The weariness weighed on me, each passing second gnawing at my mind. I had stayed awake the whole night, the familiar throb at the back of my skull pulsing with a dull ache, persistent yet not overwhelming. Back in the real world, a night like this would have been unbearable. The mental strain alone would've rendered me bedridden for days, if not weeks. No one would've noticed. No one would've cared. I would've had to drag myself through the motions—making the bed, wetting cloths to cool my fevered skin, forcing food down despite the nausea. The thought of visiting a doctor never crossed my mind, not with the absurd fees they charged for a few empty words of advice.

I would have simply stared at the ceiling for hours, waiting for exhaustion to take over and pull me into sleep, my mind racing until it could race no more. But here, in this twisted world, things felt different. The burden still lingered, yet it felt diluted, as though this "game" dulled the edge of both mental fatigue and physical exhaustion. The messenger had hinted at it when I was first brought here, on my way to the kingdom. But even if my body resisted collapse, I knew the truth: I needed sleep.

It wasn't an option now, though. I was trapped in a dark hall carved inside a mountain, where the sun wouldn't dare to reach, where I couldn't rely on its light to wake me. I had no idea when these people would stir or what they would do once they did. My head lowered, arms propped on my knees, eyes shut in a mockery of rest. But sleep? Sleep was elusive.

Maki was still fast asleep, her breathing steady, completely at peace despite the absurdity of everything around us. It was strange—after giving me that terrible bedtime story, the last thing I expected was for her to sleep so soundly. The details of her tale still gnawed at me, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. Whether it was some twisted version of the truth or a fabrication to mess with my head, I couldn't tell. But the fact that she'd supposedly been here for three years, maybe with this very group, gave me some semblance of comfort.

Still, I wasn't foolish enough to let my guard down just yet. Survival didn't always mean trustworthiness, and in a place like this, the lines between ally and foe could blur in an instant.

One of the many questions that gnawed at the back of my mind was whether everyone summoned to this world had come from the same version of Earth as I had. It was a possibility I couldn't easily dismiss, but there were too many uncertainties. Sure, these people displayed familiar habits, and they casually referenced technology that felt like something I would have known in my world. But just because they mentioned things that sounded like my reality didn't mean they were from the same Earth. For all I knew, they could have come from entirely different versions of Earth—parallel worlds that ran alongside mine, separated by thin veils I could never see, but with slight and significant differences. It made me wonder: if this world could pull people from one Earth, why not others? Why only humans?

What if I encountered someone from my planet? Not just someone from Earth, but from my exact timeline? The thought was both thrilling and terrifying. Would they become an ally, someone who understood the world I came from, who shared my experiences, my memories? It felt like the most natural thing, to think that if I found someone who had lived the same life, breathed the same air, they'd be on my side. But this place twisted everything—morals, alliances, even identity. Would they really care? Or would they just see me as another obstacle in their path to survival?

The more I thought about it, the more I doubted. This game, or whatever this twisted reality was, didn't reward kindness or loyalty. It rewarded strength, ruthlessness, the ability to outlast others. In a world like this, where trust was a fragile thing, I had to wonder if even a shared past could overcome the instinct to survive at any cost. Back home, relationships were built on history and mutual understanding. But here? All that could easily crumble under the pressure to ascend, to become stronger.

What if they saw me as competition? What if they believed that only one of us could survive or progress? It was possible that meeting someone from my past might complicate things rather than offer relief. We could look at each other, recognize the same desperation in our eyes, and know that, despite everything, we couldn't truly afford to trust one another. I might expect an ally, but they might only see another threat.

Another lingering question was how to progress to the next level. Back in Level 0, the tasks were straightforward, but now, things were far murkier. The messenger had mentioned I'd need to become stronger, but what did that mean? What was her definition of strength? How would I know if I had grown? Should I start by defeating others? Was killing everyone in this hall the path to becoming stronger?

The answer was supposed to come with the update I'd receive after gaining my rune, but without that, I was lost. The only option seemed to be asking someone else. Zara was the closest thing to an ally here, but even then, I'm not completely sure if she would want to answer. I'd have to ask her about Maki too—something was off about that girl.

"Did you even manage to sleep?"

I glanced over, surprised to see Zara awake. With all the thinking and the throbbing in my head, I had completely overlooked her presence.

"Somewhat," I replied, my voice a bit rough from the restless night. She stared at me for a moment, her eyes studying mine, before a smile crept onto her face.

"Well, you know what? Why don't we go outside? The morning air might lighten your mood," she suggested. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Nodding, I got up and followed her as she led the way.

Zara opened the door and stepped onto the pathway, the lamps still flickering with a warm glow. We walked in silence for a brief moment, the cool air brushing against my skin and soothing my scattered thoughts. After a short walk, we arrived at the boulder that blocked the entrance inside the mountain.

With a determined look, Zara flexed her muscles before pushing the massive stone aside effortlessly. I hadn't noticed it before, but just beside me was another staircase descending into the depths of the earth. Curiosity gnawed at me—I needed answers, and this felt like the perfect moment to ask my questions.

"How did you guys manage to build all of this?" I inquired, my eyes sweeping over the impressive structure.

"We didn't build," she replied casually, as if the weight of the entire mountain was nothing.

"Garron crafted this all with the help of his rune, Terrastone," she added, her tone laced with pride.

Oh, I replied, trying to sound impressed.

"Yeah, it took him three days, though."

The idea of one person creating something so monumental in such a short span intrigued me. It raised more questions than it answered. What kind of power did that rune hold? And if he could create all this, what else was possible?

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I followed her outside, the cool morning air wrapping around me like a gentle embrace. Zara settled down beside a tree, her gaze fixed on the dawn sky as it transitioned from deep indigo to warm hues of orange and gold. I found a tree nearby and leaned my back against its sturdy trunk, folding my arms across my chest.

As I looked over at Zara, I caught her eye; she was smiling slightly, the soft glow of the sunrise reflecting in her eyes.

"See," I began, gathering my thoughts, "I have questions. Many questions that I need answers to, and the only person I could ask here is you."

Her smile widened, an inviting warmth radiating from her. "Yeah, I figured. Go on, clear your mind before the others wake up."

I nodded, focusing on Zara as the morning air wrapped around us. "First, can you tell me about the Nyu and aura from the runes you keep talking about, and why you're searching for them?"

"Hmmm. If you don't know that, then I guess you can't see the console and various tabs in your head," she said.

Confused, I replied, "No," simply letting her explain.

"Hmmm, this is quite a complex topic, but I'll do my best to break it down for you. If you can't see the various tabs in your mind, it indicates that you didn't receive the crucial update that comes once you claim your rune. Even though you hold it in your hand, the rune doesn't recognize you as its master, which is why you missed out on that update."

I nodded slowly, processing her words. "So you're saying that the rune doesn't see me as its master?"

"Exactly," she affirmed.

"The thing is, the various runes at this level each contain different amounts of Nyu. Once you receive the update, you'll be able to see the amount of Nyu I possess just by looking at my rune." She gestured toward the diamond-shaped rune pierced in the upper part of her ear. "I currently have 5 Nyu. The more Nyu you have, the higher your status in this level."

Realizing that this explanation would take some time, I decided to take a seat, leaning back against the sturdy trunk of the tree.

"In your mind, you can access various tabs that display crucial information, such as the amount of essence remaining in your rune, the number of game coins you possess, details about the shop and auction, as well as a record of the people you've defeated. The list goes on, providing you with a comprehensive overview of your status and progress."

"Sounds a lot like a video game, doesn't it?"

"Video game?" She looked at me, a hint of confusion on her face.

"Sorry, just forget I said that. Please, go on." Her lack of familiarity with the concept of a video game cleared some of my doubts.

"So one of the tabs is the leaderboard. There are various leaderboards, but to keep it simple, I'll explain the leaderboards for this level. The first one is the Nyu leaderboard. It displays the players with the most Nyu in this level in order."

I nodded. "So what do you do with the Nyu? Is it just points to display your strength or what?"

"Umm, no, Nyu does not represent your strength," she explained. "It represents how many and how strong players you've defeated. For example, if you were to defeat me—either by crushing my rune, making me lose consciousness, or actually killing me in combat—you'd receive 40% of the Nyu I possess. But the Nyu you get will always be a whole number. So if you defeat me, you'd get, like, 2 Nyu. It can't be in fractions; it rounds off to the highest whole number."

I nodded, trying to wrap my head around it. "So again, doesn't that represent strength?"

"No," she clarified. "It's possible for two players to have 24 and 25 Nyu, respectively. The one with 25 Nyu could have defeated multiple players with less than 10 Nyu to reach 25, while the one with 24 could have defeated a single player with 62 Nyu to get there. So it doesn't really measure your strength, but rather how many and how powerful opponents you've defeated."

Understanding began to settle in. "What's the main purpose of this Nyu, then?"

"The main purpose is to surpass a certain threshold set in each level. If you exceed that threshold, you get the right to pass on to the next level. But that doesn't mean you have to."

"Okay, so what's the threshold for this level?" I asked, realizing that was the entire point.

Zara's expression turned serious and sad as she made a face. "It's 320."

"Damn," I muttered, feeling the weight of that number. "You're nowhere close to that line."

"And that's why you have parties," Her expression brightened as she spoke.

"I don't quite get it," I replied.

She continued, "You see, you're not compelled to fight alone, you can if you choose, but the purpose of forming a party is that, if the leader surpasses the threshold, the entire party progresses alongside them. Additionally, every 10% of the Nyu earned by party members goes to the leader."

I see so that offers a separate merit rather than when you choose to play alone. I guess I'll act along a bit to get as much information as I can get before the party becomes active for today.

"Ah, I see now. Thanks! But, um, if you don't mind me asking, what's the Nyu count for your party? If you'd rather not share, that's fine too."

She paused for a moment, scrutinizing me, before answering. "You know what? You're not even a threat to us, even while we're asleep. The reason is because of aura."

"Huh? You didn't explain what that counts for yet."

She chuckled lightly. "It's not a big deal. Aura is just a form of essence emitted from your rune. If you had one, you'd be able to gauge the strength of an opponent by the amount of aura their rune radiates. Since we sense no aura from your rune, it simply means you're far inferior to us."

I sighed. "You know you don't have to keep reminding me of that, right?"

Although I'm putting up an act and since I already know my situation, I genuinely didn't like her bringing that up time and time again.

She laughed. "Well, anyway, the party leader is Maki, so obviously she has more than I do—she has 12. Kael managed to get 1 when he defeated Maki during a spar before we formed our party."

She cast her gaze downward, as if lost in the weight of memories. Though they had been brought together at different times, it was likely that the party had formed not long before two years ago. Two years in this relentless hell would surely leave scars—both visible and hidden—etched into the souls of those who endured it.

Taking a more serious tone, I pressed, "What about Garron?"

She hesitated, drawing in a deep breath before continuing, her gaze shifting to the branches of the tree above. Sunlight began to filter through the leaves, casting a gentle glow that brightened the surrounding area and illuminated her face. The warm light danced in her eyes, revealing a glimmer of vulnerability hidden beneath her usual composure.

"You know..... Garron, doesn't actually belong in our party."

My eyes narrowed confirming the lingering suspicion.

"You may have noticed, but he's far stronger than the rest of us. In fact, he's the only one in our party who managed to pass Level 1."

"What do you mean?"

She lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret. "The only reason he's here, is that his previous party was annihilated in Level 3."

I was actually shocked. I kind of expected her to say Garron has passed or nearly passed level 1, due to the unusually strong aura, but to have reached level 3?

"Unfortunately, he was the only survivor. The enemies stripped him of his Nyu, forcing him to demote from Level 3 to Level 2. And with no allies left, let alone a leader, he didn't have the strength to progress, and soon, he was thrown back to this level."

So that guy really didnt belong in here. "Did he join your party in order to climb again?", I asked.

"Not really, just after a few months of forming our party, we faced off against other players. We had one casualty, the friend of Kael, who died trying to protect him. We were not as strong as we are now. And when the situation was getting dire, Garron stumbled upon us. He saw the brawl going on and decided to save Maki who had nearly depleted her rune trying to heal us."

She looked at me with a tiny smirk on her lips. "It looked like Garron got a little crush on her."

Oh wow. Crush on that Psycho? Yea sure.

"He decided to protect her for the rest of his life in this game. And since then he became a part of this party."

So how much Nyu does he have?" I asked, curiosity piqued.

"Garron," she paused, her expression turning contemplative. "He has about 300 left, maybe more. But one thing is for sure. He can advance this level if he wishes, but since he only promised to protect Maki, he doesn't hunt for us, what a pity."

It mirrored, in some ways, the life led by the old man. Before I could continue my questioning, a deep murmur echoed within the mountain's depths, reverberating like a distant thunderclap. I turned to Zara. "Well, I suppose this is as far as we go for today. Let's get something to eat."

Food—how could I have forgotten? It had been far too long since I arrived in this level, and the gnawing emptiness in my stomach reminded me of my neglect. We retraced our steps into the dim interior, where something warm and hearty awaited us, promising a momentary escape from the questions still swirling in my mind.