Sky loved playing MMORPGs. He always chose the scythe class because it looked cool to him. He never understood why people always went for swords or magic. Why couldn't a scythe be a knight's weapon too?
He had finished high school and college but had no job, no friends, and no relationship. His life was a loop of eating, sleeping, and gaming. Every day felt the same, silent except for the sound of his keyboard.
That night, his character died again in-game. Sky stared at the screen, then let out a short laugh.
"Should I hang myself and get reincarnated into another world?" he said, half joking, half serious.
He fell back onto the floor, the light from his monitor flashing across his tired face. The room smelled of instant noodles and dust. His laugh faded into silence. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like if the next time he opened his eyes, he really was in another world.
When Sky opened his eyes again, he blinked at the bright blue sky above him.
"Huh? Morning already?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He tried to sit up, expecting his messy room, but instead found himself lying on grass. The air was fresh, and birds chirped somewhere nearby.
"I… was sleeping, right? So why am I staring at the sky?" he whispered. He sat up fast, looking around in shock. Trees surrounded him. No buildings. No monitor light. He slapped his cheek hard. The sting was real.
"That hurt… so this isn't a dream?" he mumbled, his voice trembling. He tried to close his eyes and sleep again, hoping to wake up in his room—but nothing happened. Minutes passed. He stayed frozen, staring blankly at the clouds.
Then a thought hit him.
"Did I… transmigrate?" he said, eyes wide. A mix of fear and excitement filled his chest. To confirm it, he slammed his forehead against a nearby tree. The pain made him yelp, and his vision blurred. He passed out.
When he woke up again, his head throbbed.
"Huh… I did really get transmigrated," he groaned. He looked around, expecting something—maybe a floating screen or a system message—but nothing appeared.
He waited. Five minutes. Ten. An hour. Still nothing. Then the sky turned gray. Raindrops began to fall.
"Great… no system, and now rain," he sighed, shoulders drooping. He looked around and spotted a small cave nearby. "Guess that's my shelter for now."
He ran toward it as the rain poured harder, realizing his new life had already begun
Sky couldn't wait any longer. He raised his hand and shouted, "Status window!"
Nothing happened.
"System! Come on!" he yelled again, but there was no response.
"Where did my cheat code go?" he muttered with a disappointed look. If this was really another world, how was he supposed to survive without help?
Days passed. Sky lived in the forest for three days, but the system never showed any sign of awakening. He pushed through, surviving on berries and small animals. After a week, his body grew thinner, his clothes torn, but his will stayed firm.
He had made a crude spear from a branch and sharpened stone. One morning, while sneaking through the trees, he spotted a rabbit. His stomach growled. He crouched low, holding his breath as he prepared to strike.
Then a sound came from behind him.
Rustle.
Sky flinched. The rabbit bolted away.
"What was that!" he shouted, spinning around. He ran to a nearby tree and peeked from behind it.
A small green figure stepped out of the bushes. It was short, ugly, and carried a rusty knife. Sky's eyes widened.
"A goblin… It looks way scarier than in the game," he whispered.
He took a step back, but a branch snapped under his foot.
Crack.
The goblin's head turned. It screeched and charged at him. Sky dodged by instinct, rolling to the side. He looked around, praying there weren't more.
"This is my first fight! I only play games!" he shouted, running through the trees.
"If only that stupid system was here!"
He stopped, breathing hard. Running wouldn't help forever. He tightened his grip on the spear.
"It won't do anything to keep running. I have to fight."
The goblin grinned, showing its sharp teeth. The sight made Sky's blood boil. "Even monsters are laughing at me now? Fine. Bring it on!"
The goblin rushed forward. Sky blocked with his spear, the impact shaking his arms. His hands trembled. The creature's strength was real—too real.
He tried to counter, but the goblin deflected easily. Panic rose in his chest. But then, his gamer instinct kicked in. Analyze. Counter. Attack.
He remembered how he fought in MMORPGs—waiting for an opening, predicting patterns.
"This is the same," he muttered. "Just like in the game."
Sky charged forward, ignoring the pain as the goblin slashed his shoulder. He pushed in close and drove the spear straight through the goblin's chest.
Thud.
The creature fell. Blood soaked the dirt. Sky stood shaking, panting heavily.
Then a sound echoed in his head.
[Ding!]
[Synchronization…]
Sky's vision blurred as blue light surrounded him.
Finally. The system had awakened.
He smiled weakly before collapsing to the ground and losing consciousness.
Sky woke up hours later, his body aching all over. His clothes were torn, his arms covered in dirt, but he was alive.
Then a soft voice echoed in his head.
[System Boot Complete.]
Sky froze. His eyes widened. "Finally! It's here! It took you long enough!"
He laughed and almost cried from relief. "You made me wait days, stupid system," he muttered, but the system gave no reply. It seemed this one wasn't the type that talked back like in novels. Still, he was grateful. His cheat code had finally arrived.
He quickly called it out. "Status window!"
A blue screen appeared before him, floating in midair.
──────────────
[Name]: Sky
Race: Human
Level: 1
Class: None
Title: None
Strength: 5
Agility: 3
Stamina: 2
Magic: 0
Mana: 2
Skill Points: 0
Inventory Slots: 5
Status: Stable
──────────────
Sky frowned. "Wow. I'm weak." He sighed, shaking his head.
He tried exploring the system, pressing random tabs, but a message appeared:
[Access Denied. Complete an initial mission or fulfill a condition to unlock system functions.]
"Tch. No beginner tutorial either?" he grumbled. He checked his inventory, hoping for a reward.
To his surprise, there was one item.
[Beginner Package: Weapon Box (Choose one weapon to determine your path.)]
"Oh? So this is how it starts."
He decided to wait until he was back in his cave before opening it. Luckily, his wounds had already healed—probably thanks to the system activating right before he passed out.
"So it only activates after killing something," he said, rubbing his shoulder. "Guess that's fair."
He walked back to the cave as the sun began to set. Once inside, he opened his inventory again and selected the weapon box.
[Open Weapon Box?]
"Yes."
A list of weapons appeared—swords, spears, bows, even guns. He scrolled through them, unimpressed by their low quality. Then he stopped.
A black scythe.
His eyes lit up. "There it is."
He selected it without hesitation.
[Scythe of Mystery Lv.1 obtained.]
A detailed description popped up, but Sky skipped most of it halfway through. "Too long," he muttered.
He opened his profile again, and his class had changed.
──────────────
Class: Scythe Wielder
Strength: 10
Agility: 8
Stamina: 7
Magic: 5
Mana: 7
──────────────
A huge scythe appeared beside him, taller than his own body. He gripped it with both hands and gave it a slow swing.
It felt light. Balanced. Perfect.
"All stats up by five, huh? Not bad for a start."
He looked at the weapon, a grin forming on his face. "Guess the grim reaper's fanboy is