Rain pattered on the glossy asphalt, and the sound of water splashing under car tires echoed in the late night. Alex, a 25-year-old programmer exhausted after a 12-hour shift, trudged home under his worn umbrella. He muttered to himself: "Just get home, take a shower, and play some games. Tomorrow, the whole miserable cycle starts again." His life was monotonous to the point of boredom – code, coffee, and the isekai webnovels he devoured to escape reality. He dreamed of a real adventure, where he could become a hero with unmatched power. But the cruel reality was: he was just an ordinary guy, no family, no close friends, with only his laptop for company.
Suddenly, from the dark street, dazzling headlights from a truck rushed toward him like a colossal steel beast. The blaring horn sounded, but it was too late. Alex turned his head, his eyes wide with horror. "No! Stop!" he screamed, but his body was violently thrown, crashing against the hard road. Pain spread throughout his body like thousands of needles, the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and his vision blurred into a solid black. "Is this... the end? I haven't done anything yet..." The last thought flashed through his mind, and then everything sank into absolute nothingness. Death came swiftly, unforgivingly, leaving an immobile body under the pouring rain.
But death was not the end. A cold, numbing sensation spread through his body, jolting Alex awake. His heart pounded like a war drum, his breathing ragged. He opened his eyes, but not in a hospital or on the familiar street. Instead, he lay in the middle of a dark, ancient forest, with colossal trees towering dozens of meters high, their dense foliage completely obscuring the gray sky. The frigid air penetrated his skin, carrying the scent of damp earth, decaying leaves, and something else metallic, like fresh blood. A chilling breeze swept through, bringing strange whispers from the thick bushes. "Where... where is this? I was dead! Or is this... a dream?" Alex whispered, his voice trembling. He tried to sit up, but the unfamiliar body made him stumble – it was leaner, more flexible, without the calluses from hours of typing. His hand touched the damp ground, and suddenly, a cold, dark energy spread from his fingertips, causing the surrounding grass to subtly wilt.
"What's happening? This body... isn't mine!" Alex frantically touched his face, feeling unfamiliar features – a younger face, longer black hair, and eyes that seemed to flash with a strange light. He looked around, trying to get his bearings. This forest was unlike any place on Earth: the ancient trees were carved with faint, glowing runes; in the distance, the howls of strange animals echoed, raising the hair on his arms. "This isn't reality. Is it... isekai? Like in the novels I read?" The thought both thrilled and terrified him. He had dreamed of this – being reborn in another world with cheat power. But now, true fear constricted his chest.
Before he could think further, an invisible voice, cold as if from the deepest hell, echoed directly in his mind:
[System Initialized: Welcome, Chosen One. You have perished in the former world and have been reborn in Elyria – a continent where magic, monsters, and ancient gods reign. This is a world of swords and sorcery, where the strong survive, and the weak are crushed. Initial Skill Granted: Shadow Dominion – The ability to control shadows for combat, manipulation, and devouring enemies. But be warned: Shadow power is not a free gift. It can backfire, turning its master into a slave of eternal darkness if abused.]
Alex's eyes widened, cold sweat streaming down his back. "A System? Seriously? This really is isekai! But... darkness? Why not fire or some heroic light?" He had read tons of webnovels in this genre, where the protagonist always had an OP power from the start. But this power sounded dangerous, more like a curse than a blessing. Testing it, he raised his hand, focusing his will on the shadow beneath his feet. Unexpectedly, a swirling black mass surged from the ground, forming a sharp blade of darkness in his palm, vibrating as if craving blood. Dark energy spread, making the air colder, and Alex felt a strange hunger deep within his soul. "Whoa, it actually works. I can feel it... like a part of my body." He lightly swung the blade, effortlessly cutting a nearby branch. But it was accompanied by a slight headache, as if the darkness was whispering: "More... Give me more..."
He shook his head, trying to clear the feeling. "I have to control it, not let it control me. Now, I need to figure out this world. Maybe there's a village nearby..." But before he could finish his thought, a terrifying roar ripped through the forest's quiet. From the dark bushes nearby, a giant figure lunged out like a whirlwind – a Goblin King over two meters tall, with scarred green skin, and savage, blood-red eyes. It held a massive club stained with dried blood and bone fragments, growling in a hoarse voice: "Grraaah! Fresh meat! New soul... You will be my meal!"
Alex froze, terror surging like a tide. His heart pounded wildly, his limbs trembling. "A real monster? A Goblin King? It's much bigger than in the game! I... I have to run!" But his feet were nailed to the ground by primal fear. The Goblin King charged with incredible speed, its club swinging down like a sledgehammer, aiming straight for his head. In that moment of life and death, survival instinct took over. Alex rolled out of the way just in time, the ground exploding under the impact, dust flying everywhere, and rock fragments scattered. "Damn it! This is not a game – I'm going to die for real! Real flesh, real pain!"
He instinctively activated Shadow Dominion; the shadows beneath the ground crawled up like living, half-dead tentacles, wrapping around the monster's legs, momentarily stopping it. The Goblin King struggled violently, roaring and tearing off part of a tentacle with its sharp claws. "You... dare use shadow magic? You are a heretic!" it yelled, its voice full of rage, then swung the club sideways with terrifying power. Alex dodged the first blow, but the second one grazed his shoulder, tearing through his shirt and skin. Hot blood gushed out, the searing pain spreading throughout his body. "Aaaargh! It hurts so much! I can't take it!" Alex screamed, retreating a few steps, clutching the wound that wouldn't stop bleeding. His vision blurred with pain, but the adrenaline surged, making him more alert than ever. "It's too strong... My level is only 1, and it's... certainly much higher. I have to use everything I have!"
In a moment of despair, the dark power surged more intensely than ever, as if whispering seductive, deadly words in his ear: "Devour... Devour everything! Let me help you..." Alex gritted his teeth, his eyes red with pain and fury. "Shadow Strike!" he yelled, the dark blade flying like a black lightning bolt, severing one of the Goblin's arms. Green blood splattered, smelling foul; the monster roared in agony, staggering back. But it didn't stop – with its remaining arm, it lunged like a wounded beast, the club slamming down repeatedly, creating deep craters in the ground. Alex rolled away continuously, his breath ragged, his body exhausted. "I can't last... Must end this quickly!"
Suddenly, he felt the darkness envelop his entire body, a new skill forming in his mind. "Shadow Cloak!" he whispered, and his body vanished into the void, becoming an invisible phantom, blending with the forest's shadows. The confused Goblin King swung its club wildly into the air, growling: "Where are you? Show yourself, coward!" Alex crept behind his enemy, his heart pounding. With all his remaining strength, he materialized and plunged the dark blade straight into the monster's heart. The blade pierced the steel-hard flesh, sucking its life force. The Goblin King convulsed violently, its eyes rolling back, then collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud. Its body dissolved into dark motes of light, leaving a glittering, magic-infused crystal shard on the ground.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the Level 15 Goblin King – Leader of the Goblin Pack in the Shadow Forest. Experience +1000. Level up: Level 1 → Level 5. New Skill: Shadow Cloak – Stealth and increased speed within the shadows. But warning: Overuse may allow the darkness to control you, leading to loss of sanity.]
Alex sank to the ground, panting as if about to pass out, blood still seeping from his wound. "I... I survived. But it hurts so much... This body is weaker than I thought." He tightly grasped the crystal shard, feeling new power surging through his body; the wound began to slowly heal thanks to the magic power. But it was accompanied by a vague fear – the darkness was whispering more clearly, craving fresh blood and power. In the distance, the howls of the Goblin pack echoed, growing closer, like a warning that this forest was unforgiving to the weak. "They're coming... I have to get out of here!"
Suddenly, from the dark tree shadow behind him, a slender figure emerged as if from nowhere – a beautiful elven girl with long, lustrous silver hair, her blue eyes shimmering under the dim moonlight filtering through the leaves. She wore leather armor and held a drawn bow, the arrow tip shimmering with magic aimed directly at him. Her voice trembled with fear and suspicion: "You... you killed the Goblin King alone? But that power... That is the sign of the Shadow Sovereign – the carrier of the ancient dark curse! Who are you? Or are you... a monster sent to destroy this forest?"
Alex looked up, his heart racing with surprise. The girl aimed the arrow at him, her gaze full of wariness, yet with a hint of curiosity. The shadows around him began to writhe uncontrollably, as if preparing to devour everything nearby. "Wait... Don't shoot! I... I'm not a monster! But... who am I now? And who are you?" he whispered, his voice weak.