Professor Lucky's voice was enough to make anyone sleepy. David Mccabe, a college student specializing in nothing particularly exciting, found his eyelids growing heavier with each mention of 17th-century economic theory. He was mid-slump in his chair, a pen threatening to roll from his slack fingers, when the world decided to short-circuit.
One moment, the familiar scent of old textbooks and lukewarm coffee. The next, a gut-wrenching lurch, a flash of blinding light, and the stale air of the lecture hall was violently replaced.
David gasped, his lungs burning. He wasn't in the lecture hall anymore. He was… somewhere else. Somewhere very, very different.
He stood on a cobbled street, sunlight warm on his face. Around him, a city pulsed with life. Buildings of stone and timber, adorned with colourful banners, rose towards a sky too blue to be real. Strange, melodic music drifted from an unseen source, mingling with a cacophony of voices speaking in a language he surprisingly understood. People bustled past, some human-looking, others… not so much. A burly man with short, pointed tusks haggled loudly with a merchant whose ears were long and leaf-shaped.
David's head spun. "Okay, David," he muttered, patting his pockets. Phone, wallet, keys – all present. "Either someone slipped something really potent into my morning orange juice, or I've officially lost it."
Then, a shimmering blue panel materialized before his eyes.
His heart hammered. He blinked. It was still there.
[Welcome, Transcendent One, to the world of Aethelgard!]
[The Ultimate Evolution System has been activated.]
[Unique Ability Detected: SSS-Rank Potential.]
David stared, dumbfounded. "Transcendent… what now? SSS-Rank?" This had to be a dream. A very elaborate, very confusing dream. He tentatively reached out a hand. His fingers passed right through the blue panel.
[Name: David Mccabe]
[Level: 1]
[Class: None]
[Title: Lost Lamb]
[Stats:]
[Strength: 5]
[Agility: 6]
[Endurance: 4]
[Intellect: 7]
[Spirit: 5]
[Evolution Points (EP): 0]
"Lost Lamb? Seriously?" David felt a strange mix of terror and a bizarre, almost hysterical amusement. "Couldn't it be 'Befuddled Newcomer' or 'Guy Who Clearly Missed the Memo'?"
A new line of text glowed insistently at the bottom of the panel.
[Initial System Quest: Survive.]
The single word hung there, stark and chilling. Survive. Survive what? The overly enthusiastic tusked man? The questionable street food sizzling on a nearby cart?
As if in answer, the general hum of the city seemed to fade, and David became aware of other, less tangible things. Floating snippets of text, like ghostly messages, flickered in the air. Some people paused to read them, their faces grim. Others hurried past, pointedly ignoring them.
One such message drifted near David: "Zone 7B, Shadowfang Pups are swarming again! Anyone got a spare healing potion near the Whispering Woods entrance?"
Another followed: "Warning! Gutter Rats in the Old Sewers have mutated. Nasty bites. Antidote prices are sky-high!"
And another, more desperate: "Did anyone see Mark? He went to collect Sunstone Glow-herbs an hour ago… he's not responding on the EchoNet."
David's eyes widened. "EchoNet?" he whispered. This was the "terrified player chatter" the system must have been referring to. These weren't just random city noises; they were warnings, cries for help. This wasn't a dream. This was real. Dangerously real.
The "Survive" quest suddenly felt a lot heavier.
He looked down at his faded jeans and university hoodie. Not exactly standard adventuring gear. His stats – Strength 5, Endurance 4 – didn't scream "hero material" either. He felt a prickle of genuine fear. How was he supposed to survive in a place where "Shadowfang Pups" swarmed and people just… disappeared?
A new thought struck him. If this was some kind of game world, surely there were rules, mechanics. The "Ultimate Evolution System" sounded promising, even if he had zero EP.
He took a deep breath, trying to push down the panic. "Okay, system," he said to the air, feeling foolish. "What do I do first?"
The blue panel remained, unhelpfully displaying his "Lost Lamb" title.
He needed information. He needed… something. Anything. He looked around, spotting a slightly less chaotic building nearby. It had a sign with a simple shield emblem. A guard station, maybe?
Summoning a courage he didn't feel, David walked towards it. A stern-faced woman in simple leather armor stood by the door, her gaze sweeping over him. She looked tired.
"Um, excuse me?" David began, his voice a little shaky. "I… I just arrived. I don't suppose you could tell me… anything?"
The woman gave him a once-over, her expression unchanging. "New arrival, eh? Another one spat out by the rifts. Figures." She sighed, a sound like dry leaves skittering across stone. "Name?"
"David Mccabe."
She grunted, then gestured to a nearby crate. "Standard issue for the fresh meat. Don't get yourself killed too quickly. It makes for extra paperwork."
On the crate lay a short, unadorned sword and a simple, patched tunic.
Floating text appeared above them as David focused his gaze.
[Trainee's Blade (Basic Quality)]
[Attack: +3]
[Durability: 20/20]
[A simple, mass-produced blade for those new to the art of not dying.]
[Traveler's Tunic (Basic Quality)]
[Defense: +2]
[Durability: 15/15]
[Better than nothing, probably.]
"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," David muttered under his breath, picking up the items. The blade felt surprisingly real in his hand, cold and heavier than he expected. The tunic was rough, smelling faintly of dust and something vaguely medicinal.
"City provides the basics," the guard said, already looking past him. "Beyond that, you're on your own. Newhaven's got dangers, but the wilds outside are worse. Stick to the marked paths if you value your skin." She paused. "And try not to scream too loud when something tries to eat you. Disturbs the locals."
With that cheerful advice, she turned her attention back to the street, dismissing him.
David clutched the [Trainee's Blade] and [Traveler's Tunic]. His SSS-Rank potential felt a million miles away. Right now, all he had was basic gear, a terrifying quest to "Survive," and the distinct feeling he was hopelessly out of his depth.
He looked at his system panel again. Zero EP. He needed to earn those. And according to the EchoNet, things like "Shadowfang Pups" were out there. Killing monsters, the outline had implied.
The Whispering Woods. That name had come up. It sounded both ominous and like a place where a "Lost Lamb" might find something to… evolve with. Or get eaten by.
It was a terrifying prospect. But what choice did he have? Going back to Professor Lucky's lecture certainly wasn't an option anymore.