The First Trial

First Trial: Survival

Objective: Survive the attack of the mini fish beasts.

Difficulty: F
Duration: 10 minutes
Failure: Death

“What the hell is this?” I said in shock as I tried touching the blue screen.

“That is your quest window,” my Mini Kiori replied while looking at me. “But you should focus on surviving,” she continued as she glanced toward the mini fish-men.

I was about to turn my head when blood suddenly splashed across my face.

That was when I saw a knife sticking out of the skull of the person standing in front of me before they collapsed to the ground. Only then did I realize that one of those fish creatures had thrown the knife. A chill ran through my entire body.

For a second, no sound could be heard.
A second that felt like an eternity.

Then suddenly, a scream shattered the deadly silence.

“RUN!”

At once, everyone began running in every direction they could, desperately trying to survive while being chased by monsters never before seen in human history.

And at the worst possible moment, just as I was about to sprint away, someone—someone I would probably never even know—shoved me from behind. I lost my balance and fell hard onto the ground.

“Get up!” the Mini Kiori shouted.

I tried to stand, lifting my head, only to realize I was now one of the few left behind. I quickly turned around and saw a mini fish creature charging straight at me at full speed.

With a sudden leap, it raised its huge knife, aiming directly for my skull.

When the blade was only centimeters away from my face, I barely dodged to the side, narrowly escaping death.

Without hesitation, I threw a punch that sent the creature staggering backward. I immediately got to my feet and tried to run, but the distance between me and those monsters was far too small. Escape was impossible.

I sighed, looked down at the knife lying beside my foot, and picked it up.

The mini fish I had punched earlier rushed toward me again, clearly enraged. It leaped at me, trying to strike me down, but for some reason I couldn’t explain, I instinctively dodged its attack.

As the creature passed behind me in midair, I spun around and slashed it in a single motion.

The blue screen appeared again.

You have killed a Gloup for the first time.
Reward: 50 coins and distribution points.

“Gloup…” I thought as I stared at the screen. So that’s what they’re called?

I then noticed the surrounding Gloups slowly circling me, yet none of them attacked.

So these things can actually feel fear, I concluded as I watched them hesitate.

Then I looked farther away and spotted a fish monster the size of a grown man holding a trident.

“I know I could die trying this… but I don’t have a choice anymore. If I want them to fear me, I need to kill their leader,” I said as I charged toward the monster at full speed.

“Yeah… I’ve definitely gone insane,” I muttered with a grin.

“Hey, Kiori!” I shouted while running.

“What is it?” she asked while staring at me.

“Give me a weapon—anything!” I yelled as I killed another Gloup that jumped at me.

“Sorry, but weapons must be purchased with coins,” the Kiori replied.

“Don’t you have at least one free weapon? Anything, I’m begging you!” I shouted while dodging another Gloup.

She stared at me for a moment before letting out a sigh.

“This is the only free item available. Single use only.”

A baseball bat suddenly appeared before me.

I grabbed it, and since I was already less than a meter away from the giant fish monster, I jumped and swung the bat at it.

The creature blocked the strike with its trident before shoving me backward.

I barely had time to land before it rushed forward and slammed its weapon into my stomach, sending me crashing against the metal railing surrounding the bridge.

I collapsed to the ground, unable to move for a moment.

The monster slowly began walking toward me. Once it got close enough, it gripped its trident tightly and thrust it toward my abdomen.

With a desperate movement, I shifted aside and raised my arm.

The trident became lodged in the metal railing.

I quickly wrapped my arm around the long shaft of the weapon to hold it in place, then grabbed it firmly with my other hand.

“Time to see if all those damn workouts were actually useful!” I shouted.

Using every ounce of strength I had, I lifted the giant fish with incredible difficulty and hurled it over the edge of the bridge.

But in that moment, I forgot one crucial thing.

I was still holding onto the trident.

The giant fish grinned viciously as it yanked the weapon downward, dragging both of us off the bridge.

I let go instantly, but the monster caught the trident again in one swift motion and drove it straight into my abdomen, a satisfied expression spreading across its face.

At that moment, adrenaline drowned out the pain.

I stabbed my knife into the creature’s head, but the blade failed to go deep enough to kill it.

So I grabbed the baseball bat still clutched in my hand and began smashing the knife deeper and deeper into its skull.

A desperate act.

I struck it again.
And again.
And again.
And again with every ounce of strength I had left as we continued falling through the air.

Then, with one final blow, we crashed into the ground below.

My fall was cushioned by the fish monster’s body. Its skull was completely destroyed.

The blue screen appeared once more.

You have killed a Fish-Man.
Reward: 200 coins and additional distribution points.

But I paid no attention to it.

That was when I realized the trident had pierced far deeper into my body than I had hoped.