Toma awoke with the taste of iron in his mouth and the faint sound of birds above. His body ached, but it wasn't the bone-breaking pain from last night. No… it was something stranger. His muscles buzzed with energy, like he had swallowed lightning.
"Ugh…" he groaned, sitting up on the damp grass.
"Good morning, Tomato-kun~!" a cheerful voice chimed.
He froze. "…You're still here."
"Of course I am! We're bound, remember? Soul contract, eternal slavery, yadda yadda. Also, you snore."
"I do not snore."
"Oh, you definitely do. It was like a dying donkey choking on soup."
Toma rubbed his temples. He thought maybe it had been a nightmare, but no—the glowing screen flickered into view at his command.
[Name: Toma (Tomato)][Job: Unassigned][Level: 1][HP: 100/100][MP: 50/50][Stats: Strength 5, Agility 5, Intelligence 5, Endurance 5, Luck 0]
"Luck… zero?" Toma muttered.
"Because you're the unluckiest guy alive, duh! You literally drowned on your first night sneaking practice."
"Can you… shut up?"
"Nope!"
---
Before Toma could even stand, a new screen popped up.
[Quest: Tutorial Dungeon]Objective: Clear the Forgotten Catacombs beneath Ironspire.Reward: 100 EXP, +1 Skill Unlock.Failure: Death.Accept? (Yes/Yes)
Toma glared at it. "…Do I even need to say it?"
"Yes! Say it!"
"…Fine. Yes."
"Quest Accepted! Congratulations, you've been volunteered for my Beginner's Death Maze™!"
"Wait—what?"
A glowing doorway materialized in the mossy shrine wall behind him. Darkness oozed out like ink, and a cold wind swept across the clearing.
Toma stepped back. "You want me to go in there?!"
"Of course! What kind of protagonist skips the tutorial dungeon? Get in there, chop-chop!"
"This is insane! I'm not ready!"
The System chuckled. "Relax, I'll even give you a free starting skill."
[Skill Unlocked: Punch.][Description: A basic melee strike. Damage = STR.]
Toma blinked. "…You're kidding me."
"Nope! Go punch things, Tomato. Believe in the fist."
---
The doorway dragged him inside before he could resist. His body fell forward into darkness until his feet slammed onto damp stone. The air was cold and smelled of mold. Torches lit themselves along the walls, revealing ancient carvings of armored warriors.
"W-where am I…?"
"The Forgotten Catacombs! Lots of history, lots of bones, and oh—monsters. Don't die!"
Growls echoed in the distance. Toma's blood ran cold.
From the shadows, three goblin-like creatures emerged. They were small, green-skinned, with jagged teeth and rusted knives. Their eyes gleamed with hunger.
"Enemy detected!" the System sang. "Tutorial Tip: Enemies want to kill you. You should do the opposite!"
Toma's hands trembled. He looked at the screen.[HP: 100/100.][MP: 50/50.][Skill: Punch.]
He clenched his fists. "Fine. I'll… I'll fight!"
---
The first goblin lunged. Instinct screamed at Toma to dodge, and somehow, his body obeyed—rolling aside with surprising agility.
"Nice dodge! Too bad you still suck!" the System laughed.
Toma gritted his teeth, swung his fist, and—
BAM!
The goblin's jaw cracked, sending it stumbling back. A glowing number appeared: [Damage: 7].
The other goblins hissed, circling.
"I… I did it…" Toma whispered.
"Don't celebrate yet, Tomato! They've got friends!"
Indeed, more goblins crawled out from the shadows. Five. Ten. The chamber echoed with their screeches.
"You call this a tutorial?!" Toma screamed.
"Of course! The best tutorials kill the players at least once!"
"You're insane!"
"Thank you~"
---
Toma fought desperately. Each punch hurt his fists, but the goblins fell one by one. He bled from a cut across his arm. His chest heaved. His knuckles split. Yet something burned inside him—the will to live, the will to prove them all wrong.
[HP: 42/100.][MP: 30/50.]
He was losing. Surrounded. The last goblin lunged at his throat—
—and a new screen flashed.
[Hidden Skill Unlocked: Improvised Weapon.][Description: Anything you hold can become a weapon. Damage scales with desperation.]
Toma grabbed a loose rock and smashed it into the goblin's skull. Blood splattered. The creature dropped dead.
"Woohoo! Brutal! I like this side of you!" the System cheered.
Toma dropped the stone, trembling. "…I killed them."
"Correction: you survived. Big difference. Congratulations, Tomato-kun—!"
Toma stared at his trembling hands. They still shook from fear—but also from the strange thrill coursing through him. His body felt stronger, his breath steadier.
"…I did survive," he whispered.
"Of course you did! You're my little tomato, and I'm not letting you rot just yet."
"…Stop calling me tomato."
"Never~."
---
As he walked deeper into the catacombs, torches lighting his path, Toma realized something terrifying.
He had sold his soul to a System that laughed at his pain.A System that gave him no choice.A System that made fun of his name.
And yet…For the first time in his life, he wasn't powerless.
Toma clenched his fists, eyes burning in the dim torchlight. "Fine. If this is my path… I'll walk it. And I'll prove I'm more than just a tomato."
The System giggled."Aw, my little fruit is ripening already~."
A/N:
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