A notification flashed before his eyes.

TRIAL SURVIVED – STATUS: CRITICAL.

His heartbeat slowed.

His fingers twitched.

Was he dying?

Darkness crept at the edges of his vision.

Then—

A final message appeared.

"Reconstructing… System Repair Initializing…"

His body felt weightless.

Then everything—faded to black.

Roi's consciousness snapped back.

His eyes flew open, and a sharp gasp escaped his lips.

He was standing.

Not in the burning, detonated wasteland—but back in the white void.

His breathing was erratic as his hands frantically ran over his body.

His arm was there.

His leg was intact.

No blood. No pain. Nothing.

He was… perfectly fine.

His mind reeled. What the hell just happened?

Then, a voice cut through the silence.

"Damn."

Roi's head snapped up.

Kyler stood a few feet away, arms crossed, watching him with that same amused smirk.

"The first one to reach the trial and the first one to actually survive it." Kyler let out a low chuckle. "You impress me."

Roi's chest heaved. His adrenaline hadn't faded.

"The first?" His voice was hoarse.

Kyler shrugged. "Yeah. Everyone else either died instantly or quit before it got to that point."

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He tapped his chin, thinking. "The first time I did this game? I had to quit mid-trial."

Roi's mind stuttered.

"You… you did this too?"

"Of course." Kyler's grin widened. "Not that I had a choice."

Roi stepped forward, his body still trembling.

Then—he grabbed Kyler by the collar.

"What the f*** was that?!*l" His voice cracked with anger, fear, frustration. All of it.

Kyler's expression didn't change.

He just tilted his head slightly.

"But you didn't die."

His eyes glinted.

"How does it feel?"

Roi's grip tightened. His pulse was racing.

How did it feel?

It felt like hell.

It felt like he lost everything and barely clawed his way back.

But most of all—

It felt real.

Too real.

His fingers shook, but he released Kyler with a harsh shove.

He exhaled sharply, still processing.

"You could quit the game… so why didn't you?"

For the first time, Kyler's smirk faltered.

He rolled his shoulders, looking away. "Oh, no. I can't actually."

His voice was softer now.

"I'm imprisoned."

Roi's stomach dropped.

"So, I couldn't interfere with your trial…" Kyler's smirk returned as he faced him again.

"And besides, you survived. So what's all this talk?"

Roi's breath slowed.

The weight of those words sank in.

He survived.

But—

If Kyler was imprisoned here, and the game was inescapable…

Then what the hell had Roi just gotten himself into?

Roi turned to Kyler, his mind still spinning.

"What the hell was that?! Am I in a game?!" His voice was sharp, demanding answers.

Kyler smirked, unfazed. "That was just the start of the trial."

He crossed his arms. "To see if you were capable of awakening your power. And, well—" he gestured toward Roi with a knowing look.

"Truly, it did."

Roi's breath hitched.

"What?"

Then—flashes of the trial hit him.

The speed boost. The Blink. The Phantom Dash.

He had moved beyond human limits.

His abilities had manifested inside the trial.

"Was that… my ability?" he asked hesitantly.

Kyler nodded. "Yes. Kinda."

Roi's fingers twitched. His memory of the trial was jagged, fragmented. But he remembered the feeling. The sheer adrenaline when he moved faster than his body should allow.

Kyler continued, "You gain abilities inside cyberspace, and their form depends on the 'game' or 'system' used."

Roi frowned. "Wait, you chose that death game?!"

Kyler shrugged. "Yep. It's called Landmine City. A forgotten game from years ago."

Roi swallowed hard. "So… I can run fast now? Like, all the time?"

Kyler let out a laugh.

"That depends." He gave a mischievous grin. "Not every ability you gain inside cyberspace transfers to the real world. Only the ones the system deems worthy."

His eyes gleamed. "It could be an item, a skill, or something else entirely."

Roi tensed. "So, what did I gain after all that?!"

He prayed it wasn't something useless.

Then, as if in response—a message popped up in front of him.

CONGRATULATIONS!

YOU HAVE PERMANENTLY GAINED: PHANTOM DASH (LEVEL 1).

Roi's eyes widened.

He could feel it—a strange, light energy settling inside his muscles.

A grin broke out on his face. "So I can actually use it?!"

Kyler smirked. "Yep. You can now move at inhuman speeds. But don't get cocky."

Roi wasn't listening. Excitement buzzed in his veins.

This was real.

This was his power.

He could use it in the real world.

But then—

Kyler chuckled.

"Just you wait."

A chill crawled up Roi's spine.

And in that moment, he realized—

This is the start of the roller coaster ride of his life.

Roi couldn't stop grinning.

He had an ability. A real ability.

Something deep inside him had awakened, and now it was his.

Kyler watched him with an amused expression. "Go on, then. Try it out."

Roi didn't hesitate.

He tensed his muscles, focusing on the new energy inside him. He could feel it—like a coiled spring, waiting to be released.

"Alright… Let's see what this Phantom Dash can do."

He took a step forward—

And vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared twenty meters ahead.

Roi's eyes widened.

That felt insane.

"Holy sh—"

Before he could finish, momentum hit him.

His legs stumbled, his body tripping over itself—and he crashed onto the ground, tumbling like a ragdoll.

Kyler burst into laughter.

Roi groaned, his face buried in the floor.

"What the hell?!" he gasped, pushing himself up. "That was way too fast!"

Kyler smirked. "Yeah, no s***. You just activated Phantom Dash without thinking about balance. Rookie mistake."

Roi dusted himself off, still breathing heavily.

But even with the faceplant, he couldn't stop the excitement from bubbling up.

"Damn… That was unreal."

He clenched his fists. This was real power.

No more just being an ordinary streamer.

No more watching from behind a screen.

For the first time in his life—he felt untouchable.

Kyler leaned against an invisible wall. "Try again. This time, don't just run—control your landing."

Roi nodded. He focused again.

The energy responded instantly.

He launched forward—

This time, controlling his movement.

The world blurred, but he landed properly, sliding to a stop.

He turned back to Kyler, grinning.

"Got it."

Kyler's smirk widened.

"Good. Now let's see if you're ready for what's next."

Roi's excitement dimmed slightly.

"Wait… Next?"

Kyler's eyes gleamed.

Then—

A new system prompt appeared before him.

NEXT TRIAL UNLOCKED.

TESTING ZONE ACTIVATED.

The white void trembled.

And Roi knew—

He wasn't done yet.