[Level: 42]
[Skill: Bloodrush (Active)]
[Perk: Adrenal Node – Slight HP regen outside combat]
The bunker stank of old blood, oil, and moss. A rusted shelter half-swallowed by the forest, but it had walls—and right now, that was all I needed.
I slumped against the far wall, fingers still twitching from the aftershock of the fight. My sword leaned beside me, blade dull and sticky with blackened gore.
The Ironjaw Brute was dead.
And I was alive.
[Skill Acquired: Bloodrush]
[Stored in Active Skill Slot 1]
[Status: Permanent]
I'd taken it. A rare's core ability, ripped from its skull the moment it died. That frenzy. That power. It wasn't just a burst anymore—it was part of me now.
But before I could rest, the system buzzed again. And this time, the message wasn't just for me.
A new notification flickered at the top of my vision.
[WORLD SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT – ALL PLAYERS]
ATTENTION: Upon reaching Level 100, your level progression will halt.
You will be summoned to the Ascension Gate.
There, you must choose a Deity to pledge to.
Your powers will evolve based on your choice. There is no reversal.
This is the Path Beyond Mortality.
End of Transmission.
I blinked. "What the hell…?"
No more leveling? Choose a god? There was no context. No explanation. Just that promise:
The Path Beyond Mortality.
A cold feeling crept up my spine.
That meant this wasn't just a game anymore. It never was. The System was setting something up. Something way bigger than just survival.
I clenched my fists.
Forty-two levels down. Fifty-eight to go.
And then what? Pledge my life to some otherworldly being?
Screw that.
I didn't even trust people. Why the hell would I trust a god?
---
Central Outpost – Ranker Recon HQ
"Replay that last system alert."
Kael's voice was sharp. Tense. The air in the room crackled with pressure as the hologram repeated the message for the fifth time.
The Rankers were gathered. Not in armor. Not in battle mode.
But watching.
Waiting.
Listening.
Juno was the first to speak. "The gods are real now?"
Elara crossed her arms. "Or they always were. And the System's just been prepping us for their war."
Kael stayed silent. Eyes locked on the blinking red dot still showing the last ping from Sector R-2. A place none of them were supposed to be in.
A place where one of their own had vanished.
"Doesn't matter if gods are real," Kael muttered. "One of us is dead. That matters now."
Elara zoomed in on the data logs. "He was last seen tracking a rare-class signature. Ironjaw Brute. Respawn ID's gone now. Whatever killed it—took it permanently."
Juno's jaw tightened. "That shouldn't be possible. Not for someone unranked."
"No," Kael said slowly. "Unless…"
"Unless what?"
Kael looked up.
"Unless there's someone out there who's not using the system the way we are."
---
Back in the Bunker – R-2 Forest
The screen finally dimmed, and I exhaled through clenched teeth.
Choose a god, huh?
If I even lived long enough to get that far.
I checked my status again. No new messages. No invites. Still hidden. Still off radar.
They didn't know me.
Not yet.
But they'd notice soon.
Because I'd taken something I wasn't supposed to have. A skill from a rare. A kill that was never meant to happen solo.
And in a world where gods were watching?
Maybe that wasn't a bug.
Maybe it was the start of something worse.
I stood slowly, legs shaky but steady. I didn't know who I was supposed to become at Level 100. But I knew what I'd be until then.
A ghost. A thief. A shadow with teeth.
And if a god tried to claim me?
They'd have to earn me.
A Few Days Later..
Ding! System Notification!
Massive Update Installed! Version 3.7.9 – "Blood, Gold & Luck!"
[New Feature Unlocked: Gold Coin Drops!]
Earn shiny gold coins every time you slay a monster!
The stronger the beast, the richer the reward.
Rank F? A few coins.
Rank SSS+? Jackpot, baby!
[New System Shop Available!]
Tired of rusty gear? Spend your hard-earned gold in the new Celestial Shop.
Items available include:
Legendary Weapons – Slice, dice, or vaporize. Your pick.
Mystic Armors – Looking stylish and not dying? Yes, please.
Skill Scrolls – Want to explode things with your mind? We gotchu.
Unique Items – Mysterious. Rare. Some even giggle when touched.
Familiar Summoning Stones – Summon your battle partner…or your worst distraction.
Summon Limit: 2–3 Familiars
(Succubus rate: ultra rare... but who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky… chuwa~)
Tip:
Slay smarter, not harder. Chain kills for bonus gold multipliers!
"…Okay. Okay. Deep breaths."
reads update again
"So now I earn gold by killing monsters. Fine. Totally normal. Fantasy world stuff. I can handle that."
scrolls down
"Shop? Cool. Weapons, armor, skills—sure, whatever. That makes sense…"
sees 'summon familiars'
"…Limit 2–3. Uh-huh. Makes sense. Balancing and all that."
reads the next line
"Wait—succubus?! Why is that even an option?! Why did the system moan when it said that?! CHUWA?? What the hell is chuwa??"
looks up at the sky, dead inside
"I didn't sign up for this. I just wanted to survive. Not collect flirty demons with anime giggles…"
sighs
"…Watch me summon one by accident and she calls me 'Master' in public. I'm never recovering from this."
I blinked again at the last line.
"…Why did the system moan?"
I reread it, then slowly looked up at the sky like the universe owed me an explanation. "I didn't sign up for anime waifus in my murder survival game."
I sighed and opened the shop. The prices hit me like a truck.
[Item Price Examples:]
– F Rank Dagger: 25 Gold
– C Rank Armor Set: 300 Gold
– S Rank Sword: 7,500 Gold
– Unique Scroll: "Variable"
– Relic Weapon: LOCKED
My Balance: 217 Gold
"…I could maybe afford a glorified butter knife and a sock."
That's when I noticed it.
[Celestial Spin – BETA]
Cost: 100 Gold per spin
High chance of dud. Low chance of treasure. System not responsible for regret-induced screaming.
There was even a little smiling gremlin mascot holding a roulette wheel.
"…This is literally gacha. They turned my life into a lootbox system."
I paused. My rational brain screamed no. My impulsive goblin brain clicked yes.
[Spin Activated – Deducting 100 Gold]
A whirlwind of icons flashed: swords, shields, glowing orbs, panties—wait, what?
The wheel stopped.
[Result: Rotten Apple Core – Common Junk]
It plopped into my inventory with a sound like disappointment.
"…Wow. Peak gameplay. Truly, a majestic artifact."
I threw the apple core at a tree and watched it bounce off like my dignity.
"Okay, no more gacha. I'm done. No way I'm dumb enough to—"
[Spin 2 Activated – Deducting 100 Gold]
"Wait, WHAT?!"
Too late. The wheel spun again. My last 100 gold whirled away with a smug sparkle.
The result glowed faintly.
[Item Acquired: ??? Egg (Unhatched)]
Rarity: Unknown
Appraisal: Incomplete
Status: Warm]
I stared at the thing.
A jet-black egg with silver veins, about the size of a cat. It pulsed faintly in my hands, warm to the touch.
"…Nope. Nuh-uh. This looks cursed."
I turned it over, expecting teeth. Or a demonic whisper. Or at least a jump scare.
Nothing.
"Is this my prize? A weird goth chicken egg? Great. What's next? A haunted omelette?"
I held it up to the light. "Hey, mystery egg. Are you gonna hatch into a death bird or just sit there doing your best emo rock impression?"
It pulsed once. Quietly.
"…Okay, rude."
I had 17 gold left. No armor. No weapons worth a damn. A mystery egg that looked like it belonged to a villain's pet, and a mental state hanging by dental floss.
But.
I didn't throw it away.
Because deep down, some part of me—probably the same part that pressed "Spin" in the first place—thought it might be something special.
Or dangerous.
Or both.
I stuffed it in my bag, gave it one last look, and muttered, "If you hatch into a succubus, I'm throwing you off a cliff."
The egg pulsed again. Was that… amusement?
"Great. It's already judging me."
Item Rarity: Unknown
Status: "Vibing"
Hatch Conditions: ???
Warning: Do not microwave.
"...What."
I stared at the glowing item hovering in my inventory window. A pale, slightly cracked egg with shimmering runes carved into the shell. It pulsed once.
Then again.
"Did I just waste a hundred gold… on breakfast?"
I tapped on it. Nothing happened.
No fire. No explosion. No summon. Not even a jingle.
Just that stupid status message: "Vibing."
"Is it sentient or just trolling me?" I muttered.
I turned it over in my hand in the real world, just to check.
No heat.
No movement.
Not even a whimper.
Definitely not a succubus.
I sighed and looked up at the sky. "This system's a damn gacha machine with a sense of humor."
MC (looking at the egg, raising an eyebrow):
"So you're the big 'Legendary Egg,' huh? More like 'Humpty Dumpty's distant cousin who didn't make the cut.' What's your big plan? Roll into battle, get cracked open, and then sit around waiting for a king's horses and men to put you back together again? Not looking too promising, my friend."
Egg (shaking like it's about to burst):
The egg rattles with fury, clearly not enjoying the roast, but it's still not scaring anyone.
MC (laughing):
"Look at you, shaking like you're the chosen one, but let's be real—you're more like an appetizer than a hero. You're one good fall away from becoming scrambled. If I drop you from a height, you're not going to save the kingdom—you're just gonna save me some time making breakfast. Might even toss you in a frying pan and call it a day."
Egg (shaking harder, almost furious now):
It rattles harder, like it's ready to explode, but it's still just an egg—fragile, vulnerable, and really bad at handling pressure.
MC (mocking):
"Keep shaking, little egg. You're like the world's tiniest ticking time bomb. But let's be honest—if you were any more fragile, you'd be the first one picked to sit out of dodgeball.
Egg (shaking even more, trying to intimidate):
The egg is visibly fuming now, but it's still nothing more than a shell.
MC (grinning):
"You know, I should just give you a cape and call you 'Captain Crack.' Hell, you're just one bump away from ending up as Humpty Dumpty 2.0—except no one's gonna bother putting you back together. They'll just toss you into an omelette and move on with their lives."
I was tempted to chuck it off a cliff, but something stopped me. It did come from a spin. Maybe it had potential.
Or maybe it would hatch into a flaming chicken that pooped fireballs. Who knew.
Grumbling, I shoved it into my inventory and walked on.
---
Time to focus. I still had gold to grind. Skills to steal.
Level 42 wasn't bad, but I'd seen Rankers with triple that. S-ranks with legendary builds, entire squads behind them, fancy armor, guilds, and goddamn banners.
All I had?
[Copy Skill]
One rule. One advantage.
Kill to copy.
That's how I got my current loadout—ripped straight from a rare fire-based monster and a dead S-ranker whose body they never found. I didn't even know his name. Just that his last breath earned me four killer skills:
> [Bloodrush]
[Flame Guard]
[Phoenix Step]
[Blazing Wrath]
They were permanent now. Synced.
But that wasn't enough.
Not when the world had gone full apocalypse-RPG. Not when the System announced that once someone hit Level 100, they'd stop leveling entirely… and choose a god to inherit powers from.
No more levels. No more XP. Just divinity.
I wasn't there yet. But I would be.
Even if I had to burn the world down to get there.
He tightened his grip on the blade. Somewhere deeper in the forest, a roar echoed—a new monster, probably rare.
Perfect.
"Let's see what you've got," he muttered, eyes cold.
And then he moved.
The hunt continued.
I tracked the roar through the forest until everything went quiet.
The silence was unnatural.
No rustling leaves.
No birdcalls.
Even the wind seemed scared to move.
And then—I saw it.
A clearing, burnt and cracked. Charred trees stood like gravestones.
And at the center of it all… him.
Cloaked in black that drifted like smoke, standing motionless, sword in hand.
It wasn't a beast.
It wasn't even monstrous.
It was too calm. Too precise. Too human.
> [???]
Type: Unknown
Threat Level: [UNRANKED]
Skill Available: [Abysscarve] (Locked – Requires target death)
I stared at the figure, heart pounding.
"…What the hell are you?"
The figure lifted its head. Glowing violet eyes met mine—quiet, almost curious.
I stepped forward.
No words. No negotiations. I came for the skill. I came to survive.
I came to kill.
---
[Bloodrush] — pain vanished. My veins lit up like fire.
[Flame Guard] — protective heat coiled around my skin.
[Blazing Wrath] — fury fueled every strike.
[Phoenix Step] — I vanished in a burst of flame and launched forward.
My blade screamed toward its neck.
Steel met steel.
A shockwave cracked the air.
I rushed in again—no hesitation. Swing after swing, fast and hard, like I was trying to break the damn world open. Steel smashed against steel, the sound sharp and violent. Sparks shot out with every hit. The air burned hot; flames licked up the bastard's cloak.
He didn't even flinch.
I was going full force, but he just stood there, blocking everything like it was nothing. One hand. No wasted movement. Each parry slammed back against me like I was hitting solid concrete. My arms ached, my grip started to shake, but he didn't even look impressed. Hell, he barely looked interested.
Then it stepped forward.
Just one step.
And everything shifted.
I barely blocked the incoming slash. My knees buckled. The ground split beneath my feet. My arms screamed from the force.
I pushed off, ducked low, and slashed across its side—contact. I hit it.
But it didn't bleed.
Didn't even look down.
Instead, it moved.
No stance. No wind-up.
Just a single, clean slash.
Too fast to react.
My blade shattered.
Pain exploded through my chest as I was flung back, crashing through a tree, coughing blood before I even hit the ground.
I couldn't breathe.
I couldn't move.
I lay on my back, staring at the sky, vision swimming.
Footsteps echoed—slow, unhurried.
I braced for the end.
But it didn't come.
The figure stood over me.
Watching.
Its blade hovered, inches from my throat—still glowing faintly with that black aura.
Then it turned.
And walked away.
Like I hadn't even been a threat.
---
I laid there in the wreckage, gasping.
Broken. Burned. But alive.
Somehow.
My hands trembled as I looked at the dented remains of my gear, the crushed handle of my sword, the flame still flickering faintly from [Blazing Wrath].
And then…
> [Unhatched Egg — ???]
Status: Resonating. Abyssal aura detected. Absorption: 12.3%
The egg in my inventory pulsed faintly, as if stirred by that thing's presence.
"Guess you were watching too," I muttered, coughing out blood.
That was no monster.
That was a warning.
A sword that hadn't even needed to draw its true power.
But I would remember.
And next time?
I'd be the one standing.