Aarav stood still, his heartbeat echoing in his ears.
The glowing blue screen hovered before his eyes.
[System Activated Successfully]
[Welcome, Host]
He swallowed hard.
"This… this is real?"
A cold breeze passed through the empty street. The world looked the same—yet something felt different. Sharper. Alive.
Suddenly—
[New Quest Available]
[Quest: Survive the Night]
Objective: Defeat 1 Shadow Beast
Reward: +50 XP, Basic Skill Unlock
Failure: Unknown
Aarav frowned. "Shadow… Beast?"
Before he could think further—
A low growl echoed from the darkness.
From the corner of the street, something moved.
Slowly… a creature stepped into the dim light.
Its body was twisted, like smoke and flesh merged together. Glowing red eyes locked onto Aarav.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Okay… this is definitely not normal."
The beast let out a terrifying roar and charged.
Aarav's instincts kicked in. He jumped back, barely dodging its claw that slammed into the ground.
[Combat Mode Activated]
[Basic Stats Unlocked]
Strength: 5
Speed: 6
Stamina: 4
Aarav clenched his fists.
"So I have to fight this thing… to survive?"
The beast attacked again—faster this time.
Aarav moved sideways, his body reacting quicker than before.
"Is this… the system?"
He grabbed a broken metal rod lying nearby.
The creature lunged.
Aarav swung.
CLANG!
The rod hit the beast's arm—but it barely reacted.
"Damn… it's strong."
The beast roared and struck back. Aarav was thrown to the ground, pain shooting through his body.
[Health Decreasing…]
He coughed, struggling to stand.
"No… I can't die here."
The screen flickered again.
[Skill Unlocked: Quick Strike (Level 1)]
A sudden surge of energy flowed through him.
Aarav's eyes sharpened.
"Let's try this."
The beast charged again.
This time—
Aarav stepped forward instead of back.
"Quick Strike!"
In a flash, his body moved faster than ever before.
SLASH!
The rod struck the beast's core.
The creature froze… then shattered into dark fragments.
Silence.
Heavy breathing filled the air.
Then—
[Quest Completed]
[+50 XP Gained]
[Level Up!]
Aarav dropped to his knees, staring at his hands.
"I… I actually did it."
The blue screen glowed brighter.
[Welcome to the Game, Aarav.]
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Game, huh?"
He stood up slowly, eyes filled with determination.
"Then I'll play… and I'll win."