Pay to win: Story of Surviving fiction

↓Welcome, reader and precious adventurer↓ your system update is here

>STR: 6 | > SEN: 6

>STA: 6 | > CHA: 0

>MGC: 6 | > WIS: 12

>INT: 10 | > LUK: -5

>Potential: E#@§r

↑>Skill: Summoning (Skill level: U)↑

Rio, who had already surrendered to his fate, blinked in disbelief at the glowing projection hovering in front of him. His first thought was that his mind, moments away from death, had conjured this to ease the panic. He brushed it off, shutting his eyes, hoping to embrace the end quietly.

But the glowing screen refused to be ignored. It flickered persistently, tugging at his attention. When Rio opened one eye and saw it still there, his irritation grew. Waving his hand as if to swat it away, he muttered, "Go away, Bradd Pitt I'm not schizophrenic"

That's when he noticed it.

The world around him had... stopped. The Troll, its mouth open wide, was frozen mid lunge, drool suspended in the air like crystal drops. Even the wind had stilled, and the forest, moments ago alive with whispers and creaks, now lay silent. For a moment, Rio thought his senses were betraying him.

"What the…" he whispered, his voice unnervingly loud in the stillness.

The screen changed before his eyes, its glowing text adjusting in real time.

>Will you accept?

>Yes >No

Rio's breath caught in his throat. His thoughts raced. "Is this… real? A system? Like a game? No way… This has to be a trick." He hesitated, staring at the "Accept" option. Could this absurd projection really save him? Was it worth trusting something so surreal?

Finally, he reached out with a trembling hand and tapped the glowing "Accept" button.

A jubilant, almost musical voice rang in his mind.

>Congratulations sla- I mean master!, may luck be with you.

The voice was feminine, smooth yet unnervingly fast. Rio caught the hesitation mid sentence but didn't have the luxury to dwell on it.

>Time suspend ends in 10, 9, 8 , 7, 6...

A countdown appeared in the corner of his vision. Panic swelled in Rio's chest. "What now?!" he shouted. Desperate for answers, he frantically scrolled through the system window, his fingers moving faster than they ever had on a mobile screen.

His eyes landed on his skill: Summoning.

"This… this could fucking help me," Rio muttered, clicking on the skill. A vibrant, spinning interface appeared before him, displaying several "banners" showcasing fantastical creatures and warriors.

>Because you're new to this master you have a free 1 time summond that you can use.

Rio's heart leapt with hope. Without hesitation, he selected a banner featuring a beautiful woman clad in a radiant white dress, her image exuding strength and serenity.

>Time suspend ends in 3, 2, 1.

The world resumed with a deafening roar. The Troll lunged forward, its massive jaws snapping shut around Rio. He screamed, his finger slamming the "1x Summon" button just as he was pulled toward its gaping jaw.

Heat exploded around him.

The Troll's hand, gripping Rio, suddenly burst into flames, severing at the wrist. The monstrous creature howled in agony, and Rio fell, plummeting from the Troll's grasp. He hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from his lungs, but there was no time to dwell on the pain.

As Rio scrambled to his feet, clutching his bruised ribs, he saw something or someone emerge from the flames.

A man stood before the Troll, engulfed in fire from head to toe. His presence was overwhelming, the air around him shimmering with heat. Molten droplets of magma dripped from his sword in his hand, hissing as they hit the ground. The very earth beneath him blackened and cracked under the intense heat.

The fiery figure turned, his glowing eyes locking onto Rio. "This is fascinating. Truly fascinating," the man said, his voice like the roar of a distant volcano. "It's as if I've been forced to protect a mage as pathetic as you."

Rio blinked, stunned. "Mage? What fuck are you talking about?!"

The flaming man ignored him, turning back to the Troll, which was clutching its severed stump, its guttural cries filling the air. The fiery figure raised his sword, molten lava cascading down its length, and moved with terrifying precision.

In a single, fluid motion, the sword came down. The Troll, massive and seemingly indestructible, was cleaved in two as if it were made of paper. The two halves of the beast collapsed to the ground, bursting into flames and disintegrating into ash.

Rio could only watch in awe and terror.

The fiery man turned back to him, his expression unreadable through the flames. "You summoned me," he said, his tone cold. "But let me make one thing clear this bond does not make us equals."

As the adrenaline drained from his body, he flipped his middle finger to the man clad in fire. Rio's vision blurred as he was about to pass out, the system screen reappeared in the corner of his eye, displaying new information.

>SSS-r@&!)# Error → F-rank: (Surtr)