Jin finally accepted the truth—this world had transformed into something out of a game.
The "how" and "why" still eluded him, leaving him drowning in confusion, a storm of thoughts swirling in his mind.
"If this is how things really are," he thought, his heart pounding, "then I need to figure out how to handle this quickly. Mari is still waiting for me."
The thought of Mari hit him like a punch to the gut, a desperate pang twisting in his chest.
Frantically, he pulled out his phone, only to feel his stomach sink as the screen displayed the dreaded icon:
No Signal
"No, no, no!" Jin's voice cracked with panic as he tried to swipe the screen, toggling airplane mode, restarting the device—anything to bring the network back.
But nothing worked.
His mind raced, his desperation mounting with each passing second.
And then, in the distance, a sound cut through the thick silence.
Loud explosions echoed through the air, followed by the sharp, dissonant cracks of gunfire.
His pulse quickened as he froze, straining to listen.
Sirens wailed, the sound of urgency in every pitch.
Announcements blared through megaphones, the words faint but unmistakable:
"All residents, this is a state of emergency! Proceed to the evacuation center immediately!"
Jin's heart lurched. The military... could they be mobilized?
For a fleeting moment, a spark of hope flickered.
The sound of organized chaos suggested some semblance of control still remained.
Maybe there was still a chance to make sense of all of this.
But then Mari's name broke through the fog of his thoughts.
"Mari!" It was like a scream trapped inside his head, the concern for her drowning out everything else.
Despite not being religious, a prayer tumbled from his lips, desperate and raw. "God, please keep her safe."
His thoughts splintered—one half consumed by worry for her, the other scrambling to piece together any kind of plan.
"If this world has become something like a game," he reasoned, pacing back and forth, "then I need to think like a player. What do I need to do?"
The answer hit him, sharp and clear. "I have to get stronger."
He clenched his fists, the intensity of his resolve burning in his chest.
"Status!" he barked aloud, almost instinctively.
A translucent pane materialized in his vision, glowing faintly with his details:
Name: Jin Ramirez
Health Points: 55/100
Mana Points: 50/50
Title: First Conqueror
Class: None
Level: 1
Experience Points: 10/100
Attributes:
Strength: 10
Vitality: 10
Intelligence: 12
Agility: 6
Dexterity: 8
Luck: 5
Jin stared at the screen, the excitement he had briefly felt quickly deflating into embarrassment.
"This... this is trash," he muttered under his breath, his fingers gripping the edge of the screen as if willing it to change.
His status was a far cry from the high-level characters he used to play in games.
But then again, it was likely reflecting his real-world self—weak, out of shape, and completely unprepared.
"This isn't a game," he mocked himself bitterly, the truth settling uncomfortably around him.
His mind quickly did the math. "So, I need to kill nine more of those zombies to level up?" he asked aloud, his voice shaking. "Fighting just one almost killed me. What are the odds of surviving nine more?"
A cold weight pressed down on him, the realization settling in his gut like a stone.
But then, his eyes fell to the short sword in his hand, the rough armor strapped to his body.
"Wait," he murmured, a thought forming in the back of his mind. "The odds are different now."
With a proper weapon and crude armor, his chances weren't as hopeless as before.
He could do this. "As long as I don't face more than one at a time," he reasoned aloud. "I can do this. I have to."
The determination in his voice solidified his resolve.
His grip tightened around the hilt of the sword, the weight of it grounding him in the present.
Mari was out there somewhere, waiting for him to get to her.
And he would. He had no choice.
One step at a time.
—
Despite knowing the basics of the system from years of gaming,
Jin still checked the detailed information, ensuring he hadn't overlooked anything:
•••
•Attributes Comprehensive Information•
Health Points: 55/100
Mana Points: 60/60
Attack Power : 10
Attack Speed : 1
Defense: 10
Movement Speed: 1m/sec
Stamina : 50 [uses 5 SP / second of sprinting or jumping]
***
Strength : 10
•Attack Power
[1 STR = 1 AP]
•Defense
[1 STR = 1 DEF]
•Critical Damage
[10 STR =1% additional damage when you critically hits a target]
Intelligence : 12
•Perception and Detection
[puzzles and riddles within the world becomes 1% easier every point of intelligence | Detection : Able to detect blood lust towards you—coverage increase 1% each point of intelligence]
•Mana Points
[1 INT = 5 MP]
•Critical Hits
[10 INT = 1% chance to CRIT]
Agility: 6
•Movement Speed
[1 AGI = 1% MS]
•Dodge Chance
[1 AGI = .5% DC]
Dexterity : 8
•Attack Speed
[1 DEX = 1% AS]
Vitality : 10
•Health Points
[1 Vit = 10 HP]
•Stamina Points
[1 VIT= 5 SP]
•Stamina recovery
[recovers 3% of stamina every 10 points of Vitality per second]
Luck : 5
•Favored Fate
[1 point of luck is equal to additional 1% of fate in favor to the player]
•••
"So this is me, huh?" Jin thought grimly, his eyes scanning the stats.
The numbers weren't impressive, but they were all he had to work with now.
He exhaled sharply. "I should focus on building up Strength to survive combat... and Vitality for my lifeline."
The decision made, he felt a bit of relief, but only a bit.
His strength and stamina would be the keys to surviving this hellish new reality.
Yet, he knew that focusing only on combat wouldn't be enough. "But first, I need to level up as much as possible to earn more stat points. Without that, I'm stuck."
His eyes fell to the rusty short sword gripped tightly in his hand, its dull, faded metal doing little to reassure him.
"Better than nothing," he muttered under his breath.
He stared at the blade for a moment too long.
Almost as if by instinct, a grayish translucent window appeared before him, detailing the weapon's attributes.
•••
Rusty Short Sword
-Common basic weapon
-Durability: 25/25
-Attack Power: +5
•••
Jin's eyes burned with newfound determination.
The path ahead was dangerous, but he didn't have the luxury of hesitation.
The door to his apartment hung crookedly on its hinges, deep claw marks and splinters marring its surface—a grim reminder of the zombie that had nearly ended him earlier.
He swallowed hard, gripping the hilt of his short sword tighter.
The weight of the moment pressed on him as he gathered his thoughts.
Taking a deep breath, Jin pushed the damaged door open just enough to slip through.
His foot landed cautiously on the debris-littered floor.
"Creak… kek… kek…"
The sound of groaning wood made him wince.
Jin froze mid-step, holding his breath, his pulse pounding in his ears.
Every movement felt like a gamble, and the broken door frame seemed ready to betray him at any moment.
His eyes darted left and right, scanning the hallway for any signs of movement.
The air felt thick with tension, and every shadow seemed alive, lurking.
"Stay calm," he whispered to himself, barely audible, as he shifted his weight gingerly, trying to minimize any noise.
Suddenly, from two doors down, a loud bang shattered the quiet.
"Huh?! What are you—!"
The unmistakable sound of a door being thrown open echoed through the hall.
"Don't come near me! Stay back! Aaaaahhhgg!"
The man's panicked screams were abruptly drowned out by a guttural snarl, followed by the sickening sounds of a struggle—crashing, banging, and desperate cries for help.
"Aaaaahhh… help! Somebody—!"
The plea ended abruptly. Silence lingered for a moment before chaos erupted again from outside the building—distant voices shouting in panic.
"Hey! What the hell?!" a man yelled from another building, his voice carried by the crisp morning air.
"Nah, nah... you don't wanna do this, bud. Step back, or I'll—!"
The sharp click of a gun being cocked rang out.
"I warned you, asshle!"* the voice screamed again, followed by the deafening sound of a gunshot.
"Bang!"
Jin flinched at the gunshot, his heart hammering in his chest.
"And I'm out here trying not to make a sound while this idiot's—!" his inner voice screamed in frustration.
A loud, guttural growl erupted from the building's stairwell, the beast's rage unmistakable.
"Groooowwwwl!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Another burst of gunfire followed by a scream of pain.
"Is this happening everywhere?" Jin muttered under his breath, his throat dry.
His mind swirled as he tried to process the escalating madness.
A baby's cry pierced through the chaos from one of the rooms in a nearby building, fragile and heart-wrenching.
It was joined by more screams, a mix of fear and agony, accompanied by the loud sounds of banging and crashing.
The megaphone's distorted announcement echoed once more, the words distorted but unmistakable:
"All residents, proceed to the evacuation center now!"
Jin's mind raced, trying to calm his breathing.
The cries from the man down the hall faded into guttural growls and wet, tearing sounds that made Jin's stomach twist.
His thoughts scrambled. "Should I have helped him? Could I even help?"
Fear gripped him.
He wasn't a fighter.
He wasn't some hero in a game.
But a part of him rebelled against doing nothing.
Before he could decide, a soft notification sound chimed: "Ding!"
—
A Passive Quest has arrived: Be a Hero!
Quest Objectives: Rescue as many non-player characters (NPCs) as possible and bring them to safe zones.
Reward: Earn 5 XP per NPC rescued.
Number of NPCs Rescued: 0
Jin stifled a laugh, biting his lip to keep quiet.
"Save people? Me? I can barely keep myself alive, and now this system wants me to be a hero?"
The irony was almost too much. But then, he thought of Mari.
"Wait, does this mean Mari counts as an NPC? If I save her, I earn XP..."
His gaze lingered on the quest details.
There was no time limit.
"So, as long as this nightmare continues, the quest stays active?" he speculated.
The potential XP reward was tempting, but it was still too risky.
"Wait, did it say safe zones? Does it mean the evacuation center?"
His fingers twitched around the hilt of his sword, uncertainty clawing at his mind.
"Saving myself is already proving difficult. I'm not playing a game. These people… they're strangers. Why risk it?"
But despite his hesitation, memories of his mother's words from the vision resurfaced: "Protect the weak. Protect your world."
"Does that mean all humans? Or just the people I care about?"
Jin shook his head, dispelling his doubts.
He couldn't afford to waste time on moral dilemmas—not when Mari needed him.
A loud thud from the stairs snapped him out of his thoughts.
The vibrations rattled through the hallway like a grim warning.
Something was coming.
Jin tightened his grip on the sword.
"Here we go."
Careful not to make a sound, Jin crept toward the stairway, peeking around the corner of the hallway wall.
Through the building's broken windows, he saw several figures standing motionless—a small cluster of monsters.
Their blank stares and decaying bodies confirmed it: "Zombie Lv. 1."
Jin's heart skipped a beat. He took a steadying breath.
"Dealing with one at a time, I can handle it. Just need to keep it quiet—no attracting others."
He thought, his mind already calculating his next move.
The guttural growl of the zombie grew louder as it climbed the stairs, its sluggish movements sending faint vibrations through the structure.
Jin crouched low at the top of the staircase, waiting for the perfect moment.
The creature's head appeared first, its pallid skin stretched taut over a grotesque skull.
Its cloudy eyes locked onto Jin the instant he raised his sword.
"Now!" Jin lunged, driving the blade downward with all his might.
"Brururoook!"
The tip of the sword pierced the zombie's skull with a sickening crunch.
Blood sprayed across the walls, and the impact forced the creature to stagger back a step.
A message flashed before Jin's eyes:
"You dealt a critical hit. 17 damage."
Victory was fleeting.
To his horror, the wound began to seal itself, a faint glow of pixelated energy knitting the injury back together.
"They heal?!" Jin's stomach churned.
His blade wasn't enough.
The zombie roared, an enraged growl that sent shivers down his spine.
Its movements became erratic, and it lunged up the stairs, claws outstretched.
Jin stumbled backward into the hallway, creating space to fight in the narrow corridor.
He braced himself as the creature charged, its clawed fingers gleaming like rusted blades.
The zombie swiped at him with a feral scream.
Jin raised his sword just in time to block the blow.
"Ching!"
The force of the impact jarred him, the vibration traveling up his arm.
He stumbled, gritting his teeth against the sting.
"You took 5 damage."
The message flashed in his vision, and the pain settled into his muscles.
"Five?! That's insane!" Jin's heart raced.
Without the leather armor he'd obtained, that blow would've been far worse.
With a burst of adrenaline, Jin kicked the zombie square in the chest.
"Bam!"
The creature staggered back, the force of the blow sending it wobbling dangerously near the stairs.
"You dealt 5 damage."
"Now's my chance!" Jin surged forward, swinging his sword in a wide arc.
The blade bit deep into the zombie's torso, the wet, visceral sound echoing in the hall.
"Swaakk!"
"You dealt 15 damage."
The zombie snarled, barely clinging to life.
Jin didn't relent.
He pivoted, raising his sword above his head, and drove it down with all his strength.
The blade sank deep into the zombie's chest, piercing its core.
Light erupted from the wound, spreading like cracks in shattered glass.
The zombie let out a final groan before disintegrating into motes of glowing light.
The particles drifted into Jin, absorbed into him like streams of energy.
"You defeated a Zombie. You earned 10 XP."
"You earned 1 x Low Quality Monster Core."
"You earned 10 copper coins."
Breathing heavily, Jin grinned faintly. "This time, it wasn't as bad."
He looked down at the sword in his hands, its edge glistening with ichor. "So it's true. The system's weapons work best on these things."
A realization hit him: "Those creatures must've been brought by the system, right? So it makes sense that only system items would be effective against them."
"With this, I think even that passive quest would be doable."
He mused, a spark of confidence lighting within him.
Just as he turned toward the stairs to catch his breath, a heavy thud echoed from below.
"Damn it," Jin muttered, his fleeting moment of relief shattered. Another zombie was climbing the stairs, its growls growing louder.
Despite his exhaustion, the fire of determination flared in his chest. The first victory had given him the confidence to keep going.
He tightened his grip on the sword, steadying his posture.
"Alright... Next one. Come." He murmured, ready for whatever came next.