The staircase felt endless, its pale blue glow illuminating Aron's path through the dense mist that still clung to his skin from the first floor. Each step he took pulsed softly beneath his boots, like a living heartbeat guiding him upward. His breath came slow and steady, controlled despite the burn in his lungs and the dull ache in his limbs.
The battle with the goblins was still fresh in his muscles — the quick pivots, precise strikes, and near-death dodges etched into every fiber of his body. His daggers were gone now, shattered remnants of the Arc of Drake lying in the chamber below. All that remained was his determination, and a whispering hunger for the challenge ahead.
Aron glanced back once. The mist-covered first floor was no longer visible, swallowed by the swirling darkness beneath him. Only the staircase existed now, rising toward a looming door radiating a cold, bluish light. The runes carved along its surface shifted and pulsed like veins under translucent skin.
His jaw tightened. This was it. The second floor. Another world, another trial.
He reached the final step and stood before the door. The air was heavy, charged with a strange energy that prickled against his skin. Slowly, he raised his hand and pressed his palm against the glowing surface.
The runes flared.
WHOOM!
Blinding light swallowed him whole. His vision turned white-hot, searing. He stumbled forward, eyes instinctively shutting against the brilliance. For a moment, there was only silence, broken by the wild pounding of his heart.
Then, as abruptly as it came, the light receded.
When Aron opened his eyes again, the world had changed.
He stood on soft grass, cool and damp beneath his boots. The scent of fresh earth and wild foliage filled his lungs, so sharp it was almost overwhelming. Massive trees stretched skyward around him, their trunks as wide as small houses, their branches twisting like the limbs of ancient titans. Some glowed faintly at the tips, casting eerie hues of blue and green into the gloom.
Above, a vast sky loomed — black clouds swirling in slow, deliberate patterns, like the breath of some unseen giant. And yet, inexplicably, golden rays of light pierced through in thin shafts, illuminating patches of the forest floor. The juxtaposition was unsettling, unnatural. Darkness and light coexisting in uneasy harmony.
Aron tilted his head back, staring at the alien sky. His lips curled into a small, wry smile.
"Hooh…" he exhaled, a note of nostalgia creeping into his voice. "This brings back memories… haha."
Memories of the last time he had seen this floor, when everything had been different. When he hadn't been trapped here. When death had been nothing more than a mechanic, not a permanent threat.
But this time, it was real. And that made it all the more thrilling.
His gaze dropped from the sky to the surrounding forest. His eyes were calm, yet sharp with excitement. Aron began walking eastward, his movements smooth and deliberate, the tall grass whispering around his legs.
As he walked, he muttered under his breath, voice low and thoughtful.
"Hmm… I think that monster can help me get stronger on this floor." A faint, almost eager grin tugged at his lips. "I can't level up anymore by just slaying weaklings… no point in wasting time on them."
He moved silently through the forest, his steps precise and calculated. Even without his daggers, his body radiated danger. The very air seemed to bend subtly around him, like the world recognized his presence.
Then, mid-step, he froze.
"Oh!" Aron slapped his forehead lightly, eyes widening in sudden realization. "I almost forgot… the Exclusive Access I unlocked earlier." His grin returned, sharper this time. "Let's see what secrets you're hiding."
He raised his voice slightly, clear and commanding. "Status."
The world around him flickered.
A low hum filled the air as a massive, intricate screen materialized before him, suspended in midair. Unlike the standard system interface he knew from the game, this one was different. Darker. The frame was a deep purple, with streaks of black that pulsed like veins of living energy. Strange runic symbols crawled along its edges, rearranging themselves in an endless, hypnotic dance.
It felt… alive.
[ FOSTERS LUKERS SYSTEM Activated {Exclusive Access} ]
[ The Host has been successfully integrated with the "Fosters Lukers" System ]
[ Updating Host's Status... ]
The screen trembled, glitching briefly before settling into perfect clarity.
[ Status Updated ]
[ Name: Aron #$#@{Unknown} ]
[ LVL: 5 ] [ EXP: 0 / 10,000 ]
[ Titles:
The Unbroken (Effect 1: Mental strength and will remain unbroken)
(Effect 2: ???)
(Effect 3: ???)
(Effect 4: ???)
Cosmic $#@#$# (Limited Effect: +10 stats bonus with every kill)
To use Cosmic $#@#$# in full potential, the Host must become stronger. ]
[ Stats:
STR: 10 → 56
AGL: 10 → 53
VIT: 10 → 70
STM: 10 → 51
Undistributed Stats: 285 ]
[ System Shop ] [ SP: 120 {+1 per kill} ]
[ Inventory ]
[ Level Advancement {Locked until LVL 100 is reached} ]
[ Skills: Energy Arc (Lvl. 2), Dagger Wielding (Lvl. 3) ]
[ Additional functions will unlock after Host's first Level Advancement ]
Aron stared at the screen, his pupils narrowing slightly. His breath caught for just a moment.
It wasn't the stats or the shop that unsettled him — it was his name.
His surname, the one he had painstakingly chosen after leaving the orphanage, was gone. In its place was a string of incomprehensible symbols, chaotic and unreadable.
His fists clenched.
"Wha—what?! Why is my surname like that?" His voice rose, sharp with anger and confusion. "Why is it written in gibberish?"
For a heartbeat, his mind raced. He thought of the parents he never knew, of the past he'd buried deep.
"No," he muttered fiercely, shaking his head. "It can't be. It… it's not related to them. It can't be."
But doubt gnawed at him.
"Is this one of those cliche stories where the protagonist's parents show up at the end just to be evil?" Aron laughed harshly, the sound brittle and mocking. "Heh. If it is, fine. They can come. I'll cut them down too."
He forced himself to focus, exhaling slowly. His gaze shifted down the screen, scanning the titles.
Then he froze again.
"The Unbroken…" His eyes narrowed in recognition. "That's my old title. From my game account."
Confusion deepened. If this was a game made real, why were his other titles missing?
But before he could dwell on that, his gaze landed on the second title.
And his breath stopped.
"Cosmic what…?" His voice broke into a shout. "What?! +10 stats for every kill?!"
Aron stared, his expression twisting between shock and wild exhilaration.
"Isn't this… this is a goddamn cheat! Overpowered doesn't even begin to describe it!" He laughed, a raw, manic sound that echoed through the silent forest. "But why the hell is its name gibberish too?"
His eyes dropped to the final section.
Level Advancement.
The words pulsed ominously, glowing a deep crimson.
"What the hell is this?" His tone was wary now, almost reverent. "This wasn't in the game before. Does it mean… there's a level beyond 100?" His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
The realization struck him like a thunderbolt.
"So the real climb… doesn't even start until level 100."
A slow grin spread across his face, his teeth glinting in the strange light.
"Hahaha… this game… this world… it's on a whole other level now!" His laughter rang wild and free, carrying into the dark canopy above.
The laughter died suddenly as a new sensation crawled over his skin.
Silence.
The forest had gone deathly still.
Aron's grin faded into a sharp, predatory smile. He tilted his head slightly, listening.
There. A faint tremor beneath his boots. The soft whisper of leaves disturbed by something massive moving through the undergrowth.
THUD.
The sound was distant, but heavy. A rhythmic pulse, like the heartbeat of a monstrous beast.
THUD. THUD.
The trees shivered. Leaves fell in a slow cascade, drifting around Aron like green snow.
His muscles coiled, ready. His pupils dilated, excitement sparking in their depths.
"So you finally showed yourself," he murmured, voice calm and lethal. "I was waiting."
The tremors grew stronger, the ground vibrating beneath him. Roots tore free of the earth as something vast approached, shaking the entire forest.
THUUUUD!
Aron's grin widened, sharp as a blade. He whispered, barely audible, yet filled with dark promise.
"Come… and be my EXP."
The mist ahead parted.
A towering silhouette emerged, its shape barely visible through the swirling fog. The trees groaned and bent under its presence.
[ ??? Approaching... ]
The screen flickered once.
And everything went black.
_ _ _
To be continued....