Rain fell endlessly from a blackened sky.
The battlefield burned beneath flashes of artillery fire while ruined buildings collapsed one after another in the distance. Smoke and dust covered the city like a suffocating blanket, turning the night into a hellish mixture of ash, flame, and death.
Gunfire echoed from every direction.
Men screamed through radios distorted by static.
Military vehicles burned across shattered streets while tracer rounds tore through collapsing buildings overhead.
And in the middle of that nightmare—
Ren staggered through the ruins with exhausted eyes.
His combat uniform was torn and soaked with blood. The rifle hanging from his shoulder had almost no ammunition left, while the radio attached to his vest only emitted broken static.
His squad was gone.
Everyone.
The last hour replayed repeatedly inside his head.
The ambush.
The bombardment.
The desperate retreat through enemy fire.
One by one, his comrades had disappeared beneath explosions and collapsing buildings until only Ren remained alive.
A nearby artillery shell exploded violently.
The shockwave slammed him against a destroyed concrete wall.
Dust and smoke immediately filled the air.
Ren coughed harshly before slowly lifting his head toward the sky.
Then he saw it.
A missile descending directly toward his position.
For a brief moment, the world became strangely quiet.
The explosions faded.
The screams disappeared.
Only the sound of rain remained.
Ren closed his eyes.
And white light swallowed everything.
Cold water dripped onto his forehead.
Ren's eyes snapped open instantly.
His body moved automatically as military instincts took control.
He sat upright while searching for danger.
But the battlefield was gone.
No ruined skyscrapers.
No burning tanks.
No gunfire.
Instead, narrow stone walls surrounded him inside a dark alley illuminated by dim lantern light.
Rainwater flowed across ancient pavement beneath his boots.
Ren stared blankly for several seconds.
"...What?"
His voice echoed quietly through the alley.
Slowly, he stood up and looked toward the street outside.
Horse carriages rolled across stone roads.
People wearing medieval-style clothing walked beneath glowing lanterns.
Massive stone buildings towered above the city streets.
The entire scene looked centuries behind modern civilization.
Ren frowned deeply.
"A dream?"
Then suddenly—
Blue light appeared before his eyes.
A transparent holographic screen materialized in the air.
[Modern Arsenal System Activated]
Ren froze completely.
Another screen appeared immediately afterward.
[Unique Skill Acquired]
[Divine Appraisal EX]
And another.
[Starter Equipment Granted]
• Semi-Automatic Pistol
• Combat Knife
• Frag Grenade ×3
Blue particles gathered before him.
A black pistol slowly materialized inside his hand.
Cold metal touched his skin.
Real weight.
Real texture.
Ren inspected the weapon silently while countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Fantasy city.
Holographic systems.
Summoned equipment.
It resembled the settings from countless novels and games he had seen before his death.
Except this time—
It was real.
His stomach suddenly growled loudly.
Reality hit immediately afterward.
Whatever happened…
Whatever this world was…
Survival came first.
Food.
Money.
Information.
Ren carefully tucked the pistol behind his coat before stepping out from the alley.
The city streets overwhelmed him instantly.
The atmosphere felt alive in a way modern cities never did.
Humans walked alongside demi-humans and beast races openly.
Magic crystals illuminated storefronts.
Merchants loudly advertised enchanted items while adventurers carrying swords and staffs moved between taverns and guild buildings.
Some carriages floated slightly above the ground using magical devices.
Even the air itself felt different.
Heavier somehow.
Filled with unfamiliar energy.
Mana.
Ren silently observed everything while memorizing details instinctively.
Years of military survival training had conditioned him to analyze unfamiliar environments automatically.
Escape routes.
Crowd density.
Potential threats.
Possible resources.
Then—
A luxurious black carriage rolled slowly through the crowded street.
People immediately stepped aside respectfully.
The carriage itself looked expensive enough to belong to royalty.
Armed escorts surrounded it while carrying the insignia of a major trading company.
Then the curtains shifted slightly.
And Ren saw her.
Silver hair.
Crimson eyes.
Wolf ears partially hidden beneath flowing hair.
An unbelievably beautiful beastwoman sat quietly inside the carriage while staring absentmindedly through the window.
For a brief second—
Their eyes met.
Something inside Ren froze unexpectedly.
It lasted less than a moment.
Yet somehow—
That single glance felt unforgettable.
The carriage continued moving past him.
Ren remained motionless.
Almost instinctively, he activated his new skill.
Blue text appeared beside the moving carriage.
[Appraisal Complete]
Name: Lyra Valeford
Race: Wolf Beastwoman
Status: High-Class Contract Slave Candidate
Combat Potential: SS Rank
Magic Affinity: Wind / Lightning
Contract slave candidate.
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
The carriage disappeared toward the upper district.
Yet he continued staring long after it vanished.
Something about her expression lingered in his mind.
Not fear.
Not weakness.
Loneliness.
A quiet loneliness hidden behind cold eyes.
Ren exhaled slowly.
Then muttered quietly:
"I'm buying her."
The words surprised even himself.
He had arrived in this world less than an hour ago.
Yet the decision already felt absolute.
Unfortunately—
Buying someone from a high-class trading company obviously required money.
Probably a ridiculous amount.
Which meant there was only one option.
Earn it.
Fast.
Ren stopped a passing merchant.
"Where do adventurers earn money here?"
The merchant pointed toward a massive stone building several streets away.
"The Adventurer Guild."
Perfect.
The Adventurer Guild resembled a fortress more than a workplace.
Massive stone pillars supported the enormous structure while countless armed adventurers entered and exited through heavy wooden doors.
The moment Ren stepped inside, noise crashed into him immediately.
Laughter.
Arguments.
Alcohol.
Boasting adventurers discussing monster hunts and dungeon raids.
The atmosphere felt rough, chaotic, and alive.
Several people glanced toward Ren briefly before returning to their conversations.
A blonde receptionist smiled professionally as he approached the counter.
"Welcome to the Adventurer Guild."
"Registration?"
Ren nodded.
"Name?"
"Ren."
"Party members?"
"Solo."
Nearby adventurers immediately burst into laughter.
"Solo?"
"Another rookie trying to die."
One heavily armored adventurer smirked openly.
"The Ashen Frontier dungeon opened yesterday."
"Perfect graveyard for beginners."
Ren ignored the mockery entirely.
The receptionist handed him a small metal guild plate.
"Beginner Rank."
"Please avoid dangerous dungeons until you gain experience."
Ren accepted the plate quietly.
Then immediately turned toward the exit.
He had no intention of wasting time.
Because every second that passed—
Lyra remained inside that trading company.
Beyond the city walls stretched the dangerous lands known as the Ashen Frontier.
Dead forests surrounded ancient dungeon ruins while dark clouds loomed overhead.
Multiple adventurer parties gathered nervously near the dungeon entrance.
Most wore heavy armor and traveled in groups.
Ren walked past all of them alone.
Several adventurers stared openly.
"He's entering solo?"
"Poor idiot."
The dungeon entrance resembled ancient underground ruins swallowed by darkness.
Cold air flowed from deep within the structure.
Ren stepped inside.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The air felt damp and heavy.
Dark stone corridors stretched endlessly underground while distant growls echoed through the ruins.
Then movement appeared ahead.
Three goblins rushed from the shadows wielding rusted blades.
Ren reacted immediately.
His pistol materialized inside his hand through blue particles.
The goblins froze briefly in confusion at the strange weapon.
BANG.
The first goblin collapsed instantly.
BANG. BANG.
The remaining two died seconds later.
The sound of gunfire echoed violently through the corridor.
Then blue holographic windows appeared before Ren.
[Loot Acquired]
• 9mm Ammo ×12
• Low Grade Mana Crystal ×1
Ren blinked once.
"Monsters drop ammunition?"
Interesting.
That changed everything.
His system wasn't simply giving him weapons.
The dungeon itself supplied combat resources.
Meaning stronger monsters likely meant stronger equipment later.
A slight smile appeared on Ren's face for the first time since arriving in this world.
Then he continued deeper underground.
Hours passed.
The deeper Ren traveled, the more dangerous the monsters became.
Goblin packs.
Dungeon wolves.
Poisonous cave insects.
Several times he narrowly avoided serious injury.
Ammunition remained limited despite monster drops, forcing him to fight carefully and conserve every bullet possible.
His military experience became invaluable.
Maintain distance.
Control movement.
Aim efficiently.
Kill quickly.
Eventually—
He reached a gigantic stone gate covered in ancient carvings.
The boss chamber.
A deep roar echoed from beyond the gate.
Most beginner adventurers required full parties to challenge dungeon bosses.
Ren stood alone.
Then slowly pushed the gate open.
The chamber trembled violently.
A gigantic armored ogre emerged from the darkness.
Its massive body resembled living steel while glowing red eyes radiated violent killing intent.
The creature roared furiously.
Ren immediately opened fire.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
The bullets struck the monster but failed to deal fatal damage.
The ogre charged.
Ren barely rolled aside before its fist shattered the stone floor violently.
Stone exploded across the chamber.
"Damn…"
Too durable.
Ren activated Appraisal instantly.
Blue text flashed across his vision.
[Weak Point Detected]
Neck Joint
Without hesitation, Ren pulled out a grenade.
The ogre roared again before charging recklessly.
At the final second—
Ren slid beneath the monster's arm and shoved the grenade directly into cracked armor beneath its neck.
Then kicked the creature backward.
BOOOOOOM.
The explosion shook the chamber violently.
Smoke filled the room.
Several seconds later—
The ogre collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Dead.
Ren exhaled slowly while wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Beginner difficulty… my ass."
A glowing treasure chest materialized nearby.
Ren cautiously approached before opening it.
[Boss Reward Chest Opened]
• 9mm Ammo ×80
• Frag Grenade ×2
• Rare Mana Core
• Weapon Unlock Fragment
Ren picked up the glowing fragment curiously.
[Collect Additional Fragments To Unlock Advanced Weapons]
So stronger weapons required progression.
That was honestly better.
Power without growth would become meaningless.
Ren stored the rewards inside his system storage.
Blue particles swallowed the materials instantly.
[Stored Successfully]
• Gold Coins
• Monster Materials
• Mana Core
• Ammunition
Only Ren could access the hidden dimensional storage.
To others, the items simply vanished into thin air.
When Ren finally exited the dungeon near sunset, the adventurers outside stared at him in disbelief.
Especially after seeing the boss materials.
Back inside the guild, the reaction became even worse.
The receptionist's eyes widened.
"Y-you solo-cleared the Ashen Frontier dungeon?!"
Veteran adventurers immediately gathered nearby.
Even the Guild Master personally arrived to inspect the boss core.
After confirming everything—
The guild hall exploded into whispers.
"Impossible…"
"A rookie?"
"Monster…"
Ren received:
dungeon completion rewards
emergency bonuses
boss compensation
rapid rank promotion
Several heavy bags of gold were placed before him.
Enough.
Without wasting another second, Ren stored the gold inside his system inventory and immediately left the guild.
There was only one destination remaining.
Lyra Valeford.
Night had already fallen across the Kingdom of Valdoria when Ren arrived before the luxurious estate owned by the kingdom's largest slave trading company.
Unlike ordinary markets, this place resembled a noble mansion.
High-class retainers.
Warrior escorts.
Contract servants.
Most clients were nobles or wealthy adventurers.
A well-dressed employee greeted him politely.
"Welcome, sir."
"How may we assist you tonight?"
Ren answered immediately.
"Earlier today, a silver-haired wolf beastwoman arrived here."
"Lyra Valeford."
"I want to buy her contract."
The employee looked surprised.
"Lady Lyra?"
"She is one of our highest-ranked candidates."
Ren calmly opened his system storage.
Blue particles shimmered briefly.
Several heavy bags of gold materialized onto the table.
CLANG.
The employee's expression changed instantly.
"...Understood."
"Please follow me."
Ren was guided through elegant hallways before entering a quiet waiting chamber illuminated by warm candlelight.
And there she was.
Lyra Valeford sat beside a large window beneath silver moonlight.
Her crimson eyes calmly observed him.
Up close, her beauty felt even more overwhelming.
But her expression remained cautious.
Cold.
Guarded.
The employee presented several documents.
"Once signed, ownership of Lady Lyra's contract will transfer completely to you."
Ren signed calmly.
The contract glowed faintly before disappearing.
The employee bowed politely and left the room.
Silence followed.
Lyra slowly stood.
Her wolf ears twitched slightly.
"Why me?"
Her voice remained calm yet distant.
"There were many others here."
Ren answered honestly.
"Because I wanted to."
Lyra narrowed her eyes slightly.
Clearly unconvinced.
Ren sighed softly.
"Honestly, most of my money disappeared buying your contract."
For the first time—
A tiny smile almost appeared on Lyra's face.
Almost.
And for the first time since dying on the battlefield—
Ren smiled slightly too.
Hello guys
This is my first work please let me know how you guys feel about it and I guarantee you guys it will become much more interesting as it continue.