I remained lying on my back, staring at the gray sky without focus. The clouds drifted slowly above me, while pain savagely gnawed at every cell in my body. I hadn't felt this kind of pain in a long time—since I was seventeen, when my leg was shattered while playing football with my friends.
Because of that, I had believed I could endure this amount of pain easily… it wasn't as intense as that old one.
And yet, it hurt—badly.
What was I thinking when I convinced myself that if I got injured again, I'd be able to handle it without a problem?
I really am an idiot…
I was lost in my chaotic thoughts when the blue system screen suddenly snapped me back to reality.
[Warning]
Host condition is unstable.
Immediate rest or treatment is recommended.
"Heh…"
I let out a short laugh as I looked at the system notification. It was completely useless.
Did it think I was some numb idiot who couldn't feel his own condition?
Or was the system itself just stupid…?
Then the system screen appeared again:
[Processing upgrade…]
I held my breath unconsciously. Memories of the previous fusion flashed through my mind like a silent warning, but… nothing happened.
I let out a relieved sigh; I had no desire to experience that pain again.
[Upgrade successful]
[Current Level: 2]
[Basic stats enhanced]
[Health: +1]
[Strength: +1]
[Endurance: +1]
I waited.
I waited eagerly, expecting my wounds to heal on their own. The pain was still there, but I convinced myself that recovery would come just like it always did in the web novels I used to read—
the protagonist levels up, and all injuries disappear in an instant, as if nothing ever happened.
Seconds passed… long, heavy, one after another.
But nothing happened.
Disappointment tightened around my chest as I muttered quietly,
"It looks like I got a third-rate system…"
If it were second-rate, my wounds would have healed the moment I leveled up.
And if it were first-rate… I would've become a true superhuman—
a system that grants infinite power and breaks every known rule.
Some might ask: how do you know all this?
It's simple.
Anyone who truly loves web novels would understand exactly what I'm talking about.
I moved my injured leg carefully.
Pain shot clearly through my nerves; my teeth clenched instinctively, and cold sweat trickled down my forehead.
"Damn it…"
I sat there, panting, my back hunched, staring at the ground while tangled thoughts flooded my mind.
I reached for a nearby rock and leaned on it, then tried to stand. I rose with extreme difficulty, my body trembling slightly as I put weight on my injured leg. I stayed there, enduring the pain, waiting for my body to adjust. After some time, I was finally able to move.
I glanced at the monster's corpse one last time, when something I'd almost forgotten crossed my mind.
Shouldn't it have left something behind? A crystal…?
I approached it hesitantly and stood over its lifeless body, trying to ignore the disgust and tremor creeping into my limbs. I picked up a sharp stone from the ground and slowly plunged it into its abdomen, slicing it open completely.
I hesitated before putting my hand inside—just the thought made me nauseous. But I forced myself, closed my eyes, and searched inside its guts.
Seconds passed…
I found nothing.
I finally pulled my hand out, smeared with blood.
A faint sense of disappointment washed over me, and I began dragging myself away from the place.
My steps were slow.
Long minutes passed as I walked without a clear destination, breathing with difficulty, feeling warm blood seep from my wounds with every movement.
After some time—how long, I didn't know—the surroundings began to change.
On the horizon, a vast forest appeared. Its trees were unnaturally tall, their trunks thick, their branches stretching so high they seemed to touch the clouds. I stopped in my tracks, staring at it in silence.
"Damn it… what is that?"
Have I entered a world of giants?
The idea of turning back or searching for another path tempted me—but my stomach interrupted my thoughts with a weak growl, reminding me of my hunger and thirst.
And more than anything else… I was exhausted.
So, I had no choice but to move forward.