His room had suddenly become breezy, Skyler thought as he turned his face away, feeling a sticky sensation on his cheek.
He assumed Riya Ironhart was sprinkling water on him to wake him, forgetting that she hadn't done this for the past 2 years.
"Mom... just a few more minutes..."
With that mumble, he tried to find his blanket, feeling rather cold, but his hand grasped only empty air.
"Huh...?"
Suddenly, goosebumps flared on his body, and Skyler knew something was seriously wrong, so his eyes snapped open.
Now imagine his shock when he saw a wide-open jaw filled with razor-sharp teeth, ready to bite his head off. His heart skipped a beat, and he froze for a second, but as the jaw inched closer, his instincts kicked in.
He curled his fingers into fists, grabbing whatever he could find—which at that time was patches of grass and soil—and hurled them at the fox-like monster trying to eat him in the most literal sense possible.
The reddish-yellow monster recoiled sharply and snapped its eyes shut with a loud, high-pitched growl.
It was a fight or flight moment for Skyler, and naturally, he chose flight!
He rolled back on the rocky, grassy ground, entirely forgetting his mild clean freak side, which he would soon regret, and jumped to his feet before running straight ahead, only to collide face-first into a pine tree.
Skyler hissed and rubbed his nose. He moved back instinctively but stepped onto a sharp rock and yelped, as the pain was intensified since his feet were bare.
"Shit...!"
The monster watching him: "...."
System 505, who wanted to make its appearance seeing its host awake: "...."
Skyler seriously wanted to pick a fight with whoever sent him here without shoes! To make matters worse, he was still wearing his college uniform!
But now was not the right time!
Without looking back, he ran away and disappeared into the rows of pine trees.
The monster watching finally snapped out. It let out an angry roar and wanted to follow the human, but upon hearing the sounds of multiple footsteps approaching, it ran back into the trees in the opposite direction.
Running for a few long minutes, Skyler finally came to a stop, panting heavily. His stamina was good, but his heart felt like it would burst out at any moment. He had seen monsters before on TV and at his father's guild. But those creatures had always been either dead or far away! He wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a second to compose himself.
"Where the hell am I? What's going on? Ha... Last I remember, I went to sleep—"
His words were cut short as 505 finally showed up. A gray transparent screen he had only heard about on TV materialized before his eyes, visible only to him.
("Welcome, esteemed host, to the preliminary test of the Battle Royale! I am System 505, your personal system who will guide you as long as you are alive!")
Skyler blinked as he saw the screen. He read the white text displayed on its surface, and his mouth fell open in silent disbelief.
It took him several long seconds to comprehend what he was seeing, and he wanted to exclaim, 'What?? Come again?' but the words just wouldn't come. It took him a another minute to find his voice.
"Battle Royale...? But I'm not eligible!"
His voice turned sharp at the end, only for him to shut his mouth when he heard the faint yet clear sounds of roars. His heart skipped a beat for the second time.
"No... that can't be..."
He whispered nervously. His potential was 1-star lower than 15-stars, and he was only 18 years old! Doesn't the Battle Royale only summon those every year who are 20?
"Right?"
The system, which was already linked to him, could read his expression and was also confused when it saw his age and potential, but it responded accordingly.
("That is what happened; please accept it. 505 does not want to lose its 1889th host so soon. You are currently standing in the preliminary test area of the Battle Royale.")
Skyler took a deep breath. He rubbed one foot over the other in nervousness.
"Okay, I accept. Now tell me why."
His words were so resolute and calm that even 505 was taken aback. Wasn't this the same human who had been in disbelief just a moment ago? Why the sudden change?
What the system didn't know was that Skyler had watched Lights train for every situation in his father's guild. Of course, he would pick up a thing or two. Moreover, he could hear the sounds of monsters nearby, so he wanted to understand his situation as soon as possible to ensure he wouldn't die.
Regardless, the system informed him of everything as it was its duty, even though it was crying inwardly that it had once again been linked with a host who didn't seem to have any chance of passing.
("As I mentioned earlier, I am 505, your personal guide. I don't know the specific reason why the host is here, but if you are here, it means you are eligible. I was linked to you the instant you arrived here. Whether this link can be permanent depends on the host winning the preliminary test. You can talk to me and use my functions only in the Battle Royale. To see them, just say 'status,' and you will receive all the information about yourself and my capabilities.")
Skyler first concealed himself behind a cluster of tall pine trees as he could hear the sounds of footsteps and voices that didn't belong to beasts but to people, and he read the text before whispering softly.
"... Status."
His heart was racing in his ribcage as he waited silently, and when he got the results, he nearly forgot to breathe.
_______
Status:
Name: Skyler Ironhart
Elemental Affinity with:
1) Light: 0-star (Final stage)
2) Darkness: (Locked)
3) ???
Overall Strength: 0-star
Potential: 1-star Novice
(Currently locked due to 'Special Spirit Constitution'... Loading... attempting to retrieve related information. Found. The host can increase his potential by forming his first elemental crystal, but the specifics of how much and what happens afterward are not detailed in the database.)
Class: None
Skills/Spells: None
System 505 Functions:
- System Store (Locked; will be unlocked once at the end of the preliminary test and permanently only if the host passes.)
- System Points: 00 (Can be earned by defeating monsters, clearing the Battle Royal preliminary test and levels, and from higher beings if anyone wishes to make the host their servant, disciple, or heir.)
_______