My head felt like it was being hammered from the inside. A dull, throbbing pain slammed over and over, forcing a weak groan from my lips. A foul stench assaulted my nose—mixed with the metallic smell of rust and rotting garbage.
I opened my eyes.
Cracked stone walls greeted my vision. A narrow passage—no, an alley. Sunlight slipped in only as a thin line, barely enough to reveal dirty puddles and ragged cloth that served as my bedding.
"…Huh?"
My voice sounded unfamiliar.
My gaze drifted downward, taking in a body far smaller and thinner than it should be, like someone suffering from chronic malnutrition. The skin was covered in small scars and grime that hadn't been washed away. The clothes I wore were no longer a school uniform but plain, rough fabric patched together in multiple places.
Something exploded inside my head.
Fire. Screams. A night filled with terror.
A pair of large hands yanked my body backward, pulling me away from the doorway.
A woman knelt before me—her face pale, breath trembling, yet she forced a smile.
Her finger pointed toward a narrow gap behind a collapsed wall. The only escape.
Run.
That was the last word I heard.
Then a black shadow with blood-red glowing eyes approached. Behind it came screams—cut off in an instant.
The memories flooded in mercilessly.
I ran without direction through a city in ruins.
Ancient stone buildings—decorated with crystal towers and intricate carvings—collapsed one by one, devoured by flames. The firelight reflected across the cobblestone streets, illuminating panicked silhouettes fleeing in every direction.
Screams filled the air.
Crying, pleas for help, explosions, and the roars of inhuman creatures blended into a single, deafening chaos.
Corpses lay scattered across the streets.
Some were torn apart in grotesque ways; others were burned black. Blood seeped into the cracks between the stones, staining the road crimson.
Almost the entire city had been wiped out in a demon attack.
And I—somehow—had survived and escaped that hell.
The days after that were spent running.
Fleeing alongside streams of refugees, crossing night after night, walking unfamiliar roads, drifting from one city to another.
Eventually, I ended up in this alley. Scavenging scraps of food. Sleeping with one eye open. Living—only to avoid dying.
My chest rose and fell.
The memories stopped, leaving behind a crushing emptiness.
"That was…" I muttered, "…what?"
A child who had lost everything. No home. No future. Only destined to die as a beggar.
And somehow, that child in the memory… was me.
My head still throbbed, the remnants of pain and confusion clinging stubbornly after the visions faded.
Slowly, I sat up, leaning my back against the alley wall. The cold stone felt real. Too real to be a dream.
The incident with the girl on the rooftop earlier remained vivid in my mind, and I knew it hadn't been a hallucination.
Reluctantly, I accepted the truth: I was already dead. And somehow, I had awakened in another world, inside another body.
Weren't the dead supposed to go to heaven or hell?
The thought crossed my mind without warning.
I lowered my gaze.
This body was small and thin. The hands were scarred—marks left by endless hunger and desperate struggles for survival.
I vaguely remembered religions that taught reincarnation and similar beliefs.
"So this is the replacement," I murmured. "Not heaven. Not hell. Is God fake… or did I simply choose wrong?"
I drew a deep breath. The cold air scraped against my lungs.
"I gave up… and ended up forced into a life that looks far worse."
If this was punishment, it was strangely shaped. If it was a second chance, the starting point was cruel.
Even if I chose the wrong side, shouldn't I have been treated better, considering I never committed crimes in my previous life?
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the alley. My body tensed instinctively—moving faster than my thoughts. I held my breath, pressing myself against the wall.
The steps passed by. Silence returned.
"Haa…"
"Alright," I whispered to myself. "At least I didn't go to hell …"
[ Synchronization Successful ] [ Consciousness: Stable ]
Suddenly, an invisible screen appeared before me.
Before I could process it, lines of text began pouring out—one after another—accompanied by soft mechanical sounds.
[ Initiating Initial Class Selection Process ]
The screen expanded, turning into rows of glowing symbols and letters. Several icons rotated slowly before stopping.
Choose Class:
Fighter—basic warrior
Guard—defender / basic tank
Ranger—long-range hunter
Scholar—magic student
Acolyte—servant of god
Caller—beginner summoner
Rogue—thief/agile
I stared at the list for a long moment.
The glowing letters floated in the air, so real they felt tangible. The sight stirred buried memories deep within me.
MMORPG games.
Back when I still tried to socialize.
I remembered playing an online game with a similar system. The class mechanics felt the same—choosing one granted special abilities.
Back then, I hadn't played because I was interested.
I played because I wanted friends.
But I was too busy. In the end, I quit—and still had no friends.
My brows furrowed as I scanned each option, fingers slowly moving as if scrolling up and down.
"There's none…" I murmured.
No Azure Knight. No Seguriper.
Two classes once known as the strongest in close combat and absolute defense—combining speed, magic, and physical power. Perfect for both PvE and PvP.
"This isn't any class I've ever played."
I began reading each class description.
"None of these fit …"
Fighter? Guard?
I glanced at my arms. There was barely any muscle, with bones clearly visible beneath the skin. This body survived on leftovers.
Ranger?
I looked around the alley. No bow. No arrows. Not even a knife. What good was a class without equipment?
Caller… Scholar… Acolyte…
Frustration twisted my expression.
"What's the point? Summon help? Study and hope for free nutritious meals? Or pray and wait for God to drop a piece of bread from the sky?"
My eyes returned to the last option.
Rogue—thief/agile.
The corner of my lips lifted faintly.
"At least this… makes sense."
If there was a class that suited my current situation—
Rogue was the answer.
Without thinking twice, my hand rose. My index finger touched the Rogue icon.
For a moment, the world froze.
[ Class Selected: Rogue ] [ Initializing… ]
Dim light wrapped around my body.
A warm sensation spread from my chest throughout my limbs—not painful, but comforting, like a blanket during heavy rain.
Lines of text filled my vision.
[ Initial Class: Rogue ]
Specialization: Survival | Agility | Basic Theft
Starting Skills:
- Pickpocket
- Light Footwork
- Quick Hands
[ Status ]
HP: 90
MP: 100
Name: Kael
Level: 1
Exp: 0/200
Race: Half-Demon
Class: Rogue
Pride: 1%
Skills: [Pickpocket], [Quick Hands], [Light Footwork]
STR: 6
DEX: 8
AGI: 8
VIT: 6
INT: 7
PER: 8
WIS: 5
LUCK: 2
Wait—
What do you mean I'm not human?!