I Gained An Ability While Surfing On The Dark Web

Roi staggered back, still trying to process what had just happened. His body was intact, but his mind? Fractured.

His breathing was uneven, his hands clenched.

Then—Kyler grinned.

"Well, there it goes." His voice was light, almost playful.

"The first phase of the trial is over."

Roi's head snapped up.

"Wh—what?" His voice cracked. "That was only the first phase?!"

Kyler chuckled. "Yeah. But let's be real—the actual first phase was Landmine City."

His eyes gleamed with amusement.

"And since you're the first person to ever clear that successfully… I figured I'd test something else."

Roi's stomach churned.

His mind flashed back to that classroom from hell. The questions. The punishments. The sheer terror.

"You…" He swallowed hard. "You put me through that just because you were curious?!"

Kyler shrugged. "Pretty much."

Roi's fist trembled.

Then Kyler waved his hand.

The void shattered.

Colors exploded.

Roi blinked—

—and suddenly, he was back.

Back in his room.

The familiar sight of his PC setup. His bed. His messy desk.

As if nothing had happened.

Roi's legs gave out. He sat on the floor, his heart pounding.

It felt… unreal.

Like the past few days had just been a nightmare.

But the ache in his body? The phantom sensation of pain?

All too real.

He looked up at Kyler, who was now leaning against his desk.

"Wait… when is the next phase gonna happen?" Roi's voice was low, hesitant.

Kyler's smirk widened.

"Don't worry."

His eyes gleamed.

"You'll know soon."

A pause.

Then he laughed.

"But for now? Sit back and relax."

He gestured around the room.

"Because the real deal? It's not in some cyberspace. It's not in some digital hell."

Kyler's smile turned dangerous.

"It's here. In the real world."

He leaned closer.

"The world you're living in right now."

Roi's breath caught.

Something in Kyler's voice—something dark, ominous—sent chills down his spine.

And for the first time…

Roi felt like the real nightmare was just beginning.

Kyler let out a final laugh, his form flickering like a glitched hologram. His body distorted, pixels warping in and out of existence, before he finally vanished, leaving only the faint hum of static behind.

The room was silent.

Roi stood there, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his mind trying to process everything. The pain, the trials, the impossible power he had gained—it all felt too much. He glanced at his hands, flexing his fingers, expecting them to tremble. But they were steady.

So this is real, he thought. This is my life now.

Days Later…

The world felt different.

For the first time in his life, Roi felt like he was more than just an ordinary streamer, more than just a guy who wasted his time in front of a screen. He had power now. Real, tangible power that could push him beyond human limits. If he survived more trials, he could gain even more.

And yet, a part of him wasn't sure if he loved it or feared it.

Every night, when he closed his eyes, he felt like he was still there—in that hellish classroom, blood pooling around his hands, pain lancing through his body. He would wake up in cold sweats, his breath ragged, the sensation of the test lingering as if his body refused to forget.

Maybe he needed fresh air.

After spending days locked inside, he finally made the decision to step out. The park wasn't far, just a few blocks away. He used to visit it often—before all of this happened.

Stepping outside, the city felt normal. The streets bustled with life, people laughing, cars honking, vendors shouting. It was a strange contrast to the dark, twisted world he had just escaped from. For a fleeting moment, he allowed himself to believe that everything was just a bad dream.

Then—

A feeling.

A sharp, prickling sensation at the back of his neck.

His body stiffened, muscles tensing as an unshakable unease settled over him. It was a feeling he had learned to trust. The feeling of being watched.

He swallowed hard and turned his head.

And froze.

Across the park, standing completely still, was a man in a black suit.

His posture was rigid, unnatural, like a mannequin posed too perfectly. A white mask covered his face—no eyes, no mouth, no features. Just a blank, emotionless void. Just like the one in he saw at the grocery store.

Roi's heartbeat hammered against his ribs.

It was him.

The same figure from before. The one who had chased him.

His mind screamed, RUN.

And so he did.

Roi spun on his heels, bolting through the park. His legs moved on instinct, pushing through the crowd, shoving past startled pedestrians. He didn't care. His only focus was getting away.

But something was wrong.

No matter how fast he ran, no matter how many corners he turned, the man in the black suit was always right behind him.

No footsteps. No sound. Just there.

Roi gritted his teeth, activating Phantom Dash.

The world blurred around him as he surged forward at inhuman speed, crossing meters in seconds. A rush of wind tore through his hair, his body weightless as he moved faster than any normal person could.

For a second, he thought he had lost him.

Then—

A hand latched onto his wrist.

Cold. Unnaturally strong.

His entire body froze.

It wasn't just a grip. It was like his muscles had shut down completely. Every nerve in his body locked up, refusing to move. His vision blurred. His breath hitched.

A low, distorted whisper slithered into his ear.

"Got you."

His mind screamed, NO!

Then—darkness.

The world collapsed around him.

And everything went black.

A deep, suffocating void wrapped around Roi's senses, thick and oppressive. His mind was a foggy mess, drowning in confusion and panic. His body felt heavy, sluggish, like he was being weighed down by something unseen.

Then—pain.

A sharp ache in his wrists. A dull throb in his ankles. His shoulders were stiff, muscles burning from an unnatural position.

Slowly, his awareness returned.

He was seated.

No—restrained.

His wrists were bound behind his back. His ankles tied to the legs of a chair. The cold bite of rough rope dug into his skin, restricting every movement.

Panic surged through him like wildfire.

His breath quickened. His heartbeat thundered against his ribs.

His eyes darted around, but the room was pitch black.

No windows. No light. Nothing.

He twisted in his restraints, muscles tensing. Where am I?!

Then—

A sound.

Soft. Subtle.

Footsteps.

A slow, deliberate rhythm echoed through the darkness, approaching from somewhere unseen.

The air grew thick, suffocating.

Then—

A flicker.

A dim, eerie light snapped on, casting long, sinister shadows across the room.

And there—standing before him—was the man in the black suit.

The faceless, masked figure.

Up close, the mask was worse than he remembered. Completely smooth, devoid of emotion. A blank slate. Yet, somehow… it was staring right at him.

A cold shiver crawled up Roi's spine.

His throat was dry, but he forced out the words.

"Who the hell are you?! What do you want?!"

The man didn't reply.

Instead, he tilted his head, slowly, deliberately—like a predator analyzing its prey.

Roi's breathing hitched.

The silence was unbearable.

Then—

The masked man took a step forward.

And in a voice that was low, distorted, and utterly inhuman, he finally spoke.

"You don't remember, do you?"

Roi's body tensed.

"Remember what?" His voice cracked slightly.

The man let out a low chuckle, the sound warped—like a glitch in reality.

Then, he leaned in.

And whispered—

"What you did."

A sharp chill ran down Roi's spine.

His stomach twisted violently.

What the hell was he talking about?!

But before he could demand an answer—

The lights cut out.

And the room plunged back into darkness.

A harsh white light flickered on, illuminating the room in a sickly glow.

Roi squinted as his vision adjusted, but what he saw sent a cold wave of fear through his body.

A large board stood against the far wall, cluttered with photos of him.

Snapshots of his life—at his apartment, walking down the street, in front of his PC during streams. Every image was pinned haphazardly, connected by thin red strings, crisscrossing in a web of investigation.

It was like a murder board straight out of a crime thriller.

His breath caught in his throat.

"What… what the hell is this?"

The faceless man stood beside the board, his gloved hand lazily tracing one of the strings.

"Boy, this is why you should have never gone poking around the web," the man said, his voice distorting as if two different tones overlapped.

Roi's stomach twisted.

This wasn't just some random stalker.

This guy had been watching him. Tracking him. Studying him.

His hands clenched into fists, the rope biting into his skin.

"Who the hell are you?! Do you know Kyler?!" he spat.

At the mention of Kyler's name, the masked man paused.

He tilted his head slightly, as if amused.

"Kyler? Hmm…" he mused.

Then, a low chuckle rumbled from behind the mask.

"Well, it doesn't matter."

The masked man turned fully to face him.

"I didn't kidnap you to have a friendly chat, Roi. I kidnapped you because you…"

He leaned in closer, the smooth surface of his mask mere inches from Roi's face.

"…need to be dead."

A cold weight settled in Roi's chest.

His body froze.

Every hair on his body stood on end.

"D-Dead?" His voice came out shaky, disbelieving.

The man laughed—mocking, distorted.

"What, surprised?"

"Then why the hell am I here?! If you wanted me dead, you could've killed me on the spot!"

The masked man let out another chuckle.

"Well…" He crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Explain your freakish, inhuman speed first."

Roi's blood ran cold.

He knew.

The man knew about Phantom Dash.

"And besides, the park was public, boy." The masked man shrugged. "I had to be smooth about it. No one even noticed when I pushed your unconscious ass into my car."

Roi's stomach churned.

This guy had planned everything.

Every. Single. Step.

Then, the man leaned against the board, tapping one of the pinned photos.

"And also, before you die…" His voice turned deadly serious.

"I need some information from you."

Roi's jaw tightened.

His mind raced.

This wasn't just about killing him.

There was something more.

Something bigger.

And he had a sinking feeling…

That he wasn't going to like what came next.