"What do I do? How am I supposed to fight this thing?" Raito’s breath shook.
"Status window—open!"
The screen lit before his eyes. He scrolled fast, searching.
"Yes! I’ll use that again—" His finger froze.
[Sparrow Punch Locked – One Trial Used. Sealed until Lv. 25]
"...What?" His eyes widened. "What the hell does that mean? One trial only? I can’t use it again?"
His fists trembled. "I thought... I thought I was finally getting strong. Why now?!" Google seaʀᴄh 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝘯𝘦𝘵
The ogre stomped forward, its massive frame casting a shadow over him. A heavy wooden club raised high, dripping with blood.
The ground split as the club slammed down where Raito stood. He rolled back, dirt and stone exploding around him. His chest burned, breath ragged.
The ogre snarled, eyes locked on him, and charged again.
"Dammit!" Raito staggered back. Run? Fight? What am I supposed to do?
He swiped desperately through his skills. Then—his eyes caught it.
[New Skill – Purple Lightning Mist]
Condition: Life-or-death situation. Unlocks at Lv. 25.
"...Life or death...?" He whispered, staring at the words. His body shook as the ogre closed in.
"Is this it? Do I have to be on the brink of dying before this activates?"
The monster roared, club lifting again.
Raito’s teeth clenched. "Fine. Then if that’s what it takes—come at me!"
As Raito sprinted, the dungeon lit up with each step, torches flickering to life like they were watching him. His fingers swiped frantically through the skill menu.
"Flight! I used it back in the hospital—where is it?" His eyes darted over the glowing screen.
Flight – Not Equipped.
"What?!" His finger tapped fast.
[Locked Filght – One Trial Used. Unseals at Lv. 50]
His heart stopped. "Level fifty...? What is going on? I thought I finally awakened!"
His chest tightened. The ogre’s growl echoed closer.
"Does this mean... I’m going to die? That the moment I finally get my skill, I lose everything?"
Images of the speedster inferno demon he defeated flashed in his mind—the fire, the blood, the strength he had felt. That power now felt like a dream.
"But that was an enraged S-rank... this is just a D-rank monster. Why does it feel so different? Why... why don’t I feel that strength anymore?"
Raito scrolled frantically through the status window, eyes catching on one skill.
[Shield – Available. Tap to Equip]
Without hesitation, he tapped at it.
A burst of blue light instantly wrapped around his body, forming a glowing barrier just as the ogre’s massive club came crashing down.
THUD! The strike landed, but the shield absorbed it.
Raito’s eyes widened. "It worked..."
THUD! The club slammed into him, but the impact vanished against the shield. His eyes widened. "It worked..."
The ogre roared and struck again. THUD! The shield flickered but held.
The third strike crashed down, shattering the light into fragments that dissolved into the air.
"No!" Raito yelled. He tapped frantically at the panel again, trying to re-equip the skill.
A cold message popped up:
[Shield – Locked. One Trial Used. Unseals at Lv. 7]
"What...? Locked?" His chest tightened. "So I can only use it once? Then what’s the point of awakening if everything is sealed!?"
The ogre bellowed and lumbered forward, raising its club for another strike. Panic surged through him. He turned and sprinted deeper into the dungeon. The corridor stretched endlessly, torches igniting one after another as if the dungeon itself was watching him.
Raito kept scrolling, desperate through is skills.
His finger stopped at an option.
[Physical Boost – 37 minutes available. Accept?]
"Accept!" he shouted, tapping it.
[Physical Boost Activated]
His whole body lit up with radiant light. Suddenly, everything felt lighter—his legs, his arms, even his chest. As the massive wooden club came crashing toward him, Raito sprang back with ease, landing smoothly.
"Finally... my body feels light. Am I really going to survive this? What if... what if I actually win? What happens next?" he whispered, tightening both fists.
He charged forward and drove a punch straight into the ogre’s huge belly—but nothing. The monster’s stomach seemed to swallow the blow like it was nothing.
"What the hell...?" Raito muttered.
The ogre raised its club again and smashed down. Raito twisted his body, ducking just enough for the weapon to graze past his head. He kicked off the ground and leapt up, slamming a kick across its face before landing and launching into a flurry of punches.
Thud! Thud! Thud! His fists slammed again and again, each strike bouncing off the ogre’s flesh as if he were hitting a wall of stone. The monster didn’t even flinch
But it was useless. None of his attacks worked.
"Why?! None of my attacks are doing anything! What’s going on? The system isn’t talking to me like it usually does..." he shouted, his voice breaking.