I survived… but I lost again.
My wounds barely closed, and the ache in my bones felt endless. Still, I couldn't stop.
Days turned to weeks — I lost track of time. The sun, the moon, even the stars above the island began to blur together.
All that remained was the hunt.
Each day, more monsters came for me.
Abyss Wolves with black smoke trailing from their fangs.
Scaled Lizards that spit acid, their tails sharp as blades.
Sometimes, I fought until my vision turned red — until I couldn't tell if the blood dripping on the dirt was mine or theirs.
---
[Abyss Wolf – Level 44]
[Lizard King – Level 47]
[Abyss Wolf – Level 46]
---
Claws clashed with bone.
Fangs scraped my arms.
Each battle pushed me further, sharper, faster.
Every time I swung my crude bone sword, I felt it growing lighter in my hand — as if my body was slowly adapting to the endless slaughter.
> "Come on… I'm not done yet!"
The wolf lunged. I caught its jaw midair and twisted — crack! — its neck broke with a wet snap.
The Lizard King struck next, tail cutting through the air like a blade, slicing across my shoulder. Blood sprayed — but I didn't stop.
I dashed forward, stabbing through its chest, feeling its heartbeat stop against my hand.
And then… silence.
Only my breathing remained.
Only my heartbeat echoing in my ears.
---
I opened my status window again, gasping between breaths.
Name: Haru Villamor
Level: 50
Title: Third Rate
---
I had done it.
Level 50.
But the moment the number appeared—
Something changed.
Pain.
A sharp, tearing pain erupted across my body. My muscles locked. My vision flickered white.
It felt like my bones were breaking and rebuilding themselves at the same time.
Every vein in my body screamed, glowing faintly with light.
> "Wh–what's happening to me!?"
I dropped to my knees, clutching my chest. The sound of cracking bones echoed through the forest. My heart raced so fast it felt like it would burst.
Every thread of mana inside me was boiling — too much, too wild, too strong.
Then — nothing.
Darkness swallowed everything.
The world faded away.
My eyes fluttered open to a blinding light.
The first thing I felt was… silence.
No wind, no rustling trees, no sound of monsters crawling from the dark — only my heartbeat.
When I moved my hand, it felt different.
Lighter.
Stronger.
Every movement flowed as if the air itself bent around me.
I clenched my fist — the dirt beneath me cracked.
> "What the…"
My senses… they were sharper than ever. I could feel the faint heartbeat of creatures hiding in the forest miles away.
The scent of iron, blood, and life all mixed in the air, clear as day.
Even the sound of water dripping from a leaf echoed in my ears like thunder.
It wasn't just strength. It was rebirth.
I slowly stood up. The pain from before — gone. My body felt new, rebuilt from the inside out. My breathing was steady, my mind clear.
Then, the faint blue glow appeared again before me —
[SYSTEM UPDATE COMPLETE]
[You have transcended a limit: Level 50 Barrier Broken.]
A chill ran through my spine as the system screen unfolded with a clarity I had never seen before.
I opened my status panel.
---
Name: Haru Villamor
Age: 23
Job: Warrior
Level: 50
Title: Third Rate
Strength: 104
Intelligence: 100
Agility: 92
Vitality: 100
Sense: 130
Remaining Points: 15
---
> "Everything… doubled?"
My voice trembled.
Every single stat — every single number — had multiplied.
Even my aura felt heavier, brighter, like it was radiating through the ground itself.
But there was something new.
Something that had never appeared before.
Below my skills tab, a new symbol pulsed in red light.
[RANKING]
Curious, I reached out and tapped it.
In an instant, a black screen unfolded — cold and endless, like a void.
Lines of faint gold light framed the screen, forming a list from one to one hundred.
Only one name shone there.
---
1. Haru Villamor
2. —
3. —
4. —
…
100. —
---
> "Just… me?"
I frowned. A strange feeling crawled up my chest — a mix of confusion and dread.
The list was empty.
Only my name filled the first slot, glowing faintly in gold, like a crown I didn't ask for.
What is this?
Why am I number one?
And where are the others?
I stared at my name for a long time.
The forest around me was silent again, too silent — as if the world itself was watching.
Somewhere deep inside, I knew—
whatever this new "ranking" meant, it wasn't just a title.
It was a declaration.
Something had changed in this world.
And I was now standing at the very top of it.
---