Today is Saturday. Only ten days left until the big exam, the university entrance exam.
This exam will decide whether a teenager's youth soars to the heavens or crashes into the dirt. My older brother has already risen to godlike status. Now, he's dating three girls at once. I, Noah Dark, will follow in his footsteps, becoming a talented and outstanding person like him.
Tonight's party at the club… the one I lied to my parents about, saying I was going to extra classes or studying for the entrance exam, is the last high school party with my lifelong buddies.
Looked around at the group of friends. Not a single one has a girlfriend. Truly, you become like the company you keep.
…
Late at night, when the whole family was asleep, stumbled back home drunk as hell. Collapsed on the bed, head heavy. These friends, always partying and loafing around, can't keep going like this. Gotta cut ties with them. Need to move forward. Want a girlfriend.
…
Just drifted off to sleep when suddenly, shouts and screams echoed in my ears. Gusts of cold wind blew through. The familiar bed felt strangely unfamiliar today.
Opened my eyes to a vast, towering sky. Sat up, patted my head, and looked around. Found myself lying on a pile of dry grass… on the slope of an unfamiliar mountain.
…Bewildered…
Where is this? Wasn't I sleeping in my bed? The thought flashed as I lay back down, trying to sleep again.
Feels too real. This isn't a dream.
All around, pitch black, not a single light. The only thing glowing tonight was the golden moon on the horizon, the biggest and brightest moon ever seen. Beautiful, dreamlike, yet so unfamiliar.
Why am I here? Body uninjured, no wounds anywhere. Could those guys have pulled a prank and dragged me out here?
"Done with these idiots… Next time, I'll settle the score with each one of them," he muttered.
Echoes came from behind. Bet those guys are throwing a second round of the party.
Followed the sound. The closer I got, the more it sounded like a fight. Saw flashes of fire lighting up the sky.
Got close enough to see clearly. Below, a house-like structure was engulfed in blazing flames. Inside, a group of people swung gleaming swords, hacking at each other. The scene was chaotic and brutal.
A burnt smell wafted through the air.
Noah Dark slapped his face. This isn't a dream. That down there is a massacre.
Quickly ducked and hid, cautiously observing.
In just a moment, the sounds stopped. One side had won. They split into two groups. One began piling up the bodies in one place and setting them on fire. The other group looted valuables, loading them onto… horse-drawn carts before leaving. Among the crowd, a figure in white, riding a white horse, stood out strikingly.
Must be the leader.
Watching from above, Noah Dark was dazed. Where am I? These people are dressed so strangely, riding horses, using carts… And that ancient-style building—what's going on?
The group below left, their laughter and chatter echoing through the area ("Congratulations, Chief, for wiping out this bandit den!"). Up above, Noah Dark strained to listen but couldn't understand their language. Panic surged. He crouched lower, hiding carefully.
These people are speaking a language I've never heard before. Where is this? Was that really a massacre down there?
After the group had gone far and their voices faded, though still terrified, he mustered the courage to approach the scene to confirm what happened. A manor, built in an ancient style, was engulfed in raging flames, crumbling everywhere. The stench of burning bodies stung his nose, mixed with the faint aroma of roasted meat… Nausea hit.
First time witnessing a mass slaughter and burning of bodies, Noah Dark's mind struggled to process it.
This was too horrifying.
This is blatant murder and robbery.
Instinct screamed danger, urging him to leave immediately, to report to the police.
Carefully ran back to the spot where he woke up.
Trying to forget the terrifying scene, Noah Dark huddled against a large rock, knees pulled up, head still foggy from the alcohol. Closed his eyes, muttering to himself:
"What the hell… This has to be a dream."
Fell asleep without realizing when.
…
The sky poured rain.
Noah Dark was jolted awake by the downpour. Felt heavy raindrops pelting his body, relentless and chaotic. Cold… exhausted… memories flooded back…
"This isn't a dream…" he muttered.
Head's clearing up. Did I really transmigrate or something? What the hell is going on?
Soaked to the bone, rain pounding harder, wind howling endlessly. Needed to find shelter fast, or catching a cold would be a real hassle.
All around, pitch black, rain torrential, thunder and lightning crashing. Damn, it was cold.
Gotta find somewhere to hide from the rain. But what if I run into those bandits again?
Rain grew heavier by the minute.
This mountain forest… where do I even go? Back to that manor, maybe. Those bandits are probably long gone by now. Staying here isn't an option either—getting sick in this storm is guaranteed. Head back to the manor first. Health comes first. It's the only place I know. At worst, there's just a few dead bodies. Not scared, not scared.
Big, heavy raindrops slammed into his body, making loud plop plop sounds. Hair drenched, wind icy, whipping through. Treetops swayed violently, rustling loudly. Thunder rumbled continuously, like an angry roar. Not a soul in sight, no light anywhere, sky dark as ink. The only brightness came from relentless flashes of lightning.
Told himself, Not scared… Gotta find shelter, dry off, or I'm dead for sure. No more fear.
Ran straight back along the old path, heart pounding in panic.
"Where is this? Damn it, I'm lost… Lost…" he gasped. "Scared… Calm down, Noah, you need to stay calm right now…"
Rain's getting worse. Head to that big tree over there for cover first…
Stood under the tree, looking around, but then a thunderclap exploded right overhead. BOOM. Hair stood on end, heart squeezed tight, chest like it was hammered by a giant mallet. Noah Dark trembled, collapsing to the ground, hugging the earth.
"No… this spot won't do. Rain this heavy, with lightning? Under a tree is a terrible idea."
Kept moving. Big, round raindrops pelted him, thud thud, stinging, freezing. In this life-or-death moment, his mind snapped into clarity. Fear vanished, replaced by nothing but the will to survive.
Outside, the rain poured harder, like the apocalypse was coming.
Tried to keep his eyes open, but visibility was near zero. Looked around—nothing but forest and mountains, not a trace of civilization.
At this point, even if I run into bandits, I'm not scared anymore.
Suddenly, a gust carried a scent through the air.
"Smell of burnt flesh," he said.
Followed the scent against the wind. Finally, Noah Dark reached the manor. The fire had died out, smoke rising from a few spots, the front gate shattered. Stepped into the courtyard—saw a pile of charred bodies, smoke curling upward, eerie. Despite the rain and wind, the stench of burnt flesh stung his nose.
In front of the main house, still intact, a headless middle-aged man's body lay on the ground by the steps. Noah Dark scanned around but couldn't find the head.
Stepped inside. Half the back of the house had collapsed. Aside from some broken debris, nothing remained.
As expected, the bandits looted everything. Poor owners of this manor, slaughtered so brutally. These people have no regard for the law, so savage, robbing and killing, then laughing and joking as they leave. Can't mess with them.
Night dark, rain raging outside, wind howling. The sound of rain hitting the tiled roof was heavy, like it wanted to flatten everything.
Wonder if the sky's furious because of that brutal massacre.
Sat in a wind-sheltered corner, next to the dying embers of the fire. Looked at the headless body, its fur-lined clothes unlike anything he'd ever seen. This must really be another world.
"I've really transmigrated," he whispered. "This world is too terrifying. One wrong move, and it's robbery and decapitation."
This must be some mountain manor. That body's probably the owner.
Outside, wind whistled through the cracks, whoosh whoosh. Windows rattled, clack clack. The house creaked, trembling slightly with the gusts.
Looked at the body, blood pooling everywhere.
"Noah Dark swears to give you a proper burial," he said. "I'm just a passerby, taking shelter from the rain tonight."
So cold, clothes still wet. That body's fur outfit… This isn't the time to be weak or scared. I want to live.
"Owner of this manor, forgive my disrespect, but circumstances force my hand," he said.
Noah Dark held his breath, bowed once, then rushed over. Took a while to strip the fur robe off and hurriedly put it on.
Huddled in a corner, shivering, muttering to himself:
"Damn those ruthless bandits, committing such heinous crimes. Robbing is one thing, but wiping out an entire household? They'll die horribly one day. Poor people of this manor."
Outside, wind roared, objects clattered, the room creaked, thunder rumbled endlessly. No sign of the storm letting up.
"I'm just a passerby, no strength to avenge you," he said. "All I can do is report this to someone else."
Outside, the rain and wind seemed to grow even fiercer.
Huddled in the corner, Noah Dark sat in silence, feeling the warmth from the robe.
Found a metallic bronze token in the robe's pocket, engraved with three tiger heads. On the back, a single character—looked like some kind of ancient script.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice rang out:
"Conditions met for activation.
Omnipotent Support System now online for the host."