The sky cracked.
Not with thunder.
With intention.
White light tore through the heavens like a blade through cloth, swallowing the world whole. Elias felt weight vanish, then return all at once as he slammed into hard earth.
Pain flared. Breath left his lungs.
He rolled onto his side, coughing, fingers digging into dry soil.
The air smelled clean. Untouched.
He forced himself upright.
The sky above was impossibly blue—too vast, too empty. No planes. No contrails. No signs of civilization.
And then he saw them.
People.
Thousands of flashes of light erupted across the plains. Not clustered. Not crowded.
Scattered.
So far apart that Elias could barely make out shapes at the edge of his vision. Beyond them, more flickers appeared—then more—stretching all the way to the horizon.
A billion people… spread across a world this big?
His stomach sank.
"This place is enormous…"
A chime rang through his mind.
[System Initialization Complete]
Welcome, Summoned Individual.
The ground beneath his feet shimmered.
Wood, stone, and earth pulled together as if guided by invisible hands. Within seconds, a small but sturdy structure rose from the soil—a single-room house with a hearth, a wooden door, and a thatched roof.
Looking around, Elias realized something unsettling.
Other houses were visible—but barely.
Each stood alone, separated by vast stretches of open land.
Starter Shelter Deployed
Type: Basic Camp House
– Weather resistant
– Fire-safe
– Upgradeable
– One per individual
Elias exhaled slowly.
"Guess neighbors aren't going to be a thing."
Another chime.
Talent Assignment in Progress…
A translucent window unfolded before his eyes.
Talent Rank: SSS
Talent Acquired: Devour
Something stirred deep in his chest—heavy, patient, and hungry.
Devour (SSS):
– Gain +1 permanent stat point per monster slain
– Small chance to acquire one monster skill
– Stat growth limited by level
– Excess points stored until cap increases
Elias swallowed hard.
SSS.
That didn't sound like something that stayed hidden for long.
Another sound—different this time. Faster.
[Regional System Chat Unlocked]
Text began scrolling across the side of his vision.
[Region: Western Frontier – Sector 418]
Population: 2,136,884
Messages flooded in.
[User_10492]: WHERE ARE WE??
[IronWill]: Anyone see monsters yet?
[SunChild]: I spawned alone, is that normal??
[AshenPath]: Got F-rank talent. This is a joke.
Elias blinked.
"Chat… but not global."
Another system notice appeared.
Notice:
Global communication is disabled.
Regions are separated by extreme distances.
Estimated travel time between regions: months to years.
That settled heavily in his chest.
This wasn't a game server.
This was exile on a planetary scale.
A final chime sounded.
Starter Chest Granted
Inside his new house, a wooden chest waited.
Elias opened it.
Contents:
A simple iron sword
Three days of preserved rations
Two sealed flasks of clean water
A small mana potion
A faintly glowing silver-edged card
Troop Summoning Card – Uncommon
Before he could react, another system message appeared.
[System Trade Function – Locked]
Requirement: Level 5
– Player-to-player trading unavailable
– Market access unavailable
– Anti-exploitation measure active
Elias let out a breath.
"So I can't buy my way out of this."
Good. That meant everyone else couldn't either.
He activated the card.
Green and silver light spiraled outward.
When it faded, a woman stood before him.
An elf.
She moved with quiet grace, scanning the plains, the sky, the distant shelters. Her hand rested on her curved blade, but her posture wasn't hostile—just ready.
"You summoned me," she said calmly. "State your name."
"My name is Elias."
"And your intent?"
He hesitated, then answered honestly.
"To survive. And to build something that won't collapse the moment things get hard."
She studied him for a long moment.
Then she nodded.
"I am Lyrien of the Sylvan Border Guard," she said. "If you wish to build, then you will need discipline. Vision. And restraint."
She extended her hand.
Troop Bound Successfully
Loyalty: Stable
Warning: Troop units are irreplaceable
A distant roar rolled across the plains—low, massive, and far too close.
Lyrien turned toward the sound, eyes narrowing.
"This world is vast," she said quietly. "And it is cruel to the unprepared."
Elias gripped his sword.
He glanced once more at the regional chat, still flooding with panic and bravado.
Then he closed it.
"Then we'll prepare," he said. "And one day… we'll connect the distance."