The village gate opened.
Arin stood near the house, staring at the soldiers running outside.
He was still getting used to being called Arin—the name of the body he had transmigrated into.
People were shouting.
Children were crying.
The sound of metal weapons filled the air.
"What is happening?" Arin asked.
The young woman beside him grabbed his arm.
"We need to hide."
"Hide?"
"Yes!"
She pulled him away from the window.
Arin resisted.
"Wait."
He looked outside again.
A group of soldiers stood near the gate.
Their weapons were ready.
One of them shouted.
"Everyone stay inside!"
Another soldier screamed.
"They’re coming!"
Arin’s heart jumped.
Something moved beyond the gate.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Green creatures rushed out of the forest.
Goblins.
Arin knew what they were.
He had seen them in the memories of this body.
Small monsters.
Fast.
Dangerous when they attacked in groups.
One of the soldiers raised his sword.
"Archers!"
A line of archers moved forward.
"Fire!"
Dozens of arrows flew through the air.
Several goblins fell.
The rest kept running.
"They’re not stopping!" someone shouted.
The goblins reached the gate.
The soldiers charged.
Steel clashed against claws.
"Hold the line!"
Arin watched from the window.
His hands tightened.
He should stay inside.
He was weak.
He had no idea how to fight.
But then a goblin climbed over the wall.
It landed inside the village.
A woman screamed.
"Monster!"
The goblin raised its axe.
Arin moved before he could think.
He grabbed the sword beside the bed.
"Arin!"
He ran outside.
The goblin noticed him.
It roared.
Arin stopped.
For one second, fear froze his body.
The goblin charged.
"Move!"
Arin jumped aside.
The axe smashed into the ground.
BANG!
Arin stumbled.
"That was close!"
The goblin pulled its axe free and attacked again.
Arin raised his sword.
CLANG!
The weapons collided.
The force pushed him backward.
His arms hurt.
"Too strong!"
The goblin swung again.
Arin blocked.
CLANG!
His sword almost slipped from his hand.
He gritted his teeth.
The memories in his head suddenly became clearer.
He remembered training.
How to hold the sword.
How to move his feet.
Where to strike.
Arin stepped backward.
The goblin followed.
It raised its axe.
Arin saw an opening.
Its left side was exposed.
"Now!"
He stepped forward.
His sword cut across the goblin’s arm.
"RAAA!"
The monster screamed.
Arin did not stop.
He stepped forward again and struck its chest.
The goblin fell.
Silence.
Arin stared at the monster.
He was breathing heavily.
"I..."
He looked at his sword.
"I killed it."
A strange feeling appeared inside his body.
Warm energy moved through his chest.
Then a voice sounded in his mind.
[Monster defeated.]
Arin froze.
"What?"
A blue window appeared in front of his eyes.
[Experience gained.]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 2]
Arin stared at the window.
"Is this... a System?"
The window disappeared.
"Wait!"
He reached toward it.
Nothing happened.
"Hey! Come back!"
A goblin suddenly jumped from behind him.
Arin turned.
The creature raised its dagger.
"Arin!"
The young woman screamed.
Arin quickly raised his sword.
CLANG!
The goblin’s dagger struck the blade.
Arin kicked the monster backward.
A soldier rushed forward.
"Get down!"
The soldier swung his sword.
The goblin tried to escape.
The soldier’s blade struck its leg.
The monster fell.
Another soldier finished it.
"Are you crazy?" the soldier shouted at Arin.
Arin looked at him.
"I was trying to help."
"You’re an adventurer, not a soldier!"
The soldier pointed toward the gate.
"Get inside!"
Arin looked toward the battlefield.
The village was still under attack.
More goblins were coming.
Some soldiers were injured.
Others were fighting desperately.
Arin looked at his sword.
Then at the monsters.
He remembered his old life.
His boring job.
His empty days.
The feeling that his life was going nowhere.
This world was different.
Dangerous.
But it was also a chance.
A real chance.
Arin tightened his grip.
"I need power."
The soldier stared at him.
"What?"
Arin looked toward the battlefield.
"If this is my new life..."
He raised his sword.
"I won’t live it like my old one."
Before the soldier could stop him, Arin charged toward the goblins.
"Hey!"
Arin reached the battlefield.
A goblin attacked.
He blocked.
Another came from the side.
He ducked.
His sword moved.
The goblin fell.
[Experience gained.]
Another monster rushed toward him.
Arin stepped aside.
He struck its stomach.
[Experience gained.]
His movements became faster.
His body felt lighter.
Then a larger goblin appeared.
It was almost twice the size of the others.
It carried a huge iron axe.
The soldiers stepped back.
"An elite goblin!"
Arin’s expression became serious.
The monster roared.
"RAAAAH!"
It charged.
Arin raised his sword.
BOOM!
The axe smashed into his blade.
Arin was thrown backward.
He crashed into the ground.
Pain spread through his body.
The goblin approached slowly.
Arin struggled to stand.
"You’re stronger than the others."
The goblin raised its axe.
Arin smiled.
"But I’m not running."
He rushed forward.
The axe came down.
Arin moved to the side.
The blade struck the ground.
Arin jumped onto the monster’s arm.
He grabbed its shoulder.
The goblin roared and tried to shake him off.
"Not yet!"
Arin climbed higher.
Then he drove his sword into the monster’s shoulder.
The goblin screamed.
Arin pulled the sword out.
He jumped down.
The monster turned toward him.
Arin waited.
The goblin charged.
At the last moment, Arin stepped aside.
The monster stumbled.
Arin turned and struck its neck.
The goblin fell.
[Elite Goblin defeated.]
[Experience gained.]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 3]
Arin stood silently.
His breathing was heavy.
But he was smiling.
This world had monsters.
It had dungeons.
It had magic.
And somehow, he had a System.
Arin looked toward the forest.
Somewhere beyond those trees was the dungeon.
He had only one thought.
"I need to go there."
The young woman ran toward him.
"Arin!"
He turned.
She looked angry.
"What were you thinking?!"
Arin looked at the dead goblin.
Then at his sword.
"I was testing myself."
"Testing yourself?! You almost died!"
Arin smiled.
"But I didn’t."
She stared at him.
For the first time, she noticed something different in his eyes.
Arin was no longer the same person who had fallen from the training platform.
He had changed.