First step towards power

A black screen floated in front of Rave's face.

For a moment, he just stared at it. His mind, still adjusting to everything around him, struggled to process what he was seeing as realization hit him, and his eyes widened.

"No way… Is this a system?"

Excitement bubbled up inside him. He had read about things like this in novels. This is the same system that guided people, gave them abilities, and helped them to survive in new worlds.

And now, he was looking at one with his own eyes.

Curiously, he reached out, tried to touch it with his hand. But it went straight through the screen as it was not there in that place.

"Huh? Strange."

Before he could react, words appeared on the screen, glowing dimly and at the same time, a robotic voice echoed in the air.

[Congratulations, Rave Arnet. You have successfully transmigrated.]

That single sentence made everything feel real. Even though he had already guessed it, hearing it out loud made a confirmation.

He pressed a hand against his chest, then ran his fingers over his face. His body felt the same. His clothes, just like before he died, were still on him. The same worn-out jeans, a hoodie, nothing looks different.

"I really came back in my own body?"

Somehow, that made him feel better. Even though he had no attachment to his old world, he didn't want to deal with waking up in someone else body.

As he was in thoughts more text appeared on the screen.

[Current Location: Semi-Dimension (Upgrader Type)]

"Semi-Dimension? What does that even mean?"

He had read stories about people being thrown into fantasy worlds, but this sounded different. An "Upgrader Type?" didn't ring any bells to him. "Was this a waiting area? Or a training ground?"

Before he could think too much about it, another message popped up.

[First Quest: Kill a Beast to Unlock System Features]

Rave stared at the screen. His excitement faded a little.

"Really? A test just to use the system?"

It annoyed him. It felt like the system didn't fully trust him and was forcing him to prove himself first. Like it was looking down on him.

A frown crossed his face, but then, a slow grin followed.

"Kill a beast? That sounds easy enough. Ha haa"

Overconfidence crept in. He had no idea about what kind of creatures were in this world and what kind of beasts he is going to face. But he wasn't about to back down from something so simple.

With a deep breath, he clenched his fists and accepted the quest.

"Whatever was waiting for me, I was ready for that."

Rave moved forward, his eyes scanning everything around him. The grassy land was strange. It's wide open and endless, yet it had no sun. Even so, there was light, soft and steady, as if the world itself was glowing. He found it odd but didn't think too much about it. After all, he had bigger things to worry about, like finding a beast to fight.

As he walked, the grass in his path was becoming taller. At first, it reached his knees, then his waist. The further he went, the darker the area became. A heavy feeling lingering in the air, pressing against him like something was watching him within these bushes. He gulped but kept going, placing each step carefully.

"This is fine. Totally fine. Just a new world, probably this is common here."

He wasn't scared. Not at all. But just in case, he whispered a quick prayer.

"Oh great gods above, if you exist, please make sure nothing jumps at me!" Hello paused for a second and again "Take it as my first wish."

His sarcastically pleaded the god.

Meanwhile, out of nowhere.

SWISH!

Something rushed past behind him.

Rave's body jolted like he had been struck by lightning. His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he didn't even dare to move.

Slowly, he turned his head.

But nothing was there.

"Okay, may be it's just the wind?"

He swallowed, trying to calm himself, but then again.

SWISH!

Again! This time, right behind him.

He spun around, heart pounding, but once again nothing.

That was it. Nope. He wasn't going to be one of those horror movie idiots who stayed around just to check what's the danger.

"I've seen way too many movies where the hero walks into a haunted house and dies like an idiot. But that's not me. And not today."

Without a second thought, he turned and ran.

"I JUST GOT A SECOND LIFE, I'M NOT LOSING IT ALREADY!"

The eerie silence shattered as something rushed after him. The sound of stomping, heavy and fast, echoed behind him.

His legs moved on their own, but curiosity—and sheer terror—forced him to turn his head slightly, like a rusted machine, as he ran.

His eyes widened in fear.

There is a beast behind him.

It looked like a boar but wasn't normal at all. Its body was bulkier, its muscles thick and tense. But the real problem? Its tusks—long, sharp, almost like swords jutting from its mouth.

And it was coming straight for him.

Rave's heart beating like a war drum, his breaths ragged as he pushed his legs to move faster. The tall grass felt endless, trapping him in a maze with that monstrous boar closing in behind him.

"Just a little more… just need to get out of this long cursed grass!"

But before he could even finish the thought, his foot caught on something hard.

His balance snapped, and he was slammed into the ground, dirt flying up around him.

"Ugh, my damn luck!" he groaned, pain shooting through his elbows. Gritting his teeth, he turned to see what had tripped him.

A rock. A huge one, it's completely hidden by the tall grass.

"You stupid—!" He cursed, pushing himself up, but the heavy stomping sounds from behind him sent chills down his spine. The boar was almost reached him.

His heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Desperate, he grabbed the rock and, without thinking, he hurled it straight at the beast.

THUNK!

A loud, sharp screech tore through the air as the rock struck the boar right on its head. The beast lost its balance, its massive form slamming into the ground with a heavy thud.

Rave's eyes widened. 'That actually worked?'

Then, an idea struck him like lightning.

Without wasting a second, he grabbed the rock again and smashed it onto the boar's head.

"STAY DOWN, YOU UGLY PIG!"

THWACK!

"YOU THINK YOU CAN CHASE ME?!"

THUD!

"HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS, HUH?!"

He hammered the rock down again and again, ignoring the blood splattering across his face. The boar screeched, its body jerking in pain, but it was not able to stop it by the relentless attacks of Rave. He didn't stop until the final crack echoed through the air. The beast went completely still.

Blood pooled into the grass. Its skull had split open.

Rave staggered back, arms shaking, chest rising and falling as he sucked in deep breaths. His hoodie was soaked in red, his face a mess, but… he did it. He actually did it.

Then, a sudden robotic voice echoed in his ears.

[Lesser level beast killed. Rift Beast Core - Lesser tier obtained automatically from the beast corpse.]

Rave barely reacted, still catching his breath. But before he could even think, another notification followed.

[Quest completed.]

He exhaled sharply, rubbing the blood off his face.

"F*ck the system. It almost got me killed, and all I get is some boring announcement?" He said while opening his system interface.