Small footsteps struck the dusty ground in a rush. The sun-scorched earth radiated a searing heat, burning the soles of his feet with every step.
His messy black hair was swept by the wind, some strands covering his pale face. Behind it, his blue eyes trembled, filled with deepening panic as the distance between him and his pursuer kept shrinking.
"HEY! STOP, YOU DAMN BRAT!"
A rough shout echoed through the street.
The boy didn't look back. He just ran as fast as he could, gripping a red apple tightly in his hand.
His breathing turned ragged, his chest rising and falling unevenly, as if his lungs were being forced beyond their limit.
The heavy footsteps behind him were getting closer.
Finally, he couldn't hold back and glanced over his shoulder.
A middle-aged man with a bulky build was charging after him, swinging a wooden stick. His face was flushed red, his eyes blazing with fury.
Above the man's head, a transparent text appeared:
[Danger Level: High]
The boy's eyes widened.
"WHAT?!"
He almost stumbled.
"Damn system! Wasn't the threat level low just now?! Why is it high now?!"
A cold, emotionless voice answered directly in his mind:
[Threat level is measured based on the difference in strength and the level of aggression toward the host. Previously, the threat level was low because the target had no hostile intent toward the host.]
The boy gritted his teeth.
"You crazy bastard! Do you really have to get that mad over just an apple?!"
"JUST AN APPLE, YOU SAY?! YOU STOLE MY MONEY AND CAUSED ME A LOT OF LOSSES!"
The man roared from behind, speeding up as the distance between them rapidly closed.
The boy swallowed hard.
A chill ran down his spine.
"System! Hurry, think of something to get me out of this situation!"
[Thinking…]
He leaped over a wooden crate with difficulty, his shoulder nearly colliding with a passerby. His small body turned sharply into a narrow alley.
The next second—
[Optimal solution found.]
A flicker of hope appeared in his eyes.
"Hurry, tell me!"
[I suggest the host surrender and return to the right path before it is too late. Stealing is not dignified and does not align with the system's purpose…]
The boy froze for a moment, then his face twisted in irritation.
"Are you serious… what are you, a moral teacher?!"
The heavy footsteps were now extremely close.
"STOP!!!"
He had no time to complain.
His eyes darted around wildly, scanning his surroundings for even the smallest escape route.
The alley was narrow and suffocating, flanked by old stone walls that were cracked and worn.
"Damn it… it's a dead end."
His steps slowed for a moment, despair creeping in as he imagined what would happen to him.
Luckily, in that split second, his eyes caught something.
On the side of the wall, hidden in the shadows, there was a small hole—almost impossible to notice if you weren't looking carefully.
Not big.
But big enough for his small body.
Without hesitation, he ran toward it.
Without hesitation, he threw his body backward.
His legs slid in first, like a controlled tackle, slipping straight into the narrow opening.
The damp ground let him slide in without resistance, dragging his small body deeper inside. Dust scattered, and the rough friction against his back and arms left a stinging sensation.
In an instant, his entire body disappeared behind the stone wall.
Almost at the same time—
THUD!
The wooden stick slammed against the wall right beside the hole.
"Get out here, you damn little rat!"
The man's voice boomed with rage.
Inside the narrow hole, the boy lay on the ground. His body trembled slightly, tense after narrowly escaping disaster.
"Huff… huff…"
"Damn it, do you really have to get that mad over an apple? People in this world really have no compassion, not even for a child."
Through the small gap, he could see the man's large shadow standing outside. His chest rose and fell as his eyes scanned the area sharply.
"You've got some nerve, stealing from my shop…"
The man spat on the ground harshly.
"Next time, I'll make sure to break your legs."
His heavy footsteps echoed briefly in the distance, then gradually faded away until they were completely gone.
The boy stayed still, trying to calm his chaotic breathing.
"…almost died just because of an apple."
He looked at the red fruit in his hand.
Without hesitation, he took a bite.
A soft crunch sounded as his teeth sank into the flesh.
"At least… it doesn't taste much different from the apples I remember."
The cold voice echoed again in his mind:
[The host's actions are still considered undignified.]
The boy snorted softly.
"Just be quiet… at least I'm still alive."
[Such actions contradict the nature of a ruler. The host is expected to stop these bad habits and complete the available mission as soon as possible.]
The boy let out a quiet scoff, biting into the apple without much thought.
"If you want me to become a ruler," he muttered in annoyance, "then at least let me be reborn as one from the start, not as a beggar like this."
[The Dominion System is not responsible for the host's rebirth conditions.]
"Useless system…"
The voice paused for a moment, then spoke again in the same flat tone:
[In any case, please complete the mission as soon as possible. The faster the mission is completed, the sooner the host can return to the original world.]
…
Silence fell abruptly.
The boy froze.
His bite stopped midway as his jaw stiffened unconsciously.
The sharp glint in his eyes gradually faded.
Something in his expression changed—
no longer alert, but somber, as if an invisible weight had suddenly dropped onto his shoulders.
"System…" his voice was much softer now, almost a whisper, "can I really come back to life?"
He lowered his head slightly, his eyes no longer as sharp as before.
"And… when I return… will I go back to when I was still alive, or—"
He didn't finish his sentence.
But the meaning was clear enough.
[Unfortunately, the system does not have the ability to turn back time.]
The answer came without hesitation.
[The host will return to the original world according to the time that has passed in this world, calculated from the moment of the host's death.]
…
There was no reply.
The boy just stayed silent. It had already been two days since he arrived in this world, which meant two days had also passed in his original world.
"I hope they're still alive."
The apple in his hand was still half-eaten, but he no longer had the desire to continue.
A few seconds passed.
Then he slowly lifted his head.
The dullness in his eyes disappeared—replaced not with warmth, but with something cold, sharp, and filled with growing determination.
"If that's the case…" he muttered softly.
"…then I have to finish this as soon as possible."
But deep within his heart, one question still remained unanswered—
did the world he left behind still have any meaning to him?
"Show me the mission."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
A transparent panel appeared in front of him, faint yet clearly readable.
[MAIN QUEST LIST]
[Mission 1: Create a Kingdom
Description: Build enough power to establish or take control of a kingdom in this world. Difficulty: SSS (Nearly Impossible) Rewards: Unlock advanced system features 10,000 Dominion Points]
[Mission 2: Obtain Your First Follower
Description: Recruit one individual to become your first follower. Difficulty: F (Low) Rewards: Contract Scroll +100 Dominion Points]
His brows lifted slightly. Ignoring the first mission, his attention focused on the second one, which was far more reasonable.
The boy quickly finished the apple in his hand, then stood up. He brushed off his clothes, trying to shake away the dust clinging to them.
"Alright… how do I get a follower?" he muttered softly.
He glanced at his own small body, his face slightly wrinkling.
"Not just a beggar… but also a child. Only an idiot would follow someone like me."
His gaze swept across the surroundings. The houses looked worn and fragile, their walls cracked, some even on the verge of collapse.
A slightly wider alley stretched ahead, but it felt damp, with a foul smell lingering in the air.
"If I'm not mistaken… this is considered a slum area, right?" he murmured.
"Maybe I can find some other street kids to recruit as followers."
His gaze moved again as he walked slowly.
He wandered without a clear destination, simply passing through alley after alley. But the longer he observed, the clearer one thing became—
most of them were adults.
There were indeed a few children, but almost all of them stayed close to adults. Some were being held, others watched carefully.
His brows furrowed.
"This is going to be troublesome…"
He let out a quiet sigh.
"Come to think of it, children really can't survive on their own without adults."
His steps slowed.
"And even if there are any… they're probably living in an orphanage, right?"
He paused for a moment.
"…wait."
His steps stopped.
"From the start… why didn't I stay in an orphanage?"
The system's voice immediately responded in his mind.
[Answer: the previous owner of this body lived with his mother in extreme poverty. His mother died first due to starvation.]
[After that, the previous owner could only lie on the streets, surviving on what little strength he had left while waiting for church volunteers… unfortunately, he died a day before they arrived, and the host took over this body.]
The boy clicked his tongue softly.
"Ck… if that's the case, wouldn't it be better to go to an orphanage than follow someone like me?"
He continued walking, but slower now.
At some point, the atmosphere around him changed.
Quieter.
He glanced left and right. This alley felt far more deserted than the others—no conversations, no footsteps, just an eerie silence.
…
Thud!
His body tensed slightly.
A dull impact sound suddenly came from ahead.
Instinctively, he held his breath for a moment.
Then, carefully, he moved closer to the source of the sound.
As he got nearer, another noise reached his ears—
the sound of blows.
And something like a suppressed groan.
He stopped at the end of the alley, then slowly peeked.