Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Beta Test (1)
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I threw my body sideways to dodge the charging dog.
But unfortunately, the dog was faster than me.
The moment it leaped with all its might, its gaping maw closed in.
My side burned fiercely. Then came the pain of flesh tearing.
“Aaaah!”
A scream escaped before I could even try to hold it back.
The sensation of skin ripping and meat being torn away was vividly clear.
There was no room to think about anything.
Tears, saliva, and blood streamed down nonstop.
The dagger clutched in my right hand had long since fallen to the ground.
Every time the dog shook its head, my body was yanked along, tearing my flesh even longer.
“Huaak!”
A sound escaped that I couldn’t tell was sobbing or screaming.
If only all this were a dream.
But the pain that started from my side and overtook my entire body easily crushed that hope.
My instinct was right. This wasn’t a dream. It couldn’t be.
That simple realization was the beginning.
Along with the terror that I might die, my siblings’ faces flickered in my mind.
Die here?
‘No!’
If I died, that day from seven years ago would repeat.
The thought of my unprepared siblings left alone without a guardian snapped my pain-numbed mind back into motion despite the agony.
Unlike the dog, I didn’t have sharp teeth or powerful jaws.
So how could I beat a dog in this situation?
‘A blade!’
I needed a way to attack the dog.
‘Shake it off! I have to shake it off!’
I needed to escape this and reclaim my dagger first.
The moment I made that judgment, I shoved the dog’s head away.
But it didn’t let go easily.
It bit down even harder, resisting my push.
“Uaaak!”
Blood vessels burst, and my eyes turned bloodshot.
Blood rushed to my head, making it feel like my eyeballs might explode any second.
Then a flash of insight struck me.
The damn thing had eyes too!
“You fucking dog!”
I jammed my thumb into the dog’s eye.
Normally, the squelching resistance would’ve made my skin crawl.
But with my life on the line, the unfamiliar texture brought no reaction.
All that mattered was that I’d struck it.
Crack.
The thing yelped in pain of its own and backed off, its teeth ripping free from my side all at once.
“Huek!”
It wasn’t just pain. It was excruciating.
Pulling out hurt worse than going in.
My whole body trembled, weird hiccuping sounds leaking out on their own: heuk, hak.
I wanted to let go right then, lose my mind.
But I spotted the dog rubbing its head furiously with its front paws.
What if it charged again while I passed out? What if it went for my throat instead of my side?
The worst-case scenarios forced my clenched teeth apart, letting me stretch out my shaking hand.
The dagger I’d dropped the instant it bit me lay abandoned in a pool of blood.
I flailed my hand, but it wouldn’t reach.
“Iaaak!”
Screaming, I crawled across the blood-soaked floor.
But before my outstretched hand could touch the dagger, rough footsteps closed in.
By the time I realized the presence was right upon me, it was too late.
Crunch-!
A chilling sound rang out.
This time, the sound came before the pain.
The instant its jaws crushed into my pelvic bone, my vision went black, then lit up again.
Like a bulb flickering off and on.
No scream came this time.
“Guh!”
My gaping mouth could only manage ragged, failing breaths: kek, kek.
I turned my head and saw the dog’s maw clamped on my pelvis.
It shook its head violently, making it feel like my lower body would tear off.
My vision stained red—something had definitely burst.
Even so, I gritted my teeth and swung my hand.
Miraculously, my fingertips hooked something hard.
Without a second’s hesitation, I plunged the dagger into the dog’s side.
It bucked wildly, writhing in agony.
“Huaak!”
Still latched onto me, I was flung around with its thrashing.
That’s when our tug-of-war began.
Me twisting the dagger that wouldn’t pull free from its stuck flesh.
It clamping down harder on me.
At the end of that exhausting struggle, I yanked the dagger out of its body.
“Die!”
And without pause, I stabbed again.
Once, twice, three times. Each time, pulling it out got faster.
Thud, thud, thud. The blade piercing flesh was monotonously dull.
“Die, I said die, diiiiie!”
Even as I roared in fury, my hand didn’t stop.
And finally.
「Target has been killed. 8 mana absorbed.」
「Congratulations! MISSION - Tutorial (Beta Test 1/3) completed.」
「Success reward: 10 mana provided. All injuries healed.」
「Calculating results.」
「Server activation beginning.」
「Beta Server activation 0%」
「Beta Server activation 1%」
「Beta Server activat…….」
I had no mind to note the dings or the scrolling text.
Something hot and unknown started crawling into my body.
Was this what going mad felt like?
I writhed against the alien sensation. This wasn’t mine.
Not a reasoned conclusion, but pure instinctive revulsion.
I wanted to rip it out of me right then.
Spit up everything inside me, and seconds later.
The tormenting sensation vanished. Only then could I breathe.
* * *
“Uheok!”
Hands and feet thrashed in the air.
My body sprang up like a coil, then froze at the sight before me.
Racks stuffed with winter and summer clothes alike, a solidly shut wooden door, worn wallpaper.
A familiar space. My room.
No dog corpse anywhere. Nothing white all around.
Proof that what I’d just gone through was an illusion.
Relief flooded me, and my tensed muscles slowly relaxed.
I closed my eyes and flopped back onto the bed.
Thump-thump.
My heart pounded wildly, shaking my whole body.
After catching my ragged breath for a while, I muttered.
“What kind of dog dream is this…….”
No dream was this much of a dog.
I rubbed my face with both hands, feeling sticky sweat.
Not just my face. Cold sweat had drenched me head to toe.
How vivid had that dream been?
I could still swear I smelled blood, metallic and fresh.
“Huu.”
Deep breaths, over and over, finally calmed my breathing.
All that talk about not feeling pain in dreams was bullshit.
Remembering flesh torn away, bones crushed, made my body shudder involuntarily.
I shoved the horrific memory aside and sat up.
No way I could sleep again.
The alarm hadn’t gone off yet, but I figured I’d get up and wash anyway.
But before I could head to the bathroom, I froze midway out of bed.
In my panicked awakening, I hadn’t noticed the scene.
My hands, my clothes, even the sheets and blanket I’d just been lying in.
Everything was smeared bright red.
That blood smell hadn’t been my imagination.
What I’d thought was sweat was actually blood.
「Beta Server activating.」
Then text appeared before my eyes again.
「External access for Players enabled.」
「System Usage Manual (Damaged) provided.」
「Results calculation complete.」
「Congratulations! Player Kang Hyun-woo eliminated target in 00:02:37.」
「Top results: Attribute Mana 5 provided.」
“Huek!”
My back arched. Sitting on the bed’s edge, I tumbled to the floor.
That same sensation from the dream.
Something was crawling into my body again.
Even as I flailed on the floor, the messages kept coming.
「Top results: Trait ????? generated.」
Even then, I was battling the intruder rampaging through me.
‘Get out! Get out!’
Anyone, please—extract this invasion from me!
I kicked and thrashed with all my strength, but nothing changed.
My body convulsed, leaping like in a seizure.
Only after seconds that felt like hours.
“Heok, heuk, huek…….”
Drooling, I could finally black out.
* * *
12:20 PM. Jin-woo and Yeon-woo rushed home right after their spring break cram school session ended.
While Yeon-woo headed to the balcony to gather the laundry, Jin-woo went to the kitchen to prep lunch.
It was his turn today.
“Huh…….”
He opened the fridge for side dishes.
Jin-woo flinched.
The breakfast he’d made and left out that morning was untouched.
It had been prepared for his brother, Hyun-woo.
“Did he leave without eating?”
Just in case, he peeked into Hyun-woo’s room, but it was empty.
No one there, not even the sheets visible.
Like it’d been cleaned.
‘Don’t leave it to me.’
He was already overworked—why take on more fatigue?
Biting his lip in frustration, an old-fashioned beep-beep-beep from the door lock sounded.
“Huh?”
Jin-woo bolted out of the kitchen.
There was Hyun-woo coming through the front door.
“Hyung!”
“Oh, perfect timing. Where’s Yeon-woo?”
Hyun-woo held a pizza box.
Seeing that annoyingly cheerful smile made emotions well up.
He worked flat out, weekdays and weekends alike, so seeing his face was rare.
Lucky if they crossed paths briefly on a weekend morning.
It’d been nearly a month since last time.
Jin-woo rushed over and took the pizza box.
Hyun-woo ruffled his hair roughly in return.
“Oppa? Oppa’s home?”
Yeon-woo burst in from the balcony and leaped into Hyun-woo’s arms.
Hyun-woo let out a hollow chuckle and hugged her tight. Jin-woo set the box down and joined in.
“You two are getting clingier.”
Yeon-woo rubbed her cheek against him and asked.
“What’s up? What brings this on? Taking the day off? No work? Staying home?”
“Yeah, day off.”
“You should’ve said ahead—we were stuck at cram school clueless!”
“Oh? Would you have skipped if you knew?”
“W-well, not that, but…… then can we stay home too? I’ll study here.”
Yeon-woo whined, clinging to his waist.
Hyun-woo’s days off were rarer than hen’s teeth.
The missing twins wanted to stick to their big brother however they could.
But Hyun-woo stretched her cheek and smiled coldly.
“Say that again.”
“Whyee, we can study at home.”
“No nonsense—go to the library and study properly. I’ll drop you off.”
“Tch…….”
“Fine, you can relax in the evening instead.”
“Really?”
“Awesome!”
The twins’ eyes sparkled.
Hyun-woo smirked and shoved their backs.
“Now wash up and come eat. Move.”
“Roger!”
Grinning ear to ear, the twins dashed to the bathroom.
Watching their retreating figures, Hyun-woo’s face hardened.
His insides boiled.
‘I’m not dying like this.’
A fierce resolve to survive at any cost burned in his eyes.
Damn system.