A little while later, Crimson regained consciousness.
""Damn it…" he groaned, clutching his head as a sharp headache coursed through him.
Those bastards almost killed me! An intense rage surged through him, unknown even to himself.
The temperature of the surroundings dropped slightly, and a faint crimson energy began to emit from him. Before he could think further, a memory resurfaced—blurry and fragmented.
He saw something leave his chest, followed by a light… then something about a system. And just as quickly as it appeared, the memory vanished.
What did I just witness?
He stood rooted to the ground, stunned by what had just happened. Reflexively, he reached for the necklace he always wore—but to his shock, it was gone.
"Damn it… why isn't it here?!" he panicked. It was the only thing he had left from his parents. Is this system thing… truly real?
The moment he spoke the word system, a screen suddenly popped before him.
He dispelled the screen as quickly as possible. Let me get home and look into this later.
Crimson looked up at the sky—and to his surprise, it was already night.
"How is that possible…?" he muttered.
Does that mean I was unconscious for a long time?
Another thought followed immediately. If that were true, then why hadn't he noticed it was night when he woke up?
it couldn't be he was so lost in thought he couldn't realize that.
Could it be… my vision improved?
He had always had average eyesight. Just that single thought alone thrilled him.
This might be the turning point of my life.
Whatever that system was, he had a strong feeling it would help him achieve the dream he had always chased.
"Let's get home first…" he said, quickly shaking off the excitement.
He started walking.
The streetlights glowed brightly, powered by strange, glowing crystals. The light they gave off felt almost unnatural.
The weather was cool, and the streets were nearly empty—not a single person in sight.
Some military personnel was patrolling round the street and making sure they wasn't danger.
Ever since supernatural creatures had invaded the human realm and nearly caused humanity's extinction, everything had changed.
Though humans had managed to defend themselves through various means, fear still ruled the night.
Rumors said that most of those creatures roamed after dark. Because of that, people barely went outside at night, and most shops closed early.
The old world powers had fallen.
New ones had risen.
The military changed.
The world itself changed.
Old technology was discarded and replaced with new systems that combined magic, science, and other mysterious arts.
Crimson arrived at his house—the small apartment the government had provided after his parents' deaths.
They had died during the very first invasion of those creatures. Back then, the pressure on humanity had been overwhelming. The government had no choice but to make it compulsory for every adult—both men and women—to fight.
Refusal was labeled as treason.
And treason meant execution… not just for the individual, but for their entire family.
Because of that law, countless parents were forced onto the battlefield to protect their children. Crimson's parents were no different. They were ordinary humans, untrained and powerless—yet they were still sent to fight.
That decision led to their untimely deaths.
And it caused the number of orphans like Crimson to skyrocket across the world.
Apart from this small apartment and a little money for his upkeep, nothing else had been given to him.
Crimson sighed as he stepped inside.
His room was simple, clean, and empty—only the bare essentials. Nothing more.
This is why I don't want to be weak…
If I wasn't weak, the government wouldn't have dared take my parents away.
If I wasn't weak, my classmates wouldn't dare disrespect me.
If I wasn't weak, I wouldn't be irrelevant… easily discarded in the grand scheme of things.
If I wasn't weak, I wouldn't be forced into that military academy.
If I wasn't weak, I wouldn't be living in this trash room.
His eyes hardened.
Every problem in this world has only one solution…
Strength.
Not ordinary strength—
Immense strength.
The kind of strength so absolute that no one, no matter how powerful, would dare provoke him.
If this system can give me that kind of power… then I'll pay any price.
Even if it meant losing his humanity.
Even if it meant becoming the very monster the world feared.
In this world… strength is everything.
It is the judge.
The jury.
And the executioner.
Crimson clenched his fist tightly and sat upright on his bed.
"System," he called out.
The translucent screen appeared once more before his eyes.
Name: Crimson
Race: Human
Level: 1
EXP: 0 / 1000
Health (HP): 20 / 20
Energy: 15 / 15
Attributes:
• Strength: 10
• Agility: 10
• Stamina: 10
• Perception: 10
• Endurance: 10
• Intelligence: 10
• Charm: NULL (Locked)
Free Stat Points: 0
Skills:
• [Locked] ???
• [Locked] ???
Active Quest — Daily Conditioning Protocol
Objective:
▸ 20 Push-ups
▸ 30 Sit-ups
▸ 4 km Run
Rule:
▸ Increase total intensity by +5% every day
Failure Penalty: None
Rewards:
▸ +3 Skill Points
▸ +50 EXP