Chapter 1: The Day the World Cracked
The wind howled through the empty streets of Edmonton, carrying the faint scent of snow and gasoline. Leo stood on the balcony of his fifth-floor apartment, hands stuffed into the pockets of his black hoodie, staring at the gray sky. At seventeen, he'd already learned to tune out the noise of the world—his mother's nagging, the hum of traffic, the pointless chatter of classmates. Silence suited him better. It let him think.
Today, though, something felt off. The air buzzed with a strange weight, like the moment before a storm breaks. He narrowed his icy blue eyes, scanning the horizon. No birds. No planes. Just a stillness that gnawed at the edges of his mind.
"Leo! Get inside, it's freezing!" His mother's voice cut through the quiet, sharp and insistent. He didn't move. She'd give up eventually. She always did.
Then it happened.
The sky fractured.
A sound like glass shattering echoed across the city, loud enough to rattle the windows behind him. Streaks of violet light tore through the clouds, jagged and unnatural, as if reality itself had been slashed open. Leo's breath caught, not out of fear, but curiosity. He leaned forward, gripping the railing, as a voice—cold, mechanical, and impossibly loud—boomed in his skull.
[Global System Initialization: Earth Integration Complete.]
[All inhabitants assigned Player Status. Survival is your objective. Prepare.]
The words didn't come from the air. They were inside him, vibrating through his bones. Before he could process it, a translucent blue screen flickered into existence in front of his eyes, hovering like a hologram.
[Player Profile Generated]
Name: Leo Carver
Age: 17
Location: Edmonton, Canada
Level: 1
EXP: 0/100
Class: None (Unlock at Level 10)
Stats:
Strength: 8 Agility: 9 Endurance: 7 Intelligence: 12 Magic: 0 (Locked)
[Traits]
XP Multiplier (Rare): Experience gain increased by 200%.Adaptation (Unique): Learning speed and skill acquisition accelerated by 300%.
[Skills]
None
[Inventory]
Empty
Leo stared at the screen, his pulse steady despite the absurdity of it. A game interface. Stats. Traits. His mind raced, piecing it together. This wasn't a prank or a hallucination—it was too precise, too real. And that voice… it had spoken to everyone. He could hear his mother screaming inside, her voice joined by distant shouts from the streets below.
He dismissed the screen with a thought, surprised at how instinctive it felt. The violet cracks in the sky pulsed, and then the ground trembled. A low rumble built into a roar as something tore through the asphalt five blocks away—a massive, clawed hand, followed by a hulking figure. It was vaguely humanoid, but its skin was cracked stone, and its eyes glowed a sickly yellow. Eight feet tall, maybe more. Around it, smaller shapes skittered—black, insect-like creatures with too many legs.
"Monsters," Leo muttered, his voice flat. He wasn't scared. Not yet. Fear was a luxury for people who didn't think.
[Alert: Rift Detected. Hostile Entities Spawned.]
[Objective: Survive the First Wave. Reward: 50 EXP.]
The screen popped up again, unbidden. Leo's lips twitched into a faint, humorless smirk. "A game, huh?" He turned and stepped inside, ignoring his mother's panicked questions as he grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter. It was cheap, barely sharp, but it'd do for now.
"Leo, what's happening? What are those things?!" His mother clutched her phone, tears streaming down her face. The screen was black—dead.
"Stay here," he said, his tone clipped. "Lock the door."|
He didn't wait for her reply. He was already moving, slipping into the hallway and down the stairwell. The building shook as something massive slammed into it, dust raining from the ceiling. Screams echoed, but Leo tuned them out. His mind was cold, focused. If this was a game, there were rules. If there were rules, he could win.
Outside, chaos reigned. Cars were overturned, their alarms blaring uselessly. People ran, some clutching makeshift weapons, others just fleeing blind. The stone giant roared, swinging a fist that pulverized a parked SUV. The insect creatures darted after stragglers, their mandibles snapping. Blood stained the snow-dusted pavement.
Leo crouched behind a dumpster, watching. His stats were pathetic—Strength 8, Agility 9. He'd lose in a straight fight. But Intelligence 12… that was something. And those traits—XP Multiplier and Adaptation. If he played this right, he could turn weakness into power.
One of the insects skittered closer, its six legs clicking against the asphalt. It was the size of a dog, with a segmented body and dripping fangs. Leo tightened his grip on the knife, calculating. It hadn't seen him yet.
[Entity Identified: Riftspawn Scuttler]
Level: 2
HP: 30/30
Description: A low-tier minion spawned from dimensional rifts. Weak individually, dangerous in swarms.
Level 2. He was Level 1. Risky, but not impossible. He exhaled, slow and controlled, then lunged.
The scuttler screeched as he drove the knife into its back, aiming for the gap between its chitin plates. Green ichor sprayed, and the creature thrashed, nearly throwing him off. He twisted the blade, using his weight to pin it, and stabbed again. And again. It stopped moving.
[Riftspawn Scuttler defeated!]
[EXP Gained: 15 x 200% (XP Multiplier) = 30 EXP]
[EXP: 30/100]
Leo stood, breathing hard, wiping the knife on his jeans. Thirty EXP from one kill. That multiplier was no joke. He glanced at the screen, then froze as a new notification appeared.
[Skill Unlocked: Basic Weapon Mastery (Level 1)]
Description: Proficiency with all weapons increased by 5%. Damage dealt with weapons +5%.
[Adaptation Triggered: Skill acquisition accelerated. Basic Weapon Mastery proficiency increased by 10%.]
He flexed his hand, feeling a subtle shift—like the knife was an extension of him now, not just a tool. Adaptation. It wasn't just learning faster; it was rewriting his instincts. A chill ran through him, not from the cold, but from the realization of what he could become.
Another scuttler darted toward him, drawn by the noise. This time, he didn't hesitate. He sidestepped its lunge, slashing its side with precision he hadn't had moments ago. It crumpled in two strikes.
[Riftspawn Scuttler defeated!]
[EXP Gained: 15 x 200% = 30 EXP]
[EXP: 60/100]
The giant roared again, closer now. Leo ducked into an alley, his mind racing. He needed more kills—more EXP—but the big one was a death sentence for now. Stick to the small fry. Grind. Survive.
Hours passed in a blur of blood and steel. The city became a battlefield, rifts spitting out monsters faster than people could run. Leo moved like a shadow, picking off scuttlers one by one, his movements growing smoother with each kill. By the tenth, his EXP hit 150, and the screen flared.
[Level Up!]
Level 1 → Level 2
[EXP: 50/200]
[Stat Points Gained: 3]
[HP Restored: 20/20]
He paused, catching his breath behind a shattered bus stop. Three points. He dumped two into Agility—speed was survival—and one into Strength. His body tingled as the changes took hold, muscles tightening, reflexes sharpening.
[Stats Updated]
Strength: 9 Agility: 11Endurance: 7 Intelligence: 12 Magic: 0 (Locked)
The wave wasn't over, but the notifications stopped. No "First Wave Cleared" yet. He peeked around the corner, spotting a group of scuttlers swarming a man with a baseball bat. The guy was Level 3—Leo could see it above his head—but he was sloppy, panicked. Dead soon.
Leo didn't move to help. No point. He wasn't a hero. He was a survivor.
Then the giant lumbered into view, its glowing eyes locking onto him. No cover. No time. His heart thudded once, then steadied. He gripped the knife, mind racing for a plan. Run? Fight? Die?
[Alert: Riftspawn Titan Approaching]
Level: 10
HP: 500/500
"Shit," he whispered, the first crack in his composure. But even as he backed away, a spark ignited in his chest—not fear, but hunger. If he could kill that thing… the EXP alone would skyrocket him.
The titan charged. Leo ran.