They had just finished dressing (grass-stained, flushed, clothes half-buttoned and smelling of sex) when Kai froze mid-step.
Fifty meters ahead, through a gap in the flowering trees, smoke curled lazily upward.
Three small green figures squatted around a fire pit, turning a spit with what looked like a young wild boar.
Short, wiry, naked except for crude leather loincloths. Long ears, yellow eyes, jagged teeth glinting as they laughed in guttural voices.
Goblins.
Real, living, breathing goblins.
Sayuri's hand flew to her mouth. "Those are… fantasy goblins. Like in games. This really is another world."
Mika instinctively stepped in front of Sayuri, shielding her pregnant belly. "We need to go. Now."
But Kai didn't move.
The moment his eyes locked on the creatures, something ancient and electric snapped awake inside his chest.
A translucent blue panel shimmered into existence in front of his vision, visible only to him:
‹ World Notice ›
You have entered the Hidden Realm of Elysara – Unclaimed Territory
First sentient human detected.
System initialization in progress…
Then another panel:
‹ Combat detected in proximity ›
Defeat local monsters to awaken class and receive blessing of the Realm.
Kai's pulse roared in his ears.
He had played enough games in his city days to recognize what this was.
LitRPG rules. Real ones.
He turned to his women, voice low but steady.
"I'm going to kill them."
Sayuri's eyes went wide with terror. "Kai, no—there are three! They have knives, spears—"
Mika gripped his arm hard enough to bruise. "We just found this place. We don't know the rules. You could die."
Kai cupped their faces, one in each hand.
"I spent eight years training muay thai, judo, and BJJ five nights a week to pay for my mom's medicine. I've broken grown men in the ring. These things are half my size. If this world just offered me a class for killing them… I'm taking it. For us. For our family."
He kissed them both—quick, fierce.
"If it goes bad, run for the portal. Promise me."
They nodded, tears in their eyes, but trust burning brighter than fear.
Kai stepped into the clearing.
The goblins noticed him instantly. Yellow eyes narrowed. Crude spears and a rusty dagger were snatched up. They hissed, spreading into a rough triangle, chattering in a guttural tongue.
The biggest one (maybe 140 cm tall, scarred across the chest) barked something that sounded like a challenge and charged first, spear thrust forward.
Kai moved.
He exploded forward in a textbook muay thai clinch entry, hands snapping up to control the spear shaft, knee already chambered. The goblin's eyes had just enough time to widen before Kai's knee smashed into its solar plexus with the force of a sledgehammer. Ribs cracked like dry branches. The creature folded, gasping.
The second goblin came from the left, dagger raised high for an overhead stab.
Kai pivoted, using the dying spear-goblin as a shield. The dagger buried itself in its companion's back. Before the attacker could react, Kai's elbow crashed into its temple (full rotational power, 90 kg of muscle behind it). The goblin's skull caved with a sickening crunch. It dropped like a puppet with cut strings.
The third tried to run.
Kai lunged, tackling it rugby-style around the waist. They hit the grass hard. The goblin thrashed, claws raking his arms, but Kai was already mounting its chest. Ground-and-pound. Three precise, vicious elbows (temple, nose, jaw). The struggles slowed. A final knee to the throat ended it.
Fifteen seconds.
Three corpses.
Blood on the grass that smelled coppery and real.
Kai stood, chest heaving, knuckles split, but alive.
The world went silent.
Then golden light erupted around him, warm and electric, pouring into his skin like liquid sunlight.
‹ First Kill in Elysara – Human Pioneer ›
‹ First Blood Achievement unlocked ›
Class Awakening: Warrior (Rank F → Rank D)
Strength +15 | Agility +12 | Vitality +18
Skill gained: Warrior's Instinct (Passive) – heightened battle awareness
Skill gained: Power Strike (Active) – next attack deals 250% damage (cooldown 30s)
The light faded.
Kai looked down at his hands (veins glowing faintly gold for a second) and laughed, wild and triumphant.
He turned back to his women, who stood frozen at the tree line.
"It's real," he called, voice ringing with power. "All of it. I'm… stronger. I can feel it in my bones."
Sayuri ran to him first, throwing her arms around his neck, tears streaming. Mika followed, pressing against his back, both of them clinging like he might vanish.
"You idiot," Sayuri sobbed into his shoulder. "You beautiful, terrifying idiot."
Mika's voice was rough. "Never scare us like that again… but gods, that was the hottest thing I've ever seen."
Kai held them both, blood still on his fists, heart pounding with new power.
This hidden world wasn't just a private paradise anymore.
It was a second life.
And he had just taken the first step into something far bigger than any of them could have imagined.