Koizo was running late again.
His phone said 8:47 AM.
School started at 8:50.
He sprinted down the street with toast in his mouth, backpack half open, one shoe lace undone. Cars passed by, people stared, and Koizo almost tripped over a dog leash.
"Why does this always happen to me?" he muttered.
Last night he stayed up until 3 AM playing his favorite game, Kingdom Frontier Online. A huge fantasy RPG with magic, swords, monsters, and a game system menu that tracked everything.
Levels. Skills. Inventory. Stats.
Koizo loved it.
He always imagined being inside the game world instead of real life. No homework. No boring teachers. Just adventure.
He reached the crosswalk.
The signal was red.
He looked left.
No cars.
Right.
Also clear.
"Whatever," he said and ran.
That was when everything went wrong.
A loud horn blasted.
A truck appeared from nowhere.
Koizo turned.
Headlights filled his vision.
Time slowed down.
His thoughts froze.
"Oh. I'm dead."
The impact hit.
Pain exploded through his body.
Then darkness swallowed everything.
Silence.
No sound.
No feeling.
No thoughts.
Just nothing.
...
Then a voice spoke.
[System Booting...]
Koizo frowned.
Wait.
System?
He opened his eyes.
White light stretched forever around him. No sky. No ground. Just endless brightness.
He floated in the air.
"What... where am I?"
His voice echoed strangely.
The voice spoke again.
[Welcome, Player.]
A blue screen appeared in front of him.
Just like in a game.
Koizo blinked.
The screen read:
You have died.
Cause of death: Traffic accident.
Would you like to begin a new life?
YES / YES
Koizo stared.
"Why are both options yes?"
[Because refusal is not available.]
"What?!"
[Please select.]
Koizo hesitated.
Was this a dream?
Or... was he actually dead?
He remembered the truck.
The impact.
The pain.
He swallowed.
"So if I press yes... I live again?"
[Correct.]
"Where?"
[A suitable world has been prepared.]
A new window opened.
Images flashed rapidly.
Castles.
Knights.
Dragons.
Magic battles.
Villages.
Monster-filled forests.
Koizo's heart pounded.
A fantasy world.
Like his game.
Adventure.
Freedom.
No school.
No exams.
No embarrassing mornings.
He grinned.
"Yes. Obviously yes!"
He pressed the button.
The world shattered.
Light exploded around him.
Then he started falling.
Fast.
Wind screamed in his ears.
He looked down.
Clouds rushed past.
Below them lay a massive medieval world. Forests stretched endlessly. Rivers shined like silver. Mountains pierced the sky.
A huge city stood in the distance, surrounded by giant walls.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!"
Koizo flailed.
"I'm falling!"
[New Life Initializing.]
[Granting Starter Package.]
[Game System Activated.]
A menu popped up in front of his face while he plummeted.
Name: KoizoLevel: 1Class: NoneHP: 100/100MP: 50/50
StatsStrength: 5Agility: 5Vitality: 5Magic: 5Luck: 5
Skills: None
Inventory: Starter Gift Box
Koizo screamed.
"I'm going to die again!"
The ground rushed closer.
Trees became visible.
Rocks.
A lake.
Oh thank god, water.
He aimed for it.
Then he hit.
Splash.
Cold water slammed into him like a wall. Everything spun. Water filled his nose. He sank deep, limbs flailing wildly.
"HELP!"
He couldn't swim well.
Panic kicked in.
He thrashed, barely managing to reach the surface. He coughed and gasped, dragging himself to shore.
He collapsed on the grass, soaked and shaking.
For a long time, he just lay there breathing.
Alive.
Still alive.
He laughed.
A crazy laugh.
"I got isekai'd."
He sat up.
The world looked real. Too real.
The grass felt real.
The wind felt real.
Birds chirped nearby.
A medieval town could be seen far away beyond the trees.
He stood slowly.
"So... this is my new life."
A blue screen popped up again.
Tutorial Quest Available!
Quest: Survive Your First DayReward: Beginner Weapon SelectionFailure: Death
Accept?YES
"Failure is death?! That's messed up!"
Still, he pressed yes.
Immediately, something rustled in the bushes behind him.
Koizo turned.
Three green creatures crawled out.
Short.
Ugly.
Big ears.
Sharp teeth.
They held crude knives.
Goblins.
Koizo's brain froze.
"Oh come on! Already?!"
The goblins screeched and charged.
Koizo panicked and ran.
Branches whipped his face as he sprinted through the forest.
"System! Help me!"
Another window appeared.
Tip: Open Starter Gift Box.
"Inventory!"
A grid window appeared.
Inside sat a glowing chest icon.
He tapped it.
The chest burst open.
Light flashed.
Items dropped into his inventory.
Rusty Iron SwordCloth Armor3 Healing PotionsSkill Book: Basic Slash
"Equip!"
Clothes shifted instantly. A light armor outfit appeared on his body. A sword materialized in his hand.
He almost tripped from surprise.
The goblins burst from the trees behind him.
Too close.
No time to run.
Koizo swallowed.
His hands trembled.
"I... I have to fight."
He opened the skill book.
It shattered into light.
New text appeared.
Skill Learned: Basic Slash Lv.1
The goblins lunged.
Koizo swung blindly.
His sword flashed.
Something strange happened.
His body moved on its own.
Like the game controlled him.
The blade cut cleanly through the first goblin.
Green blood splattered.
The goblin collapsed.
Koizo froze.
"I... killed it?"
The other goblins screeched in anger.
They attacked together.
A knife cut his arm.
Pain exploded.
"AGH!"
His HP dropped.
HP: 82/100
"That hurts way more than games!"
He swung again desperately.
Slash.
Another goblin fell.
The last one jumped at him.
Koizo kicked it away and stabbed forward.
The goblin went still.
Silence returned to the forest.
Koizo stood there shaking, sword dripping.
A new message appeared.
Level Up!
Level 2 reached.Stat points gained: 5
Koizo stared.
He laughed nervously.
"I... leveled up..."
He had really entered a game world.
A dangerous one.
His legs gave out.
He collapsed against a tree.
Hands still shaking.
"I almost died again..."
Then the bushes rustled.
Koizo's heart nearly stopped.
More goblins?
He grabbed his sword.
A girl stepped out instead.
Silver hair.
Leather armor.
Bow in hand.
Pointed ears.
An elf.
She stared at the goblin corpses, then at Koizo.
"...You killed them?"
Koizo blinked.
"Uh... yeah?"
She looked shocked.
"Alone? Without armor or party?"
He scratched his head.
"Uh... beginner luck?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"You are strange."
Before Koizo could respond, distant howls echoed through the forest.
Lots of them.
The elf's face paled.
"That's a wolf pack."
She grabbed his arm.
"If we stay, we die. Run!"
They sprinted through the trees together.
Howls grew closer.
Branches snapped behind them.
Dozens of red eyes appeared in the darkness.
Koizo ran harder than ever.
His lungs burned.
His legs screamed.
Up ahead, a cliff appeared suddenly.
They skidded to a halt.
No escape.
The wolves emerged from the trees.
Huge.
Hungry.
Surrounding them.
Koizo's heart pounded.
"This is the first day!"
The elf readied her bow, fear in her eyes.
The wolves prepared to attack.
A system window appeared.
Emergency Quest Triggered!
Survive the Wolf Pack.
Reward: Hidden Class Unlock.
Failure: Death.
Koizo gripped his sword.
His new life had just begun.
And he was about to die again.