The moment I stepped through the door, the air that hit my face was completely different from the previous location; here, the sky was clearer, the light clearer, and the world far more vibrant.
But that vitality wasn't peace; it was the chaotic nature of disorder.
Dozens of people surrounded me.
Some were running around in panic, trying to understand the signs, while others, still unable to fully grasp what had happened, crouched on the ground, trembling and staring into space.
Others... still stared at their hands, trying to wipe away the dried traces of blood.
Emotions I thought I'd suppressed suddenly surfaced.
Everything was the weight of the chain that had begun with that first man I'd killed.
The men I'd strangled to survive... the screams, the struggles...
The pleas.
It all flooded my mind at once.
My stomach twisted suddenly as I drowned in my own thoughts.
Before I could take another step, I fell to my knees and began to vomit everything inside me.
There was nothing in my stomach… just pure acid… a burning taste… pain…
The liquid that burned my throat, as it hit the ground… glowed for a moment and then silently evaporated.
The stone surface on the ground seemed completely untainted.
No trace of vomit remained, nor of my fall.
These were the details of an advanced world.
A small reminder of how much a mechanized system monitors and controls us.
It took me a few minutes to compose myself.
Finally, I took a deep breath, stood up, and decided to explore my surroundings.
What I needed to do now was not fight my emotions, but act.
My primary goal was clear: a familiar face.
Maybe my mother, Lisa…
Maybe Kevin…
I had to know if they had survived.
Being alone in this world… was the greatest weakness.
But at that moment, the familiar artificial voice echoing in my ear shattered my thoughts.
[System Notification]
Tutorial successfully completed.
Welcome to the World of the Gods, new player.
The first requirement to achieve your primary goal:
Reach Level 5 and earn the right to return.
"Return…"
It sounded promising, but who knew if it was real?
How much of what the system promised could I trust?
Still, I had a goal in mind now.
So, without further ado, I mingled with the crowd, paying close attention to what people were doing.
This large square surrounding the city contained dozens of roads.
Hundreds of buildings, hundreds of signs, signs, screens.
But one common point stood out: a massive, cylindrical tower.
Long lines had formed around it.
I headed towards it.
As I approached the tower, I saw people acting as if they had grown accustomed to the system's cold order.
Some were queuing, others were taking quests with their screens open, and still others were wandering around, seeming to have already leveled up.
I stood at one end of the line and began to observe the people closely.
The line was moving slowly, and the people waiting in front of me were of various ages and appearances.
I politely approached a tall man waiting in line and tapped him on the shoulder.
He turned to me with a tired but curious expression.
It was the first time I dared to speak.
—What are we waiting here for?
The man looked me up and down.
My torn clothes, my blood-soaked arm, and my mud-soaked pants...
He replied with a slightly scrunched-up face, his voice condescending.
—To take quests. You're leveling up, what else? Haven't you ever played a game in your life?
His voice was arrogant, but he was right.
Unfortunately, I had no real gaming experience.
I was a kid who grew up on the streets, surviving by carving idols of gods.
Games were a luxury.
Played with imagination, not with a console.
The young black-haired girl next to him let out a low chuckle.
Then, in an overly flirty tone, she interjected.
—Ah, Augustus… don't mess with these rookies, honey, you're getting on my nerves. Let the system weed them out!
His voice was irritatingly high-pitched, but I didn't have the luxury of underestimating them.
They seemed much more collected and powerful than I was.
So I quietly lined up, keeping my anger bottled up.
For now.
As the line progressed, my excitement gave way to a slight unease.
I finally had a purpose in this place, a place I'd been trying to figure out for days, whether it was real or a dream, but…
What if I don't succeed?
The man standing behind the duty desk wore a dazzling long robe; the silver symbols swirling on the navy blue fabric seemed to move slightly, as if they were alive.
His face wore a strange expression somewhere between tiredness and amusement—the moment he locked eyes with me, he glanced at the dust on my face, the bloodstains on my arm, and the handmade spear before speaking.
"Hello sir... If there's anything I can help with, I'd like to take on the task," I said as smoothly as I could.
The man paused for a moment. Then the corners of his lips quirked slightly.
It was as if he'd immediately realized how inexperienced I was.
At that very moment, the system's cold voice rang in my head:
[Ding!]
NPC: Your relationship with Endrick, the Magic Tower Master, has reached NEUTRAL.
"Hmm... kid, let's see what a stray like you can do."
The man's eyes flickered briefly.
It shone on his hand.
He snapped his fingers, and a translucent, blue-lit quest screen appeared before me.
The options scrolled before me, line by line.
[Quest List – Commissions]
1. "The City Needs Food"
Quest: Hunt 5 wild boars roaming the forest near the city.
Reward: 5 XP – 5 GD
2. "Street Cleaning"
Quest: Remove sewer rats from the lower neighborhood.
Reward: 3 XP – 3 GD
3. "Lost Records"
Quest: Find missing notes from the Tower Archives.
Reward: 2 XP – 1 GD
The other quests either offered little reward or seemed like a waste of time.
Without thinking, I chose the most direct, physical quest: the boar hunt.
The moment I confirmed the screen, the quest acceptance tone echoed in my ear.
At that very moment, a tiny dot of blue light appeared on the stone floor in front of me, pointing north.
The path was clear.
But there was still a problem:
I had no weapon.
I had no abilities.
I had nothing.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the system interface.
[Abilities Menu Opened]
• Class Ability: [1 Active SP]
• Proficiency Ability: [Locked]
• Mastery Abilities: [Locked]
My only option was a primal power inherited from my class:
Void Dash.
[New Ability Unlocked!]
Void Dash: Briefly absorbs void energy into your body, gliding at near the speed of light.
• Mana Consumption: 5 per second
• Ability Duration: 3 seconds with available mana
The ability was practically useless for combat.
But for agility?
For dodging or hit-and-run?
Maybe it would be enough.
I wanted to try it.
I took a step back, focused on that gray, hazy energy within me, and…
Void Dash activated.
In an instant, the world shifted.
The ground gave way beneath me.
As I passed through the trees, leaves sprinkled over me, and for only three seconds, I glided by like a shadow.
But those three seconds… were real.
When the ability ended, I fell to my knees.
My breath was taken away.
But a strange joy filled me.
Like hope for survival.
Before reaching the hunting ground, I found a suitable tree in the forest.
I knelt down slowly, examined the bark, and instinctively cut a sharp branch.
My hands, which had once carved wood from scrap wood into figures of gods, were now shaping weapons.
My hand was accustomed.
The system reacted again as a crude spear appeared:
[Ding!] Profession Acquired: Carver
Real-life skill transferred to the system.
Profession: Carver (Level 1 – Novice)
• Your carving speed has increased.
• You produce simple tools and figures with higher quality.
+10 XP gained!
You have leveled up! Your spirit is strengthened.
The stats screen opened.
As a starting strategy, I quickly transformed into void form and captured the pigs with a spear. I skinned them and stored them in my inventory. Since the meat was already a quest item, I left it in my bag.
By the time I slaughtered the four pigs, the area around me had run out of pigs, so I started searching.
I heard voices a little further ahead and moved on.
Augustus and the girl with him were fighting with the gang that had monopolized the pigs. I searched around, but couldn't find any more pigs. So I moved forward to claim my share.
An arm stopped me from around the corner.
A man in leather armor spoke.
- Entrance fee: 8GP per person
Ahhh, fuck, they must be kidding me. The man glared at me and told me to get lost if I didn't have any money.
At that moment, I transformed into void form and quickly stabbed the man with my spear.
*Player killed Munchen Corpson [Level 4]
The three people around him immediately went on alert, and Augustus shouted.
-Son of a bitch, do you even know who we are?
He was about to continue, when I shouted.
-Who gives a fuck who you are?
I quickly transformed into void form and attacked the others again.
Augustus died with a look of anger on his face, cursing me.
Only the woman with the annoying voice next to him remained.
The woman gulped.
-Hey, we can work this out between us...
Before he could finish his sentence, I stabbed him in the face with the spear.
I took one last look at the corpses on the floor. Augustus's eyes were still open.
That cocky look, that condescending laugh… now it was just a dull, blank expression.
Blood dripped from the tip of my spear, and the system message came through without delay.
[Ding!]
Player killed: Augustus Fairmont [Level 5]
You have earned the special reward: "Rulebreaker" Title
[Title: Rulebreaker]
• You were among the first to attack strong enemies.
• Title Bonuses: In PvP matches, your first hit deals 15% more damage.
Warning: Because of your title, you have been placed on the wanted list in the "Veyranus Starting Area." NPCs will watch you more closely.
It was wonderful.
I was only level 3, but the system had already marked me.
I was no longer "that kid."
I would no longer be someone waiting for someone to queue up and memorizing quests.
I would be… someone who bent the system.
And finally, from the ones who broke.
I stabbed my spear hard into the ground and took a short breath.
I weighed my new weapon in my hand.
[Iron Beginner Spear – 1 Star]
• Attack Power: +12
• Durability: 85/100
• Bonus Attribute: 5% Armor Piercing
Armor piercing might sound simple, but considering the men in the previous encounter were wearing leather armor, the difference could sometimes be fatal.
I quickly looted the surrounding corpses.
I grabbed some food.
k, a few bandages, and a small amount of GD (Heavenly Dinar).
Still, every piece was precious in this world.
The last boar was the target of the quest.
I adjusted my distance with my new spear, bent my knee, shifted my weight, and then swung with all my might.
The spear pierced the boar's right shoulder.
The wounded creature screamed and tried to flee, but I was already behind it.
The second blow landed right in the back of the head.
A short, bloody scream… and silence.
[Ding!]
Quest Complete: "The City Needs Food"
+5 XP
+5 GD
Class: Void Walker → Hidden parameters updated based on your quest behavior.
The system's final notification was brief but disturbing.
"Hidden parameters."
The word sent shivers down my spine.
It was as if the system were monitoring not only what I was doing, but also why I was doing it.
I returned to the city with the leathers and quest items I'd strapped on.
The sun was about to set when I reached the streets.
The sky was turning from a bright orange to a pale purple.
But the city was… just warming up.
Endrick was still behind his desk when I approached the quest area.
This time, when he raised his eyes, he recognized me immediately.
And this time, his expression was more… cautious.
—You're back, and covered in blood…
—I hope you didn't do more than just the quest, kid?
I didn't say anything.
I simply opened the quest panel and handed over the pork.
[Quest Delivered]
NPC: Endrick confirmed the quest submission.
Your relationship improved from NEUTRAL to MODERATE.
New Stat Unlocked: Stat Panel
Recommended Upgrade:
• Strength +1
• Stamina +1
• Perception +1
Endrick: "Heh… So you managed to stay on your feet. Maybe… something will come of you."
New Quests Unlocked!
When the quest screen opened again, there was a much wider variety of tasks this time.
But one… stood out clearly:
[Special Quest: Entrance to the Black Dungeon]
Only available to those with the "Rulebreaker" title.
• Quest: Reach the abandoned Black Dungeon outside the city.
• Difficulty: Unknown.
• Recommended level: 8+
Reward: ???