In a small, dimly lit room, where even the sunlight barely filtered through, a bed lay in the corner. On the bed, a teenager named Rave slept soundly, drooling slightly as he enjoyed what seemed like the perfect nap.
But suddenly, sweat drenched his body. His heartbeat quickened, and his face twisted with expressions of pain and discomfort. He clutched his pillow tightly, jolting awake with a shock.
Gasping for air, he frantically scanned his surroundings, panic rising in his chest. "Was it real? Or just another nightmare?"
The room around him was small, with cracked walls—evidence of the temporary lodging provided in the Genesys world after the long teleportation. It was clear now: it had all been a nightmare.
"The cave... the statues... the blood... blood!" He frantically touched his body, half-expecting to feel the wounds from the statues, but everything was perfectly intact. Only then did he let out a deep breath. "Hah, it was just a nightmare. Definitely just a nightmare. But... my body still aches. Is it because of the nightmare?"
He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's just a dream." For a moment, tears welled up in his eyes, but he swallowed them back. "What the hell is happening to me?"
Suddenly, a glowing screen materialized before him. It appeared as though particles of light were coming together, shocking him out of his thoughts. The burst of light dazzled his eyes for a moment.
"What? What's happening now? Are aliens attacking again?" Panic surged through him for an instant, but as his vision cleared, he saw a transparent, rectangular screen floating in front of him. The screen displayed information.
"Alien technology? Who else could enter this world?" He reached out to touch the screen, and his hand passed through it, distorting the light where his fingers made contact. Curiosity drove him to read the information that appeared.
The screen displayed:
Congratulations, Host (Rave Arnet), on acquiring the Gen-Z System.
Name: Rave Arnet
Acquired Gene(s): None
Genesys Points: None
Gene Level: Gene Adaptation Stage
Attributes:
ATK: 7
SPD: 7
DEF: 5
Skill(s): None
Innate Skill(s): None
Gen-Z System:
This system's main skill is Mutant Devourer. This skill absorbs the genes of mutant beasts and copies their abilities into the host's genes. The host can use these abilities without any backlash, and with full efficiency.
But the system has level-based restrictions. Currently, the first level is Gene Feeder.
Gene Feeder: Can absorb genes from Gene Adaptation Stage and Gene Aura Manifestation Stage beasts, granting abilities such as physical enhancements.
Appraisal Skill: A perk that allows the host to see information about anything, but only up to a level higher than the host's current level.
These are just the basic skills of the system. More will be unlocked in the future.
Rave stared at the screen, his mind reeling. The only thing that slipped from his lips was, "What the fuck is happening to my life?"
"A system? Seriously? Did I just become the protagonist of one of those cheesy novels?" Rave pinched his own skin, unable to believe it. But the pain was real.
"Ouch. It's real, it's real... Then my dream..." He gulped, his body trembling with fear.
It was all real—the portal, the pain, and even his death. Every part of it had truly happened, just as the system was real. But even with this certainty, he couldn't shake the fear and confusion that lingered.
Before Rave could dwell on his thoughts any longer, a loud siren echoed through the air, breaking his trance. It was a summons for all students to gather for an assembly.
"Huh? Already starting?" he muttered, rushing to strap on his equipment. His hands trembled slightly, his body still shaken from the residual fear and exhaustion.
The assembly was held on a vast plain of endless grass that stretched as far as the eye could see. In the center of this open ground, a group of teenagers stood in formation. Each was dressed in leather armor, with small pouches strapped to their waists. Their faces were rigid and serious, their focus locked on the instructor, who seemed to be concluding his speech.
From the distance, Rave came running, his face flushed with exhaustion. His hurried, disorganized arrival didn't go unnoticed. The other students turned to glare at him, their anger palpable. Rave's tardiness had earned them an extended lecture from the instructor, and they were far from forgiving.
He avoided eye contact and quietly joined the back of the group, his face dull with embarrassment. The instructor, noticing that everyone was now present, raised his voice to command attention.
"Students!" he bellowed, making the entire group stand even straighter, their focus sharpening.
"This is not some VMMORPG game. This is life and death. Be serious. Even the weakest beast you encounter will be far more cunning than you expect. Stay cautious at every moment." He paused, scanning the group, before his eyes settled on two students in the front row.
"This is your first hunt," he continued. "To ensure order, I am appointing two top students to lead your class."
The named students stepped forward. The first was Rook, a sturdy boy with a handsome face and alloy armor that gleamed under the sunlight. The second was Allie, a striking girl with sharp eyes that seemed capable of piercing anyone's heart. Her sleek armor, designed specifically for female combatants, hugged her figure, offering both protection and a perfect outline of her curves. Both stood before the group with expressions of calm confidence, showing no hint of emotion.
Rave, blending into the back of the group, observed them silently. He wasn't an unskilled or weak student—on the contrary, he ranked just below the two leaders in class standings. But his introverted nature had left him isolated, with no friends to stand beside him.
As the instructor wrapped up his speech, weapons were distributed to the students. The basic steel swords handed out were for those who hadn't brought their own. Most students ignored these, having already equipped themselves with weapons purchased beforehand. The appointed leaders, Rook and Allie, carried far more advanced gear befitting their status.
"I need one, sir," Rave said, stepping forward. Unlike the others, he didn't have the money to afford a weapon of his own. With his parents gone, there was no one to support him.
The instructor looked at him, his expression curious. "Are you Rave Arnet?" he asked, as though confirming something.
'Why is he asking my name? Does he know my parents or something?' Rave wondered, but he only nodded silently, avoiding further interaction. It was some what different from his dream, so it drives him more into confusion.
'Just give me my sword. I don't want to talk to anyone.'
The instructor smiled faintly, then selected the best sword from the pile and handed it to Rave. Without a word, Rave took the weapon and quickly returned to his place, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself.
Why use swords and armor like in ancient times when humans have guns and missiles? This was because of the restrictions in the Genesys world. In this realm, technology simply didn't work. From simple wristwatches to nuclear weapons, any technological device brought into the Genesys world would cease to function.
This limitation forced humanity to revert to the martial arts of ancient eras to combat the Geno beasts. These beasts were the dominant inhabitants of the Genesys world, and students were tasked with hunting them to obtain their Genesys crystals. These crystals held the power to mutate human genes, granting them abilities to survive and thrive in this hostile world. This practice had been ongoing for 250 years, ever since the Genesys world was discovered.
As they traveled to their first hunting ground—Sprint Rabbit Field—Rave decided to test his newly acquired appraisal skill. Focusing on his classmates, he received detailed results like this:
Name: Rook Ekren
Acquired Gene(s): None
Genesys Points: None
Gene Level: Gene Adaptation Stage
Attributes:
ATK: 28
SPD: 23
DEF: 21
Skill(s): ??
Innate Skill(s): ??
Name: Allie Armsmith
Acquired Gene(s): None
Genesys Points: None
Gene Level: Gene Adaptation Stage
Attributes:
ATK: 25
SPD: 30
DEF: 17
Skill(s): ??
Innate Skill(s): ??
'Their stats are at least four times higher than mine. But... why can't I see their skills? Is there some hidden restriction in this ability?' Rave wondered. Thankfully, no one noticed his actions. A mischievous smile crept onto his face.
'What if I tried this skill on the instructor?' Amused by the thought, Rave focused his concentration on the instructor, waiting for a panel to appear. But nothing happened. He tried again—still nothing.
'Huh. As expected. The instructor is way stronger than me. How could I possibly check his stats? But...' His smile returned, confidence gleaming in his eyes. 'It won't be long. With this system, I'll surpass him in no time.'
Chuckling quietly, Rave arrived at a different area of the field. Unlike the open plains they'd been traversing, this section was filled with grass that stood six feet tall. In the dense vegetation, quick-moving creatures darted about, their speed making them impossible to track clearly.
The students froze, unsure of what they were about to face. The creatures moved too fast for them to get a proper look.
"Prepare yourselves for your first battle!" the instructor shouted. "Hunt as many Sprint Rabbits as you can!"
Rave gripped his sword tightly. For the others, this was a completely new experience, but not for him. Whether it had been a dream or reality, he had already been here before.
"Begin!"
At the instructor's signal, the students leaped into action, diving into the tall grass. They were well-prepared, having undergone extensive training in martial arts and weapon handling. While it was their first real battle, they weren't entirely unready.
Rook and Allie dashed forward like streaks of light, their speed leaving the others in awe. Rave, however, sprinted in another direction, his focus on the spot where the portal had appeared in his dream. Curiosity drove him forward, though fear lingered at the edges of his thoughts.
He ventured farther than the others, moving away from the initial hunting grounds. The instructor didn't stop him, knowing this was a safe area designated for beginners. But as Rave progressed, he noticed a strange absence of beasts along his path, which only deepened his confusion.
When he reached the exact location from his dream, an eerie silence enveloped the area. Rave stood still, observing his surroundings with a mix of anticipation and unease.
After a tense moment of nothing happening, he exhaled a shaky breath. "Huff... It was just a dream," he muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
But his relief was short-lived.
Out of nowhere, a powerful object struck his abdomen with such force that he spat saliva and was thrown off balance, tumbling far away.
"Ahh!" he cried out, pain shooting through his body as he struggled to see what had hit him. When he finally caught sight of it, his eyes widened in shock.
Standing before him was a muscular rabbit, far larger and more imposing than the sleek Sprint Rabbits they were hunting. Its red eyes glared at him with unbridled rage.
"A mutated beast!" Rave gasped, his heart pounding as he faced this unexpected foe.