CHAPTER 1 — The System Awakened from Despair
Atlanta City—a modern metropolis standing on the continent of Asias—was once hailed as a symbol of progress. Its land was rich with natural resources, its skyscrapers towered with gleaming glass, and massive advertisements promised a bright future to anyone willing to work hard. Yet behind the neon lights and crowded highways, something was slowly rotting.
Corruption ran rampant. Officials clawed at one another for power, small rebellions erupted in various corners of the city, and policies meant to protect the people instead crushed the weak. Job opportunities became a luxury. Companies laid off workers for the sake of profit, benefiting only a handful at the top. For the younger generation, dreams often collapsed before they had the chance to grow.
In the heart of that cruel city, a seventeen-year-old boy trudged along the sidewalk with heavy steps. His name was Ryu Celestia.
That day—like so many before it—Ryu returned from one job application to another. A worn-out folder filled with resumes was clutched tightly in his hands, as if it held the last remnants of his fading hope. But every door he knocked on gave him the same answer. Rejection. The usual excuses: not enough experience, too young, positions already filled.
As evening approached, a light rain began to fall, dampening the streets. Ryu stopped beneath the roof of a bus stop and stared at his reflection in the fogged glass. His eyes were tired, his shoulders slumped, his breathing heavy. In the end, he gave up.
He returned to the small room he rented cheaply on the outskirts of the city. The room was nearly empty—just a simple bed, an old wooden desk, and a narrow window facing a back alley. Without changing his clothes, Ryu collapsed onto the bed.
"Haaa…"
He lay there, exhausted from searching for work all day.
"I've applied everywhere, and still I can't get a job. The adult world is really difficult…"
His words lingered in the silent room. No one answered. No one comforted him.
Or at least… that was how it should have been.
Suddenly, something felt different. An unfamiliar sensation crept into his mind—like a sound that wasn't a sound, a vibration that wasn't a vibration. Before Ryu could sit up or scream, a message appeared, as if it had been engraved directly into his consciousness.
"Congratulations. You have been selected as the Host Player of the Monarch of Destruction."
The sudden voice made him jolt upright in shock.
Ryu half-sat on the bed, his heart pounding violently, eyes wide, breath caught in his throat.
"What the hell is this?!" he exclaimed.
The voice had no emotion. Flat. Mechanical. And precisely because of that, it was terrifying.
"By defeating one monster, you will obtain money, the Sword of the Monarch of Destruction, and experience points. As your level increases, more skills and powers will be unlocked."
Along with the voice, a transparent interface appeared before his vision—not floating in the air, but directly within his awareness.
---
Player Status
Name: Ryu Celestia
Level: 1
EXP: 0/100
Class: —
Title: —
Skills: Locked
Equipment: Empty
---
Ryu stared at the screen, his face pale. His throat went dry.
"What the hell is this… a system? Monsters? Money? A game? There's no way—have I gone crazy?"
Frustration filled his voice as he convinced himself he was hallucinating.
He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again.
The screen was still there.
"I must be too stressed… I'm hallucinating," he muttered.
Before he could calm himself, the voice returned—this time firmer.
"You have been selected. You are not hallucinating."
Ryu jumped again, his expression filled with fear and confusion.
"Ahhh… it answered me!"
He grabbed his head with both hands.
A throbbing pain spread through his skull. Logic and fear collided violently.
"Monsters? Don't be ridiculous… there's no such thing as monsters in this world!"
He shook his head hard, as if trying to shake everything away.
"No, no… I need to go somewhere, get healed, before I really go insane!"
Ryu leapt from the bed and ran out of the room, fleeing in panic as if chased by a ghost. His destination was the only place he could think of—his friends, Leon and Evelyn.
He sprinted through narrow alleys and crowded streets, his breath ragged, sweat pouring down his face. Yet he didn't slow down. There was only one thought in his mind: he had to make sure he was still sane.
Not long after, at a street intersection, he spotted two familiar figures. Leon and Evelyn were walking side by side, chatting casually.
When Ryu approached, both of them were startled.
"Hey, guys!" Ryu called out.
"Whoa—why are you running like something's chasing you?" Leon asked in confusion.
"Ryu, what happened to you?" Evelyn asked, worry clear in her voice.
"It's a long story," Ryu replied.
Soon after, they were seated at a small roadside café. The aroma of hot coffee filled the air, slightly calming Ryu's racing heart. After taking a few sips, he finally began to explain.
"When I got home after applying for jobs… something strange happened. A system appeared. It said if I kill one monster, I'll get money, a sword, and experience points."
Leon and Evelyn exchanged glances.
"You're probably just exhausted. There's no such thing as monsters," Evelyn said.
"If anything, you're the monster here," she joked, lightening the mood.
Ryu gave a faint smile, though unease still gnawed at his chest.
"Yeah… maybe I really was hallucinating," he thought.
Leon, who had been listening carefully, spoke up.
"That actually sounds like a novel I've read," he said, puzzled.
"If it's not a hallucination… then what kind of monster would it be?"
His words made Ryu fall silent. He lowered his head and clenched his fists.
"Ugh… my head hurts just thinking about it. No parents, no money, a corrupt government causing problems everywhere… I'm so tired of this life. If only I had power, I'd destroy those corrupt bastards. They do whatever they want and make people suffer—it's infuriating."
There was raw, honest anger in his voice—anger that had been buried deep inside him for far too long.
"Hahaha. Want to work with me, Ryu?" Leon said suddenly. "Bring Evelyn too."
Ryu looked up sharply.
"Huh?! Seriously? You have a job?" His face lit up.
"Yeah," Evelyn replied with a smile.
"Yes! That's great!" Ryu exclaimed happily.
But the moment those words left his mouth, everything changed.
The sky, once bright, slowly darkened. A fierce wind howled, sending leaves spinning wildly. Sunlight vanished as crimson-black clouds rolled across the heavens.
"W-What's going on?!"
Ryu, Evelyn, and Leon all stood up as people poured out of buildings, staring at the blood-red sky.
"This is bad… I have a really terrible feeling," Evelyn said.
Leon swallowed hard, fragments of stories he'd read flashing through his mind.
"This can't be happening… If Ryu wasn't hallucinating, then this is just like those novels… and the monster it mentioned is—"
Leon looked up.
And that was when they saw it.
A massive meteor tore through the clouds, blazing red as it hurtled straight toward the city.
Screams erupted everywhere. Panic exploded in an instant. Cars screeched to a halt, doors flew open, and people ran in every direction.
"Damn it, run! Get out of here!" Ryu shouted, grabbing Evelyn and Leon.
"That meteor… it's going to bring monsters," Leon thought in terror.
And then—
BOOOOM.
The meteor struck the ground with catastrophic force. A colossal explosion tore through the earth, collapsing buildings, shattering roads, and engulfing everything in waves of destruction.
Dust, fire, and screams merged into one.
Amid the chaos, something deep within Ryu stirred.
The system activated once more.
And the world… would never be the same again.
To be continued.