« Honestly, what a shitty AI. It dumps all the info on me like a teacher reading her slides in a monotone voice. Can't even do it slowly, RPG-style. You know, like progressive discovery, mystery vibe, little revelations like "ding! new info unlocked!" »
But no.
« It dumps everything like a waiter throwing your plate on the table, like "here, eat." No ceremony. No filter. No transition. »
I rub my temples, looking tired.
« If you were a real game, you'd have a narrative mode, a dialogue tree, and an annoying but endearing mascot. But no. You're just… a cold block of text slapping me with the truth like it's some kind of punishment. »
I glance at the rest of the corpse.
« Well. Food's food. And apparently, I've got a warrior's liver now. »
I keep eating, dignity optional.
Anyway, I need to find a place to rest.
I mumble as I move through the damn tunnel, one hand against the rough, sticky wall.
« Seriously... this isn't a labyrinth, it's a cosmic joke about electricity. Not even a damn glowing mushroom, nothing! »
I squint into the total darkness. Nothing. Not a shadow, not a reflection. Feels like I'm walking in ink.
« Great. I'm gonna die by running into a wall. »
I keep stumbling forward like a blind grandma in an apocalypse, until I feel something slimy under my foot. I freeze.
« Did I step on a corpse? An egg? A turd? ...I don't want to know. »
Then, out of nowhere in my head:
[The skill has reached the required level. Skill acquired [Night Vision LV 1]]
I blink. Well… I think I did.
And suddenly, bam: everything becomes clearer. Disgusting, sure, but clear. The walls, the contours, the shapes, the dark stains that might not be blood. I see my hands. I see my feet. I see the horror.
« Oh. »
I slowly turn around.
« Oh, FUCK. I can see. It's... terrifying, but I can see! »
A nervous laugh escapes me.
« Okay, great. I've officially unlocked radioactive owl vision. Thanks, System. Finally, something useful. »
I raise a finger as if to lecture some imaginary teacher.
« But seriously, couldn't you have given me this from the start? No? Too easy? I had to bump into five walls first, huh? »
No response. Just the stale silence of the labyrinth.
I sigh.
« Yeah. Of course. I had to earn my eyes. What a joke. »
I stand there, my eyes wide open. Maybe it's the first time I've seen clearly since I got here.
And like an obvious realization, I look down. At myself.
I've never really taken the time to look. Not really. The total darkness, the fear, the hunger, the survival… Priorities, right?
But now. Now that I can see.
I spot a stagnant puddle, a bit viscous, but still calm enough to reflect an image. I lean over.
And freeze.
My skin... isn't human. Not completely. It has this dark tint, almost coal-black, with faint red reflections under the eerie light of the labyrinth. Rough, scaly in places. Like someone fused a Japanese teenager with a fire demon and a mutant lizard.
My left eye is human. Brown. Tired. My right eye? Red. Bright. Split like a predator's who hasn't yet decided if you're an enemy or a meal.
I raise a hand. My fingers are thin, but covered with a thicker layer of skin. And at the tips, claws. Not long. But definitely not human.
And then, I see the horn. Just one. Sticking out of my skull, slightly curved backward. It wasn't there before, was it?
I crouch. Silent. Watching this... thing. This mix. Me.
« Am I... this ? »
A nervous laugh escapes me.
« Seriously... I look like the offspring of a demon and a cursed cosplayer. »
But deep down, I feel nothing. No horror. No rejection. Just... a realization.
This is me. And I've survived so far with this body.
So, why not go further?
A deep sound. Then a rumble. The ground vibrates beneath my feet.
« Huh? »
I stand up suddenly. And then, out of nowhere, a fucking laser shoots out of the ground a few meters in front of me. It explodes the rock, sending fiery shards in all directions.
I quickly step back, arms crossed.
« WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! »
I approach slowly, leaning toward the crack this thing just made. A gaping hole. And deep inside, illuminated by a supernatural light that I don't even understand where it's coming from...
Two creatures are fighting. Gigantic. Massive. Covered in scales like medieval battle tanks. Tails that could slash a house. Fangs, claws, and this aura... this presence.
Dragons.
Not like "stylized lizards." No. Fucking dragons.
I stand there, mouth agape, crouched at the edge of the chasm.
« Dragons. These are dragons. I'm in some hardcore RPG and there are dragons. »
And they're fighting. With grace, with power, with a precision that isn't instinctive. They're not animals. They're not beasts. They... think. Analyze?
I'm almost sure. They're not just big monsters. They're optimized entities.
Significant potentials, as the other robotic voice would say.
And shit. I'm in their territory.
I step back a little, swallowing my saliva.
« Those things... they're not just monsters. They're the monsters. The top of the food chain. Like boss monsters with the cheat code of the System. »
I watch their swift, precise movements, almost too intelligent for beasts. There's strategy in their gestures. Logic. Controlled rage.
« And I'm here... like tut-tut, the bottom-scum of the labyrinth. »
I sigh. And right at that moment...
One of the dragons stops.
Just for a second.
And turns its head toward me.
Its eye. Huge. Incandescent red. Stares.
I freeze.
« Oh no. No no no. »
I try to back up. Slowly. Quietly. Maybe it didn't really see me? Maybe it just glanced by accident?
Spoiler: I don't believe that for a second.
...And yet.
The dragon stares at me.
For a long time.
Too long.
I feel every heartbeat pounding in my temples. I'm an ant facing a hurricane. A speck of dust in its line of sight.
Then, without a sound, it turns its head away.
It ignores me.
Just like that.
Returns to its fight like I'm some mold on a wall.
And the next moment, hell breaks loose again.
The air explodes under the force of their attacks. One dragon sinks its claws into the ground — a shockwave shatters the stone around it. The other responds with a roar so intense my eardrums are ringing. Then, a jet of black flames bursts from its mouth, warping the very air.
They move like living weapons. No hesitation. No pause. Every strike calculated, every dodge perfect. It's not a fight, it's a deadly dance choreographed by brains doped up on the System.
I stand there, trembling, half fascinated, half about to shit myself.
« And I'm supposed to survive... in the same labyrinth as these things? Seriously? »
Another shock shakes the tunnel. Stones fall from the ceiling, the laser light intensifies.
« ...Okay. I'm maybe gonna move before I turn into a pancake. »
I run.
Well, I trip, slip, and squeeze between rocks while the two dragons go wild like it's the final boss tournament. The ground shakes with every impact. Stone shards, waves of heat, animalistic screams reverberate in my bones.
A flash of light brushes my head, blowing up part of the wall just behind me.
I scream.
« WHAT THE FUCK ISN'T THIS MY FIGHT?! »
I press myself against the rock, my heart pounding like a machine gun. I'm hot. I'm cold. And my legs are about to give out.
But the other dragon strikes again, and the impact's force sends me crashing against the wall. I feel like my ribs are cracking.
And then...
[The skill has reached the required level. Skill acquired [Danger Perception LV 1]]
A chill runs down my spine. My breath catches. Like my brain just plugged into an invisible alarm.
And suddenly, I feel the attack coming. Before it even happens.
I throw myself to the side without thinking.
A beam pierces the exact spot where I was just a second ago.
I stay on the ground, gasping, my eyes wide.
« What was that? »
But deep down, I know.
The System just gave me a chance not to die like shit.
« Thanks... for once. »
I lift my head, breathing hard, panic gripping my guts.
But alive.
Still.
I roll to the side, once again.
A stalactite crashes down where I was lying just a second ago.
« ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! »
I scream into the cavern, the void, the world. The dragons? No. The System.
« Seriously, what's your problem?! Do you want me to survive or do you want to turn me into an appetizer?! Is there a plan or is it just torture until I level up?! »
And then...
[Objective: potential evaluation. Survival = progression.]
I blink. « Wait... what? You're responding now?! »
[Non-essential communication. Interaction triggered by critical mental condition.]
I straighten up, breathless, heart in my throat.
« So I need to be on the verge of dying for you to bother talking? »
[Correction: The System does not speak. The System transmits data in response to stimuli deemed relevant.]
I rub my face, shaken with nerves and adrenaline.
« You're telling me all this mess is to evaluate my potential?! »
[Acknowledged. Subject identified as an abnormal entity. Increased surveillance activated.]
« Abnormal...? »
[Profile incompatible with native System models. Data origin unknown. Observation protocol engaged.]
I freeze.
I'm not a monster like the others. And the System knows it. It's known it from the start.
And it's watching me.
I laugh, half-crazy, half-terrified.
« Great. I'm the mouse in the maze, and you're the sadistic scientist. »
[Incorrect comparison. The System does not feel anything.]
I look up at the dragons still battling, an explosion of magic, fire, and stone.
« Okay, okay, okay... the opposite direction from the dragons, good. Very good. Good idea. »
I take a sharp turn. An explosion almost lifts my feet off the ground.
« WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE CREATURES, DAMN IT?! »
I dive deeper into a random tunnel, just to put some rock between them and me. The air is hot, too hot. I feel my claws scraping against the burning ground. Then... a crack.
A chill runs up my spine.
« No. No no no no— »
Too late.
The ground collapses beneath my feet.
I fall. Literally. Straight into the unknown.
I stagger, breathless, my limbs burning. This new area… it's not the same cave as before. The air is thicker. Heavier. Each breath scratches my throat.
And that's when I see it.
Right… there.
A silhouette clinging to a wall, very high, almost out of sight. Motionless. Too thin. Too… spider-like.
Eight legs. A body black as obsidian. Pale, glowing eyes, shining in the darkness.
It's looking at me.
I think.
I don't want to believe it.
I blink — and it's gone.
« …What the hell was that…? »
I step back. Slowly.
And the ground betrays me again.
A crack. A rumble.
I fall.
Again.
Lower.
Where the air itself trembles.
Where even the walls seem alive.
I hit, I roll, I crash. Everything turns blurry, red, black.
And when I finally stop, sprawled in cold, black mud… I know I've fallen too deep.
Way too deep.
A shiver runs down my spine. And then, in my head, the familiar hum comes back… distorted.
[Connection to System…]
[Error.]
[Zone too deep.]
[Limited functionality.]
[Evaluation suspended.]
[Please return to a reasonable level.]
I freeze.
I exhale through my nose, a grimace on my lips.
« Even you don't want to be here. Great. »
I stay there, half-collapsed, my brain mush.
« Where… the hell did I land, damn it? »
A silence. Then, the System crackles back in my head. Unstable. Fragmented.
[Location: Gr—nd Labyr-nth of E—roe, layer —nt.]
I squint.
« Huh? Repeat that, I didn't catch the gibberish. »
[Location: Layer... ab—rant.]
The word slams into my mind like a stone in a well.
« Abnormal layer? Seriously? Who names a zone like that? »
[Zone... unstable.]
[Access... restricted.]
[History… irrelevant.]
I furrow my brows.
« That's it, huh? What are you trying to hide, huh? Was there a bug here? A purge? A secret boss? »
[…]
[This place holds no relevance to your development.]
I step back a little. A puddle beneath me. Not red.
Blue.
« …Huh? »
I stare at the liquid. Fluid. Glowing. Like alien Powerade.
I'm still too dazed to panic. My brain is running like a malfunctioning Windows 98. And then, I look down.
And I see.
Or rather… I don't see.
« …Oh. »
My right hand. Gone.
No hand. No arm. Just a charred, gnawed stump, still smoking.
A dry laugh escapes me.
« Well, there we go. I finally managed to lose my head… and my arm, too. »
I stay there, frozen, my eye empty. The pain starts to rise. First a shiver. Then a slap. Then a damn nerve-wracking hurricane running through me like a cosmic shock.
And then I scream.
But even my scream goes haywire. Half pain, half desperate laughter.
« DAMN DRAGON SHIT! I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS, OKAY?! »
I roll to the side, my stump raised, blue blood dripping like a fountain of horror.
And deep inside me, something clicks.
Something's not right.
The wound… it twitches. Contracts. Not like a human wound. Like an organ reacting. Adapting. Trying to… heal?
« No… no no no, what the hell is this? »
A static buzz in my head. Weak. Distorted.
[Critical skill activated…]
[Adaptive regeneration – Unstable – Level 1]
I blink. And burst out laughing.
« NO WONDER IT'S UNSTABLE! I'VE LOST MY DAMN ARM, YOU BROKEN GPS! »
I laugh some more, half-draining out of my electric blue blood, when the metallic voice comes back, all shaky.
[Warning… Imminent shutdown of non-vital functions…]
[The System recommends you ascend to a safer level to continue the evaluation.]
[Shutdown in 3…]
« Oh no. No no no no— »
[2…]
« You BETTER not leave me here, you piece of— »
[1.]
[—Connection lost.]
Silence.
Darkness.
Alone.
I stay there, trembling, one arm missing, fluorescent blood on my legs, my brain rocking like a drunk boat.
And I exhale.
Long. Heavy.
« Well. Guess it's official… even the System's gone. »
I walk. Well, I limp. One hand on the wall, the other… well, gone.
Silence.
Not a sound. Even the drops seem afraid to fall here.
And then…
A voice.
Soft. Deep. A little distant, a little… broken.
I freeze.
It speaks. Slowly. Words I don't understand. A language I've never heard. Fluid, oddly familiar yet unfamiliar.
I squint.
« What…? »
The voice continues. A sort of chant? Or a recitation. There's rhythm. Pauses. Like it's important.
But I don't get it.
And then, click.
The System, it speaks Japanese.
From the beginning.
Even the skills, the stats, the annoying messages: all in my native language.
And the world around? Nothing. Silence. Incomprehensible.
« …Wait. How does the System do that? Does it know I'm Japanese? Is it translating everything? Is it reading my mind? »
I blink.
« That's not normal. Nothing's normal here, but that… that's even worse. »
The voice picks up again. A little closer.
Still incomprehensible. Still… sad?
I turn my head.
I turn my head.
And I fall on it.
An arm. Huge. Stuck in the wall like a dead statue.
Cracked. Split. With glowing veins still pulsing slowly.
The rest of the body? I can't see. Too big. Too far. Or too merged with the rock.
But the voice… it's coming from there.
This thing keeps whispering. Words I don't understand. Soft. Sad.
I squint.
« …What the hell is this? »
I take a step back.
A creature? A corpse? A monster that doesn't move anymore?
I have no idea.
But it doesn't smell like life.
I don't stay.
I leave.
I move away from the weird arm. Slowly. In « if I don't make a sound, maybe fate will forget me » mode.
And then.
A sound.
Not a classic scream. Not a badass roar.
No.
Something that gets straight into your skull. Like a microwave screaming. A sharp, twisted vibration, completely unnatural.
I freeze.
« …What the hell was that sound? »
The ground trembles a bit. The stone vibrates. Even the air looks like it wants to flee.
I slowly look up.
Nothing.
But that scream… it wasn't a love message. It was the kind of sound monsters make when they put you on their menu.
« Great. The layer already stole an arm, now it's sending me a living alarm. »
I step back. One step. Two. My ear strained.
Nothing.
But I know I'm not alone.
And that thing… it just announced it's awake.