Ren Hector opened his eyes to the sound of something wet breathing.
The sky above him pulsed like bruised skin. It oozed with every slow exhale of wind, thick and damp, tinted a visceral red. Veins sprawled across the ceiling of this place—or maybe it was the ceiling. Or the sky. He couldn't tell. The light here was a feverish blend of pink and rust.
He sat up, pressing one hand to the fleshy floor. It yielded slightly beneath his weight, warm and slick like raw liver. He recoiled.
The alley was narrow and uneven. Its walls were made of fibrous meat, layered and flexing gently with each ambient breath. A haze of steam drifted through the air, laced with the heavy scent of iron and something more acidic like battery acid mixed with decaying blood.
Ren swallowed hard. "Okay," he croaked. "This… is new."
A familiar chime rang in his ears.
[System Binding: COMPLETE]
[Class Acquired: Doctor of the Ruin Gospel]
[Welcome, Host.]
His vision blurred slightly as the translucent screen floated into view. Even in a place like this, the UI looked almost comically clean out of place, like a hospital brochure plastered on a butcher's wall.
[System Type: Doctor of Gospel]
[Core Function: Provide healing through fear induced procedures. You gain strength through dread.]
"…Excuse me?" Ren blinked.
[Explanation: The Doctor of Gospel System was designed for a divine healer. However, due to emergency awakening protocols and a corrupted narrative field, your class has been adapted to fit local genre parameters: Eldritch Horror.]
[The more fear your patients feel while being treated, the more Fear Points you earn.]
[Fear Points are used as currency to unlock skills, traits, system upgrades, and eldritch items.]
Ren's eyebrows twitched. "So the system's broken. And instead of healing through compassion or… actual medicine, I get stronger by traumatizing people?"
[Correct.]
[Fear is a purifying reagent. The deeper the patient's terror, the higher the Fear Point yield. Pain is optional. Fear is not.]
He rubbed his temples. "That's… horrible. And vaguely ethical malpractice."
[Welcome to the Gospel.]
Ren let the screen fade, but it was already burned into the inside of his skull. He could still feel the interface lurking there, waiting. Then, another prompt slid across his vision.
[Beginner Pack Available. Open Now?]
"…Sure. Why not? Maybe it comes with a barf bag."
The pack unfurled with a noise like tearing muscle. Four panels hovered before him, each displaying a gift.
SKILL: Arm of Tentacle (A-Rank)
Four tentacles sprout from the upper back. Can be used for locomotion, subduing patients, or surgical assistance. Each limb is prehensile, responsive to mental commands, and capable of lifting 30x host body weight.
SKILL: Whisper of Anatomy (A-Rank)
A mouth appears on the host's palms, ringed with sharp fangs and lined with thousands of microscopic tongues. Used for invasive diagnosis. Can detect internal anomalies, stitch tissue from the inside, and perform autonomous field surgery. Detachable for remote operation.
ITEM: Outer God Surgical Set (EX-Rank)
It appears mundane. Cuts through all known matter regardless of resistance or composition. Cannot rust, bend, or dull. Bound to host. Includes: Scalpel, Forceps, Bone Saw, Retractor, Spirit Thread.
ITEM: Awakening Anesthesia (A-Rank)
Infinite use consumable. Makes subjects conscious instantly but completely numb to pain. Induces full sensory awareness while blocking all motor feedback. Designed for maximum psychological discomfort during treatment. Works on all lifeforms below Myth class. Pain free. Absorbed via injection or proximity contact.
The items shimmered, then vanished into his inventory. Ren felt them settle into his body, like they were waiting in some pocket of reality just behind his spine.
Ren stared at the descriptions, eyes fixed.
Then he whispered, "What the hell am I becoming?"
His hands curled into fists.
He focused on the first one, the Arm of Tentacle. The idea of something sprouting from his back made his skin crawl. Movement, fine control, strength… He didn't have to imagine it. He could feel it already. Four dormant points along his spine itched faintly, waiting for a command. They were his now. Part of his body.
Part of him.
The second skill Whisper of Anatomy was worse.
He held up his right hand.
Nothing yet. But he could feel it, just beneath the skin. A circular mouth, nested in his palm, waiting to unfurl. Waiting to bite. To taste. To slither inside another person's body and whisper truths only organs could tell.
"I'm supposed to heal with that?"
He laughed.
Once.
Then didn't again.
The items didn't make him feel better.
The surgical kit sounded normal until you realized it could cut through steel, bone, and probably Diamond. The Awakening Anesthesia? It didn't knock patients out. It made them awake. Awake and numb. Fully aware of every step of the procedure while trapped inside their own body.
That wasn't healing.
It was a horror theatre.
Another panel blinked into place.
[Status Screen]
Name: Ren Hector
Class: Doctor of the Ruin Gospel
Rank F Hunter
Fear Points: 0
Status: Mild Nausea, Genre Dissonance
Attributes:
Strength: 2
Defense: 5
Dexterity: 25
Mana: 30
Stamina: 2
Luck: 1
Potential: ???
He blinked at the numbers. "Dexterity twenty-five?"
[Your surgical precision is anomalously high. The System optimized it.]
Then a new tab appeared, marked in red.
[Level-Up Method: Two Track Progression]
Fear Points: Accumulate through terrifying patients. Used to unlock active/passive skills and upgrade the Doctor Class.
Monetary Conversion: Real-world money can be converted directly into raw stats and levels once the clinic opens.
[In the Trial Realm, patients will generate payment post operation. The System will auto convert currency into Dollar.]
Ren blinked again. "Wait, wait. You're telling me I level up… with fear and money?"
[Correct. Fear buys power. Money buys progress.]
[This is capitalism.]
Ren exhaled through his teeth. "This is what I get for praying for student loan forgiveness."
He closed the window and looked around again.
The alley had shifted.
Where there had once been a flat wall of muscle, now a corridor stretched forward dimly lit by glowing blue veins that pulsed under the flesh like buried power lines. The tunnel writhed slowly, beckoning him inward.
He didn't move.
Not yet.
Something inside him told his instinct, maybe knowing that what came next would be his first procedure. First blood. First trauma. First fear was harvested. And once that line was crossed…
He wouldn't be able to pretend this was still a dream.
"Alright," he muttered. "You want horror?"
He flexed his fingers. Already, he could feel the whispering pulse of the Whisper of Anatomy coiling in his palm, eager to taste flesh.
"Let's go"