A Monster Called Benji

"What test?" Benji breathed, still unable to understand the meaning behind the unknown voice's words.

Instead of his questions to be answered, a loud noise echoed in the air and all of a sudden, armored figures began to gather around him. These figures were fully armed like real soldiers, they were carrying weapons along with them.

"What in the world? These are knights," Benji breathed.

"Survive until..." The voice said and the knights began to attack him.

Benji stumbled backward, his eyes wide with terror as the knights closed in. He had no abilities, no powers to defend himself. He was just a normal human, vastly outnumbered and outmatched.

The first knight struck, his sword slicing through the air with a deadly whoosh. Benji tried to dodge, but the blade caught him, carving a deep gash across his chest.

"Aaah!" He cried out in agony, stumbling backward as the knights pressed their attack.

Another knight struck, his sword biting deep into Benji's shoulder. Benji's vision blurred, his knees buckling beneath him. He fell hard onto the cold, unforgiving stone, his body trembling with pain.

The knights surrounded him, their swords raised for the killing blow. Benji closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable. But the blow never came.

Instead, the knights began to toy with him, striking him with the flats of their blades, kicking him with their armored boots. Benji's body was a mass of bruises and cuts, his skin torn and bleeding.

He lay there, helpless and broken, as the knights continued their merciless assault. His vision began to fade, his consciousness slipping away.

Benji's thoughts grew disjointed, his mind fragmenting under the onslaught of pain. He thought of his sister, his father's debts, his dream of becoming an S-rank hunter. He thought of all the things he would never get to do, all the experiences he would never have.

And then, there was nothing.

Benji's body lay still, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. The knights stood over him, their swords still raised, their faces hidden behind their helmets.

The voice spoke again, its words echoing in Benji's mind. "Survive until...the end."

But Benji was beyond survival. He was at the point of death, his body broken and battered. The knights stood over him, waiting for the inevitable.

And then, everything went black.

'I can't die, I don't want to die here. What will become of my sister if I should die here? Those people my father owned will definitely hunt her down, I can't let her suffer!'

Thinking about his sister, his eyes snapped open once more, and then the knights began to assault him again. Using his arm, he blocked his face from the incoming blows but he had forgotten that there were other parts of his body that needed protection. He forgot to protect other vulnerable parts.

As a result of this, one of the knights took advantage of Benji's defenseless state and swung his sword in a powerful arc. The blade bit deep into Benji's leg, just above the knee. "Argh!" Benji screamed in agony as his leg was severed, the limb falling to the ground with a sickening thud.

"No, no, no!" He cried but that was not all.

The knights didn't leave him any chance to get hold of himself as they swung another blade.

Benji felt a deep cut slice across his chest, the blade biting into his ribcage. He felt his heart falter, the pain threatening to consume him.

Unlike other times, he did not shout. He had lost his voice and the strength to cry, only tears could be seen streaming down his eyes.

His visions began to fade once more, life seeping out of him rapidly, he could no longer think back to his life again, and the only thing he could see was his sister's smiling face.

"I—M so—rry," he whispered and his hands dropped. His chest finally stopped moving, the blood on his chest clotted, and there was no signs of life in him anymore.

"Congratulations, you have passed the test of survival. Here is your reward."

The voice's words echoed in the silence, a stark contrast to the brutal scene that had just unfolded. Benji's lifeless body lay on the ground, his severed leg a grim reminder of the brutality he had faced.

As the voice finished speaking, a dark, eerie light began to emanate from Benji's body. The light grew darker, illuminating the dark space with an otherworldly glow.

The knights, still standing over Benji's body, slowly lowered their swords. They stepped back, their faces hidden behind their helmets, as the dark light continued to envelop Benji.

Suddenly, Benji's body began to twitch. His chest started to rise and fall, and his severed leg began to glow with a faint, ominous light.

The dark light intensified, and Benji's leg began to regenerate. The flesh and bone reformed, the wound closing before the knights' very eyes.

Benji's eyes flickered open, and he took a deep, ragged breath. He sat up, looking around in confusion. The knights stood over him, their swords still lowered.

"What...what happened?" Benji stammered, looking down at his regenerated leg.

The voice spoke again, "You have passed the test of survival. You have proven your will to live, and your determination to protect those you care about. As a reward, you have been granted a second chance at life, and a gift that will aid you in your journey."

Benji looked up, his eyes filled with a mix of confusion and trepidation. What gift could he have possibly been given?

"What gift?" He asked.

The knights all disappeared like they were never there before and the voice replied. "A part-time system that will help you to get stronger. It was help you level up and after you reach a certain level, the system will be dismantled."

'A system? Like games? The ones I use to see Lucy play?'

"That is my reward for you, now leave!" The voice echoed and everything turned dark for Benji.

The next time he opened his eyes, he saw himself standing outside the entrance of the dungeon.

"I do not understand anything that has happened to far but honestly, I am happy that I am still alive."

[Welcome host]

[Today's Quest:

[Push-Up: 100 times — Incomplete 0/100]

[Sit-Up: 100 times — Incomplete 0/100]

[Running: 20km — Incomplete 0/20km]

[Drink a glass of blood every morning — 0/1 glass]

*Penalty Quests: For not completing the quests will result in an immeasurable amount of punishment*

-----

Staring at the transparent screen hanging right before him, Benji didn't know what to make of the written words in it.

"This is exactly like the game Lucy plays but I don't understand anything at all, especially the last one which says a glass of blood every morning," he muttered with his hand on his jaw. His face was squeezed in a frown as he thought about it. "Does it want me to drink blood? Animal blood or a human's?"

"What human blood?" A voice asked and when he turned, he saw his boss staring at him.

"B-boss?" He gasped.

The man was not interested in whatever he was mumbling about, he was more interested in what happened inside the dungeon and why he was the only one that came out alive.

"Tell me, kid," he said to Benji. "What happened back there and why are you the only one alive."

Benji knew that something like this was undoubtedly bound to happen. An E-Rank hunter, the only survivor amond D-rank hunters, it was questionable.

"I don't know, boss," he replied. Of a truth, he didn't know what really happened but... "I am alive because the captain protected me with his magic."

The boss's expression shifted. Benji hoped that the man would buy his lie, thankfully, their captain was a mage so using his magic to protect him as he said seemed like a possible thing.

"Are you sure something else didn't happen?" The man asked him.

"I lost consciousness the whole time but when I woke up, I was the only one alive," Benji replied and lowered his head, seeming sad about his other group members that died inside the dungeon.

"It's alright," the man sighed. "You should return home and rest."

"Thank you, boss," Benji replied and left immediately. As he walked away, he noticed the man's gaze lingering on him and he increased his pace, not wanting to be called back.

He returned home to his apartment and the first thing he did was to take his shower. After that, he sat down and reopened the system.

As he gazed at the screen, his eyes fell on the countdown.

[00:00:10]

[00:00:9]

"Huh?" He muttered, staring at the screen

"What's happening?"

[00:00: 4]

[00:00:3]

[00:00:2]

[00:00:1]

[00:00:00]

[Your penalty quest starts now]