Nathan groggily opened his eyes.
Bright, yellow morning light stabbed into his vision immediately — not the sterile white glare of eerie, hospital lamps, but something warmer.
Green leaves rustled in a gentle breeze above him. Moving and felt as if they're real.
They swayed slowly overhead, sunlight leaking through gaps in a dense canopy, breaking into shifting patches across his face.
He blinked once.
Then twice.
A breeze brushed against his cheek, cool air filled his lungs, and the fresh sensation washed all over his body.
Unlike everything filtered through machines.
Not dry or artificial like what he had been familiar with for the past few years.
He inhaled again instinctively, deeper this time.
The smell hit him — damp soil, crushed grass, and something faintly sweet, maybe wildflowers hidden somewhere nearby.
"…Huh?"
His voice came out hoarse but clear.
Nathan lay in a small clearing surrounded by thick forest. Bushes crowded the edges, vines clung to tree trunks, and undergrowth spread in chaotic layers, because apparently; nature had never heard of proper landscaping.
Birds chirped somewhere overhead.
Something rustled in the distance.
Okay, he thought.
Either heaven has a surprisingly realistic forest biome… or something is very wrong.
He frowned slightly.
Why am I here?
The last thing he remembered—
Hospital bed, ceiling, and life-support machinery.
His parents pained expressions.
Pain.
Darkness.
And…
A floating window.
Nathan's brows knit together.
Wait.
He felt… strange.
Not the bad kind of strange.
Just unfamiliar.
He slowly lifted his hand. To his surprise, it rose effortlessly into view. Which made him froze in disbelief.
"…N-no way."
His fingers flexed easily.
No tremors, the usual stiffness, nor a sharp, agonizing pain.
He stared at his hand like it might disappear if he blinked.
Then carefully, very cautiously, he pushed himself upright and sat.
Just like that.
Without assistance.
Without struggle.
Without burning agony crawled through his spine.
For several seconds, he simply remained there, stunned.
I… sat up. On my own.
Years of his life had been spent lying flat.
In the early stages of his illness, sitting had still been possible. Difficult, but possible.
A few months later, even that disappeared. Eventually, moving a hand felt like lifting weights underwater.
During his final year, only his head could move, and even that exhausted him. Before that — when he was still in control of his hands — his world had shrunk to a rectangular screen.
Crappy mobile games.
Anime marathons.
Manga chapters.
Endless web novels.
Stories about protagonists living their lives as if they owned the world.
At first, it felt amazing — aside from the pain.
No responsibilities, nor school. Just entertainment.
A dream come true for a loner.
Then weeks turned into months.
Months into years.
And that dream slowly shifted into an endless cage of torment.
He'd missed walking, touching grass, the warmth of the sun, the taste of good food… the touch of others.
So the prospect of moving on his own had been nothing but a fantasy.
Nathan swallowed.
Slowly, and experimentally, he planted his feet on the ground.
It felt solid beneath him.
He pushed upward and stood, his body perfectly balanced.
His knees didn't collapse. His legs didn't scream.
Nothing hurt.
Nathan stared down at himself, breathing unevenly.
"How…" he whispered, his voice trembling. "Am I finally free from my so called 'mysterious' illness?"
The forest answered him with humming wind and rustling leaves.
Reality caught up a second later.
"…But."
He looked around again — uneven trees and wild grass were all he could see.
No closed room.
No scent of medication.
No beeping sounds of life support.
"If I was cured," he muttered slowly, "Mom and Dad would've dragged me home immediately… probably crying out of joy and cooking enough food to feed a small village."
He paused.
"They definitely wouldn't dump me in a forest."
Memory surged back:
The agonizing pain.
His mother scream for help.
That strange sensation — like slipping out of his own body.
And then—
The text.
Nathan's eyes widened.
"Right!" He snapped his fingers. "Before I passed out… there was something about a 'legit' goddess taking pity on me… letting me choose my next life or something—"
His expression slowly shifted.
Then horror crept in.
"…Oh."
He remembered exactly what he had requested: "…Reincarnate me into a post-apocalyptic world where I can shoot and blow zombies' heads apart for fun…"
A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
"I hope," he said carefully, "the goddess didn't take everything I've said at face value…"
He stretched his arms, rotating his shoulders, testing every motion. His body responded smoothly, light and responsive in ways he had forgotten those were actually normal.
"…But hey," he admitted, grinning slightly, "I can move freely now. Honestly feels like a dream."
Right as he finished speaking — a blue translucent window appeared in front of him.
[Identifying the Host…]
[Identification Complete!]
[Welcome to the Deranged Hunter System — Nathan Nightshade]
Nathan gasped.
"WOAH—!"
He stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a root.
"A real system screen?!"
He leaned closer, eyes glittering like a kid discovering GTA cheat codes for the first time.
"But why 'Deranged,' though?" he muttered suspiciously.
The screen flickered again.
[Welcome to the world of Valneer]
[Here's a Starter Pack to help you start your journey]
[Open the Starter Pack now?]
[Yes] [No]
Nathan stared.
"…Okay," he whispered.
Am I really transferred to another world?
With a neat system, no less?
I thought this only happened in web novels written by sleep-deprived authors… or ChatGPT and co.
He stared at the buttons… then shrugged.
"Well, it's free." He tapped Yes immediately. "Only an idiot refuses free stuff."
The screen flashed.
[Starter Pack Opened!]
[SC (System Currency): 100]
[Handgun — The Revenant ×1]
[9×19mm Rounds ×30]
[Emergency Provisions ×3]
[1,000 ml Bottled Water ×2]
Nathan blinked repeatedly.
"…SC, what's that?" He tilted his head. "And… a handgun?"
A metallic weight suddenly appeared in his right hand.
Nathan yelped.
"WHA—!"
He nearly threw it.
A sleek black pistol rested awkwardly in his grip.
He stared at it as if it might explode at any moment.
"What the hell is this thing?!" he whispered loudly. "I've never held a gun before! I don't even know which side is dangerous!"
He rotated it cautiously.
"...Perhaps, all sides are dangerous."
The screen flickered again.
[Daily Quests Unlocked]
—————————————
Daily Quest:
Complete all objectives to receive: 1 SP (System Point)]
• Kill Zombies: 0 / 10
• Gather Resources: 0 m³ / 50 m³
• Survive the Night with HP above 80%
—————————————
Nathan froze.
"…Kill." He reread it. "…Zombies."
His face slowly drained of color.
"I have to kill zombies?!"
He wiped sweat from his forehead.
The peaceful forest suddenly felt significantly less peaceful.
Every rustle became suspicious.
Every shadow feels threatening.
Nathan looked up toward the sky.
"…O mighty goddess," he said carefully, "can I ask for a refund?"
A breeze answered him.
Somewhere nearby, a branch snapped.
*Crack.*
Nathan stiffened instantly.
"…O-okay," he whispered nervously, gripping the handgun with both hands despite having absolutely zero training.
Step one of Nathan Nightshade's new life: immediately regret his life choices.
He swallowed.
"…Why did I ask for zombies…"