> Pain.
That was the last thing Kael felt.
A sharp, burning sensation tearing through his chest… followed by silence.
Darkness swallowed everything.
No sound. No light. No existence.
Until—
Splash.
Cold water crashed against his body.
Kael's eyes snapped open.
"—!"
His lungs burned as salty air filled his throat. He coughed violently, rolling onto rough wooden planks beneath him.
Wood?
The smell of the sea hit him instantly.
Waves… voices… footsteps.
"Oi! This one's still alive!"
"Doesn't matter. He's just cargo."
Cargo…?
Kael's vision blurred as shadows moved around him. Chains clinked. The sound echoed like a death sentence.
He looked down—
Iron shackles.
Around his wrists.
Around his ankles.
His breath froze.
What… is this?
Memories that weren't his flooded his mind.
A broken life.
A nameless slave.
Pain. Hunger. Obedience.
His heart pounded violently.
"No…"
This wasn't his body.
This wasn't his world.
[System Initialization…]
A cold mechanical voice echoed inside his head.
Kael froze.
[Host Detected: Kael D. ORANOS]
[Condition: Critical]
[Beginning Synchronization…]
His left arm suddenly burned.
"ARGH—!"
Veins pulsed as a strange symbol began to glow beneath his skin.
The tattoo.
Alive.
Moving.
[System Activated]
The world around him felt… different.
Clearer. Sharper.
Footsteps approached.
A tall man loomed over him, sneering.
"Wake up, trash."
Kael slowly lifted his head.
His eyes… cold.
Different.
Not fear.
Calculation.
[New Task Generated]
Survive the next 10 minutes.
Reward: 5 Points
Kael stared at the man.
Then… he smiled.
A faint, dangerous smile.
"So… this is how it begins."
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