The thick, oppressive canopy of the jungle seemed to swallow the light. Kira stumbled through the underbrush, his school uniform already shredded by the jagged vines. He clutched at his side, cursing under his breath.

"How the hell did this happen?" he muttered.

Just two hours ago, he’d been sitting in his school library, cramming for a physics test. Now, he was surrounded by grotesque trees, their bark twisting into eerie faces. He had no idea where he was—or why he was here.

A faint growl made him freeze. Turning slowly, he saw it: a goblin. It stood no taller than his waist, but its jagged teeth and crooked dagger made it clear it wasn’t here for a chat.

The goblin lunged.

Kira screamed, leaping back, but his foot caught a root, sending him sprawling. The creature loomed over him, dagger poised to strike.

"I don’t wanna die!" he cried, shielding his face.

Suddenly, the air shimmered. A blinding blue light erupted between him and the goblin, sending the creature flying into a tree. Kira sat up, gasping. In front of him hovered a glowing, translucent rectangle filled with text:

System Activation: User "Kira" Detected. Initializing AI Assist Protocol.

Kira stared. "What... is this?"

The text faded, replaced by a cool, feminine voice.

“Greetings, User Kira. I am your System AI, designed to facilitate your survival and growth in this hostile world.”

"Hostile? You don’t say!" Kira snapped, pointing at the twitching goblin. "What the hell just happened?!"

“I intercepted the threat to prevent your termination. However, this action depleted a significant portion of my energy reserves. Future interventions will require your active participation.”

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"Great," Kira muttered, glancing at the stunned goblin. "And what am I supposed to do about that?"

“Defend yourself. I will assist by providing basic combat guidance.”

"Combat? I don’t even know how to hold a sword!"

The System sighed—or at least, Kira imagined it did.

“Not to worry. You have latent potential in magic. I will now unlock your first spell: Arcane Bolt.”

Another notification appeared:

Skill Unlocked: Arcane Bolt - A beginner-level magical projectile.

"Magic? Are you serious?"

“You have approximately ten seconds to begin casting before the goblin recovers.”

The goblin shook its head, snarling as it charged again.

"Okay, okay! How do I do this?!" Kira shouted.

“Focus. Picture the energy flowing through you. Visualize your target and chant the incantation: Ignis Arcana.”

Kira thrust his trembling hand forward. "Ignis Arcana!"

A shimmering blue bolt of energy burst from his palm, striking the goblin square in the chest. It collapsed with a gurgling shriek, its dagger clattering to the ground.

Kira collapsed too, panting. "I... I did it."

“Congratulations, User. You have defeated your first enemy. Experience points awarded.”

A small progress bar appeared above the System window. Kira groaned. "I’m in some kind of video game, aren’t I?"

“Incorrect. This is a real-world application of an adaptive progression system designed to ensure your survival.”

"Right. Sure. That totally clears it up."

Kira was about to move on when a thunderous roar shook the jungle. The underbrush parted, revealing a much larger goblin—nearly twice his height. Its eyes burned with rage as it spotted the fallen goblin at Kira’s feet.

“Alert: High-threat enemy detected. Recommendation: Engage with caution.”

"You think?!" Kira yelled, scrambling to his feet.

The goblin charged, swinging a massive club. Kira barely dodged, tumbling into the dirt.

“User, you must use the environment to your advantage. Target its legs to destabilize it.”

Kira grabbed a rock and hurled it at the goblin’s knee. It roared in pain, stumbling, but it wasn’t enough.

“Cast Arcane Bolt repeatedly. Deplete its stamina.”

"I’m trying!" Kira screamed, firing bolt after bolt. Each one struck true, but the goblin kept coming.

Finally, with a deafening roar, the creature collapsed, its body riddled with burns. Kira fell to his knees, trembling.

“Enemy defeated. Significant experience points awarded.”

"Yeah, great. I almost died," Kira muttered.

“Correction: You survived. Progressing is the key to strength.”