"Huff... huff..."

  My breath came in ragged, uneven gasps. My legs trembled so violently I could barely keep my feet, but it wasn't just physical exhaustion dragging me down. It was paralyzing fear.

  "This is impossible... Why is he here? This is supposed to be a low-level dungeon... That thing is clearly a C-rank monster!"

  Standing before me was a mutant hobgoblin, its massive hand gripping a blood-stained axe. It towered over me—easily three meters tall—with dark green skin stretched taut over bulging, corded muscles. Its crimson eyes gleamed in the dim light, burning with a singular, murderous intent.

  With a low, guttural growl, it raised the axe and pointed the blade directly at my heart.

  I understood the gesture perfectly. It was a silent promise: I’m going to kill you.

  My strength finally failed. I collapsed to my knees, my whole body shaking as I locked eyes with the monstrosity.

  “W-Why… why…?” My voice cracked, tears streaming down my face as the weight of my helplessness set in. “Why did I come here…?”

  Ding-dong.

  ? Quest Pending ?

  [ Objective: Kill the Mutant Hobgoblin ]

  [ Reward: ??? ]

  [ Penalty: ??? ]

  The glowing text hovered in my vision, mocking my despair. The System. It had appeared only a week ago, but what use was it now? I was going to die. I let out a bitter, hollow sigh. My system was useless—I didn’t even know how to activate my skills, let alone fight a monster of this caliber.

  The notification kept flashing, ringing in my skull like an incessant, maddening alarm.

  ? Kill the monster. ?

  ? Kill the monster. ?

  ? Kill the monster. ?

  "Kill it? How?!"

  A C-rank monster. I didn’t stand a chance.

  The hobgoblin growled, its muscles tensing for the final blow. Then—it lunged. The massive axe cleaved through the air, a shadow of death descending upon me.

  “This is how it ends.”

  I closed my eyes and waited for the darkness.

  Beep… Beep… Beep…

  I gasped, my breath hitching in my throat. My head felt light, my body unnaturally cold. I forced my eyes open, but the dim, damp dungeon was gone. Instead, I found myself in… a hospital?

  I was sitting upright in a bed, the sharp, cloying scent of antiseptic filling my lungs.

  “W-What… happened…?”

  My pulse quickened as I frantically scanned the sterile white room. Everything was spotless, the silence only broken by the faint, rhythmic beeping of machines. Dim light cast long, soft shadows across the walls, and I noticed the window curtains were drawn tight. The clinical whiteness of the walls matched the stark sheets, and a cold chill lingered in the air, seeping into my skin.

  Then—panic surged through me as my gaze fell on my legs.

  “No… N-No… Nooooo!”

  My hands hovered over them, trembling uncontrollably. I couldn’t feel them. I couldn’t feel a thing.

  The door creaked open. A young nurse stepped in, her blonde hair pulled back into a neat, professional bun. She held a clipboard in one hand, but her soft blue eyes widened the moment she saw me awake.

  “Oh, you’re awake!” she said, her voice light but practiced.

  I barely heard her. My breathing turned shallow, my vision fixed on my unmoving limbs.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “No… this can’t be happening…” my voice trembled. I tried to wiggle my toes. Nothing. My fingers dug into the thin hospital blanket, desperation clawing at my chest.

  The nurse’s expression shifted to one of deep concern. She hurried to my side, placing a gentle, steadying hand on my shoulder.

  “Please, calm down—”

  “Calm down?” I snapped, my head whipping toward her. “I can’t feel my damn legs!”

  The words were harsher than I intended, but I didn't care. I was fine just moments ago. I was fighting for my life. And now… now, I was a cripple.

  The nurse hesitated, then let out a quiet sigh. “I understand this is a shock, but you need to breathe, okay?” She reached for a remote on the bedside table and pressed a button. “I’ll call the doctor.”

  I tuned her out. My mind was spinning, replaying the last fragments of my memory. The dungeon. The monster. That axe swinging toward my skull.

  I should be dead. So how the hell was I here?

  The nurse looked at me again, her lips thinning into a hard line. “You’ve been unconscious for two days. You were found collapsed near an abandoned construction site. The doctors believe you suffered severe spinal trauma.”

  Spinal trauma.

  My hands clenched. No. That didn’t make sense. What about the System? The Quest? The Mutant Hobgoblin?

  I swallowed hard, my voice falling to a fragile whisper. “…Who found me?”

  The nurse paused, carefully weighing her words. “A man,” she said finally. “But… he left before anyone could ask for his name. You’re lucky.”

  Her voice was calm, but there was an unease in her gaze as she looked directly at me. “I don’t know what happened in that dungeon,” she continued, “but you’re lucky you made it out alive.”

  I stared at my useless legs. They were still there, attached to my body, yet they felt like lead weights. Spinal trauma. The words echoed in my mind like a cruel, repetitive sentence.

  The door opened again, and a young doctor with short black hair stepped inside, a medical report gripped in his hand. He glanced at me, handed the report to the nurse, and spoke with a neutral, professional tone.

  “Mr. Ren, we’ve cross-checked your information.” He paused. “You’re an F-rank hunter, correct?”

  I gave a slow, numb nod, not even bothering to look up. Desperation was a heavy weight in my chest.

  “Was this your first hunt?”

  Another nod.

  The doctor fell silent, choosing his next words with clinical care. He exhaled. “You’re really lucky, Mr. Ren. The team you went in with… all four of them are dead.”

  A dull, high-pitched ringing filled my ears. I didn't respond. I didn't need to. I already knew. I had watched them die—butchered by that hobgoblin like they were nothing.

  The doctor studied me for a moment before glancing at the nurse. He looked back at me one last time. “For now, you should rest.”

  He looked as if he wanted to say something more, but he hesitated, eventually turning and leaving the room. The nurse lingered for a second, her lips pressed together as if she were holding back a comment. Finally, she only sighed and followed the doctor out, closing the door behind her.

  Silence.

  I sat there, my gaze locked onto my useless legs. My fingers trembled as I gripped the hospital blanket. Then—a single tear rolled down my cheek. The doctor hadn’t told me everything; I could feel it. There was something he had left out.

  But I was too tired to care.

  I let out a shuddering breath and lay back down, throwing an arm over my eyes to hide from the world.

  “Why…?” My voice cracked. A sob escaped me. “I can’t… I can’t support my sister’s education now…”

  The realization hit me harder than any axe. Tears streamed down my face. No matter how hard I tried to stop them, they wouldn't end.

  Ding-dong.

  The System chimed inside my head.

  ? Quest Failed ?

  [ Penalty: Since the quest has failed, a penalty will be applied according to your current condition. ]

  A blue, glowing notification hovered before my eyes, confirming my failure. I ignored it. I didn't care about the penalty—not when I was already in this state.

  Ding-dong.

  [ As per your condition, your penalty is a reduction in Strength. ]

  The message vanished. I exhaled slowly. I hadn’t expected this. Was it because this was my first quest? I closed my eyes, the grief suffocating me.

  “Why…? Why did I accept the System?”

  I sobbed uncontrollably, my face swelling from the endless crying. After what felt like an eternity, I forced myself to stop. Taking a shaky breath, I slowly sat up. My gaze drifted to the bedside table, where a jug of water sat. I reached for it, my hands trembling as I poured a glass. The cold liquid eased the dryness in my parched throat.

  “Everything started a week ago…” I whispered. My chest tightened. “My sister… how will I support her now?”

  [ One Week Ago – Flashback ]

  I lay curled up on the floor, writhing in agony.

  “You useless wretch… I told you to clean the dishes properly.”

  Logan, a fat, surly man, loomed over me with a face twisted in disgust. Before I could react, he splashed scalding hot water onto my skin. I screamed, my body convulsing as the burning pain erupted across my arms and chest.

  But he wasn’t done.

  His foot slammed into my ribs, sending me crashing against the wall with a sickening thud.

  “I-I’m sorry, sir… I-I—” My voice was a pathetic tremble as I clutched my side.

  “Shut up, you worthless shit.”

  Another kick—this time to my stomach.

  “Your salary is being deducted.”

  My eyes widened in horror. “No… no, sir! Please!” I begged, crawling toward him on my hands and knees. “Please don’t deduct my salary… I’m the only one earning for my family! If… if you do that, I won’t be able to pay for my sister’s education…”

  Tears blurred my vision as I clung to his leg, desperation thick in my voice. “Please… please…”

  A sharp kick landed directly on my face. My head snapped back, and I collapsed onto the cold floor. Pain exploded across my cheek; I clutched it, sobbing into the grime.

  “You should’ve realized that earlier,” he sneered. “Now get back to work.”

  His voice thundered through the room. I flinched and scrambled to my feet, still shaking. Without another word, I staggered toward the basin and began washing the towering pile of greasy dishes.

  The fat man smirked in satisfaction before walking away. Tears slipped down my face, falling into the soapy water as I silently continued my labor.