章 1: Fucked Up
Rape.
A crime so shameful it can lead to a death sentence. This was the fate Vell faced after his cousin accused him of taking advantage of her while she was drunk. However, the truth was far from her portrayal. All he had done was cover her with a blanket on the sofa, yet no one believed him. He pleaded with his parents—people who had known him his entire life—to understand that he would never commit such an act. Yet, they too turned away, their faith unshakeable in the face of the allegations.
Rumors spread like wildfire, consuming everything in their path. Within a week, everyone knew: his family, the entire city, even those hundreds of kilometers away. His life was shattered, reduced to ashes by the weight of false accusations. Many reached out not to hear his side of the story but to insult him or to tell him never to contact them again. The betrayal was especially profound from his cousin, who had once been his closest friend and the person he trusted most. She had crushed their bond for reasons he could not fathom.
The pain was unbearable, and soon he found himself kicked out of his home, left to fend for himself on the streets. He scavenged for food in dumpsters and begged for money and scraps; his once-promising life was now a distant memory. When he spotted his family, he would hide, unable to face the reality of his situation. He had become a shell of the man he once was, barely hanging on.
***
"Look at that. Another one of those players just cleared a rank 4 dungeon. What I wouldn't give to be in his position."
The man muttered, tossing a few credits at Vell as he walked past, his eyes glued to his phone. He caught the coins with a trembling hand, his voice rough and hoarse from disuse.
"Thank you."
He watched as the man disappeared into the crowded streets, the whispers of players and their achievements echoing in his ears. Looking down at the cup in his hand, the meager coins inside were a sad reminder of his fall from grace. But before he could gather the strength to stand, a group of bullies appeared, kicking his cup away and scattering the coins across the street. Vell didn't bother to retrieve them; he could only watch as the bullies laughed and walked away.
"Fucking loser."
"Haha, I heard a crazy rumor about him, apparently…"
Those were the last words he heard before a loud crash echoed from the other side of the building. He froze, listening intently, his heart pounding in his chest. Faint noises reached him—monster growls and people screaming for help.
{Warning: E-rank monster has escaped its master's control. Evacuate until a player arrives at the location.}
The alert blared from the massive screens on the buildings, and panic swept through the crowd as people began to flee, pushing and shoving in their frantic attempts to escape. Vell watched the chaos unfold, a bitter disappointment settling in his stomach.
"Humans never change. They care only for their own lives, willing to trample anyone in their path to save themselves. What a truly disappointing race."
Struggling to regain his bearings, Vell rose to his feet, his legs trembling. He made his way through the narrow alleys toward the source of the commotion. Questions raced through his mind: Why had monsters suddenly appeared on Earth? What were dungeons and towers? Where had all this power come from? The answers eluded him, and soon he found himself at the edge of a clearing, witnessing a monstrous panda—red-furred, sharp-clawed, and grotesquely fat—devouring a civilian as if they were nothing more than an ant.
"Why… why did I come here?"
His gaze shifted to the mangled corpse on the ground. Despite the horror of the scene, he felt nothing. As the monster charged at him, he experienced no fear, no panic. He stood there, resigning himself to his fate, viewing it as an escape from the cruel world that had forsaken him. The creature's massive jaws opened wide, ready to swallow him whole, and in his final moments, he thought of his cousin, the person who had shattered him beyond repair.
But just as it seemed his life would end, a figure appeared, kicking the monster away with stunning force. Something flew from the beast's mouth, landing in the shadows of the alley, but he was too shocked to notice what it was. He could barely comprehend who had saved him.
"I-it can't be… why are you here?"
He stepped back, his heart racing. She had spotted him. He stood in ragged clothes, his hair matted with dirt, and his skin crusted with filth. His once-smooth face was marred by large pimples, and even from a distance, the foul odor that clung to him was evident. She bit her lip, turning away as if she couldn't bear to look at him.
"Dammit, why is he here? D-dammit, what should I do? ...Yeah, I should just walk up and talk to him."
She turned back, only to discover he was gone. She tried to follow, but the monster was still alive and still hunting. A cry pierced the air: "Kyaaaa! Someone help me!"
"Ugh, dammit."
She ran to save the civilian, her powers allowing her to move with incredible speed, her body a blur as she closed the distance. He watched from the shadows, his heart a mix of pride and pain. Part of him admired her strength, the player she had become, but another part throbbed with hurt, raw from the betrayal.
"So, she became a player, huh? Good for her. But what was that expression on her face? That face—I've seen it so often. It shows she's feeling guilty about something. Is she finally regretting accusing me? So what? The damage is done. I don't know why she did it, but I hope it was worth it."
As he walked away, a sour feeling gnawed at his chest, urging him to turn back. Yet he continued moving, his feet heavy with the weight of his shattered life. He kicked something on the ground and glanced down to see a strange, glowing object—a golden tube inscribed with intricate, unfamiliar writing.
He stared at it for a moment, sensing its power and allure. It seemed to call out to him, beckoning for his touch, but he hesitated, knowing deep down that this was a bad idea. Still, relentless curiosity got the better of him, and he stepped closer.
"I feel like this is a bad idea, but whatever."
He reached out and grabbed the tube, and just as he'd feared, it was indeed a very bad idea. A force slammed him against the wall, the impact sending waves of pain through his body. He tried to shake the object off, but it was stuck. Symbols floated off the tube and attached themselves to his skin, and then the rest of the object exploded, injuring his hand.
"What the hell?"
He thought, staring at the symbols sinking into his skin. He tried to stand, but the world spun, and he fell to the ground, unable to move. A strange sensation washed over him, a warm, cozy feeling that lasted only a few seconds before being replaced by severe pain. He writhed in agony as a dark, viscous substance oozed from his body.
"K-kugh, I knew something bad would happen. Dammit."
He was paralyzed, unable to move no matter how hard he tried. He lay there, enduring the pain until it finally subsided. Once he could move again, he quickly got up, noticing the black substance on the ground and how clean his skin felt.
"What the fuck is this?"
He examined his body, touching and smelling it, even licking it. He was clean—too clean, as if the filth of his past had been washed away.
[1st stage complete.
Satisfactory results.
Activating beast forge...]
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