There was no warning. One moment, the silence of the ruined throne room hummed in Katsuo's veins, power simmering, his thoughts sharp as razors. The next—
Yank.
His soul is ripped sideways, as if hooked by some cosmic fisherman and reeled through a tunnel of colors and noise. He tried to scream, but there's no throat, only the roar of rushing wind and the clash of distant, monstrous voices.
The world slammed back into focus with a jolt of pain. He inhaled sharply—through a flat nose that wasnt't his, nostrils flaring at the scent of earth, rot, and… something raw. His eyelids fluttered open. The ceiling above was a low canopy of tangled roots, damp and glistening with the dew of a thousand mornings. He blinked again—eyes bigger, rounder, with a greenish tinge at the edge of his vision.
He tried to move. Limbs responding sluggishly—short, skinny arms ending in clawed fingers, legs bent at odd, animal angles. His stomach clenched, a gnawing ache echoing through his new body.
A chorus of high, nasal voices splits the gloom:
"Food gone! Big rat take all!"
"Stupid rat! Me hungry. When next meal?"
"Boss say wait. Boss say eat little one if no food!"
Katsuo turned, heart thudding, and sees them: six other goblins, each barely up to his chin if he stood, with sallow skin stretched over wiry frames, pointed ears twitching, yellow eyes darting with suspicion and hunger. They huddled near a pitiful heap of bones and wilted fungus, picking at scraps and licking their lips.
Goblins, he realizes. I'm in a goblin den.
He curled his tongue inside his mouth, tasting copper and moss. He flexed his new hands, feeling the prick of claws against his palm. The body was weak—pathetically so—but every sense was dialed up, sharper than anything he remembers from his old life.
A surge of panic prickled in his chest. Am I trapped? Am I really—this? He tried to speak, but what came out is a wet, gutteral croak.
The other goblins barely noticed. They were too busy arguing about scraps and biting at each other's knobby arms.
Katsuo's mind raced. He rememberd the Architect's death, the System's weight settling inside him. Questions spiral:
Where am I?
Why a goblin?
What do I do now?
A sudden chime—clear, musical, utterly alien in the dirt and stink—rang through his thoughts.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
[WELCOME, HOST. SYNCHRONIZING SOUL AND BODY.]
[STATUS: GOBLIN YOUTH, MALE. PHYSICAL CONDITION: MALNOURISHED. LOCATION: SUBTERRANEAN GOBLIN DEN, EASTERN BLOODWOOD.]
[PLEASE REMAIN CALM.]
He startled, glancing around, but none of the goblins react. The voice is inside his skull—gentle, precise, calm as a spring breeze. He focuses inward, and menus bloom across his mind's eye:
Stats. Skills. Inventory. Shop. All the options, waiting for a single thought to open them.
Before he could speak, the System continues:
"I am the System, assigned to you by the Architect. My purpose is to serve and advise. All functions are available at your command. You possess the following key abilities: Daily Random Multiplier, Absolute Ravage, Perfect Slaughter, and Slaughterer Aura."
"You may consult me at any time. I recommend assessing your immediate environment and physical condition. Survival is not guaranteed in your current state."
Katsuo's lips twitched into a wry, goblinish smile. Of course. A new world, a new body, and a literal cheat menu. The hunger gnawing at his belly was real, but so was the glimmer of opportunity.
He glanced at the other goblins, sizing them up—potential threats, potential tools. Already, plans begin to unfurl in his mind. He was going to survive and bask in his power as long and much as he goddamn wished.
....
Katsuo, or whatever he was now, basked in the System's gentle glow. At his mental command, a translucent blue panels unfurled before his eyes—every stat, every line of data a sweet song to the gamer he once was. His new body ached with hunger, but his heart drumed wild, giddy, as he read:
[SYSTEM STATUS: HOST — KAZ (GOBLIN YOUTH)]
Race: Goblin (Juvenile)
Sex: Male
Age: 3 (Equivalent: 16 Human Years)
Level: 1
Exp: 0/200
Class: None
Evolution Path: Undiscovered
[ATTRIBUTES]
Vitality: 9
Strength: 6
Agility: 10
Endurance: 7
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 5
Luck: 1-100,000 (Fluctuates Daily)
Devour Stability: 1 (Upgradeable)
Mana: 0/0
Stamina: 18/18
Health: 15/15
[SKILLS & ABILITIES]
Unique:
Daily Random Multiplier
Once per day, a random aspect (stat gain, loot, system points, etc.) is multiplied between 1x and 100,000x. (Cooldown: 24hr, effect chosen at random).
Absolute Ravage
Upon devouring any dead creature, all their stats, skills, and forms are absorbed. Transformation into any consumed form is possible at will.
Perfect Slaughter
Innate mastery over the art of slaughter; each perfect kill increases skill effectiveness, unlocks new abilities, and improves stat growth. Slaughter must be performed to perfection for benefits.
Slaughterer Aura
Once per week, increases devour stability, allowing for the consumption and assimilation of stronger beings without backlash.
[GENERAL SKILLS]:
Night Vision (Goblin Racial)
Keen Smell (Goblin Racial)
Basic Stealth (Goblin Racial)
Claw Strike (Goblin Racial)
Bite (Goblin Racial)
Endure Hunger (Goblin Racial)
[SYSTEM FUNCTIONS]:
Shop (Locked: Insufficient Points)
Quest (None Available)
Inventory (Empty)
Map (Basic Area Unlocked)
Status Display (Active)
Notifications (Active)
Language Comprehension (Passive)
[CURRENT QUEST]:
Survive
[NOTIFICATIONS]:
*System fully synchronized. All powers available. Host body in weak condition. Recommend feeding and stat increases soon.*
Katsuo's fingers trembled as he scrolled through the panels. His mouth splited in a wide, sharp-toothed grin—he couldn't help it. Stats. Skills. Transformation. Daily multipliers. It's the ultimate cheat system, the fantasy of every gamer and otaku, and now it was real. He could almost cry from excitement, if goblins had that luxury.
He wanted to laugh, but the other goblins' voices cut through his reverie, sharp as broken glass.
"Hey, you. Stop staring, what you see?"
"Stupid greeny, you hungry too, right?"
"Hey, boss say new one go get food. He slow, not good at fighting. Good bait."
"Yeah, send him! Maybe rat eat him instead!"
Their eyes were yellow slits, hungry and mean. One goblin, the tallest, poked Katsuo's chest with a bony finger. Another grabbed his ear and yanks. The mob closed in, all elbows and sharp voices.
"Go out! Bring food! No food, no come back! Goblin law!"
"Yeah! Go now! Or boss eat you for stew!"
They shoved him, claws scratching his thin arms, pushing him out toward the narrow den exit—a tunnel of roots and mud, the only way out. His heart thudded, excitement mixing with terror. He is smaller than them, weaker right now, but he has something they'll never have.
One last shove sends him stumbling into the half-light outside. Their voices echoeing after him:
"Come back with food or not at all, greeny! Don't die easy—make it fun!"
He steadied himself, breath steaming in the morning chill. The forest outside was a wall of shadow and sound—monstrous and alive. The System's presence was a steady pulse at the back of his mind, patient and confident.
Katsuo straightened himself, dusts himself off, and grinned at the wild, hungry world beyond.
Let the games begin.