Because of your previous actions, the system has deemed it necessary to test your resolve through a forced trial.
- Create your build: ? (Complete)
- Survive: ? (0/1)
- Make a decision: ? (0/1)
- Defeat 3 Gloom Maws: ? (0/3)
- Permission to continue living in a mortal body
- ???
Note:
- No time limit.
- No food or water will be provided or available for purchase in the shop.
- No access to inventory
As the last system message faded, a sword materialized in my grip.
Characteristics:
A single, slightly curved edge with a double-edged tip. A manifestation of the system’s power. While not a divine artifact, few things in the universe can break it. Wield it without restraint.
- Attributes: 0
- Abilities: None
"That’s all I need. Thank you very much."
I gave the blade a few test swings, feeling its weight and balance.
Perfect. As if it had been crafted just for me. Forget attributes and abilities. This sword belongs in my hand.
"Hey, while we’re at it, how about throwing in a quest? You know, a little bonus with this sword as my reward?" I asked, trying my luck.
Silence.
I scoffed.
"Oh, I see. Just ignore me like everyone else. You’re no different from the rest. An unreliable, selfish, and cold system. Only speaking when you need something."
Dramatically, I covered my face with my palms, spreading my fingers just enough to peek up.
Nothing.
The system wasn’t impressed.
"Fine." I sighed, dropping my shoulders. "Since you don’t want to talk to me, I won’t talk to you either."
Frustrated but resigned, I set off.
I was on what seemed to be a floating asteroid or a confined, drifting space, with stars shimmering overhead and a cosmic hum vibrating through the void.
Strangely, I could breathe. The ground beneath me wasn’t solid—it was a murky black liquid, rippling with each step I took. I had no idea what I was supposed to survive, what decision I had to make. So, I’d start with the hunt.
But what exactly is a Gloom Maw?
"Sszszsszsaaajaajjaaa!" Echoed a sound like no other.
My throat went dry. It was utterly alien, something my vocal cords could never replicate—like a boar screaming in a rat’s dialect.
Just what kind of creature are you?
"Sszszsszsaaajaajjaaa!"
With no other choice, I crept toward the unsettling sound.
The landscape shifted into a warped valley, flanked by bizarre, curved canes dripping the same black liquid I’d been walking on. At the valley’s heart, a grotesque, towering monster loomed, surrounded by strange, brown minions.
These tendril-covered, potato-like creatures shuffled in eerie obedience, each carrying glistening drops of the black liquid—an offering for the monster.
A shadowy, semi-corporeal beast with a gaping mouth stretching from head to chest. It feeds on fear, growing more solid and powerful the more terrified its prey becomes.
The system’s notification lit up in my mind but conveniently left out the important part—how to kill it.
Does it taste good? I wondered, eyeing the glistening droplets.
A reckless idea flickered in my thoughts—to collect some of the liquid in my clothes and offer it up like some bizarre tribute. Unfortunately, with nothing but underwear and pants to my name, that wasn’t exactly an option.
Not that I was ashamed. Besides, the liquid felt oddly... soothing underfoot.
Keeping low, Eden circled around the valley, staying out of sight. The creature had its back to him now. Would that help? No clue. But he wasn’t desperate enough to charge in blind.
Ahh, whatever. Let’s get it done.
Flux surged through his body. Activating [Burst], Eden launched forward, dashing straight for the cluster of potato-minions. No time to test their abilities. He vaulted over them, then triggered a second [Burst], propelling himself through the air.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Almost there, one of the minions lunged to block his path. Reflex took over. Eden’s sword slashed, cleaving the creature in two.
[ +2 SP ]
But his charge had been disrupted.
Losing momentum, I was about to land on the writhing tendrils atop the minions’ heads—something I really didn’t want to risk.
What if they grabbed me, pinned me down for the Gloom Maw to finish me off?
Not worth risking it.
A perfectly timed [Burst] let Eden step on air, propelling him past them. He slashed at the Gloom Maw mid-flight—
Nothing.
His sword passed through as if slicing mist.
Twisting in the air, weapon coated in purple flux, Eden executed a slashing motion, creating a [Flux Blade]. The energetic attack flew toward the monster—
—And went right through it, striking another potato instead.
[ +2 SP ]
So much flux, wasted for nothing. Eden landed on what passed for solid ground, though "solid" was a generous term.
Even though [Burst] and [Flux Blade] didn’t consume much flux, he didn’t have much to begin with.
"Sszszsszsaaajaajjaaa!" The Gloom Maw roared.
A wave of oppressive darkness crashed over him. Eden’s vision blurred—
And suddenly, he was alone. Encased in pitch-black emptiness.
Left, right, up, down… nothing.
No one.
It was cold. And dark.
Shit!
My body trembled as I stumbled backward, desperate to put distance between myself and the creature. But a chilling thought gnawed at the edges of my mind—
Was I even moving? Or was it all just an illusion?
Fear surged like a flood, an overwhelming torrent from the depths of his being.
Then—impact. My back slammed against something solid, snapping me out of the abyss. A twisted cane beside me dripped a single bead of murky liquid onto the ground.
Panting, Eden locked eyes on the grotesque creature and its minions, frozen in place for a few moments.
I had thought I understood fear.
But fear wasn’t a racing pulse or a quickened breath. Fear was the silence after the scream. The part no one ever prepared for. Eden didn’t fear many things, but two stood out: pain—or perhaps, suffering. And loneliness.
As a child, he had often been left alone while his mother worked. Later, even when surrounded by family, that same loneliness lingered. No one had ever truly understood him—or what he was capable of.
One of his dreams had been to escape that solitude, to find someone who would never leave. Someone to share eternity with. The thought of losing anyone, of being abandoned, gnawed at him. Even in death, he hadn’t been alone. Spirits had always surrounded him.
But now? This is different.
Neither the Gloom Maw nor its minions pursued him beyond the valley. Yet, they seemed… angry. The sprouted potatoes emitted rhythmic, insectoid clicks, almost as if they were scolding him.
“Why are you mad at me? Do you enjoy trembling in fear before that thing?” Eden muttered, shaking his head.
They were terrified of the Gloom Maw. Yet, they fought to protect it.
What good is a sword if I can’t use it against that creature?
I took a slow, steady breath and pushed myself up. The system gave me a simple sword and had placed me here—against this. There had to be a reason.
Maybe… its corporeal form only materializes if I break free from its ability. My fear, huh?
Spirits existed everywhere. The system operated across all planes, seen and unseen. I couldn’t truly be alone, even if I wanted to be.
That wasn’t exactly the kind of company my soul craved, but…
This time, Eden walked back into the valley. He suspected the creature’s ability had a limited range.
He was right.
Halfway in, the Gloom Maw roared—And darkness swallowed him once more.
Eden’s heart pounded. His hands trembled. His mouth went dry. Fear surged through him, unchecked, relentless.
But beneath it, a deeper anxiety gnawed at his mind—what if the sprouted potatoes, or even the creature itself, attacked in ways he couldn’t anticipate while he was trapped? Stumbling backward, he retreated until—
Snap.
The illusion shattered like a lifted veil. Reality came rushing back. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, stinging his eyes. He crouched, wiping it away on his pants, gulping down shaky breaths.
The minions hadn’t attacked.
The moment he had been trapped in that nightmare, they had simply returned to their strange worship of the Gloom Maw.
If that’s the case… I just need to conquer my fear.
Eden tilted his head back, staring at the stars shimmering above this strange world.
Is that why you brought me here? To free me from it?
Rising to his feet, Eden stepped back into the valley.
. . .
“MY REAL NAME IS ISKAR, THE ONE WHO ESCAPED FROM THE UNDERWORLD!”
He howled in the thrill of victory.
[ Congratulations! You have defeated a Gloom Maw. ]
[ +120 SP ]
[ Progress: Defeat Gloom Maw 1/3 ]
I had no idea how much time had passed. How long was I trapped in that illusion?
Simply acknowledging my fear hadn’t been enough. I had to calm the storm within, to accept the possibility of what I dreaded most.
"It really didn’t have a physical form, did it?" Eden muttered, watching the creature dissolve into thin mist. "One small step for me, one big step for those who never walked this land before."
He was about to move on when something caught his eye—a faint glow where the creature had vanished. A golden orb, fist-sized and pulsing with a soft, radiant light. The sprouted potatoes gathered around it in awe, hesitant, as if unworthy to touch it.
[ Congratulations! You have found a Matrix Oroco. ]
An extremely rare, epic-grade item crystallized inside the Gloom Maw. Its uses are numerous and equally magnificent.
Oh? Does this mean I can take it with me? Nice.
Without hesitation, Eden activated [Burst], leaping over the startled crowd of minions and landing near the matrix. Up close, the orb resembled an intricate honeycomb, its golden lattice humming with energy.
I smirked. "Thank you very much, and I deeply apologize for the inconvenience, but I’ll be taking this. If not me, someone else would claim it anyway."
For a moment, I expected retaliation.
None came.
Instead, the minions reached out with their tendrils, clinging to me—not in aggression, but as if begging me to stay.
It felt... good. Being wanted. Being treasured. A wonderful, fleeting sensation.
But—"Unfortunately, I have to go."
They followed him, forcing him to use [Burst] again and again until he finally lost them.
Then, a new problem made its presence. Hunger. Eden's stomach twisted. He glanced back at the creatures.
I wonder... are those walking potatoes edible?
Time to eat? Time to eat? Eden licked his lips. Then he shook his head, shoving the thought away.
Disgraceful.
To eat? What kind of monster could one be to consume another being, to devour their soul and essence? Me, me, me. But no time for that. I still have two more Gloom Maws to take down.
. . .
"What the heck is this?" I muttered, staring at the endless sea of sprouting potatoes surrounding me.
[ Progress: Defeat Gloom Maw 3/3 ]
Taking down the last two creatures hadn’t been as difficult as I’d feared. They had clawed at my deepest anxieties—loneliness, spiders, and rusty ships lurking beneath dark waters (a phobia inherited from the version of me from the “modern” world).
But now?
Now, I stood in the center of thousands of sprouting potatoes, their wide, round eyes locked onto the three pulsing spheres in my pocket.
"Don’t look at me like that. I’m just claiming my loot. At least I… I’m letting you live."
Eden’s voice faltered at the end, disbelief creeping in at his own words.
[ Congratulations! You have defeated three Gloom Maws and earned the right to return home. ]
Do you wish to return now?
[Y/N]
Of course I wanted to return home. I was exhausted. Hungry. Ready to be done with this.
But my gaze drifted to the spheres, hesitation creeping in. Keeping them might be useful. Who knew what they were truly capable of? Yet, as I looked at the thousands of sprouting potatoes—each pair of big, round eyes pleading silently—I hesitated.
They weren’t attacking me. They couldn’t.
In the short time I’d spent among them, I understood: they were a species incapable of defending themselves. If these items were valuable, someone else would come for them eventually.
Eden sighed.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully if he took everything.
Those pleading expressions. Those watery eyes. They’d haunt me forever.
With a dramatic sigh, I pressed the back of my hand against my forehead. "Oh, Mon Cherry, Mon Ami—what are you making me do?"
I crouched down and placed one of the spheres on the ground.
"Here. This is for you. Hope you’re happy and grateful—and maybe light a candle in memory of my good deeds. Au revoir! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have another Gloom Maw to find. Need to complete my collection of pulsing globes. Sayonara!"
I pushed my way through the crowd. Their eyes stayed glued to the sphere.
Lame. So lame. All of them. And also me.
Anyway, just one more Gloom Maw, and I could finally go home to eat. Hopefully, the food was still warm. I wasn't a fan of cold sausages with mashed potatoes.
Haha. The irony.