After the sun finally rose and the monstrous cries faded with the darkness, I let out a slow breath.
"After planning for nearly fifteen hours straight… I've finally got a plan."
Only having two usable skills was like going to war armed with nothing but a plain shirt and pants—basically suicide.
But there was one thing I had forgotten amidst the chaos of yesterday.
When someone reaches Level 20, they're granted an Ultimate Skill. Every class gets one, unique to their class.
A swordsman might unlock an Air Slash. A mage, something like a Mega Fireball.
So if I can just reach Level 20, then maybe—just maybe—I'd have the power to take down that boss monster.
The problem is… I'm only Level 13. Seven whole levels away.
Which means, before anything else, I need to kill at least one of those monsters I saw yesterday.
I stepped out of the building and immediately made my way toward the temple.
Every footstep felt heavier than it should've been, my nerves stretched thin.
Sneaking from building to building, keeping low behind collapsed walls and broken statues, I finally reached sight of the temple gates.
And there it was.
A single monster hunched over the remains of another beast, tearing into it with wet, ugly sounds. Its elongated limbs twitched, talons clicking against the stone floor as it feasted.
My gut clenched.
"Let's scan that monster first."
I raised my smartband, camera lens focusing on the creature as it tore at the carcass.
Just because I've played the game didn't mean I remembered every monster. I hadn't even scanned them earlier—too busy running for my life after my teammates vanished.
[Scanning…]
___
Name: Face Crawler
Rank: High Elite (B-)
Description: Commonly found near carcasses of other monsters. This creature steals the faces of its prey and uses them to lure in more victims.
Guide: Recommended to fight with a team.
___
"Shit."
Face Crawlers weren't especially strong, but their abilities were a nightmare. Illusions. Mimicry. And worst of all—they could call for reinforcements the moment things went south.
I tightened my grip on the spear.
"I guess I need to set a trap."
A sudden spike of pain shot through my skull, sharp enough to make me stagger.
Then—images I'd never seen before flooded my mind.
I was sitting in a quiet library. The air smelled of old parchment, the kind of silence so heavy it almost pressed against your chest. Only two people were there—me, and a librarian.
She slid a thick book across the table, its cover etched with strange sigils. Inside, pages of monster sketches filled the parchment—one of them unmistakably a Face Crawler.
Her voice echoed faintly in my head.
"Kylen, remember this. If you ever encounter this monster—hide. You can't outrun it; their legs are too fast. But their eyesight is poor. If you stay still and hidden, you'll survive."
The memory dissolved like mist. The pain receded with it, leaving me breathing hard, clutching my head.
"…That was Jake's memory, wasn't it?" I muttered.
Ever since I'd taken over Jake's body, flashes like this came to me at random. When I cooked, I'd suddenly remember him in a warm kitchen with his mother. When I trained, I'd recall his countless, clumsy attempts at combat.
"Why do I remember this memory just now?" I asked to myself.
If this memory came yesterday I wouldn't do something as troublesome as running from them.
"Well who the fuck cares about the past, let's think about the present."
If their eyesight is bad, then maybe—just maybe—there's a chance I can kill them.
The problem is, I've never fought in my entire life. The first time I killed those goblins, my hands shook so violently I thought there was an earthquake under me.
And now I'm supposed to fight that giant freak of a monster?
…Lord, have mercy.
"Wait, why am I even thinking of fighting these things? I can just leave."
I don't care if people call me a coward. As long as I live, I'll gladly trade the whole world for my survival.
So I limped toward the ruined city's entrance, heart hammering, every step heavy with hope. But the moment I tried to step beyond the broken gate—
—bam!
An invisible barrier slammed against my face, throwing me back.
"What…?"
A cold system prompt blinked across my vision.
[You may not leave this place until you have killed all the monsters that dwell in this city.]
My stomach dropped. "What…?"
Before I could even curse properly, a shriek split the air.
One of the creatures bolted from the shadows, its limbs jerking unnaturally as it barreled toward me—jaws wide, rows of teeth gnashing, ready to tear me apart.
"…You've gotta be kidding me!"
◇◇◇
Back on the training field, all cadets who had safely returned from the Gate were ordered to hand in their academy-issued equipment.
One by one, teams filed up to the instructors, returning drones, comm-bands, and scanners. All except Team Eleven.
A bull-headed instructor scowled, tapping his clipboard.
"Cadet Victoria. Where is the drone I assigned your team?"
Victoria's gaze sharpened immediately. "Jack. Return the drone to the instructor."
"Wait—me? I thought Amano had it!" Jack stammered.
"Eh?! I thought it was you!" Amano shrieked, her hands flailing.
The instructor's brows furrowed deeper. "So who has it?"
The three exchanged frantic glances, pointing fingers without an answer.
None of them realized the truth—
...The drone was still inside the Gate, its lens quietly recording the actions of the teammate they had all forgotten.
On the training field, a small girl with a staff in her hand walked toward the confused Team Eleven.
"What's the matter?" the little girl asked.
Amano crouched down, her eyes sparkling. "Oh my gosh, what a cute little girl! Where are your parents?" She scooped the child up without hesitation.
"I command you to put me down at once!" the girl snapped, glaring furiously at Amano.
"Hey, put her down! That's the principal's avatar!" the bull instructor hissed.
"W-what?!" Amano froze, then turned her head toward the distant principal, who was already glaring at her. Hastily, Amano bowed as low as she could, stammering, "I—I'm very sorry for my behavior, Principal!"
"It's fine. Not your fault," the avatar said with a sigh, brushing it off before turning toward the bull-headed instructor. "Miro, what seems to be the problem?"
The instructor stiffened. "Principal, these cadets lost the drone that was issued to record their exploration."
"It's alright. We can retrieve the drone. Head to the control room and check its current position."
"As you command!" Miro barked, already sprinting toward the building.
"You cadets may return to your classrooms," the avatar added. "We'll handle this matter."
"Thank you for your help, Principal," Team Eleven chorused before quickly retreating back to the academy.
Left standing alone, the little girl avatar puffed her cheeks and muttered under her breath, "…Sigh. Maybe I should change this appearance after all."
Back in the control room, the bull-headed instructor burst through the doors, his heavy footsteps echoing against the metal floor. He strode straight to one of the staff members hunched over the monitors.
"Pull up the location of Team Eleven's drone," he ordered.
The staffer's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Yes, sir… The drone is still active. It's currently recording." He hesitated, glancing up. "Should we connect the feed?"
"Do it. Now."
The largest screen on the wall flickered to life.
Static cleared. The image sharpened—showing a single cadet battling a monstrous creature in the ruins. The boy's movements were rough, desperate, yet unyielding. He gripped a bronze spear in his hands, thrusting and dodging with every ounce of strength he had left.
The room fell into stunned silence.
"That's…" one of the operators whispered.
The instructor's jaw clenched. "Run an identification scan. Immediately. Who is that cadet?"
"There's no any sign of him being a cadet sir."
◇◇◇
"Why can't you just die already." I roared, driving the spear down into the monster's twisted face again and again.
Its limbs spasmed, screech garbled, then—finally—silence.
The beast collapsed, lifeless.
I staggered back, chest heaving, arms shaking from the effort. My vision swam.
[You have killed a high elite tier monster]
____
Remaining Monster:
16/17
____
[Level Up]
[13 → 21]
A shaky laugh slipped out of me. "Finally…"
The strength drained from my body, and I slumped to the ground, barely hanging onto consciousness.
Then another prompt appeared, brighter, heavier than the others.
[Choose one of the available Ultimate Skills]
____
1. Absolute Command — Rank S
Issue an irrefutable order to allies or enemies. Success depends on Willpower vs target resistance.
2. Selfless Will — Rank S+
With allies: Share buffs, healing, and damage taken.
Alone: Sacrifice parts of your body to temporarily gain overwhelming strength.
3. Legion's Echo — Rank S
Summon spectral echoes of yourself or past allies to fight at reduced strength for a short duration.
4. Tactical Rewrite — Rank S+
Rewrite the battlefield once per day, changing terrain, enemy positions, or ally states to your favor.
5. Undying Resolve — Rank S
When HP reaches 0, remain standing for 30 seconds with boosted stats. Cooldown: once per battle.
____
The words burned into my vision, a choice that would define everything from this point forward.
"Haha..."
To Be Continued...