Miguel groaned as he stirred awake, the scent of fresh earth and damp grass flooding his senses. The ground beneath him was uneven, and the cool night air brushed against his skin. Slowly, he opened his eyes—and instead of the familiar ceiling of his cramped Tokyo apartment, he saw an endless expanse of dark sky scattered with strange stars.
He blinked several times, trying to steady his breathing.
"This… isn't a dream," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
Sitting up, Miguel immediately felt the protest of sore muscles and lingering fatigue from years of overwork. The aches remained, but there was something else in the air—a faint energy that buzzed through his veins, making him feel… awake. More awake than he had been in years.
Ding!
[Welcome, Chosen One. You have been granted access to the Kingdom Builder System.]
[Initializing… 18%… 64%… 100%.]
[Tutorial Mode Activated.]
Miguel flinched, instinctively raising his hands in defense. A translucent blue panel floated in front of him, filled with glowing text. It looked exactly like the holographic interfaces from the anime and games he loved.
He rubbed his eyes, but the panel remained.
"No way… this can't be real," he said, half in awe, half in disbelief.
[You have been summoned to a world on the brink of collapse.
The Age of Kings has ended. Chaos reigns.
You have been chosen to rebuild, to lead, and to reclaim what was lost.]
[Would you like to begin your first quest?]
[Y/N]
Miguel hesitated. His mind raced.
Back home, he'd spent years chained to a system he couldn't beat—long hours, low pay, endless fatigue. Here… he was being offered a different kind of system. A chance to start over, to be someone new. Someone powerful.
"…If this is my second chance," he whispered, "then I'm taking it."
He pressed [Y].
[Quest Accepted.]
[Tutorial Quest: Survive for 24 Hours]
[Objective: Stay alive until sunrise. Bonus Objective: Find shelter before nightfall.]
[Reward: Basic Starter Pack + 1 System Skill Point]
Another ding sounded, and a secondary panel opened.
Inventory:
[Empty]
Skills:
[Locked]
Status:
Health: 100/100
Stamina: 85/100
Hunger: 20%
Miguel stood up, feeling the weight of reality settle in his chest.
"Survive for twenty-four hours, huh? Easy in theory… terrifying in practice."
Looking around, he saw that he was in the middle of a dense forest. Towering trees loomed above him, their thick canopies blocking most of the starlight. Strange sounds filled the night—distant howls, the fluttering of wings, the rustle of unseen creatures moving through the undergrowth.
Instinct screamed at him to move. To do something.
He stumbled forward, forcing his tired legs into action. He scanned the surroundings, searching for anything that could be used as a weapon—a sturdy branch, a sharp stone—anything. But the forest was wild, and Miguel quickly realized how vulnerable he was.
"No food. No shelter. No weapon. Great start, Miguel," he muttered bitterly.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small outcropping of rocks. Natural shelter, maybe enough to shield him from the elements. Hope flickered in his chest.
But before he could reach it—
Snap.
A branch cracked somewhere behind him.
Miguel froze.
The night fell into an unnatural stillness, broken only by the pounding of his heart in his ears. Every instinct told him: you are being watched.
He turned his head slowly
Two glowing red eyes stared back at him from behind a moss-covered tree. The creature stepped into the dim light—a hunched beast, fur black as soot, with long claws and jagged fangs. Its snarling mouth dripped with saliva.
Ding!
[Warning: Hostile Detected — Rank: F-Class Beast — "Forest Gnawer"]
[Status: Aggressive]
Miguel's mind screamed at him to run, but his body refused to move.
"A monster? Already?" he choked out.
The creature lowered itself into a crouch, muscles rippling, ready to pounce.
Miguel clenched his fists.
He had no armor.
No sword.
No special abilities.
Only a stubborn heart—and the dream that maybe, just maybe, he was meant for something greater.
The Forest Gnawer lunged.
Miguel braced himself.
This was it—the real beginning of his new life.
Survive or fade.
[End of Chapter 2]