baptism by battle

The first creature lunged with terrifying speed, its glowing eyes locked onto Jin-Won. Without thinking, he swung his sword, the Aether Blade flaring to life. His blade met the monster's claws, and a sharp burst of energy sent sparks flying.

Hori barely dodged as another beast swiped at him. "Oh, hell no! I am not dying in a game tutorial!"

Lyria hurled her energy spear, striking one of the creatures square in the chest. It let out a distorted screech before disintegrating into particles of light. "It worked!" she gasped.

Jin-Won adjusted his stance, eyes scanning the battlefield. More creatures poured from the cracks, crawling over the broken streets like a nightmare come to life.

[ Enemy Defeated! +5 EXP ]

[ Combat Adaptation Activated: Skills Improve Faster in Battle ]

His grip on his sword tightened. So this system really works like a game.

Si-Yeon appeared beside them, her hands glowing with an intricate spell. "Cover me. I need a few seconds to cast this."

Hori jumped back as another creature lunged. "Seconds?! We don't have seconds!"

But Jin-Won didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, Aether Blade humming as he slashed through another enemy. "We'll hold them off. Do it."

The ground beneath them rumbled, the cracks widening as an even larger creature emerged—twice their height, its body pulsing with the same eerie blue energy.

A new notification appeared.

[ Warning! Elite-Class Creature Detected. Danger Level: High. ]

Hori's face paled. "Oh, come on!"

Jin-Won steadied his sword. "Then we just have to take it down first."

The battle had only just begun.

—To be continued…