward: Basic Skill Unlock
Failure: Death
Arjun didn't think.
He ran.
The creature leapt.
The bus exploded behind him.
People scattered in every direction. Some fell. Some didn't get back up.
Arjun's heart pounded so hard he thought it would tear out of his chest.
He turned into an alley.
Dead end.
Of course.
The monster landed behind him.
Concrete shattered under its weight.
The timer on his phone:
23:47:12
Ten minutes.
He just needed to survive ten minutes.
The creature tilted its head.
Almost curious.
Then it charged.
Arjun grabbed the only thing near him—
A broken metal pipe.
He swung.
The pipe bent on impact.
The monster didn't even flinch.
Its claw came down.
He rolled barely in time.
The wall behind him split open.
Dust filled the air.
He couldn't win.
He just needed time.
Think.
Think.
Think.
His eyes darted around the alley.
Gas cylinders stacked near the restaurant back door.
A lighter in his pocket.
His father's old habit. He had taken it absentmindedly this morning.
The monster lunged again.
Arjun sprinted toward the cylinders.
He kicked one over.
The metal cylinder rolled toward the creature.
He flicked the lighter.
And threw it.
Explosion.
The alley became fire.
The creature screamed—a shrill, inhuman sound.
Its body cracked.
Fragments of stone-like flesh shattered off.
The timer:
23:41:03
He had survived almost nine minutes.
The creature emerged from the flames.
Burned.
Angrier.
Still alive.
Of course it was.
It leapt—
And then froze mid-air.
Time stopped.
Everything stopped.
The flames.
The dust.
Even Arjun's breath.
A voice echoed inside his head.
Survival Condition Met
Skill Unlocked: Shadow Step
Basic Combat System Activated
Time resumed.
Instinct took over.
Arjun moved—
And vanished.
The monster crashed into the wall where he had stood.
Arjun reappeared behind it.
"What…?"
His body felt lighter.
Stronger.
Faster.
A new notification appeared:
Weak Point Identified: Neck Core
He didn't hesitate.
He grabbed a shard of broken metal from the explosion.
Shadow Step.
He blinked forward.
And drove it into the glowing crack at the creature's neck.
The monster let out one final scream.
Then it dissolved into black ash.
Silence.
The timer stopped.
23:38:59
He had done it.
The crack in the sky widened further.
More shapes moved behind it.
More creatures waiting.
Phones all over the city began vibrating at once.
Global Announcement
The First Gate Has Opened
Humanity Has Entered the Trial Era
Arjun stared at the sky.
This wasn't just his city.
It was the whole world.
And he had just become something new.
Level 2.
Far above the clouds—
Something watched him.
And smiled.