The battlefield was silent, except for the ragged sound of his own breathing. Around him, the ground was littered with the bodies of monsters and players alike limbs missing, ears torn, eyes half-shut in death. Smoke and dust choked the air, the ruins of the fight stretching in every direction.
One man remained alive. He knelt in the middle of the carnage, blood covering him, every muscle screaming in pain. He bit his lips, tearing at them with his teeth, and whispered through gritted teeth, tears mixing with the blood:
"I didn't want it to end like this… If only I were stronger… If only I hadn't wasted my time… If only I'd tried harder… If only… if only I had a second chance…"
Suddenly, a notification appeared in front of him, glowing unnaturally in the chaos:
[Congratulations on surviving this round – Hidden Request Completed]
Then the words glitched.
[ERROR… ERROR… ERROR…]
The man looked up sharply, eyes wide. The system flickered, sparking and shaking before stabilizing again.
What's happening…?
A new message appeared:
[Would you like to restart?]
For a moment, confusion clouded his mind. But before he could think, his eyes moved instinctively, and he clicked just like that.
Then he opened his eyes and slowly looked around. The city was abandoned, broken down, and eerily quiet. Buildings crumbled, windows shattered, and the streets were empty except for the scattered remnants of the few who had already appeared. Around him, a crowd of people had gathered, their faces pale and terrified, their eyes wide with confusion.
"Wait… is this the beginning?" he whispered to himself, voice trembling slightly. He lifted a hand and touched his face, feeling the familiar warmth of flesh and bone. "My hand… it's here," he said, almost in disbelief. Relief and a flicker of hope surged through him.
Tears welled up in his eyes. "This time… I won't waste my time," he murmured, gripping his hands tightly, as if holding onto that single thought could make it real.
Around him, the other people were murmuring, their voices full of fear and uncertainty. "Where are we?" one whispered. Another sobbed quietly. A few screamed, their voices echoing through the empty streets. The panic was contagious; some people huddled together, trembling, while others ran aimlessly, crying and shouting for answers.
He watched them silently for a moment, his chest tightening at the chaos around him. Everyone looked lost, scared, and helpless. But he knew something they didn't—he had already lived this world once. He had failed before. But now, he had a second chance, and nothing would be wasted.
Even as the panic grew louder, he forced himself to stay calm, taking a deep breath, his gaze scanning the abandoned city. Broken buildings, empty streets, and frightened people they were all part of the same beginning he had once faced. And this time, he would face it differently.
"This time… I won't waste my time," he repeated quietly, a promise to himself as his eyes glinted with determination, refusing to blink back the memories of past failure.
A jagged crack tore through the sky, splitting the clouds like shattered glass. A sharp, unnatural light spilled down, and a small, floating figure emerged. Its skin was pale and sickly, wings tiny and fluttering rapidly, and its grin stretched unnaturally wide.
"It's starting…" the voice echoed across the abandoned city.
The boy looked up casually, tilting his head, eyes scanning the ruined streets with nonchalant calm.
The creature hovered closer, its wide, sharp-toothed grin still fixed in place. "Hello… everyone," it said in a high, sweet, yet chilling voice. "My name is Kibbitz. And you… are now participants in my game."
The crowd shifted nervously, some whispering, some trembling.
"Every day, you will participate in rounds," Kibbitz continued, floating slowly above them. "Each round has a goal. Fail a round, and you die. Succeed… and you move forward. Every choice you make, every action you take… matters. You cannot run from the rounds. You cannot hide. There are no exceptions, no allies you can fully trust. Every human here is a player, and every mistake can cost you your life."
The crowd murmured, confusion and terror mixing in their voices. "Rounds? What… what does that mean?" a woman whispered, her hands shaking.
Kibbitz's grin widened. "Think carefully. You will be forced to fight, to survive, to make impossible choices. Some rounds are simple… some are deadly. But all are mandatory. And if you die… it's permanent. There is no restart, unless… well, perhaps someone is fortunate enough."
A girl in the crowd screamed suddenly, her voice cracking. "We don't want to play your little game! Send us back!"
Kibbitz's grin stretched further, disgusting and unnatural. His tiny wings fluttered faster as he pointed a claw at her. "Then… you die."
The girl's scream tore through the abandoned streets. "We don't want to play your little game! Send us back!"
Kibbitz's grotesque grin stretched impossibly wide. "Then… you die."
A beam shot from his tiny claw. The girl's body crumpled instantly, blood spraying across the cracked pavement. The others froze for a moment then horror hit.
Their own hands, arms, and clothes were streaked with blood. Panic erupted. People screamed, shoving and running blindly, terrified to see the massacre unfold.
Kibbitz didn't move his hands. He didn't need to. Beams of light appeared out of nowhere, striking from all directions. They shot from behind, from above, from the sides, slamming into anyone who dared move.
Boof. Boof. Boof.
Bodies fell, screams echoed, chaos swallowed the streets. The beams seemed to appear from thin air, perfectly tracking the fleeing players.
"Anyone who moves shall die," Kibbitz said, his voice calm and cold, cutting through the screams like a blade.
Immediately, the survivors froze. Their cries faltered. Tears ran down their faces. Their bodies trembled in fear. No one dared to breathe too loudly, no one dared to move.
Kibbitz's eyes scanned the frozen crowd, then fell on the boy who remained calm, casually looking around as if observing a ruined city rather than a massacre.
A gleam of amusement appeared in Kibbitz's eyes. "Ah… we've got some interesting content today," he said, laughing in that high-pitched, unnatural voice, teeth flashing in that grotesque grin.
Kibbitz's laughter faded slightly as it floated above the frozen crowd, eyes glinting with amusement. "Now, let me explain a few things about the system," it said, voice still high-pitched and unsettling. "If you say status window, a system will appear with your stats. Strength, speed, intelligence, everything you need to survive… it will all be here. Watch carefully."
The crowd murmured nervously. Some tilted their heads, staring at the invisible interface that had just appeared in front of them.
Kibbitz continued, smiling wickedly. "Your first round is simple enough. You will encounter monsters. Kill them, gain experience, level up. The stronger you get, the stronger your enemies will become. The game never stops. Each choice, each fight… it matters."
Kibbitz hovered above the crowd, wings fluttering, grin wide and unnatural. "Now, everyone," it said, voice sharp and excited, "it's time to choose your name. Not your real name your username. This is how you will appear on the leaderboard, how others will see you. Everyone, pick wisely."
A glowing bar appeared in front of each person. Confused murmurs spread through the crowd as people hesitated, typing their chosen names.
The boy looked at his bar, calm and unbothered, memories of the last round flashing briefly in his mind. He shook his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
No need to change it.
He typed a single word:
"Kudo."
A warmth spread through him as he remembered his mother had given him this nickname.
"First round," Kibbitz announced, its small wings fluttering, grin stretching wide across its pale face.
A system notification appeared in front of every player, glowing clearly in the air:
[You must kill 10 goblins to move on to the next round.][Reward: 100 coins]
Kibbitz waved one tiny hand, a disturbingly cute smile on its face. "Have fun~," it said, and in an instant, it disappeared.
A glowing portal opened in the center of the ruined street. From it spilled dozens of small goblins, their green skin wrinkled, claws sharp, and each holding tiny, jagged knives. Then more and more poured out, rushing from the portal like a tide.
They didn't hesitate. Screeching in unison, the goblins ran straight toward the terrified people, knives glinting in the dim light. Panic erupted immediately, screams echoing through the abandoned city as everyone realized the first round had truly begun and these goblins weren't just monsters; they were armed, fast, and relentless.
The moment the portal opened, panic erupted. People tried to run, fleeing toward the city, but an invisible force slammed into them—a massive, shimmering barrier blocking their escape. Screams echoed as goblins with jagged knives lunged at anyone who got too close. People fell left and right, stabbed through, screaming in terror as chaos consumed the streets.
Amid the screaming and bloodshed, Kudo moved calmly, eyes scanning, analyzing. He didn't panic. A goblin lunged at him, knife aimed for his chest. Kudo shifted right, planting a precise knee into the creature's face. The goblin's screech cut off abruptly. In a fluid motion, Kudo caught its knife midair and drove it straight into its skull. Without hesitation, he ran forward, targeting the next goblin.
Another lunged at him, claws and knife extended. Kudo sidestepped perfectly, slashing a clean strike into the creature's eye. It dropped to the ground, dead before it even hit the floor. He paused for a brief moment and breathed in sharply.
[You have leveled up]
Kudo's eyes flickered as a system window opened in front of him. Status Window. He examined it carefully, focusing on his strength and speed. One point in strength, one in speed. His hands moved swiftly, adjusting his stats as he prepared for the next wave.
He charged forward again, cutting, stabbing, and dodging with precise movements. The goblins fell under his skillful assault one after another, until a system notification appeared.
[Congratulations! You killed 10 goblins!]
Around him, other players finally noticed. "Who… who is that? How is he moving like that?" someone whispered, fear and awe mixing in their voice. Others glanced at the goblins, then at him, realization dawning. "If we kill goblins… can we move like that?"
Motivated, people hesitated for only a moment before launching attacks on the goblins themselves. The chaos of the battle intensified, though Kudo remained calm, efficient, and deadly.
A small, shimmering blue circle appeared around him, a protective barrier that blocked the goblins' attacks. He glanced down at it. "No… this is not enough," he muttered, breaking free from the circle and charging toward more goblins.
Other players gasped. "Is he crazy? Why did he go out?"
Someone tried to slip inside his protective circle, hoping it would save them, but it didn't work. A goblin lunged at the intruder, stabbing him through instantly. Screams filled the air once more.
Kudo didn't slow. He cut down goblins with fluid, precise strikes one lunged and jumped at him, knife flashing; he dodged cleanly and severed its head in one strike. He took a step back, exhaling sharply.
"No way… goblins were this hard to kill?" he muttered. "Back in my day, just seeing one would be enough to kill it… and now I'm already tired."
The status window reopened, and his eyes widened. 50 goblins killed.
Kudo quickly allocated more stat points, honing strength and speed further. Then a new notification appeared:
[Title Unlocked: Goblin Slayer]
He selected the title, feeling the instant boost. Speed +3, Defense +3.
He continued, cutting down goblins one after another with relentless precision. The other players began to notice him again, whispering and staring. "Who… is that?!"
A spark of motivation ignited in them. "We can't just let him do all the work!" they shouted, rushing at the goblins with renewed courage.
For a long, brutal battle, the streets became a massacre. Kudo moved like a storm, striking, dodging, killing. Eventually, the last goblin fell, bodies of the creatures littering the ground. Silence settled briefly over the ruined city.
Then, from above, a familiar presence appeared. Kibbitz returned, floating down, grin still wide and unsettling. "Well… that was… impressive,"
After all the goblins had been destroyed, Kibbitz floated above the carnage, small wings fluttering as its wide, sharp-toothed grin stretched across its pale face.
"Congratulations to the surviving people," it said, voice high-pitched but somehow full of amusement. "This… is more than I expected."
It scanned the crowd, eyes glinting with that unnerving light, before fixing its gaze on Kudo. Not with a glance it was a stare, a scary, predatory smile curling its lips.
"Next round…" Kibbitz continued, voice sweet and sinister at the same time. "Congratulations to the people who survived. You'll be moving on to the second round. But… now, you are free to go. The next round will start again later."
A pause, as it twirled slightly in the air, then it added, almost cheerfully: "You're free to explore this place. There are monsters if you want to level up. Items to discover. Food scattered around, so you can eat. Safe areas to rest. Enjoy yourselves… before the next round begins."
Its grin widened, twisting into something darker, more mischievous. "Oh… and one more thing." It pointed a tiny claw toward the ground. "Those who did not complete the request to kill the goblins…"
Suddenly, multiple beams of light shot down from the sky. They struck each remaining player directly in the head. Screams cut short. Bodies crumpled to the ground instantly, lifeless.
Kibbitz floated above them, tilting its head, the same disturbingly cute smile on its face. "Bye~," it said softly.
In a blink, it opened a small glowing portal and disappeared through it, leaving the survivors those who had succeeded alive, terrified, and surrounded by the aftermath of death.