The wind cut like invisible blades, howling against the window of my apartment.
I, Klaus, 27 years old, was sprawled on the couch, the remote forgotten in my hand while the TV played yet another rerun of a documentary about volcanoes. My life was like that—monotonous, gray, just like the sky outside.
Not that I minded. I grew up in a small town where the biggest event of the year was the local crafts fair. I never had many friends; I preferred the company of sci-fi books and strategy games. My mother used to say I had "an entire world inside my head, but no door to let it out." She wasn't wrong. Working as a data analyst for a logistics company kept me busy, but never fulfilled. It was just… existing.
My routine was simple: wake up, coffee, work, home, sleep. Sometimes a walk at night, just to feel the cold air and listen to the silence. I didn't need anything else.
Or at least, that's what I thought.
Until today.
The sky darkened suddenly, as if someone had switched the sun off. A tremor shook the building, and the TV flickered before dying completely. My heart started racing. I ran to the window, but what I saw made no sense — snowflakes were falling in thick, heavy waves, covering the streets within minutes. It wasn't winter. It wasn't normal.
Then, a voice echoed inside my head — cold, mechanical, as if it came from within my skull.
ETERNAL RAIL SYSTEM ACTIVATED. WELCOME, KLAUS.
I froze, cold sweat sliding down my neck.
A translucent blue screen appeared before me, floating like a hologram from a movie. White letters blinked in perfect alignment.
STATUS
Name: Klaus
Level: 1
XP: 0 / 100
Attributes:
Strength: 1
Speed: 1
Defense: 1
Intelligence: 1
Endurance: 1
Magic: 1
Free Points: 2
AVAILABLE FUNCTIONS:
Missions: Tasks assigned by the System. Complete them to earn rewards.
Inventory: Stores items. Initial capacity: 10 slots.
Status: Displays attributes and progress.
Crafting: Build and upgrade equipment using collected materials.
Train: [Awaiting selection].
My breathing grew heavy, the cold air flooding the apartment. This wasn't a dream. It was real.
I tried to touch the screen, but my fingers passed through it like smoke.
The System continued relentlessly.
INITIAL MISSION: CHOOSE YOUR TRAIN
Objective: Go to the designated depot and select your train before the Ice Age arrives.
Reward: Starter Chest (Rank F), Random Chest (Rank F).
Time Remaining: 40 minutes.
An invisible force yanked me off the ground. The world spun, and suddenly I was standing in a vast depot filled with the smell of oil and steel.
Seven tracks stretched out before me, each holding a gleaming train, engines humming softly — ready to depart.
The cold bit into my skin as the System pulsed again in my vision:
CHOOSE WISELY. THE TRAIN IS YOUR LIFE.
I stared at the rails, heart pounding.
What was happening?
And why, deep down, did a part of me feel... excited?