My head throbbed with each heartbeat, a dull ache pounding through my temples. Blood coated my tongue, thick and metallic, like my body couldn’t decide how to handle whatever the hell just happened.

Groaning, I pushed myself up off the cold, damp soil. Soil? That didn’t make sense. The last thing I remembered, I was on the bus to work. Another dull day at the office. What the hell happened? My hand flew to my head on instinct, only for a sharp pain to flare, reminding me exactly what went down.

Right. The tremors. It started with the tremors—the kind that made the ground feel alive, like some beast waking from a nightmare. The wheels of the bus groaned, the glass cracked under some unseen force. This wasn’t an earthquake. No, this was worse. Much worse.

And then the voice came. Calm. Cold. Completely indifferent to the chaos. And then… black.

You survived the integration.

I froze, eyes darting around the strange forest I now found myself in. Integration? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Title Gained — Survivor: You have survived the system initialization. Prepare yourself. This is just the beginning.

My heart dropped. This is just the beginning?

Scanning area…

“Scanning? For what?” I hissed, clutching my head as it throbbed harder, my stomach turning with every pulse.

Area code designated—Nightmare difficulty zone.

Oh, fantastic. Nightmare difficulty? Why the hell not?

Creating challenges…

“Creating what now?” I snapped, my voice cracking as panic started bubbling over. My hand tightened around my head like that would somehow stop it from splitting in two. “And why is that plural?!”

Challenge created — Slay the Goblin War-Chief.

Challenge created — Slay the Hallowed Doll.

Challenge created — Slay the Colossal Troll.

Challenge created — Delve the Fetid Sewers.

The words hovered there like a bad joke, and all I could think was: I don’t want to play this game. A quick glance at my phone confirmed it—no signal. Of course not.

I swatted at the floating words, hoping they’d vanish like an annoying app notification. No such luck. My brain, usually quick with an explanation, offered nothing. Only one thing made sense: the apocalypse had started. And for some godforsaken reason, it picked me for the opening act. Or maybe I wasn’t alone. Perhaps it was my victim complex coming out again?

Strangely, I found the energy to pluck myself off from the floor. I could feel my heartbeat striking against my chest. I could even hear it. The blood surging around my body.

“Hello?” He shouted, “is anyone there?”

There was no response. I felt alone. Perhaps I was. Seriously, what happened? Come to think of it… where was the bus?

I came to my senses a few minutes later. Alien-like words filled his vision, just like something straight out of a game. I couldn’t help but think that monster’s were going to be a new addition to the ever increasing shit-show he found himself in.

It was time to get serious. I had to understand where I was.

Wandering over to one of the trees. For some reason, it didn’t look very familiar—not that I had a green thumb at all. I inspected it closer. The bark was light brown, bordering grey and when the sun hit it, the bark emitted a gorgeous sparkling purple.

My vision wandered to my arm, where a dim blue light shone out from under my white shirt. I scrambled to lift my sleeve, only to notice round lines etched into my flesh. There were twelve circles in total, six one one side of his forearm, and six right next to it. The one on the left was lit up.

Oh god. The first thought going through my mind was aliens. This was all alien’s doing. They had finally begun their quest for world domination. But before my mind wandered into chaos, more words interrupted me.

Quest obtained: Slay the Mutated Wolf

| Reward: An Uncommon Chest.

“What?” Paul said to himself, head spinning. “What wolf?”

It didn’t take long to find out. I heard leaves crunch and felt my heart smash against my chest; it felt like there was a predator staring down at me.

Head on a swivel, my eyes latched onto where I heard the footsteps. From behind a tree, a huge wolf—and I mean huge—appeared, lumbering into view. It was at least the size of a horse, armoured in gorgeous black carapace and a long, thick tail of a centipede.

Level 16 Mutated Wolf

That was Level 16? I could hardly believe what I was looking at. The moment it looked my way, my blood ran cold. I met its dark green, primal eyes. I felt my knees turn weak. It howled up into the tree’s canopy before hounding forward.

It moved so fast, I hardly had time to react. With the tree to my back, I quickly used it as cover. I was too late. The wolf’s claws gouged into my shoulder and I felt hot liquid spew down my back.

I tried shifting round the tree, but the damn beast was fast—too fast. It grabbed my elbow, latching the bone in between its razor-sharp teeth.

My heart pumped adrenaline around my body so fast that I didn’t feel anything. I could only hear the sound of bone scraping against bone, and my flesh tearing.

Skill Learned — Pain Resistance (Level 1)

Pain Resistance has reached Level 2.. 3… 4

It kept on increasing, but I stopped counting after the wolf flung me to the floor with a savage turn of its head.

Landing harshly against the floor, I scrambled backwards. This was it. I knew that. I wasn’t getting out of this alive. I couldn’t move my left arm and I was afraid if I looked at it now, I’d lose my will to live.

The wolf whipped its tail at the nearby tree, exploding a chunk out of it.

For some reason, all that came to mind were flashes of memories. Memories of me trying things, hobbies, jobs, only to give them up in the end. Always giving up.

I didn’t want to give up. Not here. I didn’t want to die.

Gritting my bloodied teeth, with my free hand, I grabbed onto a sharp rock just as the wolf tore towards me once again.

With a bravery I didn’t know I had, I timed it just right, smashing the rock into the wolf’s snout. But it didn’t matter. The beast was like a titanium ball shot from a cannon. It was unstoppable.

The last thing I saw was its savage maw opening over my head before everything turned black.

Pain Resistance has reached Level 7.

Common Skill Learned — Stone Mastery (Level 1)

Rare Skill Learned — Death’s Embrace (Level 1)

Common Skill Learned — Increased Strength (Level 1)

Common Skill Learned — Toughened Flesh (Level 1)

Rare Skill Learned — Brink of Death (Level 1)

I snapped my eyes open just to see the wolf staring at me again. Confused, I picked up the stone again, and the monster leapt at me once more. I smashed it in the face with the stone, harder this time, but the same scene replayed.

[Common] Stone Mastery → (Level 3)

[Rare] Death’s Embrace → (Level 2)

[Common] Increased Strength → (Level 2)

[Common] Toughened Flesh → (Level 2)

I opened my eyes, only to see the same scene replay itself. I kept… dying. Only to return a few seconds in the past. Was it a… Skill?

I noticed a difference, though. Just as I was about to die, I received a burst of strength. It still had no effect on the wolf, but it showed more of a reaction this time. And when I died, I also gained a burst of power after it.

I was so confused. I didn’t know what to do apart from just keep on trying to survive, no matter what. It was now the eighth time, or the ninth, it was difficult to keep track of. All my Skills just kept on growing every time I died, and every time, my attack kept on growing stronger.

At some point, I tried dodging, but that only resulted in agony. The wolf caught my leg and munched on it like it was some kind of meaty cracker.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Just how was this wolf Level 16? It should be way higher. Was it because of the Nightmare Difficulty zone?

I didn’t know. The only thing I understood was delaying my death only resulting in more pain, so I stopped doing that. I just hit the wolf on the nose, died, and repeated those actions. The more my Stone Mastery skill grew, the more damage I dealt. It gave me… hope amongst the despair.

Things changed on the fortieth time? I didn’t know. It was just a guess. I think I was losing my mind.

Stone Mastery has reached Level 15.

Pick an evolution choice based on your Memories—

I died again, dammit. Upon waking up again, I hurried to the choice selection.

[Common] Hardened Stone: Stones used by the user become denser and more resilient, allowing them to deal more damage and resist breakage during combat. The increased durability also makes stones more effective when used to block or deflect enemy attacks.

| Memory: Fighting with stones.

[Common] Heavy Throw: Stones are launched with an explosive force that delivers a heavy impact.

| Memory: Throwing stones.

[Uncommon] Chitin Toss: Drawing inspiration from the strength of beetles, this ability lets the user hurl a stone with chitin-enhanced precision and force. The impact delivers a solid blow, staggering enemies.

| Memory: Using stones to fight against a bug related monster.

I died a few times more just reading the abilities. In the end, I chose Chitin Toss. I needed something to kill this damned animal.

Stone Mastery → Chitin Toss

Dying again, this time I opened my eyes with spite. With a thought, the Skill activated and I threw the rock in my hand just as it opened its stupid mouth. To my astonishment, the rock practically flew out of my hand at a speed an olympian could only dream of.

It rocketed forwards, smashing into the wolf’s face… and nothing. I was shocked. And then I laughed. Right. It was just a rock. The wolf didn’t care for my self deprecation as it whipped its tail around and crashed into me so hard I swore all my limbs literally tore off my body. I didn't really know. I died in an instant. And then I evolved more of my Skills. It gave me a lot of bug-like choices. Probably because I was fighting the wolf and it was part bug, so the system was using my fight with the beast as experiences, banking it into my Memory.

Increased Strength (Level 15) → Bug’s Might

Toughened Flesh (Level 15) → Brittle Carapace

I was stronger than before. Much stronger. But even so, the result was the same. The wolf still tore through me like I was nothing. The only difference now was that the beast actually recoiled from my strikes—a small, pitiful win. The black armor that now coated parts of my body gave some added resistance, but it wasn’t enough. The monster’s claws and centipede tail cut through it like paper-mâché.

This wasn’t just some monster. It was a boss. And me? I was the unlucky bastard who woke up in its path. Typical.

The pain was unrelenting. Each strike, each death was an agony beyond words. My body shattered, my mind stretched thin with every repeated attempt. Yet, every death brought with it a grim determination. Each notification of a Skill inching higher felt like a shot of adrenaline, reigniting my resolve. I was growing stronger. My armor was harder, my throws hit heavier, and I lasted longer against its brutal assault.

The fight blurred together into a haze of death and resurrection. I lost count of how many times I died. Hundreds? Maybe more. The beast didn’t tire. It was relentless, and yet, so was I. My throws became more precise, more powerful. I could feel the progress, slow but steady, carving its way into my very bones.

At some point, I stopped thinking. I stopped feeling the pain. My body moved on instinct, every motion born out of countless attempts. Dodge. Throw. Die. Repeat. Over and over.

And then, as I blinked back into existence after yet another gruesome death, a new notification caught my eye, glowing faintly in my peripheral vision. My dazed mind barely registered it, but the words were there—a wall of text outlining new Skill advancements. At first, I thought it was just another hallucination born of endless torment. But the next death confirmed it:

Chitin Toss → Bombardier’s Throw

Bug’s Might → Colossus Might

Brittle Carapace → Iron Carapace

The moment I selected them, I felt the change. My body grew heavier, denser, but the previous chunky armour around me vanished, revealing only pale white flesh. Strength surged through my limbs. The beast’s tail slammed into me again, a hit that once would’ve turned me into pulp. But this time, I flew backward, crashing into a tree with enough force to splinter it in half. And I stood. I stood!

I wiped the blood from my mouth, a grin spreading wider than it should have. Madness burned in my eyes as I stared the beast down. “It’s my time now, you bastard!” I bellowed, my voice raw with fury.

The wolf lunged, but I was faster. My hands found stone after stone, each one groaning under my power. I hurled them with the force of a catapult, the impacts echoing like thunder in the forest. The beast stumbled, its carapace fracturing under the onslaught.

Bombardier’s Throw not only increased the power of my toss, but when the rock detonated, a corrosive liquid seeped over the monster’s face, burning its fur.

For the first time, it hesitated.

“You feel that?” I roared, pelting it with another volley. Each strike was a culmination of every death, every ounce of rage and determination forged into raw power. “This is pain!”

The wolf fell. But I didn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Stone after stone smashed into its skull, blood spraying like a crimson fountain. The beast twitched, its once-proud form reduced to a shattered, bloody husk. I stood over it, panting, my body shaking with the aftermath of adrenaline and exhaustion.

When its skull finally cracked open, spilling its life across the ground, I dropped the last stone, my hands trembling. Everything was red—my flesh, the ground, even the air seemed to carry the stench of iron and death.

But I had done it. I’d won.

For a moment, I just stared at the corpse, the enormity of what I’d endured finally catching up to me. And then, a laugh broke free—a wild, unhinged laugh that echoed through the forest.

“I told you,” I muttered, kicking the lifeless beast for good measure. “I’m not the one who dies anymore.”

You have defeated a Mutated Wolf (Level 16)!

Your Skills have Levelled up!

Quest complete!

Panting, I collapsed onto the ground. I wasn’t tired—far from it. Supernatural strength coursed through me, a sensation beyond words. But I was drained. Mentally. The rush of victory ebbed, replaced by the sharp sting of reality.

That’s when I noticed my arm. Bone jutted out grotesquely, blood flowing freely down my forearm. Because of Pain Resistance, the pain had dulled. I tore off my shirt and tightened it around my arm as much as I could. Blood blossomed through the white shirt. I hoped it was enough.

And then, a greenish box bordered with ornate gold shimmered into view. For a moment, my thoughts froze.

This really is like a game, I thought, crawling toward it. With trembling hands, I pried the box open. Its groan revealed a… club.

(Uncommon) Club: A basic club designed to dish out blunt trauma, created by the system to help the initialised in the beginning.

So, it really is a system.

The pain in my arm dragged me back to focus. My vision blurred. Shit, I thought, the binding wasn’t working. Blood loss was taking its toll. I couldn’t keep going like this. I had to think of something before I passed out.

“Open,” I muttered, desperate for answers. The system responded instantly, bringing up my status:

Name: Paul Webb

Race: Human (F-Grade)

Titles: Initiated Survivor, Terror’s Bane, Skill Skulptor, Reaper’s Reject

Core Skill: Chrono-Requiem [Unique]

Loadout 1 (Rename):

| Skill 1: Bombardier’s Throw (Level 24)

| Skill 2: Pain Resistance (Level 15)

| Skill 3: Iron Carapace (Level 17)

| Skill 4: Death’s Embrace (Level 15)

| Skill 5: Colossal Might (Level 15)

Loadout 2 (Rename):

| Skill 1: Brink of Death (Level 1)

| Skill 2: (Blank)

| Skill 3: (Blank)

| Skill 4: (Blank)

| Skill 5: (Blank)

Loadout. The term was familiar, something I’d encountered countless times in games. It referred to everything equipped—armor, weapons, and Skills. Did I have both active at the same time? Could I swap them?

Testing the theory, I shifted to the second Loadout without thinking. The result was immediate and excruciating.

Pain Resistance vanished, leaving me fully exposed to the agony of my broken arm. I cried out, clutching at the injury. Frantic, I swapped back, and relief surged through me like a wave, dulling the edges of my suffering.

It wasn’t enough. The blood kept flowing. My vision dimmed, nausea churning in my stomach. Gritting my teeth, I stumbled forward, driven purely by instinct.

I managed only a couple minutes before the world went dark.

***

When I woke, I noticed no Skill. I died a few more times before I figured it out. I needed a blank slot in my arm—my Loadout—to form a new Skill. With that in mind, I swapped over Pain Resistance to my second Loadout.

After a few more deaths, a glowing system notification greeted me. It took a moment for everything to sink in. My arm still throbbed, though the bleeding had slowed.

Brink of Death has reached Level 2.

Skill gained — Blood Control.

Even with the new Skill, the blood loss was so great, I kept on dying. But, with every Level I grew, the time it took me to die also increased. From three seconds, to six, to ten, and so on. And that kept on going until I finally hit the threshold.

Blood Control has reached Level 15!

Brink of Death has reached Level 15!

A flicker of hope stirred in my chest. Though Blood Control had been useless at lower levels, perhaps now it could save me. Without hesitation, I selected its evolution—which also just happened to be bug themed. I wondered if it was my subconscious mind that desired it, and using the fact I had faced a bug-wolf hybrid, it was granting me choices based on that. I could only guess.

Blood Control > Blood Weave

| [Uncommon] Blood Weave: The user can manipulate their blood to form thin, web-like strands, knitting together damaged vessels to temporarily seal wounds. Inspired by the intricate patterns of a spider’s web, this ability focuses on stopping blood loss with efficiency and precision.

“Thank god,” I whispered.

I focused on my arm, delving beneath the flesh. The sensation was strange—like seeing with my veins. Carefully, I willed the blood to stop flowing. Underneath, microscopic webs stitched up the gushing wound. But my inexperience was on show. The blood blasted through the webs, and continued to gush.

I passed out once, waking up groggily with renewed determination. It took fifteen or so loops before I got the bleeding to stop. Only the grotesque sight of bone protruding from my skin remained, a grim reminder of my situation.

I shoved down my fear. There was no time to dwell on it. My immediate goal was survival, and the system seemed to hold all the answers. I had to understand it if I wanted to keep going, to grow stronger.

I took a shaky breath. “I’m not done yet.”

I began evolving the rest of my Skills to the first tier, forcing myself to adapt to this strange, brutal new world.

Pain Resistance → Steady Resolve

Brink of Death → Endurance Surge

Death’s Embrace → Chill of Mortality