A sudden weightlessness. Then—
White.
Everywhere. Ceiling, floor, walls—if they could even be called that. The space stretched infinitely, a blindingly pure canvas with no shadows, no corners, no end.
Rio stood up slowly, brushing off invisible dust from his shoulders. Silence reigned.
Then he saw it.
A mirror.
It stood alone in the center of the room, tall and perfectly still, framed in silver so polished it blurred into the light. Rio walked toward it. His own reflection stared back.
Sharp black eyes. Calm, unreadable expression. But within—something flickered. Amusement? Wariness? Or perhaps a buried sense of expectation.
Before he could think more, a familiar voice echoed through the space—mechanical, grand, and everywhere at once.
> [WELCOME TO ALL THE PLAYERS FROM PLANET EARTH.]
[FROM NOW, YOU SHALL BEGIN CLIMBING THE TOWER.
THE TOWER SHALL PROVIDE YOU A SYSTEM TO ASSIST YOUR GROWTH.]
[YOU WILL BE GIVEN BASIC INFORMATION AND ONE RUNE, CHOSEN BASED ON YOUR POTENTIAL CHARACTER.]
[PLEASE NOTE: ONCE A RUNE IS IMPRINTED, IT CANNOT BE UNDONE.]
The moment the voice faded, pain struck.
A sharp, needle-like sting pierced Rio's brain. He nearly lost balance, grabbing his head as the surge hit him like a thunderclap.
"Haa... haa... So that's how it is," he muttered between breaths. "All the basic information of the system... it's in my head now. Runes, stats, the difference between aura and magic, system functions... everything."
He dusted off his shoulder again and whispered, "Status Window."
A blue screen flashed open in front of him. Even for Rio, it was startling.
"So it really is like a game," he muttered. "Let's see... if I remember correctly, most average people would have a status of 10 across the board. Athletes maybe 15 or more depending on their field. Pretty sure mine's higher. Hmm?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Wait—what the hell? Is this some kind of bug?"
---
PLAYER INFORMATION
NAME: RIO
AGE: 27
CLASS: NOT OBTAINED
TITLE: ???
RANK: NOVICE LV. 1
HP: 100 MP: 375
STRENGTH: 45 INTELLIGENCE: 16
AGILITY: 12
SKILL: EMPTY
RUNE: RUNE OF REGENERATION
---
Rio blinked, closed the window, then reopened it.
"Damn... I knew the Core of the Undead Tree boosted my stats, but I didn't think it was this insane. Or is it because of those changes in my body that night? Come to think of it... when that muscular guy grabbed me, I overpowered him without effort. Before that night, it would've taken more than a little effort."
What Rio didn't realize—yet—was that he was already stronger than most athletes before the game ever fused with reality. And now?
Now, he was something else entirely.
Ding!
> [YOU HAVE RECEIVED A GIFT.]
[YOU HAVE RECEIVED: RUNE OF DESTRUCTION.]
[CONGRATULATIONS. YOU ARE THE FIRST TO POSSESS TWO RUNES ON YOUR PLANET.]
[REWARD: 5,000 GOLD.]
Rio's eyes widened.
"So this is what he meant... the gift he said I'd receive. The Rune of Destruction... one of the strongest."
He had thought the gift was just his physical transformation—enhanced strength, faster recovery. But this?
This was something far more precious.
"I didn't think I'd be able to imprint another rune since I already had Regeneration. But this... heh."
A cold smile curved on Rio's lips.
"Keke... If it were anyone else, they'd die the moment they tried to imprint this. The Rune of Destruction is one of the most powerful—and most dangerous. But me?"
He opened his arms.
"I have Regeneration. Imprint it."
> [RUNE IS BEING IMPRINTED ON PLAYER.]
Pain exploded.
The same pain he felt when his body first began changing. Bones grinding, muscles twisting, skin crawling as if bitten by a thousand invisible ants.
Yet Rio said nothing.
He endured.
Moments passed. Agonizing, searing moments. Then—silence.
He stood, sweating, chest rising and falling. But all fatigue vanished in an instant. The white room had healed him completely.
Just as he caught his breath—
> [PLAYERS WILL BE TELEPORTED TO THE STARTING POINT OF ROUND 1 IN 10 SECONDS.]
[PLAYERS, PLEASE CHOOSE A WEAPON.]
"Already, huh?" Rio smirked. "Well... I've been eager to test this anyway."
He opened his palm. A red-and-black orb flickered into existence—transparent, pulsing. Small, but ominous.
> [TELEPORTING IN 3... 2... 1...]
White light swallowed him whole.
---
When he opened his eyes—
Jungle.
Dense trees, thick air, distant animal cries. Everything alive, wild, untamed.
> ROUND 1
MISSION: SURVIVE FOR 1 HOUR
REWARD: 500 GOLD
FAILURE: DEATH
DIFFICULTY: E
Rio chuckled. "So it's the same… a survival mission. Guess I should get to work."
Moments later, a blur dashed through the underbrush. A rabbit.
But not a normal one.
It had horns.
Their eyes locked. In a blink, the creature lunged, horn-first.
Rio sidestepped cleanly and slashed with the sword he had picked up earlier.
> [YOU HAVE SLAIN: HORNED RABBIT.]
[REWARD: 10 GOLD COINS.]
The rabbit collapsed. Dead.
But Rio didn't relax.
He could hear them—more coming. Fast.
He didn't panic. Instead, his grin widened.
Like a child rediscovering his favorite toy.
"Let the fun begin."
---