Kael staggered backward, clutching his chest as the cold, mechanical voice echoed in his head. His vision blurred, but instead of fading into blackness, glowing lines of light formed before his eyes. Words, symbols, and numbers assembled themselves into a panel of shimmering blue light.
> [System Activated]
[Welcome, User: Kael Ardyn]
[Initializing Status Window…]
Kael froze. He had heard stories of hunters awakening with unique abilities, but never had he seen anything like this. His hands trembled as the glowing panel expanded.
> Name: Kael Ardyn
Rank: E → ???
Level: 1
HP: 35/100
MP: 20/20
Strength: 5
Agility: 6
Endurance: 4
Intelligence: 7
Skills: None
Title: None
[Special Condition: Hidden Potential Detected]
Kael's eyes widened. "This… this can't be real."
The chamber around him was still chaos. Hunters screamed as the statues cut them down without hesitation. Blood splattered across the cracked floor, bodies lay broken, but Kael's focus was locked on the glowing panel in front of him.
The guild master's voice snapped him out of his trance. "Kael! MOVE!"
A massive blade cleaved down where Kael had been standing just a second earlier. Instinctively, his body shifted faster than ever before. His legs felt lighter, his reflexes sharper — as though the panel wasn't just for show, but actually influencing his body.
Another notification blinked:
> [Emergency Quest Generated]
Survive the Trial of the Stone Guardians
Failure: Death
Reward: Beginner's Package
Kael's heart skipped. A quest? For me?
The statues closed in, their red eyes glowing ominously. Around him, the surviving hunters were faltering. Some tried to fight back, but their attacks bounced harmlessly off stone. Others simply fled in panic, only to be cut down by the relentless guardians.
Kael gripped his rusty short sword. It felt different in his hand now, almost as if the system had awakened something dormant within him. He whispered to himself, "If this is real… then maybe I can survive."
One of the statues swung at him. Kael rolled to the side, surprising even himself with the speed of his movement. His body responded almost on instinct, faster and sharper than ever before.
Another notification appeared:
> [Skill Unlocked: Basic Dodge Lv.1]
Kael's jaw dropped. "I… I can gain skills?"
The guild master, bleeding and barely standing, noticed Kael moving differently. "Kael… what's going on with you?"
But Kael didn't answer. He couldn't. His focus was solely on survival. For the first time in his life, he wasn't just a burden. The rusty blade slashed across a statue's arm — and though it barely left a scratch, another window popped up:
> [Combat Engaged. Proficiency Increasing.]
The statue roared and swung again. Kael ducked under the attack, his movements more fluid now, more natural. His fear was still there, but it was slowly being replaced by something else. Determination.
The system's voice chimed once more:
> [Quest Update: Survive for 10 Minutes]
Time Remaining: 9:59
Kael's breath caught in his throat. Ten minutes… ten minutes of hell. If I can endure this… then I'll live. I have to.
He tightened his grip on his sword, eyes burning with a new fire. Around him, the statues advanced like executioners, their weapons raised high.
For the first time, Kael didn't cower. He stepped forward.
The trial had begun.
⚡ End of Chapter 8 ⚡