"What the hell was that?! System notification? Players? Tutorial? What is this—some kind of prank?" one of the bullies behind Mario asked, his voice cracking with panic.
The classroom, once filled with noise and laughter, had gone completely still. Everyone stared at each other, wide-eyed. A strange tension hung in the air, like something big was about to happen—something that couldn't be ignored.
Mario scoffed, brushing the dust off his uniform like it was no big deal. "Relax. It's probably just a stupid announcement or some kind of glitch. The higher-ups will take care of it. You think we'd get dragged into something serious? Come on."
He turned back to Zane, who was still on the floor, blood dripping from the corner of his lip.
"You," Mario snarled, pointing down at him. "Don't think this is over just because some robot voice made an announcement. After I'm done with you—"
Ding!
A glowing light flickered in front of Mario's face, cutting his words short.
Then another. And another.
One by one, holographic screens burst into the air all around the classroom. Shimmering panels floated above everyone's heads, filled with glowing text. It looked like something straight out of a futuristic video game.
A soft chime echoed again—this time right in front of Zane.
His eyes widened as his own personal screen blinked to life.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Welcome, Player Zane Walker.
Tutorial Phase: Activated.
Name: Zane Walker
User name: [Should be selected within 24hours]
Title: [Data Unavailable]
Level: 1
Class: [Locked]
Abilities: Pending
Rank: Omega (Lowest Tier)
Skills: Initializing...
Tutorial Objective
A system-wide error has delayed the awakening of your ability tree.
As compensation, your tutorial rewards will be tripled.
Survive for the next 3 days using any method:
Hide
Run
Fight
Bonus Objective:
Defeat a single Gemini Beast (creatures from fractured dimensions) to earn a rare reward.
[SYSTEM TIMER: TUTORIAL COUNTDOWN INITIATED]
Time Remaining: 72:00:00
Every second counts.
Every choice matters.
Tutorial Survival Begins Now.
The weak will fall.
The strong will rise.
Let the world reshape you—or erase you.
Good luck, Player.
To access your personal system at any time, say:
"Open Status"
Zane blinked at the glowing screen in front of him. His fingers twitched. The air around him felt heavy—charged with something unnatural. The moment felt surreal, like he had fallen into someone else's dream.
"What the... hell is this?" one of the students whispered.
"I-Is this a joke?" another muttered, trying to swipe the screen away with trembling fingers. It didn't vanish.
Zane slowly stood up, ignoring the pain still throbbing through his jaw and ribs. His eyes stayed locked on the glowing panel. Unlike the others, he wasn't panicking.
Zane remained calm while everyone around him panicked. His eyes scanned the chaos, but his heartbeat stayed steady. He had lived in an environment where even the smallest mistake could cost a life—where keeping a cool head wasn't just smart, it was survival.
'If "Open Status" brings up information, then "Close Status" should shut it down,' he thought.
"Close Status," Zane said quietly.
The glowing blue hologram vanished from in front of him. Around the room, heads turned in surprise.
"Whoa! It actually disappeared!" Mario said, blinking rapidly like he couldn't believe it.
"How'd you know how to do that, Zane?" he asked again, clearly impressed.
Zane didn't answer. He didn't need to. 'If you paid attention in school, you'd know "close" is the opposite of "open", dumbass,' he thought.
Mario frowned. "This bastard… I asked a simple question and he's just ignoring me like I don't exist."
He took a step forward, ready to confront Zane—when suddenly, a loud crash shook the building. Dust rained down from the ceiling. Everyone froze.
A Gemini burst through the wall like a nightmare made real. It stood tall and grotesque—slender, faceless, its limbs stretched like shadows in the flickering light. A horrible whisper filled the room, like dozens of voices muttering at once. Outside, they could hear screaming. Panic.
Mario stumbled backward, pale with fear. The system window popped up again on everyone's screen.
[System Notification]
You have encountered a Gemini.
Type: Whisperkin [Lowest of the Elite rank]
Rank: Elite
Stats:
Strength: F
Intelligence: F
Speed: F
Final Rank: Whisperkin F
Abilities:
Fear Sense: It cannot see but senses fear and movement with terrifying accuracy.
Spatial Distortion: Creates random portals to disorient targets.
Death Roar: Emits a terrifying scream that paralyzes the weak-willed.
Weakness:
Soft Heartskin: A small, exposed patch over the heart. Piercing it results in instant death—but it's protected by shifting ribs.
[System Notice: Gemini Classification – Monster Ranks]
Normal – Mutated animals or humans. Basic threat.
Monster – Dangerous in numbers. Low intelligence.
Beast – Larger, brutal. Can rip through iron.
Savage Beast – Aggressive, may have elemental powers.
Elite – Smarter, tactical. May lead others.
Fiend – Cursed or magical. Powers rival awakened humans.
Nightmare – Rare and deadly. Capable of wiping towns.
Demon – Pure destruction. Nearly unkillable.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Mario muttered. "That thing's just three ranks below a Demon. How the fuck are we supposed to kill it?!"
"this was supposed to be just a normal day at a normal school…"
Before anyone could react, the Whisperkin struck.
One breath. One movement. One heartbeat.
Eight of their classmates dropped in a shower of blood—cut down like paper by a blur of motion none of them even saw coming. Screams exploded from every corner as panic took over. People ran.
Mario shoved Zane hard in the stomach.
Zane stumbled back, slamming into a desk. The others bolted out the door, locking it behind them. Their cowardice was clear—they'd left him behind, hoping the monster would focus on him and buy them time to escape.
But Zane didn't feel fear. He wasn't afraid.
Not even a little.
What ran through his mind wasn't survival. It was a promise—a single thread of memory.
"Come back alive, no matter what."
His sister's voice echoed in his mind. He clenched his fists.
'Idiots,' he thought, staring at the faceless monster that twitched in the rubble. 'That thing killed eight people in one second. How much time do you think I can buy you?'
He had faced death—more times than he could count. One more time wasn't going to change anything.
The Whisperkin turned its head—if you could even call that strange, twitching thing a head. Its faceless body shifted with jerky, unnatural movements, like a puppet with its strings cut. Cold air wrapped around the room, thick and heavy. Zane felt it crawling across his skin—an ancient kind of wrong, like death itself had entered the room.
It took one slow, deliberate step forward.
And then the whispers began.
At first, they were soft—barely there. But they grew louder, clawing into his ears like bugs made of sound. Voices—too many to count—echoed inside his head. Men. Women. Children. Some laughed, others cried. All of them whispered lies soaked in fear.
"You're already dead."
"They left you behind."
"Your sister is next."
"And there is nothing you can do about it."
Zane clenched his jaw. His head throbbed like it might split open. His knees wobbled—not from fear, but from the pressure building all around him. It felt like the walls were closing in, crushing him with the weight of invisible voices.
Breathe. Stay calm. Focus.
The Whisperkin stopped moving. Its faceless gaze locked onto him, limbs twitching with eerie excitement. It didn't have eyes, but it could feel him. It was sensing his heartbeat… his presence… his fear.
Then—
It roared.
A sound like a thousand tortured souls screaming all at once tore through the school. The floor trembled. Desks flew like paper. Windows shattered in a blast of force.
[System Notification]
The Whisperkin has used the skill: Death Roar.
Zane's vision went white. His ears rang like church bells. His body froze for a second too long—but a second was all it needed.
The Whisperkin lunged.
Zane threw himself to the side. A black claw slammed into the spot he had just stood, punching through the floor like it was nothing. Cracks spread like lightning, splitting one side of the building nearly in half. He rolled across the floor, chest heaving, and scrambled behind a flipped table.
It's blind. It can't see me… but it can feel me. It senses fear… and movement.
He stopped breathing.
Every muscle in his body tensed. He didn't move. Not a twitch.
The creature moved slowly now, each step tapping the floor like claws clicking on tile. It was listening—searching. Playing with him.
Zane's hand found a broken chair leg. The wood had splintered into a rough, sharp edge from the chaos earlier. He gripped it tightly.
Then he looked.
Right in the middle of the creature's chest, there was something different. A pulsing patch of soft skin—small and hidden behind shifting, bony ribs. Its heart.
One chance.
The Whisperkin drew closer, crawling now. Slow, deliberate, savoring the silence. Zane's pulse thundered in his ears, but still he stayed calm. Waited.
Then—he moved.
He sprang forward, pushing his body beyond its limits. The Whisperkin reacted too late. It slashed wildly, missing by inches.
Zane ducked under its arm, twisted with all his strength, and drove the chair leg straight into the soft spot.
But life wasn't that easy.
The chair leg snapped.
Wood splinters scattered like dust.
Zane stared in shock.
"What the…? That was supposed to be its weak spot."
He didn't have time to react. The Whisperkin grabbed him by the throat, lifting him like he weighed nothing.
"A human who has no fear," it said, its voice echoing inside his head.
"Interesting. But surely you didn't believe you could harm me with a piece of wood did you?"
It can speak? But it only has F-rank intelligence…? Nothing about this freak is F-rank.
Zane's body dangled helplessly. The pressure on his neck grew tighter. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. His vision blurred.
In that moment, he didn't think of escape. He didn't think of fighting back.
He just thought of one thing.
His sister.
Please… let me see her again.
But then—somewhere in the room—something buzzed.
A phone.
The Whisperkin's head twitched. The sound of the ringtone drew its attention. It snarled, then hurled Zane against the wall like a ragdoll. He crashed with a loud thud, the air knocked from his lungs.
The creature turned and dashed toward the sound.
Zane coughed violently, every breath like fire in his chest. But he moved.
Slowly. Painfully.
He crawled across the floor, every inch a struggle, toward the door—but when he reached for the handle…
Locked.
From the outside.
He leaned against the wall, blood dripping down his forehead.
"You've got to be kidding me."