The slums of Graythorne were never silent. Even in the dead of night, whispers lingered—rats scurrying through the trash, drunks muttering curses to the heavens, the occasional scream quickly swallowed by darkness.
Kairen sat slumped against a crumbling wall, his chest heaving, body battered from his fourteen-day trial of survival. The system's messages had faded, leaving only exhaustion in their wake. He thought he had earned a moment of peace.
He was wrong.
A shadow detached itself from the mouth of the alley.
The figure was tall, broad-shouldered, his face half-hidden beneath a hood. But the scars across his jaw were unmistakable even in the gloom. His left eye was clouded white, blind, but his right gleamed with predatory sharpness. A battered longsword hung at his side, worn from countless battles.
The man stopped a few feet away, boots crunching against the dirt.
"You fight hard for a gutter rat," he said, voice deep and rasping. "Hard enough to draw attention."
Kairen stiffened. His instincts screamed danger.
The stranger smirked. "Don't bother lying. I saw it—the light. The ripple of energy. Tell me, boy. What are you?"
Kairen's blood froze.
He had no answer that wouldn't get him killed.
The Test Begins
The scarred man drew his blade with a hiss of steel. "Don't look so frightened. I'm not here to slit your throat. Not yet. I'm here to test something."
Before Kairen could react, the man lunged.
The blade whistled through the air. Kairen barely twisted aside, the steel carving a line in the wall behind him. His heart thundered as he scrambled to his feet.
"I—wait—I'm not—"
"Fight," the man barked, his single good eye gleaming. "If you don't, you die."
The system's interface flickered into existence.
[ Survival Sub-Quest Activated: Endure for 2 minutes. ][ Failure: Death. ]
Kairen's blood ran cold. He had no weapon, no training, nothing but raw instinct.
But the alternative was death.
Two Minutes of Hell
The mercenary's blade came again, a swift arc aimed at Kairen's throat. The boy ducked low, dropping to his knees, the edge missing by inches.
He threw himself forward in desperation, slamming into the man's legs. For a moment, the mercenary staggered, but he recovered instantly, cracking the hilt of his sword against Kairen's back.
White-hot pain flared. Kairen gasped but clung tighter. He wouldn't let go.
The man chuckled darkly. "Tenacity. Good. But tenacity alone doesn't keep you alive."
With brutal strength, he kicked Kairen off. The boy rolled across the filthy ground, coughing, ribs burning.
[ -3 HP ]
I can't give up, Kairen thought desperately. If I fail, I die. If not from him, then from this world.
The system pulsed.
[ Adaptive Protocol Engaged. Host under lethal threat. ][ Temporary Boost Granted: Adrenal Reflex +20% (180 seconds). ]
The world slowed. The mercenary's next swing seemed fractionally sluggish, his footwork clearer.
Kairen twisted aside, the blade missing him by a hair. He lashed out with his fist, striking the man's side. The blow wasn't strong enough to cripple, but it drew a grunt.
The mercenary's smirk widened. "Better."
He retaliated with a brutal knee to Kairen's gut. Air whooshed from the boy's lungs.
[ Time Remaining: 0:59 ]
Kairen staggered upright, vision blurring, but he forced his body forward. His fists swung wildly. Sloppy, desperate—but relentless.
The system responded.
[ Skill Evolution: Basic Strike → Forceful Blow (Lv. 1). ]
Energy surged through his arm. His next punch landed with a faint crack, staggering the mercenary two steps back.
"Well now," the man muttered, pressing a hand to his ribs. "That's new."
Kairen roared, striking again. Sparks flew as fist met blade.
[ Time Remaining: 0:18 ]
He threw everything into one final strike, his fist glowing faintly with the system's power. It collided with the mercenary's guard, forcing him back.
The timer blinked.
[ Quest Complete. ][ Reward: +2 Endurance, +1 Strength. ]
Kairen's legs buckled. He collapsed, chest burning, fists raw and bloodied.
Garron
The mercenary stood a few feet away, blade still in hand. But he didn't attack. Instead, he slid the weapon back into its sheath, his scarred face unreadable.
Silence filled the alley.
"Not bad, boy," he said finally. "Not bad at all."
Kairen blinked through sweat and blood. "You… you were testing me?"
The man chuckled, low and dangerous. "Testing, yes. Killing, no. If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have lasted ten seconds."
He crouched slightly, meeting Kairen's gaze. "Name's Garron. Used to be a mercenary, before I got tired of selling my blade. Now I keep to myself. But when I see something unusual, I take interest."
"Unusual?" Kairen rasped.
"That light," Garron said bluntly. "Wasn't natural. And I wasn't the only one who saw it."
Kairen's chest tightened.
Rumors in the Slums
Garron stood, folding his arms. "Word's already spreading. Some drunkards babbled about a 'star falling into the mud.' Others said they felt a ripple. Doesn't matter if they're wrong—gangs listen for whispers. And whispers about power travel fast."
Kairen's mind spun. "If they find me…"
"They'll drag you off and cut you open to see what makes you shine," Garron said coldly. "That's the way of the slums."
His eye gleamed as he leaned forward. "So here's your choice, boy. Stay a rat and get eaten. Or follow me, and maybe learn how not to die."
Kairen clenched his fists. I can't afford to be weak. Not again.
"I'll come," he said hoarsely.
Garron's grin widened. "Good. Then we start now."
A Harsh Teacher
Without warning, Garron cuffed him across the cheek. Kairen stumbled, crashing into the dirt.
"W-What the hell?!" he sputtered.
"Lesson one," Garron said flatly. "Never let your guard down. Especially when you think you're safe."
Before Kairen could protest, Garron yanked him upright. "Lesson two—pain is a better teacher than words. Get used to it."
Kairen glared at him, rage and humiliation burning hot. But deep down, he knew Garron was right.
Whispers in the Dark
They moved through the night, Garron leading, Kairen limping behind.
The slums whispered around them—deals in hushed voices, cruel laughter, the distant sound of steel meeting flesh. Shadows watched from broken doorways.
The system flickered faintly.
[ Notice: Host's abnormal activity has drawn attention. Surveillance detected. ]
Kairen froze. His neck prickled.
"Someone's watching us," he whispered.
Garron stopped, gaze sharp. "Good. You feel it too. Means they've already started sniffing. Doesn't matter who—gangs, mercs, maybe worse. Just means you need to be ready."
The Ambush
They turned into a narrow alley, moonlight struggling to pierce the gloom.
Then—clang.
Something metallic dropped behind them.
Kairen spun, heart hammering. Figures emerged from the shadows, cloaked in ragged hoods, blades glinting faintly.
The leader's voice rasped like rusted steel.
"There he is. The boy who fell from the stars."
Kairen's blood turned to ice.
The system pulsed.
[ Emergency Quest Triggered: Survive the Ambush. ]