My head... it's killing me.
What the hell is going on?
I open my eyes slowly, expecting to see... I don't know. Heaven? Hell? Some kind of bright light or darkness?
But what I get is—
"Shit… is this hell?"
Even talking hurts. My throat feels like sandpaper. Dry, cracked, like I haven't had water in days.
I blink a few times, trying to come to my senses. The headache is still pounding, but I can finally see.
Trees. Big ones. A forest.
Birds are chirping somewhere above me, like this is some peaceful morning stroll. But nothing about this feels peaceful.
There's a river nearby. I don't think—I just crawl toward it. My arms are shaking, but I drag myself to the edge and dunk my face in.
I drink like an animal. No idea if it's safe. No time to care.
Gulp. Gulp.
I breathe hard after, gasping like I just came back to life.
Because… maybe I did?
I look around again, this time with a bit more clarity. My heart's racing.
"Where the hell am I!?" I shout.
Then I notice my hands.
They're... not mine.
Same number of fingers, yeah, but they look different. Thinner. Paler. I don't recognize them at all.
Panicking, I look down at the river's surface to see my reflection.
"T-This isn't me…"
The man staring back has messy black hair and dead eyes. He looks weak—like he hasn't lifted anything heavier than a spoon in his life. No muscles. Just bones and bad posture.
Who the hell is this?
And more importantly…
Why am i in his body?
Not long ago, I was just sitting in my crappy little apartment. Then the earthquake hit—and the ceiling…
"N-No, this can't be real!"
"Impossible!"
I swallow hard. My throat's dry like sandpaper.
Suddenly, I hear something. A rustle. I snap my head toward the sound—and it's just a lizard.
Wait. No. Not just a lizard.
It's huge. Like, mini-dog-sized. The thing's eyes are glowing red, locked straight on me, like it's daring me to breathe.
"What the fuck…" I whisper.
I freeze. I don't dare look away. Slowly, I start to back off. Real slow.
Crack.
My foot just stepped on a dry branch.
The lizard darts forward.
"Shitshitshit—!"
I turn and bolt. My legs are weak, like jelly. This body... this body is so damn slow!
"Dammit, this body!" I shout, lungs burning. I glance around, desperate for anything—a rock, a weapon, even a ditch.
Then I see it—some half-broken stone shelter in the distance.
I push my legs harder. But the thing's right behind me. I can feel its breath on my back.
And then—
[ Window Activated ]
A glowing screen pops up in front of me out of nowhere.
I stumble mid-run and yell, "WHAT THE—!?"
The lizard lunges at my face.
I try to dodge, but it's faster—and it bites my arm.
"ARGH—!"
The pain is insane. It's not just biting—it's clamping down, like it wants to rip my whole arm off. I punch at its neck, but my hits are too weak.
I growl in pain, twist to the side, and my hand grabs a broken stick from the ground.
I don't think—I just stab.
Straight into its eye.
It screeches, but it doesn't let go. I stab again. And again. Blood splatters everywhere.
Finally—it lets go.
I stumble back, gasping. My arm is numb, bleeding like crazy. I can't even move my fingers.
The lizard snarls, blood pouring from its ruined eye. But maybe it knows it's outmatched now—it turns and slinks back into the forest.
I stand frozen. Breathing heavy. I don't move until I can't see it anymore.
Then I drop to the ground.
I look at my arm—deep bite marks, torn flesh, blood still leaking. It hurts like hell.
"D-Dammit," I mutter.
That shelter I saw earlier... It's nearby. Doesn't look like anyone's using it, but maybe I can crawl over and rest.
"Wait..." I look at the bite. "What if that thing had poison...?"
I lie down, my whole body trembling.
But then—shit—I remember the bleeding.
I shoot up and tear at my shirt with my good hand, yanking off a strip of fabric. It's dirty, but I don't care. I wrap it tight around the bite wound, hoping it'll slow the bleeding, or at least stop me from passing out.
It stings like hell. But it's better than dying.
I drop back down, exhausted. My breathing's ragged, and everything spins for a second.
And then—
[Window Activated]
I freeze.
"…What the hell?"
A glowing, blue-ish screen pops up in front of me. It's floating—literally just hovering in the air.
[ | PROFILE | : \SKILLS\ : STATUS ]
I blink. Rub my eyes. It's still there.
"…This is a joke, right?"
My hands shake a little as I reach out and tap the word PROFILE.
The screen flashes—and changes.
---
[PROFILE]
Name: Ren Asher
Age: 20
Skill: Stealing Skills
Special Effect: —
Power Level: —
Speed Level: —
Stamina Level: —
Healing Level: —
Items: None
---
I stare at it.
"Stealing… skills?"
What kind of cursed game system is this? And what does all the "—" even mean? I have nothing? No stats? No items?
I'm literally zero across the board