A faint wind howled across the jagged expanse of the Ruined Wastes, carrying with it the acrid scent of burnt earth and decay. Kain's eyes fluttered open, his vision blurred and unfocused. Pain ripped through his body, dragging him back into harsh consciousness.
The ground beneath him was cold, rough, and unforgiving, a field of broken rocks that pressed against his skin. As his senses returned, so did the realization of something terribly wrong.
Kain groaned, shifting his weight to sit up. A wave of dizziness struck, and he clutched his head. That's when he noticed the blood—thick, dark streaks pooling beneath him, leading to his shoulder.
His right arm was gone.
The sight hit him like a sledgehammer. His chest heaved as he stared at the ragged stump where his arm should have been. Blood still trickled sluggishly, the flow slowing but not stopping. The pain was excruciating, but the shock numbed it just enough to let him think.
"What... the hell?" he rasped, his voice raw and cracked.
Before panic could consume him, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[System Initializing…]
[Welcome, User Kain. You have been granted access to the World Rewrite System.]
The voice was calm, detached, and entirely out of place in the chaos of Kain's current situation.
[Health: 25%. Severe trauma detected. Missing limb identified.]
[Immediate actions recommended: Stabilize condition. Find shelter.]
"What… what is this?" Kain whispered, his heart pounding in his chest. His words went unanswered as the interface flickered into his vision—a translucent display hovering before his eyes. It was filled with incomprehensible symbols and charts, all pulsing faintly with energy.
But his surroundings quickly pulled him back to reality. The landscape stretched endlessly, jagged rocks piercing the ground like shattered swords. The air was heavy with Etherium particles, glowing faintly in a constant, swirling haze. In the distance, a thin plume of smoke rose toward the gray sky.
It was the only sign of life.
Before he could decide whether to move, the system's voice interrupted again:
[Hostile presence detected. Threat level: High.]
Kain froze, every muscle in his body screaming for him to run. Slowly, he turned his head.
Three figures emerged from the haze, their shapes distorted by the shimmering heat. They moved with the confidence of predators, their weapons glinting in the dull light.
The leader, a tall man with a scar running down the left side of his face, carried a jagged blade slung casually over his shoulder. His eyes gleamed with cruel intent as he sized Kain up.
"Well, well," the man drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. "Looks like we've found ourselves a stray Corrupted."
The word sent a chill down Kain's spine, though he couldn't place why.
"You've got a bounty on your head, kid," said a second hunter, a wiry woman with a crossbow aimed at his chest. "Dead or alive. Though judging by that arm… looks like you're already halfway there."
Kain stumbled to his feet, clutching his bleeding stump. Fear coursed through him, but he clenched his jaw. "Stay back," he growled, though his voice shook.
The third hunter, a burly man with mismatched armor, laughed. "Oh, he's got some fight in him! This'll be fun."
The scarred leader raised a hand, silencing the others. "Easy. No need to waste effort. He's done for anyway."
The system's voice chimed again, cold and analytical:
[Survival probability: 12%. Unlocking combat protocols…]
Before Kain could question the words, a surge of pain erupted in his left hand. He cried out, clutching it as black energy pulsed around the shard embedded in his palm. The energy twisted and coiled, forming into a jagged, crystalline blade.
"What… is this?" he muttered, staring at the weapon in disbelief.
The hunters stopped, their confident smirks replaced by caution.
"Careful," the leader barked. "He's got a system."
Kain didn't wait. Driven by a mix of fear and desperation, he lunged at the nearest hunter, the burly one with mismatched armor. The man raised his shield, but the Shard Blade cleaved through it like paper. A second strike tore through his chest, and he crumpled to the ground with a gurgled scream.
"Kill him!" the leader roared.
The woman fired her crossbow, the bolt whistling through the air. Kain moved on instinct, his body guided by prompts flashing in his vision:
[Dodge: Left.]
[Counterstrike: Upper diagonal.]
He twisted out of the bolt's path, closing the distance with terrifying speed. His blade slashed upward, and she fell with a choked cry.
The leader snarled, charging forward with his massive blade. He swung in a wide arc, forcing Kain to duck. The system guided him again:
[Parry. Disarm. Counter.]
Kain brought his blade up, meeting the strike with surprising strength. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed. He spun, the Shard Blade cutting through the leader's wrist. The man howled, dropping his weapon.
"You bastard!" the leader spat, clutching his severed arm.
Kain didn't hesitate. The system pulsed again, his blade surging with dark energy as he drove it through the man's chest.
Silence fell, broken only by Kain's ragged breathing. His body trembled as the adrenaline ebbed, leaving him weak and dizzy. The Corruption Meter flashed in the corner of his vision:
[Corruption: 15%.]
He stared at his hands, his thoughts racing. What had he just done? The power he'd wielded wasn't natural—it felt alien, like something alive and malevolent coursing through his veins.
The system's voice chimed once more, its tone eerily cheerful:
[Hostile threats neutralized. Congratulations, User Kain.]
[Health critical. Recommend immediate rest.]
The plume of smoke in the distance was still there, faint but unwavering. It was his only option. Kain forced himself to his feet, every step sending fresh waves of pain through his body.
He glanced back at the corpses of the hunters. The sight should have sickened him, but it didn't. He felt… nothing.
"Just keep moving," he muttered to himself.
The Wastes stretched endlessly ahead, promising only more danger. But Kain had no choice.
This was only the beginning.