‘I must be dead.’ 

Adam thought as he felt pain all over his body. 

‘Dying is so painful,’ 

He thought, trying to open his eyes to see the world after death. He smelled the blood in the air, and with a struggle, he opened his eyes.

‘Huh?’ 

Even through the pain, he was confused

Because what he saw was a narrow opening to the alleyway.

‘This is where I came to escape from the city guards,’ 

Adam was happy. He was alive, but the panic hit him as he remembered the wound in his head. He could smell the blood on his old robe.

‘It is still morning.’ 

He could see the sun through buildings. 

‘Where is my wound?’ 

He touched his head, and there was little pain, but he couldn’t find the wound that leaked blood all over his robe.

‘What is going on? Did I die or alive?’ 

Adam couldn’t figure out how his wound disappeared.

‘Wait, I remember hearing something before I passed out. Yes, something, something system.’ 

The moment he said the word in his head, a metallic sound echoed in his head, and a blue transparent square appeared in front of him.

“No.” 

Adam wanted to yell for help, but his throat was too dry, and only a small cry escaped his mouth. Having no options, he backed away, crawling until his back hit the wall. 

‘Now what can I do?’ 

He has no options left. If he had some strength to run, he would at least try to run past it, but the square moved with him, maintaining the same distance.

Adam had no choice but to wait until it attacked, but a few minutes passed without any reactions from the blue square. Adam had enough time to study the flickering dark-coloured words inside it.

There were five different words on the top part of the square, side by side.

namely Status, Abilities, Skills, Titles and finally a red word: Mission.

Below those five, there was another set of words.

Line by line, he read through each sentence.

- Detecting Wolf Amulet

- Detecting the Last worshipper of the Wolf God

- Initiating the Wolf God system

- Detecting host’s life in danger -> initiating forceful healing (First usage, available chances – 01)

- Authenticating passed

- Initiating forceful healing to optimal condition (available chances -00)

- Healing process successful

- Assessment of the host initiating -> Authenticating passed

- Assessment -> Host has a body below the average of a weak human

While reading, Adam totally forgot the danger he was facing, and many questions surfaced in his mind.

‘Who is the wolf god?’ 

The moment he thought a new set of lines appeared on the blue square.

- Wolf God is the God of shadows and the guardian of dawn, the host is the last known worshipper of the Wolf God

‘Gods are myths, right?’ 

He thought, but this time no new lines appeared in the blue light.

‘Fuck, what do you mean below the average of a weak human?’ 

He knew he was weak, but below weak human.

- Weak human status as follows, to compare with the host, the host is advised to look at his status

- Average status for a Weak Human

Strength                        -                 F-

Agility                            -                 F-

Spirit                             -                 F-

Intuition                         -                 F-

‘How do I check this?’ 

He tried to touch the Dark blue word Status, but his hand just passed through.

‘Status.’ 

He thought and suddenly blue square had a new section overlapping it

-Host Name                    -                 Adam

- Attributes

Strength                         -                 G

Agility                             -                 G

Spirit                              -                 F+

Intuition                          -                 F+

Attribute points – 0                        Skill Points – 0                  Ability points - 0               General points – 0

‘Fuck, G is below F; this thing is so cruel,’

‘How do I get out of this.’ 

He didn’t want to see this anymore. 

‘Hmmm close?’ 

Suddenly the Status panel disappeared. 

‘Again, close,’ 

The blue light vanished.

Adam finally had relief, then the realisation hit him hard. 

‘Oh no, it healed me, that means… That means it went inside my head through the wound and closed it.’

He was again in panic. 

‘What if it eats my brain, and if I tell someone, he will cut my head to take this out?’

He had only one person he could trust.

Adam got up and dragged his painful body toward his hut.

“Brother.” 

Amy, who looked as if she had cried, ran into him, but Adam was in more panic; he simply hugged her.

“Amy, come here.” 

He dragged her in and closed the door. 

“Come.” 

He sat in a corner dragging her near.

The little girl sat close to him and hugged him tightly.

‘System.’ 

As he thought, the blue square appeared again

“Brother, they hurt you?” 

Amy looked at the bloodstain on his clothes.

‘Can’t she see the system?’ 

Adam thought

“Amy, can you see this?” 

He pointed toward the blue square

“Yes brother, that is the wall,” 

Amy looked at him in confusion

‘Shit, she can’t see it,’ 

He thought

“Amy, I think something is inside my head,” 

He couldn’t think what to do.

“Of course, silly brother, father told me everyone has it,” 

Her face was a bit dark remembering her father

“Really?” 

Adam felt a bit better. 

‘Did her father know about this?’ 

“Yes, silly brother. It’s called brain, Father said everyone, even animal has it inside their head,”

“Pfft.” 

Adam choked on his own saliva

“I know better than you, brother,” 

Amy said proudly

Helplessly, Adam could only pat her head and agree. 

‘Fuck,’ 

Since last night he has been non-stop cursing. Now because he realised it was midday. That meant the school in the central district had finished distributing porridge for the day. Their breakfast was already gone.

Adam knew they couldn't stay here any longer, as last night's showdown with Butcher’s men would surely bring disaster on him. He went to a corner of the house and removed several pieces of wood that looked completely random. Under that were a few silver coins, his emergency money. This was something his mother taught him.

Suddenly a metallic sound again sounded in his head. He almost forgot the thing inside his head while thinking about money.

-Host condition is too weak, forcefully initiating the first Mission. The host is advised to check Mission immediately.

A set of words appeared, and he noticed this time the red colour word Mission was blinking fast. He realised he was out of options.

- Mission – The world is cruel than what it looks like, Survival is only for the strong.

- Mission target – Learn to survive

- Mission Progression – Arrive at the Westwood forest within one week.

- Mission reward -General points and one random survival ability

- Mission failure – Host is not suitable for the system, Elimination of the host.

Adam felt sweat coming from his head. 

‘Elimination? I am right. This thing is inside my head and if I don’t get strong it will Kill me,’

‘No, I need to survive,’ 

He thought and recalled the things he knew about Westwood.

Westwood was the forest between West Coast city and the other cities to the west in the Crimson Empire. It was said to be vast and boundless. As it is located in the High pass mountain range to the north.

All these are things he heard from people; he had no idea about anything other than the vast mountain he could see from the city. However, he was sure it was not that close to the city. 

‘I can live near the border of the forest.’ 

He had learned to trap from his old village. And he could collect fruits and live for some time safely there. 

‘But how can I protect Amy?’ 

He fell into thought.

The only thing he could do is to ask for help. He made up his mind.

“Amy, get ready, we are going out,” 

He took the coins from the ground and walked out to wait for Amy to change.

“Okay, brother.” 

Hearing her cheerful little voice, he sighed, because he knew she must be hungry. She had a few clothes brought with them when they first came. Although they were a bit small, they still could manage.

After Amy got ready, he covered her with the little cape and collected her other few pieces of clothes

Holding the little girl’s hand, he walked out of his hut. His home for nearly five years, and he might never return here again.

‘I will survive.’