The Gray Woods were no longer silent. The rhythmic thud of metal hitting bone and the dying whimpers of Dire Wolves created a macabre symphony.
Andrew's movements were a blur of calculated efficiency. He wasn't wasting mana on flashy skills he didn't have yet; he was using the Spatial Aegis-Blade's passive trait: Spatial Awareness. He could feel the ripples in the air before a wolf lunged, allowing him to strike with the rusted hilt exactly where their defense was weakest.
[Progress: 47 / 1,000 Souls]
"Help! Someone!"
The scream cut through the growls. It was high-pitched, desperate, and came from a clearing just ahead. Andrew paused. In his past life, he would have ignored it to maximize his leveling efficiency. But his [King's Hindsight] triggered, bringing a name to the front of his mind.
Lee Hana.
In five years, she would be known as the "Saint of the Silver Shield," the greatest defensive priest in the world. But right now, she was just a Level 1 girl in tattered novice robes, cornered by three Dire Wolves and—more dangerously—four male players with the "Iron Fang" guild tag over their heads.
"Don't worry, little girl," the leader of the players, a Warrior named 'Brute', laughed. "We'll save you from the wolves. But the loot from that Chest you found? That's our 'protection fee'."
Hana was clutching a small, glowing wooden box. "I found it first! It's for my brother's medicine..."
"In this game, 'first' doesn't mean anything," Brute said, raising his sword. "Only 'strongest' matters."
Andrew stepped out of the shadows. "Strength is the only thing that matters," he said, his voice flat. "But you've mistaken bullying for power."
"Who the hell are you?" Brute barked. "Kill him."
The two lackeys on the flanks charged. They were Level 4, outranking Andrew's Level 2, but in Mythos, stats without skill were just numbers.
Andrew exhaled, activating his first active class skill.
"[Phase Step]."
Andrew's body flickered. To the onlookers, it looked like a lag spike. In reality, he had briefly folded the space between him and the first attacker. He reappeared inside the man's guard.
THWACK.
The rusted hilt slammed into the man's temple.
[Critical Hit! -42 HP]
[Target Stunned]
"What—?" the second lackey gasped, swinging a rusty longsword in a wide, desperate arc.
Andrew didn't retreat. He raised his left hand, and a translucent, hexagonal barrier of blue light materialized.
"[Aegis Ripple]."
The longsword struck the barrier and bounced back with twice the force. The attacker's own momentum sent him stumbling backward. Andrew didn't miss the opening. He lunged, driving the jagged stump of his "rubbish" sword into the gap in the player's leather armor.
[You have defeated 'Player: Scab'!]
[Experience Gained: 120]
[Level Up!]
"You monster!" Brute screamed, his face contorting. He activated [Heavy Strike], his claymore glowing with a red aura.
Andrew watched the slow, telegraphed movement. To a veteran regressor, it was like watching a child move in molasses. He waited until the blade was inches from his face, then pivoted.
"[Spatial Distortion: Void Parry]."
Instead of clashing metal, Brute's claymore hit a pocket of distorted air. The blade was sucked into a small rift and spat out into the ground, burying itself a foot deep in the dirt. Brute's arms jerked violently from the sudden loss of resistance.
CRACK.
Andrew's rusted hilt connected with Brute's jaw. Teeth flew.
[You have defeated 'Player: Brute'!]
[Hidden Quest: The Blood of the First Guardian - Progress: 50/1,000]
Note: The blade has tasted 'Player' essence. Progress increased!
The remaining two Iron Fang members didn't wait. They turned and bolted into the trees.
Andrew didn't chase them. He turned to Hana, who was staring at him with wide, trembling eyes.
"Run," Andrew said. "Go to the village guards. If you stay here, they'll come back with more."
"Thank... thank you, Mr. Paladin," she stammered, bowing before sprinting toward the safe zone.
Andrew looked down at his hands. They were glowing.
[Level 5 Reached!]
[All Basic Stats +2]
[Spatial Aegis-Blade Skill Unlocked: Blink Strike]
"Five levels in one hour," Andrew whispered. "At this rate, I'll be ready for the First Cataclysm before the week is out."
"Now," Andrew whispered. "Let's see how many 'Reality Points' a coward is worth."
The Return to Reality
[System: Logging Out...]
The hiss of the capsule opening felt like a vacuum seal breaking. Andrew sat up, gasping for air. The transition from the hyper-sensory world of Mythos to the dull, gray reality of his apartment usually felt like a hangover.
But today was different.
As he stepped out of the capsule, his legs didn't feel heavy. Usually, his old knee injury from a delivery job years ago would throb. Now? Nothing.
He walked to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. When he looked in the mirror, he froze.
The man staring back wasn't the haggard, malnourished Andrew Cho of yesterday. His jawline was sharper. His eyes, once dull and tired, had a piercing clarity. He pulled up his shirt and gasped. The faint outline of a six-pack was visible, and his chest felt... dense. Like he was made of high-quality carbon fiber instead of flesh.
[Reality Points Invested: 5]
[Physical Constitution: +2%]
"It's actually working," he whispered, clenching his fist. He felt a surge of power so concentrated he accidentally cracked the porcelain of the sink.
He checked the clock. 3:00 PM. Min-ho.
He threw on a hoodie to hide his changing physique and ran to the daycare. He arrived just as the doors opened. Min-ho came sprinting out, his backpack bouncing.
"Uncle Andy!"
Andrew caught the boy, lifting him into the air with one hand as if he weighed nothing. Usually, his back would twinge. Now, he felt like he could carry the whole world.
"Whoa! You got super strong, Uncle!" Min-ho laughed, hugging Andrew's neck.
Andrew buried his face in the boy's shoulder, the scent of crayons and juice boxes hitting him. This was the sanctuary. This was why he would kill a million gods.
"I told you," Andrew whispered, his eyes turning cold as he noticed a black sedan parked across the street—the same type of car the "Iron Fang" guild used in the future to scout for 'talents.' "No one is ever going to hurt you again."He gripped Min-ho's hand a little tighter, a cold, focused rage settling in his gut.
"Uncle? You're squeezing," Min-ho complained.
"Sorry, buddy," Andrew said, his eyes never leaving the sedan's reflection in a shop window. "I just saw a bug. Let's get you to school."
He had intended to build a sanctuary in the game first. But it looked like the war for his family's life was starting on the sidewalk of 4th Avenue.