The Void Hound lunged, and the hallway erupted into chaos.
Levi didn't hesitate—he sprinted into a side room, shards of shattered glass crunching under his feet. Grabbing a jagged piece from a broken window, he tore off his shirt, wrapped it tightly around his right hand, and clenched the glass shard like a blade.
No running. No hiding. He would face this thing head-on.
The hound stormed after him, but instead of finding a cowering prey, it found Levi standing firm, eyes locked on it, breathing steady.
Somewhere far away…
A place no mortal had ever seen-a place whispered about in speculation and fear. A towering black castle rose in a crimson field of spider lilies. Cherry blossom trees lined a pristine stone path winding through a sea of pure green grass. At the castle's highest floor, behind a cracked window, stood a figure—a woman with flowing, silky black hair, her shape a dark silhouette against the pale moonlight. Behind her, seven other shadows loomed in silence.
Through the hound's eyes, she watched.
Her lips curved into a cold smirk.
"This one is bold… Does he truly believe that fragile body can kill my hound?"
The hound snarled and lunged.
Levi gritted his teeth, muscles tensed like coiled steel. He charged forward too, timing the clash. When the beast leapt for his throat, Levi dropped low, planning to strike its neck with the same momentum
but then it happened.
A glitch in reality.
[System: ERROR]
The text flickered in and out like static, letters warping.
[System: Unknown entity watching]
"What the—?" Levi's eyes darted to the message.
That split-second distraction was enough. His foot caught on shattered stone.
"Shit!" he cursed as the hound's jaws came crashing down—
but because Levi fell, the beast soared over him instead.
"Damn it!" He rolled, heart pounding, sweat stinging his eyes. Steam rose from his skin as adrenaline burned through his weak teenage body.
This body is pathetic. I'll fix that later… if I survive this.
The hound twisted mid-air, hitting the ground with a snarl, and pounced again. Levi moved by instinct—by memories of his past life. He slid beneath it, his arm slashing upward, driving the jagged glass deep from its neck down to its flank.
The Void Hound let out a guttural howl. It stumbled, tried to rise but its limbs failed. Blood sprayed the floor like ink. Levi didn't hesitate; he jammed the glass straight into its skull and wrenched it deep.
The beast twitched once, then fell still.
Levi collapsed to one knee and picked up the dagger that was laying infrontof him, chest heaving, vision spinning. His body screamed in protest—this frail teenage frame wasn't ready for such strain.
But then… a howl echoed from the distance. Then another. Then many more.
A pack. And they had heard the death cry.
"Shit… At this rate, I'll black out," Levi muttered, forcing himself upright.
[System: +3 EXP acquired. Level Up → Level 2. Congratulations!]
[Rewards Unlocked:]
1. Stamina Recovery
2. Status Update: Tamer
3. +40 Bonus Points
"What…?" Levi blinked at the floating text, but the sound of pounding paws in the distance made his choice for him.
"Stamina recovery—now!"
[System: Recovery Granted]
A surge of vitality shot through his veins. The burning in his muscles faded. His lungs cleared. Energy roared back like wildfire.
The footsteps grew louder—too many to fight. Levi sprinted to the window and hurled himself out of the second-story frame. His body absorbed the landing with only a jolt of pain.
Good. Still flexible. Perks of being a teenager, he thought with grim relief.
And then he saw her—Miss Shoko standing near the main gate, ushering the terrified children to safety.
---