just for your information, sorry if there are some words that cannot be understood because this story was originally in my language and translated into English so there may be some parts that are difficult to understand due to language limitations

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  After returning to his room, Ryo immediately sat on the chair, staring blankly at the window. His mind was filled with one question—how could Uncle Garreth die so suddenly? Didn't he look healthy before?

  He continued to ponder until he accidentally saw something from the window. Outside, two men in black robes seemed to be talking in low voices. However, their words were enough to make Ryo's blood boil.

  "The target was poisoned last night," one of them said.

  Without thinking, Ryo immediately ran outside and charged at one of the men in the robes, throwing a hard punch to his face. The man staggered, but his partner quickly retaliated with a strong kick that hit Ryo's body, sending him flying into the wall.

  "What's your business, brat?!" the man in the robe snapped.

  Ryo, who started to get up in anger, shouted, "You killed Garreth, right?!"

  One of the men in the robes chuckled. "We were just doing our job. The one who ordered us was the kingdom."

  Ryo’s eyes widened, but before he could react further, another man emerged from the shadows. He was also wearing a black robe, but his aura was far more oppressive.

  As soon as the man arrived, the previous two immediately bowed respectfully. The black-robed figure approached Ryo, then spoke in a calm but oppressive voice.

  “So you’re the one who was summoned, huh?” He grinned. “You’ve fallen into our trap.”

  Before Ryo could resist, the man extended his hand. In an instant, Ryo’s vision went dark. His consciousness disappeared—he had been knocked unconscious.

  Ryo suddenly woke up in a small, cramped room. His vision was still blurry, making it difficult to recognize his surroundings. His head felt heavy, and his body felt stiff.

  After a while, his vision began to clear. He realized that he was lying face down on the cold floor, with his hands and feet tightly bound by thick rope. No matter how hard he tried to move his body, the bindings were too tight to break free.

  Ryo tried to look around for something—anything that could help him escape. However, the room was empty. No hope, no way out.

  As the feeling of despair began to creep up on him, he saw something behind the iron bars that locked him up. A shadowy figure stood there. Due to the minimal lighting, Ryo couldn't see its face clearly.

  Suddenly, the figure raised its hand. Instantly, a flash of light appeared and cut the ropes that bound Ryo's hands and feet. He was shocked, but before he could say anything, the mysterious figure created a key from his magic and opened Ryo's cell door.

  However, as soon as the cell opened, the figure disappeared without a word, leaving Ryo confused.

  Time continued to pass, and Ryo knew he couldn't stay in that place for long. With careful steps, he walked down the hallway, looking for a way out without attracting attention. Several times he was almost caught by the guards, but thanks to his quick reflexes, he managed to hide in time.

  However, once he reached the outer area of ??the prison, a greater challenge awaited him. Unlike the dimly lit hallway, this place was brighter, making it difficult to move without being seen. The main door was clearly not an option, so he had to find another way.

  As he was looking for a way out, footsteps suddenly sounded from the front. Ryo gasped and turned around, but a similar sound was heard from behind. He was trapped—there was no way to escape.

  Suddenly, a soft voice called out to him from inside one of the cells next to him. "Take my hand."

  Ryo turned and saw a small child reaching out from behind the bars. His eyes were calm, as if he knew exactly what was happening.

  Without thinking, Ryo grabbed the child’s hand. Instantly, a warm energy flowed through his body, and a transparent screen appeared in front of him:

  Jump Boost

  [YES] [NO]

  There was no time to hesitate. He immediately pressed YES, and suddenly his body shot upwards, jumping over the iron bars until he reached the roof of the prison. With trembling hands, he gripped the top of the wall, preventing his body from falling.

  A few seconds later, the guards passed by below him. Ryo’s heart pounded as he held his breath, waiting for them to leave. Once it was safe, he jumped down. However, as soon as his feet touched the ground, his body suddenly felt heavy—both his legs were numb, unable to move.

  Another screen appeared in front of him:

  Side Effect: Temporary Paralysis

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Ryo took a deep breath. There was no choice but to wait for this effect to wear off. With a limp body, he sat leaning against the child’s cell, while remaining alert to his surroundings.

  Ryo sat leaning against the bars, regulating his still ragged breathing. His eyes fell on the little girl in the cell—she was now sleeping soundly, as if all her energy had been drained. Ryo frowned, his heart filled with curiosity and worry.

  "What happened to you?" he asked softly.

  The girl didn't answer, only opening her eyes slightly before they closed again. In a soft voice, she whispered, "Go... The guards will be back soon."

  Ryo clenched his fists. Leaving the little girl alone in a place like this felt wrong, but he knew he had little choice. If he were caught now, all his efforts would be in vain. With a heavy heart, he turned and slipped away, tracing the prison corridors until he finally found the stairs leading to the guard tower.

  When he reached the top, Ryo peered into the tower. It was empty. There was no one there. He breathed a sigh of relief, but his relief was short-lived—the tower had no exit other than the main door, which was definitely guarded.

  There was no other choice. Carefully, Ryo climbed out through the side of the tower, holding onto a gap in the castle wall. The night wind bit his skin, and every step felt like a gamble. He slowly climbed down the wall, his body pressed tightly against the rough stone. However, when he was almost halfway there, his feet slipped!

  "Agh!"

  Ryo fell several meters and hit the ground hard. Excruciating pain radiated from his leg. When he tried to get up, he gasped—his left leg was broken.

  The pain was so piercing that his world seemed to spin. His teeth chattered, his hands trembling as he tried to find something around him. With great difficulty, he found a sturdy branch. Biting into the fabric of his robe to endure the pain, he tore off a piece and wrapped it around his leg, tying the branch as a support.

  His breath was ragged, his body covered in cold sweat. However, he could not stop here. With the remaining strength he had, Ryo crawled, dragging his body away from the castle towards the dark forest.

  Every movement felt like torture, but he kept going. Until finally, under the shadow of a tall tree, his body gave out.

  With his back against the tree trunk, his chest rose and fell in exhaustion. His vision began to blur, fatigue and pain mixed together, pulling him into the darkness.

  And there, in the cold night and the silence of the forest, Ryo finally fell asleep—asleep in extreme pain and exhaustion.

  Ryo woke up in the middle of the night, his body still weak and sore in every inch of his flesh. His breathing was heavy, as if his lungs refused to work properly. However, his ears soon caught the sound of rustling from the bushes around him.

  His heart was beating fast. There was something out there—lurking in the darkness.

  From behind the dense foliage, a pair of eyes shone sharply. Not just one. Two. Three. Then more. Their silhouettes slowly appeared under the moonlight—wild wolves, their fangs gleaming in hunger.

  Ryo tried to move, but the pain stabbed his legs, making him sit helplessly. His breath became more rapid as the wolf pack surrounded him, their low growls echoing in the eerie night air.

  There was no escape.

  One of the wolves lunged.

  Sharp claws tore through his skin.

  Cruel teeth dug into his shoulder.

  Warm blood flowed.

  “Aaaarghh!!”

  Ryo screamed, but his screams were drowned out by the sound of wild growls. More bites followed—on his arms, his legs, his body. Excruciating pain spread throughout his nerves, like thousands of knives tearing his body apart at the same time. He struggled, but the more he moved, the deeper the wounds opened.

  The world began to spin.

  “Damn... Am I going to die like this?”

  His head grew heavier, his body felt frozen. His breath became shallow, growing weaker. Slowly, his vision began to blur.

  Then suddenly—

  The wolves stopped.

  In the midst of his fading consciousness, Ryo could still see the pack retreating with their tails between their legs. They were growling, but not at him—but at something standing behind him.

  The figure was invisible, but its presence was so oppressive.

  Without thinking, the wolves howled in fear and ran away from the place, as if the creature they were facing was far more terrifying than themselves.

  Ryo wanted to see. Wanted to know what had saved him.

  But his body couldn't move. His vision grew darker. His consciousness was almost gone... until a woman's voice echoed in his ears.

  "I saved you once... and you wasted it."

  Her voice was cold, flat, but full of piercing firmness.

  Ryo wanted to answer. Wanted to ask. But everything was too late.

  The world sank into darkness.

  After Ryo fell unconscious, the mysterious woman approached him with movements full of caution and calmness. Without saying a word, she lifted Ryo's frail body, adjusted his position, and with almost unimaginable strength, she concentrated energy in her hands. In an instant, the deep wounds and broken bones healed completely, leaving Ryo's body intact. However, even though his body was completely restored, Ryo still lay unconscious.

  The woman gently placed Ryo's head on her lap. She watched over his body with great care, waiting for his body to fully recover. Only in the silence of the night did the woman speak softly, as if to herself, "You still have a long way to go... a road that has not yet ended."

  The scene shifted into endless darkness. Ryo felt as if he had died. He was in a pitch-black place, with no signs of life or direction. Every step he took only led to deeper silence. Despair began to take hold of his heart, and he finally fell, letting his body collapse limply in the quiet and empty place.

  "Is this death?" he thought silently.

  However, before he could ponder his question any further, a bright light appeared before him, blinding him. Ryo was shocked, trying to get up, but was blocked by five mysterious figures that suddenly appeared around him. The figures were dressed in pure white, their bodies glowing softly but possessing a very strong aura—like beings higher than anything ordinary humans could comprehend.

  Ryo, even in his confused state, could not contain his curiosity. In a casual tone, he said, "Ah, you must be gods or something, huh?"

  The five figures did not answer, only observing Ryo with meaningful gazes. Their faces were expressionless, but there was a kind of peace flowing from them. Ryo could not help but ask further.

  "So," he continued, "am I going to heaven… or hell?"

  The atmosphere suddenly changed. The previously pitch-black room was now pure white, feeling like he was in a neutral place, far from the world Ryo knew. It was as if everything around him had been created just to welcome him.

  One of the figures finally spoke, his voice calm yet powerful, filled with a power that no ordinary human could comprehend.

  "You are not going to heaven or hell," he answered calmly. "Your life is not over. You still have something to live. You will be returned."

  Ryo was silent, trying to process those words. Before he could ask any further, a loud rumbling sound was heard, followed by a violent tremor that caused the ground beneath him to begin to crack. Without warning, a large hole appeared beneath Ryo's feet, and he fell, plunging into ever-deepening darkness, as if everything was out of his control.