Prologue

Leon had just woken up in the middle of the flight. Since he had spent the entire previous night in the airport preparing for his trip, he was quite exhausted and decided to take a nap soon after the plane took off.

Despite the fact that every seat on the plane was taken up, the cabin was utterly silent. Although it was 05:00 AM, and he was tired, he couldn't go back to sleep. He was excited to be returning home after four years finally. He was eager to see his parents and little sister. Seeing them up close couldn't compare to communicating through a screen after all. Besides, he finally had his chance to mend the mistakes he'd made in the past.

As Leon considered his destination, he was distracted by a sudden jarring feeling. His body was pushed forward violently, and he felt the air leave his lungs as he hit the seat in front of him. Then he heard the sound of the alert and realized that the plane had hit something. The impact hadn't been all that powerful, and the rest of the passengers seemed unharmed..

"Oww…" he said, rubbing his head where it had smacked against the seat in front. "What just happened?"

As the other passengers were trying to recover from their surprise wake-up call, Leon looked out the window to see what had caused the impact. He saw a large object flying alongside the plane. It looked like a bird at first but was clearly too big to be one. It wasn't like birds could fly as fast as planes, after all.

Suddenly, the creature drew closer, and Leon noticed that it looked more lizard-like than a bird. Without thinking, he immediately sat down and put on the seat belt. If he had to explain why he did that, he wouldn't be able to. He only did it automatically, as if he were a robot. Besides, the answer to that question appeared just as soon as it opened its mouth, spitting out a jet of fire that hit the plane.

Oh my god! That's a dragon!

That was the last thought that went through his mind as the fire instantly melted the center of the plane, killing dozens of passengers at once. Then, the rest of the plane simply fell out of the sky.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Fear Resistance!

You have gained 01 status points.

His head spun just as fast as the plane did as it fell. He was seated in the back of the plane, so he had a complete view of what was transpiring around him. The two halves of the aircraft were plummeting at incredible speeds, and the lack of oxygen at this altitude was making his consciousness wane. At a fearsome pace, all parts of the plane were disconnecting. He wanted to scream in terror, but his voice was robbed from him by the air pressure.

What is going on…

Although a small part of his mind was trying to convince him that this was a horrible dream, the pain and horror of it all told him it was real. Part of him wanted to give up to escape the fear, but he forced himself to stay conscious.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Mental Fortitude!

You have gained 01 status points.

It looked like he was already losing his mind. Leon heard voices in his head. Even though the other passengers were gone, their screams were lost in the distance. He forced himself to look to the sides to check but saw no sign of the other passengers in their seats. They must have been unhooked when the plane had broken apart and had been sucked out. Since his seat was starting to tremble uncontrollably, he was sure he'd be following them soon.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Perception!

You have obtained 01 status points.

His seat had finally been thrown out of the plane, and he felt the dizziness ease a little. But without being able to control his body or movements, Leon started to spin out of control again. The dizziness returned in full force, and this time, it also brought a companion: migraine.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Pain Resistance!

You have obtained 01 status points.

At this point, it was too weird for it to be a hallucination, which meant the voice must be real. Once he recognized that fact, Leon knew what to do. He thought about a status screen, and something and something appeared in front of him. However, with all the spinning, he couldn't read it at all.

He moved his arms to unlock the seatbelt and noticed that the seat was long gone. He was free-falling now, with nothing holding him. Little by little, his spin decreased until his body stabilized mid-air like he was a skydiver. But then…

Oh shit. Oh shit!

Now Leon could see a game-like screen in front of him. He could also see the plane falling towards the ocean in thousands of little pieces, and the passengers also plummeting towards the water below. He didn't know how much time had passed since that monster attacked the plane, but judging by his altitude, he knew he didn't have much time left.

Health: 10 +

Mana: 10 +

Stamina: 10 +

Strength: 06 +

Dexterity: 08 +

Speed: 07 +

Intelligence: 09 +

Endurance: 06 +

Control: 05 +

Mentality: 08 +

Luck: 01 +

Recovery: 01 +

Willpower: 08 +

Coins: 00

Status: 04

Leon started to wonder why he was staring at that screen. It wasn't like he would find anything that could help him survive the fall from that height. The voice he heard made him remember the notifications he heard in some games, but it wasn't like he had played a game where his character could survive that.

Oh god… I'm going to die.

Fear gave place to despair in Leon's heart, and once he recognized that fact, his heart went cold like ice. Something messed up was happening to be sure, but he would die without knowing that. He wanted to know why a dragon had suddenly appeared. He wanted to do so many things with his life, and now he wouldn't be able to do anything.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Rage!

You have obtained 01 status points.

Despair gave place to rage. None of this was fair! Why the hell did he have to die like this, after working so hard for so long, away from his family and friends!? Why the hell did a monster appear out of now where and attack the plane he was in? It was unfair, and it didn't make sense. Then the fear returned quickly as Leon saw the bodies of the other passengers falling into the ocean and breaking like twigs.

Congratulations! The skill Fear Resistance has leveled up!

You have obtained 01 status points.

Congratulations! The skill Fear Resistance has leveled up!

You have obtained 01 status points.

Congratulations! The skill Fear Resistance has leveled up!

You have obtained 01 status points.

Congratulations! The skill Fear Resistance has leveled up!

You have obtained 01 status points.

Congratulations! The skill Fear Resistance has leveled up!

You have obtained 01 status points.

Leon's body gave up at this point and accepted the imminent death. But his mind refused to accept it. His eyes focused on the screen, and he put all his status points on health. It probably wouldn't change a thing, but at least on the other side, he could be proud of himself for actually trying to survive.

Then he hit the water, feeling as if he'd collided with a speeding cargo truck.