Time remaining: 1:12

  Surrounded and outnumbered almost ten to one with no way out, Isaac let his thoughts and worries fade away. The Symphony filled the emptiness, pushing him to move before it was too late. He had, at best, two or three seconds before the circle of worms skewered him alive.

  Follow the echo.

  He released the sword, his free hand already reaching for the knife at his waist. At the same time, Viron stirred all across his body, rushing into his Origin and then to his arms. Yet, that still wasn't all.

  Just as his fingers closed around the knife and crimson liquid spilled onto the blade, he felt something else happening. The blood dripping from his back and leg vanished, answering his Origin's independent call. It transformed into power, raw and wild, that rushed straight into his hands.

  The liquid on his knife darkened, bubbling and writhing as it fought to escape. Isaac didn't see the reason to hold it back any longer.

  Sacrificial Blood Draw.

  Continuing the motion of his draw, he swung. Blood exploded from the blade, extending outward until it carved through the first worm in its path. Still, it was far from over.

  Isaac didn't stop on a single short swing—after all, they were coming at him from each side. Instead, he spun, dragging the wave of blood with him. It tore through everything in its way, swallowing the worms whole. It wasn't until he finished the full rotation that the power left his veins.

  [Deepearth Worm x9 slain.]

  You have leveled up! You are now level 4. Distribution of Ascension Power in progress. All attributes, except Toughness, have advanced a tier. Regeneration has ascended to the next grade (Developed).

  Sacrifice and Blood Draw have advanced a tier.

  Even as the revitalizing energy of a level-up surged through his body, Isaac stumbled when a wave of exhaustion hit him at the same time. He gasped for breath, fighting off the sudden dizziness and blur in his vision. The trial was still active, he couldn't get distracted now.

  It was good that he realized that, too, as a moment later, another worm burst out of the ground next to him. Still half-dazed, he leaned away from its lunge and weakly stabbed with the knife still in his grip.

  His aim, however, was way off. He just barely nicked the monster on its side. Still, he counted it as a win considering how weak his body felt at this second.

  Time remaining: 0:54

  Another monster jumped out, and this time, Isaac just settled for dodging. No point in trying to attack when half of his body responded with a delay. And so, the fight devolved into a half-drunk dance against the few remaining worms.

  It wasn't until the timer dipped below thirty seconds that the dizziness finally faded. Without hesitation, he lunged for his fallen sword and swung at the nearest airborne worm.

  [Deepearth Worm (LVL. 1) slain.]

  Two more worms erupted from the ground, but Isaac merely pivoted and brought down the blade in a downward slash at the closest monster. It didn't even let out a sound as it fell, its body cleaved into two uneven parts.

  [Deepearth Worm (LVL. 2) slain.]

  The second monster returned beneath the ground, upturning the earth. Isaac tried to track its path while keeping an eye out for any more flying worms. Only there weren't any. Despite the blood thrumming inside his veins, the silence almost returned to the ruins.

  I see…

  He took a deep breath, smiled, and swung the sword just as the ground next to him exploded. Steel met brown flesh, slicing clean through the hide and spilling the crimson liquid hiding beneath it. The worm died before it could fully emerge.

  The Symphony faded.

  Well done, Host! You have slain all the monsters within this area before the time ran out. You may claim your rewards now and continue searching for the key.

  A bright flash of light flickered near the towering shrine as the notification disappeared. Isaac turned his gaze toward it, and his smile widened when he spotted a familiar chest sitting there.

  Despite his exhaustion, he dragged his feet toward it and crouched down. The clasps clicked open, and his eyebrows rose slightly as he lifted the lid.

  "That's new," he mumbled, reaching out for a rectangular blue stone tablet inside. The entire thing was covered in symbols that could as well be a child's random doodles.

  Analyze.

  [Virus Blueprint | Grade: Normal]

  A special blueprint that teaches a Host's Virus how to use a certain ability. This blueprint contains knowledge about one of the three basic filtration skills—Potency.

  Huh. Another skill. Thanks, I guess. Should be a much better reward than a pair of gloves, Isaac mused just before a frown crossed his face. But again? How do I use it? No way I'm reading what's written here. A child would have better luck deciphering these scribbles.

  That left him with only one option—the same method he used for the Virality Gems. Hopefully, it would work.

  Nodding to himself, Isaac closed his eyes for a moment and reached out to his Viron. Like always, the energy refused to come under his command, but at this point, it at least listened to some of his suggestions.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The moment it touched the tablet, the symbols lit up in a brilliant golden glow. Bit by bit, the light spread over the object, consuming it whole. Then, with a soft crack, the tablet shattered into countless tiny particles, each sinking into his skin.

  A notification arrived next.

  You have obtained a new skill, Viron: Potency.

  [Viron: Potency | Grade: Normal | Tier I]

  A part of a basic filtering technique. It slightly enhances the base power of Viron produced by processing the Immortal Mana.

  The change was minimal, barely noticeable, but Isaac still felt as the energy inside his body became a bit wilder, faster. As much as he appreciated the upgrade, he just hoped it didn't make controlling Viron even harder than it already was.

  Anyway… what else do we have?

  He reached into the chest again and removed the second and final item there—a small vial full of strange blue liquid. He gave it a shake. No reaction.

  Analyze it is.

  [Restoration Potion (V) | Grade: Inferior]

  A weak Viron restoration potion. It will enhance the recovery of Viron for a short period of time.

  Without hesitation, Isaac uncorked the vial and downed it in one gulp. Even if he still had no idea just how much Viron he had left, he was definitely missing some after the two uses of Blood Draw. There was no point in keeping the potion in his pocket when it could be the reason why he survived the next fight.

  That's pretty good, he admitted, smacking his lips. He couldn't quite place the taste—fruity, definitely sweet, maybe even a bit too sweet. That said, he couldn't tell whether it actually worked. Viron's inner workings were still a mystery to him.

  "Maybe there is some kind of control skill I can get later o—"

  The words died in his mouth as an explosion—a muffled one that barely reached him but still an explosion—sounded in the distance. Though, that might have been the wrong way to describe it. In Isaac's opinion, it sounded more like a weak crack of thunder. The following wail was also quite familiar. He had heard it during his first encounter with the gremlins.

  And all of it came from the direction of one of the three places he found from the top of the tree.

  Isaac furrowed his brow. Were some monsters fighting there? Did they set off a trap and mauled themselves so bad that their scream reached even him? No, that didn't add up, at least not with what he already knew.

  This was a trial made for them, the Hosts. They were the ones supposed to fight the monsters and fall into the traps prepared here. The slugs and spiders back in the hallways definitely didn't try to kill each other. Nor had they triggered the traps that were just a few feet away from them.

  A pit settled deep in Isaac's stomach as another possibility crossed his mind. It would make sense. The modification to the trial, the final order, and the warning.

  Obtain the key by any means necessary. Find and use the key, or become a part of the Broken Realm forever.

  "I'm not alone here," he muttered, the realization sinking in. "I'm against another host… or hosts."

  The idea sounded insane, even to him, but all the signs were there. Sure, he could be wrong, and maybe those were just some gremlins activating a trap in the distance. Yet, he couldn't ignore the possibility of facing another host, it would be stupid to do so.

  You want us to fight, don't you, Interface? Maybe even kill each other like those are some twisted Hunger Games. Isaac chuckled wryly, sitting down on the chest. But why? Why force us to fight other people? What's the point?

  Of course, the mysterious entity didn't answer. Not that he expected it to. Besides, there was nothing he could do about it anyway. If he was right and another human was here, he just had to be faster than them and live with the consequences. And if he encountered them…

  Well, he would cross that bridge later.

  "Time to go…"

  A quick glance at his Virus Integrity confirmed he was well on his way to full recovery—it had already reached eighty-two percent. The wounds on his back and leg still stung a bit, but they no longer bled. By the time he reached the next place, all the cuts should be scabbed over.

  Isaac stood up and moved back into the forest, but not before collecting and absorbing two more Virality Gems left behind by the worms.

  I ain't getting trapped here.

  The trip toward the next clearing was almost too easy in his eyes. He still had to fight off two separate gremlin ambushes, but with his recent level-ups and growing experience, the little creatures only managed to land a single scratch on him. They were just too weak and slow to do much more.

  It probably helped that none of the monsters were above level two.

  No levels for me, though, he noted, yanking his knife out of a gremlin's eye. He wiped the blade clean, sheathed it, and picked up his bloodied sword. Once the single corpse disappeared without leaving anything behind, he moved again, pushing the bushes out of the way.

  He was close now, or at least should be close.

  Yep, there it is.

  A smirk tugged at Isaac's lips as another set of ruins came into view. He slipped between the last few bushes and ducked behind a thick tree. He had expected this place to be just an empty clearing, but it appeared that none of the buildings here were tall enough to push past the trees like in the other two places.

  Like in the last ruins he visited, there were some collapsed walls here and there, but in his opinion, none of that was important. No, the real point of interest was the vast structure at the center. It took most of the clearing and, unlike everything else, barely showed any signs of damage.

  But where's the entrance?

  From this side, all he could see were gray stone walls covered in overgrowth. So either he had arrived from the wrong direction, or the entrance was hidden somewhere else.

  Better circle the area first before I jump to conclusions.

  With a nod, Isaac continued sneaking along the ruins' border, keeping himself hidden in the overgrowth. He had to travel to the far side before finally spotting a dark opening in the building. Two gremlins stood guard on its sides.

  If that's not the boss room, I might be in trouble… Let's go.

  Sword in hand, he stood up from behind his cover and vaulted over it. However, just before he could step out in the open, a faint crackle reached his ears. His blood screamed, and he quickly tried to turn around.

  Too late.

  An arrow, sizzling with bright blue lightning, entered his left shoulder. It didn't stay there though, and punched clean through his flesh before bursting out on the other side.

  Isaac only had a moment to jump behind a tree before another arrow came flying at him. "Shit," he hissed as he tried to move his left arm. Not much success there. At least his skills already worked to help him through the pain.

  What the hell was that?!

  He stole a quick peek, looking for the attacker. Nothing on the ground.

  Another crackling arrow descended, this one slamming into his cover with a heavy thunk. Isaac hid again and then checked on the other side. This time, he looked higher, scanning the tree branches in the distance.

  There!

  He snapped back behind the tree just as another arrow streaked toward him. But he had seen enough, the image of a human-like creature with dark red skin fresh on his mind. It also had a standard wooden bow in hand and wore clothing that fit a medieval setting more than what he was used to.

  Analyze didn't work…

  Is that the boss?

  Or, if you have a minute or two, I wouldn't say no to a review.