Chapter 3: The second test
Leon didn't know what exactly the black spirit meant by a dangerous world, but he had an inkling that his life would go through a tremendous change and be closer to medieval times, if not worse. He was on a path to a world with magic and a system, so Leon could imagine the worst.
He stood up, feeling less tired, and went to the second door.
'I don't have any food, so I can't waste time,' Leon whispered with his hand on a knob.
He didn't feel hungry yet, but he'd be in a precarious situation if he was. Moreover, nothing implied that he would receive food, so Leon pushed down the knob and entered the next corridor.
Goosebumps instantly went through Leon, his body went on high alert mode, and he gawked at a monster standing far away. The monster wasn't alone; a girl was below him, crawling away from her predator. She left a thick blood trail behind, for she lacked one leg.
She was also so slow, so her death was inevitable. But her eyes lit up when she noticed Leon, and she extended her hand as though he could grasp it and begged him to help her. "Save me, please!"
Before Leon could react in any way, the monster, looking like a darkness bear, went onto his four and pounced at the girl, his weight breaking her bones — the sound of it assailed Leon as though someone had purposely filled his ears with it.
The girl cried and puked a mouthful of blood, her face horror-stricken.
All leftovers of her strength left her body, her pleading hand hit the ground, and her eyes lost the light. She knew she was done and that her life was about to end.
She formed a hopeless smile and cast it brightly at Leon.
Then, the darkness bear parted his jaw, yanked her neck, and munched on her flesh. The girl's head rolled to Leon's feet, smiling at him. She died, and all of her would soon become the monster's food.
Leon carefully stepped to the side, not touching the head, then glanced at the monster. He was too busy with his prey, not paying attention to anything and anyone around him, which gave Leon some idea.
'I must go through this corridor while seeing all those deaths,' he inferred.
It'd be a real challenge if he were to fight the monster, but it was just the second test, and Leon lacked a weapon and skills to fight someone from another world. He believed that the last room was the best for such a challenge and that the first challenges were to test his body and heart.
Leon crept his way close to the monster, the odor of the darkness bear and blood mixed and assailed his nose, which was nauseating and disgusting, and holding all his breath, Leon bypassed the terrifying existence and slowly ran away from him. No one followed him, so Leon felt he'd done the right thing.
A few minutes later, another darkness monster appeared before Leon. This time, it was a humanoid demon with long claws and goat horns. His eyes shone blue, and his mouth had nails instead of teeth. It laughed while killing off humans, his claws scooping up the flesh of his enemies.
'Around thirty humans, all running around, not away from the demon. This time, I can't wait and must cross them as fast as possible,' Leon did a quick analysis and got to work.
Following the same and already proven method, Leon clung to the wall and quietly brought himself to the scene. When the demon looked in the opposite direction, Leon picked up a pace and moved his legs faster.
Then, someone bumped into him.
It was a man around his age. He had a deep laceration on his back with blood profusely streaming down, pale skin, and frightened eyes. But for some reason, upon seeing Leon, his expression brightened as though he saw a savior or hero, exactly the same way the first victim girl had done, and he even parted his lips to talk.
But before any voice escaped his mouth, Leon grasped the man's face and tightly squeezed it, blocking all sound.
'I… I can't let him go," Leon held onto the man with all his strength, glaring at him, then decided he had to keep him close to safely escape the second demon.
He pressed the man's lips with his right hand while his other arm went below the neck.
Leon drew him and himself away from the demon without giving the man any chance to retaliate. He was slower, for much of his attention went to the man in his hands and the demon, and more scared, too, for one wrong move could end his test.
Leon would hate himself if he failed so early. It'd mean a new life in another world would be much harder.
A few minutes later, not knowing how much time exactly passed, Leon and the unfamiliar man escaped from the demon. He instantly let the man go, threw him onto the ground, and looked ahead of himself.
"Wait for a second!" the man shouted, "Thank you for saving me! Keep me with yourself, and I will surely come in handy!"
He sounded like an NPC, meaning he probably could be useful soon. Thinking it wouldn't be bad to keep him by his side, Leon nodded and told him to stay quiet.
"Make a noise, and I'll abandon you. Are you here because of a second chance?" Leon asked after threatening the man, which he'd found a little odd.
He was never in such a situation.
Of course, he was in a similar situation as a pro player. He had to threaten his teammates to make them work hard, but it was nothing compared to his ongoing situation. His life and future were on the line here.
"A second chance? What do you mean?" the man asked with a faint, awkward smile. "I just want to survive!"
Leon narrowed his eyes, saying nothing, then nodded.
With a company, Leon proceeded with the test.
In the blink of an eye, Leon and his new buddy found the third monster. It was a humanoid rabbit.
He stood alone, without any soul around him, and drooled. He produced so much saliva that it was clear he'd jump at the first prey in his reach.
Suddenly, Leon felt an uncomfortable feeling on his face. The next second, he arched his head back, avoiding his new buddy's punch. For a second, he glared at the man who had just wasted his only survival chance, then, balling his left hand, Leon threw a punch forward.
He struck the man's solar plexus. The man's body bent like a bow, lost its ground, then he landed and went behind with staggering steps.
Leon reached for his new buddy's wrist, clenched it tightly, and uttered in a cold voice, "You came in handy."
"No! That was a misunderstanding! I just-"
Leon ignored all those words as though he'd clicked a mute button on this guy, then threw him at the humanoid rabbit.
"Either system increased my strength or my body's awakening," Leon muttered beneath his nose while looking at his new buddy flying toward the darkness existence.
After landing, the man looked up and saw another terrifying smile, which made him piss himself. He shivered and screamed for help, but nothing and no one came to aid him.
And when the monster hauled him by his leg, the man saw Leon escaping behind the monster, already far away from the scene that soon turned bloody.
After a few more bloody experiences and sacrifices, Leon entered the third room.
[Your system has been upgraded!]
[You have received the quest feature!]
Leon glanced at the messages, dispelled them, and slid them down on the wall. He looked way more exhausted, both mentally and physically. Breathing heavily, Leon recalled the events of the second test.
He saw dying people, sacrificed them, and selfishly focused on himself.
"They weren't here for a second chance, so they are either fake, or someone abandoned in those tests as a punishment." Leon clenched his hands, hoping that it was the case.
He felt bad, for some people genuinely wanted to work and help him. But he couldn't trust people here and didn't know whether he'd be able to pick someone with him. It'd also be disappointing if someone betrayed him on the last test and stole his skill.
Leon just wanted a good life in another world, and for that, he had to be heartless in this challenge.
"What am I going to turn into?" Leon asked, scared of what would his parents and fiancée think of him if they were to see him after those deeds.
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