The night was silent.

  Too silent.

  Kai stood in the middle of the dark street, the cold wind brushing against his skin. The body of the creature lay a few meters away, twisted and lifeless. Its black blood slowly spread across the concrete like ink spilled across paper.

  Kai stared at his hands.

  They were shaking.

  Not from fear anymore.

  But from realization.

  I… killed something.

  His chest rose and fell heavily as the memory replayed in his mind—the creature lunging, the sound of tearing flesh, the moment his blade sank deep into its body.

  He swallowed hard.

  “I didn’t have a choice…”

  His voice was barely a whisper.

  Suddenly, the familiar blue light appeared again in front of his eyes.

  [SYSTEM NOTICE]

  Kai flinched.

  The screen hovered calmly in the air.

  [Host Status Updated]

  Name: Kai

  Level: 2

  Title: The One Who Survived

  HP: 65 / 100

  Stamina: 28 / 100

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Skill: Desperation (Active)

  Kai frowned.

  “HP… stamina…”

  His body ached everywhere, as if he had run a marathon while fighting a nightmare.

  “So this thing tracks my condition…”

  Another notification appeared.

  [New Function Unlocked]

  — Inventory —

  Kai blinked.

  “Inventory?”

  A transparent grid suddenly appeared beside the status window. It looked like something straight out of a game.

  Inside the first slot was a small glowing item.

  Kai focused on it.

  [Item: Minor Healing Potion]

  Restores 30 HP

  His eyes widened.

  “That dropped from the monster…”

  The thought alone made his stomach twist.

  The system didn’t just track his life.

  It rewarded killing.

  Kai hesitated, then slowly reached toward the floating icon. The moment his fingers touched it, the potion materialized in his hand.

  A small glass vial filled with red liquid.

  It glowed faintly in the darkness.

  Kai stared at it for a long moment before uncorking it.

  The liquid tasted metallic.

  Warmth immediately spread through his chest, flowing through his veins like fire.

  The pain in his ribs began to fade.

  His breathing steadied.

  The system responded instantly.

  [HP Restored]

  HP: 95 / 100

  Kai exhaled slowly.

  “So it’s real…”

  Not a dream.

  Not a hallucination.

  This game… was real.

  A distant sound suddenly echoed through the empty street.

  THUD.

  Kai’s body froze.

  Another sound followed.

  THUD… THUD…

  Heavy footsteps.

  His heart began pounding again.

  Slowly… he turned his head.

  At the far end of the street, something massive moved in the darkness.

  The streetlight flickered weakly.

  Then the shape stepped into the light.

  Kai’s breath stopped.

  It was twice the size of the creature he had just killed.

  Its skin looked like cracked stone, and its glowing yellow eyes locked directly onto him.

  The system appeared again.

  But this time…

  The words were different.

  Bright red.

  [WARNING]

  [High-Rank Monster Detected]

  Threat Level: Lethal

  Kai’s legs felt heavy.

  “…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  The monster opened its mouth.

  A deep growl vibrated through the night.

  Kai clenched his fists.

  He had barely survived the first one.

  And now this?

  The system flashed again.

  [Emergency Quest Triggered]

  Survive for 10 Minutes

  Reward: ???

  Failure: Death

  Kai stared at the screen.

  Ten minutes.

  Against that thing.

  His heart pounded like a war drum.

  Then something inside him shifted.

  Fear was still there.

  But beneath it…

  A strange spark burned.

  Kai slowly picked up a broken metal pipe from the ground.

  His eyes hardened.

  “If this world really turned into a game…”

  He tightened his grip.

  “…then I’ll play.”

  The monster charged.

  And the night exploded into chaos.