"What?"
Eve frowned. "Is this a single-player world, or am I in some kind of online realm? Are there save points? If a character dies… and can't return, do I even get back to my own world?"
The system offered no answers. Instead, it issued her first novice quest.
[The Dark Swamp is sparsely populated and lacks resources. Survival here is a challenge.]
Quest Content: Kill ten Toads
Quest Reward: Thatched Cottage (Lord Building)
The interface vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. Time resumed its flow. The forest blurred, then cut to black like a cinematic transition.
Slowly, an oppressive swamp emerged with gnarled, thorn-covered trees looming over bubbling pools of murky water.
The ground beneath her feet shifted unnaturally. Eve lifted one foot, and found herself standing in thick sludge. With a grimace, she stepped forward onto firmer land, scanning the scene.
So this was the Dark Swamp the system mentioned.
Her first novice quest: kill ten toads.
Where were these creatures? How was she supposed to fight them?
A loud, resonant croak answered her question.
From the murky water, a toad as large as a soccer ball leapt onto the muddy bank. It crouched, bulging eyes staring at her vacantly…
Evelira froze. Am I supposed to kill that thing?
She drew in a steadying breath. Fortunately, her recent research into monsters had built up her psychological endurance.
Ten toads. That was all. Even if each one was the size of a small beast… they were still just toads.
"Like hell they are! Are you trying to disgust me to death?" she muttered skyward.
"Is there a tutorial for novices? Really… you expect me to take these on with my bare hands?"
The only reply was a croak.
The toad hopped closer. Evelira had no choice. She yanked a branch from a nearby thorned tree, holding it as a makeshift weapon.
Clenching the branch, she could only hope its thorns were sharp enough to pierce the toad… and that she didn't get eaten first.
Two steps from the monster, she raised her branch, but hesitated.
If it were a normal toad, she could steel her heart. But this massive thing was terrifying.
She drew in another breath.
It's just a game. Not real.
Her resolve was still wavering when the toad whipped around, facing her directly.
Croak!
Its tongue shot forward like a taut arrow, aiming straight for her eyes.
Eve's reflexes snapped. She jabbed with the branch, swinging it instinctively. Air whistled sharply.
The branch pierced the toad mid-leap.
[Congratulations! First kill complete. Rewards: Weapon Chest ×1, Food Chest ×1, Resource Chest ×1, Skill Chest ×1!]
Evelira staggered back, dazed. Her arm felt alien, empowered by some hidden force that had granted her strength she never had before.
The massive toad was dead.
Just like that.
She stared at the branch, now splattered with toadblood, smoke rising in tiny curls from the wound.
Toad bloods… corrosive?
Was this real?
It had to be. A dialog box floated beside the corpse.
[Would you like to loot?]
Without thinking, she agreed.
[Obtained: Frog Leg ×1, Poison Sac ×1]
The toad vanished, leaving only the smell of its rotting tongue in the air.
Evelira's mind replayed the violent moment over and over, yet in an instant, it had been reduced to lootable items.
A holographic world. This was a game. An absurd, real and horrifying game.
Four chests materialized before her. She crouched and opened the first, the Weapon Chest.
Her heart thumped nervously. Luck had never been on her side. Ever. Cards, draws, chances… she always hit the bottom tier.
Eyes closed, she prayed. Then she opened it.
[Obtained: Ragged Staff ×1]
Weapon Name: Ragged Staff
Effect: Health +1, Mana +1, Stamina +1, Attack +1, Defense +1
Quality: Common
Description: A staff of unknown origin, worn and cracked. Handle with care; cannot be repaired if broken.]
Evelira picked up the ragged staff. Compared to the thorned branch in her hand, it was… similarly unimpressive.
At least it's a weapon, she told herself. Better than nothing.
She quickly opened the remaining three chests.
[Obtained: Drinking Water ×1, Black Bread ×2, Grapes ×1]
[Obtained: Backpack ×1, Torch ×1, Sleeping Bag ×1]
[Obtained: Summoning Skill Book ×1]
All practical items. She equipped the backpack; the system displayed nine free inventory slots.
Counting the original ten, she now had nineteen slots, but her stamina decreased by one. Items carried on her person had weight; items in inventory did not.
Experimentally, she placed the food and supplies in the inventory and her stamina returned to normal.
Finally, the Skill Chest.
[Summoning Skill Book]
Summon living entities to fight alongside you. Higher skill levels summon stronger allies. One man army, Mage-type classes only. Quality: High.
She didn't have a class so she couldn't learn it.
Evelira tossed the book into her inventory, gripped her staff, and prepared to hunt her second toad.
Survival was priority number one if she wanted to return to the real world.
Croak, croak, croak…
The sounds rose and fell around her, echoing through the swamp.
Wait…
Oh no… these toads aren't solitary, are they? Social aggro monsters?
Eve gripped the ragged staff and swallowed hard.
The swamp felt shockingly real. The first dead toad seemed to have sounded an alarm, more and more of them began to surround her.
They hopped and splashed through the mud, their long, slimy tongues flicking in and out, filling the air with a nauseating stench.
Eve could barely breathe. She did not want to feel those disgusting tongues. Just thinking about it made her skin crawl.
She froze the world by opening the system interface, giving herself a moment of relief.
Her only usable tools were the staff and a summoning skill book. Mage seemed the obvious choice. With it, she could summon living creatures to fight for her, drawing the toads' attention.
The problem was… she couldn't choose a class yet.
Analyzing the situation like a designer, Eve realized beginner quests were meant to teach controls, usually rewarding experience points and items.
She opened her quest panel, her experience had risen from 0 to 50. One toad gave fifty points, and reaching Level 2 required 100. Just one more kill. Leveling up would hopefully restore her stats and unlock new options.
She took a deep breath. Perhaps she could choose a class after leveling.
The swamp stirred again.
Croak… croak… croak…
The nearest toad lunged, shooting its reddish-brown tongue at her face, saliva flying everywhere. Eve swung the staff, knocking it aside, then stepped forward and smashed the wooden knob against its head.
Croak! Croak! Croak!
The others seemed to answer the call, croaking wildly as they surged toward her.
Eve opened the system interface mid-chaos.
[Quest Progress: Kill ten Toads (2/10)]
[Would you like to loot?]
[Obtained: Frog Leg ×1, Phalanx ×1]
[Level 2 reached! Rewards: Weapon Box ×1, Food Box ×1, Resource Box ×1, Skill Box ×1]
Her stats were fully restored. Eve felt reborn, though the lingering weakness debuff still remained.
[Class System Unlocked! Player character data will determine available classes. Choose a class now?]
Her stats were awful. nothing good would appear, but she had no choice. Without a skill, the toads would overwhelm her.
"Select a class," she said firmly.
[Analyzing…]
[Available classes: Cook, Merchant, Assassin, Bard]
[Hidden trait activated, Decadent and Weak shut in]
[Hidden class unlocked- Necromancer]
[Available classes: Necromancer, Cook, Merchant, Assassin, Bard]
There was no real choice. Only Necromancer would let her use the summoning skill she had struggled to acquire.
If this really was the game she'd help design then the class wasn't without risks, Necromancers were outsiders, mistrusted by both light and dark factions.
They commanded the dead but were not undead themselves, which could lead to its own problems, but right now, it was her only option.
"I choose Necromancer."
A cloud of black mist rose. Her robes softened. A pointed wizard hat appeared, shading most of her face, revealing only her pale chin. Her black robes flowed to her calves, wide-leg pants and thick-soled Martin boots visible beneath. A faint dark-red Smiling Skull pattern marked the hem, exclusive to Necromancers.
She looked every bit the dark spellcaster she had become.
[Exclusive Necromancer Equipment obtained]
Ragged Wizard Hat: Mana +10, Defense +10. Worn but functional.
Ragged Wizard Robes: Mana +10, Defense +20, Health +5. Surprisingly clean despite appearances.
Set Bonus (3/6): Mana +1%, Skill Cooldown -1%, Attack +1%
[Class System Unlocked!]
Necromancer: You walk the line between life and death. Summon undead warriors, mages, and beasts. Wield dark magic, beholden to no god. Your actions will shape the fate of the Bolo Continent. Justice and evil intertwine; life and death are yours to command.