Lavesh had been staring at a half-finished architectural drawing on his monitor, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck.
It was just another ordinary afternoon at the office.
The low hum of air conditioners. The occasional clatter of keyboards. The smell of fresh printouts mixed with cheap office coffee.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing that hinted his entire life was about to be torn away.
Then—
Snap.
A sharp sound echoed somewhere nearby.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just a single snap.
The next instant, a blinding white light exploded across his vision.
Lavesh instinctively raised an arm to shield his eyes.
The world vanished.
---
When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on cold dirt.
A chorus of confused voices rang around him.
"What the hell is this?"
"Is this some kind of prank?"
"I was literally in school a second ago!"
"No way... I was attending my college lecture!"
"What is happening?!"
Lavesh pushed himself upright.
His heart hammered inside his chest.
All around him, hundreds of people were scattered across a vast grassy field.
Teenagers.
Young adults.
Men and women.
Nobody looked older than thirty.
Nobody seemed to understand where they were.
Lavesh slowly stood up.
His office was gone.
His computer was gone.
The city was gone.
In every direction stretched an unfamiliar wilderness beneath a strange sky.
"What the hell..."
His throat felt dry.
The last thing he remembered was that snap.
Then the blinding light.
Then...
this.
---
Before anyone could make sense of their situation, glowing blue text suddenly appeared in front of Lavesh's eyes.
Survival System Loading...
20%
50%
75%
100%
---
A soft chime echoed inside his head.
[New Notification]
Would you like to view the announcement?
Yes / No
---
People around him immediately began panicking again.
"What is this blue screen?!"
"I can see something floating in front of my eyes!"
"Someone tell me this is virtual reality!"
Lavesh looked around.
Everyone seemed to be staring at something.
Yet he couldn't see anyone else's screen.
Only his own.
A strange chill crawled down his spine.
"What is happening here...?"
After a moment of hesitation, he mentally selected—
Yes.
---
A larger blue window unfolded before him.
---
SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT
Hello, dear participants.
Today, individuals between the ages of 16 and 30 have been summoned to the world of Abyss.
Your objective is simple:
Survive.
To assist you, a Survival Manual has been placed inside your pocket.
Please read it carefully.
One more thing.
Forget about returning to Earth.
From this day forward...
Abyss Planet is your new home.
Good luck.
---
The announcement disappeared.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Then chaos erupted.
"What do you mean we can't go back?!"
"NO! My family is still on Earth!"
"This has to be fake!"
"LET ME GO HOME!"
Panic spread like wildfire.
Some people cried.
Some screamed.
Some simply stood frozen.
Lavesh's chest tightened.
His parents.
His friends.
His entire life.
Gone.
Just like that.
Yet deep inside, he knew something terrifying.
The system didn't sound like it was joking.
---
Forcing himself to stay calm, Lavesh shoved a hand into his pocket.
His fingers touched folded paper.
He immediately pulled it out.
Across the top, bold letters were written.
---
HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE GAME
1.
Kill monsters and gain experience.
2.
Reach Level 10 to unlock your class.
3.
Gather resources by hunting monsters or exploring forests.
4.
After killing a monster, a chest will appear.
Possible rewards include:
Food Supplies
Water
Weaponry
Blueprints
Monster Loot
Crafting Materials
Rewards depend on your luck.
5.
Earn Titles that provide powerful bonuses.
6.
Find and kill Unique Monsters for exceptional rewards.
7.
Find or craft survival equipment.
8.
Invest your free stat points into Agility.
Right now, monsters are faster than you.
Follow these instructions carefully and you may survive.
Ignore them...
and you will die.
---
At the bottom, another note had been added.
---
WELCOME BONUS
Every participant has received:
Normal Grade Sword ×1
Storage Ring ×1
Use the storage ring to store belongings.
Good luck.
---
The manual ended there.
For a moment, only the sound of distant wind filled the air.
Then Lavesh blinked.
"Storage ring?"
He quickly checked his pockets again.
This time his fingers touched cold metal.
He pulled out a simple silver ring.
Nothing fancy.
No jewels.
No decorations.
Just a plain metallic band.
The moment he held it—
A new notification appeared.
---
ITEM INFORMATION
Type: Storage Ring
Grade: Normal
Slots: 7/10 Available
Upgrade Potential: None
---
Lavesh stared.
"This is actually real..."
His pulse quickened.
Slowly, he slipped the ring onto his finger.
Immediately another message appeared.
---
User Connection In Progress...
Connection Successful
User: Lavesh
---
The ring briefly felt warm.
Then normal again.
Lavesh swallowed.
Trying to imitate what fantasy novels always described, he cautiously spoke.
"Open Storage."
---
A translucent inventory window appeared.
And this time, Lavesh nearly jumped.
"It worked..."
---
Ten slots floated before him.
Three were occupied.
Seven remained empty.
Inside the occupied slots were:
Sword ×1
Bread ×20
Water ×6 Liters
Lavesh's eyes widened.
Food.
Water.
At least he wouldn't starve immediately.
His gaze moved toward the sword icon.
He tapped it.
---
Remove Item From Storage?
Yes / No
---
"Yes."
---
A flash of light appeared.
Something heavy suddenly materialized in his hand.
Lavesh almost dropped it.
A real sword.
Cold steel.
Solid weight.
Not a toy.
Not a prop.
A genuine weapon.
---
His fingers tightened around the grip.
The leather wrapping felt rough against his palm.
Instinctively, he whispered,
"Status."
---
A new window appeared.
---
NORMAL GRADE SWORD
Type: Sword
Rank: Normal Grade
Attack: +2
Durability: 50 / 50
Element: None
---
Lavesh stared at the blade.
The polished metal reflected his nervous face.
Around him, hundreds of others were beginning to discover their own weapons and storage rings.
Some looked excited.
Some terrified.
Some already argued over what to do next.
Far in the distance, beyond the endless grassland, stood a dark forest.
Silent.
Massive.
Waiting.
A cold breeze swept across the field.
For some reason, it felt less like wind...
and more like a warning.
Lavesh tightened his grip on the sword.
A world full of monsters.
Levels.
Classes.
Loot.
Death.
This wasn't a game.
People would bleed here.
People would die here.
And if he wanted to survive...
he needed to make his first move now.