It was a beautiful day.
The birds were chirping, and a cool breeze brushed against their skin as they sat near the edge of a mountain cliff.
The trees seemed brighter than usual, their vibrant green leaves sparkling beneath the rising sun.
The father and son sat side by side near the edge of the cliff.
The boy happily dangled his feet over the rocky ledge, unaware of the weight of the conversation that was about to unfold.
The father turned to his son, sadness filling his eyes as he thought about the responsibility he would soon leave in the boy’s hands.
His heart ached as he looked into the boy’s bright green eyes.
Then he spoke in a firm yet calm voice.
“Son, the day will come when you must make a choice—to become a king in this world or remain a pawn of the System.”
“What’s the difference?” Levi asked.
His father let out a quiet sigh.
“In this world, there isn’t much of a difference. When you really think about it, they’re both pawns of a system. The only difference is that one has a higher chance of survival than the other.”
“Then I would choose the one with the better chance of surviving.”
“I know,” his father replied.
“And that’s what worries me.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“So, I’m going to tell you a secret that no one else knows about this world. I hope that one day this knowledge will help you and your sisters survive.”
Levi frowned.
He had never seen his father act this seriously before, but he listened carefully as his father continued.
“There were once ten heroes, summoned from different worlds for a single purpose—to play the System’s game.”
“Who summoned them?” Levi asked.
“They called themselves the System. They promised the heroes great power, wealth, and fame. But in reality, what they truly wanted… was war.”
His father’s expression grew even more solemn.
“The ten heroes fell in love with this world—its people and its cultures. They refused to play the System’s game. The System was displeased, so it sent them back to their own worlds, leaving this one without its heroes.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Levi asked.
“I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t understand it now,” his father said gently.
“But one day you will. And when that day comes, I hope this knowledge will help you survive… and protect your sisters.”
He placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder.
“Remember this story… and only kill what you can eat.”
Just as Levi was about to ask another question…
Levi could hear the echo of gunfire in the distance.
Someone was screaming his name through the darkness.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts.
Still disoriented, he leaned against a nearby tree to steady himself before slowly getting to his feet.
He grabbed his rifle, only to discover it was empty.
Their ammunition was running dangerously low.
Fortunately, he still had his dagger.
It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.
He stumbled for a moment, trying to remember where he was.
As he looked around and saw his crew, it all came back to him.
They were deep within the Dryland Forest.
His crew was a small group of survivors he had met along his journey to find the Command Post.
Forced to survive on their own, they had formed a close bond.
After all, who would help a group of orphans?
Most of them weren’t even old enough to be considered adults.
They had been traveling through the Dryland for months, avoiding dangerous monsters at every turn.
Barely surviving, they suffered from little sleep, scarce food, and the constant threat of monsters lurking day and night.
In this place, survival was everything, and standing still for too long meant death.
Levi didn’t have much time to think.
The scent of blood filled the air.
He had been certain this was the safest place to rest, yet they had still been ambushed.
Carter, Joshua, Logan, and Selena were already engaged in battle.
Carter and Joshua focused on defending the group, while Logan and Selena fought on the front lines, striking down any monster that got too close.
They’ll be fine for the moment.
Right now, Joe is the priority, Levi thought.
Olivia was desperately trying to treat Joe’s wounds.
Joe lay cradled in Carmen’s arms as she cried helplessly beside him.
Deep claw marks covered his body, and with so much chaos surrounding them, Levi didn’t know where to begin.
Noticing Levi standing in a daze, Logan broke away from the battlefield and rushed over to him.
Grabbing Levi by the shoulders, he shouted,
“Pull yourself together! We need you now!”
“Are you okay, brother? You’re not hurt, are you?” Logan asked.
“No, I’m fine,” Levi replied in a tired voice.
Logan nodded before rushing back into the battle.
Levi quickly surveyed the battlefield.
In an instant, his mind began analyzing the situation, and he started issuing commands.
The flow of the battle slowly began to change.
Without wasting another second, Levi hurried over to Joe.
Thankfully, he was still alive.
The monster’s claws were poisonous.
If they didn’t act quickly, Joe would die.
Olivia was doing everything she could with the knowledge she had, but Carmen’s cries made it difficult for Levi to concentrate.
“Carmen, can you please be quiet so I can think?”
Carmen swallowed her tears, wiped her face, and nodded.
“Olivia, what do you need?” Levi asked.
“I don’t know how to stop the bleeding,” Olivia admitted nervously.
“My usual antidote isn’t working.”
Levi reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small black leather journal with an unfamiliar symbol engraved on the cover.
It was a symbol whose meaning only Levi understood.
Inside the journal was detailed information about every monster they had encountered in the Dryland—their appearance, abilities, strength level, weaknesses, behavior, and even known antidotes.
Levi handed the journal to Olivia.
After quickly finding the correct page, Olivia immediately began preparing an antidote for Joe.
She carried a large medical case filled with vials, herbs, syringes, and other essential medical supplies, allowing her to create medicine on the spot.
Levi had encountered this monster before, which was strange because it normally lived only in the First District of the Dryland.
It was one of the easier monsters to kill.
So why is everyone struggling against just one?
Levi wondered.
He stood and carefully observed the battlefield, analyzing every movement.
Once Levi entered his thinking mode, everything around him seemed to slow down.
It was one of the reasons he was so dangerous.
His sharp mind allowed him to predict outcomes simply by studying the battlefield.
No matter how much he thought about it, nothing made sense.
This monster shouldn’t have been here…
And it definitely shouldn’t have been this strong.
Perhaps it was frustration.
Perhaps it was exhaustion.
Whatever the reason, Levi had finally grown tired of this endless struggle.
Before anyone could react, he disappeared.
With swift, effortless movements, it was almost as if he were gliding through the air.
His dagger flashed twice.
Two clean cuts.
The monster collapsed to the ground.
Its flesh had been sliced apart with the precision of a master surgeon—or a seasoned butcher.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Everyone stared at Levi in disbelief.
Some looked on with admiration, while others watched with quiet jealousy.
Monster blood covered his clothes, something he had long grown accustomed to, despite its foul smell.
“We need to clean this area quickly,” Levi said.
“The scent of blood will attract more monsters.”
Logan let out a small laugh.
“I’ll never get used to watching him do that.”
A few feet away, Carter clenched his jaw.
He had spent hours struggling against the same monster…
Yet Levi had killed it in a matter of seconds.
Levi was exhausted.
He had been running on only four hours of sleep, with little food and barely enough water to survive.
His body was reaching its limit, but he forced himself to stay focused.
“Do you know how I was able to kill that monster?” Levi asked in a firm voice.
“Because you’re a freak of nature,” Joshua replied.
The others chuckled softly.
Levi shook his head.
“No. It’s because I’ve killed this type of monster before. They normally travel in packs of ten, but this one was alone. Do you know why?”
Before Levi could answer his own question, Logan spoke up.
“The Essence effect?” he asked, uncertainty mixed with hope in his voice.
Levi nodded.
“Correct. This only happens when a Command Post is nearby. According to my research, monsters are drawn to strong concentrations of Essence. The weaker monsters become corrupted by it, making them much stronger than they normally are.”
The group exchanged hopeful glances.
The Dryland was already dangerous enough with monsters around every corner, but they had ventured this deep into the forest for only one reason—to find a Command Post.
To them, the danger was worth the risk.
A Command Post meant safety.
A home.
No more wandering.
No more sleeping with one eye open.
No more living in constant fear.
Levi had gathered enough information to believe a Command Post was hidden somewhere deep within the Dryland Forest.
That was why he had led the group this far.
As an orphan, all Levi had ever wanted was a place where he and his sisters could finally belong.
But something wasn’t right.
After the monster had been defeated, the Command Post should have already chosen its Commander.
Levi frowned as he lost himself in thought.
Then, without warning, cheers erupted around him.
Everyone began celebrating.
Some cried tears of joy, while others laughed and joked about finally eating a hot meal and sleeping in a real bed.
Emma, who had been hiding behind a tree, rushed over to Levi with a handkerchief.
She gently wiped the monster blood from his face before wrapping her arms around him in excitement.
“You did it!” she said happily.
“You defeated the monster!”
From a distance, Selena watched with jealousy in her eyes.
Levi, however, remained frozen.
His expression was blank, as if he were still trying to process everything that had just happened.
“Are you okay?” Emma asked.
“I’m fine,” Levi replied, though his mind was elsewhere.
“Is it true? Did we really find the Command Post?” she asked, her arms still wrapped around him.
“I believe so,” Levi answered.
“But according to my research, the Command Post should have already chosen someone.”
As Levi looked around, he saw everyone celebrating with joy.
Everyone…
Except Carter.
He stood silently with an unreadable expression on his face.
Suddenly, a clear blue screen appeared before Carter.
No one else seemed able to see it.
Startled, Carter carefully read the words displayed before him.
Without hesitation…
He selected Yes.
A brilliant beam of light suddenly descended from the sky, blinding everyone.
The light was so intense that Logan stumbled backward onto the rocky ground.
Emma nearly lost her balance and fell beside him.
Then…
The light vanished.
As everyone’s vision slowly returned, they saw Carter standing alone.
In his hands was a clear, square object unlike anything they had ever seen.
It looked almost transparent, yet something inside prevented anyone from seeing through it completely.
Tiny particles of light drifted within it like sparkling dust trapped inside a crystal.
It was the very thing they had risked their lives to find.
The Command Post.
A home.
No more starvation.
No more running.
No more fighting every day just to survive.
A place that could protect them from monsters… and from the people who wished them harm.
For the first time in months…
They had hope.
Everyone turned toward Carter.
It was the most attention he had ever received.
He stood there, holding the Command Post in his hands as everyone admired it in silence.
“Is… is that what I think it is?” Olivia asked.
Carter smiled and nodded.
“Yes. The Command Post chose me.”
His eyes drifted toward Olivia as he blushed slightly.
The group erupted into cheers.
Deep inside, Carter smiled to himself.
Carter couldn’t help but glance toward Levi, waiting for his reaction.Levi walked over with a warm smile and placed a hand on Carter’s shoulder.
“I’m happy for you, brother.”
Levi didn’t care who had been chosen.
A victory for one was a victory for all.
But…
That would be the last time Levi ever called Carter brother.
The coming week would test Carter’s loyalty…
And Levi’s patience.