The first thing John expected when waking up on a nice Monday morning was not a splitting headache. Neither was the cold concrete floor that greeted him, nor the blinking text that floated in front of his face, a topic which quickly became the center of his attention.

[You have entered the first layer]

[Calibrating…]

[Data Synchronized]

[Welcome… John]

What…? John was befuddled, staring at the translucent blue screen that hovered in front of him. He slapped the air, his hand merely passing through the anomalous text, something which confounded him even further. The text scrolled by at impossible speeds, as if changing and twisting as time went on. It blurred through his vision before he could even comprehend the meaning of the words, before suddenly more appeared again, blinking in front of his face. He jumped slightly, his back hitting a hardened, concrete wall, the same dull gray as the floor, before observing the surreal spectacle before him.

[Scanning for Data…]

[Core… Absent]

[Mana… Absent]

[Traits… Absent]

[Species… Absent]

[Error]

[System data not found]

[Initiating SystemInduction.sys]

Before he knew it, John was overwhelmed with a piercing, stabbing pain. It dug into his entire body, enveloping all of his senses as he clenched his teeth. His muscles tensed, and he let out a pained scream, desperately trying to resist, but to no avail. It felt as if he was being squeezed on all sides, with some invisible, impenetrable force threatening to crush him. He panicked, flailing his arms around the open air as if he could push the pain away, just as the piercing, threatening force suddenly began to multiply. He could feel something foreign flowing through him, like a river through his veins, enveloping his bloodstream, invading his systems, like a virus eroding him from the inside out. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours as he stood there, unable to move.

Just as he accepted his fate, the pain dissipated, gone as quickly as it came. He gasped for breath, as if he had been unfrozen from time itself, clutching at his chest with his hand. His breathing was staggered and rugged, as if overcoming a minacious coughing fit, and he quickly noticed a line of tears that dripped from his eyes.

[Congratulations on your induction into the System]

[Core: Copper]

[Soul: Copper]

[Traits: Masterful Crafter (Species Only)]

[Species: Human]

[Status:]

[Strength: 10]

[Constitution: 10]

[Dexterity: 10]

[Intelligence: 10]

[Spirit: 10]

[Charisma: 10]

[Abilities: None]

John’s confusion continued to spiral out of control, his eyes widening in recognition. These… they felt familiar, yet when he attempted to think back to it, he couldn’t find the memory. Frowning, he dug further, yet it felt as if a hole had been forcefully dug out inside his mind, removing the memory. He knew it should be there, he could feel it on the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn’t quite place it.

[To ensure utmost fairness, all sentients’ attributes are set to 10]

[Good luck]

“What does this even mean?” He asked no one in particular, his voice cracking as he finally spoke. His body felt foreign, as if his mind had been placed into something new. Looking down at himself, he noticed that his previously skinny stature had been replaced by a slightly larger body, adorned with slim muscles, which hadn’t been there before. Not to mention, he felt taller and lighter, like he could do a backflip on the spot.

He stood tall, turning his attention to the hard, concrete floors that he stood on. Staring around himself revealed a strange light which permeated throughout the room, despite the lack of a lightbulb or natural lighting. The room was somehow fully lit, revealing four large concrete walls on each side of the room, one of which he was leaned against. His breath quickened as he looked for an exit of some kind, some form of way to return to his home, but he quickly realized that there was no door.

[Generating Layer 1]

[Calculating…]

More text flooded his vision, appearing one instant and disappearing in the next, barely giving him enough time to read the messages that bombarded him.

[Layer 1: Begin]

The concrete floors around John turned a vibrant green, with fields of grass erupting from the ground as the room shifted, sloping and transforming into a vibrant hillside. The concrete walls seemingly fell away, revealing a bright, cloudless blue sky. Trees sprouted from the ground and grew within seconds, leaving John’s mouth agape in shock. At the crest of the hill, a house blinked into existence, walls made of a brightly painted wood. A series of warm red shingles crowned the fantastical house, which sloped and slanted like something of a children’s fairy tale.

The cottage was bright and comforting, a stark contrast to the grey concrete walls from before. As John regained his senses, he turned around, seeing a small border of trees surrounding the hillside, obscuring his vision beyond. He scratched his head before turning back towards the cottage once more, noticing a chimney that wasn’t there before, bellowing smoke. It all felt unnatural, as if the universe itself was artificially created and sculpted, like a painting. Even the smoke from the chimney felt off, yet it gave John a warm, fuzzy feeling, like he was returning home.

He stood still for a minute, conflicted over what to do. On one hand, he was shocked and scared of the world around him, seeing such a casual display of absurd changes that seemingly broke the laws of physics. On the other hand, the cottage was terribly inviting, and he was desperate for someone or something to talk to, and the smoke that erupted from the chimney certainly pointed to activity inside the house. He tightened and untightened his fists, unsure of what to do, before taking a deep breath, his chest puffing out as his lungs reached its capacity and stepped up to the door.

“Hell-“ He rapped the door with his fist as he called out a greeting, but as he pulled his hand back to knock a second time, he was interrupted by the door swinging open, startling him. Behind the door stood a bright, young woman, who appeared to be in her early twenties, with bright orange hair. Her face was smooth, bright and pale, and covered in small, puckish freckles, as if she were a character from a movie. She smiled brightly- for just a moment- before her face drooped to a quizzical frown. She tilted her head, looking at him, and he did the same.

She wore a long, rustic dress, accompanied by a bright tan apron. Adorned atop her head was a small winter cap, made of smooth, untarnished leather. She was dressed as if snow piled along the ground, as if the icy winds would blow her away and send her shivering, yet the summer breeze was warm and inviting. She was slim, but fit, and when looking into her eyes, he noticed a distinct calmness behind her gaze, as if she was purely confident, her pride evident in her stance. She stood with her chest puffed out, her back straight, and her head held high, like a nobleman or an experienced scientist would when walking the open streets.

“Hello, dear traveler!” She smiled once more, a light, beaming smile as she spoke to him. Her voice was a unique accent, a mixture of English, and something he couldn’t quite place his mind on. “I wasn’t expecting visitors, but since you’re here… would you mind helping me with a task? Tis of utmost importance!” She bounced as she spoke, her voice shifting as she did so. She grabbed his hand before he could retort, pulling him towards her as she began to turn around, leading him inside.

“Wait- what?” He stumbled forwards, nearly falling on his face as she pulled him into the house. Her stature was small, but she was surprisingly strong, and he found that he couldn’t break free of her tight grip. “Who are you? Where am I?” He asked, desperation peeking through his questioning. “What the hell is going on?! Text boxes, and- and the walls turned into… this, wherever this is. Please, explain!” His voice was less demanding and more questioning, as if begging for an answer, but she ignored him, not even giving him a glance as she passed through the various rooms of her house, passing through a robust living room, with mountains of blankets strewn about, through a wonderous kitchen, with furniture painted to look like wood, and a library of beautiful, unending shelves of books. The ceiling was painted with layers of lovely, vibrant green, as if the roof was a canopy of trees, sunlight poking through the leaves, even if it was only paint. Finally, they stopped near a large flight of stairs, leading downwards into what John could only assume was the basement.

“Please, traveler! There’s a beast in my basement! It crept through my windows and taunts me in the wee hours of the night… Please!” Her palms clasped together in a temple, as if praying to the gods above. “I just want to be free of this torment, of his quiet whispers in the night, tempting me to his clutching jaws. It drives me mad!” Her words were quick, heightened and energetic, as if she needed to release as much information as possible. It was quite overwhelming to John, who stood hesitantly, watching the door, fearing the worst.

“I-I- Look, lady, whoever you are, I’m lost. I need help finding my way back home. Is there a map I could use, or a GPS, or whatever?” His eyes never left the ominous door, which sat obscured by the shadow of the staircase above it, shrouding it in darkness. “If you’ve got a beast, I’m sure you can call an exterminator, or the police, I don’t know how it works.” He took a step back from the ominous entryway, but found himself unable to move. She stood behind him, her hands firmly holding him in place.

“Please, traveler! There’s a beast in my basement! It crept th-“ Her words are exactly the same John noticed, as she repeated her previous exclamation, his brows furrowed in thought. This isn’t real, it can’t be. It’s got to be some unique dream, some lucid nightmare or something. His hand flew to his face as he stood, contemplating. He bit down on his fingernail, feeling the temptation to walk away. I could just leave, go and wait for myself to wake up… but something feels off here. His hand brushed against the wall, feeling the rough, grainy texture of the brick, feeling the thump! of his simple shoes stomping along the hardened wood floors. It felt real. It felt alive.

He hesitated, for a moment, his mind reeling. Was he simply dreaming? But the woman clearly needed help, but would help even do anything? Ho-

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

[Objective Gained: Beryl’s Plight]

[Beryl’s home has been invaded by a mysterious creature. Resolve the issue, or escape]

[Reward: ???]

His face jerked back, as his thoughts were interrupted by the blinking text, which appeared with a Ping! In front of him. Beryl, which he assumed was the woman’s name, was staring at him blankly, an empty, hollow, stare. It’s as if time froze itself, she didn’t even blink until the floating text fell away from his view, and she resumed her previously frantic expression. This stupefied John further, and his brows furrowed in frustration as he tried to comprehend the situation.

Suddenly, from the door, he saw a flash of shadow from under the gap in the door, where something stood in the doorway, listening to their conversation. He froze, watching the shadow, until a slow, strained scratching noise resounded across the hall. He couldn’t tell what or who it was, but it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Each resonating sound sent a chilling shiver down his spine,  

“P-please!” Beryl’s voice stuttered as she took a preemptive step back from the door, her leather shoes scraping across the bright wooden floors. Suddenly, her heel caught on a one legged table, which looked more like a wooden stool, and she fell to the ground, her hands slapping against the floorboards with a resounding clap!

Just as John went to help her up, a piercing BANG! Rang out from the basement door, as the creature pushed against the wood. The hinges twisted and bent, showering the stairwell with splinters as the frame exploded outwards. A large figure, layered in dense, thick, black fur burst from the cloud of dust that settled in the stair well. It looked like a massive bi-pedal wolf, with glowing red eyes and fangs as big as icicles. A stream of drool fell from its gaping mouth as it rapidly made its way up the stairs, its thick claws punching holes into the walls as it threw itself upwards.

It was up the stairs in an instant, as fast as John could blink. Each step the creature took stomped into the ground, sending an imposing thud echoing through the house, as it continued its murderous rampage towards the defenseless Beryl. John, shaken by the explosive activity, watched the creature begin to approach Beryl, who had scurried back along the wall, her back pressed to the wooden boards as she screamed at the top of her lungs. He knew she would die if nothing happened, but there’s no way he could take on something like that, right? It was taller, stronger, and wider than him, there was no chance in hell her could win. However, could he live with that? Without at least trying to help the woman who’d invited him in, begging for help?

Without a second thought, John launched himself into the side of the wolf, who had largely ignored him during its sprint. He saw the bright red iris of the creature’s eyes dart towards him as he moved, and it began to twist towards him, but not before John’s large frame hit the center of its body, sending it flying off course, and crashing into a shelf that housed a collection of fine China, which shattered upon the destruction of said shelf. A flurry of sharp plate fell atop the wolf, with one of them embedding itself in its side, releasing a shuddering yelp that sounded more like a growl.

John stood up quickly, finding his footing as the howling monster began to bleed along the floor, sending a line of small, scarlet splotches along the ground as it began to move once again, this time with its attention pointed towards John himself. “Foo-lish Hu-man” it hissed through gritted teeth, standing on both legs for the first time. It looked much more bipedal than a quadruped, and its matted head touched the ceiling of the cottage, standing several feet above John’s smaller, six foot frame.

“You can speak?” He asked, more to himself, his mind racing. He watched his enemy closely, waiting for a sudden jerk or flinch he could take advantage of, but finding none. It just watched him, slowly, its gigantic mass like an impenetrable wall, or at least one John knew he couldn’t penetrate with just his bare fists. His eyes darted around the room, looking for something he could use as a weapon, but all the usable items were scattered across the floor. There was no chance he could get to something that fast, much less bending down to grab it. Knowing he couldn’t reasonably fight back, he put up his fists, like a boxer, light on the balls of his feet.

“Ye-ssss” Its speech was broken, tattered, foreign, like it was testing the words with each syllable. Its jaw formed into a shriveling grin, twisting and distorting its already hideous face. “De-ath, you will fi-nd, hu-man” It started moving towards him, slowly and raggedly. “You dis-turb my pr-ey, Fee-ble as you are.” With those words, it raised a large paw, its razor sharp claws glinting in the light of a nearby chandelier. John tried to throw himself to the side, but the piercing razors swung down in a wide arc, shredding John’s clothing and leaving a harsh gash deep into his gut. Blood spewed from the gaping wound as John fell to the ground, clutching his stomach in an attempt to halt the flow of blood.

His breath fluttered as he spasmed on the ground, the words he attempted to scream instead came out as gargled, painful gasps. He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him, struggling to breathe as he writhed, the sticky, slippery blood coating his hand a scarlet red. He fought with himself for who knows how long, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the creature cackling, smiling with glee as it watched him die, its eyes filled with ecstasy as it sniffed the air. It could smell it, the stench of death, as it began to settle onto the now stained floorboards.

Just when John felt his vision blur, a loud voice erupted from the corner of the room:

“[Greater Healing]!” John’s vision swung to where the voice originated from, seeing Beryl, cowering against the wall, her hand outstretched towards him, glowing in a soft green light that bathed the well lit room in a cascade of energy. As the rays touched him, he noticed the pain immediately begin to soften, and he watched as his skin painfully and slowly begin to stitch itself back together, until the gaping wound was fully closed, sealing itself, as if it never occurred in the first place. All that remained was a fleeting, phantom pain, and a lengthy scar that covered his previously unblemished skin. John was fascinated, observing the supernatural and irrational energy as it danced along the room, before he remembered the threat before him.

Thinking fast, he pushed himself to his feet, regaining his balance as his head spun, making him dizzy. He leaned against the nearby wall, his eyes finding the creature, who stood, still amused at his attempt to fight back. He could see something change in its expression, a hint of annoyance as he watched John recover, but John didn’t care anymore. All that mattered was fighting for his life.

His hand found a nearby lamp which was surprisingly unbroken after being knocked off its stand, gripping it tightly, his knuckles tinged white as he held onto it for dear life, knowing this was his only weapon. He bent his legs like an athlete, preparing to move, before launching himself forwards, slamming the lamp towards the head of the beast. It tried to twist out of the way, but John’s makeshift weapon slammed into it, shattering on contact but sending the beast rearing away, clutching the sides of its head.

John grabbed a shard of broken glass and gripped it tightly, feeling the sharp edge piece into his hand, but he did not care, nor did he care about the spurt of blood that now ran down his palm, the smell of iron filling his nostrils. He followed after the beast as it staggered away, plunging the shard into its hide, before pulling it out, and slamming it back in again.

It swiped at him, glancing his shoulder with its claws once more, but John barely flinched, continuing his barbaric rampage on the creature, his hoarse voice forming into a scream, which echoed in his ears as he finally heard the first whimper of fear from the creature. It only drove him further, and he kept stabbing it, filling with gashing, gaping wounds that would’ve killed John hundreds of times over.

It kept squirming, so he kept stabbing;

And stabbing,

And stabbing.

Until finally, it shuddered as it took one long, final breath, its strength giving out as it fell still, dead. John did not care, however, plunging a few more thrusts into it, before falling backwards, his backside hitting the hard wood floors roughly. He took a deep breath, his head spinning. He felt light, as if nothing that was happening was real, like it was all a figment of his imagination, until he looked at his hands.

The shard of glass he’d used to kill the beast was broken and unrecognizable, with small shards piercing into his hands, leaving deep, painful wounds that now began to hurt with an intense pain, his hand slowly erupting into a series of piercing throbs, like a hive of bullet ants were taking turns biting him, turning his hand into a pasty mush. He let out a choked sob, feeling tears involuntarily reach his cheeks.

He lay there for a few minutes, sobbing to himself as he processed the situation, before he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind him. He turned, seeing Beryl standing there, her hand once again glowing with an intense green light.

“I’m afraid I must pull out those shards.” She said, sternly, her face layered with concern. “It’s necessary for me to heal your hand, unless you want shards of glass stuck in you forever.” She gave him a brief smile “that lamp was an heirloom, just so you know. Passed down for centuries through my family.” She patted his shoulder, before reaching towards his hand and yanking out the sharp glass, provoking a pained howl from John, before moving to the next, and the next, until finally, his hand was nothing but a few lines of cuts. With the wave of her hand, she once again spoke those strange words, which echoed in a language John couldn’t understand.

 [Greater Healing]

Somehow, despite the words sounding alien, he understood what they meant, and his mouth fell open in awe as he observed the cuts stitch themselves back together, feeling the familiar sting as the cuts re-attached. “What is this?” He asked, shocked at the potency of healing, his hand reaching for one of the distinct green rays of light which bathed the room, as if they were something he could touch.

“Magic, my dear boy. ‘Tis a simple spell for advanced scholars of the Emperor, such as myself.” She smiled cheekily, a smug grin crossing her face. “I’m a magician, one of the best in the world, if I do say so myself.” Her bright face felt childish, and he couldn’t help but smile at her proud manner of speaking. “Thank you, traveler, for assisting me in my…” she looked towards the unmoving form of the beast, its black fur stained with dark red blood, the two seeping together to create a blend of color. “Situation, if that’s the correct way to put it.” She clicked her tongue, observing the devastation caused by the fight. “It seems I must repair my lovely furniture I worked so hard on.” She said, with a slight bit of sadness. Then, her face crumpled into a scowl, as she observed the red floorboards. “I’ll never be rid of that, however.” She sighed deeply; “A setback, nothing more. Still, you saved my life, traveler, thank you. I am forever in your debt.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. She was much smaller than him, and she tilted her head upwards to look him in the eyes.

“My thank-“

[Objective Completed: Survived]

[Side Objective Completed: Beryl is Still Alive]

[Side Objective Completed: Werewolf is Dead]

[Congratulations! Layer 1 Complete]

[Reward: Ability Assignment]

Werewolf?! He asked himself, his eyes glancing at the mythical monster that sat before him, buried in a pool of blood. He looked to where the claws pierced his skin, tentatively touching it before pulling away, hoping he wouldn’t start growing fur anytime soon.

He looked up, hoping to speak to Beryl more, but she was frozen still, so still it felt like time itself had stopped, her words stopping mid-sentence as the floating text returned, filling his vision. The world suddenly felt cold, as if he was stuck in a freezer and couldn’t escape. A shiver inched down his spine as he caught his breath, waving his hand in front of her face, but eliciting no reaction. He inspected her face, looking for any signs of movement, even the smallest amount, but he found nothing. She wasn’t moving in slow motion, she wasn’t moving, at all. His brows furrowed, and he leaned away from her, a million possibilities running through his head, none of them coming to a reasonable conclusion.

“Side objectives?” He said to no one in particular, his voice suddenly feeling extremely quiet, knowing that nobody could hear him. Feels like a game, or some interactive adventure He had consumed plenty of media involving fantastical fantasy worlds, monsters, and adventurers in the past, but to think something like that is here in reality was… nearly impossible to believe. He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing deeply as he processed this information, feeling something well up inside him. Was it excitement? Fear? Anger? He couldn’t quite tell, but he knew that there was something deeper behind this. He attempted to shift his feet but felt himself frozen in place, unable to move his legs. “Shit…” he said under his breath. Placing his arms under his thigh, he used his upper body to shift his leg up as far as possible. He pulled and strained as hard as he could, but they would not budge, seemingly glued to the floor.

[Congratulations on Your Induction to the Layers]

This time, a voice rang out with the words, sounding monotone and robotic, as if it was an automated phone call. At the same time, a small graphic of confetti appeared around the text, before quickly disappearing. What the hell is going on? John asked internally, a frustrated frown on his face. It seemed he wasn’t the only one going through this trial, and he wondered just how different things were compared to what happened to him. Just as the thought crossed his mind, a series of videos appeared before him, accompanied by a list of potential results.

He watched as a man ran away from the cabin, through the intense brush of woods. He stumbled and fell to the ground, before a large dire wolf pounced on him, slashing through his spine with claws as sharp as the werewolf, erupting a cry of agony from the man, cries that were quickly surpassed as the wolf began to take a bit of his flesh, eating him alive. The camera cut away before he could see more of the terrifying sight.

The next screen showed him a woman fleeing through the woods again, narrowly dodging the swipes of a nearby wolf, moving like an Olympic gymnast as she shot through the dense vegetation. He watched her weave through the rest of the forest, like a dancer on ice, before she ran into a large, stone monument that lightly hovered above the ground, glowing with dense, blue patterns, giving it an alien-like feeling. After hesitantly placing her hand on the stone, she was enveloped in a blue light, and disappeared.

Another scene shows someone confronting the werewolf but being swiftly put down by its monstrous strength. Another showed a man trying to stab Beryl, who cowered away in fear, only to be cut down by the werewolf again. He saw tens of scenes of death, destruction, and chaos, watching people cry in the corner as a beast bears down upon it, watching those foolish enough to fight back, and a middling palette of vile, evil actions he couldn’t bear to see.

Despite the horrifying events, he felt rather lucky at his outcome, knowing just how easy it was to die here, despite Beryl’s healing. It began to hit him, just how gruesome this situation was. He was clearly not the only person going through this. It seemed almost as if all of humanity experienced this exact same situation at the same time, and he shuddered to think of the undoubtedly many deaths that followed this experience. Despite the horror, he couldn’t help but ask more questions he knew wouldn’t be answered.

[Passive Ability gained: Willpower - 1/2]

[You have proven yourself able to push beyond your limits in the face of mortal danger. In times of intense stress, you find calm in the storm. While this ability is active, the user has increased control of their emotions, allowing for higher focus and quicker reactions during combat and fast-paced situations]

[Active Ability gained: Adrenaline - 16/25]

[You have proven your ability to continue fighting, despite fatal wounds. Experience enhanced energy and pain resistance during combat. While this ability is active, the user feels constantly energized, allowing for prolonged combat with one or more combatants. Perceived pain is nullified by 50%. After this ability has been used for over one minute, user has a 25% chance per minute of entering a berserker state]

He read the descriptions of the “abilities,” before he felt a rush of energy pass through him, seeping into his very soul. He was stuck in a sense of ecstasy as he felt something new becoming a part of him. Minutes felt like hours as he absorbed this euphoria, before finally it subsided, and was replaced by something radically different. He felt… full, as if he had eaten several servings of food.

Just as he was processing this information, his eyes suddenly dimmed, and an intense wave of sleepiness overwhelmed his senses, sending his head drooping low. He fought to keep his head up high, but he found his efforts were to no avail, and his body slumped, his legs finally freeing themselves from their unmoving state, sending him tumbling to the ground with a thump!

Just before he fell into a deep slumber, his vision was filled with more floating text, hovering before his eyes intensely, seemingly shaking before his vision:

[You finished SystemInduction.sys with satisfactory results]

[You have been randomly assigned to participate in the 5th wave]

[Enjoy your rest]

And everything went black.