the first battle of the merged world

Jin-Won stood in the middle of the shifting street, watching as the glowing cracks spread wider, releasing more of the eerie creatures. The air around them buzzed with energy unlike anything he had ever felt before.

[ Attack will commence in: 5 minutes. ]

He took a deep breath and turned to his companions. "Alright, we're not waiting for them to come to us. We need to prepare now."

Hori, still anxiously scrolling through his interface, raised an eyebrow. "Prepare? How? Did you suddenly become an expert at fighting supernatural monsters?"

A new notification flashed before them.

[ "Basic Survival Guide" has been added to all participants' skill lists. ]

Jin-Won quickly opened the guide and read through the details:

[ Basic Survival Guide ]

All participants now have access to their internal energy.

Skills can be developed through training and real combat.

Normal weapons will not be effective against creatures emerging from the cracks. Use skills or enhanced items.

Closing the window, Jin-Won looked at his sword, then focused on his newly acquired skill. Aether Blade… let's see what you can do.

As he concentrated, his sword ignited with a faint blue glow, energy pulsing along its edge.

Hori gasped. "Okay, that's… seriously cool. And now I feel completely unprepared."

Lyria glanced at her interface before raising a hand. A swirling mass of light formed in her palm, solidifying into a spear of pure energy. "If we have powers, we better learn how to use them fast."

At that moment, a monstrous roar echoed through the air as the first creature lunged toward them.

[ Attack begins now! ]

Jin-Won raised his sword. There was no more time to hesitate—this was their first real battle.

—To be continued…