"Hi, I'm Kaito Kurose. Just a decent Asian guy who fell in love with western-style armor and dark fantasy. Ever since I was a kid, those heavy plates, massive swords, and brutal adventures got my heart racing."
"Because of that obsession, I joined Armored MMA. We actually fight in armor—just like the worlds I always dreamed of."
"Only problem? I get beaten up. Badly."
Now he lay in a hospital bed, wrapped in bandages, staring at the ceiling.
"To kill time, I guess I'll play some games…"
He scrolled through his phone.
"Oh… what's this? Pocket Rogues? A new game?"
[ Please press START ]
A blinding light burst from the phone.
Puff.
"W–where am I? Ahh—what's with that light?"
[ Welcome to Pocket Rogues ]
[ Please write your name and press START ]
___________
START
Kaito's mind raced. This scene—this atmosphere—this wasn't just a game.
It felt exactly like the fantasy worlds he had always dreamed of.
If I'm going to enter a fantasy world… it'd be weird to use my Japanese name, right?
He grinned.
Slowly, he typed:
zerkif_scornfield
And pressed START
Kaito woke up in a dark, damp stone room. The cold bricks pressed against his back, and he shivered—not from fear, but excitement.
"Woah… this is so freaking real…"
In his mind, he ran through seventeen years of reading and playing fantasy games.
"If my years of gaming mean anything, there should be a system…"
He shouted, almost instinctively:
"System!"
…Pop.
A holographic display appeared before his eyes.
[System: ]
Name: Zerkif Scornfield
Age: 15 years old
Class: Barbarian
Race: Half-Orc/Human
Stats:
STR: 13
END: 10
INT: 8
AGI: 10
"Woah… no way… it pops up… it even shows stats!"
He studied the numbers.
"Class Barbarian… strong base strength… Half-Orc/Human… okay, that explains why I feel so tall. If I measured myself… I'd be around 6 ft. Intelligence… 8? Heh… guess I'm not the sharpest."
Before he could think further, a goblin burst from the shadows, swinging a crude blade.
Slice!
The blade cut his leg—but instead of panicking, Zerkif instinctively grabbed the tiny creature.
"Ouch… oh, a goblin. Pretty cool," he muttered, holding the four-foot-tall monster with ease.
"Woah… they're super ugly… and… ugh…"
Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit him. His vision blurred, and he collapsed.
[System: Died — Poison]
"What the heck? Poison? Right… that wound. Goblins are known for being cunning… that explains it."
Zerkif respawned in the same room. The goblin now stood there with a smug grin, as if it had just eaten a feast.
"Well, looks like you're pretty cunning, aren't you, little guy!" Zerkif growled, irritation flashing across his face.
He leapt at the goblin—but it darted aside with inhuman agility, making him slam against the wall. The tiny creature danced mockingly on its stubby legs.
"Pretty agile for a little shit…"
The goblin struck again, slicing the side of his thigh. Its smug expression never wavered.
"You little—"
[System: Died — Poison]
After dying eight times to the same wily goblin, Zerkif respawned once again in the dark, damp stone room.
"Goblins are cunning… agile little pests," he muttered to himself.
"Time to trick it."
He dropped to his knees.
"Kill me already… I'm tired of this nonsense."
The goblin's tiny eyes gleamed with smug delight. Slowly, it crept toward him, blade raised—aiming for his neck.
In a flash, Zerkif grabbed its hands and slammed the creature into the floor with brutal force. One hit. Dead.
"Ha… I tricked you… guess barbarians aren't completely stupid after all," he said, panting.
[System: Goblin killed]
Get: 1x Crude Knife, 1x Goblin's Towel
He picked up the knife, inspecting it.
"Hm… coated with poison. Useful, maybe. The towel? No way. Smells awful… eww."
Zerkif twirled the crude knife, slashing the air like he was straight out of a dark fantasy novel.
"Yeah… I feel like a real dark fantasy hero now."
Then he glanced around the room, thinking strategically.
"Smart thing would be to search… ohhh, a chest."
He opened it carefully.
[System: Loot Obtained]
1x Axe
1x Cloth Armor
"An axe… perfect. This will be my main weapon. The crude knife is dull, poison or not, not reliable in real fights."
He quickly equipped the armor.
[Equipped: Cloth Armor]
"Alright… let's see what this dungeon has in store for me," Zerkif muttered, gripping his axe and flexing his muscles.
"Now I'm ready for real combat."