The soft chirping of birds greeted Damian as he slowly opened his eyes. Every part of his body ached, but he was alive. The grassy clearing where he’d collapsed was still damp with dew, and the air was thick with the metallic scent of blood.

He glanced over at the stag’s massive corpse, its horn cracked and its once-bright eyes dull. Damian took a deep breath, the events of the night before replaying in his mind. The electricity. The pain. The sheer desperation to survive.

Shaking off the lingering fear, Damian flexed his fingers, focusing on the strange new energy he’d unlocked. He extended his hand, summoning a faint spark of blue lightning. The bolt flickered and died quickly, but it was enough to confirm what he’d learned from the skill stone: Blue Lightning.

“Unreal,” he muttered, staring at his palm.

But there was no time to linger on the discovery. He needed to get back home—and the stag wasn’t going to move itself.

Dragging the stag back to the farmhouse was exhausting, even with his newfound strength. Its weight tested his resolve, but Damian gritted his teeth and pushed through. By the time he reached the yard, he was covered in sweat and dirt.

The sound of the news playing on the television caught his attention as he stepped inside. His aunt and uncle were seated in the living room, their faces pale with fear.

“Damian!” his aunt Mary cried, rushing toward him. “Thank God you’re back. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said, brushing her off. “What’s going on?”

His uncle Ben stood and gestured to the television. “You need to see this.”

Damian turned to the screen, his stomach tightening at the headlines:

“Worldwide Chaos: Cities Under Siege by Mysterious Creatures!”

“Portals Appear in Major Urban Areas—Authorities Struggle to Respond.”

The footage was grim. Aerial shots of Dallas showed streets in chaos, with strange creatures rampaging through the city. San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge was overrun by flying monsters. New York was the worst—massive, dinosaur-like beasts crushed cars and buildings as people fled in terror.

Stolen novel; please report.

Damian’s blood ran cold. “No… this can’t be real.”

His uncle placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s real, son. It’s happening everywhere—Dallas, Miami, San Francisco, even overseas. London, Tokyo… the whole world’s under attack.”

Damian’s heart raced as a horrifying thought struck him. “What about my parents?” he asked, his voice trembling. “They’re in Dallas!”

Ben raised his hands, trying to calm him. “They’re fine, Damian. They’re not in the city. Your mom called last night—they’re in Austin visiting your sister Astrid.”

Damian exhaled sharply, his knees nearly giving out. “Thank God…” He ran a hand through his hair, his relief quickly replaced by dread. “But what about everyone else? The city’s… it’s gone, isn’t it?”

“For now, they’ve closed all travel to Dallas,” Ben explained. “They’re evacuating who they can, but the portals are still active. More of those… things are pouring out. And it’s not just there—New York’s been hit the hardest.”

“What’s happening in New York?” Damian asked, though he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer.

Ben hesitated before replying, his voice low. “Dinosaurs. Big ones. Like something out of Jurassic Park. They’re tearing the city apart.”

Damian stared at him, unable to process the words. His nightmare had become reality. He’d barely survived a single stag, and now the world was under siege by creatures far worse.

He sank into a chair, defeated. “Dinosaurs,” he muttered. “What the hell is going on?”

His aunt Mary placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get through this, Damian. We always do.”

But her words felt hollow. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, suffocating and relentless.

After showering and changing into clean clothes, Damian tried to rest. His body demanded it, but his mind wouldn’t stop racing. He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying everything he’d learned.

The world wasn’t just changing—it was breaking.

Later that day, the sound of a truck pulling up outside snapped Damian out of his thoughts. He stepped outside to find the game warden, Billy, stepping out with a small envelope in hand.

“Damian,” Billy greeted, giving him a nod. “Heard about the stag. That was some fine work.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Damian replied, his tone weary.

Billy handed him the envelope. “Here’s your reward. A thousand dollars, just like we promised.”

Damian took it, feeling a pang of guilt. The money felt insignificant in the face of what was happening.

“You did good,” Billy said, his expression serious. “But you’d better be ready. This isn’t over—not by a long shot.”

Damian nodded. “I know.”

As the sun set, Damian sat at the kitchen table, counting the money. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to buy a new weapon. Guns just weren’t the right answer.

His last battles made it clear he needed to start using a sword similar to the way he did in game. If the stag was any indication, the creatures were only going to get stronger. And Damian had no choice but to get stronger by using the system.