Ezgar's eyes grew heavy, his eyelids slowly drifting shut. But his mind still clung to the last word on that virtual panel—the word: "Die."
It pulsed in his memory like a taunt, as if mocking him with a whisper only he could hear:
"Hahaha... You want to live, huh? But first, you have to die."
A cold shiver crawled up his spine.
Then, his body froze—suspended in the middle of teleportation. Yet the process continued. The blue light surged forward and swallowed him whole.
When his eyes opened, the first thing he saw was the sky.
It was red. No birds, no clouds, no sun—just a giant blood-red orb hanging in the sky—too large to be a moon, too dull to be the sun. It just floated there, unmoving, glowing faintly like a blood-red lantern.
Where… am I?
His gaze dropped to the ground—and he froze.
He was standing on a small patch of rock, barely two meters wide. No grass. No dirt. No sign of life. Just rough stone—some flat, some sharp.
What confused him more wasn't the terrain. It was the fact that he was standing.
Wait… how?
I could barely open my eyes a moment ago. Now I'm upright?
He tried to move. But his arms wouldn't budge. His legs wouldn't shift. It felt like his whole body was locked in place.
Then he felt it—something cold around his wrists and ankles.
He looked down. There were no chains. No ropes. But something was definitely holding him.
He couldn't move. Couldn't fall.
He was stuck. And he had no idea where he was or why.
What the fuck is going on?!
Panic surged in his chest. He tried to look behind him, but the invisible chains tightened. His body didn't move—but he could feel it. Something was there.
He rolled his eyes as far as he could… and finally caught a glimpse.
A massive stone wall.
It wasn't just behind him—it was holding him. Clutching his body like he was a part of it.
"Shit… I'm stuck to the fucking wall." he muttered under his breath.
His throat went dry.
This has to be a dream. Right?
Maybe if he closed his eyes, forced himself to relax, he'd wake up. He tried. He shut everything out, ignored the red sky, the cold pressure, even the numbness in his limbs.
But when he opened his eyes again—everything was the same.
Same red sky. Same dead rocks. Same crushing grip around his limbs.
"No… no no no. Fuck... it's not a dream. This is real," he hissed. "This is my Trial Planet... I'm on the Verge."
He took a shaky breath, trying to make sense of it.
"Why am I tied up like this? What was my task?"
As the word "task" left his mouth, the virtual panel flashed to life in front of him once again.
The same glowing text appeared, just like before the teleportation:
[Binding Task: Jump off the cliff or Die]
[Time Limit: 99 minutes]
[Remaining: 69:00]
Ezgar stared at the screen, his face darkening.
Again that word—Die.
"Fuck... what kind of fetish is this?" he muttered. "This isn't even a task anymore. This is a straight-up death sentence."
The screen changed again, now showing nothing but a ticking timer.
[Remaining Time: 68:09]
Huh? Is there even a difference between jumping off the cliff or just dying?
Both will kill me anyway… so what's the point of all this?
And besides—can I even move?
He looked down at his wrists and ankles. Same as before. Nothing visible. But this time, he didn't just stare.
He pulled.
He gritted his teeth and tried to drag his wrists forward. Forced his legs to move. To break free from whatever was holding him.
Nothing.
The invisible force didn't budge. Not even an inch.
Ezgar sighed and let his body relax again.
"Same result. No point trying. let's just wait for death."
Then he started humming a random tune under his breath. Something simple. Something from long ago.
His mind wandered—back to his childhood. He remembered the orphanage. The tiny courtyard where he used to play with a girl and a chubby boy. The three of them had been inseparable.
Then one day, both of them were adopted by some rich family. The girl… sure, that made sense. She was pretty, smart, always smiling. But even the fat guy? Seriously?
Meanwhile, Ezgar had been left behind. Alone. Forgotten. His memories drifted, one scene to the next, until they stopped on one person.
The old man. That unforgettable moment when he appeared—his presence alone was enough to silence the crowd. His aura, his pressure, his words.
And most of all—
His final line: "Just remember—complete your task and survive."
Ezgar's thoughts froze on those words.
Complete the task and survive…
Complete the task…
Task…
His eyes shifted back to the floating panel.
[Remaining Time: 33:05]
Yes. A task.
Even if it meant jumping to his death, maybe it was still the only shot at surviving. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to it.
But again—that question.
How? How do I jump if I can't move?
The calm look on his face faded, replaced by tension. His shoulders stiffened.
He started struggling again, pulling at his wrists, forcing his body to respond. Nothing worked.
Until something strange caught his attention.
His right hand… was clenched.
Huh? Why is my hand closed?
He focused on the sensation… and realized something was inside.
A piece of stone. Small, broken, with jagged edges. A fragment from the teleportation platform.
Wait—did I carry this the whole time and not even feel it?
A new idea flickered through his mind.
Could I cut these invisible chains with it?
He gritted his teeth and shifted the shard between his index finger and thumb. It hurt—his skin turned red just trying to move it—but he pressed on.
With effort, he forced the shard toward his wrist. The sharp edge met skin… but there was no resistance from any chains.
Instead, the stone cut into his flesh. Blood welled up instantly.
Fuck... It's truly invisible. It can even passes through the chains.
He couldn't cut them. But he didn't lose hope.
Think… think…
What if I throw it down? Will that count as jumping?
Without overthinking it, he flicked the stone from his fingers. It tumbled off the edge, bounced once, and disappeared over the cliff. Only a meter or two. Nothing dramatic.
He looked up at the screen—hope rising.
But the panel didn't react.
No notification.
No change in the task.
[Remaining Time: 15:15]
"Fuck," he muttered. "This task can't be cleared like that…"
Time was ticking. Faster than it should've been. The pressure was rising. His mind raced with thoughts.
I have to do something. I don't want to die without trying.
If I wanted that, I could've just stayed on my home planet and died there in peace.
No… no. I chose this. I chose to participate. There's no turning back now.
He remembered the old man again. His voice echoing in his head.
"Complete your task—and survive."
Ezgar's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah… just complete the damn task first."