The ground shook. The sky trembled. Fear clawed its way into the hearts of every living soul.
People sprinted in every direction, scrambling for shelter as earthquakes rippled across the globe. The cacophony of screeching tires, shattering glass, and panicked screams drowned out even the roar of the collapsing earth. Even if someone wasn't afraid of the quakes themselves, the chaos alone was enough to crush their spirit.
Just minutes earlier, the final bell had rung at District 15 High School. Students flooded out in chattering groups, laughter and shouts of relief filling the air—especially among the seniors. For them, this year marked the end of an era. Some dreamed of college; others whispered about marrying their high school sweethearts.
But among the crowd, one boy moved in silence. *Ryan*. His disheveled black hair, gaunt frame, and perpetually wrinkled uniform made him stand out like a shadow in sunlight. His icy blue eyes, usually dull with indifference, now flickered with something sharper—an unspoken warning to keep away.
---
**Crash!**
A car plowed into a lamppost, metal screaming as it twisted. Ryan stumbled, gripping a nearby pillar to steady himself. His head throbbed—a relentless, electric pain spiderwebbing through his skull. *What the hell is this…?* He pressed a hand to his forehead, teeth gritted.
Life had never been kind to Ryan. An unapologetic otaku, he spent his days buried in Japanese light novels and Chinese anime, avoiding the real world. His family hovered just above the poverty line: a father breaking his back at a scrap factory, a mother juggling part-time gigs, and a younger sister everyone adored. *The "beauty of the school,"* they called her. Hardworking, bright, *perfect*—the polar opposite of her brother.
*Maybe they're right*, Ryan thought bitterly. *I'm the problem*. Even his sister treated him with chilly politeness, though she'd occasionally spare him a few words. To him, those moments were gold. To everyone else? Just another quirk of the family's "weirdo."
---
The quakes worsened. Ryan's vision swam as his grip on the pillar faltered. His knees buckled, and he crumpled to the pavement, consciousness slipping like sand through fingers.
***[System Initializing…]***
A voice—cold, mechanized—exploded in his mind:
**"The age of comfort has ended. Today marks the apocalypse for Earth's creatures. Henceforth, you will dwell in the *True Realm*: a land of survival, where death is your only escape… or eternity your reward."**
**"Here, the law is the law of the wild. Kill and grow stronger. Step on the corpses of others to ascend… or die and become their staircase."**
---
A holographic screen blazed to life behind Ryan's eyelids:
**Name**: [Ryan]
**Species**: [Human]
**Level**: [K]
**Life Points**: 1/10
**"The Final Trial has begun. Good luck."**
The screen vanished. When Ryan opened his eyes, the world had *changed*. The air hung heavier, charged with a predatory stillness. Buildings stood cracked and skeletal, the sky now a sickly amber. Somewhere in the distance, something inhuman screeched.
Ryan's breath hitched. *Level K? Life Points?* His headache was gone, replaced by a raw, primal adrenaline. He stared at his trembling hands. *Is this… a game?*
But the blood smeared on his palm felt real. The coppery stench of it, too.
Welcome to the real world.