Rift

Lex stepped out of the safe room, completely soaked in blood. Thick, dark red liquid ran down his arms, dripping from his fingertips, leaving a trail behind him as he walked.

His clothes, once clean, now hung in tatters, riddled with holes and tears. Stained with dried and fresh blood, they clung to his skin.

He didn't even bother to take them off before ripping his own body apart again and again. He was literally sculpting his own body to his liking.

His face was streaked with fresh blood, his hair plastered to his forehead. His pale skin looked almost waxy, like a corpse left in the sun too long.

He stood still, some of his muscles twitching under the skin like worms burrowing beneath.

But Lex didn't flinch. His breathing was steady, his expression calm. He had been doing this for hours, tearing himself apart and letting the room put him back together, stronger each time.

The knife was still in his hand, its once dull blade caked with dried blood. Lex didn't seem to mind the pain at all. It was as if it wasn't his first time doing that, or perhaps that he had seen worse.

Thus, he didn't hesitate to rip out his own eyes, gut himself, cut the fat and shatter his bones—it didn't matter. He was only interested in making himself better as fast as possible.

He looked down at the mess of flesh and bone scattered around his feet, enough discarded bits of him to create a few more versions of himself.

"Let's hope this is the last time." he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible.

Then, his attention drifted to the knife still clenched in his fist. The blade, once dull and lifeless, now glowed faintly, pulsing with a soft aura. A system window appeared before his eyes.

[Name: Knife of the Hungry Family]

[Stars: ★★★]

[Effect: ???]

[Current Status: All unsealing conditions have been met.]

Lex stared at the glowing blade, something shifting behind his eyes. Without a word, he brought up the system window again and tapped the unsealing confirmation.

The knife responded instantly. A soft glow spread along the blade, light tracing its edges like embers creeping through paper. It wasn't showy or dramatic—just the knife waking up, quietly becoming something more.

[Name: Knife of the Hungry Family]

[Stars: ★★★]

[Effect: Razor Hunger - When used on a corpse, the blade's sharpness multiplies by three.]

[Restrictions: Only activates on corpses.]

The window vanished, and Lex turned the blade over in his hand, testing its balance. The knife would only work on corpses, but Lex knew how useful that could be. Corpses were never in short supply.

To anyone else, it might seem underwhelming, even disappointing. But for Lex, it had its uses. He didn't need a flashy weapon, just something effective and useful.

He spun the knife in his hand, feeling the weight of it. No dramatic gestures or big moments—just a small nod of approval. Then, without a word, Lex shrugged and walked away without a second thought.

.

.

.

After hours of walking through the endless maze of dungeon rooms, Lex finally stopped, narrowing his eyes at the wall ahead. A large stone door stood before him, its surface covered in intricate carvings.

The design was too familiar, much to his annoyance. He had seen this kind of door countless times before.

But before he could think too much about it, a low growl rumbled from behind him. Lex let out a tired sigh. He already knew what was coming.

He didn't even flinch. Lex moved toward the door with the same calm, steady steps, ignoring the noise as if nothing was happening.

The sound of heavy, clawed feet scraping the floor behind him grew louder, and the ground began to tremble. He could feel the creature's presence without needing to look back.

A moment later, it appeared—a massive, hulking insect, barely squeezing through the narrow hallway. Its thick, black exoskeleton gleamed dully under the dim dungeon light, while its grotesque human-like face twisted into a snarl, revealing rows of uneven, razor-sharp teeth. The creature's hunched shoulders brushed against the walls, and its long arms almost dragged on the ground.

Yet, Lex still didn't bother to turn around. He rested his blood-soaked hands lazily on the cold stone door, ignoring the growl that rumbled again from behind him. His face remained cold and expressionless as a familiar system window flickered into view.

[You found a (Tutorial) RIFT! Please select a level to join!]

Four glowing options appeared before him:

Dread (5,000 coins)

Terror (10,000 coins)

Nightmare (20,000 coins)

Despair (200,000 coins)

[Remaining coin pool in the Rift: 200,000]

A thin smile crept across Lex's face as he looked at the choices. Rifts like these were scattered throughout the entire Game.

Rifts were massive, and artificial maps were created by the game for players to try their luck. Each difficulty level had a different starting point, with the higher difficulties dropping players into harsher conditions right from the beginning.

The numbers next to each option were the maximum number of coins a player could earn in the rift.

5,000 for Dread, All coins for Despair...if they survived long enough.

The coin pool showed the total amount of coins available in the rift, and once it was drained, the rift collapsed, kicking everyone inside out. Each player had only one shot at a rift so no retries, no do-overs.

Although it was only a tutorial rift, meaning that the rewards were far worse than a normal rift, It was still the perfect test of greed and skill.

His eyes locked onto the final option—Despair. The hardest level. A death sentence for most. But Lex already knew the truth about this stage. It was nothing more than a honey trap.

Despair difficulty wasn't designed for players stuck in the tutorial. It was a challenge meant to lure the arrogant and the overconfident to their deaths. Attempting to do this when he didn't have a blessing would be akin to being asked to be killed.

Behind him, the creature inched closer, its claws scraping against the floor as it prepared to strike.

Lex didn't flinch. His finger hovered over the Despair option, and without hesitation, he tapped it. A soft, dull click echoed through the hallway.

[Difficulty Selected: Despair]

The moment Lex made his choice, the world around him shifted. The ground shook as the creature lunged at him, its claws just inches away. But just as they grazed his skin, the dungeon walls vanished, leaving behind nothing but a thin trail of blood.

When Lex blinked again, the cold stone was gone, replaced by a far more nightmarish landscape.

Blood rained from the sky in thick drops, instantly soaking him even more. The air was heavy, suffocating, and hot, as if the ground itself radiated heat. Lex ran a hand through his drenched hair, pushing it back from his face. He didn't flinch, not even as the blood dripped into his eyes. He had expected this.

The ground beneath him squelched, made not of dirt or stone but of flesh. Bones jutted out like shards of glass, and every step Lex took left behind a deep, bloody imprint.

Everything was soaked. Twisted trees oozed dark liquid, and the sky above churned a swirling, deep red storm. The air reeked of decay, thick with the stench of rotting flesh and metal.

Lex stood motionless, his pale skin blending into the gruesome scene as blood dripped down his face and neck. He didn't bother cleaning it off. Why would he? He hadn't been back in the dungeon, either. He knew what awaited him.

"I still hate this place. It still looks like the inside of a p*ssy of hell," he muttered, shaking his head, blood dripping from his chin.

A system message flashed before him.

[Welcome to the Rift: "Corpse of the Titan."]