The Secret Box

Cade floated helplessly in the swirling space of wild, shifting colors, his pulse pounding in his ears. The panic clawed at his chest as he tried his best to comprehend the mess he'd found himself in. How did he even get here? Was this still reality? His thoughts spiralled.

Before he could piece anything together, a calm, almost robotic voice echoed through the void, slicing through his panic.

["Initializing Character Creation."]

The storm around him began to settle. Pillars of light shot into the sky, casting a soft glow over an endless, empty chamber. The floor buzzed under his feet, thrumming with energy.

Just then a massive glowing mirror appeared at the center, radiating a faint golden tint that felt both inviting and intimidating. Cade, swallowing the lump in his throat, stepped toward it cautiously. His reflection blinked back at him, looking just as terrified.

"This can't be real…" he muttered, reaching out to touch it. His fingers passed through the mirror like water, sending ripples across its surface.

["Please customize your character."]

A glowing menu appeared next to the mirror, hovering in the air. Cade blinked at the options.

"Physical features… height sliders… skin tone… hair color… oh, we're really doing this, huh?"

He reached out to swipe through the options. The reflection shifted instantly to match his adjustments.

Cade played with the settings for a moment, making himself ridiculously tall with bulging muscles, but the absurdity snapped him out of his daze. With a dry chuckle, he reset the sliders.

"Let's be real," he muttered. "I'm not going to suddenly be some giant gladiator. That's not me."

But then, something in him shifted. The real-world Cade was a shy, timid guy who spent more time watching streams than actually living his life. Why bring that into this world?

"No," he muttered, a fire sparking in his chest. "I'm not doing that. Not here."

He scrolled furiously through the options, determined to design the most badass avatar he could think of.

After a good few minutes, his reflection stared back with a fierce smirk. His avatar was tall, lean, and dressed in an outfit that practically screamed "main character energy." Black boots lined with silver buckles. A long, dark trench coat with red edges that curved slightly in a non-existent wind. He even threw on a pair of sleek armguards etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly. To top it all off, his hair—normally a boring brown—was now jet black with streaks of gold running through it.

"Alright," Cade said, grinning. "Now this is a look."

The system chimed again.

["Character customization complete. Confirm?"]

"Damn right, confirm!"

The mirror shimmered and then vanished entirely as a new set of glowing pedestals appeared in a circle around him. Each one was marked with a unique emblem.

["Select your class."]

Cade's eyes flashed over the glowing pedestals as the emblems pulsed softly, each radiating its unique aura. He moved closer, taking in the details as the system provided brief descriptions for each class.

• Warrior: "Masters of melee combat, Warriors excel in physical strength and durability. They thrive on the frontlines, protecting allies and crushing enemies with brute force."

• Mage: "Harness the elements or pure arcane energy to unleash devastating spells. Mages are fragile but unmatched in ranged damage."

• Rogue: "Silent and deadly, Rogues rely on stealth, speed, and precision to strike at the heart of their enemies."

• Archer: "Sharpshooters who excel at long-range combat, capable of raining down arrows with precision and speed."

• Cleric: "Healers and protectors, Clerics provide vital support to their allies, casting restorative magic and shielding them from harm."

• Berserker: "Fueled by rage, Berserkers grow stronger as their health decreases, making them relentless in battle."

• Necromancer: "Masters of the undead, Necromancers summon and command legions of skeletons, ghouls, and other creatures to fight on their behalf."

Cade frowned as he kept moving, dismissing each option. "Too boring… too cliché…"

Just as he was about to settle on Mage out of boredom, something caught his eye. At the edge of the circle, an icon pulsed faintly, almost as if it didn't want to be noticed. Its emblem wasn't clear, shrouded in a swirl of black shadows.

"What's this?" Cade muttered, stepping closer.

["Dark Summoner: A rare and powerful class that summons creatures from the Demonhold Realm. Warning: This class is highly unstable and not recommended for beginners."]

The air around the icon felt heavy, like it was alive. Cade shivered as he stared at the swirling darkness, but instead of fear, he felt… drawn to it.

"Unstable, huh?" Cade smirked. "Sounds like my kind of thing."

["Confirm class selection: Dark Summoner?"]

"Confirm."

The pedestal exploded with black light, sending a shockwave through the room. Cade shielded his eyes, and when he looked again, a glowing screen appeared in front of him.

[Name: Enter Name]

Cade thought for a moment, then grinned as he typed in: Cade Nightshade.

"Has a nice ring to it," he said.

[Starting Skill: Choose One]

Two options appeared beneath the prompt:

Option 1: Wind Control (B-Rank)

Option 2: Secret Box (??? Rank)

"Secret Box?" Cade squinted at the faint image of a glowing chest next to the text. "What the hell does that even mean?"

["Warning: The Secret Box is a high-risk, high-reward option. Proceed with caution."]

Cade stared at the options, his mind racing. He imagined picking Secret Box only to end up with some trash skill like sewing or cleaning. Or worse, Ranga's abilities from Bleach.

"Wind Control's safe," he muttered. "Reliable. Can't go wrong with that."

He reached for Wind Control but just then accidentally brushed the Secret Box instead.

"No, wait—"

["Selection confirmed: Secret Box."]

Cade's stomach dropped. "Oh no. Oh no no no no no."

The air shimmered, and a massive wheel appeared in front of him. It was divided into glowing, colorful segments, each marked with a strange symbol.

["Spinning the wheel of fate."]

The wheel spun with a loud whir, the colors blending into a blur. Cade's heart pounded as he watched it slow down, each click sending a jolt of anxiety through his chest.

"Please don't be trash… please don't be trash…"

Finally, the wheel stopped, and the system's voice returned.

["Congratulations! You have received the following rewards:"]

1. SSS-Ranked Artifact: Demonhold Key.

2. SSS-Ranked Skill: Dark Summoner.

3. SSS-Ranked Summons: Demon Dogs (Initial Form: Puppy).

Cade blinked, his brain taking a moment to process. "SSS… SSS?!" He stumbled backward, nearly falling. "That's, like, the highest! Even Ashveil from Eclipson Guild only had B-Rank skills, and she grinded for months! And I just… got it?!"

He stared at the shimmering Demonhold Key in his hand. It pulsed faintly, its runes glowing with ominous red energy.

The system's voice cut through his shock.

["Character creation complete. Prepare for deployment."]

The chamber dissolved, the light fading into darkness. Cade felt the ground vanish beneath him, and before he could react, he was falling.

When he landed, he hit the ground with a thud, groaning as sunlight filtered through the trees above.

Massive trunks surrounded him, stretching so high they disappeared into the sky. The air smelled fresh, tinged with fruits, and the forest buzzed with life.

["Welcome to Giantwood Hollow, the beginner's zone for Hunter's World."]

Cade froze. "Giantwood Hollow? I've seen this on streams… This is the starting zone."

He turned in a slow circle, his mind spinning. Was he the only player here? Had anyone else been dragged in?

"Is this some kind of bug? Or did I seriously get sucked into the game?" He shook his head, forcing himself to breathe. "Okay. Don't panic. First thing's first."

He called out, "Status bar."

A sleek, glowing menu appeared in front of him:

[Name]: Cade Nightshade

[Class]: Dark Summoner

[Level]: 1

[HP]: 100/100

[Hunter Rank]: E (Novice)

[Summons]: None (yet)

[Artifacts]: Demonhold Key

"[Hunters are ranked (E to SSS) based on their abilities and contributions to monster hunting.]

Hunter Rank Progress: [0%] [Complete missions, defeat monsters, and unlock achievements to rank up.]"

Cade nodded slowly, taking it in. "So ranking up makes my summons stronger… That's how I'll level up."

Closing the menu, he stood. "Alright, time to figure out what's going on."