(Prologue 1)

On a day with the sky heavily clouded, blocking the warm sunlight from descending, a high-school student urgently rushed home like crazy, sweating buckets and tiredly huffing and panting while leaning down.

He lifted his forearm towards his forehead, swiping it from sweat, and a terrible noise of a heavy impact entered his ears right then as if an uncontrollably fast truck had crashed into the basement, causing dust to heavily rise and spread out through the air, blocking his sense of vision and making him cough non-stop.

"W-what the hell was that?!" He asked, scared and panicked.

A surge of anxiety crossed his mind as soon as he thought about his mother being alone in the house, rushing insanely down to the basement, yet the dust was still blocking his sight, unable to witness what had caused this terrible mess.

Gradually, the dust started to settle down and everything was starting to get clear, to enable him to see through. However, in horror and disbelief, what he saw wasn't anything normal or natural. Perhaps the things, no, the monstrous-looking creatures right in front of his very eyes were from out of the world, just like aliens.

'W…wh..what are these things?!!' He thought, terrified, trembling. 'It's the first time I see such creatures!!'

At that moment, he felt like his life had reached an end, never seeing the sun of tomorrow once again, yet unexpectedly, he had witnessed another stunning thing, bewildering him in disbelief.

_______________________________

(Prologue 2)

[Loading...]

A sudden clear and robotic male voice came from nowhere and resonated inside his head, and a simultaneous software-like screen popped up floating and displaying in front of him.

'What's this....!?'

The little girl in front of him walked through the shining screen, unaware of what was floating in the air.

That didn't go unnoticed as he also noticed the bright light emitted from the floating screen showed no reflection, in fact.

'Can't she see the screen!?' He wondered, shocked. 'Then what about the voice, is it neither....!?'

[All the conditions for the completion of the Hidden Quest 'Persistence of the Helpless Coward' have been met]

The answer to his question came instantly. The voice spoke to him, only in his head.

But what was more to his shock was the word 'Quest', stunning him noticeably. It seemed like that of the games. But, it was not a video game, nor was it a hallucination or a dream.

'Somehow, the name of the so-called quest is quite annoying me,' he thought, frowning at the screen.

[The installation of the system is still in the process...]

[This system is exclusive to certain tamers]

Certain....!?

[WARNING: Not being a tamer may lead your heart to stop immediately if the process continues]

Stopping the heart....!!?

[Continue with the process? (Yes/No)]

The voice speaking out those words sent a complicated shock into him. In case he was not a tamer, or one of the certain tamers either, then what was going to happen to him? Was he really to die?

This kind of thought, as well as having such a crucial dilemma, altogether, made him gulp way freaking so nervously.

'This is a blade with two sharp edges; the smallest tiny mistake may take me to my grave, still, hell yeah, I'll go for it anyway,' he thought, trying to tip on 'Yes', yet his finger went through the screen.

The moment he thought he did not know how to accept but was truly willing to, a notification popped up straight away.

[You have chosen to continue]

[The analysis of your body is now in process]

'This thing is making my body nervously tense up quite much,' he grumbled inwardly as the vague system started to fill up a small progress bar.

[The analysis has been done]

His nerves were about to burst from the greatly intense nervousness.

[You have been recognized as a qualified tamer]

[You have the rights to acquire the exclusive system. Continue? (Yes/No)]

"Phew"

As soon as the system confirmed him being a tamer, he felt reassured. With this, his life was secure... for now at least.

[The system has been installed successfully]

[Congratulations, you have obtained the exclusive system]

[The First Quest 'First Step to Make an Army' has arrived]

"Well, well, well, looks like I've put my hands on something quite interesting and amusing," he said, grinning wide.

Yet, the smile did not last long as it was erased instantly as soon as he read the quest's contents. But once he verified one thing, he cursed, having learned beforehand and now confirming even more that the world was not a game at all, never in the least.

[Failing Penalty: Death]

"Goddammit, this world will never go easy on me!"

*******