Arin had always preferred the glow of a screen to the noise of the world. A true introvert at heart, he found peace in the rhythm of his games: grinding for loot, leveling up quietly in the shadows, avoiding the spotlight of guilds or voice chats. Tonight was no different. His room was dim, lit only by the shifting hues of his monitor, headphones cocooning him from reality.
And then it happened.
Without warning, a thunderous crack split the calm of the world outside. Arin's eyes widened as a swirling gate appeared in the center of the in-game forest… except it wasn't in the game at all. Reality itself began to ripple. From that rift burst forth a herd of strange, fanged beasts, their red eyes glowing like sparks in the night.
"What the hell…" Arin whispered, pushing his chair back.
Before he could process it, one of the creatures lunged at him — not through his screen, but in his room. Instinct seized him. Clutching at anything within reach, he swung wildly. The foe wasn't the towering monster he'd feared, but a small, horned rabbit — bounding with unnatural speed and gnashing tiny, sharp teeth.
Arin's strike landed. The creature fell limp at his feet.
Then, everything changed.
A translucent window appeared before his eyes, hovering impossibly in the air:
Congratulations! You have slain [Lv.1 Horned Rabbit].
You are among the chosen.
Only 10% of humanity has been granted supernatural potential. By defeating 10 horned rabbits, you will awaken a Unique Ability.
Arin blinked, his pulse thundering in his ears. This couldn't be real… and yet, the glowing words refused to vanish.
Somehow, absurd as it seemed, the system wanted him to grind rabbits.
And so he did.
Driven by a mix of fear and curiosity, Arin ventured out. One by one, the rabbits fell. Each skirmish left him breathless, panic warring with a strange flicker of exhilaration. It was as if life itself had turned into the kind of RPG he had always hidden inside.
Finally, after his tenth victory, a new window appeared:
Congratulations, Arin.
You have achieved what no one else in the world has.
Unlocked: Unique Ability – Pocket Dimension [The Introvert's Haven].
This space allows you to build a house in your own dimension. Upgrade possible through leveling and defeating high-ranking bosses.
"A… house?" Arin murmured, torn between disbelief and laughter. Out of all possible powers — elemental fire, superhuman strength, flight — his was to build a house?
Yet, curiosity gnawed at him. With a tentative thought, he willed the new ability to activate.
The world around him bent. Shadows swallowed his room whole, and in the next instant he stood in a vast, silent void. The ground beneath him was soft grass, stretching far in every direction. And right there — at the center — stood a small, wooden cabin. Plain, humble, and waiting.
Arin stepped closer, his hand trembling as he touched the door.
A chill ran through him, not of fear, but of wonder. For the first time in his life, he felt something stir inside him — a destiny that had nothing to do with hiding from the world.
The introvert…next