**To understand this chapter better read the prologue first**
So let me get this straight," Ren began, his voice tinged with disbelief. "I just got teleported to this apocalyptic world by switching places with the host from this reality. Which means...he's back in my reality, living my life?"
The system's cold, monotone response came: "Yes."
Ren pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, and now I have to make it back to a settlement that's four hours away. I need to be there by 10:00 PM. Right now, it's 6:30. If I'm not inside by then, monsters will start spawning like crazy. The settlement will lock, protected by a seal that only opens at 5:00 AM."
"Yes."
Ren laughed bitterly. The laugh turned into a groan, then finally a sigh of resignation. "Okay, okay. So...any skills from the former host? Like, I don't know, running really fast? Teleportation?"
"No."
He stared at the empty air in front of him as though the system could see his glare. "I don't know who I hate more—you, for being bluntly useless, or the other Ren Kiryuu for bringing me all the way out here before deciding to bail.
He let out another sigh. "I better start moving. Arguing with this system is just going to be a waste of time."
Taking a deep breath, he focused. "System, open up the map."
A translucent map appeared in front of his vision. He quickly scanned it and marked the location of the nearest settlement, which was four hours away. Once he confirmed the mark, arrows appeared in his line of sight, pointing him in the direction of the settlement.
"Huh," Ren muttered, tilting his head as he examined the arrows. That's actually kind of useful. Feels like I'm playing a VR MMORPG." A faint smile flickered on his lips, but it quickly faded. "The problem is...if I die, I'm dead. No respawns."
The weight of the thought pressed on him for a moment, but he shook it off. "No use dwelling on it. Let's get moving."
Ren broke into a steady run, grateful for the host's well-conditioned body. Without it, covering this distance in time would've been a nightmare.
As he ran, he decided to check the inventory. Thanks to the host's memories, navigating the system felt intuitive. A quick swipe in his vision brought up the list of items, and Ren scanned through it while keeping pace.
"Let's see," he muttered. "Two recovery potions, an assassin's dual blade, a cheeseburger, some water, and...a change of clothes?" He raised an eyebrow at the last item but quickly dismissed it. At least the essentials were covered.
He smirked to himself. "Well, this IQ of mine is finally paying off. Now, let's just hope I don't have to use that blade anytime soon.
From the host's memories, Ren knew there should be skills. With a quick mental command, he opened the full interface, and a translucent panel appeared before him.
Name: Ren Kiryuu (At least that hasn't changed. Imagine people calling me, and I don't even realize it's me.)
Class: Assassin
HP: 150
MP: 120
Level: 40
Attribute Points: 10
Currency Points: 7,500
Skills:
Shadow Step: (3/5)
Conceal: (0/3)
Backstab: (2/6)
Camouflage: (1/2)
Poison Blade: (4/4)
Evasive Roll: (4/8)
Enhanced Sense: (6/6)
Ren's brows furrowed as he scanned the list. This isn't quite right… Oh, maybe these were added after leveling up to 40. That's fine, I guess. But what's this Enhanced Sense?
"System, display description," he commanded.
The system's reply was instant:
Enhanced Sense
Temporarily heightens hearing and vision, making it easier to detect enemies. Current duration: 3 minutes. Leveling up will increase duration, eventually becoming permanent.
Ren smirked. "Now that's handy. Guess this might actually come in clutch."
Ren glanced at his class and smirked. "Assassin, huh? Now that's more my style. Nice job, alternate me."
The system chimed in, its voice matter-of-fact: "You are special. Until you reach the settlement, I will provide your startup reward. First, here is an Area Scan skill, limited to a 50-meter radius in a 360° field."
"Activate it," Ren commanded, already eager to use it.
As soon as he gave the order, a transparent map opened before him, and red, blue, and green dots appeared across the terrain.
"Red means threat," the system explained. "Blue indicates humans, but if they switch to attack mode, their dots will turn red. Green represents items, though there are no specifics available."
Ren's eyes narrowed as he examined the map. "Well, this could be pretty useful," he muttered to himself. Time to get moving.
After three hours of running, dodging monsters, and narrowly avoiding danger, Ren's body began to feel the strain. He was still far from the settlement, and the exhaustion was beginning to weigh on him.
"I need a break," he muttered, slowing to a stop. He glanced around, ensuring there were no immediate threats before dropping to the ground.
He pulled out the water bottle, inspecting it briefly before taking a long drink. The cool liquid soothed his parched throat, and he sighed in relief. His stomach growled as he reached for the cheeseburger. After a quick bite, he finished it off, the taste not nearly as satisfying as it should've been, but it was enough to keep him going.
With his brief respite over, Ren stood up, stretched his legs, and looked at the map again. Still a long way to go, he thought. But the rest had given him just enough strength to push forward.
"Let's get moving," he said, determination flashing in his eyes as he set off once more.
After hours of running, the sun had dipped below the horizon, and the reality of his situation finally hit Ren. Time was running out.
Damn it. It's already night.
He checked the map again. A red glow blared in his eyes—up to a hundred threats closing in fast. His pulse quickened. The beasts-class Monster's had started to spawn first, and from the looks of it, they were coming for him in waves.
Ren's heart raced as he pushed his legs harder, trying to outrun the encroaching monsters. But the looming problem was the settlement. The seal surrounding it would lock him out by 10:00 PM, and there was no way to get in. Even worse, by midnight, even more dangerous monsters would begin spawning—elementals, abyssals and colossal class beasts. The sheer thought of what lay ahead made him shiver.
What the hell am I supposed to do? he thought, his mind racing for a solution. But the only thing he could do was run faster. Just get to the gates before it's too late.