99% CASUALTY RATE: I GAMBLE MY LIFESPAN TO SURVIVE

The Rules of the Maze

The purple crystal felt ice-cold in Marcus’s palm. As he slipped it into his pocket, his body throbbed with a dull, hThe Rules of the Mazeeavy ache. It wasn’t a normal muscle strain from swinging the axe. It felt deeper, as if his bones had lost a tiny bit of their density and his lungs couldn't quite pull in a full breath of air.

Fifty-four years and two hundred and twelve days.

The mechanical system numbers floated in the corner of his eye before fading away. He had bought his life by shortening it. It was a brutal transaction, but as he looked at the black ash on the cobblestones, Marcus knew he would make the same choice again in a heartbeat.

Behind him, Luke was still hyperventilating, his back pressed hard against the stone doorframe of the security office. "Marcus... you just... its head... what did you do?"

"I killed it," Marcus said simply, turning his flashlight down the hallway. "Get your flashlight out. We aren't safe sitting in one spot."

"No, no, no," Luke stammered, shaking his head wildly as he stood up on trembling legs. "We need to stay here. The police will come. Hillton Logistics has high-end security. Someone will notice the power went out in the whole block!"

"Look around you, Luke," Marcus countered, his voice flat. He pointed the bright beam of light at the massive, interlocking stone blocks and the thick patches of glowing purple moss. "The street isn't out there anymore. Hillton Logistics isn't out there. We're somewhere else. If you want to sit in the dark and wait for another one of those things to chew on your legs, be my guest. I’m moving."

Marcus didn't wait for a reply. He gripped the fire axe tightly and began walking down the corridor, keeping his footsteps deliberate and quiet. He wanted to test his new power. If he could trade his life force for superhuman strength, he needed to know how to trigger it at will, without waiting for a life-or-death emergency.

System, Marcus thought, focusing his mind. Open market.

Nothing happened. No screen appeared.

He tried again, changing his inner voice. Status panel. Activate skill.

Still, the air remained completely empty. There was no response from the cold, mechanical voice that had spoken inside his head moments ago.

Marcus frowned slightly, a minor setback. He paused and examined his hands. The black aura that had coated his axe was gone. He raised the heavy tool and swung it hard against the stone wall. The steel blade struck the rock with a sharp CLANG, sending sparks flying into the dark, but it only chipped a tiny piece of stone. The superhuman speed and weightless ease he had felt during the ambush were completely gone.

So I can't just use it whenever I want, Marcus analyzed, his practical mind quickly breaking down the hidden rules. The system only opens transactions during an active crisis, or maybe it requires a specific trigger I haven't found yet. It has strict limitations.

A frantic patter of footsteps echoed behind him. Luke ran up, his flashlight beam bouncing erratically off the ceiling. "Don't leave me behind, man! Fine, I'm coming. But we go slow, okay?"

They walked for ten minutes through the twisting, identical stone corridors. The labyrinth was a massive maze, completely devoid of any signs of modern human life. The air grew steadily colder, and a faint, pale mist began to roll along the cobblestone floor.

Suddenly, Marcus caught a scent on the air—the metallic smell of fresh blood.

He slowed down, holding up a hand to stop Luke. The hallway ahead opened up into a wider chamber, a large intersection where three separate corridors met. Marcus crept to the edge of the opening and peered inside.

The room was a slaughterhouse.

Three bodies in matching navy-blue security uniforms lay scattered across the floor. Marcus recognized them instantly—they were guards from the upper floors of the Hillton building. Standing over one of the bodies was a tall, thin man wearing a expensive, tailored business suit that was now splattered with dark red stains.

It was Victor Kane, the Senior Vice President of Operations at Hillton Logistics.

Victor wasn't panicking. In fact, his face was entirely calm, his sharp eyes fixed on a floating blue light screen right in front of his face. In his right hand, he held a sleek, tactical baton that pulsed with a strange, electrical blue current.

"Please... Victor... help me..."

A weak voice groaned from the far corner of the room. It was one of the guards, badly wounded, his leg torn open and bleeding heavily onto the cobblestones. He was reaching out a trembling hand toward the executive.

Victor didn't move toward him. He didn't even look down. Instead, his fingers tapped the air, interacting with his invisible screen.

"Your structural value to the team is zero, Davis," Victor said, his voice smooth, cold, and completely detached. "The system requires resources to upgrade my weapon's voltage. Your remaining lifespring is better spent as an investment for the leadership."

"What... what are you—"

Before the guard could finish, Victor stepped forward and drove the tactical baton directly into the man's chest. A bright flash of blue light illuminated the room, and a strange, misty vapor rose from the guard’s body, flowing directly into Victor's baton. The guard went entirely still, his face wrinkling and aging rapidly in a matter of seconds.

[WARNING: Chain Escalation Imminent]

[Anomalous Entities Approaching. Population: 5]

The sudden crimson text flashed into Marcus’s vision, accompanied by a heavy, vibrating rumble that shook the entire stone chamber. From the two side corridors, multiple low, guttural growls echoed out simultaneously. The scent of blood had drawn a whole pack of Void Hounds.

Luke let out a terrified whimper next to Marcus.

Victor Kane snapped his head toward their position, his sharp eyes locking onto Marcus’s flashlight beam. Instead of running toward them for safety, a cold, calculating smile spread across Victor’s face. He immediately backed away into the far exit hallway, using the darkness as cover.

The mist in the room swirled violently as five pairs of glowing crimson eyes emerged from the side tunnels, locking directly onto Marcus and the trembling Luke. The crisis was escalating, and Marcus was trapped at the center of it.