Blink.

Malik’s eyes snapped open to a weirdly familiar sight of stone, the ceiling so close he could have reached up and touched it if his arms weren’t pinned beneath his body.

The cold from the floor seeped through his clothes and into his bones.

A suffocating smell of rot filled him.

His head felt like a foggy mess of static, and for the life of him, he could not remember where he was.

"Get up, old man."

A shadow loomed over him, blocking the light from the lanterns.

Malik tilted his head back and looked at the man standing above him.

"Who are you?"

The man clicked his tongue.

"Deteriorating already? I’m Judas; don’t forget the name of your nightmare!"

The man sneered, kicking Malik’s boot hard enough to send a jolt up his leg.

"Now get to the caves. The quota doesn’t fill itself."

’My nightmare?’

Malik stood up, slowly dusting off his torn clothes.

’You wish, you bastard.’

Without complaint, he walked towards the tunnel that led into the depths of the cave system.

The path sloped downward until it opened into a big chamber that stretched farther than the light could reach.

Once there, Malik stopped in his tracks and stared at it with wide eyes.

Mountains of flesh sat against the walls.

Demons piled on top of each other, leaking dark blood that pooled on the stone floor.

Slaves moved between the piles with small knives, cutting the Demons open.

Their hands disappeared into the dark flesh and emerged with glowing hearts.

They tossed the hearts into baskets at their feet and moved to the next body without pause and without any sign that they found this disgusting.

It was ’disgusting.’ Utterly so.

"Pick up a basket."

A slaver growled from behind Malik, cracking a whip near his feet.

The sound echoed off the cave walls, making a few of the nearby slaves flinch.

Malik looked at the slaver, then at the pile of rotting Demons, then back at the slaver.

He had the face of someone... inconvenienced, too casual for a place this dreary.

"You smell worse than the Demons. Stay on that side of the cave, please."

The slaver’s mouth fell open, his face cycling through confusion, anger, and something that might have been embarrassment.

He did not know how to respond to that.

No one had ever told him that before, especially not a slave who was supposed to be terrified of him.

Malik did not wait for the man to recover.

He grabbed a clean basket from the stack, snatched a knife, and stepped into the gore.

...

"Deposit your baskets here!"

Malik hauled his basket to where a large chalkboard sat, lit by a single lantern.

He scanned the board for his name, but he did not see it anywhere. Instead, at the very bottom, written in a smooth handwriting that he recognized as his own, was a single word:

’System.’

A jolt of electricity shot through his brain, and the fog in his head cleared.

Memories came rushing back, and the system interface materialized before his eyes.

—

╔════════╗

║Fear System║

╚════════╝

{Class: 12 (Bringer of Light)}

{Fear Points: 11 → 11.5}

—

’Oh. I’ve been here a while.’

His eyes narrowed as he stared at the numbers.

He had gained half a Fear Point since the last time he checked...

’I need about five more.’

At the same time he thought that a slaver stepped up behind him.

Before Malik could turn, a needle bit into his neck.

"Time for your treatment, old man."

Everything went dark.

Blink.

Malik snapped his eyes open.

He asked a question. He walked into the cave. He cut, pulled, and dropped.

Eventually, with a full basket, he stood before the board.

’System.’

—

{Fear Points: 11.5 → 12.5}

—

’Dammit. Not enough yet.’

Blink.

Malik’s eyes snapped open.

"Who are you—"

Judas turned red, his face flushing with anger.

"Get to the bodies now!"

Malik reached the board and stared at the word.

’System.’

—

{Fear Points: 12.5 → 13.0}

—

’I’m getting closer.’

Blink.

"Get up. Now!"

Malik reached the board.

’System.’

—

{Fear Points: 13.0 → 14.5}

—

’Almost there.’

Blink.

Malik’s eyes snapped open.

"Get up, you bastard!"

He looked up at the man standing over him.

"Who are you?"

The slaver, Judas, sighed aloud.

"I’m losing my damned mind because of you! Why do you keep asking the same question?! How about you buzz off and get to work for Hell’s sake?!"

’Same question?’

Malik wondered but did not argue.

He stood up and walked deeper into the cave.

Without much thought, he plucked the hearts from the Corrupted bodies, his hands moving in a strangely familiar, efficient rhythm.

Every moment of it felt brand new and disgusting.

He hated the smell. He hated the dark blood that stained his hands and clothes. He hated the wet squelch of flesh parting under his knife.

Malik despised everything about this!

When the Hell was he getting out?!

Filling his basket, he reached the chalkboard and saw the word written at the bottom.

’System.’

That was when he saw his answer.

—

╔════════╗

║Fear System║

╚════════╝

{Class: 12 (Bringer of Light)}

{Unlocking Class (11): 0/27}

{Fear Points: 14.5 → 16.0}

—

’Finally... sixteen points.’

It was now.