Arthur opened his eyes to a world that should not exist. The familiar city he had walked for years was gone. Streets twisted into impossible angles. Buildings hovered above ground like islands. Rivers curled in midair, and mountains stretched into the clouds.
The sky shimmered in strange colors, as if reality itself had been rewritten. People ran blindly, screaming, tripping over rubble that had appeared overnight. Their panic was predictable. Arthur did not panic. He scanned the streets, noting movement, escape routes, obstacles, and anyone who might interfere. He adjusted his path in a heartbeat, avoiding falling debris and sidestepping a panicked man without slowing. Survival required precision.
A sudden vibration rolled through the ground. The air itself seemed to hum, pressing against his chest. His pulse quickened for a fraction of a second, and the hairs on his neck stood on end. The world had changed. Every shadow, every flicker of motion became significant.
Then a message appeared before his eyes, not written, not spoken, just certain.
World Integration Complete. All entities initialized at Level 0.
No menus. No pop-ups. Nothing but presence. Arthur understood immediately. The rules had changed. Everything he knew about space, time, strength, and skill was irrelevant. This world would measure him differently.
He stepped forward cautiously. Around him, the weak screamed, the reckless ran, and the clever began observing. Arthur's mind cataloged patterns, routes, and human reactions. He could move, think, and act faster. The system would notice, but he did not care yet.
Above, floating platforms shifted gently. On one, a figure stood watching. Calm, poised, deliberate. Not a threat yet. Not an ally. A measure of what this new world considered competent. Arthur smiled faintly. He had been tested before. Skylandia would be different. The real test had only just begun.