The horn came first.
A shrill, metallic cry that cut through the rain and late-night smog like a dying animal. Then came the lights — too close, too fast — and then: nothing.
Silence.
He had always wondered how death would feel. Would it be cold? Sudden? Peaceful?
It turned out to be... instant. One moment he was walking home from yet another overtime shift, takeaway noodles in hand, muttering about quarterly reports. The next, he was floating in darkness.
"Well," he thought. "At least I don't have to deal with my boss anymore."
A soft ding echoed in the void.
[System initializing...]
[Unique User Detected.]
[Welcome, Player.]
[Installing: LOOTBOX LIFE SYSTEM...]
A voice — not human, not robotic, something in between — rang out.
"You have been chosen. By chance. By fate. By design.
Congratulations on your death."
His thoughts spun. "Wait. What?"
But there was no time to process. The black faded — and pain replaced it.
He gasped.
Lungs burning, chest rising like he hadn't breathed in hours. His skin prickled with cold, the scent of damp earth and pine rushing in. Birds chirped. Somewhere far off, something howled.
He opened his eyes.
Trees. Endless, towering, ancient trees. Mossy bark, glowing mushrooms, roots like veins across the forest floor. He tried to sit up — and realized two things at once.
First: his body was too small.
Second: he was naked.
"What the f—"
His voice cracked. High. Thin. A child's voice.
He stumbled toward a small puddle beside a tree, heart racing.
In the reflection: a boy. Maybe nine years old. Pale skin, tousled black hair, thin frame. Eyes too sharp for his age. But it was him. His features — compressed into a child's face.
"Reincarnated?" he muttered. "Did I get... isekai'd?"
[Affirmative.]
He flinched.
[You are now a registered user of the Lootbox Life System. Congratulations.]
[Due to your circumstances, tutorial rewards have been issued.]
A soft, digital chime rang in his ears — and suddenly, three objects materialized mid-air in front of him in a flash of golden light:
• A simple cotton tunic and pants
• A dry bread loaf
• A small wooden chest marked with a glowing green "C"
[Daily Starter Pack: Delivered.]
[Lootbox Rank: Common.]
"...No way."
His heart thundered. His logical mind — trained by years of corporate procedure and Excel sheets — tried to piece it together.
He reached for the chest.
[Would you like to open this lootbox?]
[Y/N]
"Y."
The chest clicked.
It opened with a slow creak, light spilling out like mist. Inside:
• Rusty Dagger (Common)
Basic steel. Slightly bent. Better than nothing.
• Skill Fragment: Basic Foraging
Allows recognition and collection of edible plants. Progress: 0/10
• 3x Dried Insect Rations
Tastes bad. Lasts long.
He blinked.
"Seriously? This feels like opening a pack of garbage cards."
[Lootbox contents scale with user achievements.]
[Perform better, and the system shall reward better.]
"Figures," he muttered. Still, he equipped the dagger. It was dull and ugly, but it fit in his hand.
The skill fragment floated briefly in the air, then sank into his chest like warm light.
[Skill Fragment Installed: Basic Foraging (Progress: 1/10)]
He took a shaky breath and looked around again. The forest was dense. Quiet now. Too quiet.
Suddenly, the branches above rustled.
He froze.
Then came the click-clack of claws.
A creature emerged — low to the ground, six legs, mottled gray fur, glowing eyes. Its face was all teeth.
[Detected: Forest Gnarlhound (Threat Level: D-)]
[Warning: Combat Recommended.]
"Combat? I have a dagger and a skill about picking berries—"
The Gnarlhound growled.
He stepped back. Slipped.
The beast lunged — and instinct took over. He rolled to the side, slashing upward. The blade scraped fur, drawing a line of dark green blood.
The hound shrieked. It turned, fast.
Too fast.
Its paw struck his shoulder, sending him crashing against a tree. Pain exploded through his ribs. He tasted copper.
Then—something changed.
A thrumming in his head. A flicker in his vision.
[Critical Hit Taken.]
[Emergency Protocol Activated.]
[Generating Combat Skill…]
[You have acquired: Skill – Improvised Evasion (LVL 1)]
His muscles twitched. He ducked instinctively as the hound lunged again — and this time, he moved faster. Not skilled, but guided.
He spun around the trunk and stabbed.
The dagger sank deep into the hound's side. It yelped. Twitched. Then collapsed.
He fell to his knees, panting.
Green blood soaked into the grass.
[Enemy defeated.]
[Lootbox dropped.]
In front of him, a new chest materialized — this one silver, with faint blue etchings.
[Lootbox Rank: Uncommon]
[Would you like to open this lootbox? Y/N]
He laughed. It came out shaky, somewhere between hysteria and awe.
"This… is insane."
He pressed Y.
The box opened.
[You have received:]
• Skill: Quickstep (LVL 1)
Allows short-range dash. Cooldown: 10 seconds.
• Healing Salve (x1)
Restores minor wounds.
• **Skill Fragment: Improvised Evasion (Progress +1)]
Skill Proficiency: 2/10
He applied the salve. Warmth spread over his ribs as the pain dulled.
He stared at the open lootbox, the fading corpse of the beast, and the blood on his trembling hands.
Then he heard it.
More growls.
Three sets this time. From deeper in the trees.
The system pinged.
[Incoming threat detected.]
[Auto-Quest Activated: Survive the Night.]
[Reward: Lootbox (???)]
His heart raced.
And in that moment — bruised, bloodied, breathing hard — a thought flashed through his mind:
This world doesn't care about mercy.
Only performance.
And he planned to perform exceptionally well.