NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: A Penalty Imposition
Snow crunched underfoot as Lin Fang pressed onward, teeth chattering, his breath fogging into the air like steam from a boiling kettle.
Every step was agony, his sneakers soaked through, and the chilly winds pierced through his thin shirt like icy needles. It had to be at least minus twenty degrees Celsius out here. And Lin Fang was shivering to death. He couldn't even feel his hands properly.
Worst of all, he was alone.
The system had locked him in. His pets couldn't come. His inventory couldn't be opened. Even the system interface was disabled, apart from that cruel, ticking countdown at the edge of his vision.
[41:38]
[41:37]
"Stupid… cursed… tutorial hell," he muttered between gasps, staggering as another gust of wind slammed into him, nearly knocking him over. His fingers were numb. His ears burned. Even blinking stung. All that earlier feeling of happiness of earning a Quasi God Tier Potential monster companion was replaced with anger, helplessness, and frustration.
But still, he had to survive. After all, he has no idea whether he can revive in this training space. He can take a gamble regarding money, career, or even girls, but certainly not his life.
Eventually, he dragged himself over a small hill of snow, half-slipping as he fell face-first, catching himself just in time. Gritting his teeth, he pushed up and looked around.
Nothing but snow.
And then, finally, something. A shadow against the slope of a nearby cliff. A jagged black outline against the white, maybe ten meters wide.
His heart leapt.
"Cave!" he shouted with sudden energy and stumbled toward it, tripping once, twice, falling to his knees but still scrambling forward like a man possessed. A ray of hope was seen on his face.
By the time he reached the opening, his lips were purple, and his vision swam with black spots. But he stepped inside without hesitation.
A sudden, blessed stillness greeted him. No wind. No stinging frost, well, atleast directly to face. The temperature hadn't improved much yet, but it was bearable.
He staggered down the rocky path, which twisted like a gullet deeper and deeper into the frozen earth. There were no torches, no lamps, yet the tunnel was strangely well-lit. Not warm, not glowing, but just bright, as if there was a magic spell unleashed in the space.
It made no sense. But then again, this was the System's world. Logic didn't live here.
By the time the timer read:
[31:03]
Lin Fang had reached the bottom. A round cavern with smooth walls, maybe eight meters wide, greeted him. There were no exits. No cracks. But it was warm. Not hot, but enough to let his fingers flex and his breath relax.
He collapsed onto the stone floor with a shuddering sigh and hugged his knees to his chest. The cold was still there, crawling through his spine like a bad memory, but at least he didn't feel like he was dying anymore.
"This… this place sucks," he whispered to himself. "I will never come back to the training ground. Ever…"
[19:12]
He leaned back against the wall and let the minutes slip by. Time blurred. Maybe he dozed off for a bit. Maybe not. He didn't know. He just wanted to stay in that state until it was over. But a soft chime made him open his eyes.
[03:47]
And a new window flashed into his vision, followed by a notification.
Ding!
[You have remained sedentary for more than 15 minutes. Activating Defense Protocol.]
[Spawning the Guardian… Please evacuate or engage.]
Lin Fang blinked. "Huh?"
Before he gets to realize what's happening all of a sudden, a strange hum fills the chamber. The temperature dropped several degrees in a heartbeat.
He felt it before he heard a scraping sound behind him. A low, rumbling growl resonated through the floor, making his body tremble involuntarily.
Slowly…stiffly… Lin Fang turned his head.
Behind him stood a massive polar bear, at least five meters tall at the shoulder, its fur shimmering faintly with frost crystals. It stared down at him with emotionless black eyes, jaws parting in a silent snarl before it let out a deafening roar that shook the cavern walls.
*Graaaa*
Lin Fang screamed. "Aaaah." He leapt to his feet and bolted, not even bothering to look behind to see whether it was chasing him or not. He just ran and ran toward the upward slope, toward the mouth of the cavern.
Ding!
[Penalty imposed. Training duration extended by +15 minutes due to inactivity violation.]
[New remaining time: 18:24]
[18:23]
[18:22]
"WHAT?!" Lin Fang howled. "You're punishing me for not moving in a frozen hellscape?!"
The bear gave chase, paws slamming down with thunderous weight, fangs bared.
"You fuc… YOU FUC*ING SYSTEM!" Lin Fang screamed, skidding as he turned a corner of the tunnel he barely noticed before. "I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING I SAID! YOU'RE NOT USER-FRIENDLY! YOU'RE A COMPLETE, COLD-BLOODED ASSH*LE!"
The system, of course, said nothing.
Meanwhile, back in the real world;
The curtains swayed lightly from the breeze of the half-open window, but the two girls sat in silence, the mood noticeably heavier than before.
Li Liu still had her hands half-covering her face, peeking through her fingers like a child hiding from the consequences of their own impulsiveness. She mumbled, "Ugh… This is so embarrassing."
Zhi Yan sat by the small desk, arms folded, a gentle frown on her face. "It's okay if you're still not used to him, Liuliu," she said calmly, "but did you really have to storm off like that?"
Li Liu groaned and let her hands fall into her lap. "I didn't mean to. I just… I saw him standing there looking all polite and nice, and then I saw myself, hair messy, shirt clinging to me, chips in one hand like a slob, and my brain short-circuited. I panicked and ran. Before I knew it, I was already inside the room."
Zhi Yan sighed and gave her a look somewhere between exasperation and concern. "Still, that must've been really awkward for him. He just moved in. He probably already feels out of place, and now you've made him think you dislike him."
"I don't dislike him," Li Liu said quickly. "He's… actually kind of cool. I just… ugh, okay, I get it. I'll try to talk to him tomorrow. Maybe offer him tea or something. Is that good enough?"
"Tomorrow? Do it right now." Zhi Yan demanded, her face stern.
Li Liu looked down and sighed. "Alright…"
"Good." Zhi Yan nodded. "And also, don't blurt things out again."
Li Liu blinked. "What things?"
Zhi Yan hesitated, then quietly muttered, "You know… that 'date' thing…"
Li Liu tilted her head for a moment, then a sly grin spread across her face. Her earlier demeanor changed by a sudden thought. "Wait… don't tell me…" She leaned forward, eyes twinkling, "Zhi Yan, do you like him?"