Volume 1: The Infernal Episode
Chapter 1 – The First Ordeal
A vast desert, endless, stretches under a sky lit by a bright moon. On a solitary rock amidst this expanse, a young man with black hair and empty eyes leans. His breath is shallow, his clothes torn and stained, and his slender body is covered in wounds that have yet to heal. He was running... or perhaps he was just moving aimlessly.
He raised a black pendant, from which hung a thin chain ending in a sky-blue gem, and let out a tired sigh. He whispered hoarsely:
"Shit... This can't be a dream."
In that instant, the gem glowed faintly, and a voice emerged from the void:
"You've passed the first ordeal.
You have a golden will!"
Suddenly, the young man was engulfed in pitch-black darkness. A glowing blue square appeared before him, and as soon as he touched it, a series of letters and numbers materialized:
---
Name: Sami
Race: Human
Age: 16
Rank: Unbound
Creatures Acquired: 450
Core Ability: Eternal Wind
Since time immemorial, in the voiceless eternal desert, a solitary wind has howled. This wind cannot be stopped by the cosmos.
Ability Features: (Punishing Winds) (Dismal Storm) (Wind Collar)
Additional Ability: A Singular Choice
Will we ever be free? Are you chosen or are you guided? A lone sage and his companion have wondered this since time began, but will you find the answer?
Ability Features: (Permanent Choices) (???) (???)
Possessions:
[Desert Heart Pendant]
[Skullbreaker Scythe]
[Desert Armor]
[Moonblade]
[Unfathomable Well]
Negative Ability: {°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°}
Soul Name: [----------------]
---
Sami stared at the stats with tired eyes before shutting them in clear despair. He sat on the ground, releasing a heavy sigh before muttering dryly, as though he hadn't had water for days:
"Was the choice right...?"
He paused for a moment, then suddenly shouted sharply:
"You know what? It doesn't matter! I survived, I'm alive, and they're dead, so I must be right!"
He lowered his head in a long silence, before lifting his gaze back to the stats once more.
---
Name: Sami
Race: Human
Age: ...
...
New words appeared on the screen:
"Do you want to return to reality?"
[Yes] [No]
He clicked "Yes."
And everything turned black. Sami found himself among names and the earth, as if in a nowhere space, with a blur of celestial colors and sky rushing above him as though millennia passed in a single moment. He was dazed in place, all strange sensations piercing him, and his soul felt as though it was being completely remade. He felt as though he had been rebuilt anew. After an eternity, he finally awoke...
He slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on a white bed in a quiet room. A ray of sunlight crept through a single square window in a gray wall. There was nothing in the room except the bed, a simple blanket, and a door without a handle. Cameras were mounted in the corners of the room. It looked more like a prison than a hospital room.
As he stared at the ceiling expressionlessly, the door opened, and a young woman entered, wearing a white outfit that covered her arms and legs entirely. She looked like an official. She glanced at him with a faint smile that seemed artificial and said:
"So, you've woken up, Mr. Sami. Congratulations!"
She placed a card on the bed before quickly leaving, as if she didn't want to stay in the room any longer.
Sami picked up the card. It was square, thick, and multi-layered. He began reading it:
"Congratulations on passing the first ordeal.
You are now bound, Sami.
This is an invitation to the Bound Center..."
Before he could finish reading, the door opened again.
Isn't this faster than expected?
Sami thought, surprised!
An old man entered, wearing a gray suit, his hair graying, his face lifeless. He looked pessimistic, as though he cursed his existence here. He looked straight at Sami with sharp eyes and said in a gruff voice:
"Get dressed and follow me!"
---
As they walked down a long, silent corridor, seemingly endless, Sami began to notice that the walls were made of gray and white marble squares, and there were no windows or exits. Just a straight path ahead and behind.
He remained silent, but he was uneasy. Something about this place felt off.
It seemed the ordeal was still playing with his mind.
Suddenly, the old man broke the silence:
"You're bound now. You've started your life as a human at last... and at the same time, it's over."
Sami didn't respond.
He simply gave him an emotionless nod.
The man kept walking, undisturbed by the silence, as if it was expected.
---
In another gray room, completely devoid of windows, Sami stood in the middle, staring at his stats card once again.
A grim expression crossed his face as he whispered:
"... Did I have to go through that hell just to end up like this? Reality is truly different from stories..."
He forced a fake smile onto his face and sighed.
Then, he fell into a long silence...
After a while, he lifted his gaze.
"I really need to stop talking to myself."
Then he lowered his head in a frown and looked at his hands, recalling the ordeal he had gone through—
---
An endless desert. A sun that didn't budge from its place. Labored breaths, sweat dripping from his brow
He looked around in confusion.
"A desert...? I expected to be taken to an icy place, considering my personality."
Then, with a bitter laugh, he added:
"...This ordeal never does the expected."
Golden sands stretched endlessly in every direction, swallowing the horizon.
He took a deep breath and muttered to himself:
"Alright... best option now is to keep moving."
He started walking through the sea of sand. Time passed—how much, he couldn't tell—until a single boulder appeared ahead, lonely amidst the infinite dunes.
He stopped, skeptical of his own vision.
"Am I imagining things now? I wasn't expecting this."
He hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to approach.
As he placed his hand on the smooth surface of the rock, he felt a faint vibration.
"Could it be... I found water?"
But what happened next was far from what he expected.
The rock suddenly lifted into the air, revealing massive teeth beneath it.
The horrifying truth dawned on him—
"I touched the monster's head."
In an instant, the sands began to tremble. Stone giants emerged from every direction.
Sami stared at them, shocked, then muttered:
"I knew the ordeal wouldn't be easy... but isn't this a bit much?!"
He quickly tried to back away, but the shifting sands made him stumble and fall.
The giants began to move, their massive mouths opening and closing as if swallowing the very air.
Their form was both mesmerizing and terrifying.
He screamed internally as he struggled to his feet:
"There's no choice but to fight... but seriously, how is a regular human supposed to defeat stone giants?"
Then, without thinking, he started to run.
It seemed like the most logical decision at the time.
'Well, as they say, retreat is half of bravery, right?!'
But something inside him whispered that it wouldn't work.
"This is a desert… no hiding spots. It's just a matter of time before the sun drains me or they catch me..."
He stopped abruptly, placed both hands over his face, and took a deep breath:
"I need to find a solution..."
He looked around again. Sand. Sun. Harsh winds...
Then suddenly, a wild idea struck him.
His eyes widened with renewed determination, and he muttered with a tense smile:
"Alright, no other choice... all or nothing, huh?
Those years in the library better pay off!"
And so began his reckless plan.
---
With swift steps, Sami charged toward the stone giants, eyes gleaming with resolve, heart pounding, and thoughts racing.
His goal was clear, even if logic screamed this was madness.
"I need to think fast... how can I use the desert to my advantage?"
The first giant approached, its massive body blotting out the horizon, its many mouths snapping like blades.
But Sami didn't back down.
"Maybe... it's an easier prey than expected!"
With a sudden sidestep, he dodged to the side, causing the first giant to shift its path.
The rest continued chasing him.
"They're stupid! That's great."
The sand beneath his feet sank with every step, making each movement harder than the last.
But his eyes were locked on a nearby dune.
"That's my spot!"
With great effort, he climbed the sandy mound.
His steps were heavy, legs sinking deep with each push, but he kept going until he reached the top.
"Alright... now or never..."
The first giant was close now. Its features were clear:
A body made of enormous rocks, gaps at the joints like pieced-together chunks, and a natural armor shaped like an ancient warrior's breastplate—with a full moon carved into the chest.
Mouths scattered around its limbs pulsed like engines of destruction, ready to devour everything.
Sami remembered reading about them once. It was in the journal of a great figure.
He recognized them exactly.
They were slow and strong—but easy to defeat… even for him.
"This is terrifying... it's really different seeing it in person!"
As the giant neared, Sami leapt into the air, grabbing onto the edge of its armor.
His body shook from the force, but his heart beat steadily.
"Did I actually grab it? Wow, guess that torment really did help!"
The giant stared at him with dull white eyes, as if it hadn't fully registered what happened.
Clinging to the stony ribcage, Sami climbed quickly, reaching the area between its neck and jaw.
"Where is it...? It has to be here..."
With trembling fingers, he searched the rocky crevices until he felt a pulsing object.
"Got you!"
He gripped tightly. His veins bulged from the strain.
Finally, he pulled his hand free, holding a glowing white sand-core.
Suddenly, the giant froze in place. All of its mouths sealed shut.
Stunned, Sami heard a voice echo across the desert:
"You have slain a Stone Giant: {White Eyes}!"
A strange energy surged through his body.
New strength filled his veins.
Another notification appeared before him:
"Congratulations! You have absorbed your first creature.
Your Determination has increased."
"Acquired Item: {Sand Armor}"
He looked at the gem in his hand as it turned into shimmering sparks and vanished.
Suddenly, his body cooled, and the thirst that had plagued him disappeared.
"This... this was the monster's heart?!"
He smiled in satisfaction—but the moment didn't last long.
Snapping back to reality, he realized the other stone giants were still approaching.
"Damn it, I forgot about them!"
"Can't I enjoy absorbing my first creature in peace?"
He quickly focused his mind, summoning a new interface:
Desert Armor:
[Giants who lived under the moonlight—I shall wait for its return forever]
Traits:
• [Relatively strong against stone]
• [User becomes invisible in the desert as long as their awareness remains intact]
• [Slowly heals user while in a desert environment]
Sami gave a nervous smile:
"Well, better than nothing. Also, that invisibility sounds promising!"
Without hesitation, he leapt off the giant and landed in the sand.
Pain shot through his ankle, but he ignored it and began running again—toward the distant horizon.
The giants were still behind him, but something inside had changed.
Maybe it was hope… or maybe madness…
Either way, Sami had no intention of stopping.
In the middle of the barren desert, under a sun that refused to set,
a lone shadow darted between the dunes.
Sami's tired voice broke the silence:
"What is wrong with this ordeal?!"
"And that annoying sun! Why won't it move?! I'm sure it's been over six hours!"
"Damn it, when will night fall?"
But what he didn't know…
…was that night… would never come.
To be continued.