The day Kazen died wasn't rainy or stormy. It was silent—eerily so.
Class had ended, and he was walking alone through the back alley near his cram school. His phone buzzed. Another message from his parents, telling him not to embarrass the family at his university interview next week. He sighed and ignored it.
He didn't notice the shadow following him.
Not until the cold barrel of a gun pressed against his back.
"You solved it, didn't you? The encryption," the voice whispered.
Before he could turn—
Bang.
His world shattered into darkness.
***
A white void stretched in all directions. Kazen floated, suspended between thought and breath. A figure appeared, cloaked in fractured data.
> USER: KAZEN HIRO
> CAUSE OF DEATH: UNAUTHORIZED KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION
> REASSIGNMENT: APPROVED
> NEW ROLE: SYSTEM OVERLORD
> INSTALLING: OVERCODE SYSTEM V0.01…
He blinked.
"What… the hell?"
> Welcome, Player.
The world rewrote itself.
***
He awoke on cracked stone, beneath a crimson sky. A tower of bone loomed in the distance. His clothes were tattered, but he felt… stronger. A pulse of energy hummed in his veins.
Floating in front of him was a translucent interface.
> System: Overcode (Unlocked)
> Core Trait: Code Rewrite – Ability to modify environmental, physical, and skill-based parameters.
> Limitations: Cooldown, Energy Cost, Tier Lock
> Class: Undefined
> Level: 1
> HP: 100
> MP: 50
> STR: 10 | AGI: 12 | INT: 15
A robotic voice echoed in his mind.
"You are not in a world. You are in a test field—a corrupted shard of reality. Survive, adapt, and take control. System assimilation is underway."
He stood up, scanning the barren land. A shriek pierced the air. Something feral was coming.
The system pinged.
> Quest: Eliminate Incoming Beast
> Reward: +200 EXP | Skill Chip
A deformed beast—part wolf, part metal—charged from the cliffs. Kazen rolled to the side, adrenaline pumping. His system glowed.
> Skill Unlocked: Code Rewrite (Tier F)
> Parameter Edit: [Gravity -50%]
> Duration: 10 seconds | Energy Cost: 20 MP
Reality bent. The beast staggered as gravity loosened. Kazen launched a stone into its eye, then leapt, driving a sharp piece of metal into its throat.
> Enemy Defeated
> Level Up: 2 → 3
> Ability Unlocked: Data Extraction
Panting, he knelt beside the dissolving corpse.
> Extract Skill Chip: "Beast Pounce" – Acquired
His fingers trembled.
He had just altered reality.
Not cast a spell. Not used magic.
He rewrote the laws of physics with a command.
He stood, staring at the red sky. "You dumped me here like trash," he whispered to whatever gods were listening.
"Fine. I'll tear your world apart. Line by line."
> System Sync: 14%
> World Thread Detected: Sector 01 – Tower of Echo
He turned toward the tower.
The real game had begun.