Andrew had gone to bed early the night before. That was typical for him. His days were spent working long hours on his grandfather's farm, and though he didn't enjoy the routine, it paid the rent. Afterward, he'd trudge home, eat a simple meal, and collapse into bed.
He had expected to wake up as usual the next morning, take the ten-minute walk to the farm, and start the day milking cows and feeding livestock. It was a predictable, monotonous life.
But that night, his sleep was abruptly interrupted by a strange buzzing sound and a bright yellow light.
Groaning, Andrew rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep and confused. His sluggish mind leaped to a mundane explanation: _Did I forget to turn off the lightstone? Damn it._ Those things were expensive for no good reason.
Muttering a curse, he stumbled out of bed, his tired legs failing him as he tripped over his own feet. Still groggy, he struggled to regain his balance, intending to grab the lightstone on the nearby table.
But then he froze.
Before him floated a circular frame of shimmering light, its edges pulsing faintly as if alive. In its center was a series of glowing white text. His vision was still blurry from sleep, but the sight was unmistakable.
His heart skipped a beat.
"No way…" Andrew whispered, staring at the text. Then louder: "I'm chosen by the System?!"
Becoming System-chosen was a dream he'd buried long ago—a fantasy for someone like him, stuck in an unchanging cycle of work and survival. It felt as far-fetched as wishing for a mountain of gold to appear in his house and end his struggles forever.
For a moment, he wondered if he was dreaming. What were the odds, really? This kind of thing didn't happen to ordinary people like him.
Shaking his head, he tried to clear his vision. The blur faded, and the words came into sharp focus.
> **[Andrew Kermil]**
> **[You are chosen by the Grand Symbiotic Vessel Network—Multi-Core Conduit System (a.k.a. Grand System)]**
> **[Your System Menu and Ability will unlock as soon as you step into your first alternate realm.]**
Andrew's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor. It wasn't a hallucination. It wasn't a dream. It was real.
Excitement welled up inside him, so intense it was almost overwhelming. His mind raced with possibilities. This was his chance to escape the grind of his life and achieve something greater.
He didn't sleep again that night. How could he? By dawn, his excitement had completely overshadowed his exhaustion.
Andrew threw on his best straw hat, stuffed all the money he had into a small bag, and bolted out the door.
As he ran through the village, he passed his neighbor, Mister Elcor, who was sipping cheap alcohol in the early morning light. The old man looked up from his wilted vegetable garden, startled.
"Mister Elcor!" Andrew shouted, barely slowing down.
Elcor blinked blearily. "G-good morning to you too..."
"Tell my grandfather I'm heading to Towns-Mill to become a Realm Walker!" Andrew called back.
"What?!" Elcor stammered, the meaning of the words finally sinking in. "Wait—does that mean you're System-chosen?!"
But Andrew was already gone, sprinting down the dirt path. His stamina, honed from years of labor, carried him swiftly to the edge of the village. There, a pair of guards stood watch, dressed in black wooden armor and armed with spears.
One of them, Hujan, frowned as Andrew approached. "Why're you up so early?"
Andrew slowed, panting. "I need to leave the village. I'm a System-chosen."
Hujan raised an eyebrow. "Sure you are," he said, unimpressed.
"I'm serious!" Andrew insisted.
The other guard snorted. "Look, even if you are, you can't leave. There are unstable realm rifts everywhere today. We don't want to be the ones telling your family you got eaten by a realm beast."
Andrew sighed, pretending to give in. "Alright, alright. I get it. Thanks, Hujan."
Hujan gave him a sympathetic nod, stepping closer. "It's tough, I know. Hang in there."
The moment Hujan let his guard down, Andrew darted past him, sprinting through the gate before anyone could react.
Outside, the air felt different—charged with a strange, electric energy. He turned back briefly and saw the protective bubble surrounding the village, shimmering faintly in the sunlight.
"Get back inside!" Hujan shouted.
But Andrew just shook his head. "I'll be fine!"
Before he could say more, a tear formed in the air beside him, splitting reality like fabric. The warm breeze vanished, replaced by an oppressive void. Andrew barely had time to gasp before the rift swallowed him whole.
[You have entered your first Realm]
[System Menu unlocked]
[Ability unlocked]
Andrew tumbled out of the rift and onto soft, mossy ground. Dazed, he slowly got to his feet, taking in his surroundings.
The world around him looked like a jungle—but not any jungle he had ever seen in books or pictures. The trees were impossibly tall, their twisted trunks pulsing faintly with veins of glowing blue. Their leaves were enormous, dripping with viscous, amber-colored liquid that hissed softly as it hit the ground.
Strange fungi, as big as houses, sprouted from the roots of the trees, their caps glowing with an eerie, green bioluminescence. The air was thick and humid, carrying a sharp, metallic tang. The underbrush writhed as if alive, and Andrew could swear he heard it breathing.
In the distance, a massive flower the size of a building unfurled its crimson petals, releasing a cloud of sparkling spores into the air. The sight was mesmerizing—but also deeply unsettling.
"What... is this place?" Andrew whispered, his voice trembling.
The jungle buzzed with strange noises—clicks, chirps, and the occasional guttural roar that pounded his heart. Shadows moved in the corner of his vision, but whenever he turned, there was nothing there.
Andrew clenched his fists, both terrified and exhilarated. This was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
A faint, mechanical chime sounded in his ears, followed by a calm, robotic voice:
[Welcome to the Outer Veil Jungle. Survive, adapt, and grow stronger to progress further.]
Swallowing hard, Andrew nodded to himself. "Alright," he muttered.
I should see what my ability is before doing anything. Having some kind of energy projection would make my day.
Andrew focused hard, imagining the system menu. It was his first time summoning it, but he couldn't think of another way to control it.
It turned out he was right.
A bunch of yellow circles with texts suddenly appeared in front of him. He was amazed by them, but he didn't have the safety to waste checking them all out.
One of the system circles on his right had a bright text, saying, 'Ability'.
Andrew imagined it being selected but nothing happened which was disappointing. He pressed on the circle and it expanded, showcasing something new.
[Ability Steal]
There wasn't a description of it, although one wasn't needed. The name of the ability was self-explanatory.
There was another interesting system circle. 'Battle set'. Andrew pressed on it too, causing leather armor and a small sword to drop in front of him.