Darkness had a weight. It wasn't just the absence of light — it was pressure, sound, and silence collapsing into one.
Rei Aran didn't know how long he'd been buried. His lungs burned with the copper taste of dust. His mind clawed at fragments of memory — the rumble of collapsing concrete, the panicked screams of workers, and the shattering moment when the world above caved in.
Then nothing.
Now, a flicker of consciousness returned — faint, like the last ember in a dying fire.
He moved a finger. Then a hand. Stone scraped against his skin. He coughed, the noise muffled by layers of rubble pressing against his chest. Every breath cut like shards of glass through his throat.
Am I alive?
His first thought was disbelief, his second — dread.
He pushed again, and something gave way. Cold air rushed in from somewhere above, carrying the scent of smoke and metal. He clawed upward, forcing his weak body to move. Fingers broke through loose gravel, and a faint crimson light bled through the cracks.
He dragged himself out — inch by inch — until his hand broke into open air.
Rei pulled himself up and gasped.
The city he'd known was gone.
Skyscrapers that once pierced blue skies now lay bent and twisted, their metal skeletons glowing faintly red under a sky that looked like a torn wound. Clouds of black ash drifted like smoke, and in the distance, something moved among the ruins — huge, lumbering shapes barely visible through the haze.
The air shimmered. The heat carried the smell of ozone and decay.
Rei stumbled forward, his breath unsteady. The ground under his boots was cracked asphalt, but something pulsed beneath it — faint lines of glowing script, like circuitry carved into the earth itself.
He crouched, touching it. The lines flickered and pulsed once, responding to his presence.
And then the world froze.
[SYSTEM BOOTING…]
[Error: Undefined User Detected]
[Reconstructing Profile…]
[Synchronizing Neural Pathways… Completed]
A translucent blue rectangle appeared in front of him — like a holographic screen, floating mid-air. Rei staggered back, blinking in disbelief.
[Welcome, Player]
[Abyssal Leveling System Online]
[Do you wish to begin Initiation ?]
[Y/N]
His mind blanked. He looked around, expecting someone to be playing a prank. But the street was silent — no movement except the flicker of red lightning cutting across the clouds.
What… the hell is this?
He hesitated. His finger trembled as it moved toward the floating icon. When he touched it, the screen rippled like water.
[Initialization Accepted]
[Warning: Survival Protocol Engaged]
[First Objective: Endure for 30 minutes]
The moment the words appeared, the ground shuddered. Something screamed — a shrill, inhuman cry that echoed across the ruins. Rei froze, every instinct in his body telling him to run.
From between two collapsed buildings, a creature crawled out.
It was tall — twice his height — its body a patchwork of muscle and exposed bone, its mouth too wide, dripping black fluid that hissed when it touched the ground. Its eyes glowed like dying embers.
Rei stumbled backward. His hand searched instinctively for something — anything — to use as a weapon. He found a rusted metal rod half-buried in the debris.
The monster turned toward him, its movements jerky, like it was being controlled by invisible strings. It sniffed the air, then let out another screech.
[Enemy Detected: Abyss Spawn Lv. 3]
[Combat Initiation Optional – Escape Timer: 00:29:59]
The screen hovered beside him, the timer ticking down.
This can't be real.
The creature lunged. Rei swung the metal rod out of pure reflex. The impact was weak — the rod glanced off its skull, barely leaving a mark. The monster clawed at his side, ripping through his jacket. Pain seared through him.
He screamed — the sound half choked by fear and disbelief.
He swung again, hitting harder, again, again — until the rod sank deep into the creature's neck. Dark ichor splashed across his arm, burning like acid. The creature thrashed once, then fell still.
Rei collapsed beside it, panting, shaking violently. His hands were slick with black blood.
Then,
[Enemy Defeated.]
[Experience Gained: 300 XP ]
[Level Up → Lv. 2 ]
[Skill Unlocked: Endurance I ]
The screen lit up brighter than before, filling the ruined street with pale blue light.
He stared at it, breathing raggedly. The words Level Up pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. His wounds tingled — and within seconds, the bleeding slowed.
Rei wiped his face, whispering, "No… this isn't real"
But the pain was real. The blood was real. And the glowing screen that followed him when he stood up didn't fade away.
If I'm dreaming, it's the cruelest one I've ever had.
He looked around again — the red horizon stretching endlessly, the skeletal remains of skyscrapers jutting up like broken teeth, and that thing he'd just killed already dissolving into ash.
The System chimed again.
[New Objective Unlocked: Reach Safe Zone]
[Hint: Follow the light]
In the far distance, through the curtain of dust and smoke, Rei saw something faint — a flickering white glow, like a lantern waving in the ruins.
He tightened his grip on the metal rod and started walking.
The streets were dead silent except for the wind. Occasionally, he heard echoes — faint, distorted voices whispering between buildings.
help....
don't go there....
the light isn't safe.....
He stopped every time he heard them, turning sharply, but there was nothing there. Only shadows moving behind broken glass.
At one intersection, he saw a reflection in a cracked shop window — a glimpse of himself.
Pale. Eyes wide, haunted. Dust-covered hair falling over a face smeared with dried blood.
He barely recognized the person staring back.
Something rustled behind him. Rei spun, raising the rod — but the figure that stepped out wasn't a monster. It was a girl.
Her clothes were torn combat gear, one sleeve missing, face streaked with soot and grime. Her hair — a dirty silver — was tied back loosely, and her eyes, sharp and cautious, locked onto him with practiced precision.
She held a pistol.
Stay where you are, she said — voice hoarse but steady.
Rei froze.
Who are you? she demanded.
I—I don't know, he stammered. "I woke up under the rubble. I just—"
Don't move..
Her gaze flicked to the dissolving ashes of the monster nearby. Her expression shifted slightly — surprise, then calculation.
"You killed that?"
"I didn't have a choice."
She lowered the gun just slightly, studying him. Then she frowned, muttering, "No HUD above your head… weird"
Rei blinked. "HUD?"
She ignored the question, keeping her weapon half-raised "Name's Lyra. You're not from around here, are you?"
"I… I'm not sure I'm from anywhere anymore"
For the first time, she seemed to really look at him — not just as a threat, but as something out of place.
Then, sighing, she said "You shouldn't be here. This sector's unstable. Phase reset's coming soon"
"Phase reset?"
She glanced at the sky, where a faint hum was growing — like thunder rumbling through metal "You'll see. If you're lucky, you'll live through it "
Rei wanted to ask more, but the hum intensified, and the ground trembled again. The crimson light in the sky began to spiral inward, forming a vortex above the ruins.
Lyra grabbed his arm "Come on!"
They ran through shattered streets, ducking under falling debris. The wind howled with a metallic screech, pulling fragments of the world upward toward the vortex.
Rei looked back once — the skyline was bending, collapsing into itself, as if the world was being rewritten.
They dove into an underground passage just as the sky tore open completely. The light outside vanished — replaced by the deep hum of reality tearing and reknitting itself.
Inside, darkness swallowed them, except for Lyra's flickering wrist-light.
Rei collapsed against a wall, gasping for air. What the hell is happening ?
Lyra glanced at him, face shadowed "The end of a Phase. When two worlds finish merging"
He stared blankly "Merging? What are you talking about ? "
She pointed up "That sky? Those things? None of it's from Earth anymore "
Rei's pulse quickened "You're saying… this isn't Earth?"
Lyra gave a humorless smile "Not the one you remember"
The echo of the Phase collapse faded slowly, leaving behind only the low, rhythmic hum of the city's skeleton settling. Dust hung in the air like mist, glittering faintly in the dim red light that seeped through cracks in the tunnel ceiling.
Rei's breath was unsteady. Every inhale burned, his ribs aching with each movement. He sat against the cold wall, staring into the dark tunnel that stretched endlessly ahead.
Lyra crouched beside a collapsed stairwell, checking a worn-out wristband — a small, battered device with flickering runes etched around the display.
"Still working…" she muttered, tapping it lightly. "Barely"
Rei watched the strange glow. "What is that?"
"Phase tracker" she said. "Keeps time, air levels, proximity alerts. Without it, you wouldn't know when the next merge starts until it eats you alive"
Rei frowned, trying to piece together her words. "You said… merge. What exactly merges?"
Lyra gave him a sidelong glance, her expression wary, as if deciding how much to tell him.
"The worlds" she said finally. "Pieces of them. Sometimes just cities, sometimes entire continents. The System calls them 'Phases' Each time it happens, the landscape shifts — buildings appear from nowhere, monsters pour in, people die or vanish"
Rei's head spun. "That's insane"
She smirked faintly, eyes tired. "So is everything else now"
He leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. His mind tried to process everything — the System messages, the monster, the red sky, this stranger with soldier instincts. Nothing made sense.
But the pain in his chest was real, the metallic taste in his mouth real, the low hum of this alien world around him real.
He wasn't dreaming.
Lyra rose to her feet, brushing the dust off her vest. "We should move. This sector's unstable. When a merge ends, the residual zones collapse — radiation, corruption, spatial tears. Take your pick"
Rei pushed himself up, his muscles protesting. "Where are we going?"
"Base. You'll see when we get there"
She started walking deeper into the tunnel. Rei followed, gripping his metal rod tighter. The blue System screen hovered faintly to his right, dimming and brightening as he moved.
[Quest Active: Reach Safe Zone]
[Estimated Distance: 2.1 km]
[Warning: Phase Residue Detected – Avoid Direct Exposure]
He frowned at the last line. "Hey… this thing says there's 'residue' "
Lyra didn't look back. "Then keep your mouth closed when you breathe through the dust. You'll live longer"
Her tone was matter-of-fact, like someone who'd seen too many people not follow that advice.
They walked for what felt like hours — through the remains of an underground railway, half-collapsed and lined with skeletal trains frozen mid-motion. Every now and then, they passed graffiti — not spray paint, but carved runes, glowing faintly in sickly green.
Rei slowed to read one.
"THE GODS ARE GLITCHING."
He felt a shiver run down his spine. "What does that mean?"
Lyra's expression darkened. "It means don't pray to anything anymore"
They emerged finally at the end of the tunnel — a stairway leading up into open air. The red sky had dimmed to a bruised purple, streaked with cracks of light like lightning trapped behind glass.
Rei squinted against the brightness.
What awaited above was worse than before.
The city stretched out like a graveyard of two worlds forced to coexist. One half looked like Earth — ruined skyscrapers, rusted vehicles, torn billboards. The other half looked… wrong. Buildings grew at impossible angles, architecture made of black stone and pulsing veins of light. Floating shards of land drifted in the sky, tethered by chains of energy that hummed faintly.
Rei could only whisper, "What… happened here?"
Lyra looked at the horizon, her face unreadable. "This is New Bastion. Or what's left of it. Used to be part of Tokyo — now it's fused with something from the Ninth Realm"
Rei turned to her sharply. "Ninth Realm?"
She didn't answer, just gestured forward. "Come on. The Iron Dawn's base is in the southern block. If we're lucky, they haven't moved"
They crossed the ruined street. The silence here was suffocating — no birds, no engines, just the low drone of energy lines pulsing under their feet. Occasionally, Rei caught glimpses of movement in distant windows — shadowy figures too far to identify.
Once, they passed a shattered bus stop. Inside, a man's skeleton sat slumped against the bench — still clutching a small holographic tablet frozen on a news headline:
"Unexplained Global Phenomena — Governments Deny Dimensional Breach "
Rei tore his gaze away.
Lyra noticed his expression. "How long ago did your world fall?"
He blinked. "My world?"
"You said you woke under rubble. You must've come from another Phase. Which one?"
"I don't know" He hesitated "I was in a subway tunnel. Everything started shaking… I remember screaming, and then"
"and then you woke up here"
He nodded weakly.
Lyra's face softened slightly. "Then you're a Phase-shifted survivor. Happens sometimes. People from one collapse get absorbed into another merge. You're lucky you weren't vaporized"
Lucky. The word felt wrong.
As they turned a corner, the System flickered again.
[Host Vital Signs: Stabilized.]
[Environmental Contamination: Moderate]
[Passive Skill "Endurance I" mitigating damage]
Rei looked at the screen and whispered, "You can… hear me?"
[Affirmative. Limited Neural Link Established]
He froze. "Who are you?"
The System paused.
[Abyssal Leveling System. You are my current Host.]
[Query: Would you like to access Tutorial?]
Rei's heart skipped. "Y–yeah. Sure"
The world dimmed for a moment. A soft tone played in his head, and lines of text appeared in front of his eyes.
[Tutorial – Overview]
[You are designated as a Player. Your purpose is survival and progression]
[Every world merged by the System contributes data to the Core]
[Leveling = Evolution; Evolution = Survival.]
[Failure to progress results in deletion.]
Rei whispered, "Deletion?"
[Termination of physical and digital existence.]
His mouth went dry. "You mean… death?"
[Affirmative.]
He stared at the screen, a cold realization settling in.
The System wasn't just helping him survive. It was forcing him to.
"Hey" Lyra's voice cut through his thoughts. She was crouched near a pile of debris, signaling him to stay quiet.
Rei ducked beside her. Ahead, a group of people — four, maybe five — were scavenging a collapsed convenience store. They wore ragged armor and carried crude weapons — machetes, pipes, an old rifle.
Lyra's jaw tightened. "Scavengers. Probably from the Blades faction. Keep your head down."
He nodded, peeking cautiously.
The group was arguing — one of them, a tall man with a metal mask, kicked over a crate, shouting about "mana shards."
Rei whispered, "Who are they?"
"Opportunists," she said. "They loot fallen sectors and sell shards to black traders. Sometimes they kidnap survivors"
Rei swallowed hard.
Lyra looked at him, then back to the scavengers. "We can go around them if we're quiet."
But the System had other ideas.
[New Optional Objective: Eliminate Hostile Entities.]
[Reward: +500 XP, Loot Drop Chance: 60%]
[Penalty: None.]
The glowing prompt hovered temptingly in front of him. He tried to ignore it — but it followed as he crawled back.
Lyra noticed his distracted gaze. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing" he said quickly. "Just… tired"
They slipped around a side alley, avoiding the group. The System dimmed again, returning to idle mode.
I'm not a killer, Rei thought. Not again.
They moved until the sounds of scavengers faded behind them.
The city here grew stranger — vines of glowing crystal crept up broken walls, pulsing with faint light. The air shimmered as though underwater, and Rei could feel energy thrumming beneath his skin.
"This place…" he whispered. "It's alive"
Lyra nodded grimly. "Mana veins. Don't touch them — they burn you from the inside out if you're not attuned"
She didn't see the System window flicker briefly in front of Rei's eyes
[Attunement Compatibility: 89%.]
[Environmental Energy Absorption Possible.]
His heartbeat quickened. What does that mean…
The thought was cut off by a low growl.
From a nearby alley, a creature crawled out — smaller than the one before but faster, its limbs like blades of black glass. Its many eyes glowed crimson.
Lyra cursed. "A crawler!"
She drew her pistol and fired. The bullets hit — some bounced off its chitin skin, others pierced and released a hiss of black mist.
Rei swung his rod, striking the creature's side. The impact jarred his bones, but it staggered. He swung again — harder this time.
The crawler screeched, lunging. It knocked him down, jaws snapping inches from his throat.
Move! Don't die now!
The System pulsed bright blue.
[Emergency Skill Activation: Adrenal Surge.]
[Effect: +50% Strength, +20% Speed for 10 sec.]
Energy exploded through him. He shoved the creature back, rolling to his feet. His body felt lighter, faster — every nerve alive.
He dodged a slash, twisted the rod, and jammed it through the crawler's head. The creature convulsed and went still.
[Enemy Defeated: Abyss Crawler Lv. 2.]
[Experience +200.]
[Level Up → 3.]
[Skill Gained: Reflex Boost I.]
Rei panted, his body trembling as the adrenaline faded.
Lyra approached slowly, lowering her gun "Not bad for a rookie."
He looked up, still catching his breath "You're not… freaked out by what I just did?"
She shrugged. " I've seen worse. You'll fit in fine"
"Fit in where?"
"The Iron Dawn"
Rei frowned. "You keep mentioning them. Who are they?"
"Survivors" she said simply. "The last sane ones in this district "
He looked around — the crimson glow of the horizon, the dead streets, the faint hum of invisible energy all around.
"Then what does that make the rest?"
Lyra's eyes met his. "Players who forgot they're human."
As they continued toward the southern block, the sky above rippled — faint blue patterns spreading across the crimson clouds like data errors. Rei didn't notice at first, but the System did.
[Warning: Anomaly Detected.]
[Unregistered Entity Approaching.]
Lyra suddenly stopped, eyes narrowing. "We're being watched"
Rei followed her gaze — to a nearby rooftop. For a moment, he saw it: a silhouette, tall and still, its eyes glowing faintly gold.
Then it vanished.
The System flickered violently.
[Data Conflict Detected.]
[Entity Type: Unknown.]
[Trace Removed by External Source.]
Rei stared at the empty rooftop, a chill running down his spine. "Lyra… what was that?"
She holstered her gun, her face grim "If you saw what I think you saw… it means this merge isn't done yet "
"What does that mean?"
She turned to him, eyes hard "It means gods are starting to notice you"