The ward was still, the kind of stillness that made every small sound feel loud. The faint hum of the fluorescent lights overhead was constant, and somewhere down the hall a cart rattled over the tiles.
Takahiro Kurogane lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Sleep had been shallow and restless. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the statues again — the moment the world froze, the golden codex unfurling before him, the voice that spoke without sound.
[Directive Two Pending: Synchronize with the Monarch's System]
The number beside it — 3% — had ticked upward after Jin‑Woo's strange morning workout the day before. He didn't know what "synchronization" meant, but the Codex clearly wanted it.
He turned his head. Jin‑Woo was asleep, his breathing steady, but his brow was furrowed even in rest. Takahiro wondered if the blue window haunted him the same way the Codex haunted him.
---
A sudden rustle of sheets broke the quiet. Takahiro's eyes snapped open. Jin‑Woo was sitting upright, his face pale, eyes fixed on something only he could see.
"What is it?" Takahiro asked, his voice low.
Jin‑Woo's gaze didn't move. "The quest. Yesterday's Daily Quest. I didn't finish it."
Takahiro pushed himself up. "You said you did."
"I skipped the run," Jin‑Woo admitted. "I thought… maybe it wouldn't matter."
The blue light from his window reflected faintly in his eyes.
[Penalty Quest: Survival]
Before Takahiro could respond, the hospital room dissolved.
---
They stood in a barren desert under a blood‑red sky. The air was hot and dry, the ground cracked and lifeless. The horizon shimmered with heat, but there was no sun — only a dull, oppressive glow that seemed to come from everywhere at once.
Takahiro's hospital gown was gone. In its place was the light armor he'd worn in the dungeon, his sword at his side. Jin‑Woo was in simple clothes, unarmed.
The Codex flared to life, golden runes spiraling outward.
[Environmental Analysis: Hostile Zone]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
In the distance, the ground rippled. Then they saw them — creatures the size of large dogs, their bodies segmented like centipedes, dozens of legs churning the sand. Their eyes glowed faintly in the red light.
"They're coming," Jin‑Woo said, his voice tight.
The swarm broke into a run, kicking up clouds of dust.
---
"Run," Takahiro said.
They sprinted across the cracked ground, the swarm hissing behind them. The creatures were fast, their many legs carrying them over the sand with terrifying ease.
The Codex whispered in Takahiro's mind.
[Environmental Shift: Sand Density Increased]
[Enemy Mobility Reduced by 12%]
The ground beneath the swarm softened, their legs sinking slightly. It bought them seconds, nothing more.
Jin‑Woo's breath was ragged. "I can't… outrun them forever."
"Then we make them miss," Takahiro said.
A creature lunged from the side, its mandibles snapping. Takahiro swung his sword, the blade glancing off its carapace. Jin‑Woo ducked under another, rolling to his feet and snatching up a jagged piece of chitin from the sand — a broken claw from a fallen beast.
It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
---
They kept moving, dodging and weaving. The swarm pressed in from all sides.
[Time Remaining: 1:45]
A creature lunged at Jin‑Woo's back. Takahiro twisted, slamming his shoulder into it and knocking it aside. Another came for him, and Jin‑Woo drove the claw into its eye, black ichor spraying across the sand.
The Codex's runes flared.
[Enemy Neutralized: +1 Synchronization]
[Synchronization: 4%]
---
[Time Remaining: 0:30]
The swarm was thinning, but their stamina was nearly gone. Takahiro's lungs burned, his legs heavy. Jin‑Woo stumbled, catching himself on one knee.
"Up!" Takahiro shouted, hauling him to his feet.
They ran the last stretch with the swarm snapping at their heels.
[Time Remaining: 0:03]
A final lunge from behind — Takahiro spun, sword flashing, Jin‑Woo stabbing with the claw. The creature fell just as the timer hit zero.
---
The desert dissolved. They were back in the hospital room, both gasping for breath. Sweat clung to their skin, and the faint scent of dust still lingered in Takahiro's nose.
Jin‑Woo wiped his forehead. "That… was the penalty."
Takahiro's Codex pulsed.
[Synchronization: 7%]
---
Jin‑Woo's blue window shifted.
[Status Window]
Name: Sung Jin‑Woo
Level: 1
Class: None
HP: 100
MP: 10
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Sense: 10
Vitality: 10
Intelligence: 10
Points Available: 0
He stared at it, then looked at Takahiro. "It's… like a game."
Takahiro's Codex opened in response.
[Architect's Codex – Status]
Name: Takahiro Kurogane
Lawscript Capacity: 12%
Environmental Control: Tier 1
Synchronization with Monarch's System: 7%
Directives Unlocked: 2
Prime Directive: Assist the Monarch's Growth
Sub‑Directives: Alter environmental variables, Enhance challenge efficiency
They exchanged a long look.
Whatever these systems were, they weren't just tools. They were tests. And the real trial was only beginning.