"Level 1 unlocked?!"
Kenji stared, wide-eyed, as a glowing blue number hovered in front of his face. His heart pounded like a drum in his chest. "What the... What does that mean?!"
Just moments ago, he had stepped through a strange swirling portal that appeared out of nowhere in his bedroom. One second, he was at home, minding his own business. The next, everything shifted. The air around him twisted and rippled like water disturbed by a stone. Colors warped and blurred. Then—darkness.
Now, the world around him was completely unfamiliar—dark, misty, and surrounded by towering, twisted trees with thick, gnarled branches. Some looked like giant claws scraping the low-hanging clouds. The grass beneath his feet was damp, the leaves scattered wetly across the mossy ground. The air smelled rich with wet soil and ancient wood. The portal that had brought him here? Gone. Vanished like it was never there to begin with.
"Did that portal... send me into another world? Or is this some kind of game?" His voice barely rose above a whisper, as if speaking louder might attract some unseen danger lurking nearby.
He spun around, trying to make sense of it all, but the forest gave no answers. Only silence... and shadows that seemed to shift in the corners of his eyes.
With no other choice, he began walking through the eerie forest, hoping to find someone—anyone. The many green trees creaked with each gust of wind, their leaves rustling like whispered secrets. Tiny glowing insects floated lazily through the air like distant stars, their soft light the only comfort in the growing gloom. The sky above was a dull, endless stretch of gray, with no sun in sight. It felt like the day was caught between twilight and night, stuck in a frozen moment.
Time passed. Minutes dragged on, stretching into hours, or so it seemed. Still, he found nothing. No people. No houses. No signs of civilization. Just trees. Endless trees. The deeper he ventured, the darker it became. The shadows thickened and stretched, pressing down on his chest like an invisible weight.
His legs grew heavy, his steps slow and tired. His stomach grumbled, hunger gnawing at him. His throat was dry and sore from the cold air.
"How long will I have to keep walking?" he muttered to himself, dragging his feet along the muddy path. "Where am I?"
Soon, night began to fall. The dull gray sky deepened into a heavy, dark shade. Visibility dropped quickly. The shadows lengthened, thickening into a near-living darkness that crept like smoke between the trees.
He needed to find shelter for the night—somewhere safe. A cave, a hollowed tree, an abandoned cabin—anything would do. Until the sun rose again, so he could start fresh and look for someone who might explain the world he had stumbled into through that dark, swirling portal.
His eyes darted nervously across the forest floor and tree line, searching for any sign of refuge. A rock formation, a pile of fallen branches, even a large patch of leaves would be enough. But there was nothing. Just dense undergrowth, tangled roots, and shadowy hollows.
Kenji stopped. His breath formed little clouds in the cold air. The sudden drop in temperature wrapped around his skin like sharp, biting ice.
That's when he heard it.
Rustling.
Crunching leaves.
Low, guttural growls echoed faintly through the trees.
Then—glowing red eyes appeared in the distance, slicing through the darkness like burning embers.
From the shadows, strange creatures emerged. Four-legged beasts with pale, cracked skin stretched tight over bony limbs. Their jagged mouths were filled with uneven, razor-sharp teeth that glistened as they snarled. Their movements were twitchy and unnatural, like something twisted and broken. Floating ominously above each of their heads was a bright red tag:
[Level 3]
Kenji's breath caught in his throat.
"Wha—what are those things?!"
His body trembled uncontrollably. Fear threatened to swallow him whole. But deep inside, something stirred. Something stronger than terror.
Back in his world, by the age of ten, he had trained harder than most kids his age. Martial arts, endurance drills, mental focus exercises—he'd done it all. For one reason: to protect his family. He wasn't about to give up now.
He couldn't panic.
His eyes darted around desperately, searching for anything he could use. Then he spotted it—a thick, broken tree branch lying near the roots of an old oak. It looked rough and splintered but solid enough to use as a weapon.
The monsters charged.
Kenji gritted his teeth and steadied himself, planting his feet firmly.
He swung the branch.
One slash. Then another.
He struck one beast across the head. It let out a sickening screech and collapsed. Another lunged, and he barely dodged, rolling to the side to avoid razor claws. His adrenaline surged, fueling quick breaths and even quicker hands.
He ducked under a snapping claw and jabbed his makeshift weapon into the creature's chest. It went down with a pained howl. Two left.
Fear was still there, lurking in the back of his mind, but he pushed it aside.
He charged, yelling with everything he had to drown out the fear. He swung the branch hard and fast.
One more down.
Then the last.
The final creature growled, lunging forward with teeth bared. Kenji leapt back, then stepped in fast and slammed the branch down with both hands.
Silence.
All of them lay motionless.
Kenji stood panting, sweat and dirt streaked across his face, his hands trembling on the rough wooden weapon. His arms ached, and his legs felt weak like jelly, but he was still standing.
Ding!
A glowing screen appeared before him once again:
[Level 2 Unlocked]
His chest rose and fell rapidly. His vision blurred slightly, and he stumbled back a step, steadying himself against the rough bark of a nearby tree. Slowly, pale rays of morning light began to pierce through the dense canopy above. The sun was rising. A warm, golden glow pushed away the cold shadows.
The forest no longer seemed as terrifying.
But his hands—his hands were still stained red.
He looked down, shaking slightly. His eyes were wide with shock.
"What kind of world... did I just enter?"
His voice cracked under the weight of the question.
This wasn't a dream.
It was real.
And it had only just begun.