Daniel woke up to a strange noise. His eyes snapped open in fear, only to find a twisted version of himself standing there. This figure looked exactly like him, but its eyes were bottomless pits of darkness that seemed to swallow the light.
The shadow laughed, a sound as cold as a grave. "They are living in peace now," it mocked. "They don't care about you. I bet they know you are dead, but did they even blink? Did they go looking for you? No. This city and its people are all the same—cold and ungrateful."
Daniel looked at the entity with heavy eyes, as if watching an old film of his own pain. "Won't you ever stop barking, you parasite?" Daniel asked, his voice exhausted but proud. "You seem to enjoy invading my peace every single day."
The shadow retreated, laughing. Suddenly, its face began to rot; one side turned into a decaying skeleton while the other remained a corpse. It leaned close to Daniel's ear and whispered like poison, "Listen well. To the world, and even to yourself, you are nothing but a delayed death. Remember, emotions are just filth that dulls the blade of fate. Surrender to them, and you will meet your end."
The shadow vanished, leaving black stains on Daniel's face like cursed ink on a white page. Daniel wiped his face coldly and muttered, "I know that better than you."
The System's Call: The Gateway of the Abyss
Suddenly, a cold blue light cut through the void. The System screen appeared with its usual mechanical chill:
[Notification: User promoted to Rank A.. Congratulations] > [Death Gate Opening Rate: 60%] > [Power Test: S-Rank Dungeon] > [Mission: Survive this hell for one hour] > [Penalty for Failure: Permanent Death] > [Countdown Started: 00:00:01]
Daniel sprang into action. He put on his black athletic gear, and as soon as he stood firm, the ground split open. He fell through a massive hole, landing in a deserted, charred village that looked as if it had been burned by dragon fire.
The Battlefield: Dance of the Spear and Scythe
Amidst the ashes, the sound of heavy hammers echoed. From the ruins, an army of Goblins emerged. They were monsters with skin as black as coal and glowing green eyes filled with red veins. The horns on their heads showed their ranks:
One-Horned: Level 1 Soldiers.
Three-Horned: Intermediate Warriors.
Five-Horned: High Elites.
Six-Horned: Exceptional Rank (Warning: Power exceeds your current limit).
Ten Level 1s, four Level 3s, and two Elites surrounded him. Daniel didn't wait. He drew his black spear, decorated with deep red patterns, leaped into the air like a hawk, and slammed the spear into the heart of the earth.
Magic mana exploded from the blade, turning the area into a burning hell. Daniel had injected the spear with all his power, obliterating six Level 1 goblins in an instant.
Before he could breathe, a Level 3 goblin launched a surprise attack. Daniel moved gracefully, but found himself facing the massive fist of a Level 5 monster. The punch hit the ground, creating a deep crater, but Daniel had already rolled away like a snake.
With a swift motion, he released his "Night Whip." It wrapped around the goblin's leg like a demonic chain. He pulled with immense strength, slamming the beast against a wall. Before the monster could recover, Daniel jumped onto its chest and ripped out its heart using his "Death Blades" skill.
The Peak of Battle: Mana Manipulation
The remaining goblins swarmed him in a desperate attack. Feeling pressured, Daniel summoned his Great Scythe. With one circular swing, he decapitated three Level 1s.
He then used "Black Desert Scorpion Venom" loaded into his "Death Sky" needles. The poison pierced the skin of the Level 3 goblins, melting their flesh off their bones in a terrifying sight.
The scythe began greedily draining Daniel's energy, so he decided to end the struggle. He activated [Mana Manipulation], pulling the life force from the fallen corpses to charge his blade. He moved like an arrow, sliding under the feet of the Elites, climbing their backs, and swiftly cutting off the first one's head. He then severed the hand of the second one as it tried to crush him with a hammer, finishing it with a strike to the spine.
Facing Inevitable Death
Silence fell, and the System message appeared again:
[Warning: Power Level 30.. Body is suffering from extreme exhaustion]
Daniel spat out blood and said angrily, "Shut up! You're the one who threw me into this swamp!"
Suddenly, his blood ran cold. A terrifying aura rose behind him, making the air feel heavy. He turned slowly to find the Six-Horned Goblin standing right there. It raised a massive axe that blocked out the sun, swinging it down with a force that signaled the end.