Rain patters lightly around me. It falls


    slowly, tiny rivulets flowing down my


    back and over my shoulders. My body aches, and I don''t want to open my eyes just yet. Something soft and damp presses against my legs, but I can''t bring myself to move.


    Three sharp beeps crash against the


    silence, sending spikes of pain


    through my skull. I wince and, with tremendous effort, crack one eye open.


    A silver screen flickers into existence


    in front of me.


    ERROR... HAS TAKEN NOTICE OF YOU.


    QUEST ISSUED.


    PROVE YOUR WORTH:


    OBJECTIVES: STAND UP


    REWARDS: CLASS CHANGE


    What? What is this? I try to move my


    hand toward the screen, but my arm


    refuses to budge. Paralyzed? No, that


    can''t be right--I can still feel the rain.


    The screen flickers, vanishing for a


    split second before reappearing, its


    glow pulsing faintly. But in that brief


    moment, I see something that freezes


    my blood.


    A corpse''s face-wrenched into a


    mask of terror


    My breath catches. The screen


    flickers again. The face reappears


    Again. Again. Again. Familiar. Too


    familiar.


    Minutes pass. Or hours? The rain


    stops. A faint warmth trickles into my


    fingertips.


    Movement. A small twitch. Then


    another. I focus, forcing my fingers to


    curl. It takes a dozen tries before I


    manage to form a weak fist.


    Pain bites through my arm as I reach


    toward the screen. My hand passes


    through=


    -and lands on cold, lifeless flesh.


    A corpse''s face.


    I jerk my hand back, biting down a


    gasp. Pain flares in my aching limbs,


    but it''s nothing compared to the ice


    spreading through my veins


    The screen fades slowly. This time, it doesn''t return. With effort, I turn my head away from the corpse. My neck pops multiple times as I force myself onto my side. It''s no better on this side. Only more corpses. I look down at what''s pressing against my legs-only to see the mound rise higher above me.


    I tear my gaze away from the corpses


    but my view is immediately swallowed


    by dense fog. I try to pull my legs free, but I don''t have the strength. A sharp beep pierces the silence as the silver screen flashes into my vision.


    CURRENT STRENGTH: 1


    It disappears just as quickly as it comes. Strength? Does this mean I have other stats? Another beep. The screen blinks into existence again.


    CURRENT STATS:


    MAX HP [1]


    MAX STAMINA [1]


    STAMINA REGENERATION [0]


    MAX MANA [0]


    MANA REGENERATION [0]


    STRENGTH [1]


    AGILITY [1]


    ENDURANCE [4]


    INTELLIGENCE [4]


    WILLPOWER [7]


    PERCEPTION [2]


    LUCK [0]


    The screen fades again just as I finish


    reading. What are these stats? They''re terrible. I wait, hoping the screen will provide an answer, but it stays silent.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    This isn''t the best situation, but at least I''m not in immediate danger.


    As if on cue, I hear a distant howl. Laugh? Scream? I''m not sure. It starts high-pitched before warbling into something deeper.


    I can''t tell if it''s getting closer, but with all this meat around me, it''s only a matter of time before something hungry comes to investigate.


    I turn onto my back, grab my knee with both hands, and give it a sharp tug. My skin is still damp from the rain, making it slippery and difficult to pull free. It takes a few tries, but my first leg finally comes loose.


    The second is easier, and with nothing left pinning me down, I slide ungracefully down the pile of corpses. Thankfully, it isn''t a far drop, and more bodies cushion the fall.


    I pull myself upright, using the corpses for support. Three sharp beeps. The screen blinks to life once more.


    QUEST COMPLETE.


    YOU''VE BEEN AWARDED THE CLASS: ERROR...


    YOU''VE REACHED LEVEL 1


    YOUR STATS HAVE INCREASED.


    MAX HP [1>5]


    MAX STAMINA [1>20]


    STAMINA REGENERATION [0>0.1]


    MAX MANA [0>50]


    MANA REGENERATION [0>0.5]


    STRENGTH [1>5]


    AGILITY [1>5]


    ENDURANCE [4>10]


    INTELLIGENCE [4>5]


    WILLPOWER [7>10]


    PERCEPTION [2>5]


    LUCK [0>1]


    YOU''VE GAINED A SKILL


    YOU''VE GAINED A SKILL


    YOU''VE GAINED A SKILL


    ACTIVE SKILLS [1/10]


    TIER 1


    MANA SURGE: CAUSES A MAGICAL EXPLOSION USING PURE MANA.


    DAMAGE: 1 per MANA USED × SKILL LEVEL


    RANGE: 1ft × SKILL LEVEL


    COST: 100% CURRENT MANA


    PASSIVE SKILLS [1/10]


    TIER 1


    MANA VAULT[1/100]: MULTIPLIES MAX MANA BY 1 × SKILL LEVEL.


    MANA CONVERSION[1/100] WHEN MANA POOL IS FULL COVERTS 1% MANA REGENERATION INTO HP.


    It takes me a few seconds to read through everything, but even longer to process it. The skills are great, and I can already feel strength flooding through my body. But my HP... If I get killed in one hit, nothing else matters.


    I take a few steps away from the pile of corpses before looking back. I''m completely naked. So are they. I don''t think I''m gonna find any equipment here. I hesitate. Just walking into the fog unarmed and bare-cheeked doesn''t sound appealing.


    I glance back at the pile, hoping against the odds that I missed something. Nope. I guess that point in Luck isn''t high enough to help here.


    I step forward into the fog.


    At least I have some kind of attack. Even though the range is awful, I wouldn''t want anything getting close enough to hit me.


    That warbling howl again. I stiffen and promptly alter my course to get further away. It sounds closer this time.


    I pick up the pace. Not quite running-I can''t see far ahead, and I don''t want to risk running blind.


    After a few minutes of power walking through the fog, a sudden beep startles me.


    QUEST ISSUED.


    FIND SOME EQUIPMENT:


    OBJECTIVES:


    FIND CLOTHES [0/1]


    FIND WEAPON [0/1]


    REWARDS: ACTIVE SKILL.


    I stop in my tracks. My eyes widen. I can get another skill just for doing something I was gonna do anyway. I''m starting to like this system already. A grin tugs at my lips as I start walking again.


    The ground is soft and soggy. Each footfall sinks slightly, squishing softly.


    Squish. Squish. Squish.


    A prickling unease crawls down my spine. Then- squish. A single footstep. Behind me. I whip around-only to be met with fog. I stare into the mist for minutes.


    Waiting.


    Just as I''m about to turn away, something catches my eye. A glimmer in the fog. I squint, trying to focus. But that''s all I can make out. I take a hesitant step forward. Nothing happens. Another step. Then another. The glimmer grows closer. A shape begins to form. Knee height.


    I freeze. I don''t know what this thing is. And I don''t want to find out. I take a step back. It lunges. Either it was closer than I thought-or it''s far faster than my eyes can track. Instinct kicks in. "MANA SURGE."


    A blinding explosion erupts as the creature crashes into me. The impact hammers me into the ground.


    WARNING: HP LOW. [0.4/5]


    WARNING: MANA LOW. [0/50]


    SKILL LEVEL UP!


    MANA GEYSER [2/100]


    EXP GAINED: [52/100]


    I stare at the silver screen, dazed. My skin burns. The scent of cooked flesh fills the air. Mine? Or the creature''s? Minutes pass. Agonizing. Then-relief. Slight. But there. A few more minutes, and I drag myself upright.


    The ground glistens red beneath me. I don''t think there''s anything left of that creature.


    I look down at my body. It''s pink and dry, and i can see a few burns healing over. I smile. At least, i won''t cripple myself if i use my skill. A sharp long beep followed by three shorter beeps as the screen appears again.


    WARNING... ERROR... SYSTEM OVERIDE IN PROGRESS... ERROR...


    I freeze. The air around me feels wrong...