Liam's eyes snapped open, and he found himself back in his own body, the memories of his dream still fresh in his mind like a lingering fog that refused to dissipate. The system's voice boomed in his ears, stern and lecturing, like a strict teacher scolding a wayward student. "Liam, listen carefully. If you want to leave Earth, you need to understand the rules. Only one person can attempt to defeat the Dungeon Core and escape. You'll have to be strategic and make tough choices."
Liam's face twisted in frustration, his eyebrows furrowed, and his lips pursed in a mixture of anger and desperation. He threw a tantrum, feeling trapped and helpless, like a bird in a gilded cage, beating its wings against the bars in a futile attempt to escape. In his anger, he made a selfish decision, one that would abandon his family to fend for themselves, leaving them vulnerable to the dangers that lurked in the shadows. But then, something shifted inside him, like a switch had been flipped, and he decided that he would do whatever it took to ensure their survival, even if it meant leaving them behind.
The system seemed to sense his turmoil and posed a question, its voice laced with a hint of curiosity, "Why can't you just stay on Earth? It's not like you can't survive here." Liam's response was laced with a mix of fear and determination, his voice shaking slightly, like a leaf in an autumn breeze. "I know that people will come to this dungeon, and they'll start a killing spree. The Earth might be large, but they'll keep coming back for more. I won't be able to protect my family, my friends, or anyone else. I'll be too busy fighting for my own survival."
The system's revelation shook Liam to his core, like an earthquake that rattled the foundations of his understanding. "Humans have come before, and all that alien and space nonsense was just a lie. Your world is made up of magic, Liam. You need to defeat the Dungeon Core before it matures, and you can't leave without a technique to survive escaping the dungeon. You'll need to be around level 20 and have a soul technique to escape." Liam's eyes widened in shock as the weight of the system's words sank in, like a heavy burden that threatened to crush him. He would have to cut ties with his family, and the thought sent a pang of sorrow through him, like a knife twisting in his gut.
He closed his eyes, and memories of his past life flooded his mind, like a dam had burst, releasing a torrent of emotions and recollections. He remembered the laughter, the tears, the moments of joy and sorrow. When he opened them again, his gaze was cold and calculating, like a machine that had been programmed to perform a task. "Since I reincarnated, I was meant to be the only one to leave and survive," Liam said to himself, his voice devoid of emotion, like a robot reciting a script.
He walked to the mirror, and his eyes widened as he took in his new appearance. His raven-black hair framed a devilishly handsome face, and his deep blue eyes seemed to bore into his soul, like two piercing stars that shone brightly in the night sky. His body was more defined now, his muscles toned and lean. But the system wasn't impressed, its voice dripping with disdain, "Look at how scrawny you are. From now on, you must do daily quests to get in shape. I cannot have a stick as a host."
As Liam checked his phone, he saw that his murder case had reached the news and was now a popular topic, like a wildfire that spread rapidly, consuming everything in its path. The headlines screamed at him, "Gang Members Brutally Killed with Pen: Mysterious Assassin on the Loose." He felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized that he was now a wanted man, a fugitive who had to evade the authorities and the gang members who sought to take his life.
Meanwhile, in another part of town, the gang members he had killed were discussing how to find him. One of them recognized the uniform on the poster and decided to investigate further, "We'll go to that school and find him out." The gang members were determined to track Liam down, to make him pay for his actions, and to show him the true meaning of fear.
As Liam stood in front of the mirror, he knew that he had a long and difficult journey ahead of him. He would have to navigate the treacherous world of the dungeon, to fight for survival, and to make tough choices. But he was determined to emerge victorious, to defeat the Dungeon Core, and to escape the dungeon. He would do whatever it took to ensure his survival, even if it meant sacrificing everything he held dear.