System X: The Villain Rise

Kaiza desperately sought answers, but there was no one to provide them. He needed to know how the system was connected to Gwan and whether there was an academy for heroes he had somehow never heard of. The more he thought, the more questions arose—each one spiraling into the void with no answers in sight.

Suddenly, a sharp sound broke the silence.

[Alert]

The notification jarred him from his thoughts. His eyes widened as he stared at the words on the screen.

"Alert? Again?" he muttered, his heart pounding. A wave of worry surged through him. Could his enemies still be lurking?

But the system didn't indicate any immediate threat to his life.

[Energy Drained]

[Reboost Energy]

[HP will continue to reduce until your energy is refilled]

[Strength: 0]

Kaiza stared at the strange message flashing on the screen. The words were cryptic, but his limited knowledge from the books he'd read helped him piece together fragments of meaning. Even so, it wasn't enough to fully make sense of what was happening—and the system didn't seem inclined to give him the time to figure it out.

A wave of weakness swept through him, sharp and undeniable. He felt as though his strength had been siphoned away, leaving him barely able to stand. His eyes darted back to the screen just in time to see his HP drop by a single point.

"Is that... what's making me weak?" he murmured aloud, the question hanging in the air with no one to answer it but himself.

Kaiza clenched his fists, trying to suppress the growing unease. He had to figure this out—and fast. What exactly had caused his energy to drain? And more importantly, how could he refill it before it was too late?

It all made sense now. The cause of his weakness was the activation of the Hide Mode—a feature the system had used in his moment of emergency. The powerful ability drained all his stats, leaving him utterly depleted. His HP would continue to drop by one point every five minutes, steadily inching him closer to danger.

Normally, a skill like Hide Mode was locked behind higher levels, far beyond Kaiza's current capabilities. But the system had overridden the restrictions, unlocking two advanced options to protect him. The cost, however, was immense—his stats weren't sufficient to sustain the skill, so it had consumed all his remaining energy, leaving him vulnerable.

"Water." The word surfaced in Kaiza's mind like an instinctive answer. It was the first thing he could think of that might replenish his energy.

Dragging his weakened body to the mini-fridge, he retrieved a bottle of water and drank it in one go, the cool liquid soothing his parched throat. He felt slightly revived and glanced at the screen. His HP was holding steady at 8.

"Maybe that worked..." he muttered, though uncertainty lingered in his voice.

He slumped onto the bed, his body too weak to do much else. Believing he might recover with rest, Kaiza closed his eyes. Slowly, exhaustion claimed him, and he drifted into a light slumber, unaware that the countdown on his HP continued.

As Kaiza lay on the bed, his body felt heavier, his energy draining rapidly. He dismissed the weakness as the aftermath of his fear after seeing the system alert, convincing himself it was just exhaustion. Resigned, he let sleep claim him.

Twenty minutes later, he was jolted awake by the blaring sound of another system alert. This time, he could barely move. His eyes fluttered open, but the rest of his body refused to respond. The system's interface hovered in front of him, the bold, red numbers of his HP glaring at him.

[HP - 3]

Kaiza's heart sank as he watched the number drop further to 2, each second feeling like a countdown to doom.

"What's going on? I thought I was refilled! What am I supposed to do?" he whispered hoarsely, panic creeping into his voice.

Desperately, Kaiza scanned the room, his eyes landing on a half-filled bottle of water on the floor. Summoning every ounce of strength, he reached out, his trembling hand barely managing to grip the bottle. Slowly, he lifted it to his lips and drank every drop.

A slight relief washed over him as his HP increased by 1, but the bold red numbers still screamed danger. Kaiza felt a small surge of energy, but it ebbed just as quickly as it came, draining faster with every movement he made.

Determined to survive, he willed his body toward the mini-fridge in the room. Each step felt like a monumental task, but he pressed on, fueled by desperation. Reaching the fridge, Kaiza yanked it open and grabbed every bottle of water he could find.

One by one, he drank them, ten bottles in total, each gulp leaving his throat sore but his hope slightly renewed. Yet after all that effort, his HP had only increased by 2, barely pulling him out of immediate danger.

His breaths came in shallow gasps as he slumped against the fridge, realizing water alone wouldn't be enough to save him. But what else could he do?

Kaiza opened the system interface, eager to assess the impact of his desperate efforts. His HP had climbed by 4, finally moving out of the critical red zone. Relief washed over him momentarily, but it was short-lived.

"How do I gain energy?" he muttered to himself, staring at the persistent alert on the interface. The system demanded he replenish his energy, and with no more water left in the fridge, Kaiza knew his HP would inevitably start to drop again.

He leaned against the wall, his mind racing. What else can I do to gain energy? As he sifted through his thoughts, a faint memory surfaced—something he'd read in the system guidebook.

The list of ways to regain energy had been short, almost frustratingly simple. But at the time, Kaiza had skimmed over it, more intrigued by uncovering the hidden truths about the system and the war it seemed tied to. Now, he regrets that decision.

The only methods he could remember clearly were drinking water, which he'd already done, and exercising.

"Exercise?" Kaiza scoffed weakly, glancing at his trembling hands. He could barely stand, let alone perform any physical activity. Still, it was the only other option he could recall.

He strained to remember more, pushing his exhausted brain to retrieve the details from the guidebook. But nothing came to him—just the words water and exercise.

Kaiza groaned in frustration, slumping to the floor. He needed another solution, and fast, but his options were limited, and time was running out.

"I can't exercise… unless I want to lose everything I just drank," Kaiza muttered weakly, his voice barely audible. His stomach felt like it was sloshing with water, and any attempt to exercise would likely do more harm than good.

Things were getting tougher, and hopelessness began to creep in. Kaiza's thoughts spiraled as he considered the worst. What happens if my HP drops below two? Below one? The memory of how he felt earlier, motionless on the bed, was enough to make him shudder. He didn't want to experience that again.

His body was still as stiff as a statue. The only parts of him he could feel moving were his internal organs, faintly stirring with each shallow breath, and his eyes, which darted restlessly around the room. Even lifting a finger felt impossible.

"Why do I feel so drained?" Kaiza's mind struggled to make sense of what was happening. He knew there had to be a reason—something or someone had caused this, but he was trapped in a fog of confusion.

Then it hit him.

"Was it… the Hide Mode?"

The thought lingered in his mind. It made sense. He'd felt fine before the mode activated, but everything had gone downhill after. The system's warnings, his rapidly decreasing HP, his inability to move—all of it seemed connected to the powerful feature.

But then another thought surfaced, one that made Kaiza's heart race despite his exhaustion.

"Did Sulan manage to inject me with that fluid again?"

His mind replayed the last encounter with Sulan, but it didn't add up. Sulan hadn't even gotten close to him, let alone made contact. Kaiza shook the idea away, though doubt lingered at the edges of his thoughts.

For now, all he could do was endure, piece together the puzzle, and hope the system would reveal a solution before it was too late.

Kaiza's thoughts began to race, his mind running wild with possibilities. Could Sulan have shapeshifted into the doctor? It seemed plausible. What if, during the time he was carried for tests, Sulan had already injected him with that fluid to keep him unconscious for easy abduction.

The thought made Kaiza shudder. He felt twice as weak now as he had when he was first injected with the fluid back in the car. It was as if the dosage had been doubled, and he was experiencing that same draining sensation again.

Yet, the difference was clear—this time, there was no sharp pain in his neck or anywhere else in his body. Whatever was happening to him was still a mystery.

His mind raced between questions and theories, but there was no clear answer. The cause of his weakness was elusive, and Kaiza had no way of knowing for sure what had triggered this state.

After a few minutes of rest, Kaiza watched as his HP dropped slightly, just above 5. His options were narrowing, and the only solution he could think of was one from the energy gain list: exercise. He wasn't sure if it would work, but it was the only option left.

With whatever strength he had left, Kaiza forced himself into a slow but steady rhythm, starting a jumping jack.

His movements were sluggish at first, but as he continued, he could feel a subtle shift. It was as if water-like waves settled into his drained body, giving him a fleeting sense of relief. But just as quickly, the sensation faded, slowing his movements for a few moments before he pushed himself to increase his pace.

His body protested, but Kaiza pushed on, hoping that the effort would help him find some way to regain control over his deteriorating state.

Kaiza had been exercising for five minutes, yet his HP remained stagnant—neither increasing nor decreasing. Though there was no visible improvement, he noticed something significant: his HP wasn't dropping by one every five minutes like before.

"It's working," Kaiza realized, determination flickering in his weary eyes.

He took a short break to relieve himself, feeling a slight discomfort in his stomach. Once he felt lighter, he resumed his exercise, this time with renewed vigor and faster movements. Just three minutes in, he noticed the change—a single point had been added to his HP.

"I knew it," he muttered, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.

Encouraged, Kaiza pushed himself harder, jumping higher and faster, his determination unwavering. Another few minutes passed, and his HP increased by two. The moving waves in his stomach had finally settled, leaving him feeling lighter and more agile.

Kaiza decided to aim for an HP of ten before stopping. Sweat dripped down his brow, and his lower muscles ached, but he refused to give up. He kept going, driven by the hope of stabilizing himself and maybe uncovering more about this system.

As his HP hit 10, a broader smile spread across his face. Relief and pride filled him, but he didn't stop. Kaiza wanted to see what would happen if he continued.

Then, a new page emerged over the system interface, accompanied by a notification:

[Energy Gained]

[Goal Accomplished]

[HP – Stable]

[Strength - 5]

Kaiza froze for a moment, breathing heavily as he stared at the screen. A wave of satisfaction washed over him. Despite the sweat, the aches, and the uncertainty, he had managed to pull himself out of a crisis.

"Finally," he whispered, sinking to the floor with a small, triumphant laugh.