The rain fell heavily over the city.
Ethan Vale walked through the dimly lit streets, his jacket soaked as neon lights reflected across the wet pavement.
Another long day.
Another shift at a job he hated.
He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Just one break," he muttered. "That's all I need."
Thunder suddenly roared across the sky.
But something felt wrong.
The clouds above the city twisted unnaturally, forming a strange spiral. A flash of golden lightning cut across the darkness.
Ethan froze.
"That's… weird."
Then it struck.
A blinding flash exploded in the sky.
The world went silent.
For a moment, everything stopped.
No rain.
No sound.
No movement.
Then a voice echoed inside Ethan's mind.
Cold. Mechanical. Ancient.
[SYSTEM DETECTED HOST]
Ethan's heart pounded.
"What…?"
The voice continued.
[COMPATIBILITY: 100%]
A transparent blue screen suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.
Ethan stumbled backward.
"What is this?!"
The screen flickered.
GODLY SYSTEM INITIALIZING
Host: Ethan Vale
Species: Human
Level: 1
Ethan rubbed his eyes.
The screen didn't disappear.
"This has to be a dream."
The system responded immediately.
[ERROR: THIS IS NOT A DREAM]
A new notification appeared.
FIRST QUEST AVAILABLE
Quest: Survive the Awakening
Objective: Run 1 km immediately.
Time Limit: 5 minutes.
Reward: Starter Skill
Failure: Unknown Consequences.
Ethan stared at the message.
"What kind of game is this?"
Suddenly the ground trembled.
A horrifying growl echoed from the alley behind him.
Slowly, Ethan turned.
Something stepped out of the darkness.
It wasn't human.
Its eyes glowed red.
Its body twisted like a creature made from shadows.
Ethan's blood turned cold.
The system notification flashed again.
WARNING
Hostile Entity Detected.
Threat Level: HIGH
The creature lunged forward.
The system spoke again.
[RUN.]
Ethan didn't hesitate.
He ran.
And without realizing it…
His journey toward godhood had already begun.