Darkness. That's the first thing I felt.
Not sleep. Not death. Just… darkness.
And then a voice. Cold, sharp, straight into my head.
"You were not chosen. You were stolen."
My eyes snapped open.
The place around me was wrecked—like some giant cathedral had exploded. Broken glass hung in the air like stars. Marble tiles cracked under me when I moved.
And floating above all that… was a throne made of golden light.
On it sat a woman. No, a goddess. Her silver hair drifted in the air like smoke, her eyes glowing like moons. And she was staring straight at me.
"You died in your world," she said, like it was the most normal thing in the world. "But your soul was stolen before I could send it on."
I just blinked at her. "I… died?"
She didn't answer. Instead, a glowing screen popped up in front of me.
[ System Loading… ]
[ Binding Host: Siz Arland ]
[ Title: The Stolen One ]
[ Authority: Empire Creation (Locked) ]
[ Status: Weak – Fragile – Vulnerable ]
"…What the hell is this? Some kind of RPG screen?" I muttered.
The goddess tilted her head. "Prove your worth… or vanish like dust."
And then—she just vanished.
I didn't even have time to panic before the ground shook. A screech echoed through the ruins. My stomach dropped.
From the broken doorway, something walked in.
It looked human… if humans had glowing red eyes and moved like broken dolls. Its armor was rusted, its sword chipped, but the way it stared at me? Like prey.
[ Warning: Combat Power Insufficient. Survival Probability: 3%. ]
My mouth went dry. "Three percent? That's basically zero!"
The thing let out a snarl and charged.
I froze. I had nothing. No weapon, no magic, no clue how to even fight.
"System! Give me something, anything!" I shouted.
[ Error: Authority locked. Condition: Survive. ]
"Great, thanks for nothing!"
The monster swung. I barely rolled aside as the sword slammed down where my head had been. The ground cracked. Dust filled my mouth.
"Oi, corpse-face! Over here!"
A blur shot out of the shadows and kicked the monster straight in the chest. It staggered back with a metallic screech.
I looked up. My savior was a young guy with messy hair, a dagger in hand, and a grin that honestly didn't match the situation.
He glanced at me and smirked. "You really are pathetic. If you don't wanna die again, get up and move."
The monster roared and charged again.
He sidestepped smoothly, slashing its leg. Sparks flew. It stumbled.
He tossed me a piece of iron—looked like a broken rod from the rubble.
"Here. Use it."
I gawked. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?!"
"Hit it until it stops moving! What else?"
The monster turned toward me again. My whole body shook.
[ New Quest: First Kill ]
[ Objective: Defeat the Corrupted Soldier ]
[ Reward: Beginner Authority ]
The monster lunged. Instinct took over. I swung the rod with everything I had—
CLANG!
The impact jolted through my arms. The thing staggered, a crack splitting across its helmet.
Nalos whistled. "Not bad, newbie!"
I raised the rod, screaming, and smashed it again. Once. Twice.
On the third hit—
CRACK!
The soldier collapsed, twitching, then went still.
[ Quest Complete ]
[ Reward Unlocked: Beginner Authority – Summon Shade (Lv. 1) ]
The corpse's shadow twisted. It rose up from the ground, solidifying into a dark, kneeling figure. Its eyes glowed faintly, waiting for my command.
I stumbled back. "What the hell…?"
The other guy—the one who had saved me—froze. His dagger lowered as his eyes widened. For the first time, his cocky grin disappeared.
"…You… summoned that?" he whispered.
I blinked at him, panicked. "I… I didn't mean to! It just—happened!"
He stared at the shadow soldier, his jaw tight. "…Impossible. That ability… it shouldn't exist anymore."
I gulped. "…What do you mean?"
He didn't answer. He just glanced around, as if suddenly nervous someone might be watching. Then he leaned close and hissed, "Hide it. Don't show anyone else. Not unless you want every hunter, priest, and goddamn noble chasing you."
I looked down at the kneeling shadow soldier. My heart raced. What the hell did I just unlock?
The guy straightened, slipping his dagger back. His grin returned, but it looked forced now.
"Come on, newbie. If you stay here, more will come. And trust me—you're not ready."
He didn't give me his name. Just turned and walked into the ruins, expecting me to follow.
I hesitated only a second before running after him, my shadow soldier trailing at my side.
[End OF Chapter-1]