Selena the Deer gently tugged on the chain, leaning down so her soft, doe-like eyes were level with Ray's. "Hey, when are you planning to get up from there?" she asked sweetly, her voice as smooth as silk.
Ray's face instantly drained of color. Hugging himself tightly, he hesitated before murmuring, "Um… can I know where I am right now?"
The moment those words left his mouth, everything around him froze. Time itself came to a halt.
The deer's smile paused mid-curve. A shopkeeper handing a glass of juice to a tiny rabbit girl stood frozen in motion. A cat, mid-leap, was suspended in the air just before pouncing on a fish.
Then a screen appeared before Ray's eyes:
[Trial activated]
[Host: Raymond Lockwood]
[Please confirm your name: Y/N]
"So this is actually the trial," Ray whispered, sitting cross-legged on the ground. He was still wearing the same outfit: a white shirt with a floral, wavy collar, and deep brown leather pants with belts crossing over his shoulders.
He tapped the floating "Yes."
[Thank you for confirming]
[Loading your trial. Please wait... This will take a while.]
Ray rolled his eyes. "Such a weird system. With how Sicilia and Robin talked about it, I was expecting some giant monster swinging a sword at my neck. And here I am… waiting."
He chuckled to himself, brushing a hand through his tousled hair.
[Loading complete.]
[Host's Identity: Slave]
[Trial Quest: Find the Key and Go West]
[Reward: Access to the Void Sea]
[Punishment: Death]
[To access the Void System, press your wrist.]
[Good luck, Host.]
As the screen vanished, time resumed.
Water splashed to the ground. The cat darted off with the fish, the bear shopkeeper yelling as he gave chase. The frozen smile on Selena's face unfroze into a full, radiant beam.
Selena blinked, then looked at Ray. Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute… why are you crying?"
Ray sat there cross-legged, his head tilted up toward the sky. Tears streamed freely down his face, his shoulders trembling. "It gave me a quest," he sobbed, voice cracking with emotion. "Waaah… I finally feel like a system user. So this is what it feels like—so majestic!"
Selena struggled to pull him up, but Ray didn't budge an inch.
Just then, a grand carriage stopped beside them. A troop of tiger soldiers dismounted, clad in gleaming armor, swords at their sides.
They bowed in perfect unison. "Greetings, Lady Selena."
A tall snow leopard emerged next. His fur was sleek, tail swaying behind him, eyes colder than ice.
"His Majesty was concerned," the leopard said in a stern tone. "So he sent me to escort you." His gaze slid to Ray, who was still dramatically sobbing on the ground, then back to Selena. "You've grown. Can you please stop escaping the palace like this?"
Ray flinched under the snow leopard's gaze. His wide eyes darted between them.
Wait—she's a princess? That means… it might be easier to find the key!
A glimmer of hope sparkled in his eyes, a foolish smile lighting up his tear-stained face.
The snow leopard grunted under his breath at Ray's reaction, then turned to Selena, voice cold as ever. "And why is this… creature here?"
Ray pointed at himself, blinking. "Wait, me? Creature?"
Before he could say more, a sharp kick landed on his back. He crashed face-first into the ground, scraping his cheek on jagged stone. A tiger soldier stomped on his back.
"How dare you speak to the Commander of Void Island like that!" the soldier growled.
Blood trickled from the side of Ray's face. His ribs ached.
"You dare to look at him directly?" the soldier hissed, yanking Ray's head up by his hair to meet his eyes.
Fangs bared, the tiger looked ready to rip him apart.
"Back off."
Selena's voice cut through the chaos like ice.
The tiger blinked. Selena slapped him across the face.
"Looks like none of you remember who really holds the authority here," she said coldly. "Who holds this slave's chain? Does your commander outrank me?"
The market fell silent. The weight of her voice—noble, sharp, unshakable—echoed through the air.
Then the tiger commander stepped forward, clad in a brighter, more regal armor and red cape. He slapped the offending soldier across the face.
The sound cracked like thunder.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Is that the Princess?"
"I've seen her before, but never knew who she really was…"
"She bought a slave? Even royalty buys humans now?"
But Selena and the snow leopard remained locked in a silent, tense stare—as if nothing else existed.
Ray lifted his bleeding face, dazed. 'Why does it feel like I'm just the third wheel in this royal drama?'
The snow leopard finally moved. "I apologize for interfering with your secret outing. But this was His Majesty's order." He gestured toward the carriage.
Selena gave Ray a brief glance before responding. "Then make sure nothing happens to him. I'll hold you responsible if anything goes wrong."
The snow leopard clenched his jaw, then gave a curt nod. His cold eyes turned to Ray, who was still kneeling.
"Take him with us."
Two soldiers grabbed Ray by the arms and hoisted him up.
'Wow… this really feels like I'm back at the Academy,' Ray thought, a crooked smirk spreading on his lips. His messy hair fell over his eyes, shadowing them as he was dragged forward.
But deep inside, his heart raced—not from fear, but from anticipation.
The real problem is this floating screen...
[Trial will end in: 1 Day, 23 Hours, 46 Minutes, 23 Seconds]
[If you fail to complete the trial within the time limit, prepare for punishment.]
Ray's eye twitched.
'PREPARE FOR PUNISHMENT?!' he screamed internally. 'You say it like it's a slice of cake I'm supposed to enjoy!'
His limbs went slack. The soldiers kept dragging him, his feet scraping against the rough stone road as invisible tears streamed from his eyes.
'Still…' he thought, biting his lip, 'I'm happy. At least my final moments will be those of like a system user. That's something, right?'
The two tiger soldiers glanced at each other, puzzled. Ray's face looked like he was about to cry… yet his expression sparkled, almost glowing with joy.
One of them barked, "Stand still."
Ray didn't resist as the soldier pulled out a thick rope, tying both his wrists tightly together. The other end of the rope was secured to a horse.
Ray's eyes widened. His brows furrowed. "Wait—what are you doing?!"
"Nothing much, slave boy," the soldier snorted. "Just a little punishment for getting too cozy with the Princess."
The second soldier added with a cruel grin, "Don't worry. We won't let you die. The commander only said to keep you alive. That's all."
The market murmured with fresh whispers as onlookers watched the scene unfold.
Ray struggled to free his hands, but the knots were too tight. His skin rubbed raw against the coarse rope. A single drop of blood trickled from a cut above his brow, streaking down across his eye.
Then the horse neighed—and bolted.
Ray was yanked forward, nearly slamming face-first into the ground. With a frantic gasp, he stumbled into a desperate sprint, trying to match the beast's pace.
His legs burned, each step scraping his already bruised body.
People gasped and murmured, some averting their eyes.
But in the middle of it all, Ray was strangely… glowing.
His breath hitched, his body ached, and the ground tore into his shoes. Yet his eyes shimmered—wet, desperate, but filled with something almost insane.