Penalty I

Kai stared at the floating notifications, his eyes narrowing as he read-

[Penalty level: Upper Seeker Class]

"That means it's within my level, right?" he muttered, a flicker of relief passing over his face.

For a moment, he'd been worried it might be something impossible, but this... this seemed doable.

He let out a sigh as he relaxed on his bed.

"I really thought the penalty was going to be washing dishes or something. Oh well... let's just get it over with."

Right then, a second notification appeared before his eyes, the letters glowing ominously as it displayed the conveyed message.

[Player must exit the building for penalty to begin.]

Kai's brow furrowed.

'I must exit the building?...Hmm'

He looked around the room, his eyes scanning the dull walls as if they might provide answers.

'That's kinda sus...'

The system always brought him the worst of the worst. And now, he was facing a penalty, so the thought of this penalty being something far more dangerous than he expected obviously etched in his mind

He shook his head, a dry chuckle escaping his lips.

"What's the worst that can happen? It's seeker level anyway."

Scratching his head, he got up from the bed and shuffled over to his wardrobe. He pulled out whatever clothes his fingers touched first—nothing fancy, just plain and comfortable. Not that it mattered, anyway.

He threw on the outfit carelessly and headed downstairs, his eyes half-lidded with sleep. His movements were sluggish, his body heavy with lingering drowsiness. He just wanted to get the penalty over with, whatever it was.

As he descended the stairs, a yawn slipped out, and he blinked slowly, still trying to wake himself up. He moved through the hall, his feet dragging slightly against the polished floor.

"Maybe it's just some double daily task or something." he muttered, his voice tinged with annoyance.

When he reached the lobby, he came to an abrupt stop. He looked around, confusion flickering in his eyes as a realization dawned in his mind. It had been in his mind for quite a while, but the sleep had kept it at bay, but right now, it was far too much.

'Huh?...Where's everyone at?'

The entire association lobby was empty. Not a single person in sight.

His gaze darted around the room, searching for a soul, or an animal, but there was nothing.

There was no receptionist at the front desk, no guards by the entrance, no members bustling about. The place was completely deserted.

Kai stood there, his mouth slightly agaped.

'How... how is that possible?'

Every time he had passed through the lobby, there were people. The lobby was always crowded with members coming and going, discussing missions, sponsors donating for the associations betterment.

It was the most frequently used place in the building. So why was no one here now?

To most people, this might have been a situation worth giving a second thought. But , Kai, being the unenthusiastic and quite frankly, lazy person he was, only responded with a huff and shrugged.

"Meh." he muttered, his expression turning indifferent.

"Not my problem." He continued walking, his hands shoved in his pockets.

He pushed through the lobby doors and stepped outside.

The cool morning breeze brushed against his face, carrying an eerie silence with it. He stood at the top of the stairs, his eyes scanning the street below.

His heart skipped a beat as once again he was caught with the same sight as before. The city was empty as well.

There were no honks, no engine sounds, no chatter of pedestrians. The streets were vacant, the buildings still and lifeless, and the cars, parked on the streets with no driver or passenger in sight. Even the air felt stagnant, like the entire city was holding its breath.

"The hell...?" His voice came out in a whisper. He took a step back, his body tense with unease.

"This isn't normal. Where the fuck did everyone go? Did the world end or something?"

A cold chill ran down his spine, but before he could dwell on it, another system notification flashed before his eyes.

[Player's penalty has begun.]

Beneath that, another message appeared.

[To complete the penalty, player must land one hit on his adversary.]

[Penalty rules:

Player will not be harmed if he's on the sorcery association premises.

Penalty will not end until player has landed a blow or failed to survive!]

Kai's confusion deepened.

"Adversary? What does it mean by adversary? There's no one here."

His voice echoed through the empty street, the sound bouncing off the vacant buildings.

He turned his head, his eyes searching for any sign of life. But there was nothing.

Just then, a loud crash echoed behind him, the sound of shattering glass quickly attaining Kai's attention.

Kai whipped around, his heart lurching in his chest. His eyes locked onto the association building, his mouth dropping open.

From one of the top floors, the glass had shattered outward, and a figure was falling.

Time seemed to slow as the figure descended, limbs outstretched, hair billowing wildly. Kai could only make out a glimpse—a flash of fabric, the glint of metal, the silhouette of a person.

Then, the figure landed.

A deafening crack split the air as the figure hit the ground, a spiderweb of cracks forming beneath its feet. Dust and debris scattered from the impact, but the figure stood tall, completely unfazed.

Kai's breath caught in his throat as the dust cleared, revealing a woman.

Her clothes were strange—medieval, almost ancient in style. They were tattered, stained, and worn, but elegant in design. In her hand, she held a sword, the blade intricately crafted with an otherworldly sheen.

Her face was pale, almost ghostly, and on her face was a grim expression.

However, Kai noticed something else which glistened on her cheeks, trailing down from her eyes. At first, Kai thought she was crying... but the liquid was crimson.

Blood.

It trickled down her face like tears, stark against her white skin. Her eyes were pitch black—void of pupils, void of life. Just...darkness.

A shiver ran down Kai's spine.

"Wh-what... is that?" he stammered, his voice trembling.

"Is that... a devil?" His face contorted with disgust.

"If they were gonna make me fight a female devil, they could've at least made her hot. Stupid system"

Once more, a new notification appeared.

[Adversary: The Weeping Slayer]

[Info: A young curse born into a silver spoon and banished for her simple nature as a curse was doomed to unyielding suffering in the world of man. The innocent cursed, now laced with a burning hate for men, walks the earth to eradicate man, alongside her nameless companion.]

Kai read the text, his lips curling in a grimace.

"Creepy..."

He looked back at the woman—The Weeping Slayer. She stood still, her sword at her side, her black eyes fixated on him. His heart thudded against his ribcage, but he forced a smirk.

'So... Seeker Class, huh? That means she's weak, just like me. I should be able to take you on.' He clenched his fists, a determined fire sparking in his eyes.

'Let's see how much stronger I've gotten.'

He took a step forward, his body tensing as he prepared to fight.

"Alright, show me what you've got!"

Right then, he blinked, that was all he did, and in that instant, she moved.

One moment she was standing yards away, and in the blink of an eye, she was right in front of him, her sword already in mid-swing.

Kai's eyes widened, his blood turning cold.

'Huh?! WHAT THE FUCK?! How the fuck is this supposed to be seeker class?'

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