The world Kai Jin knew vanished in an instant, just as he reached the cusp of adulthood.
It had started like any other day. In his cramped, dimly lit Seoul apartment—crowded with books and gym equipment—Kai sipped lukewarm instant coffee after a workout. On the flickering screen, the news droned through its usual cycle of politics and crime reports. It was a dull, uneventful morning, right up until the moment it wasn't.
Then, the broadcast cut to black.
"Breaking News: A strange phenomenon has appeared worldwide. Swirling, portal-like vortices have suddenly opened across major cities. Governments are struggling to identify the cause of—"
Kai didn't move. He had seen bizarre headlines before—conspiracies and April Fool's pranks meant to stir up panic. Yet, something about the anchor's trembling voice felt... off.
The screen jumped to a live feed from Tokyo.
A swirling purple vortex hovered above the city skyline. Suddenly, a monstrous figure stepped out. Its glowing red eyes burned against the smog as it stomped forward, crushing cars like discarded toys. People screamed. Soldiers opened fire, but their bullets bounced off the creature's thick hide like pebbles against steel.
The feed cut to Paris. Another portal. This time, a swarm of massive, insect-like creatures poured into the streets, their glowing mandibles snapping over helpless civilians.
Kai's fingers tightened around his cup. The tension in the air was suffocating. This wasn't a sensationalized headline. This was real.
"Scratch… scratch…"
A faint noise echoed from the hallway outside his apartment. Kai frowned. His neighborhood was always quiet—too quiet for visitors at this hour.
"BAM!"
The door shook violently. Kai's body tensed; that wasn't a knock. It was a heavy, violent impact. The sound came again—deep, jagged scratches digging into the wood. Something was trying to get in.
Moving swiftly, Kai grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter. His pulse quickened, but his mind remained cold and focused. Whatever was behind that door wasn't human.
"Who's there?" he called out, his voice steady.
Silence. Then—CRACK!
The door exploded inward. A wave of rot and decay hit him first, followed by the creature itself.
A goblin.
But this wasn't the green-skinned caricature from a fantasy game. It was hunched and grotesque, its sickly skin stretched over sharp, bony limbs. Its claws scraped against the floor, leaving deep gouges in the wood. Red, glowing eyes locked onto Kai, a twisted grin splitting its face to reveal rows of jagged, saliva-slicked teeth.
It lunged.
Kai ducked, the creature's claws slicing through the air where his throat had been a second before. His instincts screamed at him to move. Grabbing a wooden chair beside him, he swung it with everything he had.
The impact sent the goblin staggering back, snarling, but it wasn't down yet. Kai didn't give it a chance to recover. In one fluid motion, he lunged forward and drove the kitchen knife deep into the creature's face.
The goblin shrieked, its body convulsing violently. Even as black blood pooled on the floor, it lunged one last time, desperate and fast. Kai,with a sharp twist of his wrist, he drove the blade deeper, puncturing the skull.
The goblin gurgled, shuddered, and collapsed.
Kai staggered back, panting. His hands trembled—not from fear, but from the raw adrenaline burning through his veins.
[Ding!]
A translucent system window materialized in the air.
[Awakening Process Complete.]
.....
[Congratulations! You have awakened.]
...
[Item Acquired: Goblin's Dagger (Rank F)]
Kai's breath hitched,a dagger appeared on his hand,a game-like interface? A system? Before he could process the impossibility of it, another notification flashed.
[Warning: Multiple threats detected nearby.]
...
[Rank: F. Incoming...]
He looked toward the hallway. Heavy, clawed footsteps were approaching—fast. Without thinking, he rushed to the window and vaulted onto the fire escape just as his apartment door was kicked off its hinges for the second time.
The cold metal of the fire escape groaned under his weight. Through the dusty window, Kai saw shadows slithering across his walls. At least three more of them.
He flexed his grip on his new weapon. The Goblin'sDagger was crude and chipped, but it felt balanced in his hand. Running was an option, but a new instinct was taking hold. The system had given him a weapon and a status.
Was a option to LIVE or DIE.
A metallic clang echoed from above. Kai stiffened, pressing his back against the railing. A pair of red eyes peered down from the rooftop. Another goblin. It crouched on the ledge, its mouth curling into a predatory grin before it leapt.
"Move."
Kai twisted to the side. The goblin crashed onto the metal landing, the impact rattling the entire structure. Before the creature could find its footing, Kai drove his dagger forward.
The goblin shrieked as the blade slashed its chest, dark blood splattering the rusted railing.
The creature was fast, ducking Kai's next swing and swiping at his ribs. Pain seared through his side, and warm blood began to soak his shirt.
Kai hissed through gritted teeth.The goblin lunged again, predictable in its rage. Kai dropped low, the claws whistling over his head, and struck upward. He drove the dagger beneath the creature's chin, piercing straight through to the brain. The goblin's eyes flickered and went dark.
[Goblin (Rank F) defeated. 50 XP gained.]
He shoved the corpse over the edge, watching it tumble into the dark alley below.
Inside the apartment, the other goblins had heard the struggle. They were piling through the window now.The world had turned into a nightmare, but the blue screen in front of him offered the only way out.
[New Quest: Survive the Awakening]
[Objective: Eliminate 3 more Rank F monsters.]
"Three more," Kai whispered, wiping blood from his cheek.
The first goblin stepped onto the fire escape, brandishing a rusted knife. Two more crowded in behind it. Three against one.
Kai didn't back away. He raised his dagger, a grim smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Come on then"
[QUEST COMPLETED: SURVIVE THE AWAKENING]
Kai leaned against the cold metal railing of the fire escape, his breath ragged. The three goblin corpses scattered around him were grim proof of his survival, but as the adrenaline ebbed, a crushing exhaustion took hold. His arm throbbed where claws had shredded his sleeve, the skin weeping crimson.
He needed a moment to breathe—to think. He focused on the glowing blue window hovering in his periphery.
Rewards:
>Item Acquired: Minor Healing Potion (x1)
Kai stared at the flickering blue window, a thought crossing his mind that felt absurd given around him. This looks exactly like a game interface. Testing the boundary between reality and this new logic, he spoke the words aloud, his voice steady despite the adrenaline.
"Status Window," Kai muttered.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name:Kai Jin
Rank: F
Class: ???
Skills:None
Inventory:
>Goblin's Dagger (F)
> Rusted Knife (F)
> Minor Healing Potion (x1)
"Inventory" he muttered.
A secondary panel slid open, revealing a grid of slots. Kai reached out, his fingers passing through the translucent light. As his hand brushed against a specific icon, he felt the weight of a physical object materialize. He closed his fist and pulled his hand back, staring in amazement at a small glass vial filled with a glowing crimson liquid.
It was a healing potion, exactly like the ones from his favorite games.
He pulled the potion from his inventory.
Without hesitation, he downed it. A surge of warmth radiated from his stomach to his limbs; the stinging in his arm vanished as the torn skin knit itself back together before his eyes.
Having a tool like this was incredible—a literal lifesaver in the middle of this living hell.the ability to heal in seconds was the ultimate edge.
He moved back into his apartment, the silence now feeling like a physical weight. He swapped his torn hoodie for a thick jacket and sturdy cargo pants, stuffing his backpack with food and water.
He stepped out into the Seoul night,as no more to stepping back. The city of lights was dead, replaced by a graveyard of overturned cars and the stench of copper.He moved through the city, his senses strained as he navigated the wreckage. Every sound was a threat; even the sharp clack of a pebble falling from a crumbling building made him tense, his hand twitching toward his weapon. He kept his eyes peeled for other survivors, searching for anyone.
Three days had passed, and the world had become a wasteland of monsters. Kai hadn't seen another human soul. He moved, navigating the jagged remains of collapsed buildings and avoiding the open roads.
He had been fighting for his life, battle after battle, until a flickering red notification appeared in his vision.
[Warning: Weapon Durability Low]
[Goblin Dagger is near breaking point.]
He stared at the jagged blade, now notched and dulled from constant slaughter. He couldn't afford to lose his only edge. But he couldn't stop, either. He was running on fumes, and the gnawing hunger in his gut was becoming dangerous as the creatures.
He knew the city center was his only hope. That was where the large malls and supply hubs were—the only places left that might still hold food and water.
With a grim look at his failing weapon, Kai tightened the straps of his pack and pushed forward.
He then arrived toward the city center, his eyes scanning every shadow. Then, he saw it.
[WARNING!]
[Beast Wolf (Rank E)].
It was a mountain of matted fur and rippling muscle, hunched over a carcass. Its eyes, burning like coals, snapped up to meet Kai's.
[DETECTED. PREPARE FOR COMBAT.]
The wolf charged, a blur of predatory speed. Kai's world slowed. As the beast lunged, its claws whistling toward his chest, Kai sidestepped, his feet moving with a newfound grace.
Yet, his hands trembled violently. A beast like this made a goblin look like a joke; this was no time for fear.
He form his dagger,gripping the dagger until his knuckles turned white, he braced himself.
The wolf lunged again, a massive claw aiming to take his head off. But the creature overextended, leaving its flank wide open.
Kai struck.
He drove the blade into the wolf's skull with a sickening crunch. The dagger snapped under the sheer force of the impact, the hilt vibrating in his palm. The wolf let out one final, ragged roar, struggling to snap its jaws at him, before its strength vanished and it dropped dead at his feet.
[Beast Wolf (Rank E) defeated.]
[300 XP gained.]
[New Weapon Acquired:]
[Beast's Fang Dagger(Rank E)]
Kai sank to the ground, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. The adrenaline began to fade, leaving his limbs trembling with exhaustion.
Suddenly, the sound of a pebble skittering through the dust reached his ears.
He forced himself back up, his body screaming for rest. Though fear gripped him, he steadied his hands.
Further down the street, three men emerged from the settling dust. They weren't monsters, but their eyes held the same predatory hunger. Clad in jeans, hoodies, and tactical backpacks, they were armed with rifles and sidearms—a full survival kit.
"Lower your weapon, boy," one called out.
"Well, look what we have here."
Kai's gaze remained cold as he sized them up.
"You seem well-packed, kid," the man continued.
Kai shifted feel something wrong and suspicious.
"Hey, hey, we aren't bad people,"
the leader said, walking toward Kai with an open hand extended for a shake.
"We all need to survive, you know? The name's Han Gul."
Kai met his hand. "Kai Jin."
"A quick name for a quick kid,"
Han Gul replied. Suddenly, his grip tightened like a vice, crushing Kai's hand.
Bang!
A bullet hissed past Kai's ear as he react to move. He didn't panic; he analyzed. In the split second before the rifleman could chamber another round, Kai moved.
He whipped the Beast's Fang dagger form from his inventory with his left hand. The dagger sang through the air, burying itself deep into Han Gul's chest.
The leader gasped, coughing up a spray of crimson as he collapsed.
In a blur of blood, Kai stood over the dying man. Han Gul's eyes widened, his lips trembling as he began to beg for mercy. Kai raised his blade to deliver the final blow—
Whistle.
A sudden rush of wind forced Kai to leap backward. A stone arrow slammed into the pavement where his head had been a heartbeat before, vibrating with lethal force.
[WARNING]
.....
[DETECTED. HOSTILE.]
A tall man, his hands glowing with earthen mana.
"You're awaken, kid,"
the man said, a cold smirk on his face.
"So you the leader?" Kai gaze
The man's face darkened.
The Awakened man gestured, and the earth groaned. Massive boulders erupted from the pavement, caging Kai in a prison of stone. In the center of the man's palm, a jagged stone spear materialized, vibrating with lethal mana.
With a flick of his wrist, the projectile screamed through the air. It slammed into Kai's chest, the impact throwing him backward against the rock wall with bone-shattering force.
Dust and debris exploded, shrouding the area in a thick gray fog.The man turned to walk away, a bored smirk on his face.
"What a joke. I thought this would be fun. Are you even an Awakened, kid?"
He didn't see the shadow rising from the wreckage.
Kai surged forward, a blur through the settling dust. Before the man could even rotate his head, Kai was there. The Beast's Fang hissed through the air, burying itself deep in the man's neck—severing his arrogance along with his life.
Bang!
A sniper round streaked in from the flank. In a frantic reflex, Kai snapped his dagger up, the bullet sparking off the blade as he deflected it. But the Awakened man wasn't finished. With a dying roar, he lunged, throwing a mana-infused punch. Kai raised his arms to block, but the blow hit like a falling mountain. He was sent flying, crashing back into the rubble and dust.
"Fucking hell," Kai spat, tasting copper. He stayed low, lungs burning.
Silence fell. Then, a pebble skittered across the concrete.The sniper fired toward the sound, but Kai was already there. He appeared behind the shooter in the shadows, his blade finding the man's throat in a single, brutal slaughter.
The stone-user, barely clinging to life, watched in a trembling daze. "What the hell are you?"
He slammed his palms onto the ground. A stone pillar erupted beneath Kai's feet, but Kai rolled to the side, his eyes locked onto the man with terrifying focus.
"I will kill you fuckin gaze!"
Kai charged. The man frantically summoned spears of rock, launching them in a desperate volley. Kai twisted and pivoted, the stone whistling past his ears. The man tried one last time, summoning a massive rock wall to seal the gap—but it was too late.
Kai reached out to strike, but the man summoned a localized pillar directly against Kai's wrist. The force sent the Beast's Fang spinning high into the air. The Awakened man smiled, thinking he had won—until he looked into Kai's eyes.
He was already dead.
Kai had already form the dagger with his left hand. While the man was staring at the empty air in disbelief, Kai buried the fang deep into the man's skull.
[AN AWAKENED HAS BEEN DEFEATED]
[REWARD UNLOCKED.]
Kai stood over the body, his hands stained with human blood. He didn't feel the thrill of the hunt; he felt a hollow, chilling realization. The system hadn't just changed the world—it was rewriting his soul.
He wiped the blood onto his jacket, his gaze hardening as he looked toward the horizon. The sun was rising, but the world was only getting darker.He had to keep moving.
To be continued...