Lance's chest heaved as he knelt in the blood-soaked dirt, his sword trembling in his hand. Bodies of his comrades lay scattered around him, victims of a brutal ambush. A sharp pain radiated from his side where a bandit's blade had cut deep.

'Am I really going to die here?' he thought, as his vision blurred. His grip on his sword slackened. The last bandit, a hulking man with a scar down his face, loomed over him.

"Any last words, boy?" the bandit sneered, raising his sword for the final blow.

Lance tried to move, but his body refused to respond. He felt weak, helpless. 'I can't die like this... I still have things to do. I can't...'

[System initializing...]

A voice—cold, mechanical—echoed in his mind. Lance's eyes widened. 'What…?'

[Emergency healing initiated. Vitality restored.]

Suddenly, a warm surge of energy flooded his body, dulling the pain in his side. His muscles felt rejuvenated, his mind sharp. He blinked, clearing his vision. The bandit's sword descended, but this time, Lance's instincts kicked in.

Rolling to the side just in time, the bandit's sword hit the dirt where he once knelt. The bandit growled in frustration.

"How are you still standing?" the bandit spat, glaring at him.

Lance staggered to his feet, gripping his sword tighter. He felt... different, like a weight had been lifted from him. He was faster, sharper.

[New Quest: Defeat the Bandit. Reward: 10 Experience Points.]

'What is this... system?' Lance thought, confused. But there was no time for answers. The bandit was charging at him again, swinging his sword in a wide arc. Lance, now revitalized, dodged easily, countering with a swift slash of his own. His blade found its mark, cutting deep into the bandit's side.

The bandit screamed in pain, stumbling backward. "You... should be dead!"

Lance didn't hesitate. He surged forward, his body moving with newfound strength, and with a powerful thrust, he drove his sword through the bandit's chest. The man's eyes went wide with shock before the life drained from him, and he collapsed to the ground.

Panting, Lance pulled his sword free and stared at the lifeless body. 'Did I just do that...? How...'

[Quest Complete. 10 Experience Points gained. Strength +2. Agility +2.]

Again, the cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind. Lance's heart raced. 'This… is real.'

[System unlocked. Welcome, User.]

A strange, translucent screen appeared before Lance's eyes, filled with numbers and stats. He could see his name, his health, and a list of attributes: Strength, Agility, Endurance—all of them displayed neatly in front of him. And they were increasing.

'What kind of power is this? A system that helps me grow stronger…?'

Before he could process what was happening, the System's voice cut through his thoughts once more.

[New Quest: Escape the battlefield. Reward: Skill - Combat Awareness.]

Lance shook his head, still in disbelief, but the urgency of the situation brought him back to reality. The battlefield was still dangerous. He needed to move before more enemies appeared. His comrades were gone, and there was nothing left for him here.

'They weren't as lucky as me…' Lance thought bitterly. His hand tightened around his sword. He would live, not just for himself, but for those who had fallen today.

With a determined look, he wiped the blood from his blade and started moving.

"Let's see where this takes me," he muttered to himself, his resolve hardening. Whatever this System was, it had saved his life. Now, it was time to repay the favor.

And so, Lance began to run, leaving behind the battlefield—and the life he had known—forever.

.....

Lance moved through the dense forest, his senses sharper than ever before. His feet barely made a sound on the damp ground, and his breathing was calm, controlled. He kept a hand on his sword, ready for anything.

'This power… it's like my body is completely different,' he thought, amazed at how light he felt. Despite the pain and exhaustion from the battle, he was able to keep moving, driven by the strange System that had awakened inside him.

[User status: Stable. Quest: Escape the battlefield – 80% complete.]

'This "System" is what saved me back there. I don't know where it came from, but I need to understand it…' He frowned, looking around cautiously. 'First things first, though. I need to get somewhere safe.'

After a while of steady movement, he reached the edge of the forest and spotted a small river. Its water shimmered in the fading light of the setting sun. Kneeling by the water's edge, Lance splashed his face, feeling the cool relief wash over him. He caught his reflection for a moment—his normally sharp blue eyes looked even brighter now, filled with a strange, intense focus.

"Why me?" Lance whispered to himself, unsure of what had triggered this strange phenomenon.

[The Ascendant System is designed to help the User grow stronger and ascend beyond normal limitations.]

Lance stiffened as the voice responded to his thoughts directly. 'It can hear everything I'm thinking…' he realized, a little unnerved by the constant presence of the System in his mind.

[Affirmative. The System responds to your thoughts and actions. It will guide you on your path to power.]

'Guide me, huh? And what if I don't want this power?' Lance questioned, though deep down, he knew the answer. He couldn't afford to refuse such a gift—not after what had happened today.

[The System is bound to the User. Growth is inevitable.]

Lance sighed, looking at the small screen that once again appeared in front of him. His stats had increased: Strength, Agility, and Endurance. But there was more information now. At the top, there was a small bar labeled "Experience Points: 10/100."

'I have to get stronger… if I don't, I'll end up dead like the others,' he thought grimly. His comrades had fought bravely, but in the end, none of them had survived. 'This world… it's too dangerous to stay weak.'

[New Quest: Hunt a Beast. Reward: 20 Experience Points.]

Lance stood up quickly, alarmed. "Hunt a beast? Now?" he muttered. He was still recovering from the battle.

[You have healed sufficiently. A beast is nearby. Your strength and agility are enough to succeed.]

Lance clenched his jaw. 'It's pushing me already…' he thought, frustrated, but part of him understood. If the System was really trying to help him grow, then he couldn't hesitate. Hesitation would only get him killed.

"Fine," he said aloud, scanning the forest. "Let's see what I'm up against."

He moved cautiously through the underbrush, listening intently for any sign of movement. The forest was alive with the sounds of distant birds and rustling leaves. It wasn't long before Lance's sharp ears picked up a low growl nearby.

'There it is,' he thought, feeling his heart race. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly, a wolf-like creature burst from the trees. Its fur was dark and matted, and its eyes glowed with a predatory hunger. It was larger than any wolf Lance had ever seen, standing nearly as tall as he did. The beast snarled, baring its fangs as it circled him.

[Beast identified: Level 1 Forest Wolf. Weakness: Speed. Strategy: Aim for the legs.]

Lance nodded, preparing himself. 'Okay, focus. It's fast, but I'm faster now.'

The wolf lunged, its jaws snapping toward his throat, but Lance was ready. With a swift side step, he dodged the attack, slashing at the beast's hind leg as it passed by. The wolf howled in pain as the blade found its mark, and it stumbled, limping as it tried to recover.

'It worked,' Lance thought, surprised at how smoothly the System's strategy had played out.

The wolf, enraged, charged again, this time with less speed but more ferocity. Lance's body moved on instinct, fueled by the System's guidance. He ducked under the wolf's claws, his sword flashing in the dim light as he struck again—this time at its neck. The beast collapsed with a final yelp, blood pooling around its motionless body.

Lance stood over the wolf, breathing heavily but victorious. 'I actually did it…'

[Quest complete. 20 Experience Points gained. Strength +1. Agility +1. New skill unlocked: Combat Awareness.]

'Combat Awareness?' Lance thought, curious. A rush of information flowed into his mind, like an instinct sharpening his senses even further. He felt like he could anticipate movements better, react faster in battle.

"This system… it's more powerful than I thought," he murmured, staring at the wolf's lifeless form. His stats were climbing steadily, and now, with the addition of new skills, it felt like the possibilities were endless.

[New Quest: Find Shelter. Reward: 15 Experience Points.]

Lance sheathed his sword and nodded. 'I should keep moving. There might be more beasts in the area.'

He glanced at the trees, the sky slowly darkening as night approached. 'This is just the beginning,' he thought, determination burning in his chest. With the System by his side, he would survive—no, he would thrive.

And with that, he ventured deeper into the forest, ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.