Nox trudged through the overgrown fringes of the beginner zone, his boots sinking into the damp earth littered with remnants of low-level monsters.
The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood and the faint, acrid scent of charred fur from distant skirmishes.
For seven long years, this had been his existence scavenging scraps from the kills of others, piecing together meager earnings to survive in a world where realms like this one were as commonplace as breathing.
He bent down, his calloused fingers closing around a jagged fragment of a wolf fang, its surface still slick with ichor. It wasn't much, but in the market of the safe zone, it might fetch enough for a meal.
A shiver ran down his spine, not from the chill wind rustling the twisted trees, but from the unnatural presence that had haunted him for the past two days.
It was a ethereal orb, no larger than a fist, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light that pulsed like a heartbeat.
It hovered just out of reach, silent and insistent, following his every move like a spectral stalker. Nox straightened up, his brow furrowed in frustration, and whirled around to face it.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice rough and edged with irritation. He waved the wolf fang like a makeshift weapon, though he knew it was futile.
"I've asked you before... why the hell are you tailing me like some ghost? You've been at my back for two damn days!"
The orb shimmered, its surface rippling as if stirred by an invisible breeze. Then, in a swirl of luminescent mist, it began to reshape itself.
Tendrils of light extended outward, coalescing into limbs, a torso, and finally a head. Within seconds, a figure stood before him a girl, or at least something resembling one.
Her skin was pale and flawless, almost translucent, and her hair cascaded like rivers of crimson flame down to her waist.
But it was her eyes that unnerved him most: twin pools of glowing red, piercing and unblinking, holding an ancient wisdom that belied her youthful form.
She tilted her head slightly, her expression calm and unchanging, like a statue come to life. "I have said it again and again," she replied, her voice smooth and resonant, echoing faintly as if carried from a great distance.
"I am not a ghost, but a subject of the gods' countless creations. I am here by divine order to offer you a job unlike any other: become the administrator of the Realm of Mysteries."
Nox froze, the wolf fang slipping from his grip and clattering to the ground. She had spoken his full name earlier NOX NEVORN in a tone that brooked no doubt, as if she had known him all his life.
He sighed deeply, rubbing his temples with dirt-streaked hands, his shoulders slumping under the weight of exhaustion and disbelief.
"Are you serious? You know why I'm out here scraping by like this. I've told you I'm not an Awakened one. I can't even venture into the wilderness without getting torn apart.
Seven years... a fucking seven years of this pathetic routine in the beginner zone, picking up trash while everyone else levels up and thrives."
His mind raced back to the history everyone knew by heart. Hundreds of years ago, these realms had materialized across the world vast, interdimensional spaces teeming with monsters, treasures, and perils. People had adapted, treating them like high-stakes games.
Death inside a realm wasn't fatal in the real world; it merely drained your proficiency, a measure of your accumulated skills and essence.
Lose enough, and you'd be weakened, but hit zero? That was the end permanent death, body and soul erased from both worlds.
And then there were the Awakened: rare individuals who unlocked supernatural abilities, their power far beyond the ordinary. The odds were grim one in fifty thousand, they said.
Even a hundred un-Awakened men couldn't scratch the weakest of them.
The red-haired entity regarded him steadily, her red eyes flickering like embers in a dying fire.
"If you accept the offer to become the administrator," she said matter-of-factly, her tone devoid of emotion or persuasion, "you will become an Awakened one."
Nox's eyes widened, a surge of anger bubbling up from the pit of his stomach. He lunged forward in a blur, his hand shooting out to grab her slender neck.
His fingers tightened, not enough to harm if she could even be harmed but enough to convey his fury. Her skin felt cool and unnaturally smooth, like polished marble.
"Don't fuck with me," he growled, his face inches from hers, breath hot and ragged. "I don't have time for whatever prank you're pulling. Get lost."
He released his grip with a shove, turning on his heel and stalking toward the shimmering barrier of the safe zone, a neutral haven where no threats could follow.
His thoughts churned wildly: I know these types scammers who prey on the desperate, filming reactions for viral views and quick cash. She's probably got a hidden recorder somewhere, turning my misery into entertainment.
But then her voice cut through the air again, clear and unflinching. "I am not a scammer, nor am I making a video."
Nox halted mid-step, his blood turning to ice. Horror twisted his features, his eyes widening in sheer terror as he whipped around to face her.
How did she know? How could she possibly know what I was thinking? He clamped down on his thoughts, forcing his mind blank, but the fear lingered, coiling in his gut like a serpent.
She stepped closer, her movements graceful and silent, as if she glided rather than walked.
"I have told you: I am one of the countless subjects of the gods. Naturally, I am strong and possess many skills." Her red lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile, though it held no warmth more a acknowledgment of his insignificance.
Nox swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper as he backed away a step. "Why me? There are countless people in this world stronger, smarter, wealthier, better than me in every way. Why not one of them?"
She shook her head slowly, her crimson hair swaying like flames in the wind. "I know this. But I cannot disobey the orders given to me." Her gaze locked onto his, intense and unwavering. "So, as per those orders, I will ask again: Will you become the administrator of the Realm of Mysteries?"
The question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. Nox stood there, the wolf fang forgotten at his feet, his heart pounding in his chest.
The safe zone's barrier glowed invitingly just ahead, but for the first time in seven years, the path forward felt uncertain.