"It's like a game..." Kayn muttered, his voice barely audible over the hammering of his heart. His eyes lingered on the lifeless goblin at his feet, its twisted form a grim reminder of their situation. "It has a leveling system. But why don't I have any weapons or armor? I picked a card earlier, and it said, 'Necromancer – Mythic Card.'"
The word mythic echoed in his thoughts, heavy with unfulfilled expectations. Shouldn't that mean power? Advantage? Yet here he stood—empty-handed and exposed.
Shaking off his thoughts, Kayn extended a hand toward Kiyan, who was still sprawled on the ground, clutching his shield like a lifeline. "Come on, let's figure this out," he said, his voice steadier than he felt. He hauled Kiyan to his feet, their shared unease evident in their lingering silence.
"How do we even check our status? Is there some sort of command or menu for this?" Kayn asked, frustration edging into his tone. His gaze shifted to Kiyan, silently hoping his friend might hold some answers.
Kiyan shrugged, gripping his axe and shield tightly. "I just got these out of nowhere. No idea how any of this works."
Kayn frowned, the gears in his mind turning. "Status window?" he said hesitantly.
The air before him shimmered faintly, and a translucent panel materialized, glowing with an otherworldly light. Lines of text appeared, sharp and precise.
Character Information:
Name: Kayn Pimo Linno
Job: Necromancer
EXP: 5/150
Stats:
STR: 4
AGI: 3
INT: 10
STA: 4
LCK: 0
CHA: 2
Kayn blinked, staring at the words as if they might disappear. "This is... me?" he whispered, a mix of awe and disbelief in his tone. His eyes scanned every line, each number and stat pulling him further into the surreal reality of their predicament.
A faint flicker of excitement sparked within him—this was something out of a dream, a fantasy he'd only imagined. But the crushing weight of the unknown quickly extinguished it.
The distant echo of guttural growls interrupted his thoughts, sending a shiver down his spine. He turned to Kiyan, who was already gripping his weapons with renewed urgency, his knuckles white against the dark metal.
Kayn clenched his fists, the numbers from the status screen still fresh in his mind. If this is a game, it's a deadly one—and I need to survive.
"We can't stay here," Kayn said, his voice steadier than before, though the slight tremble betrayed his frayed nerves. "We need to figure out how to survive this... whatever this is."
Kayn crouched beside Kiyan, his gaze scanning him for any sign of injury. "Hey, Kiyan," he said, his tone soft but urgent. "Are you hurt? Do you have any wounds?" His hands hovered uncertainly, still shaking from the adrenaline coursing through him.
"I'm fine," Kiyan replied, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked down at the shield in his hands, his knuckles white against the metal. "But... what was that?" His eyes darted to the goblin's lifeless body nearby. "Why did it attack us? I—I thought I was going to die..." His voice cracked, and he let out a shaky laugh, a thin mask over the fear pooling in his wide eyes.
Kayn placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, though his own fear still gripped him tightly. "Those were goblins," he said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "When I killed the one attacking you, I got a message: 'You killed a Goblin. EXP +5. Gold +10.'"
Kiyan blinked, his grip tightening on the shield as he processed the words. "A message? Like... a game?"