The little forest they reached was unlike anything they had ever seen before. Though the purple trees were just as tall as those they saw earlier—towering at nearly fifty meters—their numbers were fewer here. It was a calm, almost serene place, with large fruits the size of watermelons hanging from the trees. These fruits shimmered with a strange bluish-green hue, catching the eyes of the crew instantly.
They paused near one of the trees to inspect the fruit. Kaito leaned in first, reaching for a nearby branch.
"Wait," Ayan said, holding out a hand. "We don't know if it's safe yet."
Before they could react further, a rustling sound in the bushes snapped everyone's attention. Emerging from behind a low thicket was a creature—small, sleek, and fast. Its body was painted in deep red and black stripes, resembling a car in its sheen. Though its face and fur gave a feline impression, its long bushy tail and darting movements made it look like a hybrid between a cat and a squirrel.
"It's… kinda cute," Hye Rin whispered, her voice filled with wonder.
She took a step forward, reaching out. The creature's ears perked up, and in the blink of an eye, it bolted toward her.
"Hye Rin, move!" Ayan shouted. He lunged forward and pulled her aside just in time. The creature leaped, its sharp claws grazing her cheek, leaving a thin red slash behind.
Hye Rin stumbled back, clutching her face. "Ahh!" she screamed in pain and shock.
Everyone was frozen, watching as the creature landed on all fours and prepared to pounce again. Ayan drew his pistol and fired. The bullet struck the creature, but to everyone's horror, it only left a faint scratch.
"What the hell? Even bullets don't work?" Kaito gasped.
The monster hissed, its eyes now fixed again on Hye Rin. It lunged a second time.
"Damn it!" Ayan fired again—this time aiming for the eyes. The bullet pierced one of its eyes, and the creature screamed, falling to the ground.
But only for a second.
It sprang up again, rushing at Hye Rin with furious speed.
This time, Hye Rin didn't hesitate. She pulled out the taser gun strapped to her waist and fired. Blue sparks danced across the creature's body, freezing it mid-air. It dropped to the ground, convulsing, and then lay still.
Everyone held their breath.
Then, out of nowhere, a voice echoed—not through the air, but inside Hye Rin's head.
[You killed an Ordinary-class monster: "Swiftail".]
"What… what is that?" she gasped, her eyes wide.
[You obtained a reward: Broken Sword (Ordinary Class). No status points earned.]
"Where's that voice coming from?" she shouted, clutching her head.
Everyone stared at her, stunned. "Hye Rin, calm down. It's the stress," Ayan said. "You're hearing things."
"I'm not hallucinating! There's a voice. A voice in my head!"
Just then, a bright red rectangle appeared in front of her—only visible to her eyes.
[You gained 100 EXP. You leveled up.]
[Now activating: Status Window.]
"Captain, something's… something's happening! I can see a box in front of me!"
"There's nothing there," Ayan said, looking around. "None of us can see anything."
"What should I say to make you believe me?" she muttered. She hesitated, then lifted her hand and tapped mid-air.
"What's she doing?" Kaito whispered.
Suddenly, a faint shimmer burst out, and a broken sword materialized in Hye Rin's hand.
Everyone gasped.
"See! See! I wasn't hallucinating!" she said, holding the weapon up.
No one said a word at first, their eyes locked on the shimmering blade.
"How… how did you do that?" Charlotte asked, stunned.
"I opened the Inventory tab and dragged it out."
Ayan furrowed his brow. "System? What system?"
"It's like a game interface," Hye Rin explained. "There are menus, stats, and an inventory."
"Ask the system how we open it," Ayan said.
Hye Rin nodded. "System, how can others open the window?"
[Say "Open Window" to view your status. Say "Close Window" to hide it.]
"Just say 'Open Window'," she told them.
Ayan tried first. "Open window."
A soft chime echoed in his head.
[Now activating Status Window. Welcome, user Ayan Shergill.]
A translucent screen hovered before him:
STATUS WINDOW
Name: Ayan Shergill
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Class: Ordinary
Level: 0
Health: 76 HP
Exp: 0/100
Attributes:
Strength: 10
Agility: 8
Intelligence: 12
Stamina: 7Mana: 0
Menus:
Status
Inventory
Skills
Soon, the rest of the team followed. Each one stared at their personal stats, equally amazed and confused.
"What the hell is this…" Charlotte murmured.
"This is like… some kind of system game," Kaito added. "But real."
Ayan didn't say anything at first. He stared hard at the menu, thinking. Then, he asked, "System, where are we?"
[You are on Planet Zeron, located in the galaxy Erto.]
"How far is the Milky Way?"
[Approximately 200,000 light years away.]
Ayan clenched his jaw. "If that's true… we're too far to return by ship. Even with warp, it'd take decades. Unless…"
He looked around and called everyone together.
"Everyone, listen. I got information. This planet is called Zeron, in a galaxy called Erto. It's about 200,000 light years away from Earth. That means…"
His voice faltered, but he stood tall.
"That means we may not be going home anytime soon. But there might be a way—if we find the 'Waolk' again, or whatever force brought us here."
Everyone looked at each other, a mix of fear, awe, and determination in their eyes. They were no longer just survivors of a crash.
They were players in a system.
And this was only the beginning.