The rejection email was nothing new. Jobs were scarce, and qualifications even scarcer. His family—what was left of it—had cut him off years ago. His friends had moved on to better things. And Axel? He was stuck here in this crumbling building with no direction and no hope.
“Why do I even bother anymore?” he muttered, rubbing his temples. His reflection on the black screen stared back at him, sunken eyes framed by unkempt dark hair. His once-lean body had turned wiry from skipping meals, and he was wearing the same hoodie he had owned since high school.
With a resigned sigh, Axel pushed back his chair and shuffled to the corner of the room, where a bucket collected water dripping from a crack in the ceiling. It was pathetic. His life was pathetic. He didn’t even have enough money left to buy food tonight.
“Maybe it’s time to give up,” he whispered to himself, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. The thought had been creeping into his mind more often lately. He shook his head, as if trying to physically push the thought away.
It was then, as he reached for the last bottle of water in his fridge, that a strange noise echoed through the room. A faint hum, almost like the sound of a computer booting up, but deeper, resonating through his skull.
“What the hell?” Axel froze. The sound grew louder, and then his vision blurred as an intense headache pierced through his brain. He clutched his head, dropping to his knees as the room spun around him.
Suddenly, his world went dark.
When Axel’s eyes fluttered open, he found himself floating in an endless void of shimmering light. His body felt weightless, and an eerie calm settled over him.
“What… where am I?” he muttered, looking around. His voice echoed in the void, but there was no answer.
Just as he was beginning to panic, a cold, mechanical voice reverberated through the space, sending chills down his spine.
[Initializing system... Loading 1%... 5%... 25%...]
“What the hell is this?” Axel shouted, his voice cracking. He swiped at the air, but nothing changed. The disembodied voice continued as though he hadn’t spoken.
[Welcome, User. You have been selected as the Host for the Evolutionary System.]
“What the hell is an Evolutionary System? Is this some kind of prank?” Axel growled, trying to stand, only to realize there was no ground beneath him.
[This is not a prank. This is a gift. Or perhaps... a curse.]
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Axel froze. The voice was so devoid of emotion that it made his skin crawl. “Why me?” he asked, his voice trembling. “Why would you choose someone like me?”
[Selection criteria met. Compatibility: 97%. Potential: 0%.]
“Zero percent potential?” Axel’s laugh was bitter. “Yeah, that sounds about right. I’m a damn loser.”
[Incorrect.] The voice responded immediately. [Potential is determined by action. The System exists to elevate you beyond your current limits.]
Before Axel could process the words, a translucent blue screen appeared in front of him, floating in midair.
Name: Axel Ravensworth
Level: 1
Class: Unassigned
Stats:
- Strength: 5
- Agility: 4
- Intelligence: 7
- Endurance: 6
- Luck: 1
Skills: None
Quests Available: None
System Abilities Unlocked:
- [Analyze] (Rank F): Basic identification of objects and entities.
- [Inventory] (Rank F): Access to a personal storage dimension.
Axel blinked at the glowing panel in disbelief. “This… this is like something out of a game,” he muttered. His hands hovered over the screen, unsure whether he could touch it.
“Stats, inventory, skills… this is insane.”
[Correct. The Evolutionary System is a gamified interface designed to aid the Host in achieving greatness. However, failure to progress will result in system termination... and Host termination.]
The blood drained from Axel’s face. “Wait, termination? You’re telling me I die if I don’t… level up or something?”
[Correct.]
His chest tightened. This wasn’t a game. This was real. “So, let me get this straight,” Axel said, his voice rising. “I have to play your little game or die?”
[Correct. Additionally, Host has been granted a starting quest.]
Another screen appeared, this time glowing red.
Objective: Defeat one enemy within 24 hours.
Reward: 100 XP, Random Item (Rank F).
Penalty: System Termination.
Time Remaining: 24:00:00
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Axel groaned. “An enemy? What enemy? I don’t even know what I’m supposed to fight!”
Before the system could respond, the void around him shattered like glass, and Axel felt himself plummeting. His screams echoed in his ears as he was hurled back into the waking world.
Axel jolted awake on the floor of his apartment, gasping for breath. His heart raced as he scrambled to his feet, his mind reeling from what just happened.
But it wasn’t a dream. The translucent blue panel floated in front of him, the timer on his first quest ticking down.
“Alright, think, Axel,” he muttered to himself. “Enemy. I need to find an enemy.”
His eyes darted to the window. The rain had stopped, and the city streets outside were eerily quiet. But something about the air felt… wrong. A chill ran down his spine, and he instinctively turned toward the door.
A sound echoed from the hallway. Slow, shuffling footsteps.
“Enemy…” Axel whispered, his body tensing. He crept toward the door and peeked through the peephole. His blood ran cold.
Standing in the dimly lit hallway was a creature straight out of a nightmare. Its pale, leathery skin was stretched over an emaciated frame, and its glowing red eyes locked onto the door.
[Analyzing target...]
[Species: Lesser Wraith]
Threat Level: F
Status: Aggressive]
“Of course,” Axel muttered, backing away from the door. “It couldn’t just be a raccoon or something. No, it has to be a freaking wraith.”
The creature let out a guttural snarl and slammed against the door, the wood creaking under the pressure.
Axel clenched his fists, adrenaline surging through his veins. He had no weapons, no skills, and no idea what he was doing. But he had twenty-four hours, and failure wasn’t an option.
“Alright, you stupid system,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”