The battlefield was littered with bodies—both human and monster alike. The once-panicked crowd had split into three types of people: those who fought, those who fled, and those who froze in fear, waiting for death.

Kim Sehan stood among the fighters, his breathing steady. Blood splattered his hands, but he felt no hesitation.

[You have slain a Lesser Nightmare. +15 EXP]

[You have leveled up. All stats increased.]

A rush of strength coursed through his body. It was an unfamiliar, intoxicating sensation. His stamina recovered slightly, his movements sharpened. He clenched his fists, testing the newfound power.

“This system rewards survival,” he muttered under his breath. “Then I'll use it.”

Nearby, the young man he had helped earlier, still gripping his broken sword, approached cautiously.

“I'm Kang Jinhyuk,” he introduced himself, his voice still shaky from adrenaline. “Thanks for earlier. You... seem to know what you’re doing.”

Sehan glanced at him. Jinhyuk had skill but lacked decisiveness. He hesitated before attacking, his blows inefficient. Someone like him wouldn’t last long in this world.

“I’m just surviving,” Sehan replied flatly, scanning the battlefield for more enemies.

Jinhyuk hesitated but then nodded. “Still... it’s better to team up. We don’t know how this works yet. Safety in numbers, right?”

Sehan considered it. In a game, forming a party had its advantages. But this wasn’t just a game—it was life and death. Trusting the wrong person could get him killed.

A chilling scream cut through the air.

They turned to see a girl being overwhelmed by a monstrous figure twice her size. She swung wildly, but her blows did nothing. The creature raised a clawed hand, ready to strike.

Sehan’s body moved before he could think.

Dashing forward, he grabbed a discarded weapon—a rusted short sword—and lunged. His movements were clumsy, untrained, but the force behind them was real. The blade plunged into the creature’s back, making it shriek in pain.

[Critical Hit! +25 EXP]

The monster thrashed, trying to shake him off. Sehan tightened his grip, using his weight to drive the blade deeper. The creature staggered before collapsing.

Panting, he pulled the sword free and looked down at the girl. She was trembling, staring up at him with wide eyes.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice more detached than he intended.

She swallowed hard and nodded.

Jinhyuk ran up behind him, eyes wide. “That was... insane.”

Sehan didn’t respond. His mind was racing.

The system rewarded action, strength, and survival. The weak died, the strong grew stronger.

This world wasn’t fair.

If he wanted to survive, he couldn’t hesitate.

This was only the first step.