"Alright. First steps. Let's not trip over a tree root and die."
Yuto looked around as he stepped through tall, glowing-blue grass, the unfamiliar forest stretching out in every direction. The leaves on the trees shimmered faint silver, and there were no birds, no wind, no sound except the quiet clicking of his boots against the dirt.
"Okay," he muttered, gripping the pistol in his right hand, "either this is the most peaceful fantasy forest ever, or something's waiting to eat me the moment I let my guard down."
The gun in his hand was warm, but not hot. Sleek and slightly futuristic, with a glowing rune on the side that pulsed with blue light every few seconds. It didn't look like anything he had used back on Earth, but it felt… familiar. Comfortable.
He pulled the system interface up with a quick thought.
> [ PRIMARY WEAPON: ARC PISTOL – Semi-Auto, Low Recoil ]
[ SKILLS UNLOCKED: ARC SHOT (Lv1) – Energy-charged bullet with armor-piercing effect ]
[ USER LEVEL: 1 ]
[ SYSTEM ENERGY: 100% ]
"Looks simple enough," he muttered. "I shoot, the system recharges. No ammo clips, no casings, no reloading. Auto-supply."
He glanced up. "This world's already better than half the places I've been deployed to."
Then he heard it.
A rustle. A low snarl. Something moving through the trees ahead.
He raised the pistol.
Another snarl—closer now. Sharp. Angry.
"I knew it," he whispered. "Too quiet always means something's hungry."
From the shadows, a beast stepped into view. Wolf-shaped, but wrong. Too many teeth. Skin like stretched leather over bone. Its eyes glowed faint red, and steam rose from its jaws with each breath.
Yuto narrowed his eyes. "Not exactly a welcome party."
The system beeped once.
> [ NEW THREAT DETECTED – CORRUPTED BEAST – LEVEL 3 ]
[ SYSTEM RECOMMENDS: MAINTAIN DISTANCE, USE COVER ]
"No cover in a damn meadow," he muttered. "Guess we improvise."
The beast charged. Fast. Low to the ground.
Yuto didn't move.
He waited until it was twenty feet away—then raised the pistol.
"One shot. Let's test this thing."
He pulled the trigger.
CRACK.
A line of blue light exploded from the muzzle, striking the wolf dead center in the chest. The impact sent it tumbling backwards into a tree with a crunch. Smoke rose from the wound, and the red glow in its eyes blinked once… then vanished.
Yuto lowered the pistol.
"That'll do."
He didn't relax. Another rustle came from the left. Then the right.
A second later, two more corrupted wolves appeared, teeth bared.
"Of course you brought friends," he said, sighing.
The system beeped again.
> [ COMBAT MULTIPLE: +12% XP Bonus ]
[ ARC SHOT: Cooldown 3 sec. Remaining Energy: 88% ]
"Right, so I don't get to spam it. Cooldowns. Fair."
He backed up slowly, eyes locked on the wolves. They were circling now, more cautious than the first.
"You saw what happened to your friend. If either of you is smart, you walk away."
They didn't move.
"Didn't think so."
The left one pounced first. He sidestepped and fired.
CRACK.
Blue light tore through its leg. It landed hard, yelping and skidding. The other jumped right after—Yuto ducked and rolled, twisting mid-fall to line up a shot.
The system pinged.
> [ ARC SHOT: Ready ]
"Perfect."
He fired again.
The blast hit the second wolf's jaw, snapping its head back. It hit the ground and didn't move again.
He turned toward the last one. The injured one.
It was limping, growling, backing away slowly.
"Yeah. Thought so."
Yuto didn't fire.
He just stood there, watching as it turned and bolted into the trees.
Silence returned.
Only now his heart was pounding.
He took a deep breath. Then another.
"Alright," he said to no one, "I've confirmed two things. One, I can kill monsters. Two, they will come in packs."
The system chimed softly.
> [ COMBAT RESULTS – XP GAINED: 110 ]
[ USER LEVEL: 1 → 2 ]
[ SYSTEM ENERGY: Restoring – Current: 67% ]
[ BONUS UNLOCKED: GUN TYPE – SHOTGUN CATEGORY NOW AVAILABLE ]
[ NEW WEAPON ACQUIRED: CROWBURST Mk I – Short Range, High Impact ]
Yuto blinked.
"Wait. That's it? I just level up and get another gun?"
He turned the pistol in his hand, and sure enough, a small icon hovered beside it. A second weapon icon. He tapped it mentally—and in a flash of blue light, a short, wide-barreled shotgun appeared in his left hand.
Heavy. Clean. Mechanical. Familiar.
He grinned.
"You know what? I take it back. This world's awesome."
Yuto held the shotgun up to the light filtering through the trees and gave a quiet nod.
"Alright, Crowburst. Let's see what you can do."
He slung the pistol to his side, letting it hover near his hip the way the system allowed. The shotgun stayed in his hands. Heavy. Ready.
He took one step forward, then another. The ground here was softer—less grass, more dirt. The air smelled like ash and metal. The trees ahead looked like they'd been struck by lightning. Bark peeled, some trunks split in half.
Yuto slowed his pace. His eyes scanned the forest.
That's when he heard the voice.
"Don't move!"
He paused mid-step, eyes narrowing.
Female voice. Young. Close.
"And don't turn around!" she added. "Put it down! That thing in your hand!"
Yuto didn't lower the gun. "That's gonna be a problem."
"I said drop it!" she shouted again. "I'm warning you—!"
"Listen," Yuto said calmly, "I don't know what you think I'm holding, but it's not dangerous unless I decide it is."
"Not dangerous? I saw the blast! Trees cracked in half! You think that's normal?!"
He sighed and turned his head slightly. "If I wanted to hurt someone, I'd have already done it."
"Don't test me!"
"I'm not testing you. I'm talking to you."
She finally stepped into view. A girl in a worn mage robe, holding a glowing staff, mana gathering at the tip like she was charging a spell. Her hands trembled slightly, but her stance was firm.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Yuto raised a brow. "Could ask you the same."
"I live here," she snapped.
"I just got here."
"What are you, then? A rogue adventurer? A relic hunter?"
"More like… lost with a really loud stick."
She stared at the shotgun. "That's not a stick."
"No. It's a gun."
"A what?"
He paused. "Let's call it a long-range anti-monster stick."
She didn't laugh.
He sighed. "Okay. Name's Yuto. Just passing through. Killed a few wolves. Not looking for trouble."
Her staff lowered a little, but not all the way. "You really killed corrupted wolves? Alone?"
"Yeah. One shot each."
She hesitated, then stepped forward slowly. "How?"
"With this," Yuto said, holding the gun up a little. "Pull the trigger, they stop existing."
"No chant. No incantation. No mana flow?"
"None of that."
"That's not possible."
"Tell that to the wolves."
She stared at him another few seconds. "I'm Rin. Apprentice mage. I was out here tracking something weird."
"Let me guess," Yuto said, "weird mana signals, trees torn up, strange humming in the air?"
Her eyes widened. "You felt it too?"
"I saw it."
"You didn't cause it?"
"Do I look like I broke a forest?"
"You broke three wolves."
He shrugged. "They started it."
Rin walked in a cautious circle around him, eyes never leaving the gun.
"What kind of magic is that?" she asked.
"It's not magic."
"Then how does it work?"
"Pressure. Heat. Precision."
"You're not helping."
"I'm not trying to."
She stopped circling. "People are going to want to see that thing."
"Yeah," he said. "That's what I'm afraid of."
"Where'd you find it?"
He paused. "Far from here."
"How far?"
"Let's just say… not on any map you've seen."
She didn't look convinced, but she nodded once. "If it works… I won't ask more. Yet."
"Appreciate that."
"You're heading toward the village?"
"I was heading toward food."
She cracked a smile for the first time. "Fair enough. You'll find both that way. I can take you there."
"Thanks."
"But before that…" she turned, pointing through the trees, "there's something else. The thing I was tracking before I found you."
"Another corrupted beast?"
"Maybe. Or something older. Buried. Magic's wrong over there. Like a broken spell still running."
"Sounds like a trap."
"Or treasure."
Yuto checked his system.
> [ SYSTEM ENERGY: 84% ]
[ SHOTGUN STATUS: Charged – 5 Shells ]
[ ARC PISTOL: Full ]
[ No hostile signatures detected ]
"I've got ammo. I've got time."
"You're sure?"
"I'm always sure when I have backup."
She blinked. "I'm not backup."
"Too late. You talked to me. That makes you part of the story now."
Rin exhaled and started walking. "This day is already so weird…"
They followed the narrow trail. Leaves rustled overhead. The light dimmed a little more. The air felt thicker.
After five minutes, Rin slowed down.
"There," she whispered. "See it?"
Between two massive stones, the ground dipped into a circular pit, half-swallowed by vines and roots. Old stone. Carved steps. Blue light flickering faintly from below.
Yuto leaned forward.
"A dungeon?"
"Not exactly," Rin said. "It's older. I think it was sealed. Something cracked it open."
Yuto stepped closer, gun ready. "Anything down there?"
"No movement yet."
He glanced over his shoulder. "You've got mana blasts ready?"
She nodded.
"Good."
They moved in slow.
Yuto took the lead.
Step by step, the stone grew colder. The air became still.
Then—suddenly—
A hum.
High-pitched. Mechanical. Familiar.
Yuto stopped.
He knew that sound.
A drone. A field scanner.
Not magic.
Not native.
Technology.
Rin didn't notice. "What's wrong?"
He raised a hand. "Don't move."
A voice rang out from deeper inside. Calm. Metallic. Not human.
> [ UNIT ACTIVATED. UNREGISTERED GUN SYSTEM DETECTED. CANDIDATE MARKED FOR RETRIEVAL. ]
Yuto's blood went cold.
Rin whispered, "Did that thing just speak?"
Then the ground shook.
A bright red light lit the walls.
And something big began climbing up the steps toward them.