[Location: Morningstar Manor, New York]
Thud! Thud! Thud!
My body rolled off the ground three times before finally coming to a dead halt against the polished marble of my room's floor. The impact rattled through my ribs, but compared to the hellfire desert I'd just crawled out of, it was almost merciful.
The transfer always felt like being spat out of reality itself, but this time? This time it was like the System had chewed me up, fried me in molten breath, scrubbed me raw with sand, then tossed me back home like some half-burnt offering.
The cold marble beneath my cheek… oh, it felt like heaven.
I wheezed, each breath scraping through my scorched throat like sandpaper, and forced my eyes open. The familiar gothic ceiling of Morningstar Manor loomed above, its arches black and solemn, lit by the faint blue glow of mana lamps. Home. Somehow, against all odds, I'd made it through another penalty zone.
[Penalty Zone – Desert of Attrition]
[Duration: 4 Hours]
