A New Reality

Cade sat on the wet ground, staring at the faint glow of the system menu in front of him. The events of the last few minutes swirled in his mind: the strange void, the Demonhold Key, and now being stranded in a world he knew only from streams. His chest felt heavy as he thought of one question: How do I get out of here?

"Maybe… maybe it's as simple as logging out?" he muttered. It wasn't the craziest idea. Games always had a way to leave, right?

He cleared his throat, speaking firmly. "Log off."

The system chimed, ["Error: Command not recognized."]

Cade's eyebrows twitched. "Okay. Let's try that again. Log off!"

["Error: Command not recognized."]

He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Of course. Why would it be that easy?" Frustration mounting, Cade opened the system menu and brought up the world map.

A sprawling view of the game world unfolded before him: massive dungeons, sprawling towns, guild houses, and mysterious landmarks. It was overwhelming and oddly familiar. He'd seen streamers navigate these same places countless times.

"Alright," Cade muttered, zooming in on a forested area marked as Giantwood Hollow, where he's at currently. "If I want to survive, I'll need to get stronger here before heading into town. Maybe someone there can explain what's going on—or at least how to get back home."

He closed the map, staring down at the Demonhold Key in his hand. Its dark energy pulsed faintly, reminding him of the strange void he'd seen when he received it.

"What even is my skill?" he wondered aloud.

["As a Dark Summoner, your primary skill is summoning creatures from the Demonhold Realm. Would you like to summon your first creature?"]

The system's robotic tone startled him. Cade hesitated, gripping the key tightly. "Summon something… from there?"

The memory of the swirling void sent a shiver down his spine. But curiosity won out. "No point in waiting," he said, taking a deep breath. "Let's see what you've got."

["Summoning…"]

A circle of glowing red runes appeared on the ground before him, casting an eerie light over the forest floor. Cade instinctively stepped back as the air grew heavy.

With a loud pop, the runes flared, and a tiny black puppy appeared in the center.

Cade blinked, his mouth falling open. "Seriously?"

The puppy looked up at him with wide, curious eyes. Its tail wagged furiously as it let out a high-pitched bark, spinning in a happy little circle.

["Congratulations! You have summoned your first creature: Demon Dog (Puppy Form)."]

Cade crouched down, staring in disbelief. "You're telling me this is my big, scary summon? You're from the Demonhold Realm?"

The puppy barked again, baring its tiny fangs in what Cade assumed was an attempt to look intimidating. It was… not working. Cade snorted.

"Alright, I guess you're stuck with me," he said, scratching the puppy behind its ears. "I'll call you Fang."

Suddenly, a low, guttural growl echoed through the forest. Cade froze, his hand hovering above Fang's head. The sound grew louder, and the bushes nearby shook violently.

"What now?" Cade whispered, standing up.

A group of slimes emerged from the shadows, their bodies glistening in the dim light. Cade's eyes widened as he counted them—six, including one massive slime that seemed to lead the pack.

He recognized them immediately. "Slimes. Weak on their own, but in groups…" His stomach turned. He wasn't ready for this.

["Warning: Hostile creatures detected. Engage or flee."]

Cade's heart pounded. "Engage? Are you kidding me?" He scooped up Fang, holding him protectively. "System, how about some actual help here? Like, I don't know, a tutorial?"

["Error: No additional guidance available."]

"You've gotta be kidding," Cade groaned. The slimes began to move, their squishy bodies advancing slowly but steadily.

Fang barked, wriggling in Cade's arms until he was set down. He stood at Cade's feet, growling softly, his tiny form vibrating with energy.

"Fang, what are you doing?" Cade asked, panic creeping into his voice.

The slimes lunged. Cade stumbled back, throwing his hands up in a weak attempt to shield himself.

"Fang, do something!" he yelled.

The puppy barked, and suddenly, a faint black glow surrounded his body. Cade's eyes widened as the glow got stronger, dark tendrils of energy swirling around Fang like a storm.

The first slime leapt at them, but before it could get close, Fang charged forward. A sharp yip echoed through the forest as the tendrils shot out, slicing cleanly through the slime. Its body quivered, then dissolved into nothing.

"What the—" Cade gawked.

Fang didn't stop. The remaining slimes lunged at once, but the tiny dog moved with speed and precision Cade hadn't expected. The dark tendrils lashed out again and again, tearing through the jellied creatures like paper. Each attack was accompanied by a flash of energy, and Cade swore he saw tiny sparks in the air.

Within seconds, only the largest slime remained. It hesitated, its quivering body seeming to shrink under Fang's glowing gaze.

Fang barked once, louder this time, and leapt. The tendrils struck the massive slime head-on, slicing it into pieces. Cade shielded his eyes as the dark energy exploded outward, leaving nothing behind but the faint scent of burned grass.

Silence fell over the clearing. Cade slowly lowered his hands, staring at the small puppy now wagging its tail as if nothing had happened.

"That…" Cade breathed, his voice shaky. "That was insane."

Fang trotted over, cuddling Cade's leg.

Cade let out a shaky breath, his pulse still racing as the last wisp of mist from the dissolved slimes faded into the air. Fang wagged his tail, looking as proud as a puppy could.

"Good job, buddy," Cade said, patting the little dog's head. "I can't believe you pulled that off. You're officially my MVP."

Just as he stood up, the system menu appeared before him with a soft ding.

[Reward Notification]

Name: Cade Nightshade

Class: Dark Summoner

Level: 1

HP: 100/100

Hunter Rank: E (Novice)

Summons: 1 (Demon Dog: Fang)

Artifacts: Demonhold Key

["Congratulations! You've defeated a horde of slimes."]

Rewards Earned:

• Hunter Points: +15

• Hunter Rank Progress: [5%]

• Achievement Unlocked: First Battle – Victory

["Progress faster by defeating stronger monsters and completing unique objectives."]

Cade's eyebrows rose. He swiped at the air, scrolling through the reward screen.

"Fifteen points?" he muttered. "For slimes?" His lips twitched into a smile. "Hey, I'll take it. It's better than zero."

He tapped on the achievement tab, grinning as a small golden badge with the words First Battle – Victory glimmered on the screen.

"Alright, I'm officially a hunter," Cade said, puffing his chest out mockingly. "An E-rank hunter… but still!"

Fang barked, hopping around at his feet like he shared the excitement. Cade crouched down, rubbing the puppy's ears. "You're the real MVP, Fang. Couldn't have done it without you."

The puppy wagged its tail, but just as Cade went to pick him up, Fang's body shimmered. The glow surrounded him, and a moment later, he vanished into a swirl of black mist.

Cade blinked. "Wait, what?"

The system chimed again, ["Summons return to the Demonhold Realm when not in active use. You can summon Fang again at any time."]

"Guess you earned a break," Cade said, laughing softly.

Just then, his stomach growled loudly, breaking the quiet of the forest. Cade winced, pressing a hand against his abdomen.

"Great," he muttered. "First I'm thrown into another world, now I'm starving."

The cool breeze rustled through the trees, carrying with it the faint scent of something earthy and sweet. Cade glanced around, realizing he hadn't actually explored much yet.

"Well, guess it's time to find some food," he said to himself. "And maybe a clue about what's going on."

He adjusted the Demonhold Key in his hand and started walking, the forest stretching endlessly ahead. Despite the uncertainty, he felt a little lighter. He'd survived his first fight, earned his first reward, and even summoned a demon dog that could wipe out slimes like they were nothing.

"Maybe this won't be so bad," Cade said, though the faintest hint of doubt lingered in his voice.

His stomach growled again, louder this time.

"Okay, maybe after I eat."

He chuckled to himself and kept walking, his mind on one goal; finding food!