Jin took a deep breath, his trembling hands tightening the straps on his backpack. The weight of the supplies pressed against his shoulders, grounding him, but it couldn't still the storm raging in his chest.
He scanned his small apartment one last time, his gaze lingering on the cracked mirror across the room. His reflection stared back, pale and wide-eyed, a stark reminder of his fear.
"Am I really doing this?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the distant sounds of chaos. Screams, glass shattering, the unmistakable growls of something inhuman filtered through the walls.
The solitude of his apartment had always been his safe haven, but that comfort was now a prison. Mari's trembling words echoed in his mind:
"Please come. I'm so scared."
Jin squared his shoulders, forcing himself toward the door. He hesitated, hand hovering over the lock. "No turning back now," he muttered.
Through the peephole, a shadowy figure stood in the dim hallway, motionless.
"What the hell?" Jin whispered, squinting. The silhouette was vaguely human but unnervingly still. Against his better judgment, he cracked the door open.
"Hey! What are you doing? It's dangerous out there!"
The figure stiffened, then slowly turned toward him.
Jin's breath hitched. Hovering above its head were glowing, red letters:
"Zombie – Level 1"
The sight was absurd—straight out of an RPG. His rational mind screamed that it was impossible, but the predatory gleam in its blood-red eyes was all too real.
The creature's grotesque face twisted, its mouth stretching into a gaping maw filled with jagged, bloodstained teeth.
It snarled, low and guttural, the sound resonating deep in Jin's chest.
Before he could react, the zombie lunged.
"Sh$t!" Jin slammed the door shut, the impact reverberating through his apartment. His hands scrambled to lock it as the creature crashed into the barrier, snarling and clawing.
"What was that?!" he gasped, his back pressed against the trembling door. "A zombie?! No way!"
The relentless pounding on the door made his heart hammer faster. Each slam sent splinters flying, the wood groaning under the assault.
"Ding!"
A glowing notification appeared in his vision, slicing through his panic:
Quest Activated: First Blood
Objective: Defeat the Zombie outside your door.
Reward: Beginner's Starter Pack
Jin stared at the text, his mind reeling. "A quest? A reward? What the hell is going on?!"
A loud crack snapped him out of his thoughts—the doorframe was splintering. His gaze darted to the kitchen counter, where a knife gleamed under the dim light.
He bolted for it, clutching the blade with trembling hands.
"I'm not a hero. I can't fight this thing!" he whispered, panic rising in his throat.
But an image of Mari flashed in his mind—her desperate plea, her voice choked with fear.
"Please help me."
Jin swallowed hard, steeling himself. "I can't die here.
Not while Mari's out there waiting for me."
The door burst open with a deafening crash.
The zombie lunged, its blood-red eyes locking onto Jin with murderous intent.
"Sh$t—!" Jin stumbled back, raising the knife.
He swung wildly, the blade grazing its decayed shoulder.
The zombie didn't flinch.
It swiped at him with razor-sharp claws.
Jin ducked, adrenaline surging as he drove the knife upward, aiming for its chest.
"Die, you monster!" he roared.
The blade sank into flesh, eliciting a screech that sent shivers down his spine.
But a notification flickered into his vision:
"Weapon ineffective."
"What?!" Jin's eyes widened in disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
The zombie lunged again, its claws raking across his cheek.
"Aaahh!" Jin screamed, pain exploding across his face.
Blood streamed down his cheek, hot and sticky.
Another notification blinked into view:
"You took 15 damage."
His gaze darted to the floating health bar in the corner of his vision:
HP: 85/100.
Fifteen damage. From one swipe.
"If it hits me five more times…" The thought sent a cold wave of fear through him.
The creature didn't give him time to think, lunging again with a guttural snarl.
Jin ducked under its claws, his mind racing.
"This isn't a game. I can't experiment or screw up. Every move matters."
The zombie loomed closer, its twisted face inches from his. Jin's instincts screamed at him to run, but Mari's voice echoed in his mind again.
"I'm so scared."
Gritting his teeth, Jin gripped the knife tighter. He wasn't a hero.
He didn't know what the hell was happening.
But one thing was clear:
If he wanted to survive, he'd have to fight like hell.
"I can't die here," Jin thought fiercely. "Mari needs me. I have to survive—no matter what!"
His heartbeat thundered in his chest, each pulse a defiant drumbeat against despair.
His body moved on instinct, echoing the distant memories of a life he'd long since abandoned.
He wasn't in his prime anymore—far from it.
But back in high school, Jin had been an athlete: a runner, a gym regular, someone who thrived on pushing his limits.
That was before his mother's death two years ago.
Her passing shattered him, pulling him into a spiral of guilt and grief.
He'd abandoned his routines, his ambitions, and even the people who tried to reach out to him.
His younger brother had tried countless times to pull him back into the light, but Jin had shut himself away, a recluse in both body and mind.
Now, those long-dormant instincts were stirring once more.
The zombie's claws descended in a blur.
Jin raised his left arm to block, barely registering the pain as jagged nails tore through his flesh.
Warm blood trickled down his arm, staining his clothes a deep crimson.
No time to think. No time to stop.
With a guttural cry, Jin clenched his right fist and swung, pouring every ounce of desperation and fury into the punch.
"Pak!" His fist connected with the zombie's jaw, the sickening crack of bone reverberating up his arm.
Decayed flesh caved under the impact, and the creature's head snapped to the side.
It staggered back, swaying like a puppet with its strings frayed.
Jin stood firm, his chest heaving as adrenaline surged through his veins.
Pain radiated from his injured arm, but he couldn't afford to stop. Not now.
A subtle notification flickered at the edge of his vision:
"You dealt 5 damage to the Zombie."
"What?!" Jin froze, his breath catching in his throat. A punch worked, but the knife didn't?
The absurdity of it made no sense, yet it offered him a sliver of hope.
He could hurt the thing.
He could fight back.
But another thought gnawed at the edges of his mind: Did something change about me?
His punch had felt unnaturally strong—far beyond what his sedentary life should have allowed.
Was it connected to the strange energy he'd felt after waking up?
Maybe this phenomenon had altered him in ways he didn't yet understand.
The zombie roared, snapping Jin out of his thoughts. Its hollow, rage-filled eyes locked onto him as it lunged again.
Jin dodged to the side, heart pounding as he tracked its movements.
Out of the corner of his vision, a red bar materialized:
"HP: 45/50"
"Fifty HP…" Jin calculated quickly, dread pooling in his stomach. Does that mean I need to land nine more hits?
Can I even survive that long?
Gritting his teeth, he fought back, alternating between wild punches and frantic knife swings.
The knife, though largely ineffective at dealing damage, helped slow the creature.
In a desperate arc, he severed one of its arms, sending it stumbling back with a guttural snarl.
Jin's movements were clumsy, his body sluggish, but desperation kept him going.
Thankfully, the zombie lacked strategy—its attacks were slow and predictable, driven by pure instinct.
Finally, with its HP whittled down to a sliver, Jin saw his chance.
As the zombie lunged one last time, he sidestepped, yanked his knife free, and slashed clean across its neck.
"Thud!" The severed head hit the ground, followed by the lifeless body.
Jin collapsed beside it, gasping for air.
His hands trembled, slick with blood—his and the monster's—as he propped himself against the wall.
He stared at the corpse in disbelief.
Somehow, against all odds, he had survived.
Moments later, the creature's body began to dissolve.
Its form flickered, glitching like a corrupted hologram.
Tiny fragments broke apart, floating upward like embers from a dying flame before vanishing entirely.
Jin watched, his breath hitching.
The surreal sight sent a shiver down his spine. Just like in a game, he thought.
But this wasn't a game. It was terrifyingly real.
A faint notification appeared in his vision:
"You've earned 10 experience points."
"Exactly like a game," Jin muttered bitterly.
He clutched his side, his trembling hand coming away sticky with blood.
Only then did he notice the faint red bar lingering at the edge of his vision.
"HP: 5/100"
His heart sank. He hadn't realized how close he'd come to dying.
One more hit, and I'd be the one lying on the floor instead.
For all the fleeting rush of victory, the fight was a grim reminder: he was weak.
Far too weak.
This wasn't a world where he could throw himself into danger without a second thought.
"This world is nothing like the games I used to play," he thought bitterly. "Here, there's no room for recklessness. No margin for error."
Suddenly, a soft "ding" echoed in Jin's ears. A glowing notification appeared before his eyes:
"Quest Completed: First Blood."
—As the first player to slay a monster, the system rewards you with the title: First Conqueror.
Title Effect: You will earn 2x rewards for completing tasks first.
Jin blinked in disbelief. "Woah," he whispered, his exhaustion momentarily giving way to amazement.
Another message appeared:
"You've earned 1 x Beginner's Starter Pack. Please check your inventory to claim it."
"First Conqueror Title in Effect: Rewards have been doubled."
A rush of relief and excitement coursed through him. He couldn't stop himself from laughing—sarcastic and almost hysterical.
"Haha… You've got to be kidding me," Jin muttered, staring at the glowing notifications. "Seriously, what the hell is this world turning into?"
Before he could dwell on it, a guttural roar echoed through the apartment complex, accompanied by the sound of heavy, uneven footsteps.
Jin's breath caught. "There's more of them."
Jin tightened his grip on the bloodied knife, his knuckles white.
His eyes flicked back to the glowing notification labeled "Inventory."
"If this… if this really works like a game, maybe there's something in there to help me survive," he thought, his heart pounding like a drum.
Hovering his finger over the icon, he hesitated for only a fraction of a second before tapping it.
The translucent inventory window materialized, listing its contents:
2 x Small HP Potion: Restores 50 HP over 5 seconds.
2 x Small Mana Potion: Restores 50 MP over 5 seconds.
2 x Rusty Short Sword: +5 Attack Power | Durability: 25/25.
2 x Novice Leather Armor: +5 Defense | Durability: 20/20.
2 x Novice Leather Pants: +5 Defense | Durability: 20/20.
2 x Low-Quality Monster Core
2 x Silver Coin: Currency used for transactions.
Jin's eyes widened as he scanned the list.
Relief swept over him like a wave.
"It's… it's really like a game," he whispered, both relieved and unnerved.
He tapped the Small HP Potion first.
A small vial filled with crimson liquid materialized in front of him, floating in midair.
For a moment, Jin hesitated.
The surreal glow of the potion was a stark reminder of how abnormal this world had become.
But desperation won out over doubt.
He grabbed the vial, fumbled with the cap, and downed its contents in a single gulp.
A cool sensation spread through his body, dulling the pain and leaving behind a soothing warmth.
"HP: 55/100"
He flexed his fingers experimentally, feeling strength return to his battered limbs. "Better," he muttered, wiping blood off his lip. "Still not great, but better."
His gaze returned to the inventory.
The Rusty Short Sword, Novice Leather Armor, and Novice Leather Pants caught his attention next.
Without hesitation, he tapped each item.
A prompt appeared:
"Will you equip these items?"
"Yes," Jin confirmed.
A faint glow enveloped him as his tattered, bloodstained clothes transformed.
The armor was basic, little more than a leather chest plate and matching pants, but it felt sturdier than anything he'd worn before.
The short sword materialized in his hand, its weight far more reassuring than the flimsy kitchen knife he'd clung to earlier.
He inspected the weapon. It was crude, the blade riddled with nicks and rust, but it was a step up.
"Not bad," Jin thought, glancing down at himself. "Still looks like a noob starter kit, though."
A low, guttural snarl echoed from the stairwell.
The sound was closer now, accompanied by the heavy thuds of approaching footsteps.
Jin's grip on the sword tightened.
His heart raced, but this time it wasn't just fear—it was a flicker of determination.
"Alright," he muttered, straightening his posture. "Let's see what this world throws at me next."