The world as Kai Jin knew it ended in an instant.
It had started like any other day.
Seated in his small, dimly lit apartment in Seoul, Korea, Kai sipped his lukewarm instant coffee, eyes drifting over the flickering television screen. The news droned on in the background—politics, crime reports, the occasional weather forecast—just another dull, uneventful morning.
Then, the broadcast changed.
"Breaking News: A strange phenomenon has appeared worldwide. Portals from another dimension have suddenly opened across major cities, unleashing creatures of unknown origin. Governments are struggling to respond."
Kai barely reacted. He had seen bizarre headlines before—conspiracies, exaggerations meant to cause panic. Yet, something about this felt... off.
The screen cut to a live broadcast from Tokyo.
A swirling purple vortex hovered above the city skyline. Then—a monstrous figure stepped out. Its glowing red eyes burned against the darkness as it stomped forward, sending cars flying like toys. People screamed. Soldiers opened fire, their bullets bouncing off its thick hide like pebbles against steel.
The feed jumped to Paris. Another portal. This time, a swarm of massive insect-like creatures poured into the streets, their glowing mandibles snapping shut over helpless civilians.
Kai's fingers tightened around his cup. The tension in the air was suffocating.
This wasn't just another sensationalized headline. This was real.
Then—scratch… scratch…
A faint noise came from the hallway outside his apartment.
Kai frowned. His neighborhood was always quiet—too quiet for late-night visitors.
Then—BAM!
His door shook violently.
Kai's body tensed. That wasn't a knock. It was something harder, more violent.
The sound came again—deep, jagged scratches against the wood.
Something was trying to get in.
Kai moved swiftly, grabbing a kitchen knife from the counter. His pulse quickened, but his mind remained sharp. Whatever was behind that door, it wasn't human.
"Who's there?" he called out, voice steady.
Silence. Then—
CRACK!
The door exploded open.
A wave of rot and decay hit him first. Then, he saw it.
A goblin.
But this wasn't the kind from fantasy games.
It was hunched, grotesque, its sickly green skin stretched over sharp, bony limbs. Its claws scraped against the floor, leaving deep gouges in the wooden panels. Red, glowing eyes locked onto Kai, a twisted grin splitting its face—rows of jagged teeth glistening with saliva.
Then, it lunged.
Kai barely dodged in time, the creature's claws slicing through the air where his face had been.
His instincts screamed at him. He had to fight.
Gripping the wooden chair beside him, Kai swung it with full force.
CRACK!
The impact sent the goblin staggering back, snarling. But it wasn't dead.
Kai didn't hesitate.
In one swift motion, he lunged forward—knife in hand—and drove the blade deep into the goblin's face.
The creature shrieked, its body convulsing violently. But even as its blood pooled on the floor, it lunged again—this time, faster, more desperate.
Its claws aimed straight for Kai's throat.
But Kai was already a step ahead.
With a sharp twist of his wrist, he drove the knife deeper, straight into its skull.
The goblin gurgled, shuddered, then collapsed. Lifeless.
Kai staggered back, panting. His hands trembled slightly—not from fear, but from the adrenaline burning through his veins.
Then—
Ding!
A translucent system window appeared before his eyes.
[Awakening Process Complete.]
[Congratulations! You have awakened.]
[Item Acquired: Goblin's Dagger (Rank F)]
Kai's breath hitched. His mind raced to process what he was seeing.
A game-like interface? A system? Was this real?
Then—another notification appeared.
[Warning: Monsters detected nearby.]
[Rank: F. Multiple threats incoming.]
Kai's head snapped toward the hallway.
More footsteps. Heavy. Getting closer.
Without thinking, he rushed to the window and leapt onto the fire escape, just as his apartment door burst open again.
Kai Jin gritted his teeth as he landed on the fire escape, his heart hammering against his ribs. The cold metal groaned under his weight, sending a dull vibration through his feet. He barely had time to register the impact before a new system notification flashed in his mind.
[Warning: Monsters detected nearby.]
[ Rank F. Multiple threats incoming.]
A chill crawled up his spine.
Through the dusty window of his apartment, shadows slithered across the walls. Guttural snarls rumbled from inside, low and hungry. More goblins. At least three. Their claws scraped against the wooden floor, their breath wheezing through sharp, jagged teeth.
If he had stayed inside, they would have ripped him apart.
Kai flexed his grip on the goblin's dagger—his first weapon, crude and chipped along the edges, but sharp enough to kill. He adjusted his stance, forcing his breath to slow.
Running was an option.
But deep inside, a different instinct clawed its way up. The system had given him a weapon, a quest. That meant one thing—he could fight.
A metallic clang echoed from above.
Kai stiffened. Something was on the rooftop.
He pressed himself against the fire escape railing, eyes narrowing at the ledge. A pair of glowing red eyes peered down through the shadows. Another goblin. This one crouched low, its claws gripping the ledge. Its twisted mouth curled into a grin before it lunged.
MOVE.
Kai's body reacted before his mind caught up. He twisted to the side as the goblin crashed onto the fire escape, its claws slicing through empty air. The impact rattled the metal structure, a deafening clang against the chaos below.
Without hesitation, Kai drove his dagger forward.
The goblin shrieked as the blade slashed across its chest, dark blood splattering onto the rusted railing. It staggered back, clutching its wound.
New Notification:
Goblin (Rank F) health: 60% remaining.
Kai didn't wait. He lunged.
The goblin was fast—faster than the last one. It ducked, swiping at his ribs.
Pain seared through his side. Warm blood soaked his torn shirt.
New Notification:
Damage Taken: -5 HP. Current Health: 95%.
Kai gritted his teeth. Pain… but manageable.
The goblin lunged again. Predictable.
Kai dropped low, his movements fluid. The creature's claws slashed inches above his head. And then—he struck.
His dagger drove up beneath its chin, piercing through soft flesh.
The goblin's red eyes flickered. It convulsed, gurgling as black blood bubbled from its lips. Then, with a final twitch, it collapsed.
New Notification:
Goblin (Rank F) defeated.
50 XP gained.
Kai exhaled sharply and shoved the corpse aside, letting it tumble down into the alley below. His hands were shaking—not from fear, but from the sheer adrenaline coursing through his veins.
His XP bar had increased slightly. Still far from leveling up.
A sudden crash from inside his apartment.
His head snapped toward the window. The goblins inside had heard the fight. They were coming.
Kai tightened his grip on the dagger and glanced at the streets below.
A group of survivors sprinted through the darkness, terror twisting their faces. But behind them—wolves.
Sleek, black as ink, their red eyes gleamed in the dim light. They ran low to the ground, their claws clattering against the pavement. One leapt. A man screamed. Blood splattered across the asphalt.
Kai clenched his jaw.
New Quest Update: Survive the Awakening.
Objective: Eliminate 3 more Rank F monsters.
Three more kills.
Footsteps—heavy, clawed—right behind him.
Kai turned just as the first goblin stepped onto the fire escape.
It was smaller than the last one, its hunched body twitching as it sniffed the air. Its bloodshot eyes locked onto him, lips curling into a toothy grin. A rusted knife gleamed in its grip.
Two more goblins shuffled in behind it.
Three against one.
They grinned. One let out a shrill shriek.
And they lunged.
Kai moved.
The first goblin slashed with its rusted knife. Kai twisted, the blade scraping against the fire escape railing, throwing sparks into the night. Without hesitation, Kai slashed his own dagger upward.
A clean cut. Its throat split open.
Dark blood sprayed across the railing as the goblin collapsed, gurgling.
New Notification:
Goblin (Rank F) defeated.
50 XP gained.
New item acquired: Goblin's Rusted Knife (Rank F).
The second goblin was faster. It lunged—claws aimed for Kai's chest.
No time to dodge.
Kai raised his arm just in time. Pain tore through his forearm, sharp nails ripping through flesh.
New Notification:
Damage Taken: -8 HP. Current Health: 87%.
He didn't hesitate. Pain didn't matter.
Kai drove his knee into the goblin's gut.
The creature wheezed, doubling over. In one swift motion, Kai yanked the rusted knife from the first goblin's corpse—
And stabbed it straight into the second goblin's eye.
It howled in agony, thrashing. Blood gushed from the wound.
Kai twisted the blade, then kicked it off the fire escape. Its body plummeted into the alley below.
New Notification:
Goblin (Rank F) defeated.
50 XP gained.
One left.
The last goblin hesitated. Its red eyes flicked between Kai and its fallen kin. Fear crept into its expression.
Kai wiped the blood off his dagger and took a step forward.
"Not so eager to fight anymore?"
The goblin shrieked and charged.
Kai sidestepped.
The creature stumbled past him. In a single motion, Kai brought both weapons down—one dagger into its shoulder, the other into its back.
The goblin spasmed. Its mouth opened in a silent scream before going still.
New Notification:
Goblin (Rank F) defeated.
50 XP gained.
Quest Completed: Survive the Awakening.
Reward Unlocked:
Item Acquired: Minor Healing Potion (x1).
Kai exhaled, his chest rising and falling. He had done it.
Blood dripped from his weapons. His side ached. His forearm burned. His clothes were torn, and yet—his hands didn't shake.
His heart pounded with something else. Not fear. Not just adrenaline.
Satisfaction.
The system chimed again.
New Quest Unlocked: Escape the Infected Zone.
Objective: Leave the city before the next wave begins.
Kai's gaze lifted to the city skyline.
Fires burned in the distance. Screams still echoed through the streets. And shadows moved between the buildings.
This wasn't just chaos anymore.
And he had only scratched the surface.