Scrapper

In front of Neimon stood a creature that was neither human nor beast. It had a massive green skull-like head, with enormous eyes that stared directly at him.

The skin on its face looked as though it was tightly stuck to its skull, as if the flesh was rotting away. Its entire body was green, but the rest of its frame resembled a human — only far stronger.

Green saliva dripped from its mouth. Neimon tried to push away the claw pressing against his face, but before he could, a wave from the sea struck him. The creature vanished, leaving Neimon to take the full impact.

"Ahhh… blub… blub… blub."

The water swallowed his entire body in an instant.

As the wave receded, Neimon stood, trying to retreat toward solid ground. But before he could take more than a step, a powerful kick struck him, sending him crashing to the wet sand again.

"Shit!" he shouted.

Another wave surged forward, drenching him once more, and the pressure on his waist suddenly disappeared. Neimon gasped for air, coughing as the water washed over him.

"Glup! What is this? Why is it that every time I try to get out of the water, that weird creature suddenly attacks me?"

The next wave rolled in, forcing Neimon to run toward the solid ground again. This time, he sprinted, but after just a few steps, a sudden punch struck his abdomen, knocking him onto his back once more.

"Ahhh! What's happening to me?!"

Before he could recover, the wave dragged him under and pulled him farther away from the hard ground.

Dragged back by the current, he looked up at the sky. It was the same deep red as before, but unlike the last time, he wasn't on a cliff — he was trapped at the shoreline. Then another wave crashed down, submerging him again.

When the water receded, he coughed and spat it out, noticing something strange. The water was black. Sitting up, he stared at it.

"What kind of water is this?"

Only then did he realize he had been swallowing the dark water all along. He tried to spit it out, even forcing himself to vomit, but another wave hit, forcing more into his mouth. This time, instead of spitting it out, he swallowed a little — and froze.

It tasted… normal. Even slightly sweet.

"Why is the water so black, when it tastes fine?" he muttered. Before he could think further, another wave slammed into him.

Frustrated, he shouted, "Where are you, black screen? Where are you?"

He waited for a few seconds, looked around and suddenly the black screen appeared, just like before.

But the text had changed this time:

[System integration successful after completing the binding task…]

[Name: Neimon]

[Age: 15]

[Rank: Scrapper]

[Level: 1]

[Skills: ***]

[Power: 55/100]

[Agility: 45/100]

"Damn, these… these are my personal details? Does it mean... I'm also like those guys out there?!" Neimon stared at the screen, stunned. He couldn't believe he had become one of the chosen individuals.

But something didn't make sense.

"Everything else is fine, but this rank — Scrapper? What is that supposed to mean? I know, I'm poor, maybe I even beg for food sometimes, but a trash-picker? Is that seriously my rank?"

The screen flickered, and new text appeared.

[Scrapper: A person who must gather their skills through trial. Skills can be passive or active. Passive skills increase primary attributes such as power or agility. Active skills grant the user unique abilities, spells, or buffs.]

"Hmm… so, not exactly a trash-picker. Just… close enough," Neimon muttered, his face turned serious but then—

Another wave crashed into him, throwing him down as he cursed under his breath.

"Damn it. I have to get there, no matter what."

Mustering his strength, he tried again to reach the ground. But this time, he was greeted by a brutal punch, sending him flying back to the far edge of the wet sands.

His jaw swelled, blood dripped from his mouth.

"No… this isn't a joke. It's seriously trying to kill me."

He wiped the blood from his face with his hand and moved forward, his eyes sharp and alert this time. As he got closer to the shore, carried along by the waves, he noticed a shadow shift ahead. It was the creature.

He quickly raised his arms to protect himself, but the creature's long claws pierced into his forearms.

The blow was so strong that his feet slid across the sand, but he steadied himself. The creature didn't stop, striking again — this time, aiming for his head.

Neimon tried to duck, but the creature was too fast. Its claws sliced across his cheek, tearing through the skin.

Now covered in blood, Neimon stood as small waves splashed over him, washing away some blood, only for more to flow. His breathing grew weak. Blood dripped steadily from his arms and face.

He called for the black screen again, but it showed only the same details as before, offering no help.

A massive wave hit, knocking him down. As it retreated, a vicious kick struck him squarely in the face, sending him back across the shore.

Sand stuck to his face, the salt burning his wounds, making them sting even more. But in that moment, a thought struck him hard — and he began to laugh.

"Alright, you bastard… this time, you're done for. I'm going to beat the shit out of you."