My Origin System

something was wrong

Somehow, it felt as if every zombie had disappeared.

The silence was almost unnatural.

Owen looked around, his fingers tightening around the crowbar still in his hand. Just moments ago, the streets had been filled with snarls, screams, and the sounds of people fighting for their lives.

Now, nothing.

It was as if the zombies could feel the weight of the rift hanging above them.

Soon, they reached a wide-open field.

The place was crowded.

Hundreds of people had gathered there, civilians packed together while soldiers moved through the crowd, shouting instructions and trying to keep everyone organized.

The noise was overwhelming.

People were asking questions.

Some were crying.

Others were desperately looking around, wondering what they were supposed to do next.

"Where are the weapons?"

"Are we supposed to fight those things with our bare hands?"

"I don't even know how to use a weapon!"

Owen glanced around.

The soldiers at the front were trying to coordinate everyone, but even they looked tense.

About five minutes later, a soldier stepped forward and raised his hand.

"Everyone, calm down!"

The shouting slowly died down.

Just as everyone was already wondering how they were supposed to fight without weapons, a familiar notification suddenly appeared before Owen's eyes.

| System Reward |

| Equipment granted according to category and class. |

Owen's eyes widened.

Another window appeared.

| Basic Iron Short Sword ×2

| Light Leather Assassin Armor

| Leather Gloves

| Light Boots

| Basic Health Potion ×2 |

| Would you like to equip? |

YES / NO

Owen stared at the screen for a moment.

So the System had thought of that too.

Around him, similar notifications appeared before everyone else.

Then—

Flash!

Light erupted throughout the field.

People gasped as equipment materialized around them.

Some received swords.

Others received bows, staffs, shields, or strange-looking weapons Owen couldn't immediately identify.

Armor appeared over their clothes in flashes of light.

For a few seconds, the entire field looked like it had been transformed into an army from another world.

Owen looked back at his notification.

"Yes."

Flash!

Dark light wrapped around his body.

His previous clothes vanished beneath the glow, replaced piece by piece.

When the light disappeared, Owen looked down at himself.

He was now dressed in lightweight black leather armor that covered his chest, shoulders, and legs without restricting his movement. Black leather gloves covered his hands, while light boots protected his feet.

Two short iron swords rested in his hands.

Owen slowly turned one of them, examining the blade.

It wasn't fancy.

But it was a weapon.

And right now, that was enough.

Around him, people were doing the same.

Some were staring at their weapons in excitement.

Others looked terrified.

A man lifted a large shield and nearly dropped it when he realized how heavy it was.

Someone else was repeatedly swinging a sword through the air.

"Wow, Owen!"

Kai's excited voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Your armor is cool!"

Owen looked at him and smiled faintly.

"Yours is cool too."

Kai looked completely different from before.

He wore a blue-and-white tunic beneath a brown leather vest, with dark trousers tucked into light leather boots. A short hooded cloak rested over his shoulders, embroidered with faint silver spirit runes.

The runes gave off a soft glow.

Around his neck hung a small crystal pendant.

In his right hand was a simple wooden Spirit Wand topped with a pale blue crystal.

Kai looked down at the wand and gave it a small wave.

"I'm still not sure how to use this thing."

Owen almost laughed.

Before he could respond—

"Okay! Listen up, everyone!"

The loud voice immediately drew the crowd's attention.

A man walked toward the front.

He was tall and carried himself with the kind of confidence that made people instinctively move aside for him.

"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey," he announced. "I'm the one overseeing this operation."

Owen's eyes moved over him.

Jeffrey wore a dark olive tactical combat uniform reinforced with System enhancements. A black ballistic vest covered his chest, while a combat helmet protected his head.

An enhanced assault rifle hung across his chest, with a combat pistol secured at his thigh and a combat knife attached to his vest.

Jeffrey looked across the crowd, his expression calm despite everything happening around them.

"An order has just reached me."

The chatter immediately stopped.

"We'll be entering in groups of thirty people," Jeffrey continued. "Every person here has already received their System equipment. Make sure you understand how to use whatever you've been given before entering."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in.

"Whatever group you're assigned to, stick to it."

His voice became firmer.

"Especially the civilians."

Several people exchanged nervous looks.

"We don't know what's waiting for us inside that rift. Staying together gives us a better chance of surviving."

Jeffrey's eyes swept across the crowd.

"So follow your group leader. Don't wander off. Don't try to be a hero."

He tightened his grip on his rifle.

"We're going in together."

Owen looked around at the hundreds of people standing in the field.

Some were gripping their new weapons tightly.

Others were staring at the rift with fear written plainly across their faces.

Everyone had been given a class.

Everyone had been given equipment.

But that didn't mean everyone was ready.

Owen slowly tightened his grip around both short swords.

Whatever was waiting on the other side...

They were about to find out.

Owen and Kai were assigned to Group 15.

The group consisted of ten soldiers and twenty civilians. Most were either in the Magic or Warrior category.

Kai was the only Summoner, but there was another kid in the group—a little girl who looked about three years older than Kai. She stood quietly near the back, clutching the strap of her small bag with both hands.

Most of the soldiers were Gunslingers.

That didn't surprise Owen.

Police officers, navy personnel, and soldiers had spent years training with firearms. It was only natural that many of them would choose a class they were already familiar with.

Still, not everyone had gotten the category they wanted.

A few soldiers wore equipment that clearly didn't match their usual profession. One carried a staff. Another had a sword strapped to his waist. There was even a soldier who seemed to have gotten the Summoning category.

Owen looked around the group.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for instructions.

Waiting to enter the rift.

Waiting to find out what was on the other side.

A woman wearing a long red robe stepped forward.

"I'm First Lieutenant Becky, and I'll be leading this group."

Her eyes swept across them.

"You will follow orders. No wandering off. No acting on your own."

Her voice hardened.

"We don't know what the inside of a rift looks like. We only know that there will be monsters and that we somehow need to close the rift."

She paused.

"So if you value your life, act wisely."

Owen's eyes lingered on her red robe.

Fire Elementalist.

Most likely.

Before he could think further, a loud voice echoed across the field.

"Group 1! Stand directly under the rift!"

Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey pointed toward the enormous rift hanging above them.

The first group began moving.

Owen watched them walk toward it.

One step.

Then another.

His brows slowly pulled together.

Something was wrong.

His eyes flicked toward the rift.

Then toward the soldiers.

Then back to the rift.

"Hey."

Nobody stopped.

"Stop! Stop!"

Owen suddenly pushed through the people around him and ran forward.

Heads turned.

The chatter across the field died down in patches as people noticed him.

Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey's face darkened.

"What are you doing?" he barked. "Get back, young man!"

Owen stopped several feet away from him.

"Sir, they're doing something wrong."

Jeffrey's eyebrows furrowed.

"And who are you to decide that?"

Owen opened his mouth.

"Are you a scientist?"

"No, sir, but—"

"But what?"

Owen hesitated.

How could he explain it?

Then—

A familiar notification appeared before his eyes.

| Tier 3 Rift: Danger level has risen to Critical. Participants must begin entering immediately, or the city will be overrun by monsters. Countdown: 59... 58... |

Owen's pupils shrank.

The warning wasn't just for him.

A loud commotion erupted across the field.

"What's happening?"

"Did everyone get that message?"

"Why is the danger level rising?"

"We're running out of time!"

Jeffrey's expression changed.

He immediately dismissed Owen's warning.

"Group 1! Move now!"

The first group rushed beneath the rift.

Owen clenched his fists.

No.

They were making a terrible mistake.

"Go!"

A white light suddenly descended from the rift.

It swallowed the members of Group 1.

One moment they were standing there.

The next—

They were gone.

Owen's jaw tightened.

Jeffrey turned toward him.

"And you! Fall back to your line and wait for my instructions!"

Owen stared at him for a moment.

Then he said nothing.

He turned and walked back toward Group 15.

His steps were slow.

His hands remained clenched at his sides.

First Lieutenant Becky immediately approached him.

"Owen."

He looked up.

"What was that about?"

Owen glanced around.

Several members of the group were watching him now.

Kai.

The little girl.

The soldiers.

The civilians.

All waiting for an explanation.

Owen took a breath.

"They'll all die."

Becky's expression changed.

"What?"

"They'll all die before they even get the chance to fight."

Becky stared at him.

"What are you talking about?"

Owen pointed toward the rift.

"This isn't a dungeon."

His voice lowered.

"It's a rift."

Becky frowned.

"I know that."

"No. I mean there's a reason the System warned us not to enter with less than twenty people in a group."

Becky's expression slowly changed.

Owen continued.

"To safely reach the other side as one group, everyone has to hold hands."

He looked toward the rift.

"If we don't..."

His eyes narrowed.

"We'll appear in random locations."

Becky's lips parted slightly.

"Alone."

The color slowly drained from her face.

She turned toward the rift.

Another group was already moving beneath it.

They were almost there.

"No..."

Owen looked at her.

"First Lieutenant, you know what that means, right?"

Becky didn't answer.

Her eyes remained fixed on the approaching group.

The soldiers and civilians stepped beneath the rift.

A white light descended.

It swallowed them.

Becky's face went pale.

"No!"

She suddenly ran forward.