"Docks"

The dark night was unrelenting, its cold grip tightening with each passing moment. Waves crashed into the docks, sending up plumes of water and foam. Above, the stars shone bright and clear, the only light in the vast expanse of blackness. A light fog hovered over everything, giving the world an eerie, otherworldly feel.

But the peace was short-lived. Soon, the screams of people being slaughtered filled the air, accompanied by the sickening sounds of flesh being torn apart. It was a horror beyond anything Lucas had ever seen. His heart raced, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

Lucas found himself in a secluded area, hidden away from the horrors unfolding before him. He sat there, panting heavily, trying to catch his breath. As he watched, he realized with a sinking feeling that it was the crab spider hybrids he had seen earlier that day.

"Shit, it's really them," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the chaos. He tried to think, to come up with a plan, but his mind was blank.

Then, he remembered something. Earlier, he had heard a robotic voice and seen a faint screen in front of him. It was something he had read about in popular webtoons as a child. The system. It was a way to access information and status updates.

With a deep breath, Lucas concentrated on words like "status," "system," and "information." And just like that, shimmering runes appeared in the air in front of him. They coalesced into a blue screen, displaying all sorts of data and options.

[Name: Lucas ♂]

[Race: Human]

[Bloodline: None]

[Element: Claim After Trial]

[Ability: Depends On Luck]

[Soul Item: Depends On Luck]

[Core Rank: Claim After Trial]

[Soul Rank: Claim After Trial]

[Titles: {Claim After Trial} {Claim After Trial}

Lucas had been so focused on checking the system that he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary until the deafening crash shattered the quiet around him.

But as he turned to look in the direction of the noise, he saw the blood and remains of a man splashing towards him, and he knew something was terribly wrong. His heart pounding, he took a step forward to get a better look, and what he saw made him wish he hadn't.

A human body was impaled on the wall, with its insides spilling out for the world to see. The man's jaw was missing, leaving only the upper side of his face, blood flowing everywhere. His ribs were broken, some of them piercing through the skin, and it was clear that he had suffered a horrible death. Lucas couldn't believe what he was seeing, and for a moment he felt like he was going to be sick.

But the horror wasn't over yet. Out of nowhere, a monstrous creature appeared, smashing into the man's remains and picking up his broken body with its massive pincers.

The creature was a hybrid spider crab, with limbs and pincers that were larger than any human's. It was hideous, its black eyes gleaming with a savage hunger as it bit into the man's flesh and began to chew. Lucas was rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fear and revulsion as he watched the gruesome scene play out before his eyes.

He could hear the sickening sounds of bones breaking and flesh being ripped apart as the creature feasted on the remains of the man. The stench of blood and decay filled the air, making his stomach churn.

Finally, Lucas couldn't bear to watch any longer. He slowly backed away, careful not to make any noise that might attract the attention of the monster. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his body trembling with a combination of fear and adrenaline. As soon as he was far enough away, he broke into a run, desperate to get as far away from the scene as possible.

Lucas's heart was pounding as he sprinted through the chaotic docks, the stench of death and decay heavy in the air. His mind was consumed with fear and desperation, as he struggled to process the horror that surrounded him.

"How the hell am I supposed to survive this trial?" he screamed in his mind. Everywhere he looked, there were dead bodies, their ripped and torn forms a testament to the savage violence that had overtaken the city.

As he ran, Asher spotted an old-fashioned grocery store, and he knew that he had to take shelter. He burst through the door, his eyes scanning the aisles for anything he could use as a weapon. His heart was pounding, and he could feel the sweat trickling down his back as he searched for something to defend himself. As he rummaged through the shelves, Asher couldn't help but feel a sense of dread creeping over him.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the store, and Asher whirled around, his heart in his throat. A ragged-looking man stood in the doorway, his eyes gleaming with a savage hunger.

Lucas kept his guard up as he eyed the prisoner cautiously. He had been cornered in the grocery store, and he knew that he had to fight his way out. The prisoner was a large man, with a menacing glare and a muscular frame that made Lucas feel small by comparison.

Without warning, the prisoner lunged forward, aiming a punch at Lucas's face. Lucas dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow, and swung a fist at the prisoner's stomach. The prisoner grunted in pain, but quickly recovered and swung back at Lucas with a wild haymaker.

Lucas ducked under the punch and landed a hard kick to the prisoner's knee, causing him to stumble backwards. Taking advantage of the opening, Lucas followed up with a series of quick jabs and hooks to the prisoner's face and chest.

The prisoner staggered backwards, but Lucas wasn't about to let up. He charged forward and tackled the prisoner to the ground, using his weight to pin him down. The prisoner struggled and thrashed beneath him, but Lucas held firm, raining down blows on his opponent.

The two men continued to grapple and fight, rolling around on the floor of the grocery store. The shelves shook and items fell to the ground as they struggled for dominance. Lucas knew that he couldn't let up, not for a moment, or he would risk being overpowered by the prisoner's superior strength.

With a final burst of energy, Lucas managed to land a hard blow to the prisoner's temple, causing him to go limp. Breathing heavily, Lucas stood up and surveyed the damage. The prisoner lay unconscious on the ground, surrounded by shattered glass and scattered groceries.

As Lucas stood there watching the unconscious man lying on the floor, his thoughts drifted back to his childhood, growing up poor in the slums. He remembered the fights he had to endure to protect himself.

"I can't believe I did this again," Lucas said to himself, his eyes still fixed on the man on the floor.

Lucas shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the fear and panic that threatened to overwhelm him. He had to focus, had to find something, anything that could help him defend himself against the hybrid monsters.

As he ran through the grocery store, his eyes scanning the shelves for anything that could be used as a weapon, Lucas felt a growing sense of desperation.

"Come on, come on," he muttered to himself, his heart racing as he rounded the corner and saw the gleaming blades of the knives on display.

He grabbed the first thing that caught his eye, a long kitchen knife with a sharp edge and a sturdy handle. As he held it in his hand, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him.

"This is better than nothing," he told himself, trying to stay positive.