The rhythmic pounding of Jason’s fists against the heavy bag echoed through the gym, his breath controlled, his movements sharp. His coach’s voice cut through the air, urging him forward. “Final ten seconds! Give it everything! One-two, slip, two!” His knuckles snapped against the bag with crisp impact, sweat dripping down his temple. Something felt off today. His adrenaline was spiking randomly, his body pulsing with unfamiliar bursts of energy. His muscles ached in strange ways, not from fatigue but from something deeper, something unnatural.
Shaking off the unease, he finished his workout, breathing heavily as he stepped away. Three months into MMA training at AUT, he had built up solid conditioning. It wasn’t about competing. Jason was an introvert, never the loudest in the room, never the one seeking attention. But training kept his mind clear. Besides, it wasn’t like he had a massive social circle. His small group of friends was enough. He liked things that way.
After a quick shower, now dressed in his favorite white sweats, he made his way toward his next lecture: Introduction to Programming. He stopped by a vending machine, grabbing an energy drink before heading into the massive lecture hall. The hours dragged on, his professor somehow turning an already simple concept into a two-hour endurance test.
When the class finally ended, Jason stretched, grabbing his bag and making for the exit. He was halfway through a yawn when the world changed. A deep tremor ran through the air. An unnatural, suffocating force pressed down on him like gravity had tripled in an instant. The light flickered. Then, high above the city, words appeared in the sky.
WARNING: SYSTEM INTEGRATION BEGINNING - MANA UNLOCKED.
Jason’s breath caught in his throat. The pressure was overwhelming. His knees buckled, his muscles screaming under the weight of something unseen. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay upright as others collapsed around him, gasping. What the hell is happening? After what felt like an eternity, the pressure lifted. Jason gasped, inhaling sharply as a blue screen flickered to life in front of him.
Name: Jason Cole
Level: 1
Species: Human
Health: 3
Agility: 3
Endurance: 3
Strength: 2
Mana: 2
“What the hell is this?” he muttered. Around him, confused murmurs turned to screams. A bloodcurdling shriek shattered the stunned silence. Jason’s head snapped toward the sound. His breath hitched at the sight. A girl being dragged away by something… something impossible. A monstrous ant the size of a dog, its massive mandibles clamped around her crushed arm, hauling her toward an alley. Jason’s stomach twisted at the sight. A floating window hovered above the creature.
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[Level 3 Carpenter Ant]
He should run. Every instinct screamed at him to turn around and get the hell out of there. But Jason’s feet were already moving. The girl had passed out from shock if he left her, she was as good as dead. His eyes darted around the construction site nearby. Weapons. He needed something. His hands found a rusted piece of rebar lying in a pile of debris. Without thinking, he snatched it up and sprinted toward the ant.
He swung with everything he had. The rebar crashed into the side of the ant’s head, a sickening crunch echoing through the alley. The creature stumbled, releasing the girl in surprise. Jason barely had time to register the effectiveness of the hit before the ant turned, its blood-red eyes locking onto him. It lunged. Jason twisted, barely dodging the snapping mandibles. He felt the wind of the bite pass inches from his torso. He needed to end this fast. The creature’s eyes—if he could blind it, he’d have the advantage.
As the ant recoiled for another attack, Jason stepped inside its range and drove the rebar straight into one of its glowing red eyes. The creature shrieked. A foul-smelling yellow fluid burst out, spraying across the pavement. It twitched violently, its antennae spasming as it reeled in pain. Jason didn’t hesitate. He raised the rebar high and brought it down with all his strength.
The skull cracked. The ant’s body shuddered before collapsing onto the pavement. Jason stood over it, panting, his hands shaking from the rush of adrenaline. Then, something weird happened. A soft, white mist seeped from the ant’s corpse, drifting toward Jason. Before he could react, it rushed into his chest, a sudden warmth flooding through his veins. He stumbled back, gasping as a notification appeared before his eyes.
System Notification: You have slain Level 3 Carpenter Ant.
+4 Endurance, +2 Health, +1 Agility, +1 Mana, +3 Strength
Level up! x2
All stats +2.
Unassigned Stats: 4
New Passive Skill Unlocked: [Hunter's Instinct] - Enhances combat senses, reaction speed, and detection of weak points.
Jason’s breathing steadied as he looked at the notification. His body felt different. Stronger. His muscles no longer ached, and the soreness from training earlier was completely gone. He opened his status screen, his stats now higher.
Name: Jason Cole
Level: 3
Species: Human
Health: 5
Agility: 6
Endurance: 9
Strength: 7
Mana: 5
Unassigned Stats: 4
Active Skills: 0/5
Passive Skills: Hunters Instinct
“This.. this is insane.” Jason clenched his fist, feeling the subtle increase in power. He had gone from struggling under the pressure of the system integration to killing a monster above his level in minutes. His mind raced. How many more creatures were out there? How strong could he become? A groan from behind snapped him back to reality. The girl.
Jason quickly slung the rebar over his shoulder and picked her up carefully. She was still unconscious, her breathing shallow but steady. Her arm was in bad shape, but if she got medical attention quickly, she might be okay. “I need to get her to the infirmary,” he muttered, his thoughts still swirling with everything that just happened. As he carried her toward the campus medical center, he couldn’t help but glance up at the glowing words in the sky. Something told him this was only the beginning.
