Darkness.
The world... seemed to have vanished.
No sky,No sun,Nor a familiar sound.
Only... a muffled hum.A silence that gnawed at the soul.And... a cold, stone-like ground.
When he opened his eyes slightly, the first thing he noticed was the metallic taste filling his mouth.
Blood...
He licked his lips.There was pain.It was real.
"Where am I?"
His voice came out hoarse.His chest tightened.It felt like his lungs weren't filled with air... but with fear.
He wanted to stand up.
But...
His body felt like it didn't belong to him.
Weakness... had seeped into every muscle.His arms trembled.His knees... felt like they might give out any moment.
He slowly looked around.
Nothing was familiar.
The ground... was muddy, stony, and full of cracks.The ceiling... was covered with stalactites.Was this a cave?
No... it was too quiet.Too quiet.
So quiet that even hearing his own breath was unsettling.
"Is this a dream?""Am I dead?""Or... am I somewhere else?"
There was no answer.There never had been.Not in any part of his life.
He began to walk weakly.No shoes on his feet.A sharp stone cut into his foot.It stung.But he kept moving.
At the end of the path...He heard a sound.
A scratching sound.Like nails scraping on stone.
His instincts screamed:
Run!
But there was nowhere to run.
From within the shadow... something emerged.Not human.Not animal.
A creature.
Its back was hunched, skin scaly, eyes like smoldering embers.Drool dripped from its mouth to the ground.Its breath smelled like rotten meat.
Ryuga staggered backward.Lost his balance and fell.
The creature... leapt onto him.
The first claw grazed his shoulder.The second tore at his chest.It hurt.
He struggled.Fumbling in the air, he searched for a rock.
His fingers... touched something hard.
A stone!
It was small.Broken.But it was all he had.
He aimed it at the creature.
The monster attacked.
He threw the stone.
It struck its eye.The creature screamed.He hit it with a second stone.A third.A fourth.
Blood splattered.The creature backed away.But Ryuga was exhausted.His chest heaved.He struggled to breathe.
"Why... am I here?""What is this place? What was that thing?""What am I supposed to do..."
He looked at his hands.They were covered in blood.They trembled.
"This is just a nightmare... right?"
At that moment...Something invisible flickered in the air.
[System Initializing]
[Status Check...][Critical Value Exceeded: Bad Luck Level = [ABNORMAL]][Standard system cannot start]
[Alternative System Active: BAD LUCK]
[Loading New System...]
[Name: Ryuga (Unregistered)][Level: Unknown][Stats: Unknown][Status: Bad Luck Detected]
Bad Luck System Rules:
[You grow stronger when you suffer]
[Each misfortune grants you points]
[You can convert these points... into power]
[Bad Luck Points: +47][Description: Attacked by unknown creature. Unarmed. Injured. Frightened.]
Ryuga didn't know what he was looking at.These texts floating in the air... seemed to carve into his eyes.He could see them, but couldn't make sense of them.
"What... does this mean?""Who is writing this?""Am I... going crazy?"
But then...Something new happened.
[System Store Opened]
[Available Bad Luck Points: 47 BP]
[Available for Purchase]
[Power +1 [40 BP]]
[Rusted Stone Knife (Single Use) [45 BP]]
[Endurance +1 [45 BP]]
[Torn Cloth Bandage [10 BP]]
"Is this a joke...?""You're watching me... aren't you?""This isn't a game... but...""This curse... might just belong to me."
His throat dried.He looked at his bleeding arm.The creature was not dead yet.
He tried to stand.
He took a step.
And whispered:
"Okay.""I don't know the rules of this game.""But if this system works like this..."
"Bad luck... will be my power."