Nathan sat back down at his desk, hands hovering uselessly above the keyboard.
His room felt smaller than usual.
The red system window still hovered faintly in his vision, no longer startling, but impossible to ignore.
[System Synchronization — 90%]
Almost there.
The thought made his stomach tighten.
He should have been calm.
He had spent years preparing for this moment. Years watching thousands of streams.
Reading discussions and learning everything there was about the system.
And yet-
Now that it was actually started happening, his mind felt blank.
Nathan exhaled slowly and rubbed his face with both hands.
'Okay. Slow down,' he told himself.
He stared at the screen for a few seconds, then began typing.
"What to do after synchronization."
Enter.
Search results filled the page.
Forum posts, old guides, half-abandoned blogs.
Arguments buried in comment sections.
Nathan clicked one at random.
He skimmed for a few seconds, then closed it.
This one was too vague.
He clicked another.
This was too outdated.
A third.
This was too confident.
Anyone promising "guaranteed success" like those influencer gurus directly went into the mental trash can.
Nathan leaned back in his chair, frustration slowly creeping in.
He knew this stuff. At least, he had thought he did.
But knowledge picked up secondhand felt different when it was suddenly personal.
This wasn't just a theoretical class in the academy anymore.
Neither was this close to watching someone else make mistakes on a livestream and backseat them.
'This is my actual reality now.'
He adjusted his search terms.
"Beginner hunter guide."
"Newly awakened what to do next."
"First steps after system awakening."
That was when a video result suddenly caught his eye.
A Beginner's Guide to Hunting – Starlight Guild
Nathan froze.
Starlight.
This was a popular guild, ranking in the top 50 leaderboards.
He clicked on the video immediately.
The video loaded fast.
The video quality felt crisp and seemed professionally edited.
no shaky camera or background audio like like livestreams he watched.
A clean title card faded out, replaced by a man standing in a well-lit room.
White hair and sharp red eyes.
Nathan straightened without realizing it.
"…No way."
He knew that face.
Nett Spencer.
Even people who didn't follow hunting closely recognized the name.
Nett was famous for clearing dangerous rifts most guilds avoided.
Nathan had watched breakdowns of his fights more times than he could count.
He was a front liner, damage dealer and one of the best hunters known.
The video timer ticked forward as Nett looked into the camera, calm and composed.
"Hey," Nett said. His voice was steady, unhurried. "I'm Nett Spencer."
Nathan swallowed.
"I'm the vice guild leader of Starlight," Nett continued, "and a front liner."
He paused briefly, as if considering his next words.
"I've been a hunter for over ten years," he said. "I awakened at fourteen."
Nathan's fingers curled slightly against the edge of the desk.
Fourteen.
Nett smiled faintly.
"This video isn't for veterans," Nett said. "It's for people who just awakened. People who think they know what they're doing—and people who know they don't."
Nathan leaned closer.
"I'm making this because there are things I wish someone had told me back then," Nett continued. "Mistakes that cost me time. Injuries. Friends."
The word friends lingered.
Nathan didn't blink.
Nett shifted slightly, leaning against the table behind him.
"First," he said, "understand this: hunting isn't a race."
Nathan let out a slow breath.
"Everyone wants to move fast," Nett said. "Everyone feels like they're behind. That feeling doesn't go away just because you awakened late or early."
Nathan felt the words land heavier than he expected.
"If you rush," Nett continued, "you will get hurt. Or worse."
He looked straight into the camera.
"No guild. No contract. No reputation is worth your life."
Nathan sat very still.
The system window hovered quietly in the corner of his vision.
[System Synchronization — 91%]
He didn't look away from the screen.
For the first time since the notification appeared, Nathan felt something settle in his chest.
Not confidence.
Direction.
And he listened.
"When a normal person awakens their system," Nett said, "the first thing that happens is synchronization."
Nathan nodded slightly, even though no one could see him.
"That process isn't random," Nett continued. "The system assesses you. Your body. Your mental state. Your limits."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"It quantifies your stats."
Nathan leaned forward.
"For a lot of people," Nett said, "this is the part that scares them."
The screen shifted briefly to a simple graphic, then back to Nett.
"Here's the truth," Nett said. "Bad stats aren't a problem."
Nathan blinked.
"Everyone wants high numbers," Nett went on. "Strength. Agility. Precision. Whatever they think matters most. But starting low doesn't mean staying low."
He tapped the table lightly with one finger.
"The system rewards growth," Nett said. "Not potential."
Nathan felt his breathing slow just a little.
"When you kill a monster," Nett said, "if that monster has a stat higher than yours, you gain a fraction of it."
The words landed hard.
"If you have five strength," Nett continued, "and you kill a goblin with seven strength, you get a fraction of that strength."
Nathan's fingers tightened on the edge of the desk.
"But," Nett added, "if your strength is already equal to or higher than the monster's, you get nothing from that stat."
Nathan swallowed.
"That's why fighting weak enemies forever doesn't work," Nett said. "Once they stop pushing you, they stop feeding you."
The explanation was simple. Brutally so.
Nathan glanced briefly at the faint red window in the corner of his vision.
[System Synchronization — 93%]
He looked back to the screen immediately.
Nett didn't rush his explanation.
"Every monster kill also comes with a chance," Nett said. "A small one."
The screen briefly showed icons as he spoke.
"Item shards," Nett said. "Summon shards. Ability shards."
Nathan's pulse picked up again.
"Item shards are the most common," Nett continued. "Data puts their drop rate at around one percent."
One percent.
"Summon shards drop at about half that," Nett said. "And ability shards are rarer still—about half the rate of summon shards."
Nathan exhaled slowly.
"So no," Nett said, "you're not going to be drowning in rewards."
There was a faint smile on his face now.
"And yes," he added, "when you do get one, it matters."
Nathan leaned back slightly, letting the information settle.
This statement wasn't hyped up, neither was it wasn't exaggeration.
'That sounds… fair.'
Nett shifted his stance, crossing his arms again.
"Now," he said, "let's talk about survival."
The tone changed subtly.
"Hunting isn't about damage," Nett said. "It's about staying functional."
Nathan nodded again, unconsciously.
"The first thing you should always carry," Nett said, "is a government-issued regeneration potion."
The words sounded mundane. Practical.
"These are cheap," Nett continued. "Mass-produced and easy to get."
He held up a small vial as an example.
"They regenerate minor wounds," Nett said. "Cuts, bruises, shallow punctures."
Nathan remembered hearing about them before.
"There's a cost," Nett added. "They burn through your stamina. Making you very tired."
He looked straight into the camera.
"But if you're hunting without them," Nett said, "you're being really stupid."
Nathan absorbed that quietly.
"Second," Nett continued, "don't overthink equipment early on."
The screen shifted again briefly, showing a lineup of basic weapons.
"You can license your first weapon through the government," Nett said. "For free."
Nathan's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"No tricks," Nett said. "It's standard policy."
He gestured toward the images.
"Spear. Sword. Axe. Shield. Bow. Simple options."
Nett's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Pick something you can control," he said. "Not something that looks impressive."
Nathan thought about his own hands. His grip. His reach.
"Finally," Nett said, "use what you're given."
The screen showed a city map with highlighted zones.
"Your Unit's government-controlled Grade 0 rifts are there for a reason," Nett said. "They're regulated. Monitored. As safe as hunting ever gets."
Nathan's jaw tightened.
"Use them," Nett said. "Don't rush into unrecorded zones because you think it'll make you stronger faster."
He paused.
"That thinking kills people."
The words hung heavy.
Nett continued talking, briefly covering weapon handling basics. Positioning. Distance. Awareness.
Nathan listened, but his focus drifted slightly.
Not because he was bored.
Because something else demanded his attention.
The red window pulsed faintly.
[System Synchronization — 97%]
His heart rate picked up again.
Nett was still talking, explaining the importance of stamina management and retreat discipline, but Nathan only half-heard it now.
He glanced at the corner of his vision again.
[System Synchronization — 98%]
Almost there.
His fingers curled into his palms.
He waited.
Nett finished a sentence, shifting his weight.
"…and that's enough to get you killed less often," Nett said dryly.
Nathan reached for the mouse.
He clicked off the video.
The screen went dark.
Silence filled the room.
The red window expanded slightly.
[System Synchronization — 99%]
Nathan sat perfectly still.
His breathing was shallow now. Controlled, but tight.
This was it.
Years of waiting. Watching. Wondering.
He stared at the empty space in front of him.
And waited.