I was jolted awake by the sound of movement—numerous noises echoing outside in the middle of the night.
Not just one thing.
Many.
I moved to the edge of the upstairs opening and looked out through a narrow gap in the wall.
What I saw was straight out of a nightmare.
Shambling corpses were emerging from the forest, dragging themselves toward my shack. Rotting flesh. Broken limbs. Empty eyes reflecting firelight.
There were at least ten of them.
They were slow—I could see that much—but numbers like that didn't care about speed.
My heart hammered as I activated Detect.
Detect → Undead Corpse
Type: Undead
Level: 2–4
Individually manageable.
Together? Deadly.
I forced myself to breathe and whispered, "How many arrows?"
Inventory Query: Ammunition
Wooden Arrows: 14 remaining
Not nearly enough.
I raised my bow anyway and aimed at the closest undead.
The arrow flew.
There was a wet, sinking sound as it slid straight into the creature's eye socket and punched through its brain. The corpse crumpled into the snow.
Warmth surged through me as EXP rushed in.
One down.
I fired again.
This one missed the skull and buried itself in the undead's chest.
"Dammit."
It didn't slow down.
I nocked another arrow, steadied my breathing, and released.
Perfect shot. Eye socket. Brain.
Another corpse fell.
I didn't stop.
Arrow after arrow flew into the dark. Some missed. Some struck bone. Some dropped undead instantly. My arms burned, my fingers ached, but I kept firing.
Seven more fell.
Power slammed into me mid-fight.
Level up!
Heat tore through my body as my stats surged higher, nearly knocking me off balance. I barely noticed—I was already reaching for another arrow.
Then my hand found nothing.
Empty.
One undead remained.
I threw the bow aside and ripped my bone spear from the wall, sprinting forward before it could reach the shack. My enhanced strength carried me faster than it should have.
I roared and drove the bone tip straight through its skull.
The resistance gave way.
The corpse collapsed at my feet.
The final rush of EXP hit me all at once. My stomach twisted violently, and I dropped to one knee, retching into the snow as my body struggled to stabilize from the sudden growth.
When it finally passed, the forest fell silent.
No movement.
No groaning.
Just shattered corpses and my own ragged breathing.
I steadied myself and whispered, "Check my stats."
The blue panel flashed, lines scrolling rapidly.
Multiple EXP thresholds exceeded.
Level progression applied.
Level up!
Level up!
Status
Name: Jax
Race: Human
Level: 5
EXP: 0 / 500
Stats:
Strength: 3.0
Agility: 3.0
Intelligence: 7.0
Wisdom: 3.0
Endurance: 3.0
Still breathing. Still standing.
But something else stirred.
Ding!
New Skill Acquired: Basic Spearmanship
Before I could react, another message followed.
Class Selection Unlocked.
A list appeared—but then flickered.
Most of the options dimmed.
One remained.
Gold.
I didn't hesitate.
"I want magic. I choose Arcane Master."
The world exploded inside my head.
Information flooded in—symbols, formulas, elemental patterns, mana pathways. I screamed and dropped to my knees as my brain tried to process knowledge no human mind should have all at once.
Legendary Class Confirmed.
Class: Arcane Master
Rarity: LEGENDARY
Skills burned themselves into my consciousness.
New Skills Acquired:
Mana Manipulation (Basic)
Basic Element Control
Element Creation
Element Manipulation
My body convulsed as the system recalculated.
Magic-Related Attributes Increased: +20
Intelligence: +20
Wisdom: +20
Pain followed power.
Physical Attributes Increased: +5
Strength: +5
Agility: +5
Endurance: +5
When it was over, the world looked… different.
Layered. Alive with invisible currents I could almost grasp.
Mana System: Partially Unlocked
Status: Control Achieved — Capacity Insufficient
I laughed, breathless.
Magic.
Real magic.
And I'd unlocked it on a night meant to kill me.