Yesterday was a normal day like any other.
Wake up. Do something. Play games. Record. Post. Work. Sleep.
A cycle so ordinary that even fate must've yawned watching it.
But I was unaware of what awaited me the next morning—something that would strip away my privilege of being a gamer.
When I woke up and stretched, I felt… different.
As if my diabetic body had suddenly been reset to factory settings.
"Hehe. No way."
I scoffed at the absurd thought of being healthy. Yet my voice—when I spoke—was firm. Clear. Not the dry, hoarse croak of someone chronically dehydrated.
I felt amazing.
Maybe my daily routine of actually brushing and taking care of myself was finally paying off. Maybe now I could dominate game lobbies with a voice that screamed authority.
Unfortunately, that excitement died the moment I looked around.
No PC.
No desk cluttered with books.
No cramped apartment walls.
Instead I was lying in a forest, adjacent to it were fields and a town in view.
"The hell? I remember sleeping in my room. Was I kidnapped?"
The thought appeared.
And immediately dismissed itself.
Why would anyone kidnap me—a hardcore gamer—from my tiny apartment?
I scanned my surroundings and decided there was only one logical option.
Enter the town.
—In Front of the Gate—
"Town of Balsar?"
I frowned.
Where even was this place? There was no town by this name anywhere near my city. Not even in my state.
My thoughts trailed off as I stared at the massive wooden gates.
Well.
Standing here wouldn't solve anything.
I inhaled and walked forward.
The moment I stepped closer, a guard blocked my path.
"Identification."
My brain blue-screened.
Identification?!
Stay calm. Stay calm.
I forced my face into something that resembled confidence while internally panicking like a noob in a ranked match.
ID? From where? My Aadhar card? My college ID? My gaming tag?
I casually slipped a hand into my pocket, praying for a miracle.
Something cold brushed against my fingers.
I pulled it out.
A triangular medallion.
Etched onto it was a griffin—wings spread, claws extended as if mid-hunt.
It screamed medieval but looked familiar.
But from where?
The guard took it from my hand and examined it closely. His stern expression softened slightly.
"Hm. You may enter."
That's it?
No questioning or suspicion?
I nodded as if this was completely normal and stepped forward.
Just as I crossed the threshold, something caught my attention.
Two gates?
Why were there two massive gates side by side?
Before I could question it further—
A loud mechanical rumble echoed.
One of the gates slowly opened.
Heat blasted outward.
And then—
It stepped out.
A creature covered in blazing fur, flames licking off its mane. Its muscular body resembled that of a lion, yet its horns curved like molten blades. Its hooves scorched the ground beneath it.
My breath caught.
No way.
That's—
A Lavataur.
A monster from Neo Monster.
A creature I had caught. Evolved. Used in my first League and never in PvP battles.
What was it doing here?
What was I doing here?
As my thoughts spiraled—
A translucent screen suddenly materialized in front of my eyes.
Clean.
Familiar.
System-like.
──────────────────
Species: Lavataur
Type: Fire
Type: Beast
──────────────────
My heart pounded.
This interface.
This format.
I knew this.
This was a game system.
When the Lavataur moved past the gate and headed toward the fields beyond the walls, I stood frozen for a moment longer.
Then reality—or whatever this was—hit me.
I quietly slipped into a nearby alley inside the town.
No witnesses or guards.
Just me and whatever insanity had begun.
I raised my hand and tapped the empty air where the screen had appeared.
If this was real…
If this was truly Neo Monster…
Then my life as a gamer wasn't over.
It had just begun.
I cringed hard.
"Get a grip."
Slapping my cheeks lightly, I forced myself to calm down. Panicking wouldn't solve anything. If this really was some game-like world, then losing composure would only get me killed. The World wasn't so simple.
I inhaled slowly and focused.
"System."
The translucent screen appeared instantly.
Four options floated before me.
Two were glowing faintly.
Two were dark—blacked out as if locked behind some ridiculous paywall.
──────────────────
Status
Monster Status
Ultra Evolution [Locked]
Gacha [Locked]
Achievements:10
──────────────────
Of course.
The most broken feature was inaccessible.
I selected Status.
The screen shifted.
──────────────────
Name → Azael Bluestone
Rank → N/A
Monster → 1
──────────────────
"Azael Bluestone…"
I rolled the name around in my head.
It fit.
Sharp. Elegant. Slightly edgy.
Way better than my old username.
So this was me now.
Azael.
I checked myself again, this time more thoroughly. My fingers brushed against the inner pocket of my shirt.
There was a card inside.
I pulled it out.
It looked similar to the medallion's design—engraved edges, faint magical patterns.
On the side was a small circular indentation.
An activation button?
Well.
No turning back now.
I pressed it.
The card glowed.
A flash of light burst out before me, swirling into shape.
And then—
It stood there.
A creature resembling a mantis, but its forearms were long, gleaming blades—sharp and polished like forged steel. Its emerald carapace shimmered under the daylight, and its eyes glowed with alert intelligence.
"Mantisword…"
My breath escaped in awe.
It looked even cooler than in Neo Monster.
I slowly circled it, studying the sleek structure of its blade-arms.
"You look insane. Seriously. Absolute main-character energy."
The Mantisword stiffened.
Then its posture straightened proudly.
Was it… happy?
A faint ding echoed.
Another interface appeared.
──────────────────
Bond Meter → 3%
──────────────────
Bond meter?
Oh.
So complimenting it raised affinity?
Noted.
I grinned.
"Alright. We're going to get along just fine."
I didn't want to stuff it back into the card immediately. Keeping it inside felt like confining him.
I peeked out of the alley cautiously.
People were walking around casually—with monsters beside them.
A bulky beast trailing behind one man.
A red slug creature followed near a woman.
Okay.
Good.
I wasn't breaking social norms.
I exhaled in relief—
And then my stomach growled loudly.
Violently.
As if protesting starvation and demanding immediate human rights.
Mantisword tilted its head.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm hungry too."
We stepped out of the alley and began walking down the street.
After a short distance, two boys came into view. They looked about my age.
They froze when they saw me.
Then hurried over.
"Azael! How are you?"
Their tone carried surprise.
Confused, I answered carefully, "I'm… fine?"
They exchanged glances.
Seeing that I wasn't crying or brooding dramatically, they nodded.
"Good. Life has all kinds of beauty, you know?"
"Yeah. Don't let it get to you."
I blinked.
"…What?"
They looked puzzled.
"We thought you'd be depressed. After the withdrawal."
"Withdrawal?"
"Your fiancée calling off the engagement."
My brain lagged.
Fiancée?
Engagement?
Since when did I unlock romance DLC?
Internally, I was stupefied.
Externally, I maintained calm.
"I'm fine," I said smoothly. "Setbacks like that don't slow me down."
They seemed impressed.
As we talked, I spotted a bakery nearby. The smell of fresh bread and sugar drifted through the air.
Target acquired.
I was about to head there—
And then it hit me.
Money.
I had none.
Without hesitation, I turned back to the two boys.
"By the way, can I borrow some silver?"
They blinked, wondering why was he asking for silver.
The shorter one checked his pockets and shook his head.
"Nothing on me."
The taller one sighed and handed me a few silver coins.
"Pay me back later."
"You're a hero."
I didn't wait for further conversation.
Mantisword and I entered the bakery.
The warmth inside was comforting. I bought a couple of pastries and stepped out, already taking a bite.
Sweet.
Soft.
Perfect.
I handed one to Mantisword.
It carefully accepted it with the flat side of its blade-arm and began eating with surprising delicacy.
"See? Teamwork."
As I chewed, my thoughts drifted.
Why did my fiancée withdraw from the marriage?
Was it political?
Personal?
Scandal?
I considered digging deeper.
Then immediately decided against overthinking.
One crisis at a time.
Finishing the pastry, I approached a nearby fruit vendor.
"Excuse me," I asked, "do you know where the Bluestone family lives?"
The shopkeeper's eyes widened slightly.
He pointed toward the center of town—where the buildings grew larger, cleaner, more refined.
"The noble district. You'll recognize it easily."
Noble district.
Bluestone family.
So I wasn't just some random guy.
I was someone important.
I glanced at Mantisword.
"Well, partner," I muttered, "looks like we're heading home."
With silver coins lighter in my pocket and pastry crumbs still clinging to my fingers, I walked toward the center of town.
The buildings gradually changed.
Stone replaced wood.
Clean banners replaced worn cloth.
People dressed sharper. Walked straighter.
The noble district.
And soon enough, I found myself standing before another gate.
This one was nothing like the town's entrance.
It was taller. Polished iron layered over carved stone pillars. Elegant engravings ran along its surface, depicting beasts mid-battle.
I approached a smaller side entrance where a guard stood watch.
He glanced at me.
Without a word, I presented the triangular medallion.
The griffin emblem shimmered faintly under the light.
The guard's posture straightened instantly.
His eyes briefly lingered on the medallion before he stepped aside.
"Welcome back."
Back?
Interesting.
As I passed through, I noticed something.
The medallions worn by others entering behind me were bronze.
Mine?
Gold.
So even among nobles, there were tiers.
The guard scribbled something into a ledger.
Noted the arrival.
Of Azael Bluestone.
I stepped fully inside.
The noble district was spacious. Houses were separated by large stretches of land, each estate boasting additional buildings—training grounds, gardens, and most notably—
Dojos.
Every family clearly specialized in monster training.
My gaze stopped on a familiar name.
A large wooden board hung above a structured building resembling a martial training hall.
Bluestone.
Attached to a grand residence behind it.
Other estates were similar—each with its own dojo and side facilities.
This was it.
Home.
I walked toward the front entrance.
And suddenly—
Nervousness hit.
What if I didn't blend in?
What if I said something wrong?
What if this family expected a completely different personality?
What if the original Azael was some cold prodigy and I was just a sleep-deprived gamer improvising life?
Before I could spiral further—
Something bumped into my leg.
I looked down.
A small dog with bright, crackling fur rubbed itself against me affectionately.
Its tail wagged energetically, tiny sparks dancing along its body.
A translucent screen appeared.
──────────────────
Species → Voltyke
Element → Thunder
Race Type → Beast
──────────────────
Voltyke.
An early-game monster.
Adorably small at first.
Absolutely terrifying in late-game evolutions.
I crouched slightly, studying it.
"So you're the mascot type, huh?"
It barked happily, electricity fizzing harmlessly along the ground.
As I observed the little beast, the door behind me opened.
I looked up.
A mature woman stepped out.
Blue hair tied neatly into a bun.
Fair skin.
Bright, clear eyes.
Body draped in a beautiful blue dress.
Her presence was calm—like the surface of a still lake.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Then her eyes widened.
"Azael!"
Before I could process it, she rushed forward and pulled me into a tight embrace.
My brain short-circuited.
Warmth.
The faint scent of something floral.
Arms wrapped around me firmly, almost desperately.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Where have you been?! Do you have any idea how worried we were? Three days, Azael! Three days without a word!"
Three days?
I hadn't even been here three hours.
But this body had.
I stiffened for half a second.
Then instinct—or maybe something deeper—made me respond.
I hugged her back.
"It's okay," I said softly. "I'm back."
She trembled slightly before pulling away just enough to cup my face.
"You reckless child…"
Her voice cracked between relief and scolding.
Overwhelmed didn't begin to describe it.
New world.
New identity.
And now—
A mother.
She finally released me, wiping her tears quickly as if regaining composure.
"Come inside," she said firmly. "You must be exhausted."
Without waiting for protest, she guided me toward the house.
Voltyke trotted in happily behind us.
And just like that—
I stepped into the Bluestone residence.
Into my new life.