The first thing he felt was pain.A dull, burning ache that spread through every limb — the kind of exhaustion that seeps deep into the bones.Ren gasped, his eyes flying open as air rushed into his lungs like fire.
The world above him wasn't light anymore — just a canopy of trees swaying gently under the dawn sky.Birds chirped somewhere far away. The earth beneath him was cold, damp, and sticky with half-dried blood.
He blinked slowly. His head throbbed.Where… am I?
He tried to move but his muscles refused. His stomach twisted painfully, a deep emptiness clawing inside him.It wasn't just hunger — it was starvation.
His breath came in short, ragged bursts. His body trembled, skin pale and thin.Every bone felt sharper than it should, as if his body had been eating itself for weeks.
Then—
[SYSTEM ACTIVATION: BROTHER Online...]
A soft, bluish glow shimmered beside him.Tiny motes of light gathered mid-air, forming a faint, circular hologram — weak, flickering, almost as if even it was tired.
Ren squinted at the glowing text that appeared.
Name: Ren
Age: 17
Race: Human
Condition: Starving / Blood Loss / Fatigue
Status: Barely Stable
Level: 1
EXP: 0 / 100
Strength: 3
Endurance: 4
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 6
Vitality: 3
[No Skills Detected]
[No Equipment Found]
[System Functions: Limited Access]
He stared blankly at the floating screen."…BROTHER?" he muttered weakly.
As if responding, the screen pulsed faintly.
[Primary Synchronization Complete.][Soul Integration: 100%][Welcome, Ren.]
Then came the pain — a searing flash behind his eyes.Images flooded his mind, overwhelming and fragmented:
A wooden cottage at the village's edge.A young boy running through the fields with a wooden spear.A woman's voice calling out, soft but fading.Empty plates. Crying siblings.A promise whispered under the moon — "I'll bring food back, no matter what."
Then… darkness.Fangs.A creature's snarl.The taste of blood.
And then — stillness.
Ren clutched his head, gritting his teeth as both memories — his old life and the boy's life — collided like crashing waves.It felt like he was being split apart and forced together all at once.
When the pain finally dulled, he lay there in silence, chest heaving.
Two names.Two lives.One body.
He whispered hoarsely, "You were… also Ren, huh?"His voice cracked with something between sorrow and disbelief.
He looked around — the forest stretched endlessly, the village's rooftops barely visible through the trees.The ground near him was marked by a short struggle — broken twigs, faint footprints, and blood stains leading deeper into the woods.
The boy had died here.Alone.Trying to feed his family.
Ren clenched his fists weakly. "You tried to live for them. And I… died saving strangers."A shaky laugh escaped him, dry and bitter. "Guess we're not that different."
He turned his eyes back to the dim system display. The glow was flickering, barely stable — like a candle in the wind.Even so, he felt something stir deep inside.A quiet determination.
"Alright, BROTHER," he murmured, his voice low but steady. "If I've been given this body… then I'll live for his promise too."
The system responded softly — almost warmly:
[Acknowledged.][Survival Priority: Active.][Objective: Sustain Vitality.]
Ren forced himself to sit up, his vision swimming. His stomach growled painfully.The forest around him was silent except for the whisper of wind and distant rustle of leaves.
Somewhere nearby, a stream trickled faintly.He turned toward the sound, staggering to his feet. His legs trembled, his steps unsteady — but he moved anyway.
He had no weapons.No skills.No strength left to fight.
But for the first time in both his lives, he had something —a reason to live.
As he reached the stream, he fell to his knees and cupped the cold water in his hands.The reflection staring back at him wasn't the face he remembered — it was younger, sharper, but tired in the same way.Eyes sunken yet full of quiet fire.
He drank slowly, shivering at the icy taste.
Then, as he looked deeper into his reflection, the faint glow of the system reflected in his pupils.
[You are not alone anymore.]
Ren smiled faintly — small, broken, but real."Yeah," he whispered."…Let's live, BROTHER."
The forest wind carried his words away — and somewhere far in the distance, the sun broke through the clouds, washing the woods in fragile morning light.
The cool water soothed his throat, washing away the taste of blood and dryness.Ren wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, exhaling shakily.
"Alright… first thing's first — food," he murmured, glancing around.The forest stretched endlessly, thick trunks and tangled roots covered in moss. The air smelled of damp earth and wild leaves.He could hear faint movements — distant, cautious sounds — creatures hidden among the undergrowth.
He swallowed hard. If this world's anything like what I saw in those memories… even the animals aren't normal.
As if on cue, a rustling came from his left.
Ren froze. Slowly, he turned — and saw it.
A boar, massive and rugged, limping through the brush. Its fur was dark gray, coarse like iron, with faint streaks of blue light pulsing under its skin.A jagged tusk was cracked, and one side of its body was bleeding — deep gashes glowing faintly, as though the wounds were burning from inside.
A Magical Beast.He could feel the pressure it gave off, raw and heavy, even though it was half-dead.
Ren instinctively stepped back, breath catching in his throat.No… that thing's way above me.
But then his eyes caught the trail of blood it left — thick, steady, weakening.The creature was collapsing. Its breathing was ragged, the light in its eyes fading.
If he didn't act now, he'd die of hunger before the next sunrise.If he did, he might die trying.
Ren clenched his fists. "…Sorry, but I don't get to hesitate this time."
He grabbed a nearby rock — rough, sharp-edged — and crouched low. His hands trembled, but his eyes didn't waver.He moved silently, every step careful, his breath shallow.
The boar finally collapsed near the water's edge, struggling to stand again but failing.
Ren didn't give it a chance.He rushed forward — desperate — and swung the rock down with everything he had left.
A sharp crack echoed through the forest.The boar screamed, a deep guttural roar that shook the ground, but Ren didn't stop.He struck again. And again.
Blood splattered. The glowing light in its wounds flickered violently — then dimmed.
Then — silence.
Ren stumbled back, panting, arms shaking uncontrollably.His body ached, his chest burned, but he was still standing.
He looked at the creature's lifeless form, half in disbelief. "…I… I actually killed it."
The faint blue glow faded entirely. Then the system flickered to life — brighter than before.
[Magical Boar (Lv. 8) Defeated][EXP Gained: 240][Level Up ×2][Current Level: 3]
The moment the notification appeared, a warmth rushed through his veins.It wasn't gentle — it was fierce, like fire being poured into every cell.His body tensed, muscles pulsing with sudden energy as the hunger and pain began to melt away.
His wounds closed slowly, the dryness in his throat fading. The dizziness disappeared, replaced by a strange, electric vitality.
Ren gasped, feeling his heartbeat calm into a steady rhythm.
He glanced at the status window that appeared again — clearer, sharper this time.
Name: Ren
Level: 3
EXP: 40 / 200
Strength: 3 → 8
Endurance: 4 → 9
Agility: 5 → 8
Intelligence: 6 → 6
Vitality: 3 → 9
Condition: Stable
Below that, a new line appeared — glowing faintly green.
[New Skill Acquired: FORESTRY]Instinctive knowledge of forest survival, tracking, and identifying safe resources.
Ren blinked. "A skill…?"
He closed his eyes for a moment, and suddenly — he knew things he hadn't before.Which plants were edible. Which trails animals used. How to read claw marks or broken branches.
It was as if the forest itself whispered to him now.
He let out a quiet laugh — tired, but full of relief. "So… this is what it means to level up."
He looked at the dead boar, expression softening. "Sorry, big guy. You just saved my life."
He began working slowly, dragging the body closer to the stream. Using a sharp rock, he carved what he could — messy but efficient.The meat was tough, the hide thick, but hunger made him ignore the taste.
As he ate, the warmth of life returned fully to his limbs.The forest breeze brushed against his skin, no longer biting cold but strangely alive — like it was watching him.
Above him, BROTHER's faint blue glow pulsed once more.
[Vital Signs: Restored][Survival Priority Complete][Observation: Host exhibits adaptive growth.]
Ren wiped his mouth, smirking faintly. "Yeah, I adapt fast."
He leaned back against a tree, exhaustion finally catching up. The sun was setting, streaking the forest in amber light.
"Tomorrow…" he murmured, eyes half-closed, "I'll find that village."
BROTHER flickered gently in response, almost like a heartbeat beside him.
[Affirmative.]
Ren smiled softly, the last warmth of sunlight touching his face.For the first time since awakening in this strange world, he didn't feel lost.
He had a name, a body, a system — and now, a purpose.
And though he didn't know it yet, this small victory — killing a wounded beast — would mark the start of everything that followed.