POV: Zai
When I woke up, the air felt… tight.
Not hot, not cold—just dense, like the world had shrunk around me overnight.
The system pinged before I could even sit up.
[LEVEL 4 TRIAL UNLOCKED — "Edge of Power"]Description: Face a constructed near-death scenario. Survive using system skills.Type: Solo | High-RiskReward: EXP Boost + Passive Skill Slot + Stat Synchronization UpgradeWarning: This trial can only be attempted once.Accept? (Y/N)
I stared at it for a long second. My heart pounded, but I was already swiping Y in my mind.
This was how the system worked—it didn't wait for you to be ready. It made you ready.
[Trial Accepted – Entering Trial Dimension...]
The world dissolved into black. I felt the floor disappear beneath me, like I'd just fallen out of my own body—and then…
I landed.
Not gently. Like, full weight, knees hitting metal.
My eyes snapped open.
I was standing on a narrow platform—a floating steel ledge with glowing blue lights pulsing beneath my feet. Behind me? Nothing but open space. Below? Nothing.
Above? A wide sky that somehow managed to be both a ceiling and a void.
[Trial Zone: EDGE STAGE – Platform Rules Activated]
Trial Objective: Survive for 90 seconds against falling debris, air bursts, and shifting terrain. Do not fall.Bonus Objective: Return to platform after being launched once (Edge Recovery Use Required).EXP Bonus: x1.5 if completed without Shielding.
"Alright," I muttered, cracking my knuckles. "Let's see what 'near-death' really means."
3... 2... 1... GO.
At second three, a giant metal cube slammed down inches from where I was standing. Sparks exploded. The platform tilted.
I dodged roll left just in time.
Then came a slicing wind gust from above. It nearly knocked me off—but I spun, crouched, and activated Egg Shield. The pastel shell wrapped me just long enough to hold my footing.
Crack.Gone.
One shield down.
At second twenty, flaming chunks rained from the dark above. My mind raced.
I charged a Fireball and used it to explode a falling piece mid-air before it hit me.
Next: a direct blast of force.
I planted my feet, waited... and—
[KO COUNTER – ACTIVATED]
A flash of blue light exploded around me as I perfectly countered the push, staying right where I stood.
Seconds ticked on. My heart was doing laps in my chest. I could barely think.
Then, at second sixty-five, the worst hit.
The entire platform tilted off-balance, like a game board flipped by an angry kid.
I slid toward the edge—nothing to grab.
My foot slipped.
I fell—
[ACTIVATE EDGE RECOVERY?]Y.
An invisible tether shot upward and yanked me through the air like a grappling hook. My body flipped—wind roaring in my ears—and then slam, my knees hit the platform again.
I rolled, stood, and readied a Charge Shot, firing into another chunk about to crush me.
[TRIAL COMPLETE – 90 SECONDS SURVIVED]Bonus Achieved: Edge Recovery UsedEXP Gained: +180LEVEL UP!
I collapsed onto my back as the world around me melted into white.
[SYSTEM UPGRADE – LEVEL 4 REACHED]Rewards:– Passive Skill Slot Unlocked– Skill Cooldowns slightly reduced– EXP gain boosted from combat– Stat Sync: +10% improvement to agility and perception– Next Trial: LOCKED until Level 6– 3 New Random Skills Incoming...
I breathed hard as I landed back in my bedroom—floor solid, air light again, heart still racing.
Then came the skill drops.
[Level 4 Skill Drop]1. Pikachu – Quick Zap (Lv. 1)A small electric burst from your fingers. Stuns target briefly.– Cooldown: 7s– Use: Interruption, Stun, combo starter.
2. Inkling – Paint Dash (Lv. 1)Slide forward with ink energy, leaving a slippery trail. Slight speed boost.– Cooldown: 9s– Use: Evasive maneuver, escape, confusion tool.
3. Lucario – Aura Vision (Lv. 1)Sense hostile intent within 20 ft. Glows red if danger is incoming.– Passive Duration: 10s per use– Cooldown: 20s– Use: Combat prep, ambush detection, advanced awareness.
I grinned, eyes locked on the final system message.
[Next Milestone: LEVEL 5 – "Subordinate Creation" Unlocked Upon Arrival]
Whatever that meant, it was gonna change everything.
Because if the system let me build CPU-style allies?
Then I wasn't just a fighter anymore.
I was becoming a commander