The creature descended.

Huge wings.

Metal and bone fused into something monstrous.

It shrieked—mechanical and primal.

And it dove.

The first player it touched exploded in a spray of blood and broken code.

Kael didn’t think.
He rolled behind a cracked slab of marble, heart thundering.

[DANGER ZONE ENTERED]
Initiating Combat Tutorial...

“Tutorial? Are you kidding me?!”

A dagger appeared in his hand.

Rusted iron. No stats. No skills. Just instinct.

The monster landed. Its claws crushed skulls.

It scanned for motion.

Kael moved.

He dashed low, slipping through rubble—behind the beast.

Backstab Successful!
+5 XP

It shrieked.

Whipped around.

Its tail smashed into Kael’s ribs—sent him flying.

He crashed into a wall. Bones cracked. Pain screamed through him.

He was going to die.
In a game.
For real.

Then—

LEVEL UP!
Class Unlocked: CODEBREAKER (???)
Trait Gained: Backend Sight
Skill Gained: Exploit Injection

Kael blinked.

For a moment, the monster fractured.

He saw glowing code threads laced through its body. A weak point—right at the neck.

He understood them.

The creature lunged.

Kael pointed.

Exploit Injection Activated
Result: Movement Error – Stagger + Open Weak Point

The monster twitched. Froze.

Kael stabbed its neck.

Once.
Twice.
Again.

Until it stopped moving.

Monster Defeated.
[ZONE STABILIZED]

Kael dropped the blade, shaking.

Other players slowly stood, staring at him.

“What… was that?” someone whispered.

Kael stood. Blood dripping from his hands.

His HUD blinked again:

Welcome, Player Zero.
The Tower Awaits.