Kad exhales. "Yes. I knew it. That's more like it."
Giel laughs. "Then you must be great. Come on, that's not just Sal-1."
I force a breath and say, "Okay. Deep breath, everyone." Then I nudge the two of them, "Your turns."
Kad's measurement shows Sal-1. She shrugs as if she expected it. "Still weak," she teases. Giel's result reads Sal-2 with a note: You are stronger than an ordinary Sal-2. He beams with pride.
The commandants are murmuring. Glus says, "I need to leave for a moment. Wait here for a commandant. Do not leave the cafeteria."
Whispers ripple: "Why? What happened?" I sit there, heart thudding. Nobody knows the half of it.
Commandant Zoio steps into the hall and asks for silence. Her expression is grave. "A murder has been committed," she says. The room tightens.
Around the hall kids trade excited shouts and embarrassed complaints — rank this, rank that. Someone screams, "He's rank A!" A boy named Has is receiving cheers. I walk over.
"Hi, Has. That's your name, right?"
"Has Has Dusu," he says with a proud grin. "And you?"
"Mike, Mike Tyl."
"What's your rank, Mike?" he asks.
I hesitate. Say Sal-2 and move on. "Rank 2," I answer.
"Perfect," he says. "That's enough for me."
He asks about abilities, and I think about how to explain mine without revealing too much.
Quick rundown:
Mike — System. People assume it means strength.
Giel — Heavy power magic.
Kad — Fast and agile.
Lasa — Healing magic, always calm and steady.
Has: "My magic is light. Yours, Mike?"
"Strength," I say. "Some kind of superhuman strength." He nods like he gets it.
Back at our table, Giel and Kad tease me, but there's an undercurrent of unease. Zoio's voice cuts through again. "This is not a drill. You are in danger. We do not know the cause. Several students have been killed. The culprit may still be among you. The facility is on full lockdown. No one leaves without express permission. You are not just students anymore. You are targets. Stay alert. Watch each other's backs."
The room goes quiet. Evening settles. Then Glus returns, face drawn. "It's been confirmed," he says. "It was an animal."
Gasps. "An animal?" someone cries. "A shapeshifter?" Another replies, "We don't know anyone like that."
Glus raises his hand. "Most likely a wild animal. We have searched the area." The commandants discuss possible causes in low tones. One suggests a bear. Ilius shakes his head. "The bite is too small, too precise. I can't identify it."
I listen from across the room, a knot of relief and guilt twisting inside me. What else could I have done?
Back in the dorm that night, the silence is thick. Eventually Kad whispers, "Crazy, huh? Something like this right away." We lie there, all of us exhausted. Sleep comes slow.
The next morning Giel bursts in, all energy. "Day three! Training starts today, and in three days we go on our first mission. Isn't that fast?"
I blink awake. "Probably a simple mission," I mumble. Then the system chimes.
The pup is learning. Each day your strength grows. You are ready.
Reward received: ? ? ?
Two question marks flash. I frown. What kind of reward is this? A choice appears.
Accept? Decline?
I hesitate, then whisper, "Accept." I head to the bathroom, lock the door, and the system begins to teleport me.
Teleportation in progress… 3… 2… 1…
A flash of light — then I'm gone.
When I open my eyes I'm in a dense forest. A small stream cuts through a clearing. For a second it's almost peaceful. Then the system pings.
NEW QUEST: Defeat the trolls to receive your reward.
Reward 1: One level up
Reward 2: Revealed after completion
(Side quest unlocked — details shown after the main quest.)
Dark shapes spill out of a cave. Trolls—huge, snarling, armed with heavy clubs.
Objective: Defeat the trolls
Progress: 0/5 defeated
One of them charges me first.
Troll HP: 200
It swings a club. I dodge to the side.
"Wolf Strike!" I shout.
The hit connects. The troll stumbles, but another one slams me from behind and sends me skidding across the dirt.
"Agh!" My chest burns.
HP: 120
My stamina's low. Magic's almost gone. I've only two moves left that matter: Pack Bite (uses Magic + Endurance) or Wolf Strike (uses Endurance).
"Pack Bite!" I roar.
Two spectral wolves explode into being at my side.
"Go, boys!" I command.
One wolf pins the wounded troll and finishes it off before fading. The second lunges for the troll that hit me—it bites the club clean from its hands.
Opportunity.
I scramble up, leap, and drive a fist into the troll's face with everything I've got.
BOOM. It hits hard.
2/5 trolls defeated.
The remaining three rush me together. One clubs me into the ground, the second joins in—pain everywhere. The third winds up to crush me.
Something in me snaps. Fury lights my veins. I move faster than thought.
CRACK! One clean, brutal punch. The third troll crumples.
3/5 trolls defeated.
I stagger back. Blood and sweat. I glance at my status.
HP: 50
Status: Wounded
Breathe. Focus.
I sprint, drive a low kick into a troll's gut. It convulses—paralyzed.
Troll HP: 45
Status: Paralyzed
I follow through. Fist to face. Crunch.
4/5 trolls defeated.
The last troll roars and barrels in. This time I plant my feet and hold ground. It swings—BOOM—but I manage to block.
Endurance: 10
One last move left. I jab, stun it, then launch upward.
"WOLF STRIKE!"
CRACK. Down it goes.
5/5 trolls defeated.
— —
Reward 1 claimed!
🎉 Congratulations!
You reached Level 7!
+30 stat points to distribute.
Reward 2 unlocked:
• Fully healed.
• All stats restored.
The system reappears.
New Message
Hello, Pup. Was that enough? Or… do you want more?
Side Quest Available
➤ Accept Side Quest?
My stats flash, full and green. I inhale. "Yeah… let's do it," I say, and tap YES.
— —
Side Quest Activated:
TROLL KING
Objective: Defeat the Troll King
Status: 0/1
Difficulty: Hard
A low rumble answers me from the cave. The real fight begins.
He steps out—bigger than the rest, skin dark red instead of green, a crooked crown set on his head, a long scar torn across his belly.
Before I react he moves with ridiculous speed and slams me into the earth.
"Shit…" I groan, dirt in my mouth. Bruised, not broken, I get up.
He charges again, arms like tree trunks trying to scoop me. I dodge, block, and look for a pattern.
Can I stack attacks? I test it without thinking.
"WOLF STRIKE!"
"WOLF STRIKE!!"
"WOLF STRIKE!!!"
Three hits, back to back—Boom, boom, boom. They land. The Troll King staggers but stands.
My stamina is almost gone.
"PACK BITE!" I yell, and send the wolves.
The first wolf rushes in—then the Troll King rips it apart mid-leap. My heart drops.
The second wolf bites and holds, teeth sunk into the king's arm.
Troll King HP: 20
Mike HP: 55
We're both on the edge.
He charges. I charge.
Our fists meet with a thunderous crash that throws a shockwave through the trees. I spin, hook with my other hand, and drive a punch into his gut.
Thud. He collapses.
Troll King Defeated: 1/1
Note: Respect, Player Wolf.
I stand there panting, staring at the system window.
"No reward?" I blurt. "WHAT? That nearly—"
Then I see it. Lying where the Troll King fell is a sword.
It's not just any sword. The blade is dark, veined with something that looks like dried blood or shadow. A faint pulse seems to come from it, like it's breathing.
I take a step toward it. My hand trembles.
The system message blinks once more as if nudging me forward.
Item found: Unknown Sword (status: unclassified)
Use? Equip? Examine?
My fingers close around the hilt.
The metal is cold. Something whispers at the edge of my mind—old, hungry, and oddly familiar.
I draw the blade and the clearing goes still.