《Volume 1: The System’s Forsaken》 Chapter 1: Awakening in the Wastes The first thing I noticed was the pain. A dull, throbbing agony that spread through my body like wildfire. The second thing? The System. [Error: Initialization Failed] [User Detected Outside Permitted Zones] [Status: Exile] The glowing blue text burned itself into my mind, hovering in my vision like some cruel joke. I groaned, shifting against the ground beneath me¡ªonly to freeze when I realized what I was lying on. Not soil. Not stone. Glass. Cracked obsidian spread out in every direction, sharp like shattered mirrors, reflecting the twisted red sky above. The air was dry, oppressive, thick with the scent of something long dead. Heat rolled off the blackened terrain in waves, yet my skin didn¡¯t burn. Where the hell am I? I pushed myself up, my muscles sluggish, my limbs unresponsive. Every movement felt unnatural, like I wasn¡¯t fully connected to my own body. My fingers trembled as I raised them before my eyes, and my breath hitched.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Tiny fractures ran across my skin, glowing faintly. Like I wasn¡¯t fully¡­ real. [System Alert: Soul Synchronization Incomplete] [Error: Primary Class Selection Locked] More text. More problems. My stomach twisted. The System notifications¡ªalways there since birth, guiding every action, every choice¡ªwere now filled with errors. That didn¡¯t happen. That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. A low growl rumbled behind me. I turned, instincts flaring to life. A creature stood at the edge of my vision, its form shifting in the heat haze. It was massive, nearly twice my height, its skeletal frame covered in cracked, charred flesh. It had no eyes¡ªjust a jagged, gaping maw that stretched too wide, lined with needle-sharp teeth. And it was watching me. I tried to move, but my body locked up. Not from fear¡ªno, something else was wrong. I could feel it, a weight pressing against my mind, a pressure clawing at my thoughts. The System wasn¡¯t just broken. It was actively rejecting me. [Your existence has been marked as an anomaly.] [Survive. Or be erased.] The moment I read those words, the monster lunged. It closed the distance in a heartbeat, its charred claws slashing downward, aiming to cleave me in two. I didn¡¯t think¡ªI couldn¡¯t think. I was still locked in place, still struggling against whatever was keeping me trapped¡ª Move, damn it! A sudden explosion of heat surged through my veins. My body jolted forward on its own, just barely dodging the attack. The monster¡¯s claws raked across the obsidian, sending molten shards flying. I stumbled, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Something had changed. A new notification flickered into my vision. [Skill Granted: Defiance (Rank ???)] [Effect: Refusal to Die] I didn¡¯t know what it meant, but I could feel it. Like something had severed the chains binding me, like my body had finally remembered how to move. My breath came in ragged gasps, but my lips curled into a grin. ¡°Alright,¡± I muttered, rolling my shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s see what this body can do.¡± The beast roared and charged again. This time, I was ready. Chapter 2: The Hunger of the Wastes The beast lunged. It moved like a blur, a nightmare of bone and molten sinew, its gaping maw stretching too wide, filled with jagged, obsidian-black teeth. My body screamed at me to dodge, but I wasn¡¯t fast enough. Pain exploded across my side as its claws raked through my torso. I hit the ground hard, rolling across the cracked obsidian. My fingers dug into the scorched terrain, slowing my momentum as I skidded to a stop. My breathing was ragged, my chest on fire¡ªbut I was alive. I shouldn¡¯t have been. [Defiance (Rank ???) activated.] [Lethal Damage Negated.] [Survival Instinct Boost Applied.] I clenched my teeth. That skill¡ªthe only thing keeping me alive right now¡ªwas working on pure nonsense. I felt the attack. Felt the claws tear through me. But there was no wound. No blood. No damage. The creature twisted its grotesque form toward me, the heat from its molten veins distorting the air around it. It roared, the sound a jagged mix of metal scraping and stone fracturing.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I couldn¡¯t stay on the ground. It would kill me if I hesitated. I forced myself up, my muscles sluggish, my movements delayed. I had no weapon. No stats. No System backing me. My fingers clenched into fists anyway. If I had to fight with my bare hands, so be it. The beast rushed forward, closing the gap in a single leap. Its claws came down again, aiming to crush me into the ground. Move! I sidestepped at the last second, just barely avoiding death. The obsidian cracked under the impact, molten veins spreading through the ground like lightning. I had no way to kill this thing. Not with fists. Not with speed alone. I needed an edge. I glanced around, searching. The Wastes stretched out endlessly¡ªjagged spires of black rock, rivers of molten glass, and skeletal remains of things that didn¡¯t belong. Then I saw it. A rusted, half-buried blade. It jutted out of the ground like a tombstone, its edge dulled by time, but it was a weapon. I broke into a sprint, my body reacting before my mind could fully process it. The beast howled behind me, closing in fast. Ten feet. Five. I dove, my hand latching onto the hilt. A jolt ran through me the moment I touched it. [Corrupted Relic Acquired: Forgotten Fang] [Warning: Weapon Integrity at 12%. Risk of Breakage High.] Not the best news. But I had no time to care. I spun on my heel, swinging the blade with every ounce of strength I had left. Steel met flesh. A sickening crack filled the air as the sword connected with the beast¡¯s arm, severing it at the elbow. Black ichor sprayed across the obsidian ground, sizzling against the heat. The monster staggered back, a distorted shriek ripping from its throat. Its molten veins pulsed violently, its body shaking¡ªthen it lunged forward again, uncaring of the lost limb. I barely had time to react before it was on me. Its jaw unhinged. A blast of searing heat erupted from its throat. I raised the sword instinctively¡ª And then everything exploded. Chapter 3: Ash and Echoes A wave of searing heat slammed into me. I threw up my arm, but it was useless. The force lifted me off my feet and sent me crashing into the obsidian ground. My vision blurred, pain radiating through every inch of my body. The sword¡ªthe Forgotten Fang¡ªhad taken the brunt of the blast. What remained was nothing but shattered metal in my trembling hand. [Corrupted Relic Destroyed.] [Warning: Unstable Energy Detected.] I gritted my teeth and forced myself up. The beast was still alive. Its molten veins pulsed erratically, the wound I¡¯d inflicted still leaking black ichor onto the cracked ground. But it wasn¡¯t retreating. If anything, it looked stronger. It was feeding off its own destruction. My breath came ragged. My body ached. My Defiance skill had kept me alive so far, but it wasn¡¯t infinite. If I didn¡¯t end this fight soon, the next hit would kill me.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I needed a plan. My eyes darted across the battlefield. The ground was unstable, fractured from the force of the blast. The creature¡¯s molten blood was still burning through the obsidian beneath it, forming deep cracks. A realisation hit me. If I can¡¯t kill it¡­ I¡¯ll bury it. I pushed myself to my feet, legs unsteady. The monster let out a guttural snarl, sensing my movement, and lunged once more¡ªfaster, more aggressive than before. I ran. Not away. Through. I sprinted toward it, my feet slamming against the cracked obsidian. The monster swiped¡ªI ducked. Its molten claws grazed my back, burning through fabric and flesh. I didn¡¯t stop. Because right behind the creature was the largest crack in the ground. I pivoted, using the momentum to swing a punch at the beast¡¯s wound. My fist connected, sending another burst of black ichor spraying across the obsidian. The monster staggered back¡ªjust enough. The weakened ground collapsed beneath it. For a split second, the creature¡¯s remaining arm flailed, trying to grasp onto anything. Then, with a monstrous howl, it plummeted into the abyss below. Silence. Then, a deep rumbling echoed from the pit. Heat and steam erupted from the depths. The air shimmered, and a faint tremor vibrated through my bones. I stared down, my chest rising and falling. It¡¯s not dead. But it was trapped. For now. I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realised I was holding. My arms felt like lead. My legs threatened to give out beneath me. [Enemy Neutralised: XP Not Granted.] [System Recognition Denied.] I scoffed, shaking my head. Of course. The System refused to acknowledge my victory. No level-ups. No rewards. Nothing. I wasn¡¯t part of its world anymore. The wind howled through the Wastes, carrying the scent of burning stone. I glanced at the horizon¡ªat the endless stretch of ruins, molten rivers, and shadows that moved where they shouldn¡¯t. This was just the beginning. I turned away from the pit and kept walking. Because if the System had cast me out¡­ I was going to find out why.