Kael did not rise immediately.
He remained seated on the forest floor, staring at the sky as if afraid it might disappear.
The stars had not changed. The world had not shattered. The estate had not sent guards searching for him.
He was alone.
Alive.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze. Black light hovered above his palm. It did not shimmer like other Systems. It did not glow brightly. It absorbed light instead, swallowing it like ink spreading through water.
His breathing grew shallow.
In this world, Systems were visible to everyone. They floated infront of a user, face level, semi-transparent, color-coded for rank.
Every child learned the hierarchy.
White — E Rank
Orange — D Rank
Blue — C Rank
Green — B Rank
Red — A Rank
Gold — S Rank
And beyond that… rumors of SS Rank. Though no one knew for sure. No confirmed color.
Each rank was divided into ten stages.
E10. E20. E30… until E100.
When someone reached E100 and advanced, their System would evolve to D10.
Then D20… to D100. Then C10. So on.
Progression was public. Transparent. Measurable. And respected.
He had watched his father's red A10 System glow in the training courtyard many times.
He had stood behind pillars, silent, unseen.
A-rank.
Red like burning metal.
He used to stare at it and think—
If I awaken something like that…
If I become strong…
Perhaps Father will look at me differently.
Perhaps Mother will smile.
He swallowed hard.
Now, floating before him, was something that did not fit the scale.
No E10.
No number.
No letter.
Just—
Unknown.
His hand trembled slightly.
"What… are you?" he whispered.
The rats twitched but did not flee.
His stomach twisted violently. He bent forward, clutching it. The healing had consumed his reserves. His flesh was repaired, but energy was empty.
Hunger burned deeper than pain ever had.
The rats sat before him in a quiet semicircle.
Waiting.
The System interface shifted slightly.
[Vermin System]
Host: Kael Valeborn
Rank: Unknown
Authority: Vermin Recognition (Passive)
Points: 0
---
Authority.
He could command them.
He had never commanded anyone in his life.
He inhaled slowly.
"All of you…" he began.
The rats straightened.
He paused.
"…could you help me find food?"
The rats froze for a heartbeat.
Then they moved.
Not chaotically.
Not randomly.
They formed a loose line, turning back occasionally to ensure he followed.
He stood, legs unsteady but determined.
They led him beneath a giant tree whose roots arched above the earth like ribs.
There, hidden beneath tangled wood, was their burrow.
Inside were scraps.
Half-eaten fruit. Seeds. Fragments of meat.
The scent was sour.
Kael crouched and picked up a bruised guava.
He walked to the lake nearby and washed it carefully.
The water reflected his face. Dirty.
Thinner than he remembered.
But alive.
He took a bite.
The sweetness hit his tongue.
His eyes stung.
He finished it slowly.
Another fruit rolled toward him.
His hand reached out—
Then stopped midair.
His fingers trembled.
He waited.
Waited for a voice.
Waited for a sharp reprimand.
"Greedy."
"Disgusting."
Nothing came.
Only wind.
Only quiet.
The forest was silent.
The rats simply watched.
He lowered his hand and picked it up carefully.
He broke it in half and placed one piece before the rats.
"Let's share," he said softly.
The rats crept closer.
They ate together.
He did not feel ashamed.
He did not feel greedy.
He felt… equal.
Afterward, the rats scurried toward a neighboring tree with a huge hollow.
They looked back.
Kael followed.
The tree hollow was dry. Sheltered.
He stepped inside and touched the inner bark.
He exhaled slowly.
"This is better than the basement," he murmured.
And for the first time in years, he slept without fear of a door locking behind him.
---
Morning sunlight warmed his face.
He opened his eyes to squeaking.
A rat nudged a fresh mango toward him.
He blinked in disbelief.
"You found this for me?"
The rats squeaked.
He laughed quietly.
"Thank you."
He ate slowly.
Energy returned gradually.
When finished, he opened the System interface again.
A new tab blinked.
---
[Missions Available]
• Solo Tasks
• Authoritative Tasks
---
He selected Solo Tasks.
---
Task: Create Fire
Time Limit: 6 Hours
Reward: 100 Points
---
Fire.
He remembered reading about it.
Whenever Aren and Darian trained under their private instructor in the courtyard, Kael was driven back inside.
"Go to your room."
"You'll only embarrass us."
He would nod.
Then he would sneak away.
The estate library had tall shelves and dust-coated corners rarely visited.
He would read survival guides. Geography. Military history. Primitive technology.
He was not allowed formal lessons.
So he taught himself.
And once he read something—
He never forgot it.
Now that knowledge surfaced clearly.
He gathered dried grass, brittle bark, thin twigs. He gathered enough and brought them back to his hollow and placed them on a dry patch on land carefully.
He then searched for flint. The stone that early primitive humans used to create fire.
He found it.
But flint alone was inefficient. Striking flint against flint would not create sparks strong enough to make fire.
He needed iron pyrite. The perfect complimentary stone for flint.
He searched longer.
Sweat formed on his brow.
Minutes passed.
The sun climbed.
His hands grew dusty.
Finally, beneath a patch of exposed earth, he found it — metallic glint, brassy sheen.
He picked it up. It was indeed iron pyrite. He hurried back to his hollow.
He knelt before his arranged tinder.
The rats gathered around curiously.
He struck the flint against iron pyrite.
Once.
Twice.
Sparks flickered. But vanished instantly. They weren't strong enough. But he kept trying. Kept changing the position and angle in which he struck to ensure proper and maximum friction between the rocks.
On the fifth failed strike, frustration flickers.
Not anger. Not rage. Just a quiet refusal to fail again.
On the seventh strike, flame caught.
Fire blossomed.
The rats jumped back in surprise.
Kael stared at the flame.
He had made it.
With his own hands.
Without permission.
Not because someone ordered him.
Not because someone punished him.
Because he chose to
---
[Task Completed]
Completion Time: 1 Hour 3 Minutes
Reward: 100 Points
Bonus Available
Option 1: +50 Points
Option 2: Item Box
---
He studied the options.
Points were reliable. He could garner points by completing tasks.
But tasks would grow harder. And bonus items like this were not guaranteed.
Item Boxes were rare.
Unpredictable.
But potentially invaluable.
"I choose the Item Box."
The system responded immediately.
A wooden chest materialized before him.
The rats squeaked excitedly.
He knelt and opened it slowly.
Inside—
Clothes. Clean. Durable. Properly fitted.
A compact sleeping bag.
A small hunting knife.
A compact portable stove.
Utensils.
For several seconds, he simply stared.
Then—
He laughed.
He pulled on the clothes immediately. They fit perfectly.
He swung the knife experimentally.
He set the stove beside his fire.
The rats squeaked excitedly as if celebrating.
Kael spun once in place.
He felt… capable.
Alive.
The rats squeaked louder.
He turned toward them with a grin.
"We're upgrading," he said.
He opened the System again.
This time, he selected Authoritative Tasks.
---
Task: Command Vermin to Gather Meat
Time Limit: 6 Hours
Reward: 100 Points
---
He looked at the rats.
"If you can find meat… bring it here." he said.
They scattered instantly.
Kael waited beside the fire.
Ten minutes passed.
Then another five minutes. Kael started to worry.
Fifteen minutes later, several rats dragged something heavy.
A boar leg.
Recently severed.
Fresh blood still dark and wet.
Kael crouched beside it.
Deep claw marks. Large bite radius.
A predator had eaten and abandoned the rest.
Which meant—
"A predator," he murmured.
Recently fed.
The predator could be nearby.
His gaze lifted toward the forest.
The wind shifted.
Something moved in the distance.
The forest grew still.
The rats squeaked nervously.
Kael rose slowly.
His gaze swept the tree line.
He felt it.
Something watching.
Then—
It retreated.
Not running.
Withdrawing.
As if reconsidering.
The System chimed.
---
[Task Completed]
Completion Time: 15 Minutes
Reward: 100 Points
Bonus Activated
Time Remaining: 345 Minutes
Additional Vermin Slots: +345
---
A wave of sensation expanded outward from him.
Tiny movements stirred in the soil.
Insects shifted.
Hidden burrows became aware.
The forest felt different.
Larger.
Wider.
Connected.
Three hundred and forty-five new slots.
His authority expanded instantly, like a pressure wave spreading outward.
The rats stood taller.
As if understanding that more comrades were going to join them soon.
Kael cleaned the meat carefully in the lake. He sliced it using the hunting knife.
He cooked it over the fire.
And just like that, a freshly roasted boar leg was ready.
He smiled.
Shared it equally.
He ate until his hunger no longer hurt.
For the first time in his life—
He felt full.
He looked at the black System hovering beside him.
Unknown.
Unranked.
Unseen by others.
The color that should not exist.
And somewhere beyond the trees—
Something else had felt it too.
Kael rose slowly.
His eyes were calm.
"This forest," he said quietly,
"…will not stay the same."
The wind carried his words into the trees.
Kael looked at the firelight dancing in his palm.
For the first time in his life, he was not waiting for punishment.
He was waiting for tomorrow.
The forest no longer felt like a prison.
It felt like possibility.
And this time—
He would not be the one hunted.