"The day wouldn't be worse anymore. First it was nightmare, Professor Howisky scoldings, got expelled from class and finally Jas," he held his ribs and squinted his eyes in pain, "Jason."

  As the pain eased, he looked ahead toward the field where other students were scattered around.

  He stared without focusing on anything and murmured, "If I had enough money, I would've left this place. Away from the bullies. Away from everything."

  Letting out a deep sigh, he tried to get up dusting his white shirt and heard a deep voice directed towards him.

  "How pitiful."

  Kairo turned. A tall man stood near the boundary wall as if he had been there for a while. Although his posture was relaxed, his eyes were sharp, observant. And something felt eerie about this person. Perhaps his tall height.

  "Huh?" Kairo frowned. "Do I know you?"

  "It doesn't matter," the man replied. His eyes moved over Kairo's uniform, the dust, the way he was holding his ribs. "You look miserable."

  Kairo's jaw tightened. "If you came here to comment, finish it and leave."

  The man didn't move. He glanced at Kairo's arm which was holding onto his ribs. "Still holding your ribs," he said calmly. "He didn't even hit that hard."

  Kairo looked at him, narrowing his eyes in pure dislike and confusion on being mocked by a stranger.

  "You're weak," the man continued, like he was stating something obvious. "Not just in strength. In will."

  "Stop," Kairo said, his voice lower now.

  But the man went on. "Thin. No muscle. No stance. When he pushed you down, you stayed there. Didn't even try."

  Kairo's fingers curled slightly.

  "You fix your shirt after getting kicked," the man added, glancing at the dust again. "As if that's what needs fixing."

  Kairo snapped his head toward him. "Who are you? And what do you want from me?"

  The man looked at him, amused and asked, "Do I look like someone who needs anything from you?"

  Kairo didn't answer.

  The man gave a small scoff. "You don't have anything I would want." He paused before continuing, "But there is something for you."

  Kairo frowned. "I'm not interested."

  "You didn't even ask what it is."

  "I don't need it," Kairo said, adjusting his bag strap and turning slightly to leave.

  Hearing this, a low chuckle came from behind him. "You are the one who needs it the most," the man said.

  Seeing Kairo stop in track, the man added "Money."

  The word landed heavier than it should have. Kairo's fingers tightened slightly around the strap.

  "Task-based work," the man continued. "You finish what's given. You get paid."

  Kairo turned around and stared at him, seeing if the man was pulling out some kind of prank. But his face looked dead serious. "What kind of work?" He asked, curious to know.

  "Work that pays only if you deliver."

  Kairo held his gaze. "And if I don't deliver?"

  "Then you get nothing," the man replied.

  "And if I don't join?"

  The man shrugged slightly. "Then nothing changes."

  Kairo didn't like that answer. "You're not even telling me what it is."

  "You don't need to know everything before you start," the man said calmly.

  "That's not how it works."

  "It is here."

  Kairo stared at him. "And you expect me to just say yes?"

  The man's eyes sharpened slightly. "You wanted a way out. I'm offering one."

  Kairo held on to his ribs that still hurt. His stomach felt empty. Hunger reminded him of his sleepless nights. The word money stayed in his head longer than he liked.

  He knew things never came easy. Nothing in his life ever had. But doing nothing hadn't changed anything either.

  Looking at Kairo's contemplating face, the man continued, "Verbal agreement… That's enough."

  Kairo didn't speak but continued thinking. The opportunity sounded too good to be real, and he knew it may have greater consequences.

  "Say yes," the man said evenly. "Or keep living the same life."

  Kairo's fingers tightened around the strap of his bag as he thought about his situation. With having an option to fix it and make it better, he made his decision.

  "What am I supposed to do?" he asked.

  "You don't need to know yet," the man replied.

  Kairo frowned. "Then how am I supposed to agree?"

  The man looked at him steadily. "Just say yes."

  "That's it?"

  "That's it."

  Seeing Kairo still hesitate, the man said in a calm voice. "Say it."

  Kairo looked at him for a moment, then spoke. "…Yes."

  The man's lips curved slightly. "Good." He stepped forward once, preparing himself to leave. "That's enough."

  "When does it start? And what exactly do I have to do?" Kairo asked.

  "You'll know."

  Kairo didn't like that answer, but he didn't push further.

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  Seeing the man walking away, Kairo asked, "Wait… this isn't some joke, right?" His heart skipped a beat.

  The man didn't stop. "You'll understand soon."

  And he kept walking until he was out of Kairo's sight.

  Kairo stood there for several seconds dumbfounded before the school bell rang and snapped him out of it.

  The rest of the day passed strangely. He tried to focus on classes, but his thoughts kept circling back to the conversation. He searched random phrases online after school in the school library, but there was nothing he was able to find. Nothing that matched what the man described.

  By the time he returned back to his home, it was late evening and the light outside had already dimmed.

  He placed his bag on the floor and lay down on his thin mattress without changing. His stomach was growling again but he ignored it.

  As he stared at the ceiling, few memories surfaced in front of his eyes. The orphanage.

  He did not remember it with affection, but he remembered the faces. The boys he grew up with and spent his best time with. He recalled the shared plates of food and sometimes the small fights that ended in laughter.

  There was one boy in particular who was taller than him and used to sit beside him during meals.

  He was loud and hopeful and used to say that once he got out, he would never look back at the orphanage again. Well, it was a jail anyways.

  Kairo had not heard from him in years. At a certain age, they all had to leave. Some left with families. Some moved out alone and Kairo was one of them.

  He had been the leanest among them, and most people who visited looked at him like he was already a burden. Over time, he stopped expecting anything from anyone.

  The only useful thing that place gave him was a skill. Every child had to learn at least one thing that could help them survive later.

  Kairo learned cooking. After school hours, he used that skill to sell food and cover his expenses.

  His eyes slowly grew heavy as these thoughts dragged on and he fell asleep on an empty stomach again.

  Darkness returned. Water touched his feet again. His eyes looked up at the only visible thing.

  [NOT READY]

  The words were still there, but now they blinked every second.

  Before he could process anything, a red number appeared beneath it.

  [10]

  A beep followed.

  Anxiety hit him again, and his heartbeat jumped. Before he could settle into that feeling, a female voice echoed through the dark.

  [COUNTDOWN HAS STARTED]

  [TRIALS WILL BEGIN SOON]

  [PREPARE]

  The words felt like a command.

  Seeing the countdown drop to 6, his body reacted before his mind did. He turned around and ran in the opposite direction, kicking in his survival instincts, away from whatever was coming when the countdown reached zero.

  [5]

  The beeping grew faster, and so did his heartbeat. His breathing became uneven as the numbers kept falling.

  [2]

  [1]

  At zero, everything shifted.

  The air felt heavier. The smell changed to damp soil and rot. The ground beneath him was no longer just water.

  Kairo looked around and found himself in the middle of muddy, thick water surrounded by tall, twisted trees that rose with their roots half inside the swamp and half outside.

  Thin fog covered the area, and in the middle of it, a blue translucent panel floated in front of him.

  [ INFERNAL ASCENSION TRIALS

  Trial 1: Swamp of Initiation

  Lives: 3

  Skills: Negligible

  Time Limit: NA

  Objective: Survive ]

  —----x—----

  "Lord Azelion, the job has been completed. Consent has been received," Arden said.

  His human form dropped, revealing his real appearance, large frame, tall and rigid, two curved horns, dark skin tough like stone, and long uneven nails.

  Azelion sat on his throne. His blue eyes looked calm, almost harmless, but the rest of his body glowed like burning coal. The heat around him felt as if even standing close would burn their skin.

  "Well done," Azelion said. "Tell Kaeris to begin the trials."

  "Yes, my lord," Arden replied with a slight bow. He hesitated for a moment, but continued anyways, "My lord… I think there is a glitch in the system."

  Azelion's gaze locked onto him. "Why do you think so?"

  Arden swallowed once and spoke carefully, not wanting to frustrate his lord, "The boy seems weak. He cannot even take a stand for himself. He died during the trial selection round, but somehow the mark didn't dissolve. It makes me think the system made a wrong pick."

  Azelion listened without interrupting. A faint smile appeared on his face, making Arden confused. "There is no glitch," he replied calmly.

  Arden frowned. "Then what's so special about him?"

  Azelion leaned back slightly before he spoke,

  "I am waiting for it to unravel as well."