The Legendaries Awaken

Kai Jin's feet hit the metal steps of the fire escape with a dull thud. His body moved on instinct, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through his veins, keeping him alert and sharp. His breath came in shallow, controlled bursts as he crouched low, making his way down the narrow metal ladder with quiet urgency.

The sound of the door slamming open behind him echoed in the alley below, followed by the unmistakable noise of heavy footsteps—a stampede of creatures, dragging their clawed feet across the pavement. Kai didn't need to look back. He could already hear them getting closer.

Focus.

The strange voice from the system rang in his mind once more, breaking through the chaotic thoughts swirling in his head. He barely had time to process the words when the first of the creatures rounded the corner, a hulking monstrosity with a mouth full of jagged teeth and skin like rotting leather. Its glowing red eyes scanned the alley, searching for him.

It was a goblin. Rank F, just like the one he had killed moments ago. But this one was larger, more dangerous, with a thick, bony club in its hand. Behind it, a swarm of smaller goblins followed, each carrying different weapons—daggers, axes, and crude spears. They moved with a menacing coordination, like a pack of wild animals on the hunt.

Kai's eyes flicked to the system window still hovering in his vision. The numbers were still there, though they didn't mean much to him yet. He had no weapons. No real experience. The goblins were already closing in, their heavy steps shaking the ground beneath him.

Survive. Hunt. Grow.

The words from the system echoed in his mind like a mantra, but they didn't make it any easier. The fear he felt was real—raw. But Kai wasn't naïve. He knew fear could be a weapon if controlled. His survival instincts kicked in, pushing all other thoughts aside. He had no choice now. He had to fight or die.

He had a knife from earlier. A simple kitchen knife—hardly a weapon for facing down goblins. But it was all he had, and it would have to do. His hand gripped the cold steel of the blade, feeling the weight of it in his palm.

Strength: 5

Agility: 6

Endurance: 4

Intelligence: 10

Dexterity: 7

Kai wasn't a fighter. He wasn't even strong. His stats weren't impressive. But his intelligence… his mind was sharp. He could outthink them, outmaneuver them.

First, he needed to separate them. A group of enemies was always more dangerous than an individual, especially when they had the advantage of numbers. He scanned his surroundings, eyes flicking from the alleyway to the buildings towering above him. There. A fire hydrant. If he could break it open…

Without hesitation, Kai rushed to the side of the alley, kicking a trash can across the ground to distract the nearest goblins. It was a small thing, but the noise was enough to pull their attention for a split second. He darted toward the fire hydrant, using the seconds of confusion to pry the lid off with all his strength.

His fingers fumbled, but after a brief struggle, he managed to break the seal. Water shot out in a powerful, spraying jet, blasting the goblins in the face. The creatures screeched and stumbled back, their eyes momentarily blinded by the sudden rush of water. This was his chance.

Kai sprang into action.

He rushed forward, using the momentum of the spray to close the distance between him and the nearest goblin. He ducked under its wild swing, narrowly avoiding the club that would have shattered his ribs. Without missing a beat, he drove the knife into the goblin's side, twisting it as the creature howled in pain.

It wasn't a clean kill, but it was enough. The goblin dropped to the ground, bleeding profusely, its limbs twitching uncontrollably. But the others were already reacting. They charged forward, growling and shouting in their guttural language, their weapons raised high.

Kai's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted backward, dodging another club swing. He wasn't fast enough to outrun them, but he didn't need to be. He needed to outsmart them.

*"Analysis"*

The system voice cut through the chaos, and Kai's mind flashed with new information. It was a skill, but more than that, it was a tool—one that could change the tide of this battle.

The moment the goblins closed in on him, Kai saw their movements more clearly. Their strikes were wild, their coordination sloppy. They were stronger than him, sure, but they were predictable. Their eyes betrayed their every move.

Now.

Kai dove to the side, just as one of the goblins swung its axe down. The blow missed by inches. As the goblin stumbled from its overexertion, Kai quickly scrambled to his feet, his knife plunging into its back. The goblin screamed, the sound echoing in the narrow alley before it collapsed, lifeless, onto the wet pavement.

Another goblin rushed forward, its dagger aimed at Kai's throat. This one was faster than the others—smarter, too. But Kai was ready. With a quick sidestep, he grabbed the goblin's arm, using its own momentum to flip it over his shoulder. The creature crashed to the ground, and before it could react, Kai had already plunged his knife into its skull.

But even as one goblin fell, another took its place. The remaining goblins had regrouped, and they were closing in fast. Kai felt the weight of exhaustion begin to set in. His movements were slower now. His breathing was shallow. The fight had taken more out of him than he cared to admit.

Focus.

The system's voice cut through his haze of fatigue, and Kai's mind cleared for just a moment. He could do this. He could survive.

He spun around, narrowly avoiding another swing from the goblin with the club. He dove under its arm, slashing the knife upward and catching the creature's side. It howled in pain, but the injury wasn't enough to bring it down.

Kai gritted his teeth, pushing himself to his feet. The goblins were relentless. If he didn't finish this soon, he'd run out of time. Run out of energy. And then it would be over.

A plan formed in his mind—quick, efficient. There was no room for hesitation.

As the goblin with the club swung again, Kai ducked, using his lower center of gravity to tackle it to the ground. The creature struggled, but Kai wasn't giving up. His hands found its neck, his fingers digging in, tightening around the throat. The goblin's claws scratched at his arms, but Kai didn't let go. With a final, desperate jerk, the creature went still.

The alley was silent for a moment. The only sound was Kai's ragged breathing.

The remaining goblins paused, their eyes flicking to one another. They weren't used to facing this kind of resistance. They hesitated.

Now's my chance.

Kai's muscles burned with exhaustion, but his mind was sharp. He wasn't done. Not yet.

He launched himself at the remaining goblins, his knife raised high.

The final goblin hesitated, its eyes flicking from Kai's bloodied form to the remains of its fallen comrades. The battle had drawn a clear line in the sand: Kai was not a helpless prey. He was a hunter now.

Kai didn't give it time to reconsider. His legs coiled like a spring, and with a swift movement, he surged forward. The remaining goblin, taller and bulkier than the others, swung its jagged spear in a wide arc, aiming to impale Kai where he stood. The sharp tip of the spear whistled through the air, aimed directly at his chest.

Kai's heart pounded in his ears as he sidestepped with a sharp twist, narrowly avoiding the blow. His body felt heavier now, the exhaustion from his earlier efforts building, but the adrenaline kept him sharp. He felt every muscle in his legs scream as they powered him to the side, a few inches away from certain death.

The goblin snarled, its red eyes burning with fury as it raised its weapon again. But Kai was already there. In one fluid motion, he swept low, grabbing the creature's legs and using its momentum against it. The goblin lost its balance and toppled forward, its face crashing into the wet pavement.

Kai didn't wait. He had no time for mercy. He thrust his knife into the goblin's exposed neck, twisting as it let out one last, choking cry. It fell lifeless into the puddle of its own blood.

A long silence followed, and Kai stood there, panting heavily, blood dripping from his hands. His heart raced in his chest, the sharp sting of his wounds barely registering as his mind processed what had just happened. His body, slick with sweat and grime, was alive with the aftershocks of the fight.

You've killed them all.

The voice in his mind, the system's cold, clinical tone, echoed in the quiet alley. The monsters were dead. But now, something else stirred—something deeper. Something new.

Kai's eyes flickered to the system window that appeared before him, a glowing hologram-like display that had followed him throughout the battle.

System: Quest Completed: Goblin Hunt (Rank F)

Reward Unlocked:

- Goblin's Spear (Rank F)

- New Skill: "Tactical Maneuver" (Level 1)

- Experience Gained: 200

Stats Update:

Strength +2

Agility +1

Endurance +1

Kai didn't have time to process the rewards. The blood and adrenaline still swirled in his veins, but his mind was already racing again. The hunt was over. For now. But the world was still changing.

Warning: Rank F monsters detected. Unclear number. Approaching from the south.

His heart skipped. More monsters. He had barely survived the last batch. If there were more, what chance did he have? He wasn't trained for this. He was just a high school student who had never held a real weapon before today.

But something deep inside him—something raw, primal—pushed aside the doubt. He had survived. He had fought. He had learned.

He wasn't the same person he was before the portals had opened. That much was clear.

Kai quickly wiped the blood from his hands, tucking the goblin's spear into his belt. It was crude, but it would have to do. His mind flickered back to the system window. The skill he had just gained—the "Tactical Maneuver"—sounded like it could make a difference. The system had provided him with tools, but it was up to him to make use of them.

As he took a few more steps into the alley, something strange caught his attention. A soft hum, a vibration in the air. He froze, looking around in confusion. The sound was faint, but it was there. A gentle, rhythmic pulse.

And then, a voice. This time, it wasn't the system.

"Not bad for a human."

Kai whipped around, his hand flying to the goblin's dagger at his side. But the voice came from a shadow—a figure cloaked in black, standing atop a nearby rooftop. Kai couldn't make out the details in the low light, but he could see the silhouette of a person—someone who, judging by the posture, wasn't human.

The figure jumped down, landing in front of him with a soft thud. The person stood tall and imposing, an aura of danger radiating off them. The way they moved was inhuman, fluid, and effortless. They wore a long, dark coat that billowed around their legs, and their face was obscured by a black mask. A single red eye glowed faintly beneath the mask.

The figure's voice was cold, almost mocking. "You've got potential, kid. It's rare to see someone fight like that… especially someone with your… talent."

Kai narrowed his eyes, his body tensing. He was exhausted, his wounds throbbing, and yet he couldn't afford to be weak. His grip tightened on his spear as he sized up this mysterious stranger.

"Who are you?" Kai asked, his voice strained but steady. He wasn't going to be intimidated—not now.

The figure smirked. "You can call me X. And I'm here to offer you a deal, Kai Jin."

The name hit him like a slap. "How do you know my name?"

X's laugh was low, almost sinister. "The system speaks to us all. I know more about you than you think."

Kai's pulse quickened. The system. The voice. Was it guiding him? Was it controlling him?

X stepped forward, the sound of their boots echoing in the alleyway as the figure closed the distance. "The monsters you're fighting? They're nothing compared to what's coming. And you—well, you're just starting to awaken."

"What do you want?" Kai demanded, his teeth clenched.

X paused. "You're smart, Kai. But being smart isn't enough to survive in this new world. If you want to make it, if you want to fight the real threats coming through the portals, you need to become stronger. I can help you. I can teach you things. But there's a price."

Kai's mind raced. This stranger—this "X"—was offering him something, but nothing in life came without a price. He could sense the danger, the weight of the offer. But the allure of strength, of survival, tugged at him. What else could he do?

"Teach me," Kai said, his voice unwavering.

X nodded, a flicker of approval in their eye. "Good choice. Welcome to the world of the awakened."

Before Kai could react, a new notification flashed across his vision.

New Quest: The Path of the Awakened

Objective: Learn the ways of the awakened. Train under X.

Reward: New Skills.

Failure: Potential death.

The system was guiding him, no doubt, but Kai knew better than to trust blindly. This was just another step in his journey. He would rise—he would grow stronger. But not for anyone else. For himself.

Kai's eyes narrowed, the burning desire to survive igniting within him once more. He would survive. He would not die.

And this time, nothing would stop him.