Rising Of The F-Class Hero

Zekor wiped the goblin blood from his face, but it only mixed with the dirt already on his skin. The smell of death surrounded him, but he didn't care anymore. 

He had only come here for one reason, the potential evaluation test. This was his seventh attempt.

The world outside had changed.

Towers like this one rose when everything collapsed, and now they were all that was left. 

People called them the Abyss Towers. No one knew where they came from or why they were here, only that each floor led deeper into darkness.

Then, the angels appeared in the sky.

They didn't speak. They didn't offer comfort. They simply gave everyone the System.

A glowing screen appeared in Zekor's vision, just like it did for everyone else. 

Stats, skills, quests. 

Life had turned into a strange game. But no matter how much the System helped, it didn't answer the questions eating at him.

He stood in a broken hallway, surrounded by dead goblins. 

Their green skin was already turning gray, and their bodies losing warmth. 

But the System didn't erase what they had been. 

Their expressions of rage and fear remained frozen on their faces. 

They had died fighting, their instincts and emotions intact to the very end. 

Even in death, they were still monsters.

A small message popped up in front of him.

[You have defeated 7 Goblins. Experience gained: 420]

He closed it without thinking. Experience, levels, stats- none of them really mattered to him. 

He wasn't here for power, survival, or glory like some people. 

He was here because he had to be.

As he stared at the goblin corpses, a random thought crossed his mind.

Do souls exist?

They had been alive. They had thoughts, instincts, and emotions. But now they were gone. Their bodies remained, yet they would never move again. Did something leave them, or were they simply empty shells now?

Or is a person just their brain? Just flesh and thoughts, nothing more?

Before the world fell, Zekor never thought about things like this. But after seeing so many die, after watching people he knew vanish into the abyss, he couldn't stop wondering. 

If souls were real, where did they go when someone died? If they weren't, then did being alive even matter?

His thoughts were interrupted by a distant noise. Not human. Not goblin. Something heavier. Something worse.

Zekor tensed, his grip tightening on the rusted sword he carried, though he knew it wouldn't help much. 

He wasn't a fighter. He never had been. He had survived this long not through strength, but through hiding, running, and knowing when to disappear.

A deep growl echoed through the hallway. Zekor didn't move. 

His eyes scanned the shadows, looking for an escape route. Running was his specialty. Fighting head-on was suicide.

Then he saw it. The glowing red eyes of a beast stepping forward, its massive form emerging from the darkness.

The System chimed again.

[New Threat Identified: Abyss Hound - Level 12]

Zekor inhaled slowly, steadying himself. His own level was much lower. His weapon was barely holding together. But he wasn't planning to fight.

Without hesitation, he turned and ran.

The beast roared, its heavy footsteps shaking the corridor as it charged after him. 

Zekor dashed through the ruined hallway, weaving through broken pillars and debris, his breath controlled, his movements precise. He had done this before. He had outrun monsters far worse than this one.

After a frantic sprint, he reached the nearest save point, a glowing sigil on the floor. As soon as his foot touched it, a surge of energy enveloped him.

[Entering Safe Zone.]

The Abyss Hound skidded to a halt just beyond the shimmering barrier. It growled but did not cross. Zekor exhaled in relief, leaning against the cold wall. He had made it.

The System prompted him again.

[Would you like to exit the tower?]

Without hesitation, he selected 'Yes.'

Light swallowed him, and when he opened his eyes, he was outside, standing under the shattered sky. The air felt different, lighter, less oppressive. He had survived another test. Barely.

The System flashed one more notification.

[Status Updated: Potential - F]

Then, another screen opened, listing his stats.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Zekor

Level: 3

Class: None

Potential: F

Strength: 4

Agility: 6

Dexterity: 5

Endurance: 3

Intelligence: 8

Luck: 1

Skills: [Basic Stealth] [Sprint Lv.2]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zekor stared at the screen, his expression unreadable. A long silence followed.

"…Figures."

He sighed and walked away.