System's Punishment Trial(part-1)
Ding!
[Daily Mission: Failed]
Punishment: Compulsory Physical Trial – Active
Status: Time-Suspended Instance Realm
Objective: Defeat the Designated Guardian Beast to Return
Remaining Lives: 9
Optional Reward Upon Completion: +1 Skill Point
Qin Tianzhu blinked as the screen floated before him, the shimmering text cold and merciless against the scorched sky. "This… this is the punishment?" he muttered, wiping the blood from his lip.
A thunderous step echoed again, then another.
The towering beast was already charging at him, its spiky club raised high. It moved with surprising speed, despite its hulking size, muscles rippling under skin that looked like magma-hardened stone.
Tianzhu dove to the right, almost dodging it completely.
Almost…
The edge of the club grazed his ribs, just a graze, yet…
CRACK!
He was sent flying like a ragdoll. He tumbled across the earth, rolling, before skidding to a halt a dozen meters away. His entire ribcage was shattered like glass.
"F**k" He gasped, struggling even to life an arm.
But the shadow loomed again, closer this time.
The giant was in mid-air, its club already in motion.
Tianzhu looked up, pain-glazed eyes wide as he tried to raise a hand, to dodge, to anything…
CRACK
His world went dark. The last thing he saw was a Club and a massive foot.
And then, just like that, he turned into a bloody pulp.
However, a moment later, with a gasp, he came back to life.
Tianzhu's body reassembled itself to its normal state without any wounds or injuries, on the cracked earth where he had first stood.
A new notification hovered above him.
*Ding!
[1 Life Consumed – Resurrection Complete]
[Time Suspension: 00:10 Seconds Remaining]
[Lives Remaining: 8/9]
The stone giant froze mid-motion, its club still hanging in the air, paused like a scene in a VR simulator.
"Ten seconds…" Tianzhu muttered, shooting to his feet with a hiss of breath. "Thanks for the tutorial, without any warning, you brute."
Not intending to waste any time, he sprinted away in the opposite direction, increasing the distance between him and the frozen monster. Sweat stung his eyes as he pulled open the system interface with a gesture.
"Ability"
[MIMIC ABILITY]
Stored Skills: 1
Lightning God Armor (Original user: Tempest)
Usage Remaining: 3
Duration: 60 seconds per activation
Recovery Time: 1 Hour
Re-Mimic Cooldown: 7 Days
Tianzhu's fingers hovered for a breath. "Damn it, there's one hour cooldown time. There's no way I could last an hour against that monster. That means I only have one choice and 1 minute."
A second later, the timer hit zero.
The screen vanished, and the stone giant's body twitched. It resumed moving.
But this time, Tianzhu spun on his heel and ran toward it.
At ten meters away, his feet slammed into the earth, and he growled out the trigger.
"Mimic: Lightning God Armor."
CRACKK-KOOM!!
In an instant, his entire being erupted with a blinding flash of light.
When it disappeared a moment later, lightning enveloped his body in sharp plates, and sparks of electricity danced all over his body.
His hair shot upward, wild with static. Even the air around him began to hum, vibrating with unstable arcs.
"Let's see how you like this," he muttered.
The giant paused mid-step, cocking its head at the sudden shift in pressure.
Tianzhu shot off the ground like a thunderbolt.
BOOOM!
He shot straight at the beast's head, his armored fist pulled back, lightning spiraling into his knuckles.
And then, he struck with every bit of strength he had.
His punch crashed against the giant's face with the speed of sound, thunder rippling out like a shockwave.
CRACK!
Dust exploded.
But when the light cleared…
A faint white scratch, a hairline fracture across the creature's right cheek was seen.
That's it.
Tianzhu's eyes widened, and his face went pale in horror. "That was everything!?"
He didn't even get the opportunity to land on the ground before the giant's hand closed around him like a cage.
CLASP
The Lightning Armor sparked violently, trying to resist the force.
But it was no use against its mighty grip.
The beast growled, gripping tighter.
Pain flared as ribs cracked. The lightning arcs across his armor flickered, then bent inward, reacting to the pressure.
"Arghh! Gahhhh!! Leave me you fuc*er!"
With a sickening crunch, Tianzhu's bones gave way. His eyes rolled back as the armor shattered into shards of lightning.
His body ruptured inside the giant's hand like a popped fruit.
The blackout is here again.
[1 Life Consumed – Resurrection Complete]
[Time Suspension: 00:10 Seconds Remaining]
[Lives Remaining: 7/9]
Tianzhu reappeared in the same location as he had resurrected earlier, although lying on his back, gasping for air. His body healed instantly as if he hadn't died and resurrected, but had gone back in time.
"Damn it… even with that power, I could only scratch him…" Tianzhu gritted his teeth and squeezed his fists.
He stared at the giant, which had frozen again after the resurrection, just like last time. The countdown began anew above its head.
[Resume in: 00:06]
"Six seconds," he murmured, eyes narrowing. "Only six seconds left…"
He shut his eyes and breathed in slowly, deeply.
Then, focusing his will, he reached into his body and pulled forth what little mana reserves he had in his body and shaped it.
HSSSSHHHHK
A saber of translucent golden-blue energy ignited in his palm, humming with unstable mana. "What I need isn't a fist but a sword…"
A simple conjured blade, rudimentary, yet sharp enough to cut most monsters. Or atleast that's what he believed at the moment.
Taking advantage of its stillness, Tianzhu launched himself forward, wind tearing at his pajamas as he zipped toward the frozen giant.
The saber glinted as he raised it overhead and brought it crashing down on the beast's left ankle.
But…
BOOM!
A ripple of force exploded outward instead of hurting the monster.
Tianzhu's body was flung backward mid-air like a ragdoll. He struck the ground with a thud, pain jolting up his spine. "SH*T—!"
He hit hard, coughing violently, and before he could move, the countdown vanished.
[00:00]
The giant roared back to life and took a giant leap forward.
A step that flattened everything in its path.
CRACK—BOOM!
Tianzhu barely got his arms up before the titan's foot came down.
The world went black for the third time. And a familiar notification appeared.
[Resurrection Complete]
[Time Suspension: 00:10 Seconds Remaining]
[Lives Remaining: 7/9]
Tianzhu's body reformed again in the dust, eyes fluttering open in confusion.
"What the…"
He sat up slowly.
Something was wrong.
He had died three times so far, so the notification should read: [Lives Remaining: 6/9]
But instead, it still read: [Lives Remaining: 7/9]
He blinked. "What the hell is this?"
Then came the second shock.
His mana core pulsed inside his chest.
His reserves were completely full.
Tianzhu rose to his feet, blinking rapidly.
"Wait… not only does this death number not go up, but my mana… It's restored?"
He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. "Why?"