Darkness… no.
White.
Only white.
I opened my eyes, and all I could see was emptiness.
No floor. No walls. Not even my own body.
—"What… the hell…?" I tried to look at my hands, but there were none.
A ticking sound, faint and rhythmic, echoed inside my skull. Like a clock counting down.
—"Am I… in heaven? God, is that you? Did my torture in the mortal world finally end?"
But then, a cold metallic voice shattered my illusion:
"Game initializing: The End of the Ancient Era. Preparing transfer…"
—"What? Transfer of what?" My confusion mixed with a sharp headache.
—"Wait, wait… is this a joke?"
The voice continued, merciless and mechanical:
"You have the opportunity to choose gender. Please select…"
I froze. Those words hit harder than the truck that had killed me before.
—"No… no way…" I tried to slap myself—only to realize I still had no body.
—"Damn it… I'm inside that cursed game!"
"Time's up. Random selection: Mixed gender. Transfer initiated."
A deafening boom tore through my mind. Agony. Light. Paralysis.
And then, silence.
When I opened my eyes again, I was inside a dark cave. Damp, cold, and reeking of iron. The exact same cave from the game's tutorial.
—"This… this can't be happening…" I muttered, clutching my head.
—"Conquerors only arrive in another world when they awaken an ability… and I don't have any!"
To test if it was real, I hit myself.
—"Ouch… ok, not a dream."
I tried lifting a rock. Nothing.
—"No super strength…"
I tried jumping.
—"No flying… great."
Then I felt it.
Soft. Small.
I looked down… and froze.
—"…No. No way."
I ripped off my hoodie, left only in a sweaty, transparent white T-shirt.
—"I have… boobs!?"
They weren't big—but they were definitely there.
—"What the hell!?" I spun in circles, panicking.
—"Stop! Stop!"
I screamed until my voice cracked.
—"Okay… if I have boobs now… better not check what's down there…"
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
—"The important thing is to get out of here… but seriously, who drops a crippled person into a cave? Damn it!"
The voice returned:
"You have left the safe zone."
—"Oh… so that was the safe zone. Which means next is…"
My eyes widened as I remembered.
—"…Yeah. The Blood Whisper Cave. The beginner's first enemy."
I smirked.
—"Perfect."
"It is recommended that the newcomer challenges the monster. You may do so up to five times. Rewards will be granted if possible. If you die, do not worry, you may restart… The pain is real."
That voice sounded like it was enjoying this.
"Due to the user's physical condition, a permanent bonus will be granted to all actions."
—"Nice detail… but you're still bastards."
"Summoning first monster: Giant Rat. Mission: kill the monster. Reward: Mysterious."
A grotesque sound filled the cave. From the shadows crawled a giant rat—its fur matted with blood, its eyes glowing red. Muscles bulged grotesquely beneath its skin, like a rat on steroids.
It screeched. I grinned.
—"Fatal mistake, buddy…"
I unlocked the hidden compartment of my wheelchair and pulled out my old Mossberg 500 Slugster—my family's heirloom.
—"Die, damn rat!"
The gun roared.
The slug tore through the beast, blowing out its lungs and half its face.
Viscera splattered across the cave floor.
—"That was… easy." I muttered, ripping one of its ears off as a trophy.
"Mission completed. Choose your reward."
I thought fast.
—"Most Conquerors can't understand the local language… I want a translator!"
"Request denied. Choose again."
—"Fine… then give me an appraisal monocle. Knowing what things do is crucial."
"Request accepted. Monocle granted. You may now exit the dungeon."
I paused. Smirked. Pumped the shotgun again.
—"You said I could challenge five times, right?"
A faint glint of madness crossed my eyes.
—"Let's go for round two."