[Congratulations, you have killed your first monster.]
[You have been given an overview of Death Zone: "Dark Lands."]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have received a Starter Pack.]
[Your status has been updated…]
Dozens of glowing blue screens burst into existence around Tim like fireworks, flashing notifications faster than his tired brain could process.
He stared blankly at them for a moment, letting the flood of text wash over him.
Then he slowly exhaled and sat down in the ash, his back against the blood-stained boulder.
The wolf lay motionless at his feet, half its head crushed by the stone he had rolled down on it after several tries.
The broken remains of his sword still jutted from its skull, wobbling slightly in the faint breeze.
He looked down at his trembling hands.
They were still sticky with blood… some his, some not.
Yet… he didn't feel pain anymore.
There was a sudden warmth surging through his body. His aching muscles relaxed, the stabbing fire in his ribs vanished, and the dull throb in his back melted away.
'So this is leveling up…'
He flexed his fingers, astonished by how light he felt.
It was like being reborn.
In every book and broadcast he'd read about Awakeners, they described this exact feeling… the body purging weakness and rebirthing itself from the inside out.
If you could survive long enough to level up even once, your body would automatically heal all injuries, remove poisons, and even purge terminal illnesses.
Tim grinned faintly. "It feels nice."
His legs which had felt like jelly minutes ago now felt firm and strong again.
He could finally breathe properly.
He'd survived.
At least for now.
Then, as his adrenaline faded, his gaze drifted back to the floating screens.
'So I get all these rewards after killing my first monster?' he thought.
He hadn't heard of that happening before. Usually, Awakeners didn't get anything other than XP and status points until after clearing a Call. Well maybe because he was a Monarch's descendant now.
Still… out of everything flashing before him, one line caught his eye:
[You have received a Starter Pack.]
Tim's lips turned into a grin.
"Finally," he whispered, "something good."
He tapped the prompt without hesitation.
[Would you like to open your Starter Pack?]
[Y / N]
He didn't even think. "Y, of course…"
As soon as he said it, the floating box expanded. A ding sounded as icons appeared one after another, each wrapped in blue light.
[You have received: Black Sword ×2]
[You have received: Black Cloak ×2]
[You have received: Mana Stone ×2]
[You have received Skill: Analyze]
He blinked. Then his smile slowly faded.
"…That's it?"
He leaned closer, reading the lines again as if something might change.
Nope.
It was still the same.
"I'm essentially a reincarnated protagonist," he muttered, "where's my overpowered ability? My legendary weapon? My hidden bloodline? Anything?"
He sighed in disappointment but took the rewards anyway.
Each item blinked once and disappeared into his [Inventory] tab.
'Inventory… right.'
He reached out, and the transparent window popped open again, showing four item slots… each with small, glowing icons.
"Let's see…"
He tapped on the [Black Cloak], and immediately his body was wrapped in black fabric that shimmered against the ashen light.
The cloak fell just right around his shoulders, the hood shadowing his face.
He blinked in surprise. "Fits perfectly."
Wait…
He glanced down.
"Hold up… was I always this tall?"
The hem of the cloak barely reached his ankles. He raised his hands, staring at them.
His fingers looked longer and his arms were leaner.
Maybe it was the leveling up… could that explain why his body had literally grown?
Either way, he wasn't complaining.
He tapped the second item, and the Black Sword materialized in his hand, forming out of dark mist before solidifying.
It was light but perfectly balanced and completely black...
Another window appeared above it.
[Item: Black Sword]
[Rank: Common]
[Details: A black sword forged from condensed magic metal, effective against a few monsters.]
He tilted his head. "So that's what the Analyze skill does."
The ability seemed automatic. It scanned anything he focused on for more than a second and displayed its data instantly.
Pretty useful… though, judging by the description and rank, his sword wasn't anything special.
Still, better than the broken one.
He tested it on his cloak next.
[Item: Black Cloak]
[Rank: Common]
[Details: A regular black cloak that helps you look cooler.]
"…Wow," he deadpanned. "Thanks, system. Real helpful."
He exhaled through his nose and glanced back at the corpse. Maybe the Analyze skill could tell him something about it.
He focused on the wolf but nothing popped up.
"Guess it only works on living things…" he muttered.
Well, whatever. He was more curious about the remaining items. He opened his inventory again and tapped on one of the Mana Stones.
A small crystal the size of a coin appeared in his palm, glowing blue.
He recognized it immediately.
'Right… mana restoration items.'
They were precious resources used by Awakeners to restore their energy in battle.
He put it back in the inventory… better to save it for later.
Then his attention drifted back to himself.
Since leveling up, he felt different.
His movements were lighter and he stood straighter without even thinking about it.
Curiosity got the better of him.
He lifted his cloak and medieval-style shirt, revealing his torso.
"…Holy shit."
His stomach which had been soft and flabby before was now flat and toned.
It wasn't the shredded six-pack of a gym model, but the fat was gone, replaced with lean muscle.
It was like watching the results of months at the gym appear instantly.
He laughed weakly. "Who knows… if I level up again, maybe I'll get abs."
But the final notification still hovered at the edge of his vision:
[You have been given an overview of Death Zone: "Dark Lands."]
He hesitated.
'Does it just… pop up?' he wondered.
As if in answer, another screen blinked open.
[Overview: Dark Lands]
The Dark Lands are a designated Death Zone created from the fragments of the Bone Monarch's former domain. The region is an unstable convergence of shadow essence and corrupted souls. Natural light does not exist here.]
[Average monster level: 3–15.]
[Atmospheric toxicity: Moderate.]
[Environmental effect: Gradual mana corruption over time.]
[Estimated survival time: Under 48 hours.]
[Warning: Death within this zone will result in immediate corruption and transformation into a lesser shade.]
Tim read the description twice.
His smile vanished.
His heart sank lower with every line.
"Average monster level… three to fifteen?" he whispered.
He was level three.
Just barely.
He stared at the line that said "Transformation into a lesser shade."
He didn't know what that meant exactly but it didn't sound like something anyone would want to experience.
He closed the tab slowly.
"I'm fucked again…" he said under his breath.