The city streets were quiet under the fading light of evening.
Shadows stretched across broken walls and littered alleys. The occasional flicker of neon from distant signs painted the cracked pavement in cold blues and reds.
Kalyan crouched on the edge of a rooftop, scanning the area below. His black hair was tousled, his eyes sharp, calculating. He didn't need to hurry. He didn't need to panic. The world hadn't changed—but he had.
A soft glow appeared in front of him—the Sage King System interface, barely noticeable unless you knew what to look for.
New Task Available:
Eliminate three low-rank monsters in Sector 7 Reward: 50 Points + Beginner Gear Difficulty: Mild
Kalyan smirked faintly. Small. Simple. Safe. A way to start.
Entering the Alley
He dropped silently from the rooftop, landing on the cracked pavement below with barely a sound. Broken crates and overturned carts littered the alleyways.
Three grotesque creatures scuttled from the shadows. Their low, guttural growls echoed off the walls.
Even low-level monsters were dangerous to an unprepared human.
Kalyan didn't rush. He observed. Every movement of the creatures, every twitch of their limbs.
Patience first. Precision second. Power later.
He moved like a shadow, each step measured. When a monster lunged, he sidestepped, using its momentum against it. One swift strike, clean and precise, and it collapsed.
The second monster came at him from the side. He anticipated, dodged, and countered. His body moved before his mind fully registered the motion.
The third creature hesitated, sizing him up. It was careless. Kalyan didn't hesitate.
With one fluid motion, he struck, piercing its weak spot. It shrieked and fell. Silence returned to the alley.
System Feedback
A soft chime alerted him.
Task Completed
Reward: 50 Points + "Iron Short Sword"
Kalyan picked up the sword, weighing it in his hand. Small, light, but perfectly balanced. Beginner gear, yes—but it was his first tool, his first step.
Points can be used later to improve strength, speed, and skills.
Harder tasks may yield stronger rewards in the future.
He allowed himself a faint smile. The system didn't give him power now, but it promised a way forward.
Reflection and Strategy
Kalyan crouched against a wall, breathing steady. The city around him was quiet. Too quiet.
He studied the alley, imagining ambushes, escape routes, weak points in buildings where monsters could hide.
Even for a "simple" task, strategy mattered. Recklessness had killed him before.
I don't need to be fast. I need to survive. And to survive, I must plan.
First Test of the System
The system nudged him with a subtle hum, hinting at its potential.
Kalyan closed his eyes and focused, not on the monsters, but on the flow of skill instincts—the faint energy the system provided.
Manual Activation Check: ✅
Automatic Activation: ❌
He wasn't in danger, so the system didn't force itself. But he wanted to feel the edge, just once.
Suddenly, movement felt faster. Timing sharper. Angles he had never considered before became clear.
He could see every strike, every weak point, every moment where he could dominate—but it wasn't free.
Pain throbbed in his temples, memory fragments from his past life flashing: betrayal, exhaustion, death. The system's gifts were never without cost.
He forced himself to step back and release the focus.
Power isn't free. Strength isn't free. Everything has a price.
Night Falls
He returned to his apartment, the beginner sword strapped to his back. The city outside was dark now, neon flickering in the distance.
For a moment, he allowed himself to simply breathe. Small victories mattered. Early steps mattered. Discipline mattered more than raw power.
I don't need to be strong yet.
I just need to survive long enough.
The Sage King System floated silently beside him, faintly glowing. It didn't speak, but Kalyan knew it was watching, waiting. And so was he.
One day, when the world demanded it, the system would give him a skill capable of changing everything—perhaps even a god-level ability.
But for now, he would grow, fight, and plan.
The journey had begun.