The rain poured heavily that night. Lightning flashed across the sky, striking in the distance. The air, which had been cold since the afternoon, now pierced through to the bone. People hurriedly searched for shelter, some cursing the sudden change in weather.
Owen Trodor was one of them. His cloak was soaked through, and the shoes he wore felt heavy with water. He had just returned from the company where he worked, a small firm on the outskirts of town. Only three weeks ago, he officially completed his internship, and since then his job had been nonstop. His senior often asked him to help with tasks sometimes beyond his responsibilities.
"Tsk… really unlucky," Owen muttered as he ran through the rain toward the old three-story apartment where he lived. The slippery outdoor stairs made him careful as he climbed up to the second floor.
Once his room door was closed, Owen dropped his cloak on the floor. Raindrops formed a small puddle beneath it. He changed his clothes, then turned on his computer. It was Friday night, the perfect time to immerse himself in his favorite online RPG. For him, gaming was the best way to unwind.
After preparing a hot drink, Owen sat down and started playing. The virtual world greeted him with familiar background music. His fingers danced over the keyboard, controlling the character he had nurtured for years.
Somehow, the sound of the rain outside seemed to grow distant, replaced by a faint hum. His eyelids felt heavy.
"Maybe I'm just too tired..." he thought. In the blink of an eye, his head drooped and Owen lost consciousness.
---
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was no longer the monitor screen, but a vast blue sky without thick clouds. A gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of grass. Owen blinked, trying to process the drastic change.
"…What is this? A dream?" Owen rubbed his eyes in confusion. But the view did not change.
He slowly stood up. Surrounding him was a green meadow stretching as far as the eye could see. From any angle, this did not look like the environment he knew.
In the distance, blueish mountains loomed faintly, with birds flying overhead.
Suddenly—
[DING!] A sound rang inside Owen's head.
A transparent blue screen appeared before him. White letters floated clearly in the air.
```
[Owen Trodor]
Level: 0 (0%)
Physical: 1
Mental: 1
Skill Points: 0
Skills: -
Inventory: -
*(Average adult Physical & Mental: 1)
```
Owen was silent. "This… a status panel? Like in a game…?" He reached out, trying to touch the screen, and was surprised when his fingers passed right through. The screen followed his gaze wherever he looked.
He noticed a small icon shaped like a bag in the corner. Curiosity overcame his confusion. When he touched it, his view was filled with an empty space. When he focused on the thought 'exit,' the display disappeared.
"Okay… this is weird. Very weird. But if this is like a game… then I can level up?"
Owen looked at his hands. They felt light; his movements smooth, as if his body had just been perfected. He felt stronger and healthier than before.
"Is this what it feels like to have a healthy, fit body?" Moreover, he felt full of energy like he did when he was a kid.
His heart raced—not from fear, but from adrenaline and curiosity.
---
He began to walk, trying to find signs of life. But in this meadow, only the sounds of insects and wind filled the air. Then he heard something—a low growl, like a small animal threatened.
Ahead, from behind some bushes, a creature jumped out. It stood only knee-high to Owen, covered in dull brown fur, with sharp teeth and glowing red eyes. It looked like a rabbit at first glance, but its legs were longer and its front claws deadly.
[Ding…]
A panel appeared in the corner of the screen:
```
[Wild Fang]
Rank: E
```
Owen swallowed hard. "Even rabbits are scary."
The creature growled and leapt toward him. Alert and quick, Owen's reflexes kicked in. He dodged sideways, moving faster than he had imagined. "My response is quicker than usual!"
Without thinking, Owen kicked the creature. His foot struck its stomach, sending it flying back.
The monster whimpered but immediately attacked again. This time, Owen used his new speed. He ducked, grabbed a fist-sized rock from the ground, and threw it at the creature.
"Plak."
The rock hit its head, stopping the rabbit monster and knocking it to the ground. Yet it was stronger than it looked. Though blood streamed from its head and it appeared dazed, it was still alive.
"One more hit." Seeing the creature try to flee, Owen stepped forward and kicked it with all his might. The creature was thrown far before falling to the ground—and dying.
[Ding]
[EXP + 61%]
Owen, watching the monster, froze for a moment and then understood that his first battle was over.
"Looks like I need another rabbit to level up, but now's not the time for that." Looking at the dead monster, he muttered softly while walking over.
He picked up the large rabbit's body, thinking about eating it. But he had no knife, fire, or water.
So for now, he put the rabbit aside and focused on what to do next.
---
The sun began to lean toward the west. Owen sat on a rock, trying to digest everything that had just happened.
"Okay, think. This isn't an ordinary game. I'm in another world. I have a status panel, levels, skills, inventory. And monsters are real…"
He looked at his empty, bruised hands. "If I want to survive, I need weapons. And if I want to test the limits of this body, I need to fight more monsters."
Owen then walked toward the nearby forest, alert for monsters. After a few minutes, he heard another growl from afar. He swallowed his fear and moved toward the sound.
Under a big tree, he spotted another rabbit-like creature eating leaves. Owen stood about 20 meters away and smiled faintly.
"Looks like I'll be leveling up today…"
He searched around and found two fist-sized stones. He also found a stick he could use as a weapon.
Owen threw one of the stones—but missed. The startled rabbit immediately became alert and prepared to fight.
"This rabbit isn't the cowardly type that runs away without a fight." Owen felt relieved because the rabbit wouldn't flee—plus, he probably couldn't chase such a quick creature in the forest.
Owen slowly approached. He pretended to swing at the rabbit, and sure enough, it dodged.
"This rabbit isn't that dumb... tsk." The creature didn't just attack blindly; it even dodged skillfully.
Then the rabbit leapt at Owen, opening its mouth full of sharp teeth. But its attack was too predictable, so Owen blocked it with the stick.
He pushed the stick hard and succeeded in knocking the rabbit down with some damage.
The fight went on for several minutes before Owen finally defeated it.
"Looks like the typical monster rabbit is pretty tough…" Owen muttered while chec
king the notification panel.
[Ding]
[EXP + 49%]
[Level +1]