It was evening. The sun was almost gone, clearing the way for night, when Ashen Freeman opened his eyes in the middle of a forest.
Surprisingly, he did not panic.
The God, as Ashen chose to call it, had already explained the situation to him and the others before they were dropped into this world.
The land of the Human race is in danger. It must be saved. Go, my warriors. Travel to the land of Aldrion and rid it of the Undead that wish to wipe out humanity.
That was the divine proclamation.
To Ashen, it sounded like the beginning of some MMORPG story. He almost laughed when he first heard it, and even now, he still had trouble believing any of this was real.
But when he whispered the command,
"Player Status."
...his disbelief faded.
The God had explained that the chosen ones would be given a special system to help them grow stronger at a faster pace than the citizens of Aldrion.
A quick shortcut to power. A way for them to contribute sooner.
And Ashen's screen appeared before him:
Ashen Freeman
|[Race]|: Human | |[Age]|: 16
|[Unique Skill]|: Cast-Control
|[Existential Rank]|: 300 (F)
|[Extra Skill Slots]|: 4
|[Player Ranking]|: 958 (unranked)
It was real. The glowing blue screen in front of his eyes left no room for doubt. Ashen could no longer run from the truth.
The God had told them earlier that this "status screen" would act as their measure of growth in this new world.
And so, Ashen began to check what each detail meant.
The first was his Unique Skill. According to the explanation, every chosen one had a chance of possessing a rare ability that belonged only to them. On Earth, some people were born with these skills, and others lived their lives without ever having one.
Ashen had one, Cast-Control.
He had no idea what the ability did or how it worked. But at the very least, he was thankful to have something. Some of the other chosen ones were not as fortunate; a few had been summoned with no Unique Skill at all.
Next was the Existential Rank, which measured a person's current strength. Everyone started at the lowest level, F Rank. Strength could be improved in different ways, taking a life and absorbing its essence, or performing activities that raised one's overall ability.
Then there were the skill slots. Each chosen one had four. They could select skills to fill those slots, or even create new ones using the options provided by the system. But they were limited, no skill could exceed the user's current rank.
Naturally, many tried to bargain for more slots. But the God's answer had been a sharp refusal. Four was already a heavy risk, he had warned. The wise would make the best use of it, and the foolish… well, they would waste the gift.
Finally, there was the Player Ranking. This number showed how each chosen one stood compared to the others who had been summoned.
"A thousand of us were summoned… and I'm already ranked 958," Ashen muttered.
It was proof of how quickly the others had adapted, while he was still trying to wrap his head around this strange new world.
"I better get my head in the game before I'm left behind."
For now, he had one goal: get out of the woods.
The God had said that they would be placed near a human settlement, and all they had to do was walk to reach it. If, however, they wanted to return to Earth, they only needed to sleep, and they would wake back in their beds.
"Like a VRMMORPG," Ashen thought. "Except this is reality. "
It was unbelievable. Just minutes ago, he had been lying comfortably in his own bed, and now here he was, trapped in the world of Thyrennor.
It didn't take long for him to spot signs of life. Before him stretched a small human settlement.
The village had fewer than a hundred people. Surrounding it were wooden walls, but Ashen doubted their strength. Against gentle breeze, maybe they could hold. Against a tornado? They would collapse in seconds. Still, walls were better than nothing.
At the gate, a guard stopped him. Calling the man a guard was generous; his equipment looked more like a beginner warrior's gear than proper military armor.
Not that Ashen looked much better. He wore only a tattered shirt and a pair of old trousers.
"Where are you from?" the guard demanded.
Thankfully, language was not an issue. Another benefit granted by the God was instant understanding of the local tongue.
"I was attacked by bandits while traveling with my crew," Ashen lied smoothly. "Please, can I get shelter here?"
He certainly looked the part. Anyone could believe he had been robbed clean.
The guard studied him for a moment, then nodded with pity. "Fine. Go in. I suppose they even took your identity tag."
Ashen entered the village and immediately noticed how dire things looked.
The people were thin, malnourished, and exhausted. Their eyes were heavy with despair, as though life had drained out of them.
"What happened to these people?" Ashen wondered.
The scene left a bitter taste in his mouth. Whatever they had been through, it had broken their spirits.
As he wandered, a familiar sign caught his eye:
Guild Branch.
His heart lifted. A guild meant quests, resources, and direction. Without hesitation, he entered.
But disappointment hit him instantly. The place was in ruins, poorly maintained, half-abandoned, and completely lifeless.
Ashen left with a frown.
He had no idea what to do next. Part of him wanted to give up and log out for the day. But before he could decide, he checked his Player Ranking again.
|[Player Ranking]|: 968
His rank had dropped ten places in such a short time.
The others were already moving forward. Meanwhile, he was stuck wandering around a broken village.
"No. I can't let myself fall behind."
Determined to do something, he kept walking. That was when he spotted an old man sitting outside a small hut.
The man's face was wrinkled, his skin sagging, and his thinning white hair fluttered gently in the wind. He sat there chewing on something hard.
A nut. Not that nut, the other nut.
Point is, Ashen saw the old man, and a smile spread across his face.
If there was one rule of isekai stories, it was this: if you need answers, look for the old man.
Ashen rushed toward him, hope shining in his eyes.