Jinu blinked against the harsh sunlight reflecting off the jagged stones. His body ached in places he hadn't even realized could ache. The deep red core—glowing and pulsing like a heartbeat—still burned in his chest where the storm had entered him. He stumbled backward, coughing, his hands pressed against the rough ground.
"W-what… what just happened?" he whispered, his voice shaking. Dust clung to his hair and clothes, but there was something far stranger than the dirt: the hum, the vibration, the whispering pulse inside his mind.
Then, a cold, mechanical voice pierced the silence, calm and absolute:
[System Notification 001: Core Integrated. Welcome, User Jinu.]
Jinu froze. "What… Core? User? Who—what are you talking about?"
His surroundings seemed unchanged—just the familiar quarry, the broken rocks, the distant shouts of other workers—but the world felt different. Every sound was sharper, every movement slower, like he had been pulled slightly out of reality.
[System Notification 002: Tutorial Required. Commands locked until orientation is complete.]
Jinu staggered to his feet, heart hammering. He glanced at the quarry wall, the jagged stones, and then at his own hands. Nothing looked physically different, yet he felt… power. Something thrummed in his veins, electric andalive.
Before he could even comprehend it, a deep growl tore through the air. Jinu turned—and froze. A creature, monstrous and misshapen, lunged toward him from the shadows between the rocks. Its eyes glowed an eerie crimson, its claws gouged the stone as it sprinted.
"Wait! What… what am I supposed to do?!" he shouted.
Instinct took over. Jinu bolted. The creature was fast, faster than he imagined, but something inside—the Core, maybe—kept him moving, dodging, weaving. The system's voice echoed faintly:
[Warning: Unauthorized elimination attempt detected. Grace period granted.]
Before the monster could strike, it vanished, leaving only a ripple of wind and a faint echo of its growl. Jinu stumbled to the ground, panting, hands shaking, as the system's calm voice returned:
[System Notification 003: Grace granted. No penalties applied. Return to point of origin.]
Moments later, the quarry workers found him, helping him to his feet. "You okay there, kid?" one asked, frowning. Jinu nodded, too dazed to explain, too aware that his life had just changed entirely.
He didn't yet understand the Core, the system, or the monsters—but one thing was certain: nothing would ever be normal again.