17 Return to the Nightmare

The moment the timer hit zero, Kael felt his stomach lurch, his body yanked into the void as if reality itself had collapsed around him. A familiar suffocating weightlessness wrapped around him—the unmistakable sensation of teleportation.

He had grown used to the feeling by now, but each time still sent a shiver down his spine.

Then, suddenly—

His feet hit solid ground.

A damp, musty scent filled his nose, the air heavy and stagnant. It was completely dark—a thick, oppressive blackness stretching around him like an abyss.

Kael's breath steadied, his instincts sharpening as he quickly adjusted to the darkness. He had been in this situation before.

Before he could move, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[System Notification: The 6th Level of the Tutorial has begun.]

Objective: Survive for 1 hour.

Kael exhaled slowly.

A survival challenge.

That meant something would be hunting him.

But before he could process the implications of the trial, his vision started to adjust, the outlines of his surroundings slowly coming into view.

His chest tightened as recognition struck him like a thunderclap.

The cracked walls, the broken wooden banister, the eerily silent hallways—

He knew this place.

His stomach twisted with unease.

This is…

Then it hit him.

The same building from Level 3.

His blood ran cold.

His hands instinctively curled into fists as the memories came flooding back—the zombie-infested corridors, the death traps, the suffocating terror of the darkness that had nearly consumed him before.

Goosebumps rose along his arms.

Why was he back here?

His surroundings were dim, but a faint red glow seeped through the broken windows, painting eerie patterns along the cracked walls.

Curious—and wary—Kael stepped toward one of the windows.

The glow intensified as he drew closer, casting long, jagged shadows across the floor.

When he reached the window and peered outside, his breath caught in his throat.

A massive blood-red moon hung in the sky, its glow unnatural, almost pulsating with a strange malevolent energy.

It loomed far too close, its color like freshly spilled blood, casting a crimson hue over everything in sight.

The clouds drifted in thin, ghostly tendrils, barely masking the unnerving celestial body.

The world beyond was ruins.

Collapsed buildings, rusted streetlights bent at odd angles, and abandoned vehicles left to decay in the middle of shattered roads.

It was a city.

A dead, forgotten city bathed in red.

Then—

A sound.

A low, gurgling moan.

Kael's muscles tensed.

His eyes darted downward to the street below, his pulse quickening.

Zombies.

They shambled across the cracked pavement, their figures distorted by the eerie red glow.

Some were missing entire limbs but still moved with eerie persistence. Others dragged themselves forward, their jaws snapping mindlessly.

But what unsettled him most—

They moved differently than before.

Back in Level 3, the zombies had been slow, mindless creatures.

These ones?

They twitched unnaturally, their heads jerking as if sensing something invisible in the air.

Kael's grip tightened on the window frame.

He had faced zombies before.

But this time felt different.

And that was never a good sign.

Kael took a deep breath, forcing himself to analyze the situation.

His goal was survival.

One hour.

If all he had to do was stay alive, maybe he could hide—

[System Notification: Your location will be revealed every 5 minutes to zombies within a 100-meter radius.]

[System Notification: Staying in one location for more than 30 minutes will reveal your position to ALL zombies in the city.]

Kael froze.

Then—

He cursed under his breath.

"Hiding is out of the question," he muttered.

This trial wasn't designed to be waited out.

It was meant to force movement.

Force them to run, fight, and survive through sheer adaptability.

Staying in one place for too long? Certain death.

Kael exhaled sharply.

Fine.

If he had to keep moving, then he'd do just that.

But first—

Kael turned away from the window, scanning the dimly lit building around him.

His Mana Bolts and Spirit Mancer abilities were his main forms of attack, but having a backup weapon was always smart.

Moving quickly and quietly, he searched the hallways, overturned furniture, and broken cabinets.

After a few minutes, he found something.

A metal rod.

Slightly rusted, but heavy and sturdy enough to break a skull if needed.

Kael tested the weight in his hand.

It wasn't a sword, but it would do.

As he descended toward the ground floor, his system chimed again.

[System Notification: Your location has been discovered by zombies within a 100-meter radius.]

Kael's body stiffened.

The city fell silent.

Then—

A low, guttural moan.

Followed by another.

Then another.

The distant dragging footsteps became faster.

Kael felt it.

The weight of something approaching.

He had minutes—maybe even seconds—before they reached him.

Kael raised his hand, fingers curling as he focused.

"Come forth."

A dark mist swirled in front of him, the air growing colder as a figure began to materialize.

The Elite Zombie Spirit he had collected earlier.

It stood hunched, its glowing blue eyes flickering, awaiting orders.

Kael swallowed hard.

This was his first time using Spirit Summoning in live combat.

No time to hesitate.

"Defend this area. Kill anything that comes near."

The spirit let out a low, rattling growl.

Kael felt the connection between them—thin but solid, a link between his will and the creature's existence.

The first footsteps echoed down the hall.

Kael tensed, charging a Mana Bolt in his other hand.

A shadow moved past the doorway.

Then—

A zombie screeched, launching itself forward.

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"Here we go."