The child Eternal appeared once more in his dream.
"Stay alive. Fight until your last breath. You must protect them. Fulfill your purpose."
Suddenly, Joe jolted awake. The child Eternal's words still echoed in his mind.
"Yes… I will succeed in my mission. I'll protect everyone. I don't want to see another life lost to these monsters," he whispered to himself.
Then, his grandfather crossed his mind.
He jumped to his feet—quick steps, uncaring of the glass shards and ash he stepped on. He searched for his grandfather—in every corner, behind every crumbled wall.
Nothing.
All that remained were blood, corpses, and memories that now haunted the ruins.
Joe stopped. His hands trembled. He wanted to scream. To wake up. To turn everything back.
But he couldn't do anything… except sit in silence.
Then—
A screen floated before him, accompanied by a cold, mechanical voice:
TING!
> [SYSTEM BOOT COMPLETE.]
Welcome back, Bearer of Aura Flame.
Initializing neural interface…
>[Emotion Sync: 12% – CRITICAL]
>[Emotional stability compromised.]
>[Stabilization required.]
>[Weapon Affinity Detected: Dual Karambit – 100%]
>[Stat Integration: COMPLETE.]
>[Combat readiness: PARTIAL.]
>[Warning: Emotional Sync UNSTABLE.]
>[Proceed with caution.]
Joe's eyes widened.
"What… what is this? What kind of dream is this?"
He tried to touch the screen, but his hand went right through. Like a ghost—yet clearer than reality. He stepped back in shock, almost stumbling. His hands trembled—not just from the cold, but from fear and confusion.
"Wow this… this can't be real…"
The screen vanished. But as he looked down at his body, he noticed something had changed. His breathing was faster, his vision sharper, his hearing more focused.
He didn't know if he was still dreaming, or already dead in another world.
But one thing was certain—he was alive.
In his awe, he tried summoning his weapon again.
"O-Obsidian Blade…? Come out…"
Nothing.
"Karambit of Light… System Weapon…"
Nothing.
"Night Owl Sword of light...?"
Still nothing.
He scratched his head, trying to remember what he did earlier—
But before he could think, a wall behind him collapsed—and it almost hit him.
"GRAAAHHHH!!!"
He stepped back, shocked and afraid as fear struck him again. His body trembled. But in the middle of the terror, one question crossed his mind—
"Will I just let myself die again?"
Suddenly, a burning pain surged through his chest—the mark of the Aura Flame glowed.
"INSTINCT SURGE—KARAMBIT!"
BOOOM!
From the light, a pair of karambits materialized in his hands.
"Whoa… this is awesome," he muttered in awe, the System screen disappearing as he sheathed the weapons at his sides.
TING!
> [Mission 001: SURVIVE.]
"Survive? Seriously? For what? Where and when? I don't even see any danger."
He jumped slightly when another screen popped up.
"You pop up on your own too? Got damn!" he said, a mix of shock and sarcasm in his voice.
Then—
TING!
> [Enemy Detected: Lesser Demon – Rank D]
>[Reward: First Kill Bonus / Skill Unlock / Inkstone]
Another screen appeared. But this time, it was different. The message said an enemy had been detected.
This was it—his first test.
Suddenly, a noise from the side.
CRRKK.
Joe turned his head.
From the shadow of a burnt, collapsed shop, a small, twisted creature crawled out with terrifying speed. Its eyes glowed red, claws long and sharp, with a wicked grin stretching across its demonic face.
" HAHAHA... Now i see..." He laughed when he saw the monster.
Joe didn't hesitate. He drew his dual karambits.
It was the same kind of monster that killed his grandfather.
His heartbeat raced—anxiety building up for this second confrontation.
The monster slowly stepped into the open, and circling him slowly. Its eyes locked onto Joe's, dripping saliva, sharp fangs bared.
Silence.
Then suddenly—it lunged.
Joe dodged quickly.
Stabs. Dodges. Wounds. Breaths.
They moved like two wild animals starved for survival.
Blood spurted as Joe sliced the demon's side—but its claw raked across Joe's arm in return. Deep. So deep, he screamed from the pain.
But he didn't back down.
Joe's eyes sharpened. He stepped closer. Gave it everything he had.
He charged.
Swish!
A kick to the demon's chest.
Pak!
A slash to its side.
Shhhk!
Blood sprayed.
A swift strike to the neck—and it was over.
The demon fell. The world froze.
But Joe wasn't done. He climbed onto its chest and screamed—
"AHHHHH… I'm not finished yet!"
Without mercy, he stabbed it over and over and over again, his grandfather's fate flashing through his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes
"AHHH!!!"
He cried out, shaking and gasping for air. Then he stood, scanning the area to see if there were any more monsters.
The System screen returned.
TING!
> [System Notification]
Enemy Eliminated.
Reward Dispensed.
> [Unlocked Skill]:
-Instinct Surge
Type: Active Skill
Trigger Condition: Emotion Sync ≥ 30%
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Effect: Temporarily heightens Joe's reflexes, perception, and agility by 150%. Automatically increasing the damage of his dual karambit by 20%.
Note: If Emotion Sync drops below 30%, the skill becomes unstable or unavailable.
>[Currency Acquired]: Inkstone +100
>[EXP Progress]: Level 1 - 20%
Panting.
Silence.
Blood on his face.
After that fight, he didn't scream. He didn't smile. Only seriousness remained on his face.
He just stood there—breathing hard in the stillness of his new reality.
"I don't know what I've become… but I know what I have to do."
He knew this was just the beginning. And even if he wanted to run—
There was no turning back.
He… chose to fight.
Joe looked at his bloodied karambits. His hands were shaking—not from fear, but from the weight of the truth:
This was his new world now.
The blood on his face didn't just come from the demon. It carried his rage. His grief. His loss.
"So this is…" he whispered, staring at the demon's corpse, "This is what it's like—to kill just to survive…"
Seed slowly grew inside him—not because of the wound, but because of the weight.
Beneath the ash, blood, and fear… a seed slowly grew inside him.
Not mercy.
Not hatred.
But purpose.
TING!
In the silence, the System returned:
>[Emotion Sync: Stabilizing… 42%]
>[Mission 002: Locate Shelter.]
>[Countdown: 5 hours]
Joe stood.
He stared into the distance, as if trying to see beyond the smoke and ruins.
Wiped the blood from his cheek.
Drew his karambits again—ready for what's next.