Jonas felt the ground give way beneath his feet, his body falling endlessly through the air. The world around him had shattered in an instant—one moment, he was walking home from his part-time job, the weight of normal life pressing down on him. The next, a blinding light, a tearing sensation, and then... nothing.

Until now.

With a gasp, he hit something solid. Hard. His body crumpled to the ground, breath knocked from his lungs. It wasn’t concrete or asphalt beneath him—it felt soft, like damp earth. The smell of pine and rain filled his nostrils as he struggled to his knees, blinking against the dizziness that flooded his head.

“Where...?” he muttered, his voice hoarse.

He was in a forest. The trees towered above him, their branches weaving a dense canopy that blocked out most of the sky. Faint light filtered through, casting the woods in a dim, greenish hue. Jonas stumbled to his feet, his muscles screaming in protest.

“What the hell just happened?”

A soft chime echoed in his head.

Welcome, Novice Warrior.

Jonas froze. That wasn’t his voice. The words hadn’t even been spoken aloud. They’d appeared, somehow, inside his mind—crisp, cold, and unmistakably real. Panic gripped his chest as he spun around, expecting to see someone, anyone, who could explain what was happening. But he was alone.

The voice continued.

Class: Novice Warrior

Level: 0

Experience: 0/1000

Jonas swallowed hard. The words hung in his mind, cold and distant, like a notification on a video game. Was this a joke? Some kind of weird dream? He shook his head, trying to clear the confusion, but the forest remained, as did the hovering notification.

You are in Ilvorya.

Ilvorya? The name rang no bells. But then again, nothing here made sense. Jonas clutched his head. “Okay, think. Stay calm.” He wasn’t the kind of guy to freak out easily, but this was something else entirely.

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A rustling sound came from behind him. Jonas whirled around, heart hammering in his chest. He saw nothing at first. Just the swaying trees, the whisper of the wind. Then it came again—closer this time.

Jonas took a hesitant step back, instinctively reaching for something, anything to defend himself. His hand brushed against a hilt at his side, and to his surprise, he found a sword sheathed there. The weight of it was foreign, but his fingers wrapped around it nonetheless, pulling the blade free with a soft metallic hiss.

The rustling grew louder. Jonas’s grip tightened on the sword. His eyes darted around the clearing, searching for the source of the noise. And then he saw it.

A pair of glowing yellow eyes, peering out from the underbrush.

Before he could react, the creature lunged at him. It was fast—faster than anything Jonas had ever seen. Its body was hunched and muscular, covered in patches of black fur, with elongated claws gleaming in the faint light. It looked like a twisted, nightmarish version of a wolf.

Jonas’s reflexes kicked in just in time. He raised the sword, but the impact of the creature’s charge knocked him back, nearly throwing him off his feet. The beast snarled, swiping at him with its claws. Jonas barely managed to deflect the blow, feeling the force of it rattle his bones.

This thing was real. This wasn’t a dream.

The creature circled him, its glowing eyes filled with hunger. Jonas’s mind raced. He didn’t know how to fight. He had never held a sword in his life. But if he didn’t act, this thing was going to tear him apart.

Combat Skill: Basic Sword Mastery Unlocked.

The chime again, but there was no time to process it. The beast lunged once more, and this time, Jonas didn’t hesitate. He slashed out with the sword, more out of instinct than skill. The blade cut across the creature’s side, sending a spray of dark blood into the air.

The beast howled in pain, but it didn’t stop. It came at him again, faster, more vicious. Jonas grit his teeth and swung again. His muscles burned with the effort, but this time, his strike was more precise. The sword bit deep into the creature’s neck, and with a final, gurgling snarl, it collapsed to the ground.

Jonas stood there, panting, his sword dripping with blood. The beast’s body twitched once, then lay still.

He couldn’t believe it. He had just fought... and won.

Another chime.

XP Gained: 250

Level: 0 — 250/1000

Jonas’s knees nearly buckled. He wiped the sweat from his brow, still trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened. This wasn’t Earth. This wasn’t anything he’d ever known.

And then, from behind him, came a slow, deliberate clap.

“Well, well,” a deep, female voice drawled. “Not bad for a beginner.”

Jonas spun around, sword raised. A woman stepped out from the shadows, tall and powerfully built, with emerald-green skin and sharp tusks protruding from the sides of her mouth. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she crossed her massive arms over her chest.

“Who the hell are you?” Jonas demanded, heart still racing.

The orc woman chuckled. “Name’s Grimm. You’ve got a lot to learn, kid.”

Jonas lowered the sword, but only slightly. He had no idea where he was or what was going on, but it seemed like the answers were going to start with her.