The final bell of the day rang out through the school halls, signaling the end of another long, tedious day. I, Leon Everett, let out a heavy sigh as I started packing my bag, shoving my textbooks and notebooks inside. The classroom, usually bustling with noise, began to empty as students eagerly headed for the door, some chatting excitedly about after-school plans.

As I zipped up my bag, my friend, Peter, came up to me with a grin plastered across his face. "Hey Leon, how about we hit the arcade today? There's a new game I wanna try."

I glanced up at him, already knowing what I was going to say. "Sorry, I can't. I need to study for tomorrow's exam."

Peter groaned dramatically. "Man, you're such a nerd! Always studying. You know you're going to ace it anyway."

I laughed softly, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "Yeah, well, better safe than sorry, right?"

Peter rolled his eyes, giving me a playful shove. "Boring. Fine, I'll go solo." He walked away, shaking his head, muttering about how I was wasting my youth.

I watched him leave, feeling a slight pang of guilt. Peter wasn't wrong—I did spend most of my time studying. It's not that I didn't want to have fun, but... well, life didn't exactly hand out second chances. I'd rather be prepared than regretful.

After gathering the rest of my things, I headed to my locker, slipping off my indoor shoes and swapping them for my worn-out sneakers. With everything packed up, I made my way out of the school and began the familiar walk home.

The streets were quiet, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the pavement. My stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since lunch. I spotted a convenience store ahead and decided to stop by for a quick snack.

I entered the store, my eyes scanning the shelves until I found my favorite bag of chips. Grabbing it, I made my way to the drink section and picked out a bottle of soda. After paying, I stepped outside, ready to enjoy my snack on the walk home.

But then, a scream pierced the quiet.

"Ahhh!"

It was a sharp, desperate sound, coming from just down the street. My heart leaped into my throat as I whipped around, searching for the source. There, not too far from the store, I saw her—a girl, probably around my age, cornered by three men. One of them had a knife, gleaming in the fading light.

"Give me your stuff, or else!" the man with the knife snarled, pointing the blade at the girl's trembling form.

I froze, every instinct screaming at me to stay put. Don't get involved, Leon. Just go home. But then I looked at the girl's terrified face, and before I knew it, my legs were moving on their own.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" I yelled, my voice shaky but loud enough to catch their attention.

The man with the knife turned to me, his face twisting into an ugly grin. "Oh, look. A hero." He laughed, his companions joining in. "You're shaking, kid. What're you gonna do? Fight us?"

My heart pounded in my chest, fear crawling up my spine. I didn't have a plan. I didn't know how to fight. But I couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

Before I could second-guess myself, I charged at the man with the knife, tackling him to the ground. We hit the pavement hard, but the moment of triumph was short-lived.

Tsk.

A sharp, searing pain tore through my chest. I gasped, looking down to see the knife buried in my side. Blood poured out, soaking my shirt.

"Shit..."

The men scattered, leaving me lying there on the cold ground. My vision blurred as I tried to process what had just happened. The girl... Was she safe? Did I save her?

I coughed, feeling the warmth of my blood spreading across my chest. "Why did I do that...?" I muttered, the edges of my vision going dark. "Would I... still be alive... if I didn't tackle him...?"

Everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, I was no longer on the street. Darkness surrounded me, thick and suffocating. I blinked, trying to make sense of my surroundings. The ground beneath me felt rough and cold, like dirt. My body was numb.

"Where... where am I?" My voice echoed strangely, sounding foreign to my own ears. But then, something even more bizarre happened.

A voice. No, not a voice—a message appeared in front of my eyes, glowing faintly in the darkness.

Notice: You have been reincarnated as a worm. You can evolve into a very dangerous monster.

I stared at the message in disbelief. "W-what?!"

But no sound came out. I tried to speak again, but nothing. Panic surged through me as I realized I couldn't move, couldn't talk. I was trapped in this dark, strange place... and I was a worm?

Notice: The system has granted you starter skills: "Night Vision," "Wind Slash," and "Digging."

What the hell is happening? I thought frantically. A worm? I'm a freaking worm?!

Suddenly, my vision sharpened. The once impenetrable darkness around me became clear, revealing the dirt and rocks that surrounded me. I could see, despite the absence of light.

Night Vision, I realized. One of my "skills."

I wanted to scream. This was a nightmare, it had to be. How could I go from being a normal high school student to this... thing? But there was no denying it. This wasn't a dream.

Okay, stay calm, Leon. I tried to focus. The system said I had other skills too—Wind Slash and Digging. They sounded useful... maybe?

I concentrated on the Digging skill, hoping it would help me escape this underground prison. To my surprise, the moment I activated it, my tiny worm body moved with incredible speed, burrowing upward through the dirt. In seconds, I broke through the surface, emerging into the open air.

I found myself in the middle of a dense forest. Towering trees loomed above me, their branches casting deep shadows across the forest floor. The cool, fresh air was a welcome relief after being buried underground.

But then, reality hit me again. I was still a worm.

"System... can you show me my reflection?" I asked, half-expecting nothing to happen.

Notice: Opening Mirror.

In front of me, a reflective surface materialized, showing my current form. I stared in horror.

I was a small, slimy, dirt-covered worm, wriggling pathetically on the ground.

"This... this is worse than I imagined..." I muttered. No, I didn't even have a mouth to mutter. It was all in my head.

"System, open the panel," I commanded, hoping for something, anything, that could help me make sense of this.

Panel:

Name: Leon (Only humans in this world have last names)

Age: 1 day

Current Form: Worm

Experience (Exp): 0/100

Skills:

Night Vision

Wind Slash

Digging

It really was like an RPG. Except instead of being the brave hero, I was... a worm. A monster, apparently.

Before I could process my new reality any further, a loud screech echoed from above. My body instinctively tensed as a giant bird swooped down from the sky, its talons outstretched, aiming directly at me.

"Shit!" I cursed, realizing I had no time to think. I quickly activated Wind Slash, hoping it would do something.

A gust of wind formed around me, slicing through the air like an invisible blade. The wind cut through the bird with startling precision, sending it crashing to the ground.

Notice: You have gained 40 experience points.

I stared at the lifeless bird, my mind racing. I had actually killed it. A tiny, pathetic worm had just taken down a giant predator.

Maybe... just maybe, this wasn't the end.

Maybe, I could survive.