Ultimate Leveling System

Chapter 1: Host Found, System Activated

In an abandoned decrepit warehouse, the dimly lit space was filled with dust and shadows. The sound of dripping water echoed throughout the cavernous room. Arden's eyes scanned the area, searching for any sign of the girl he was determined to save.

 He had overheard her pleading for help just when he was walking by the road, Arden tried to ignore it, but his conscience won't let him, and so here he was, wanting to save the unknown beauty in dismal condition.

 Soon Arden spots a huddled figure in the corner, hidden beneath a tattered blanket. It's Emma, a timid girl who has become the target of a group of bullies.

 Arden was a little surprised to see Emma, though they didn't have much interaction in the past; Emma was actually Arden's coursemate in college.

 Determined to protect her, Arden approaches cautiously.

 Suddenly, the warehouse doors creaked open, and two burly bullies, Max and Vince, who Arden recognised, stepped inside.

 They oozed an air of arrogance and cruelty as they sized up Arden.

 These two had normally bullied every weak college student just to satisfy their sadistic desires. Arden had also been among the victims, and he never thought that he'd run into them when he ventured in here. 

 Max chuckled. " Well, well, well. Look who we have here. The hero is trying to save his little damsel in distress."

 Vince mocked, "Aww, how cute. You think you can take us on, little boy?"

 Arden's face hardens with determination as he positions himself in between the bullies and Emma. He knows he is outmatched, but he wasn't going to let these bastards hurt an innocent girl.

 "Leave her alone," Arden struggled to speak.

 Max and Vince exchanged wicked smiles before lunging towards Arden. A fierce fight ensued, with Arden skillfully dodging their punches and landing a few strikes of his own. However, the bullies overpower him with their sheer size and aggression.

 Max lands a brutal blow to Arden's abdomen, causing him to double over in pain. Vince seizes the opportunity and delivers a devastating punch to Arden's face, sending him sprawling across the dusty floor.

 Emma watches in horror, her eyes brimming with tears. 

 While sobbing, she exclaimed meekly. "Please, stop! Leave him alone!

 The bullies pay no attention to Emma's pleas. Max grabs Arden by the collar, lifting him up effortlessly.

 "You should've minded your own business, boy." Max grinned.

 Vince joins in, raining down a barrage of punches on Arden's defenseless body. Each blow lands with sickening thuds, accompanied by Arden's anguished cries. The warehouse reverberates with the sound of the brutal assaults.

 As Arden's vision blurs, his strength wanes as he can no longer protect himself. Bloodied and broken, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

 Emma's cries intensify as she rushes to Arden's side, cradling his battered body.

 "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry…" the girl wailed pitifully.

 Max and Vince stood triumphant, their faces twisted with sadistic satisfaction.

 They exchange a cold glance before turning on their heels and exiting the warehouse, leaving behind a trail of devastation.

 At this point, the two lost interest in bullying the meek girl.

 Just when Arden went unconscious, something strange was happening in his head.

[ Host Found]

[ System Activated]

[Welcome to the Ultimate Leveling System.] 

 Arden's ears were assaulted by the sound of a voice that was mechanical and robotic.

[ Analysis of Host's physical condition, Initiate.]

[ Error, the planet does not have the required energy to fully function; Host is going to be teleported to another planet that is currently being drafted for the introduction phase.]

 "What? Hello?" Arden shouted, or at least he thought he did because the complete absence of light appeared to act as a natural insulator.

 "What's going on here? What are you? How are you speaking in my head!" Arden shouted, but all that answered him was the continuous ramblings from the mechanical voice.`

 [ Teleportation successful, Initiate Phase of the Incursions. The first phase begins, and hosts have spawned In a jungle of carnage. The goal is to ensure that the host is given the right environment to grow quickly]

 After hearing the mechanical voice, Arden's heartbeat drastically sped up, and he experienced a faint sense of dread.

He was told that he would spawn at some unknown location called the jungle of carnage; if all of this was real, then it isn't good news, right?"

 A few minutes later, Arden regained consciousness while lying face down on the ground.

 As he considered his current situation, he felt sluggish and perplexed. He then shook himself, stood up, and coughed up a few blades of grass.

 His body was still suffering from whatever had happened to him previously, so he glanced around his surroundings

 "Thank goodness I am not dead, but I don't feel like a man anymore; those scumbags sure beat me up quite badly."

 "Wait a second? This isn't the warehouse?, and it doesn't look like Earth, wait, am I in heaven or hell? Where the hell is this freaking place!"

 All around him was a perfectly alien looking surrounding with nothing but a vast disorientated terrain filled with large alien plant life.

"Where the hell am I?"

 Arden's current location gave him an uncomfortable sensation that what had happened before he lost consciousness was more than simply a dream.

"Am I really dreaming?" Arden mumbled. He tried pinching himself dozens of times and even opened and closed his eyes, but everything remained the same,

The color of the sun in the sky world was blue, and the color of the sky was red; the clouds were absent, and everything looked upside down.

"This place is real, but where is this? why am I here? Does it have to do with the mechanical voice?" just when he thought of the mechanical voice, he thought of everything it said to him.

"Oh my goodness, don't tell me that all that mumbling about the jungle of carnage is real. Am I in deep trouble?"

 Arden started to panic, but he immediately took deep breaths to calm down and tried to think things through.

"Ok, let's calm down; things haven't gotten that bad; I just got to find somewhere safe; nothing should happen to me if I hide."

Just then.

"ROAR!!

A beastly roar suddenly rang behind Arden, making him tremble in fright.

"What the fuck is that animal? it doesn't sound like any animal I know.

 Arden thought as he peered in the direction of the sound, but before he could even turn his head to see where it was coming from, he heard the system's words ringing in his head.

 [ Host's initiation mission, beast survival begins now: in this mission, host is required to survive the attacks of the hungry Direbrinbare for two minutes.] 

"What? What the fuck is a Direbringbare!" Arden cried out.