A sharp, piercing look on a sharp-edged sword, blinking in and out of existence.
▪ ▪ ▪ KILLED A FROST URSALITH ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : + 3 SU + 50 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
David stepped forward, his gaze locking onto the ephemeral weapon as it finally stabilized in the air. He reached out, wrapping his fingers around the hilt.
It was cold to the touch—too cold, as if the very concept of steel had been infused with something beyond comprehension.
Giving it a few test swings, he felt the weight, the balance. The sword moved with unnatural ease, responding to his slightest motion.
A system reward, huh? he mused. Yet, as he slid it into his inventory, a nagging thought lingered at the back of his mind.
His daily quests had stopped.
His brows furrowed. “Why am I not getting them anymore?” The system’s tasks were supposed to renew each day, yet they had gone silent, as if abandoned.
A pause. Then—
▪ ▪ ▪ THE DESIGNER HAS ALTERED THE SYSTEM’S PARAMETERS ▪ ▪ ▪
David crossed his arms. “Altered how?”
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUESTS WERE IMPLEMENTED AS A STRUCTURE FOR EARLY GROWTH ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ HOWEVER YOU NO LONGER REQUIRE TRAINING WHEELS ▪ ▪ ▪
David scoffed. “Training wheels? That’s what they were to you?”
▪ ▪ ▪ A MEANS TO PREVENT YOUR DETERIORATION ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ BUT YOU PUSH YOUR LIMITS WITHOUT PROMPTING ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ THEREFORE MOTIVATIONS HAVE BEEN DEEMED UNNECESSARY ▪ ▪ ▪
What the system had stated was true—since then, David had developed the habit of working out daily, except when he was inside a Rift.
David let out a dry laugh. “So what, I just lost free rewards because I actually put in effort?”
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARDS WERE NEVER FREE THEY WERE A LEASH ▪ ▪ ▪
That made him pause. He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “A leash, huh? I guess that makes sense. But still…” His fingers clenched at his side.
“I won’t lie, I relied on them. Even if I worked on my own, knowing there was a system keeping track… it felt like progress.”
▪ ▪ ▪ PROGRESS IS NOT MEASURED IN NUMBERS BUT IN THE CHOICES YOU MAKE AND YOU CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD ▪ ▪ ▪
David exhaled sharply. “You’re saying I don’t need rewards to keep going.”
▪ ▪ ▪ CORRECT ▪ ▪ ▪
He smirked slightly, rolling his shoulders. “You could say I got a wake-up call. I couldn’t afford to remain idle anymore.”
▪ ▪ ▪ REST ASSURED ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ DAILY QUESTS WILL BE REINSTATED SOON ▪ ▪ ▪
"I hope they’re something simple, like killing slimes," David said, his remark almost absurd.
The system remained silent.
His gaze drifted forward, toward the passage ahead.
To his side, the underground lake stretched endlessly into the cavern’s abyss. Its surface was eerily still, yet disturbingly opaque, as if something within absorbed all light, refusing to let anything escape.
A dark void of water, untouched and unknowable. Strange, jagged formations jutted out from beneath the surface, barely visible beneath the lake’s obsidian sheen, like the skeletal remains of something forgotten.
In contrast, the path before him was an icy passage that wound along the lake’s edge. The walls of the cavern shimmered with a bluish luminescence, the ice capturing and refracting the dim light, creating ghostly silhouettes that danced along the corridor.
The air was frigid but not stagnant; it carried a whispering chill.
David took a step forward but hesitated. "I don’t know if it’s right to ask this, but..."
▪ ▪ ▪ SPEAK ▪ ▪ ▪
He exhaled, watching his breath mist in the frigid air. "Back then, when I refused to collect the shards... you punished me."
▪ ▪ ▪ CORRECT ▪ ▪ ▪
David clenched his fists. "If you hadn’t stopped… what would have come next? Would it have actually killed me?"
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"What would have been the next penalty?"
A pause. The air itself seemed to still. Then—
▪ ▪ ▪ ELECTROCUTION ▪ ▪ ▪
A bolt of ice shot down his spine, worse than the cavern’s icy air. His hand moved instinctively to the back of his head, fingers grazing his neck, as if trying to reassure himself that he was still alive.
He let out a hollow chuckle. "You say that so casually."
▪ ▪ ▪ IT WAS A CALCULATED RESPONSE ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ YOUR REFUSAL THREATENED THE INTEGRITY OF THE SYSTEM’S DIRECTIVE ▪ ▪ ▪
David shook his head. "So if I had kept resisting, I would’ve just... died?"
▪ ▪ ▪ PROBABILITY OF DEATH WAS HIGH ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ BUT THE DESIGNER CEASED TERMINALTION BEFORE IT BECAME NECESSARY ▪ ▪ ▪
"Right. Lucky me." He scoffed, running a hand through his hair. His voice lowered. "It really shouldn’t have been worth it."
"Also, I'd ask more about the Designer, but you'd just tell me I need to level up before I can ask such questions," David said, his tone laced with annoyance.
▪ ▪ ▪ AND YET DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF THREATS, YOU STILL CHOSE TO COMPLY ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ WHY ▪ ▪ ▪
"Because... deep down, I knew fighting was pointless."
David's voice was quiet, almost distant. His fingers clenched at his side, though even he wasn’t sure if it was out of frustration or resignation.
"I was fighting this battle long before you appeared," he continued. "For so long, I told myself I could hold out, that if I just endured a little longer, something would change." A bitter chuckle escaped him. "But nothing ever did."
His gaze drifted, unfocused, lost somewhere in the cold, empty air.
"So I thought... maybe it was finally time to do something about it."
His eyes, hollow and unseeing, carried a weight far heavier than the words he spoke.
A stillness settled in them—not the kind that brought peace, but the kind that spoke of wounds long left untended. Of a sadness so deep, it had become a part of him.
The system remained silent. David exhaled, shaking his head as he pushed the thought aside. "Well, whatever. I’m still here. That’s what matters."
▪ ▪ ▪ CORRECT ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD ▪ ▪ ▪
David chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. No need to sound so smug about it."
The cavern stretched onward, and he had no intention of staying in place any longer.
As he moved forward, he encountered more of the same beasts from before—twisted, predatory creatures with too many teeth and too little hesitation.
But just like before, they were scattered. Isolated.
One by one, they fell.
David’s light blade carved through them with practiced ease. His movements were sharp, precise, honed by battles that had forced him to improve whether he wanted to or not.
▪ ▪ ▪ KILLED 6 FROST URSALITH ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : + 18 SU + 300 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
But then—the last one appeared.
Bigger. Faster. Stronger.
The creature moved with unnatural agility, weaving through the icy terrain like a phantom. Its hide gleamed with a reinforced sheen, almost crystalline, reflecting the cavern’s glow.
Its claws struck with force, the air itself splitting as they raked toward him.
David dodged, stepping back just in time to avoid a slash that would have torn through his torso.
He retaliated, slashing with his light blade—only for the blade to scrape uselessly against the creature’s hardened hide.
Tch. This one’s different.
His instincts screamed as the beast lunged again. Without thinking, he shifted his grip, summoning a pulse of light energy into his weapon.
The blade flared with brilliance, its edge slicing forward. This time, it cut deeper, forcing the beast back.
David pressed the attack, weaving between offense and defense, striking with both light and darkness in tandem.
Shadow tendrils lashed at the creature’s movements, disrupting its speed, while radiant arcs of energy carved through its hide.
But his mana was draining fast.
Each burst of power consumed more energy than he liked. And this thing wasn’t going down easily.
With a grunt, he stopped using his abilities, forcing himself to rely solely on his physical skill.
He switched tactics—ducking under the beast’s lunges, redirecting its momentum, exploiting its brief openings. His breathing steadied, his footwork sharpened. The fight became a battle of endurance.
The beast snarled, its movements becoming more erratic as it realized its advantage was slipping. But David remained relentless.
"Show me my profile," he said, his voice echoing through the frozen cavern, directed at no human in sight.
[ INFO ▾ QUEST ▸ INVENTORY ▸ SHOP ▸ ]
STATUS
HP : ▰▰▱▱▱ ⁸⁰
DEFENSE : ▱▱▱▱▱ ⁰⁰
MANA : ▰▰▰▱▱ ¹²⁰
STATS
STRENGTH : 13 ▴
AGILITY : 10 ▴
STAMINA : 10 ▴
INTELLIGENCE : 91 ▴
Before him, a bright window materialized, glowing as vividly as daylight, its dynamic interface alive and responsive to his intent. The holographic display hovered weightlessly, casting soft luminescence across his determined features.
"Argh, I can’t afford to wait any longer. If I don’t finish this, it’ll only drain me to death."
"Open inventory," he commanded, his voice calm but firm.
Another window appeared in the air.
With a sudden, deliberate motion, he thrust his hand into the shimmering hologram, his fingers grasping at something unseen within its depths. In an instant, he withdrew a blade—sleek, glimmering, and radiating a faint blue hue, as if forged from ice itself.
David adjusted his grip, his movements swift and precise. As the towering beast lunged toward him, its alabaster fur glinting under the frosty light, he acted with practiced precision. With a single, fluid motion, his blade arced through the air, meeting the creature mid-attack.
The blade sliced cleanly through its target, the strike so precise it left a faint shimmer in its wake. The creature, a monstrous being akin to a polar bear yet far more sinister, let out a guttural roar before collapsing, its form crumpling to the icy floor.
David exhaled slowly, watching as the once-mighty beast stilled. Its pure white fur, now lifeless, seemed almost serene against the cavern's frozen backdrop. He tightened his grip on the blade and glanced around, wary of any lingering threats, before muttering under his breath, "Finally."
"I can scarcely believe how far I've come in just a few weeks. My life has changed dramatically, all due to this strange system."
"No one would believe me if I said this, but..."
"It’s showing me a way out, lifting me from the depths of my misery and hopelessness."
▪ ▪ ▪ KILLED A GIANT FROST URSALITH ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ REWARD : + 12 SU + 200 XP ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ LEVEL UP AVAILABLE ▪ ▪ ▪
He had realized it before, but his fight with the shapeshifter had only cemented the idea—it was always wiser to delay leveling up until the moment of absolute necessity.
"I'll save the level-up for later," he decided.
Silence returned.
David exhaled, slipping the blade back into his inventory. His body throbbed with exhaustion—he had been conserving his mana reserves.
He had pushed himself again—but that was nothing new.
The underground lake veered deeper into the ground, disappearing into the darkness beyond David’s reach.
Meanwhile, the cavern expanded to the side, where a soft, almost ethereal glow spilled through—a sign of an opening ahead, beckoning him forward.
He had barely taken a few steps past the turn when his breath caught in his throat.
The cavern’s jagged walls parted, revealing an open expanse—a frozen wasteland stretched before him, its focus drawn to a single, unforgiving point in the far distance.
The Eternal Glacier.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he steadied himself, exhaled, and pressed forward.