The wind howled through the ruins, carrying the scent of dried blood and scorched earth. He stood in the rubble, mind blank, heart still pounding from the strange sequence of messages.
Then a voice echoed—not from outside, but inside his head:
[System initialized. Unique Skill: Time Freeze (3 seconds) activated.]
He took a step back. "A skill... what?"
A scream pierced the air—shrill, inhuman, like something being torn apart.
He scanned the surroundings. Nothing. But something was coming.
[Warning: Class E creature approaching – distance: 112 meters]
A semi-transparent map blinked into view, a red dot racing toward him at terrifying speed.
"No weapon, no shelter... What the hell do I do?"
He clenched his fists. On the back of his hand, a glowing triangular mark pulsed faintly.
[Hint: You can activate the Time Freeze skill by thinking 'Freeze' or during emergency actions.]
The red dot was now less than 50 meters away.
The scream was close now—something four-legged, its flesh raw and shredded, eyes glowing red like broken sirens. It clawed the ground, preparing to leap.
"Freeze!"
Everything… stopped.
The wind froze mid-gust. Dust and leaves hung suspended in the air. The monster was frozen mid-leap, claws outstretched, jaws inches from his throat.
He held his breath. Eyes wide.
3... 2... 1...
Time resumed.
The creature roared, but he had already rolled backward, grabbing a rusted metal rod from the debris.
Without hesitation, he drove it into the monster's throat. Black blood sprayed. The thing shrieked and collapsed, its body disintegrating into ash.
[Enemy Defeated: Rilak – Class E][+12 EXP][Survival Progress: 1/100]
He stood there, gasping. His mind spinning. "I... really killed it?"
High above, red glowing text appeared in the sky:
[Candidate No. 88 – Confirmed Alive.]
On the blood-red horizon, a violet streak flared across the sky. A low, amused voice echoed from nowhere:
"Promising. Let's keep playing."