────────────────────────
Unknown Item registered.
Data access restricted.
────────────────────────
Si Hon stared at both rewards.
Then closed his eyes again.
"alr later."
The system went completely silent.
The tower continued to hum.
And far beyond the safe zone—
Something large moved through the blizzard…
Something wiggling… wriggling and crawling.
***
Si Hon woke up to a pitch-black.
Not dark. But straight pitch-black.
The kind of darkness that feels like it's night and you're wearing a black glasses.
"…Night already?" he whispered, voice dry.
He pushed himself up slightly, feeling the faint warmth trapped inside the tent, warmth of the system definitely didn't provide out of kindness.
Outside the red line barrier thingy, the blizzard still roared.
Inside, the air was still. Heavy. Cold, but not too much.
Si Hon rubbed his face.
"Okay… once there is at least light…" His voice cracked a bit. "…then I guess I'll start making a fire."
He nodded to himself.
A sensible plan was. It was reasonable and smart.
The system window materialized instantly.
────────────────────────
HAHAHA
NO YOU WON'T.
YOU WILL PROBABLY LIE DOWN AGAIN.
────────────────────────
Si Hon glared.
"…You're laughing behind my back now?"
[Yes.]
"Traitor."
He crawled toward the tent entrance, pushing the flap slightly open.
Cold air seeped in.
And he paused.
"…Why is it so quiet?"
The storm outside wasn't silent.
But something else was.
Too still, deliberate and watching.
Si Hon narrowed his eyes and slowly poked his head out.
The safe zone circle glowed faintly red on the ground.
The tent's shadow stretched long.
Beyond the barrier…
Shapes stood.
Tall.
Broad.
Not moving.
And dozens of them.
Black silhouettes pressed against the very edge of the circle, like children staring through a candy shop window. Well… except these children were eight feet tall, had breaths that steamed thick, and eyes that reflected faint white dots in the dark like predators.
"…The fuh," Si Hon whispered.
One of the figures leaned forward.
Not stepping.
Just tilting.
Its head lowered until its glowing eyes were inches from the barrier, staring directly at him.
Its breath hit the invisible wall and curled upward like smoke.
Si Hon blinked once.
Twice.
"...yo what the fuck? Systemy what's that."
The system appeared.
────────────────────────
Hostile entities have located you.
They cannot enter the Safe Zone.
However, they are… Persistently curious.
And don't call me that nickname.
────────────────────────
"Sure. But persistentl?" Si Hon pointed.
"…That one is drooling bro."
Another creature pressed its enormous hand to the barrier, claws scraping sparks against it.
Si Hon stared back at them.
They stared at him.
He exhaled.
"…Yeah, no."
He zipped the tent shut.
The sound of the zipper was absurdly loud in the dead silence.
Inside the tent, darkness wrapped around him again.
The fabric shuddered faintly as something large brushed against it from the outside. Not breaking the barrier.
Just… touching the tent's shadow.
Si Hon sat cross legged slowly.
"…They're still out there, aren't they?"
[Yes.]
"Are they… waiting?"
[Yes.]
"For me?"
[Yes. Enthusiastically.]
Si Hon breathed in.
"…Okay."
He lay down.
Pulled the blanket over himself.
And in the faint silence of the tent he whispered.
"Wake me up when the sun magically appears."
The system slowly jerks like its sighting.
[I hate you.]
Outside, the shapes continued to breathe.
Slow.
Patient.
Watching the tiny tent in the middle of a dead silent safe zone, like it was the warmest piece of meat in a freezer.
***
The world brightened slowly.
Not sunlight.
Just that pale gray-white glow that happens when snow reflects light from nowhere, a kind of fake morning that doesn't warm anything.
Si Hon crawled out of the tent like an old man who woke up wrong.
His joints cracked.
His ribs reminded him that.
"Oh right. That wolf dragon decided to paw punch me."
He winced and stretched anyway, arms lifting overhead until a sharp pain stabbed him.
"UGH— okay okay, I get it, I won't stretch…"
The blizzard had calmed, but the air still bit at his skin.
Snow crunched beneath him as he exhaled fog.
He looked around.
The shapes from last night were gone.
Thank god.
Something or whatever watches him suffer for entertainment.
He cleared his throat.
"…System."
The window flickered to life.
[Yes? ]
"Food. Water. Do they exist here?"
There was the tiniest delay.
As if the system was trying not to laugh.
────────────────────────
Technically, yes. But not inside the Safe Zone.
────────────────────────
Si Hon stared blankly.
"…So where?"
[Outside. Where the hostile monsters are. ]
The system giggled.
Actually giggled.
"You're evil," Si Hon muttered.
[Thank you :). ]
He eyed the red circle, circling around the tower, glowing, pulsing gently in the snow. And the barrier that separated alive Si Hon from snack of the something last night
He then approach the edge of the red cirlce and stood there, he then Opened his mouth.
"…What if I step out just a tiny bit?"
[I recommend you don't. Really]
Si Hon lifted his foot.
The system flickered violently.
[STOP. ]
He stepped forward.
Just one foot.
One foot outside the red circle and it shrank, then blinked, then it vanished.
The Safe Zone disappeared like someone deleted it.
Si Hon froze.
"Uh."
The cold air suddenly felt stronger.
Sharper.
Hungrier.
The system slowly materialized beside him.
[You. Are. So. Stupid. ]
"Wait wait…"
He stepped back quickly.
The ground glowed red again. The circle reformed, humming like an engine restarting.
Si Hon blinked.
"…Oh. So it only works while I'm inside?"
─
[Yes. You are the anchor. Without you, The Safe Zone does not exist.]
─
"…Why?"
[Why not?]
Si Hon groaned into his hands.
"…I'm gonna die here."
────────────────────────
Statistically? Most likely.
And don't you want that?
────────────────────────
"That was yesterday." He answered.
"Okay… okay. We need a plan. First I need food. Second, I need water. And I probably need medicine. And I need—"
Suddenly he paused.
Because from the forest, somewhere deep…
somewhere cold…
Something growled.
Low, long, vibrating through the snow.
He then stared at the trees.
"…Why does that sound familiar?"
The system chimed lightly.
──
[Reminder: The creature that broke your ribs is still somewhere on this floor.]
──
Si Hon inhaled sharply through his teeth.
"…Cool. Great. Perfect. Love that."
He sighed. "Okay— let's die less today."
He then slapped his cheeks lightly.
"Alright. Food, water. Fire."
He turned around.
Then froze.
Because right there, half-buried in the dirt beside his tent were the items he ignored yesterday.
The cube was just sitting there waiting.
Like it was watching him.
"Now that I think about it… what is that thing actually and why is it closer?" he whispered.
The system popped up instantly, sounding far too smug.
[Maybe because something carried it closer.]
Si Hon stared at the system then at the forest.
"…Ha ha."
He clutched his chest.
"I hate this place."
He crouched down anyway, brushing the dirt off the object.
And the cube was warm, so warm it felt alive.
"Okay… last time I checked, cubes aren't supposed to be warm."
────────────────────────
It's not a normal cube.
And— you didn't even check it… you just ignored it. Now let me ask, I wonder why it is buried in dirt?
────────────────────────
"Yeah, thanks for the insight, my assistant."
[I will delete your lungs.]
"Try me."
He sighed and held up the object.
"…So. A useless rock box."
Si Hon then sat down.
"Now that I think about it… what was the reward for clearing the Have a fun day or something?"
Then the window popped up immediately.
Like it had been WAITING.
────────────────────────
> [QUEST: Have a Nice Day] <
Objective: Spend a peaceful day outside with ivy.
Reward: ???
STATUS: COMPLETE.
Ohohoho I thought you forgot about this.
────────────────────────
"Cool cool now give me the accept button"
[Accept/decline]
His eyes twitched.
"Why did you even add that decline… you know I'm accepting."
[Becau—]
Si Hon then tapped the accept button Cutting the system.
[Mean. :(. ]
Then a strange black button appeared right before his eyes.
And to his surprise, it wasn't a normal button.
Not even close.
It dropped into his palm.
And the thing sat in his palm with an uncomfortable weight— it was far heavier than a button should ever be, like a small piece of metal stolen from something… something I don't know actually…
It was deep black, not glossy, not smooth, just a flat void color, swallowing light instead of reflecting it, like it was a black hole. But black hole sucky tucky things but this doesn't it just absorb light.
The surface was smooth but cold, colder than the snow. Touching it felt like pressing a fingertip against a quiet cool water. or something made out of cold metal.
On the back, instead of a pin or clip, it had a strange adhesive layer, pitch-black like tar. It didn't feel sticky when he touched it… yet it could cling to anything— fabric, metal, even its skin and as if it decided what it wanted to stick to.
(A/N. Adhesive is a thing like a glue or something sticky… like cu— I mean yk. sorry for some poetic btw since me wanna learn how to do those.)
The center of the button had a faint circular groove, almost like an eye half open.
Every time Si Hon moved it, it make a tinest click, a sound too sharp~ for something so small.
It was a button that felt like it belonged on something dangerous. Or something alive.
"What's this for…?"
The system hesitated.
Hesitated.
A single line appeared, like someone whispering from behind a locked door.
────────────────────────
Unknown Item registered. Data access restricted. ────────────────────────
Si Hon blinked.
"…Oh yeah. That was yesterday. When I was unconscious and stupid."
[You are currently conscious and still stupid.]
He ignored that.
He stared at the button then at the cube again.
"So what if I combine them…?"
The system JERK~ like it got a heart attack.
Violently.
[DO. NOT.]
"…Why?" Si Hon asked.
[Because you will regret it.]
"Explain?"
[No.]
Si Hon squinted.
"Ayo… so there's a chance its gonna be useful?"
[STOP. RIGHT. THERE.]
He looked at the cube.
Then the button then at the forest then of course the forest again.
He swallowed.
"…Okay, but hear me out. What if it summons like a… little helper? A healer? A healer would be amazing right now."
[No. ]
"A cook?"
「No.」
"A water bottle?"
「No.」
"…A friend?"
「Absolutely not.」
Si Hon inhaled dramatically.
"Alright. Good. Enough for me."
And before the system could scream—
click.
He pressed the button onto the top of the cube.
The world broke.
Not shattered not exploded. Just… glitched.
Reality burped or jerk… jerking.
Snow froze in midair, sound died. The cold stabilized into a perfect, unmoving temperature.
Even the system window stuttered like it was buffering.
The cube unfolded.
Not physically conceptually. Like it pulled itself inside out and became a frame of light, then a doorway, then a hollow.
Si Hon stumbled back.
"Oh~ oh my god~ Oh~~ i'm scared."
The frame pulsed.
Something stepped out.
Bare feet.
Small.
Pale.
A little girl… maybe seven, maybe ten? stepped into the snow wearing a thin, white dress that fluttered despite the wind being frozen still.
White hair. White lashes. Eyes that were not glowing, but reflecting everything like mirrors.
She looked at Si Hon.
Tilted her head.
Blank.
Expressionless.
And then—
She smiled.
Softly.
Too softly.
"Hello," she said.
Si Hon looked at her. Expressionless, like he's thinking how can that little pitty girl be use to him.
"hi?" He muttered.
She blinked once.
Then again.
"Are you my summoner?"
Si Hon pointed at himself.
"Me?"
She nodded gently, hands folded behind her back like she was politely visiting someone.
"I see. Then I will follow the first command you speak."
The system was having a seizure.
「YOU ABSOLUTE BUFFOON. DUMB. FUCK. BRAIN DEAD!」
Si Hon ignored that because holy shit he actually summoned something.
The thing is… is it usefull for him though.
He opened his mouth, ready to give a command like a responsible adult.
Instead of something cool. What came out was.
"Uh can you… make a water?"
The girl stared at him.
Long. Too long.
Then she smiled wider.
"I can," she said sweetly.
"Oh… okay cool."
"But I won't."
"Huh?"
She stepped closer. Snow rose around her feet like it wanted to avoid touching her, and stepped inside the red circle.
"I do not grant requests."
She leaned slightly forward.
"I grant consequences."
Si Hon's scoffed.
The system started screaming in warnings he didn't want to read.
The little girl clasped her hands.
"Command me," she said cheerfully.
"So your consequence can begin."
Si Hon sigh.
"…Wait wait— hold on. what. kind. of consequences."
She blinked innocently.
"Random."
"Random good?"
"Random."
"Random bad??"
"Random."
"Random deadly???"
"Random."
"Random…"
Si Hon squeezed his face with both hands.
"I'm going to die then."
The system popped up beside him.
「Yes.」
Si Hon sighed, then a small smirk formed in his lips.
"…Okay okay okay… uh. let's… start with something safe. Something tiny. Something harmless."
He pointed weakly at the stick on the ground.
"Uh… pick that stick up."
The girl glanced at it. Then lifted her hand and the stick evaporated.
Si Hon's mouth opened.
Closed.
"Huh?"
She looked pleased.
"I followed your command."
Then suddenly... Si Hon smirked… wide. Too wide it might reach his Ears and even the system paused in the air.
"WRONG. that's not. that's not what I mean"
"It is what happened," she corrected.
The system chimed.
「Reminder: You chose this.」
Si Hon approach the little girl.
"You. Made a mistake." He whispered softly.
But the girl smiled.
"Then command me again, Summoner."
Si Hon stared at her, and smirked.
"I command you..."