Earth

A voice was heard all over the world, announcing the arrival of something known as the “System”. Soon after, millions of people had disappeared. Those who remained could only speculate as to what was going on.

Many thought that something supernatural was happening. Others thought it was a religious event. Americans blamed the Russians, or the Chinese. The Russians and Chinese blamed the Americans. Many tried to investigate and find a common theme among those who had disappeared, but no pattern was found. It seemed like the disappearances were completely random.

Then people discovered they could interact with the System, learning how to access their Statuses. A rare few even began learning to harness mana. Amidst the frenzy and speculation, world leaders tried desperately to calm their populations, meeting in secret in an attempt to find an explanation for these strange events.

John

His fingertips dug into the rough stone as he climbed the fissure in the cavern wall. His Flash Draw had initially cleaved a smooth, vertical surface in the earth, disintegrating the rock in an instant. But as the walls crumbled in its wake, jagged edges and rough surfaces had formed—just enough for John to find a grip. The few extra points he had in Agility made the climb possible, but only barely.

Gritting his teeth and with a final effort, John pulled himself over the edge of the pit. He rolled onto his back, breathing heavily. He was tired, hungry and his mana was depleted. He needed to rest. The cool grass beneath him was inviting, and his eyes felt heavy. It was tempting to sleep right here as the sun went down, yet John knew better. This place was anything but safe—the System had called it "Nightmare difficulty," after all.

John forced himself back to his feet. He needed to find a place to rest. He walked through the forest, not letting his guard down as he did so. Soon he found the corpse of the panther. As he had suspected, it had bled out from the wound he had carved into its chest. The darkened soil beneath it indicated that a puddle of blood had formed around its torso, before being absorbed by the forest.

John’s stomach rumbled. He couldn’t help wondering what a giant panther would taste like. He had spent the last four years on a deserted island with very limited food options, so he wouldn’t balk at the idea of having to eat a big cat. Making up his mind, John pulled out his Gladius and set about using it to skin the panther. It had been at least a few hours since it died, so he would stay away from its organs. The leg or back meat would be a safer bet.

As John worked, he noticed that the Panther had a peculiar mark on its side. It looked kind of like a pair of crossed arrows. Strange birthmark, he thought. However John was too hungry and tired to give it much more thought. After he was done, he leaned the skinned corpse of the panther on a nearby tree. He then set about making a fire.

John had years of experience doing this, so it didn’t take him very long. Once that was done, he carved pieces of meat from the panther’s corpse, before using his sword as a skewer to cook them.

As they cooked, John took a moment to reflect on things. How did he get here? And why? What was the System? Was this some kind of game for someone’s enjoyment? And what was all that about comprehending the Aspect of Light?

He thought back. A light bulb had gone off in his head, and then his energy had changed. Just like that, he had gotten stronger. Was that always possible, or was it only possible because of the System? So many questions.

All that mattered was that he survived, John reminded himself. Everything else could be figured out later. What was obvious was that the System seemed to be encouraging him to get stronger, and in that regard their goals were aligned.

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Judging that the meat was ready to eat, John took his first bite. It was tough and he had to use a lot of force to tear it with his teeth, but as hungry as he was, it tasted delicious. Juices ran down his chin as he ate. After he had eaten his fill, John followed the sound of water to a nearby stream. After examining the water and deciding that it was clean enough, he bent down to drink and wash his face.

Feeling his eyelids growing heavier, and knowing that he needed to rest to regain his strength, John knew he had to sleep. He couldn’t wander this forest forever. Finding an appropriate tree, John climbed it and got as comfortable as he could on one of its branches. It’s not exactly five star accommodation, but at least he would be somewhat safe up here. He leaned back, allowing sleep to take him.

…

Sometime later, John woke up to the sound of voices. His eyes snapped open. The sounds were growing closer, and soon he could make out the words being spoken. It sounded like another language, but somehow he could understand them perfectly. Was this the Systems doing? Some kind of automatic translation thing? He froze, listening carefully, his hand on the scabbard of his Gladius.

“That fucking cat is always running off on his own. This is the third time I’ve had to go looking for him. I’d kill the damned creature if it hadn’t cost my father so much to purchase him.” said an arrogant, young male voice.

“Be careful, Young Master. These woods are not safe, even for me. We should return home with these slaves you’ve captured, and come back tomorrow with more men. For your safety. ” cautioned another voice carefully.

“Nonsense! My father pays you good money to protect me, Derrtus! Are you saying you are not adequate for the job?” replied the young voice. There was a hint of threat in his tone.

As the voices approached, they seemed unaware of John’s presence in the trees above. John soon caught sight of them, his eyes wide as he drank in the bizarre sight.

He saw a group of five people. Yet he was only sure that two of them were people, the other three hard dark purpley-blue skin, and long ears that stretched behind their skulls. Some kind of elf? A dark elf, maybe. Holy shit, he really was in a Dungeons and Dragons game.

One of the dark elves looked young and sauntered about carelessly, oblivious to his surroundings. He was dressed extravagantly in bright, expensive looking clothing and a jeweled scabbard rested on his hip. Beside him, a slightly older dark elf moved with practiced caution, his sharp gaze scanning the forest as he spoke to the arrogant youngster. He had a large axe on his back, and he looked like he meant business. The last dark elf was quiet. He carried a bow strapped to his back, and he also appeared to be a bodyguard.

John’s eyes moved on from the elves, quickly losing interest in them when he caught sight of the remaining two people. Somehow, he instantly knew they were from Earth. It wasn’t just the normal human ears that gave it away. Perhaps it was their bewildered demeanor, or just simply their clothing and hairstyles - but he knew they didn’t belong here.

One was a teenaged asian boy wearing a gray hoodie, the other was a girl in her mid twenties wearing a sundress. John’s eyes widened as he caught sight of the chains around their hands and feet. They were being dragged along by the quiet elf with the bow.

When the asian boy stumbled, barely catching himself before he hit the ground, the elf cruelly tugged on his chain, sending him sprawling. Before he could recover, a sharp kick to the gut drove the air from his lungs. He didn’t give him a moment to breathe, forcing him up and yelling at him to walk faster. John gripped his Gladius, anger coursing through him. Just as he was considering taking action, a furious shout rang out from one of the elves.

“HEY! W-what is this?!” yelled the young elf, voice full of indignation and horror.

John’s eyes flicked towards the source of the outburst. The young elf stood frozen, staring at the panther’s corpse, his face twisted with disbelief and fury.

A moment of shocked silence followed.

“Young master, this was done somewhat recently. We should leave this place.” advised the older elf, his voice laced with caution.

As the young elf fumed over the corpse, the third dark elf continued to abuse the two humans. He roughly yanked on their chains, and struck them with casual cruelty. What disturbed John the most wasn’t just the brutality - but how it was completely ignored by the other two elves. It was like it was beneath their notice, or perhaps they were simply too accustomed to seeing such treatment.

It pissed John off.

Gripping his Gladius by the hilt, John began circulating his mana. As soon as he did, the older elf’s head snapped towards him. He had sensed him - no, he had sensed his mana. John didn’t care. With a sudden burst of movement, he jumped down from the tree, landing in a crouch with his knees bent - hand still gripping his sword hilt as his mana surged to life.