Alyosha was seventeen when his life hit a rough patch. His parents had died, leaving him alone, and not long after, he was diagnosed with depression. Being an orphan wasn't easy—school was rough, and he got bullied a lot. It wasn't fun, but it was his life, and he just kept going, day by day.
One afternoon, after buying some food, he was walking near the highway when he saw a kid run straight across the road. A truck was coming fast. Without really thinking about it, Alyosha ran and shoved the kid out of the way. The truck hit him. Pain hit, sharp and sudden, and then everything went black.
In the darkness, a strange floating window appeared. It said SYSTEM at the top, and a message read: "You have passed the test. Reincarnation to another world is almost complete." Alyosha stared. Was this real? A dream? Did he actually die? Reincarnation… if this system was for real, he hoped the next life would at least be better than this one.
A few moments later, he opened his eyes. He was on a normal-looking hillside, standing near a single tree. The sky was blue, and everything looked peaceful. He noticed something different—he wasn't in the city anymore. His new body felt different too: golden hair, black eyes, and clothes that looked like something from a medieval adventure.
The landscape before him stretched wide and unreal, rolling hills under a clear blue sky. Alyosha blinked a few times, muttering to himself, "Am I… in heaven?"
Before he could dwell on it, the system appeared again—a semi-transparent rectangular panel floating in the air, glowing faintly. Just like before, it read SYSTEM.
"Welcome."
Alyosha's jaw dropped. It was real. The system was real. And he wasn't dead—he'd actually been reincarnated. He reached out, hand trembling, but his fingers phased straight through the panel.
The message flickered. "This is your second life. You will now learn how to use the system."
The panel shifted, morphing into a menu of buttons. Alyosha squinted at the top one. Alyosha. Must be where his weapons and armor would appear. "Looks like my name is still Alyosha in this world," he muttered. Below it were Stats, Inventory, and a few others he couldn't read yet.
The system highlighted Stats. "Open and see your status. You can do this by saying 'Stats.'"
Without thinking, he mouthed the word. The panel blinked, then displayed:
STATS
HP: 100
Mana: 5
Strength: 15
Agility: 12
⧖ System
Depression's Grip: Moderated
TITLES
Otherworlder (All stats increased by 30%)
Alyosha scanned the numbers and symbols. "Weird symbol… System? Do I… have the system's power?" He shook the thought away. Then his eyes landed on Depression's Grip. "I guess that's my old depression. Fantastic."
Scrolling down, he saw his title. Otherworlder. "Makes sense. I'm from another world… technically."
After staring at the panel a little too long, Alyosha decided to check the other buttons. "My stats are pretty beginner-level. Inventory." The inventory popped up. Empty. "As expected."
The floating menu hovered quietly in front of him. "What now… exit."
The display vanished. Alyosha turned back to the landscape. Rolling hills stretched to the horizon, and in the distance, a small town shimmered like a cluster of colorful blocks. "There's a town over there. Might as well check it out," he said, and started walking toward it.
As he walked down the dirt path toward the town, Alyosha glanced at the distant rooftops and quietly asked, "System, what's the name of that town over there?"
A small translucent panel appeared.
"The town located to your north is Ashwood, a bustling town where knights train."
The message lingered for a second, then faded.
"Ashwood…" he repeated under his breath.
When he finally reached the gates, the town looked exactly like something out of a medieval game—stone walls, wooden buildings, people moving around with baskets, swords at their hips, cloaks flowing in the breeze. It wasn't chaotic, but it wasn't quiet either. Just… alive.
Near the entrance, a large poster had been nailed onto a wooden board.
Dragon's Mark Quest: Defeat monsters terrorizing the village of Brindlemark.
Alyosha rubbed his chin. "System, what's Brindlemark?"
The panel appeared again.
"Brindlemark is a remote village located to the west. It lies near a forest and is significantly smaller than Ashwood."
"Hmm."
He looked back at the quest notice.
"A quest to save a village, huh… I might do that later. But not right now. I know nothing about this world yet."
As he stood there thinking, he overheard a couple of townsfolk nearby.
"I heard Kael was heading toward Brindlemark," one woman said.
"Maybe he'll slay that rampaging beast," another replied.
"Such a strong man, as always!"
Alyosha glanced at them, then back at the poster.
"This Kael guy must be some strong, famous knight."
Before Alyosha could step away from the poster and explore the rest of Ashwood, a thought stopped him.
"Wait… quests give experience, don't they? If this world works like I think it does, I can probably get stronger through quests."
A translucent panel appeared almost immediately.
"There are two primary methods of obtaining experience points: completing quests and slaying monsters."
"Figures." Alyosha waved the message aside. "Stats."
The familiar panel opened. Above his attributes, his level was displayed.
Level 1.
0 Experience Points.
"As expected," he muttered. "I wonder what I'll actually gain after leveling up."
A new message slid in at the edge of the display.
"Through leveling up, you will gain the power necessary to surpass even the most powerful knights and dominate the world of Eldoria."
Alyosha blinked. "Dominate Eldoria?"
He looked around at the lively streets, the stone buildings, the clear sky overhead.
"What a beautiful name for a beautiful world."
After a moment of thinking—really thinking—he nodded to himself.
"Alright. I'll head to Brindlemark for the Dragon's Mark Quest. It sounds beginner-friendly… I hope."
A sharp notification appeared.
Map Unlocked.
"Whoa." Alyosha immediately opened the new option. "Map."
A parchment-like display unfolded in front of him. Only the hillside where he'd awakened and the town of Ashwood were visible. Everything else was hidden beneath thick, drifting clouds.
"It's one of those explore-and-expand maps," he murmured. "So how do I get to Brindlemark?"
Another prompt appeared.
Do you accept the Dragon's Mark Quest?
He didn't hesitate this time.
"Yes."
The clouds on the western side of the map parted slightly, revealing a small marked area labeled Brindlemark. A thin glowing trail extended from his current location straight toward it.
"Convenient."
The map closed.
Alyosha turned toward the western road leading out of Ashwood.
"Time for my first quest."
And with that, Level 1, zero experience, and absolutely no weapon in hand, he started walking.
Every now and then, Alyosha would say, "Map," just to check his position.
After five minutes of walking, he frowned at the display.
He wasn't even halfway there.
"Damn… how far is Brindlemark?" he muttered. He slumped slightly but kept walking. "At this rate, it'll take a full hour."
Ten more minutes passed, and he finally gave in, dropping onto a tree stump by the roadside.
"My feet feel like they're about to snap," he sighed. "Stats."
The familiar panel appeared.
STATS
HP: 100
Mana: 5
Strength: 15
Agility: 12
⧖ System
Depression's Grip: Moderated
TITLES
Otherworlder (All stats increased by 30%)
Alyosha stared at the numbers, then at the title below.
"It says all stats increased by 30%… but my HP is still 100. That's the standard, right? So the boost isn't active."
He focused on the word Otherworlder and noticed a small downward arrow beside it.
"Oh… Titles."
"Titles — Otherworlder."
A secondary panel unfolded beneath it. A single button appeared.
Activate
"So it's not on yet," he muttered. "Activate."
The screen flashed softly for a second.
The numbers shifted.
STATS
HP: 130
Mana: 6.5
Strength: 19.5
Agility: 15.6
⧖ System
Depression's Grip: Moderated
Alyosha's eyes widened.
"Yes!"
He leaned back slightly. "And since it's a title, I'm guessing it'll show on my…"
He closed the stats panel and opened the one labeled Alyosha.
A full-body display appeared on the left side of the screen — his character model standing still. Around it were empty equipment slots: helmet, chest armor, leggings, boots, and two weapon slots.
Above the display:
Alyosha
Title: Otherworlder
Alyosha smiled faintly.
"As expected. Though my entire character looks very empty… Well, obviously. I don't own anything yet."
He closed the system and stood up.
Then he took a step forward.
"Woah."
Another step.
"I'm walking faster."
The difference was obvious. His body felt lighter, his strides longer, smoother.
There goes the boost.
After what felt like an eternity of walking, a notification appeared.
Brindlemark.
"Fi…nally," Alyosha gasped, dropping to his knees to catch his breath.
But the exhaustion faded quickly when he looked up.
The village was in ruins. Houses were torn open with massive holes punched through wood and stone. The dirt roads were cracked and scorched. A carriage packed with villagers rushed past him, heading away from the destruction as fast as the horses could manage.
It was a mess.
Alyosha forced himself to stand and moved through the village, scanning for survivors—and for whatever "monster" had done this.
Brindlemark sat beside a towering jungle forest. Massive trees loomed behind it, their canopies thick enough to swallow sunlight. The forest stood there quietly, almost watching.
Then he heard it.
A screech.
Sharp. Inhuman.
Alyosha sprinted toward the sound, turning the corner behind a tall damaged house.
Something hovered in the air.
A dragon-like creature, wings spread wide, tail lashing violently as it screeched and twisted its neck.
"Now that's a wyvern."
Below it stood a girl—long white hair flowing behind her, crystal blue eyes locked onto the monster. She was slightly shorter than him.
And definitely a little—
"Cute—" Alyosha blurted.
"Shit. Focus."
The girl moved her hands in precise gestures. A thin purple ray shot from her direction toward the wyvern.
"Hypnotism…?" Alyosha guessed.
But suddenly, blood trickled from her nose. Her hands faltered.
"It's no use," Alyosha muttered. "She needs something physical."
The purple ray vanished.
The wyvern's eyes snapped downward.
It charged.
"Oh no—"
Before Alyosha could reach her, the wyvern spun mid-air and whipped its tail.
The impact sent the girl flying several meters across the ground.
Alyosha's heart pounded. He scanned the ground and spotted a sword still clutched in the hand of what used to be its owner.
He grabbed it.
No time to think.
He charged.
"First monster slayed—!"
CLANG.
The blade struck the wyvern's hide—
—and shattered.
The broken halves flew from his grip.
"Oh—"
A label appeared above the creature.
Wyvern – Level 5
Too late.
The wyvern spun again. Its tail came down like a hammer.
Impact.
Pain exploded through Alyosha's body.
He flew even farther than the girl had, crashing into the dirt. His vision blurred red. His ribs screamed. He tasted iron.
He tried to breathe.
He couldn't.
"Nggh…"
The pain was unbearable.
Fear crept in.
Not just pain.
Fear.
"I can't… die again…"
His eyes welled with tears.
"No… not after I got another chance…"
The world dimmed.
"I… don't want to…"
His vision failed. His ears rang. Tears slid down his cheeks.
"I don't want… to die…" he whispered.
Silence.
Then—
A notification.
Requirements met.
Hidden Title Unlocked.
"What…?"
A red panel appeared before his fading sight.
Crimson Berserker
Requirements:
- HP drop to 1
- Achieve extreme desperation to live
"…a title?"
The system's glow turned crimson.
Do you wish to activate hidden title: Crimson Berserker?
Alyosha struggled to move his mouth. His body was shutting down.
He had no other choice.
"Activate."