Chapter 3 – “C-Rank in a Week”

  Volume 1 – Realm: Nocturnis

  Finalized Direction (Fear Stage)

  ---

  Mikey jolted awake, gasping.

  He clutched his chest. Heart pounding. Sweat soaking his sheets.

  He was in his room. His real room.

  The fan spun above him. His alarm blinked 7:00 AM.

  The sunlight felt… fake.

  He rolled out of bed, dragging his legs to the mirror.

  He stared at his reflection. Pale skin. Black rings under his eyes. The faint start of muscle building in his shoulders.

  He looked stronger.

  But he didn’t feel strong.

  > That place… Nocturnis… it’s real.

  The torture. The blood. The goblin. The cold.

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  His stomach turned. He wanted to puke.

  He gripped the sink to steady himself.

  > “It was just training. It was training.”

  No part of him believed that.

  ---

  He didn’t go outside for four days.

  He barely spoke to his mom. When she asked if he was okay, he lied.

  “Just tired.”

  ---

  The System Waits for No One

  Every night, the screen came back.

  > [Nocturnis Access: Available]

  [Training Session Begins in 00:00:10]

  [Non-compliance will result in stat decay and penalty punishment.]

  He stared at the countdown.

  His hands shook.

  He didn’t want to go back.

  Not again.

  But if he didn’t—

  > The system punishes weakness.

  On the second night, he whispered, “Okay.”

  And let himself fall back into hell.

  ---

  Nocturnis: Return

  Same stone floor. Same bloodstains. Same silence.

  The fear came back instantly. Chest tight. Skin crawling. He expected pain around every corner.

  But this time, Nocturnis didn’t torture him.

  It trained him.

  1,000 squats under mana pressure

  Agility trials across spike pits

  Knife handling against illusion clones

  Wall climbs while dodging mana bolts

  The system made him faster. Stronger. Sharper.

  But every time he heard a clang, he flinched.

  He never let go of the fear.

  ---

  Night 5 – Trial Unlock

  He was sitting against the wall of the arena, catching his breath, when a new screen appeared.

  > [Practice Dungeon Access Unlocked]

  [Trial Type: Real Kill / Real Consequence]

  [Failure: Reset to Day 1 Protocols – All Progress Lost]

  [Proceed?]

  He stared at it.

  Hands shaking.

  He didn’t want to click it.

  He wanted to run. Log off. Never come back.

  But if he refused—everything he’d survived so far would be for nothing.

  > “Don’t be weak now.”

  He clicked Yes.

  ---

  The floor shifted.

  Stone corridors formed, twisting and narrow. Lights flickered blue. The walls were stained and cracked.

  He took one step forward—and heard something growl.

  A creature lunged from the dark.

  > Fast—too fast—

  He couldn’t even react.

  It tore through his side, threw him against the wall.

  Blood sprayed.

  > [Death – Respawning…]

  ---

  He came back with a scream.

  He was back at the start of the trial.

  Pain memory still fresh.

  > You screw this up five times, it’s over. All of it.

  He had to calm down.

  Had to fight.

  Had to survive.

  ---

  [TO BE CONTINUED in Chapter 4 – “Trial Dungeon: No Reset”]