In the forest, Ryouma stared at the glowing screen hovering before him:
[User Stats] Level: 2 HP: 40 Stamina: 40 cp: 10 Ag: 30 Skill: None Points: 20
Confused, he frowned. "I've never seen anything like this... System, what are you?"
A message appeared instantly:
[I am a system designed for your growth. The stats you see reflect your current strength. You may allocate points to these stats at your will. I also provide a shop menu where you can purchase items with your points.]
Ryouma muttered, "So points are essential for everything... But how do I earn them?"
Ding—
[Points can be earned by taking the life force of other living beings. The amount of life force absorbed determines how many points are gained.]
He glanced again at the display showing:
[Points: 20]
Curious, he tapped on the 'Shop' icon.
Ding—
A new screen materialized, showcasing a variety of items. Weapons, armor, accessories—each radiating overwhelming power.
He quickly made his selections:
Ding— [Black Coat - Purchased: 10 Points]
Ding— [Full Mask - Purchased: 5 Points]
Ding— [Item: Black Coat | Skill: None]
Ding— [Item: Full Mask | Skill: None]
Ryouma slipped on the black coat and fastened the mask over his face.
His voice was quiet, but firm.
"From now on... Ryouma is dead. A new me is awakening."
He turned to the wind, eyes gleaming behind the mask.
"Yui... you once looked down on me. Wait and see—I'll show you what true strength looks like."
Ryouma moved quietly through the forest, the shadows of trees dancing over his new black coat and mask. The leaves crunched faintly beneath his boots, each step calculated, precise.
In the distance, his eyes locked onto movement—low, prowling forms weaving through the underbrush.
A pack of wolves.
Their matted gray fur blended with the forest gloom, eyes glowing faintly in the fading light. They hadn't noticed him yet. He crouched low, studying their formation. At least six of them. Bigger than normal—wild mana pulsed off them like heat from a fire.
"C-rank, maybe higher," Ryouma muttered beneath his breath. "I'm not strong enough to face them head-on. Better to avoid—"
DING.
A screen blinked before his eyes.
[ Mission: Eliminate the target in front of you. ][ Mission cannot be denied. Failure will result in immediate death. ]
Ryouma's breath caught.
"Tch… so this system isn't playing around," he growled. He clenched his fists, backing into cover, eyes scanning the terrain. "Fine. Then I don't get to run."
He took a deep breath and began planning his assault. One by one, he mapped out the wolves' movement patterns. He waited until one strayed a little too far from the rest—
Then he struck.
The first wolf dropped without a sound, its throat pierced by a sharp branch Ryouma hurled with precision.
But the rest howled, alerted.
They lunged.
The battle that followed was brutal. Ryouma ducked, rolled, kicked. His stamina plummeted. Teeth scraped across his shoulder. A claw tore through his coat, slashing deep into his ribs. Blood poured down his side, but he didn't stop.
He moved like a shadow, dodging and countering, pushing past pain and fatigue until the last wolf collapsed with a final, pained growl.
Panting, wounded, barely standing—Ryouma stared at the bodies around him.
DING.
[ Mission Cocplete ][ Points +50 ][ Bonus Reward: Mysterious Box ][ Total Points: 55 ]
Before he could even catch his breath, a small ornate box appeared in his hand, warm to the touch.
He opened it.
A radiant light burst from within, enveloping him.
Ryouma staggered—then gasped. The wounds across his body vanished. His ribs realigned, torn flesh mended. Even the fatigue in his muscles faded. He stood straighter, stronger.
"…This is incredible," he breathed, a smirk tugging at his lips. "This system might be insane… but it's also the real deal."
[ Allocate Stat Points? ]
"Add 10 to each hp, Stamina, Agility, and 25 to cp," he ordered.
DING.
[ User Stats Updated: ][ HP: 50 ][ Stamina: 50 ][ cp: 35 ][ Agility: 40 ]
[ Level Up! ][ User: Level 3 ]
Streams of cosmic light wrapped around his body, flowing through his veins like fire and starlight. He could feel it—his strength growing, his senses sharpening. Even the very air felt slower, more manageable.
He exhaled, the mask hiding his satisfied grin.
"The old me would've died there," he whispered. "But this… this is only the beginning."
And with newfound strength surging through him, Ryouma stepped deeper into the unknown.
Days passed.
The once-icposing forest had become little more than a training ground. Ryouma stood amid the carnage of another fallen beast—its head gripped in his hand, steam rising from the severed neck. His chest rose and fell, breath heavy, body smeared in dirt and blood.
DING.
[ User Stats Updated: ][ HP: 110 ][ Stamina: 90 ][ cp: 120 ][ Agility: 80 ]
[ Level Up! ][ User: Level 8 ]
Ryouma exhaled slowly, dropping the monster's head to the ground with a dull thud.
"So… this is what strength feels like."
He looked around. The forest was still now. The howls had quieted. No more monsters came for him. They sensed what he had become.
"I've outgrown this place," he muttered. "It's time to move on."
Ryouma didn't know exactly where he was, but he believed that if he kept going, he'd find a town or city. There, he could find people, get information, and maybe learn more about what had happened to him. He also knew his past—like the ones who left him behind—was still out there, waiting to be faced.
"I need to find the nearest city."
By a quiet river, he knelt to wash. His reflection stared back, distorted slightly by the rippling water. He removed his mask for the first time in days… and froze.
"Is this… me?"
His eyes widened slightly. His face had changed—not drastically, but enough. Sharper jawline. Clearer skin. Eyes that glinted with a quiet fire. Even his presence felt different. More cocposed. More dangerous.
He scoffed under his breath. "System must've healed more than just my wounds…"
After a proper wash, Ryouma opened his system's menu. The familiar translucent screen flickered to life.
"I've saved enough points," he muttered. "Time to gear up."
He navigated to the shop.
A few minutes later—
DING.
[ Item Purchased: Lunar Long Coat – Rank A ][ Skill: Defense – Withstands physical and magic attacks under 90-point force. ]
[ Item Purchased: Verbergende Mask – Rank A ][ Skill: Conceal Presence | Blocks basic mind-reading and psychic detection. ]
[ Item Purchased: Giftzahn Daggers – Rank C (x2) ][ Skill: Venom Fang – Successful strikes cause continuous bleeding and poison damage. ]
In flashes of blue light, the items materialized.
Ryouma slipped on the silver coat. It shimmered with faint golden inscriptions—elegant yet intimidating. The new mask slid over his face, sleek and expressionless, fitting like a second skin. Twin daggers rested at his hips, their curved blades gleaming with latent venom.
Fully equipped, he stood tall on the riverbank, a silent figure cloaked in silver and shadow.
"This is the real beginning," he said quietly, eyes fixed toward the horizon.
And with one last glance back at the forest that had forged him, Ryouma turned and began walking—toward the next city.
It only took Ryouma two days to find a city. Towering stone walls surrounded it, with guards stationed at every gate.
He had no ID. No guild card. Nothing to prove who he was.And that was just how he wanted it.
Ryouma didn't want Yui or the others to know he was alive—not yet. Not until he returned as someone unrecognizable. Someone stronger. Someone no one would dare look down on again.
He crouched low.
Boom.
With a burst of power, he leapt. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he soared through the air—clearing the 50-meter wall in a single bound.
Below, one of the guards flinched. He glanced around, uneasy.
"…Was that wind?" he muttered, shrugging it off.
Inside the city, Ryouma moved through the streets like a shadow. The atmosphere was tense—guards patrolled in larger numbers than usual, and whispers filled the air. Something was clearly going on.
Thanks to his mask's skill, Conceal Presence, no one noticed him. Not even the waitress as he slipped quietly into a bar tucked between two alleys.
Ryouma stood silently in a corner, listening.
His presence was cocpletely hidden.
"This mask is more useful than I thought," he mused. "If not for this, I'd already be attracting suspicion."
Then—he overheard a conversation that caught his attention.
"You heard? It's been three days. The princess is probably dead by now…"
"Yeah… she was always reckless. Always sneaking off to adventure solo. But this time, she entered the most dangerous dungeon in the region by mistake."
"And the king's going mad," another added. "He sent a hundred soldiers… all wiped out."
"The king even made a royal decree," the first man said. "Anyone who saves her gets any wish they want granted."
"…Doesn't matter," someone else grumbled. "No one's crazy enough to go in there."
Ryouma's eyes lit up.
"This is perfect… one arrow, multiple targets," he thought.
If I save the princess, I can ask the king for a new identity. Official access to high-level dungeons. And if that dungeon's as deadly as they say—I'll fight strong monsters and level up even faster.
A slight smirk tugged at his lips. His eyes glimmered with faint cosmic energy.Unconsciously, a trace of his aura leaked out.
A few people nearby shivered.
"…Hey, is it just me or did it suddenly get colder?"
"Yeah… weird."
Ignoring them, Ryouma's gaze shifted to the job board at the front of the bar.Pinned to it was the king's request—and the dungeon's location.
Without hesitation, he walked over, tore it from the board, and left.
He didn't say a word.
But his eyes burned with resolve.