The morning sun spilled across Taren Vale like liquid gold, painting the thatched roofs of the houses and the cobblestone streets in soft warmth. Farmers were already at work, and the distant clanging of a blacksmith's hammer rang out in steady rhythm. Life here was quiet. Predictable. Boring.
But not for me. Not anymore.
I carried the wooden buckets of water up the slope with my sister, huffing slightly. My small body wasn't built for labor yet, but the motions were familiar—so familiar I could do them without thinking. And that gave me time to notice things most people ignored.
The breeze that cut through the trees carried a strange, faint hum. The birds weren't chirping like they normally did. And every now and then, from the corner of my eye, a flicker of light pulsed in the air—like the edge of a translucent screen waiting to be summoned.
SYSTEM RECOGNIZING
Subject: Kael. Status: Dormant. Awaiting Catalyst.
The words had appeared again last night, then faded before I could react. Now, they haunted the edge of my vision like a ghost.
I didn't dare mention it to my sister. She'd call me crazy—or worse, she'd tell Mother.
"Kael?" My sister's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "You're spacing out again. You've been acting weird lately."
I adjusted my grip on the buckets. "Just tired."
"You're seven." She rolled her eyes. "You don't get tired."
I smiled faintly. "I do when you make me haul water."
She snorted and shoved me lightly, but her gaze lingered on me a little too long. I could tell she was worried.
The path to the well wound past the edge of the village, near the tree line. Rufni padded behind us, tail wagging lazily. He always got tense near the woods, like he sensed something beyond the treeline.
And he was right.
Today, the forest was silent. No birds. No insects. No rustle of leaves—just the hollow sound of our footsteps on the dirt path.
Then… a low growl echoed from the shadows.
I stopped. "Did you hear that?"
My sister frowned. "Hear what—"
The bushes erupted.
A small, hunched creature crawled out, its green skin mottled and cracked, its yellow eyes glinting like knives. It held a jagged bone spear, drool dripping from its pointed teeth.
A goblin.
I knew instantly what it was—not from this world's knowledge, but from my own. From Earth. The games. The stories. The first enemy. The starter monster.
My sister gasped, stepping back. "What… what is that?"
Rufni barked, hair standing on end.
My heart pounded. "Run," I said softly.
"What—"
"Run. Now."
The goblin lunged forward.
Time slowed.
SYSTEM ALERT
Catalyst Detected. Initiating Awakening Protocol.
System Active.
A screen burst to life in front of me, glowing with blue and white runes only I could see.
[Welcome, Kael.]
[Your system has been activated.]
[First Quest: Survive.]
My pulse thundered in my ears. This wasn't a dream. It was real.
The goblin's spear arced toward me—too fast, too close. My body screamed at me to move, but I was still a child.
Yet the screen in front of me flickered again, words blazing:
Skill Acquired: [Evasive Instinct Lv.1]
My feet shifted on their own, faster than I thought possible. The spear whistled past me, missing by inches.
I stumbled, eyes wide. "What the—"
The goblin snarled, pulling back for another strike.
"Kael!" My sister screamed. She hadn't run. She was frozen.
Rufni lunged at the goblin, teeth snapping. The monster hissed and swatted him away.
The screen pulsed again.
[New Skill Available: Basic Strike Lv.1]
[Activate?]
"Yes!" I shouted without thinking.
Power surged through my small hands—warm, golden, sharp. I gripped the wooden bucket like a weapon and swung.
The bucket shattered against the goblin's skull with a crack.
The creature screeched, stumbling back. Its yellow eyes widened in shock.
I stood there, trembling, staring at my hands.
[First Combat Complete.]
[Reward: +1 Strength. +1 Dexterity.]
[Title Acquired: Survivor of the First Trial.]
The goblin hissed one last time before limping back into the woods, vanishing into the undergrowth.
Silence.
I turned to my sister. Her face was pale. "Kael… what… what was that?"
I glanced at the glowing screen in front of me, then back at her. "I… don't know."
But deep down, I did.
This was the beginning.
The system wasn't just real. It had chosen me.
And the world wasn't as peaceful as it seemed.
The forest was silent again. Too silent.
The only sound left was the crackle of wind through leaves and my sister's uneven breathing. Rufni limped toward me, tail low, growling faintly at the spot where the goblin had vanished.
The glowing screen in front of me pulsed softly, golden letters shifting like they were alive.
[Quest Complete.]
[First Combat: Success.]
[System Awakening Level: 2%]
Two percent? That… that was all?
I blinked, still trembling. "It… it spoke to me," I whispered.
"What?" my sister said, her voice shaking. "Who are you talking to?"
I froze. She couldn't see it. The screen. The runes. Nothing.
The realization hit like a cold wave.
"Nothing," I said quickly, forcing a smile. "It's… nothing."
But I could tell she didn't believe me.
She stared at the dented bucket handle still clenched in my hands. "You hit that thing… and it just… ran away?"
I looked down. The bucket's edge had cracked and splintered, the metal rim warped like it had struck stone. My arms shouldn't have had that kind of strength. Not at my age.
[Temporary Combat Boost Deactivated.]
The words flickered faintly across the corner of my vision before vanishing.
And with that… the strength left me.
I dropped to my knees, panting. My body felt like lead.
"Kael!" My sister dropped beside me, shaking my shoulders. "Hey! What's wrong?"
I managed a weak smile. "I'm… fine. Just tired."
She hesitated, then hugged me tightly. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
Her voice cracked a little. It was the first time I'd heard her cry.
That night, I didn't sleep.
I sat on my bed, staring at the faint reflection of my face in the window, moonlight cutting across the floorboards. My sister snored softly across the room, Rufni curled at her feet.
And then—
[Good evening, Kael.]
I jumped. The screen appeared again, clearer this time—shimmering like mist.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
[I am your Life-Guiding System.]
[A fragment of the source that governs this world's balance.]
[You were chosen as a bearer of potential—one who may alter fate itself.]
The words glowed like embers.
"Chosen? Why me?"
[Your previous life's resolve impressed the flow of fate.]
[You accepted a second chance without hesitation.]
My jaw clenched. "So what, you bring people back to life for fun?"
[No. I grant direction to those who have lost theirs.]
The words sank deep into my chest.
Direction… huh?
"What do you want from me?" I asked quietly.
[Nothing yet.]
[But fate will demand action soon.]
The room dimmed slightly, and a faint chime rang out—soft but haunting.
[Tutorial Quest Unlocked.]
[Quest: The Whispering Woods.]
Objective: Investigate the source of mana distortion near Taren Vale.]
[Reward: ???]
My eyes widened. "You want me to go back there?!" I hissed. "That goblin almost killed me!"
[Every beginning demands courage.]
Before I could argue, the screen flickered and disappeared again.
Silence. Just my heartbeat.
I buried my face in my hands, exhaling slowly. "This can't be real…"
And yet, it was. Every word, every strange pulse of power—it was all too vivid to be a dream.
I looked out the window again. The woods were dark, but I could see faint blue glimmers between the trees. Like fireflies. Only… slower. Pulsing.
The same light I'd seen before the goblin appeared.
That was no coincidence.
The next morning, I told no one. Not even my sister.
She would worry. Or worse, follow me.
After breakfast, when my parents were busy with the fields, I slipped away—Rufni trailing behind me, tail wagging uncertainly.
The forest waited.
Each step into the shadows made the air feel heavier. The trees grew denser, the silence deeper. Then, that hum again—low, vibrating through the ground.
And then I saw it.
A faint, glowing mark etched into the bark of a tree. Blue and swirling, shaped like a spiral of flame.
[Mana Distortion Detected.]
[Analyzing…]
The mark flared.
My vision blurred. The air shimmered—like the world itself was bending.
[Warning: Rift Formation Imminent.]
"What—"
Before I could move, the ground split open in front of me, blue light spilling out like liquid. From within it came a sound—a guttural growl, deeper and more animalistic than the goblin's.
Rufni barked, stepping protectively in front of me.
And then the voice returned—calm, cold, almost comforting.
[Kael. Your first path begins now.]
[Survive the Rift. Claim your right to exist.]
A figure began to emerge from the light.
Tall. Feral. Its body wreathed in pale flame.
Not a goblin.
Something far worse.
And I could only whisper—
"…You've got to be kidding me."