The colosseum had a pungent smell of blood and sweat. Jean heaved every time he took a breath, his shirt shredded and his body covered in cuts and bruises. As he glanced at the kobold, it twitched once, then fell still.
The fight was brutal and hellish, far worse than Jean ever expected. The kobold was faster, more aggressive, and smarter than the previous monsters. It even faked a stumble, drawing Jean in before striking his back with its long, jagged claws. He barely survived; adrenaline screamed through his veins.
He started out weak; dodging was hard, but after a few strikes, he got the hang of it. Even though the kobold pushed him into a corner, he felt much stronger than he started. Jean's dodges might have become desperate as his stamina depleted, but he still won.
[Combat Victory: +160 EXP]
[New Skill Unlocked: Adrenaline Rush – Lv.1]
[Agility Increased to Lv.3]
His lungs burned with each breath. The implant in his forearm glowed; blue light began to flicker. The three monsters' bodies began to turn into blue dust. The embedded plate began to suck the dust up.
He didn't know what it was doing, but hopefully it helped.
I barely won that. The kobold felt as if it was on another level compared to the other monsters. I'm getting stronger, I can feel it.
A new door formed as soon as the system told him he completed the combat trial. The smooth concrete door had no markings. Just an ominously cold feeling.
He placed his hand on it. It slowly opened by itself, as if it was mechanical.
A harsh white light poured through, and Jean stumbled into a familiar room. Bare concrete walls, five doors, and a single harsh white light overhead.
His team sat in that room, as if they were waiting.
Lydia turned towards him. Her jet-black hair had changed. Her hair was a colorless white. It wasn't even out of place. Elise sat on the ground, flipping through a floating spellbook. She looked like a real mage, the ones from the games Jean used to play. Ronan leaned against the wall, casually holding onto a giant spear. All Jean could think was, Dang, that looks badass. Callum stood nearby with his arms crossed. He gallantly wore clean yet polished armor, barely scuffed.
Jean froze for a second.
Their eyes locked onto him, tattered, covered in cuts, bruises, and putrid dried blood.
"Oh my god, Jean," Lydia gasped. "Are you okay?"
Ronan gave a whistle. "Looks like you fought a couple minotaurs. Who am I kidding, those things were weak. You probably could kill them blind, am I right, Jean?"
Jean tried to laugh, looking a little embarrassed. "Something like that."
They don't even look tired.
Lydia bent down on one knee. "What kind of trial did you get? You're so beat up."
Jean looked away for a moment. "Uh... I fought monsters. It was like a one-on-one. Also, I sort of found out how my system works. It can track my stats and stuff. It also sort of sucks up dead monsters. I don't know why it does this, though."
"So that's what it's like, you know your system?" Elise perked up. "That's awesome! Kind of."
Jean questioned, "...What?"
Ronan grinned, knowing he could show off. He twirled his spear. "Yeah, everyone got something after their trial, right? Me? I got a cultivation-type system. Straight outta martial arts fantasy. My Qi Flow stat is already pretty high."
Jean seemed impressed, but a little jealous.
Lydia jumped in. "Mine is more like the traditional RPG. I gain levels, get stat points, and earn titles. Right now, I am a Blessed Shieldmaiden, awesome right!" She seemed a little excited about this. She must have been some sort of game nerd in the past.
Elise stood there waving her hand. Bright yellow orbs spiraled into the air. "I got sorcery. I can use pretty much any spell I learn. My system lets me open a whole library of spells to use—well, as long as I fit the requirements."
Jean's jealousy grew greater.
Callum looked as if he might have been asleep. His armor covered him from head to toe. He stepped forward. "Mine is less flashy... I am sort of a knight. I can control sword aura. I have leadership skills. I already learned how to use basic sword aura." He held his blade up to Jean's face. The edge glowed with a faint gray color. "I also can boost morale when I fight alongside others."
Everyone looked so proud. So happy. Confident.
They then looked to Jean, wondering what he got.
He looked away, scratching the back of his head, trying to avoid eye contact. "Uh... mine. I didn't really get much. I don't think I used it long enough to see anything impressive. I got Evasion, Agility, Skill Levels... and I think it helps me adapt faster? Maybe?"
No one said anything. They all had a disappointed look on their face.
Then Elise nodded, trying to be kind. "Wow... that's really cool."
Ronan smirked, looking a little weird. "I guess... it's different."
Lydia smiled. "Hey, you just haven't had enough time. You'll find out what it does later."
Yeah, Jean thought angrily. Because I was the one getting the crap beat out of me while you guys walked through your trials like you were auditioning for the role of hero.
He obviously didn't say anything bitter out loud.
He nodded, pretending it didn't sting his ego. Pretending he was as strong as they were. Their aura was already much stronger than his. Just being in a room with them felt restricting.
"Let's go. Hopefully this is the end," Callum said as he pushed open the final door. "No point staying here anymore. We should move."
The others followed. Jean fell behind.
The final door creaked open. A large gust of wind poured in, revealing a forest. The first thing they stared at was the dark, beautiful sky. They had not seen the stars in days. The stars were beautiful. Lush trees stretched beyond what their eyes could see. A dirt path cut through the forest. Soft mist curled around the trees. Jean could hear a faint birdsong echoing.
Elise took the first steps forward. "This isn't a dungeon, right?" She looked at everyone as they were still in awe of the forest.
An awkward silence set in.
"Maybe it's a boss fight. I hope it isn't," Jean said, trying to stop the awkward silence.
"WE ESCAPED!!!!" Ronan yelled excitedly, jumping for joy.
"Shut it, you idiot." Lydia smacked him. "Can't you see that there are two moons? We are still stuck in this hellhole."
As they were bickering with one another, Jean stood behind them. Jean stood at the threshold, eyes looking off into the distance. The fresh air didn't feel as constricting as the air from that prison. But the unease in his chest hadn't disappeared.
They've all got amazing, flashy skills. And me? I've got some cold numbers and glowy stats. He felt a little depressed, the thought of being the weakest sucked.
He looked down at the glowing plate embedded onto his arm.
It pulsed once.
No matter what it looks like... I have to make this work. I need to survive. He trailed behind, the sound of their laughter distant, like it came from another world.
They pressed forward into the forest. The five figures stepped into the unknown forest.
Slowly disappearing.
One by one, the trees consumed them—until nothing remained but the silence and the cold door.