Darkness.
Endless… suffocating darkness.
Arjun couldn't feel his body. His thoughts drifted like broken fragments in an empty void. The last thing he remembered was the monster's glowing eyes… and the moment his team left him behind.
"So this is death…" he thought.
Silence answered him.
Then—
A faint glow appeared.
[Initializing System…]
A sharp sound echoed inside his mind.
Arjun's eyes snapped open.
He was still alive.
The dungeon… the broken ground… the smell of blood—it was all still there.
But something was different.
[Shadow System Activated][Welcome, User: Arjun Veyron]
"…what is this?" his voice trembled.
A translucent screen floated before him, glowing in deep violet light.
🖤 STATUS WINDOW
Name: Arjun VeyronRank: FLevel: 1HP: 12/100MP: 5/50Strength: 3Agility: 2Endurance: 2
Arjun stared at it in disbelief.
"A… system?"
Before he could react—
A low growl echoed behind him.
The monster.
It was still there.
Watching him.
Waiting.
Fear gripped his chest.
But something else rose with it.
A strange calm.
[New Quest Available]Survive the EncounterReward: +1 Level, Skill Unlock
"…survive?"
Arjun clenched his fists.
"For the first time… I have a chance."
The monster lunged.
Faster than before.
Stronger.
But Arjun moved.
Barely dodging its claws.
His heart pounded violently.
"I can see it… its movement…"
Everything felt slower.
Clearer.
[Agility Increased]
"What…?"
The creature attacked again.
This time—
Arjun countered.
His dagger pierced its arm.
Black blood splashed across the ground.
The monster roared.
Arjun didn't stop.
He couldn't.
Not anymore.
Strike after strike—
Fear turned into instinct.
Pain turned into power.
And then—
With one final movement—
He drove the dagger straight into its neck.
Silence.
The monster collapsed.
[Enemy Defeated][+120 EXP Gained][Level Up!][Level Up!]
Arjun fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
"I… I did it…"
But the system wasn