The air smelled of damp moss and distant fire. Lucas Raine's body lay sprawled in the clearing of an unfamiliar forest, stars blinking above like judging eyes. Birds chirped in strange tones. The breeze was thick with mana—something his instincts didn't recognize but his bones oddly did.
His mind slowly regained clarity.
He sat up slowly, confusion swirling with panic. His last memory was that of walking home from a late shift at the campus lab—his body suddenly seizing up in a flash of pain, his vision consumed by spirals of code and static. Then... nothing.
Until now.
[ Initializing System Interface… Standby. ]
The voice echoed directly into his mind—smooth, mechanical, but unmistakably sentient.
Lucas jerked, nearly stumbling backward.
[ Welcome, Lucas Raine. You have been selected by the Codex: LUCKBORNE Interface. ]
A glowing blue screen unfolded before his eyes, translucent yet readable, floating like a hologram.
NAME: Lucas RaineCLASS: Necromancer / SummonerLEVEL: 1RANK: F-tier (Beginner)TITLE: NoneTRAIT: Fate's Catalyst (Chaos Grade)STATS:STR – 8 | DEX – 10 | INT – 14 | WIS – 12VIT – 10 | ARC – 16 | LUCK – 50SYSTEM POINTS: 0SUMMONS: 0/2 Active
[ Village detected: Virelia — Frontier Settlement, Demon-Territory Adjacent. ][ Population: 314 (Humans: 300, Demi-humans: 12, Others: 2) ]
"Demons?" Lucas mumbled.
The System chimed again.
[ You are currently within a low-safety zone. Adventurers operate within the region. Hostile entities sighted within 3 kilometers. ]
Perfect. Thrown into a fantasy world, system interface jammed into his head, and now he was near something called demon territory.
Just then, the screen shifted.
[ QUEST INITIATED – "A Stranger's First Step" ][ Objective: Reach Virelia Village and report to the Guild Hall. ][ Reward: 100 EXP, Access to Village Services, +1 System Point ][ Bonus Objective: Use a skill before reaching the village. ]
"Well," he sighed, dusting his pants off, "better than getting hit by another car."
He took his first step forward—and stumbled immediately over a small root, landing hard on his palms.
"...Okay, RNG, I see how it is."
A tiny puff of sparkles floated around him. The Codex Interface flickered.
[ ☘ LUCK EVENT – Unexpected Outcome Triggered! ][ You've accidentally unearthed a buried pouch. Contents: 3 bronze coins, 1 forest mushroom. ]
At least he wasn't going to starve.
It took him twenty minutes to find the dirt path leading downhill. More lights. More signs of smoke. And a wooden gatepost emerged between two gnarled trees.
Welcome to Virelia.
The gate opened after he shouted, and an armored guard grunted at him. No real suspicion—just exhaustion.
Inside the village, torches lit a stone-lined path leading to several long wooden buildings. His System pinged again.
[ QUEST COMPLETE – "A Stranger's First Step" ][ +100 EXP ][ +1 System Point ][ LEVEL UP! → Level 2 ][ New Skill Unlock Available ]
He blinked.
"Level up already? That was easy."
A young woman approached, wearing leather armor with a copper brooch shaped like crossed swords.
"You must be the one the Guildmaster told me to expect. Come with me."
Lucas followed, scanning her face. Auburn hair, emerald eyes, sharp and watchful. Cute.
She touched his arm softly as they walked—and the System's interface flickered again.
[ ☘ LUCK EVENT – Social Bonding Boost! ][ Your charm has unexpectedly increased by 1 point. ]
He smiled awkwardly. She didn't notice.
The building she brought him to was a squat lodge marked "ADVENTURER'S GUILD." Inside, a receptionist handed him a basic adventurer badge.
[ You've joined the Adventurer's Guild – Rank: F ]
Lucas opened his interface:
SYSTEM SHOP – Available Skills:⚔ Soul Lance (Offensive – Tier D) – 3 SP☠ Summon: Grave Imp (Undead Type – Evolvable) – 2 SP🐾 Summon: Ember Fox (Fire Type – Evolvable) – 2 SP🌲 Life Skill: Lumbercraft (Tier D) – 1 SP💀 Passive: Death Pact (Necromancer Only – Tier D) – 3 SP
He grinned. "Let's see how far this System can take me."