The sterile scent of disinfectant filled Juno's nostrils as his eyes fluttered open. White ceiling tiles and fluorescent lights greeted him. For a moment, everything was still—his mind blank, his limbs heavy. He blinked, trying to recall what happened, but the last thing he remembered was the dungeon turning red, the sound of screaming, and then—nothing. No void. No voice. No deal. Just darkness.
A nurse gasped beside him. "Doctor! He's awake!"
Moments later, people swarmed into the room. Medical staff, a guild rep, someone in a black uniform he didn't recognize.
"You've been unconscious for six days," the doctor said, gently touching his wrist to check his pulse. "It's a miracle you're alive, Juno."
"W-What happened?" His voice cracked, his throat raw.
"You were found by a dungeon cleanup crew. Barely breathing, soaked in monster blood and venom, but somehow… stable. We've done a full recovery scan. Your mana circuits are intact, though weak."
The guild rep stepped forward. "We also re-evaluated your rank."
Juno's heart skipped. Maybe this was the moment everything changed. Maybe he awakened as an A-rank or—
"Still E-rank," the man said flatly.
The breath left his lungs.
"But don't worry," the rep added quickly, "you survived a rank-shifting dungeon. That alone is impressive. You'll be noted as a survivor. That may help with guild placements."
Placements. Like he cared. He clenched the sheets tightly. Betrayed by his own team, humiliated, and now still the weakest rank.
After three more days, they discharged him. The school had already resumed, and Juno's return barely made ripples. Most students didn't even believe the dungeon had turned red. His teammates had crafted a believable lie—Juno wandered too deep and was presumed dead. The dungeon had collapsed after they escaped.
Some whispered that he faked the whole thing.
Others just resumed their bullying.
Locker doors slammed shut behind him. Lunch trays "accidentally" spilled on his clothes. His gym clothes went mysteriously missing.
He said nothing. Just endured.
But something was different.
In his peripheral vision, faint symbols flickered. Sometimes, when he focused, he could hear a low hum, like a distant computer booting.
Then, one morning, a notification appeared in bold text, hovering in the corner of his vision:
[Shadow System Active.]
[New User Detected.]
[Initiate Basic Conditioning Quest?]
Reward: +1 Stamina / Penalty: System Disruption]
He blinked and rubbed his eyes, but it didn't disappear.
[Quest: Run 3km. Do 100 Pushups. 100 Situps. 100 Squats. Daily.]
[Progress: 0%]
He scoffed. "What is this, a parody anime training arc?"
He ignored it.
The next day, his legs were heavier than usual. He felt like he was walking through water. But he brushed it off—still healing, maybe.
He ignored the system again.
The following day, during PE class, he collapsed mid-run. His lungs burned like they were on fire. No one helped him.
[Warning: Quest Ignored. Basic system punishment initiated.]
[Stats Debuff: -2 Stamina for 24 hours.]
"What the hell?!" he gasped, clutching his side.
[Reminder: Progress required to prevent systemic deterioration.]
Still, he refused. He had no time for fake systems. If it was real, why did it hide when he got tested again? Why didn't it boost his rank?
That night, the dreams returned.
He stood in an empty, black corridor. A voice echoed.
"You deny the gift… but it will not be denied."
Pain lanced through his chest. He screamed.
When he woke, his sheets were soaked in sweat, and his muscles trembled.
[Stat Penalty Extended. Recovery halted.]
[System Lock Imminent.]
Something was forcing its way into his life.
He wasn't just surviving anymore. He was changing.
And the system—whatever it truly was—wasn't going to let him ignore it for long.