The system was never supposed to break.
---
Vertigo struck Remedy without warning.
His body wobbled, his vision warped, the world seemed to tilt. He tried to steady himself, but his legs refused to obey.
— Huh…?
Without him summoning it, his player interface appeared before him.
Then—
CRACK
A sharp, brutal sound.
Like glass shattering under pressure.
Cracks spread across the translucent surface of the interface. They ran unnaturally fast, like black veins across fragile crystal.
— Wh-what…?
Pain assaulted him.
Violent.
Brutal.
Inhuman.
As if something was splitting his skull from the inside.
Remedy opened his mouth to scream.
No sound came out.
His scream caught in his throat, burning, suffocated by an invisible force. He tried to move, to struggle, but his body froze completely.
Unable to lift a finger.
His eyes widened in panic.
Then—
A voice echoed.
Not in the air.
Not around him.
But deep inside him.
---
[FORCED ACTIVATION OF SDR]
(REALITY DECEPTOR SYSTEM)
The words pressed into his mind like a crushing weight, suffocating every thought.
---
[ESTABLISHING LINK WITH HOST]
His vision blurred. Total weakness overtook him, as if his soul were slowly being pulled out of his body.
S-Stop…
It hurts…
The whites of his eyes were filled with broken blood vessels. Red tears streamed down his cheeks.
[ERROR… CONDITIONS NOT MET]
[SEARCHING FOR ALTERNATIVE…]
[DO YOU WISH TO #£^$£# ?]
[HOST UNABLE TO DECIDE]
[AUTOMATIC PROCEDURE IN PROGRESS…]
His interface— the one that had accompanied him since childhood— trembled violently.
Then it disintegrated.
It exploded into a shower of bluish light fragments.
---
[DEVOUR]
A presence manifested.
Overwhelming.
Ancient.
Hungry.
Like an invisible mouth, gaping, ready to swallow everything.
The fragments of the interface were drawn into a dark vortex.
Devour…?
Am I going to die…?
No…
Not now…
My exam…
The voice echoed one last time, distant, distorted.
---
[CONGRATULATIONS…]
[YOU HAVE INHERITED—]
The impact was total.
Remedy collapsed to the ground, his consciousness swallowed by absolute darkness.
In the void, one last thought remained.
What's happening to me…?
Then nothing.
---
Earlier that morning
Jinjiang High School #2 — Senior Year, Class 3
Mr. Stone, the homeroom teacher, stood before the class, face grave.
— I'll say it one last time.
The room fell silent.
— The risk of death during the exam is real.
A shiver ran through the students.
— If you don't feel up to it, drop out. Being a player isn't the only path. Ordinary jobs exist, too. You can lead an ordinary life.
His gaze slid to the back of the room.
Remedy met it without flinching.
He wasn't going to give up.
— And for those aiming to become players, prepare well. Tomorrow's exam will decide your future.
Players.
Humans who awakened professions, skills, and levels.
Since the Day of Change, when dimensional portals opened on Blue Star, spilling monsters against which ordinary weapons were useless, the world had turned upside down.
Only players had the power to face them.
In this new era, being weak meant one thing:
being doomed — by monsters,
and by the strong.
Remedy clenched his teeth.
He relived that memory.
The screams.
His parents' blood.
The monster's smile.
And… his helplessness.
Then—
A hand slammed violently onto his desk, bringing him back.
— Well, well, look who's dreaming again.
Remedy looked up.
Jett.
Accompanied by Leo and Marcus.
— Don't tell me you're actually taking the exam? Jett sneered.
— A no-profession like you? Impossible, Leo added.
— Give it up, Remedy. This isn't your path, Marcus concluded.
Remedy remained calm.
— No. I can become a player too.
Jett burst out laughing.
— Without superpowers or skills? Just with your overdeveloped reflexes? You're asking for death.
Remedy said nothing.
They walked away, mocking.
— But you can still come, Jett called over his shoulder.
— At least you'll witness my rise.
Remedy took a deep breath.
He ignored them. He had enough problems of his own.
He summoned his interface.
Name: Remedy
Profession: None
Level: 5
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Skills: None
Talents: ???
Even his talent refused to appear.
He closed his eyes.
No profession.
No skill.
No talent.
So powerless.
Insignificant.
What bad luck.
Pathetic.
Then—
Something moved.
The interface trembled violently, as if a foreign presence had infiltrated it.
Then everything returned to normal.
Remedy opened his eyes, frowning.
He packed his things and left the classroom.
He hadn't noticed a thing.
But something had bonded with him.
Something ancient.
Something forbidden.
---
That evening
His aunt's house was small but cozy.
Around the worn wooden table, Remedy shared dinner with his aunt Flora, her husband Victor, and their daughter Sora.
— So… tomorrow, huh? Flora asked, placing her spoon down. — How do you feel?
Remedy was still chewing. He swallowed too quickly and replied with a wide smile:
— Very well, aunt. Really. I'm ready.
He straightened his shoulders slightly, as if to reinforce his words.
Flora sighed softly, unconvinced.
— Don't put too much pressure on yourself. The most important thing is to come back in one piece.
Victor, still on his phone, added casually:
— Yeah. Come back whole, that's already a victory.
Finally, he looked up.
— By the way, I sent you a transfer. Ten thousand credits. Get yourself properly equipped and crush everyone. Hehe.
A frank smile — and slightly unsettling — on his face.
Remedy's heart tightened.
He knew their situation too well. Tight finances. Silent sacrifices. Ten thousand credits was no small sum, likely the result of long-term savings.
— I… I can't accept this… he began hesitantly.
— Yes, Flora cut him off.
— The exam is dangerous. You won't go without preparation.
— Otherwise, no exam.
She turned to her husband, eyebrows furrowed.
— And you! What's this "crush everyone" thing? Do you think it's a joke?
She grabbed his ear.
— Ouch, ouch! Alright, alright! Victor laughed. — I'm just trying to lighten the mood!
— Hmph.
— If you want, I can help you spend it, Sora interjected with a mischievous smile. — Ten thousand credits is heavy to carry alone.
Remedy smiled faintly and patted her head.
— Keep dreaming, little witch.
— Hey! she protested, mock offended.
A soft laugh rose around the table.
Remedy lowered his eyes to his bowl.
I'll come back.
Not just for him.
For them.
His new family.
---
Back in the present
Remedy opened his eyes.
An interface slowly formed before him.
It was no longer blue.
It was green.
---
[SDR – REALITY DECEPTOR SYSTEM]
[HOST: REMEDY]
[DOMAIN: CONCEPT VIRUSES]
[ACTIVE ROLES]
• CREATOR
• INJECTOR
• BINDER
---
The world had just accepted an anomaly.
Or maybe…
It had created one.
---
Chapter 1 — End