It was 2:00 AM. Rain hammered the pavement with steady persistence. The street was empty, lit only by flickering lamps casting broken shadows. Yuri walked slowly, his soaked backpack clinging to his shoulder, his face pale with exhaustion.
He had just finished a shift at a crumbling diner on the outskirts of the city. No one was waiting for him. No family, no friends, no purpose.
At the crosswalk, he paused. In front of him: road. Behind him: nothing. And in his head, the same thoughts as every night:"Why do I live? Why do I wake up? What tomorrow am I returning to?"
Then, everything changed.
A sudden screech. A blinding light. A metallic scream that tore the silence apart.
A truck—massive, out of control—sped around the corner. Yuri looked up just in time for his eyes to meet the headlights before everything fell into darkness.
…The Void
But death wasn't what he expected.
No peace. No light. No darkness either.
Just… nothing.
And then came the voice.
[Subject Identified: Yuri Kain][Transfer in progress… Loading system]
What is this? he thought, though he no longer had a body. The voice wasn't heard — it existed inside him, like something embedding itself into his soul.
[Unique psychological profile detected: Willpower — Zero. Ambition — Dead. Faith — Below measurable levels.][Mental state: Fragile. Life goal: None.]
And then…
[Optimal Match: The Dominance System][Role: Rebuild from zero. Objective: Control… or perish.]
___._..____
His eyes opened.
The sky above wasn't blue — it was violet, glowing faintly like a dying sunset. The air was crisp, but heavy with something… alive. Magic. Power.
He sat up slowly. His body was lighter. Stronger. Different.
He was lying in an open plain, strange plants surrounding him, and a massive, crystal-like tree glittered in the distance.
Then, a translucent screen appeared before his eyes — digital, but floating mid-air.
[Welcome to the world of Eraldin, Yuri.][You have been successfully transferred from your original dimension under the parameters of The Dominance System.][Body reconfigured. Loading stats…]
A second interface appeared:
Name: Yuri Kain
Level: 1
Race: Human / Undefined
Strength: 5
Speed: 6
Endurance: 4
Intelligence: 7
Willpower: 2
Skills: None
Magic Energy: Locked
[Current status: Weak. No value. No destiny.][Begin from below nothing. Objective: Conquer this world.][Starting Trial: Survive for 24 hours.][Reward: Unlock Magic Core + First Unique Skill]
Yuri stood. He was naked, but as soon as he thought of it, a basic outfit materialized — a gray shirt, durable leather pants, and field boots. He didn't ask how. He already understood this world was built on different laws.
He spent half an hour exploring a nearby forest. He picked up rocks, kicked fallen branches, studied glowing moss and tracked beast footprints. His mind remained quiet, sharp, focused.
Then he heard it.
A faint rustle. A sharp screech, low but clear.
Something was watching him.
He didn't need confirmation.
[System Skill Activated: Danger Sense – Level 1][Target Approaching: Shadow Rat – Level 3]
No time for panic.
He saw the creature: a black rat the size of a dog, red eyes, long yellow fangs. It lunged at him.
Yuri dodged, grabbed a stone, and smashed it against the creature's head. It shrieked but didn't die.
It came again.
This time, Yuri pounced first. He jumped on its back and twisted its neck with both hands until it snapped.
Breathing heavy, hands trembling — but alive.
[Enemy Defeated: Shadow Rat – Level 3][Experience Gained: 38 XP][Level Up: Level 2][New Skill: "First Strike" – +5% damage at start of combat]
He sat, panting. Sweat poured down his face despite the cold wind. But in his eyes — for the first time in years — a spark of light.
This world rewards violence. And survival means killing first.
__._.__.__
One Hour Later
He faced a starving wolf. Then a chameleon-like beast with armored scales. Cuts and bruises covered his body, but each kill gave him more points, more power, more speed.
Every strike, every dodge, every survival moment made him stronger.
[Level: 4][Skills: First Strike (Lv 1) – Danger Sense (Lv 2)][New Trait: "Blood Adaptation" – Medium healing rate]
Just before dawn, the system returned:
[24-Hour Survival Completed.][Rewards Unlocked: Magic Core + Unique Skill Activated]
The sky trembled. A beam of light pierced his chest like lightning.
He screamed — not in pain, but in change.
When it stopped, something had awakened inside.
A new interface blinked open:
[Unique Skill: Gradual Dominance][Description: When fighting opponents stronger than you, every survival raises your offensive and defensive stats by +1% permanently — until you surpass them.][Note: Only works on stronger enemies.]
Yuri smiled for the first time.
"So… as long as I live, everyone stronger than me today… becomes prey tomorrow."
He sat on a hill overlooking the forest. Wounds bandaged, arms resting on a steel rod taken from a fallen beast. His body screamed with fatigue, but his eyes were sharp, focused.
A new interface appeared:
[Main Quest Unlocked: Eliminate the Grave Crawler – Level 10][Time Limit: 3 Days][Failure Consequence: Immediate Death]
He stood slowly.
"Send whatever you want. This world... will either kneel, or be buried beneath me."