The world burned behind him.
Alden raised his sword one final time, light spilling from the blade like liquid gold. Wind roared across the shattered plains, carrying the smell of ash and blood. The Demon Lord's scream faded into nothing. For the first time in years, there was silence.
It was supposed to be over.
"Quest complete," the voice in his head whispered, tinny and distorted.
He had lived and bled by that voice, his System, the divine engine that had guided his every battle since the first day he was chosen.
> [Main Quest Complete: Defeat the Demon Lord of Ruin.]
[Calculating Heroic Reward…]
[Warning: Dimensional instability detected.]
"What?" Alden blinked, raising a trembling hand. The ground beneath him cracked like glass.
> [Error: Reward delivery point corrupted.]
[Attempting emergency transfer—]
Light swallowed him whole.
---
When Alden opened his eyes again, there were lights everywhere.
Not the warm glow of magic torches or the crimson haze of battle — these were cold, artificial, and buzzing like angry insects. He was lying on hard ground that smelled faintly of oil and dampness. Somewhere nearby, metal beasts screamed by at impossible speed.
His body was still. His mind wasn't.
> [System Rebooting...]
[Searching for mana field...]
[Warning: No ley lines detected.]
[Query: Location?]
Alden groaned and sat up. The world tilted. The stars above were unfamiliar, too bright, too sharp, like someone had polished the sky. Towers of steel loomed in every direction, their windows blinking with strange symbols.
"This… isn't the capital," he muttered. His voice echoed strangely between the walls.
He touched the hilt of his sword out of instinct. It was still there, its blade humming faintly under his hand, but weaker, as though even the steel knew it didn't belong here.
"System, report."
> [Connection unstable. Magic density: 0.0003%.]
[Advisory: Current world classified as "Mana-Dead Civilization." Survival probability: 12%.]
"…Mana-dead?" Alden whispered. He looked around again.
No mana threads in the air. No spirits whispering. No heartbeat of the world.
Just noise, light, and cold wind.
Something growled nearby, a boxy metal creature with four glowing eyes. It rumbled past him on black wheels, the gust nearly knocking him off balance. Alden staggered back, raising his sword.
"By the gods! A metal golem! Stay back!"
The golem ignored him completely.
Another passed. Then another. Alden lowered his sword, face pale.
"System… are these some kind of siege engines?"
> [Analyzing...]
[Result: Primitive human transportation device. Commonly referred to as "car."]
Alden blinked. "Human? You mean, people made those things? They ride in golems now?"
> [Affirmative. Civilization level: 9.8.]
[Note: You are significantly underqualified.]
"…What does that mean?"
> [It means you are doomed, probably.]
Alden stared at the faint blue projection hovering above his wrist — the System's voice given form. It flickered, glitching slightly at the edges.
"System," he said slowly, "are you… being sarcastic?"
> [Error: Definition of "sarcasm" not found.]
[Rebooting personality module...]
He sighed. His head throbbed. His stomach growled. He had no idea where he was, but one thing was certain — this was not his victory banquet.
---
He stood, brushing dirt from his armor. Everything about this place screamed danger: the harsh light, the strange air that smelled of smoke and food, the endless rumble of machines. Yet there were no monsters. No cries for help. Just distant voices — calm, even bored.
A pair of people passed by at the end of the alley both wearing thin, colorful clothes that barely counted as armor. One of them held a glowing rectangle and was speaking into it.
"Yeah, yeah, I told you, I'm on my way home, what? No, some guy's yelling in the alley again, probably drunk."
They didn't even look at him.
Alden froze.
They hadn't seen him as a threat.
Or a hero.
Or anything at all.
He swallowed. "System… Am I invisible to them?"
> [Negative. They just don't care.]
"That's worse."
He took a cautious step forward, peering out from the alley. The street beyond was a river of light , strange sigils on signs, humans walking shoulder to shoulder without fear, no guards, no curfews. And those metal golems zipped by without reins or riders.
It should have been paradise.
Instead, it felt terrifying.
---
A sudden gust of wind tugged at his cloak. The world was cold in a way he didn't recognize , not the chill of danger, but the kind that seeped through the heart.
He had done it. He had saved his world.
So why was he here?
> [Quest Generated: Identify Current World.]
[Reward: Basic survival protocol.]
[Penalty for failure: existential confusion.]
"…That's not funny."
> [System humor subroutine initializing...]
[Success.]
Alden rubbed his temples. The last thing he needed was a sarcastic System.
"Fine. Identify world."
> [Analyzing...]
[Result: Unregistered realm. Local designation: "Earth."]
[Cultural classification: Post-Industrial, Low Mana, High Technology.]
"Earth…" Alden repeated the word softly. It didn't sound real.
"System, can I return home?"
> [Negative.]
[Mana cost exceeds current reserves by 999%.]
He closed his eyes. "So… I'm stranded."
> [Affirmative. But look on the bright side]
[At least you won.]
Alden let out a laugh that was half a sob. "I'd rather have lost."
---
The streets grew quieter as night deepened. His armor clinked faintly with each step, drawing the occasional stare from passersby. No one approached. Some pointed; others laughed. He couldn't understand their words, but the tone was unmistakable,amusement. Mockery.
He'd faced dragons, gods, and demons. But never this kind of loneliness.
> [Quest Update: Survive until sunrise.]
[Reward: Continuation of existence.]
Alden sighed. "Thank you for the encouragement."
> [You're welcome.]
He wandered until the lights blurred and his legs ached. Eventually, he found another narrow alley, quieter than the rest, and slumped against the wall. His sword rested across his lap. The night air bit through the gaps in his armor.
Maybe, he thought, if he closed his eyes for just a moment…
He did.
The city hummed around him — distant laughter, mechanical roars, and something that might have been music. None of it made sense.
Then
A voice. Low, annoyed, unmistakably human.
"Oi. You can't sleep here."
Alden's eyes snapped open.
A figure stood at the mouth of the alley, messy black hair, looked a bit older than him probably 25, convenience store uniform, a plastic bag in hand. He looked tired, unimpressed, and not the least bit intimidated by a man in full armor holding a sword.
The stranger blinked. "...Are you cosplaying or something?"
> [New Entity Detected: Unknown Human.]
[Quest Updated: Establish peaceful contact.]
[Reward: Shelter, maybe.]
Alden straightened slowly, trying to regain his dignity. "Cos…play? Sir, I know not your tongue, but I mean no harm. I am"
The stranger raised a hand. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just don't stab anyone, okay?"
Alden froze.
That casual tone. The complete lack of awe. The way the man simply walked closer and sighed.
Who was this person?
> [Objective achieved: Contact established.]
[Reward: To be determined.]
The stranger crouched to Alden's level, studying him with narrowed eyes.
"You're really committed to the bit, huh?"
He reached out, flicked one of Alden's pauldrons, and frowned.
"That's… real metal."
Alden blinked. "You...touched me?"
"Yeah, I'm checking if you're gonna keel over or start shouting spells or something."
The man sighed again, then muttered under his breath, "Great. Another weirdo. And it's only Tuesday."
He stood, balancing the plastic bag. "C'mon. You'll freeze out here."
Alden hesitated. "You… would help me?"
"Not really. I just don't wanna deal with cops asking questions later."
> [New Quest: Accept the stranger's offer.]
[Reward: Temporary lodging.]
[Warning: Declining may result in hypothermia.]
The System's voice was faint but firm. Alden nodded.
"I accept your quest,"
he said solemnly.
The stranger blinked. "...What?"
But Alden was already following him out of the alley.