[: Daniel's POV :]
I took a deep breath, forcing my chest to settle as I tried to calm the whirlwind of despair and fear that had consumed me.
Slowly, I lifted my eyes to observe the ruined landscape before me.
Ash swirled in the wind, buildings leaned precariously, and the sky was still streaked with deep crimson clouds, but there was something else… something moving in the shadows.
Before I could properly focus, the shapes stepped into view.
My stomach twisted as I froze.
A horde of creatures—twisted and grotesque—stood in the debris-strewn street ahead.
Each one towered nearly two meters tall, their bodies a grotesque fusion of humanoid and beast.
Their skin was pallid, cracked like aged parchment, but beneath it pulsed a dark, sickly green glow, as if their veins carried poison rather than blood.
Jagged spines ran down their backs, clicking against each other with every movement, and their elongated limbs ended in claws blackened like charred steel.
Their heads were the most horrifying.
Elongated, skull-like, with hollow sockets that radiated faint, burning crimson light.
Rows of needle-sharp teeth protruded from lips that didn't move when they hissed, yet a low, guttural growl emanated from their throats, vibrating through the air.
Their eyes—or whatever semblance of eyes they had—locked onto me, filled with a predatory hunger, calculating my presence with unsettling intelligence.
I instinctively took a step back, hand brushing against the void of energy forming at my side.
My pulse quickened, not from fear, but from the raw anticipation of testing my strength.
[: Host, these creatures are classified as Fourth Stage Mortal Realm adversaries. :]
"Fourth Stage mortal realm?" I muttered, arching an eyebrow.
My violet-and-gold gaze swept over them, reading their stance, the way they shifted on jagged debris, the way they flexed their claws.
Even at this level, their aura was oppressive, filled with malice and hunger, yet I could feel the infinite power coiling in my veins, ready to respond.
[: Host, engaging in combat is recommended. Your current capabilities far surpass their stage, but caution is advised to test your limits effectively :]
My chest tightened as I stared at the monsters.
Their grotesque forms, the way their glowing veins pulsed with unnatural life, the rows of jagged teeth catching the crimson light—it all pressed down on me like a weight I couldn't shake.
For a fleeting moment, raw fear clawed at my mind.
My heart raced, each beat pounding in my ears.
I've just awakened today.
My fingers twitched instinctively.
I don't even know how to fight.
All my power… It's untamed. Untrained.
I've never been in a real fight.
The images I had seen in cultivation archives, the holo-recordings of monsters and warriors—they didn't compare.
Not one bit.
Those were controlled demonstrations, filtered through screens, distances, and safe edits.
These monsters, though not real, are still a stimulation of what could happen.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry.
My violet-and-gold eyes darted between the horde, noting every twitch, every subtle motion.
They were calculating, patient… waiting for me to make a mistake.
"I… I can't… I can't just back down," I muttered, voice barely audible, shaking.
"If I do… if I let my fear control me…"
My hands clenched, fingers digging into my palms.
"Then this future… this reality… it will happen."
I forced myself to inhale deeply.
The smell of ash, smoke, and decay filled my senses, making the world feel suffocating.
I could feel my pulse hammering in my ears.
"Okay… I can do this," I whispered to myself, though the tremor in my voice betrayed me.
"I have to do this. I… I must be stronger than my fear."
[: Host, caution is advised. Your current experience in combat is nonexistent. Fear is natural. Control it and focus on execution. :]
The System's voice was calm, almost comforting, but it didn't erase the terror swirling in my chest.
I took another shaky step forward, feeling the uneven rubble crunch beneath my feet.
My muscles tensed, coiled with power I had yet to fully understand.
My mind screamed at me to run, to hide—but I couldn't. Not now.
"You… monsters," I muttered, forcing my voice into a low growl despite its quiver.
"I… I don't know how to fight you yet. But I will. I have to. Or everything… everyone… could be lost."
One of the creatures hissed, its breath carrying a rancid, fetid stench that made my stomach twist. Its glowing crimson eyes locked onto mine, and I could feel the raw hunger and malice emanating from it.
I swallowed my bile, my legs shaking uncontrollably, and forced myself to stand taller.
The weight of my fear pressed against me, yet beneath it burned something sharper—determination.
"I… I will overcome this," I said aloud, teeth gritted.
"I… I can't let myself fail. Not here. Not now. If I falter… if I hesitate… then this nightmare future… It's inevitable."
My pulse was a drumbeat of adrenaline and anxiety.
My hands were trembling, but I raised them, summoning the latent energy of the Script of Infinite coursing through my veins.
Even untrained, raw, uncontrolled, it thrummed like a living thing beneath my skin.
"Alright…" I whispered, jaw tight, eyes narrowed. "Let's… let's see if I can survive this. If I can't… then I… I deserve whatever comes."
A low growl rumbled through the horde, and one of the monsters lunged forward with inhuman speed.
My heart lurched, terror screaming in my chest—but I didn't back down.
"Then… let's begin," I murmured, voice shaking but resolute, and for the first time, I truly understood the weight of what it meant to face fear… and fight through it.