The room was dark. The only light came from the glow of a smartphone screen beside the bed.
"Oh shit! I just lost four thousand dollars in this stupid game!"
Kael Draven shouted angrily before throwing his phone against the wall.
He lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"My name is Kael Draven. I'm just a normal college student. Nineteen years old… and very weak."
He sighed heavily.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated.
A message appeared on the screen.
"What now?" Kael muttered as he got up and picked up the phone.
The message read:
Congratulations. You have earned 10,000 yen.
Kael frowned in confusion.
"What?"
He tapped the message.
The moment he opened it, a blue translucent screen suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.
Kael froze.
"What the hell…?"
In front of him floated a strange window showing information.
[ Status Window ]
Name: Kael Draven
Level: 1
Strength: 5
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 6
Points: 0
Kael rubbed his chin thoughtfully while staring at the floating screen.
"What is this thing?"
He walked around it, examining it carefully.
Suddenly, the screen changed. An image of his own body appeared on the display.
"That's… me."
Kael slowly touched the screen.
Immediately another message appeared.
System Notification.
Your identity has been registered. To level up, please complete the following mission.
Before Kael could react, the screen suddenly disappeared.
He blinked several times before sitting back on the bed.
"Maybe… I'm just dreaming."
Soon he fell asleep.
The next morning, Kael slowly opened his eyes.
The moment he did, he froze.
The same blue screen was floating in front of his face.
"That thing again…" he muttered irritably.
A new message appeared.
[ Mission Triggered ]
Mission: Kill three goblins.
Reward: 50 System Points.
Bonus Reward: Beginner Sword.
Failure Penalty: None.
Kael rolled his eyes.
"Where the hell am I supposed to find goblins, you idiot system?"
He stood up.
But the moment he took a step, the world around him suddenly twisted.
His room disappeared.
In the next second, he found himself standing in the middle of a dark forest.
Cold wind brushed against his face.
Kael's eyes widened in shock.
"Where… am I?"
Another message appeared.
[ System Notification ]
Kael Draven has been transported to a dungeon. Complete the mission to return.
Kael clenched his fists in anger.
"What the hell is happening to me?!"
Suddenly something appeared on the ground in front of him.
A sword.
Kael stared at it before picking it up.
"A sword…"
He examined the sharp blade carefully.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the bushes.
Kael tightened his grip on the sword.
"Something's coming."
Three small green creatures stepped out of the shadows.
Ugly faces. Sharp teeth. Greedy eyes.
"Goblins…" Kael whispered.
The goblins licked their lips.
"Food…" they growled.
Kael took a deep breath and raised his sword.
"If this is a dream… I'll wake up after this."
One goblin suddenly rushed toward him.
Kael swung the sword instinctively.
The blade sliced through the creature's neck.
The goblin's head fell to the ground.
Kael stared at it in shock.
"I… I killed one."
Suddenly another goblin jumped onto his back.
"Get off me!"
Kael grabbed it and threw it against a tree.
Then he thrust the sword forward, piercing its stomach.
The second goblin collapsed.
The third goblin attacked with a crude knife and cut Kael's hand.
"Ouch! You filthy creature!"
Kael gritted his teeth and drove the sword straight into the goblin's chest.
The creature fell to the ground.
Kael dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.
Then suddenly the forest disappeared.
In an instant, he was back inside his room.
"I'm… back?"
A screen appeared again in front of him.
[ Level Up ]
Level 1 → Level 2.
Stat Points Earned: 5.
Reward: 50 System Points.
Kael looked at the notification in amazement.
"I leveled up…?"
Another status screen appeared.
[ Status Window ]
Name: Kael Draven
Level: 2
Strength: 5
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 6
System Points: 50
Kael rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"So I can increase my stats… just like in games."
He increased his Strength and Agility.
[ The status window updated ].
Name: Kael Draven
Level: 2
Strength: 7
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 6
System Points: 50
Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
The screen disappeared instantly.
"Kael! Are you going to college?" an elderly woman asked from outside.
Kael quickly opened the door.
"Yes, I'm going now," he said nervously before closing the door again.
The woman tilted her head in confusion.
"What happened to him?"
Later at college, Kael sat at his desk, lost in thought.
"I can't believe it… I actually became a system user like those anime characters."
He sighed.
Suddenly a book hit his forehead.
"Where are you looking, boy?" the teacher asked sternly.
Kael quickly straightened up.
"Sorry, sir. I was just thinking about something."
He looked down at his book again.
But deep inside his mind, he knew something.
His life had completely changed.
After class, a few boys walked toward Kael's desk.
"Well, look who it is," one of them sneered. "Kael Draven. The guy who was daydreaming in the middle of class."
Kael slowly looked up at them, his expression calm.
"What do you want?" he asked coldly.
Another boy suddenly grabbed Kael by the collar and pulled him up.
"Don't talk back to us, kid," the boy said with a dangerous grin before shoving him back into the chair.
Kael clenched his teeth in anger, but he didn't fight back.
Instead, he stood up and walked toward the door.
"I don't have time for childish brats," Kael muttered to himself before leaving the classroom.
Behind him, the boys burst into laughter.
"Run, dog, run!" one of them shouted mockingly.
Their laughter echoed through the classroom as Kael walked away.
In the college canteen, Kael sat alone at a corner table.
He rested his head on his hand, looking exhausted.
"Why do these things always happen to me?" he muttered tiredly.
Suddenly, a familiar blue screen appeared in front of his eyes.
Kael's eyes widened.
"That thing again…"
A message appeared.
[ Mission Triggered ]
Mission: Kill 10 Goblins
Reward: 100 System Points
Failure Penalty: None
Kael quickly looked around the canteen. Students were chatting and eating normally.
No one seemed to notice the floating screen.
"Maybe… other people can't see this screen," he whispered.
He stood up and slowly walked toward a quiet corner.
"If that's true… then I guess I have to complete this mission."
The moment he finished speaking, the world around him suddenly twisted.
The noise of the cafeteria disappeared.
In the next second, Kael found himself standing in the middle of a dark forest once again.
Cold wind brushed against his face.
"I'm back in the forest dungeon," he said in shock.
Suddenly another screen appeared.
[ Inventory ]
Weapon: Sword
Kael rubbed his chin thoughtfully before selecting the item.
The moment he pressed it, a sword materialized in his hand.
He examined the blade carefully.
"This is the same sword I used in the earlier mission," he said quietly.
Just then, rustling sounds came from the bushes nearby.
Small green figures began stepping out from the shadows.
Goblins.
One… two… three…
More and more of them appeared, slowly surrounding him.
Kael tightened his grip on the sword.
A confident smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Alright then," he said calmly.
"Let's start the game."
He raised the sword and pointed it toward the approaching goblins.