Chapter 1: The Prisoner of Two Worlds
The wind howled across the rooftop, carrying with it the sickening scent of burning rubber and rotting flesh.
Far below, the city of Jaipur was burning. Sirens wailed in the distance, a hopeless rhythm accompanying the screams of civilians running for their lives. It had been three years since the 'Great Collapse'—the day the sky cracked open and the Dungeons appeared.
Three years since humanity fell from the top of the food chain.
Aryan sat on the edge of the fifty-story building, his legs dangling over the abyss. His clothes were torn, stained with dried blood and grime. A rusty iron sword lay beside him, its blade chipped and dull from overuse.
He didn't look at the chaos below. His eyes were fixed on a small, crumpled photograph in his hands.
It was a picture of a girl. She was laughing, her hair messy from the wind, standing in front of a college gate. It was a memory from a world that no longer existed.
"Three years," Aryan whispered, his voice hoarse. "They say time heals all wounds. They lied."
His thumb gently caressed the face in the photo.
"Time doesn't heal anything. It just teaches us how to live with the pain."
SCREEECH!
A piercing shriek tore through the air.
Behind him, a spatial rift tore open. A creature emerged—a Shadow Wolf, its body made of black smoke, with eyes glowing a menacing crimson. It was an E-Rank monster, fast and deadly for an average human.
The beast growled, sensing fresh meat. It crouched, muscles tensing, ready to pounce.
Aryan didn't even turn around.
He carefully placed the photograph inside the inner pocket of his jacket, close to his heart. Then, with a sigh that sounded more like a rattle, he picked up the rusty sword.
The wolf lunged.
SWISH!
Aryan moved. It wasn't a move born of practiced skill or talent; it was a move born of sheer, exhausted instinct. He spun on his heel, swinging the heavy iron bar with dead precision.
SPLAT!
The blade struck the wolf mid-air, slicing through its smoky neck. The monster didn't even get a chance to yelp. Its head flew off the roof, dissolving into black ash before it hit the ground.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Daily Quest Completed: Survive the Night]
Reward: +50 EXP
Gold: +100
A blue holographic screen popped up in front of Aryan's face. The same screen that appeared for every survivor, gamifying their suffering.
Aryan stared at the glowing text with cold, dead eyes.
"Experience... Gold... Levels..." he muttered, a bitter smile twisting his lips. "What use is power in a cage?"
He swiped the screen away violently.
He walked back to the edge of the roof. The wind was stronger now, tugging at his clothes as if trying to push him off.
"I'm tired," Aryan said to the empty air. "I've killed. I've survived. I've eaten rats to stay alive. But no matter how much I level up, I can't bring her back."
He looked down. The drop was over two hundred meters. Instant death.
For most Hunters, the System was a blessing. It gave them power, fame, and a chance to be heroes. But for Aryan, it was a chain. A constant reminder that he was just a character in someone else's twisted game.
"If this world has nothing left for me," he said, stepping onto the ledge, "then I reject this world."
[WARNING!]
Mental State Unstable.
Suicidal Tendencies Detected.
Admin Protocol Initiated...
The blue screen turned red, flashing warning signs. Aryan ignored it. He closed his eyes, let go of the rusty sword, and leaned forward.
Gravity took hold.
The wind roared in his ears as he fell. The burning city rushed up to meet him.
3...
2...
1...
He waited for the impact. He waited for the darkness.
But the impact never came.
Instead of hitting the concrete, Aryan felt a sudden, violent tear in reality. The world around him twisted. The sounds of the city vanished, replaced by a deafening silence.
The blue System screen shattered like glass.
CRACK!
Darkness swallowed him whole. Not the darkness of death, but something else. Something ancient. Something... empty.
[SYSTEM ERROR 404]
User rejected the World.
User rejected the Death.
Analyzing Desire...
Desire Confirmed: "To break the boundaries."
In the void, a new message appeared. This time, the text wasn't blue or red. It was a deep, glitching purple.
[Congratulations!]
You have fallen out of the boundaries of Earth.
Hidden Class Unlocked: [Void Walker]
Aryan opened his eyes. He wasn't falling anymore. He was floating in an endless sea of stars.
And for the first time in three years, he smiled.