Kaito crashed into the thick canopy of the Forest of No Return. But this wasn't an ordinary forest. It was densely packed, the air heavy and cold, the roots twisted and uprooted in chaotic patterns. An eerie aura clung to every tree, a silence too unnatural to ignore. This feeling had reason—this forest was home to monsters known as Abominations. Their name barely scratched the surface of the terror they brought. A hundred years ago, these creatures emerged and devastated human civilization, reducing all progress to ash and ruin.
But then, five heroes rose. Miru, Kaori, Nafim, Tersi, and their fearless leader, Laila. Together, they pushed the Abominations back, giving humanity a chance to recover. Months passed, and some humans began awakening latent powers within them—abilities that let them resist the horrors that once overwhelmed them.
Back to Kaito—still falling fast. His only hope for survival was landing on the densest part of the treetops, where the leaves might soften his descent. A few moments later, he hit the ground with a painful thud. Dazed and barely able to stand, he lay still, catching his breath. When the pain dulled, he tried to climb a tree for a better view, hoping to understand the forest's terrain. But as he scrambled upward, he lost his grip and crashed back down, hitting the earth even harder.
"SHIT!! That hurt!" he groaned. "It's downright insane to throw a human from the sky without warning! Does he not understand how fragile we are? That little sh—" He stopped himself mid-rant. "I better not say anything else before he hears me…"
Unbeknownst to Kaito, his angry outburst had drawn the attention of nearby wolf-like monsters. But that danger was still a few moments away.
Elsewhere in the forest, long before Kaito had landed, a refined young woman moved through the woods. Her every step was graceful, deliberate. She weaved through gnarled roots and low-hanging branches with practiced ease, as though she had walked this path many times before. Her name was Lai Arok, and she belonged to the noble house of Duke Lasmoina.
Suddenly, from behind a massive, towering tree—five times her size—a plant-like Abomination lunged at her. Its grotesque limbs reached forward, aiming to crush her in a single blow. But before the strike could land, Lai leapt into the air. With her eyes closed and a sigh on her lips, she vanished in a blink and reappeared behind the monster.
Moments later, the creature lay in pieces, its dark green blood splattered across the forest floor. Lai clicked her tongue in disgust.
"Tch! I am the heir of House Lasmoina! I, Lai Arok, shall conquer the Forest of No Return and bring honor to my name. Your pathetic tricks mean nothing to me, you revolting plant! Even your blood makes me sick!"
Then she heard a loud crash—Kaito's fall. Followed by his shouting. Her eyes narrowed.
Someone else is in this forest… I must find them. Perhaps they can help me conquer this land—and carve my name into legend
Kaito slowly got up, his body aching from the fall, and slumped against an uprooted root. He exhaled deeply, frustration boiling inside him. "Okay, even if I was randomly sent to some random world by a stupid Divinity, I still need to understand this place. This world... I didn't ask for this."
Before he could gather his thoughts, a mysterious voice echoed through the air. "The Gai system has acknowledged the user."
Kaito shot up, his heart racing. "Who's there?!"
The voice responded again, this time more matter-of-fact. "Displaying the user's ability status."
Kaito's eyes widened as a glowing screen appeared before him, displaying his stats.
"Oh, so this is my ability... The classic status screen, just like the ones from reincarnation stories," Kaito muttered, still trying to grasp what was happening. The stats on the screen read:
Strength: 10Agility: 10Perception: 15Intelligence: 20Magic: 15
"Well, at least I'm not completely useless..." Kaito thought aloud, though the realization didn't ease the tension in his chest. It was clear: something far more complicated was ahead.
As soon as Kaito opened his mouth to speak, the voice interrupted again. "ERROR. ERROR. THE GAI SYSTEM HAS DENIED ACCESS TO THE STATUS OF THE USER. THE ANONYMOUS USER WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED."
Kaito froze, confused, his mind racing. "What the hell is this?!" Before he could even process what had happened, his body was suddenly gripped by an overwhelming sensation—a surge of electricity shot through him, followed by the suffocating burn of poison coursing through his veins. His knees buckled under the onslaught, and he fell to the ground, his body seizing in agony.
The shock hit him first, sending Kaito sprawling, his muscles convulsing in pain. He'd endured this kind of torture before—his abusive uncle had used a taser on him whenever Kaito didn't follow his orders. The shock was brutal, but familiar. He had survived it then, and he could survive it now.
But the poison—it was something else entirely. A cold, creeping pain that twisted inside him like a living thing. It gnawed at his insides, tightening its grip with every second. It felt like his body was being crushed under the weight of a giant hammer, every joint screaming, every muscle tearing apart. The pain was unbearable, and no amount of grit or willpower could make it stop. It was as though a nail the size of his entire body was being hammered into him, over and over again. It was a pain no 18-year-old could endure.
Still, despite the agony wracking his body, Kaito gritted his teeth and stood up, staggering on unsteady legs. His chest heaved with each breath as blood spilled from his mouth. "This... This is the worst pain I've ever felt in my life!" His voice was hoarse, but there was a fierce determination in his eyes. "But I didn't run from that abusive bastard of an uncle... just to die here! No! I'm gonna live through this! If it's the last thing I do!"
Kaito's legs buckled again, and blood poured from his lips, dripping down his chin. His vision blurred, but his resolve burned brighter than ever. "You're not gonna beat me, you piece of shit system!" His scream tore through the air as he wiped the blood from his face with shaking hands.
His body trembled, fighting against the poison, against the overwhelming pain. "GAI SYSTEM!" Kaito's voice cracked with fury and desperation. "I'm your one and only user! Recognize me! Engrave my name into your fucking system! I'll show you the will of the human heart! I'll make you bow to me!"
He could feel his strength fading. His eyes closed, his body crashing to the ground. As his vision blurred and his consciousness slipped away, his final words were barely a whisper. "I'll stand on the pillar of greatness..."
The voice spoke once again, "The Gai system has acknowledged the endurance of the user. The poison in the user has been neutralized, and new skills have been bestowed upon the user." Kaito slowly got to his feet, his body still aching but feeling slightly better. "Shit! I could've died right there. Thankfully, the poison was neutralized just before I met my end. Now, let me check—"
But before he could even finish his thought, a deafening roar echoed through the forest. His earlier outburst had attracted the wolf abominations, and Kaito's weak state in this new world was a huge disadvantage. He realized that there were only two options: fight or run.
Kaito clenched his fists, thinking quickly. "Alright, I have two choices: either fight these wolves or run like hell." He slapped his hands together, taking a deep breath. "Well, I know what I need to do." He immediately got into a stance and sprinted off in the other direction, his mind screaming, You must be out of your mind to think I'm ready to fight three wolves!
But even with all his speed, Kaito was no match for the wolves. They quickly caught up to him. One of the wolves leaped at him, slashing with its claws. Kaito managed to dodge just in time, but his right pocket was slashed open, and his portable coat—a pricey item that had cost him one of his entire job salaries—fell to the ground. Kaito's eyes widened in disbelief. "You little shits! Do you know how much that cost?! That coat's worth a whole month's salary!"
Fueled by anger, Kaito launched himself at one of the wolves, biting down hard on its throat. The wolf spun in the air, flailing wildly until it collapsed, lifeless from blood loss. Another wolf charged, but Kaito used the dead body to block its attack, sending it crashing to the ground. Ignoring the pain in his hand, Kaito yanked a fang from the fallen wolf's mouth and used it to stab one of the other wolves in the eye. The creature let out a final howl and collapsed. The third wolf, terrified by the blood-soaked Kaito, turned tail and fled.
Panting, Kaito stood victorious but exhausted. The system spoke once more. "You have leveled up to level 2. The conditions have been met. You have learned the skills 'Martial Arts' and 'Determination.'" Kaito sighed in relief and began to relax, but before he could, a sudden rustling behind him made his blood run cold. A plant-like abomination emerged from the shadows.
Kaito froze. He had no time to react, no chance to fight back. He had accepted his fate—until, at the last moment, a flash of motion appeared in front of him. Lai, the heir of the House Lasmoina, sliced the abomination into pieces with ease. She turned to Kaito and scoffed, "I thought you'd be useful, but it seems you're not worth my time."
Kaito wasn't having it. He stepped forward, fury in his eyes. "What do you mean, 'not worth your time'?" He stormed right up to her, close enough to make her stumble back, flustered.
Lai, visibly embarrassed by his proximity, raised her sword, pointing it directly at his neck. "He-hey, stay back! I'm the lady of House Lasmoina!"
Kaito, caught off guard, raised his hands in defense, "Okay, okay! I get it! Just... point that thing somewhere else!"
In his head, Kaito couldn't help but think, What kind of world is this?! These women just walk around in the open, pointing swords at people's necks like it's nothing!