CHAPTER 1 — TWO DAYS TOO LATE
Golden light swallowed everything.
Ajay felt his body stretch and twist as if space itself was folding him apart and forcing him through something too narrow—
Then—
It stopped.
He fell forward.
His feet hit the ground hard.
Dry grass bent beneath him.
Cold wind brushed across his face.
"…God's Sanctuary…"
He didn't know why he said it.
But the words came naturally.
The world around him was silent.
Endless grassland under a pale sky.
No buildings.
No people.
Only danger.
Day One
He wandered aimlessly.
Every sound made him tense.
Every movement in the grass sent fear through his body.
He avoided everything.
Didn't approach anything alive.
He drank muddy water.
Slept in short bursts.
Barely survived.
Day Two
It got worse.
Hunger gnawed at him.
Thirst burned his throat.
His body slowed.
Still—
He lived.
Until—
"ARGH—!"
Pain exploded inside his head.
Ajay collapsed, gripping his skull as something shattered open in his mind.
Memories surged.
Another life.
Another world.
And in that world—
This place existed as a story.
"…Super Gene…"
His breathing became uneven.
Fragments connected rapidly.
Creatures.
Shelters.
Beast souls.
Hunting.
Death.
"…So it's real…"
A faint blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[Proficiency Panel]
— 0%
"…What is this…?"
No sound.
No explanation.
It vanished.
Ajay frowned.
But ignored it.
Right now—
Only one thing mattered.
Survive.
He moved forward more carefully.
His senses sharper now.
Then—
He heard it.
Voices.
Ajay froze.
His body lowered instinctively as he moved toward the sound.
Slow.
Silent.
Through the tall grass—
He saw them.
One figure—
Strange.
Not fully human.
The form flickered.
Unstable.
"…Transformation…"
The memory surfaced.
Then—
The second figure.
A girl.
Standing still.
Calm.
Cold.
Ajay's pupils shrank.
Han Sen
"…Han Sen…"
A pause.
"In the story… Han Sen was male…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So it changed…"
But there was no time to think further.
His attention returned to the scene.
The transformed figure shifted—
For a split second—
Ajay saw through it.
Human.
A woman.
"…Not a creature…"
Confusion flickered.
Then—
Han Sen moved.
Fast.
Silent.
Her blade struck from behind—
Low—
A ruthless, unexpected angle.
Ajay's heart slammed.
"She thinks it's a creature—!"
Something felt wrong.
But there was no time.
He moved.
Instinct.
Nothing else.
SHHK!
Pain exploded through his side.
The blade cut deep into him.
Warm blood spilled instantly.
The attack never reached its target.
Time froze.
Han Sen's eyes sharpened instantly.
She felt it.
Resistance.
Not the body of a creature.
Ajay staggered back silently.
Retreating into the grass.
No sound.
No presence.
The transformed woman stepped back.
Confused.
"…What…?"
She didn't see him.
Didn't understand.
Ajay didn't stay.
He turned—
And walked away.
Blood trailed behind him.
Behind him—
Han Sen didn't move.
Her gaze scanned the grass.
Cold.
Sharp.
Because she knew.
That wasn't a miss.
Then—
Her attention shifted.
The figure in front of her—
The transformation flickered.
Human form became clearer.
A woman.
"…Human…"
A brief silence.
She had misjudged.
But that wasn't what mattered.
Her eyes returned—
To the direction Ajay disappeared.
Because someone—
Had stepped into her blade—
And vanished.
Shelter
Stone walls rose ahead.
Ajay's vision blurred as he approached.
"…A shelter…"
For the first time—
The air felt different.
Safe.
No killing intent.
No lurking danger.
He stepped inside—
And collapsed.
"…Damn…"
Footsteps approached.
He forced his eyes open.
A figure stood above him.
Her.
Han Sen
"…You…"
His voice was weak.
She looked down at him.
Calm.
Unreadable.
"You stepped into my attack."
Not a question.
Ajay gave a faint smile.
"…Looks like it…"
She crouched.
Examining the wound.
Deep.
Serious.
"You would have died."
Ajay exhaled weakly.
"…Didn't think…"
He didn't finish.
Silence.
Her gaze remained steady.
"…Why?" she asked.
Ajay closed his eyes briefly.
"…Felt wrong…"
Not entirely a lie.
She stood.
"…You're coming."
Before he could respond—
She lifted him.
Room
Ajay woke slowly.
A small stone room.
Simple.
Quiet.
A bed.
A table.
Nothing else.
"…A room…"
His voice was weak.
He understood.
Not given at the start.
Earned—
By surviving.
And by being brought here.
At the door—
She stood.
Watching.
Silent.
Because now—
She had questions.
And he—
Had no answers.
Darkness slowly returned.
And deep inside—
One thought remained—
Survive