The story begins in the quiet hum of an ordinary day.
Ar. Lavesh Suthar, twenty-three, was at his office desk, lost in a drawing that refused to align. He adjusted his glasses, rubbed his eyes—and then, in an instant, everything shifted.
A sharp snap.
A blinding flash.
And silence.
When the light faded, Lavesh was no longer in his office. He stood among dozens of strangers—young men and women scattered across an open field, blinking in disbelief.
"Is this some kind of prank?" someone shouted.
"I was just in class a minute ago!" another cried.
Lavesh's pulse thudded in his ears. The last thing he remembered was that flash—then this.
Before anyone could make sense of it, a mechanical voice echoed inside their minds:
> Survival System loading... 20%... 50%... 100%.
A translucent blue window flickered into existence before each person's eyes. The air buzzed with confusion.
"What the hell is this screen?" someone murmured.
But when Lavesh looked around, he realized something strange—he could only see his own system window, not anyone else's.
> [New Notification]
Do you wish to view the announcement?
His throat felt dry. "Open announcement," he whispered.
The blue window expanded into a formal message:
---
System Note:
Hello, dear participants. Today, individuals aged sixteen to thirty have been summoned to the world of Abyss.
Your task is simple: Survive.
A Survival Manual has been placed in your pocket. Please read it carefully.
Forget about returning to Earth—Abyss is your new home.
---
Lavesh's hand shot to his pocket. He found a folded piece of parchment, coarse and warm from his body heat.
Across the top, bold letters read:
---
HOW TO SURVIVE IN GAME
1. Kill monsters to level up.
2. Reach Level 10 to unlock your Class. Skills unlock with your Class.
3. Gather resources by killing monsters or exploring the forest.
4. After every monster kill, a chest will appear. It may contain:
food
water
blueprint designs
weapons
monster loot
various materials
Rewards depend on your luck.
5. Earn Titles that help you level faster.
6. Hunt and kill unique monsters for unique rewards.
7. Find or craft survival items.
8. Invest all free stat points into Agility—monsters are faster than you.
9. As a welcome bonus, each player receives a Common-Rank Sword and a Storage Ring.
10. The village safety barrier will disappear after 30 days. Reach Level 10 before that.
> Follow these steps and you might survive. Ignore them and you will die.
A final line shimmered faintly at the bottom:
> Welcome Bonus: Each participant receives one Normal-grade Sword and one Storage Ring for inventory use.
Lavesh immediately checked his pockets again. In his right one, something cold and metallic brushed his fingers—a silver ring with faint blue runes.
He slipped it onto his hand.
> System Notification:
Item: Storage Ring
Slots: 7 / 10
Grade: common
Upgradability: yes
The ring pulsed softly.
> User connection in progress...
Connection established: Lavesh Suthar.
"Open storage ring," he murmured.
The air in front of him rippled, revealing ten empty slots—no, seven filled, three open.
Inside lay:
Sword (Common Grade)
Bread × 20
Water Bottle (6 L)
He tapped the sword icon.
> Do you want to withdraw the sword from storage?
Yes / No
"Yes."
The weight appeared in his hand instantly—metal, warm, solid.
A faint light shimmered along its edge as a new window appeared:
---
Type: Sword
Rank: Common Grade
Attack: 25
Durability: 150 / 150
Element: Light
---
He exhaled, steadying his grip, and called up his own Status Window:
---
Name: Lavesh Suthar
Level: 0 EXP 0 / 1000
Class: None
Title: None
HP: 100 MP: 10
Fatigue: 0
Strength: 7
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 10
Sense: 4
Vitality: 8
Remaining Points: 12
Active Skills: None
Passive Skills: None
---
"So... I need a thousand exp just to hit level 1," he muttered. "How many monsters is that?"
He looked around again—faces blurred with confusion, some far too young, others around his age or slightly older.
Nearby, a boy about nineteen turned toward him.
"Hey, excuse me," Lavesh asked, "how many free points did you get?"
The boy blinked, then opened his own status. "Uh... eight, brother You too?"
"Yeah," Lavesh nodded. "Same."
The boy turned back to his friends, already laughing nervously, while others around them argued, panicked, or just stared blankly into space.
Most assumed the village ahead—stone huts and narrow lanes—was safe.
But Lavesh knew better. Nothing stays safe forever.
If players didn't grow stronger, this fragile peace would collapse.
He glanced toward the horizon, jaw tight. "I'll focus on getting stronger... and finding my younger brother."
As an architect, he couldn't help analyzing even now—the huts were all single-storied, roughly fifty to sixty square meters each. Enough shelter for two players at most. Efficient. Minimal.
He lingered for a moment, wondering how they were built, then turned toward the forest beyond the village walls.
The trees swayed under a gray sky, whispering danger.
He adjusted his grip on the sword, took a breath, and stepped into the wild.
All twelve of his free points—he poured them into Agility.
If survival was the game, then speed was his only chance to play it.
System window notification
Agility 7 +12
Agility 19