46 minutes and 36 seconds left.
That's all the time I have before the Trials begin. No time to waste.
The moment I step into my apartment, I head straight for the bed, sit down, and open the system.
A soft flicker of blue shimmers across my vision as the interface hums to life — sleek and familiar.
I don't have much time, but with admin access unlocked, I can do something I never could before: use mana essence.
Since I have the Appraisal skill, I can now see the hidden properties in artifacts — and more importantly, extract mana from them. The pendant I bought at the auction, the mythic-grade ring with the cracked red gem — it hums with untapped energy.
I place it gently into my palm, close my eyes, and focus.
Mana Essence Extraction: Active.
A slow warmth gathers in my chest. Wisps of violet energy spiral up from the ring and begin flowing into my body. It's like breathing in lightning and swallowing fire at the same time. Painful, but not unbearable.
I grit my teeth and channel it through my limbs, letting the energy seep into my veins like molten silk.
Then — a sharp ping.
[Congratulations! Admin Kang Lim has unlocked the Feat: "Learn Mana First"][Side Feat Acquired: "Awakened Before the Trials"]
My eyes widen. I knew unlocking mana early would be important, but to trigger feats already?
"System, show feat rewards."
[Initializing…]—10 Bonus Stat Points—1 Scroll: Archmage's Flames (Flame-type Magic, High-Risk Learning Method)—1 Manual: Beginner Sword Style – Steel Fang Form
I check the time.
50 seconds left until the Trials begin.
"Alright," I whisper. "Let's do this now."
I open the scroll.
A wave of heat engulfs the room.
WARNING: The Archmage's Flames burns the user during absorption.
"Yeah, I know."
I clench my teeth and consume the scroll. Agony spreads across my arms, like wildfire beneath my skin. My muscles lock up, nerves screaming, but I remain still.
Fire floods into me.
My vision whites out — and then clears.
[Archmage's Flames Acquired – Rank: B+]
[Side Effect: Flame resistance +5% / Mana Burn Risk during early casting phase]
Immediately after, I consume the sword manual. That part's easier — the knowledge flows into my mind like a calm stream rather than an inferno.
With 10 bonus stat points to spend, I think carefully — but not for long.
"System, assign all 10 stat points to Luck."
[Luck Stat: 5 → 15]
[Feat Acquired: First Player to Raise a Stat Above 5 Before the Trials][Reward: 1 Mana Potion, 2 Strength Potions]
I grin. "System, store all rewards."
The glowing items vanish into a storage window just as I feel my eyelids grow heavy.
The mana surge, the pain, the data—My body can't take it all at once.
I collapse onto the bed and black out.
A new voice greets me.
It's cold, mechanical… and not human.
"Welcome, all 1,439,780 contestants."
"This is my grand opening, as Administrator Basdor. You have been selected to compete in the Trials. Win, and you may return to your world. Lose… and you die."
"Let the tutorial commence."
I wake up on the damp floor of a forest clearing.
The air is sharp and cold, the sky overhead a false simulation of twilight. Trees loom around me — thick, unnatural things. Birds don't sing here. There's only the rustling of monsters.
"The tutorial is simple," the System announces."Find the exit."
"...Simple, huh?" I mutter.
Another notification chimes:
[Bonus Objective: Player with the Highest Monster Kills Will Receive a Feat and Extra Rewards]
I hear a twig snap. I turn slowly.
A wild boar stares back at me from the underbrush — tusks glinting, eyes wild.
"Ah. First target."
I snap a branch off a nearby tree, channel mana into it until it hums faintly. The branch hardens, sharpens, becomes a makeshift blade.
"I've got five minutes' worth of mana," I murmur. "Let's see what I can do with it."
I dash forward.
Swish.The branch-turned-sword slices the boar clean in half.
Blood sprays across the grass.
"I didn't realize mana made this much of a difference."
Four minutes later—
I'm covered in cuts, my clothes stained with blood.
But I'm smiling.
22 boars, 12 goblins, and 3 blood rabbits.
Everything feels clearer, sharper. Mana moves through me like it belongs.
Then the trees go silent.
I turn around slowly — and there it is.
A poison serpent. Level 34.Its green scales ripple with venomous sheen. Fangs the size of daggers. It slithers forward like death itself.
"Been a while since I saw you here," I whisper. "Maybe the third time."
The snake lunges. I leap sideways, heart pounding.
10 seconds of mana left.
"Alright then," I grit my teeth, "all or nothing."
I dash forward and thrust — a deep, precise slice across the serpent's midsection. But it keeps moving. Its tail lashes. I flip backward.
Mana depleted.
"Damn it—System, consume mana potion!"
Mana floods back into me. I grab the branch-sword with both hands and leap.
The serpent lunges again — but this time, I dive into its open mouth and ram my flaming fist down its throat.
"ARCHMAGE'S FLAMES!"
The serpent bursts from the inside, convulsing violently.
I stagger out, coughing smoke.
"Dammit… there goes the potion."
But it worked.
The snake falls, unmoving.
A minute later, I stumble upon a glowing stone arch — the exit.
A sterile white room greets me.
Concrete walls. A bed. No visible doors. Magic sealed.
[System Loading…]
[Player Status Updated]
"Please input a username."
"...This again?"
I smirk.
"System, call me… Crying Nut."
A pause.
[Username Confirmed: Crying Nut]
[First Place in Monster Kills: 38][Second Place: 'Snow' – 23][Third Place: 'Verdict' – 20]
[Feat: Most Kills in Tutorial Acquired]
[Base Reward: 12 Bonus Stat Points]
[Due to LUCK stat multiplier (1.7x), bonus adjusted: +20 Stat Points][Additional Rewards: Intermediate Sword Manual, 25,500 Shop Points]
I grin. "This is why I invested in luck."
Back in attempt #6, nobody took the Luck stat seriously. But then some low-rankers started stacking it, and they broke the system's reward scaling. By the time I realized that, it was too late in the loop.
Not this time.
[Feat: First Monster Kill Over Level 30 – +2 Health Potions, +5 Stat Points][Luck Multiplier Activated – Adjusted to +8 Stat Points]
[Total Bonus Stat Points: 28]
"System, assign all stat points to Luck."
[Luck: 15 → 43][Multiplier Effect: 2.4x]
"Yippee," I laugh.
"Point Shop: Open."
The interface unfurls like a massive catalogue.
"Let's see…"
Hellfire Sword Handle – 10,000 points – Buy.
Mana Potion ×3 – 1,500 points – Buy.
Skill Upgrade: Appraisal → Level 3 – 5,000 points – Buy.
A surge of clarity hits me.
Appraisal has evolved into: Seeing Eye.Now I can see enemy stats.
No more guesswork. No more trial and error.
And this is only the first step.