Kai slammed into solid ground face-first, eating a mouthful of dirt. His body ached as if he'd been tossed from a moving vehicle—which, considering his spectacular entrance into the afterlife, wasn't far from the truth.
"Graceful," remarked a dry voice.
Kai spit out soil and looked up. A lanky boy with silver hair leaned against a weathered signpost, observing Kai with amused amber eyes. He wore leather armor that had seen better days, and a short sword hung at his hip.
"First arrival?" the boy asked, offering a hand.
Kai ignored it, scrambling to his feet on his own. "Where am I?"
"Edge of Respawn Village, of course." The boy gestured toward a collection of thatched cottages nestled in a valley below. "I'm Ellis. Professional guide for newcomers—for a price."
Kai dusted himself off, taking in his surroundings. Rolling hills stretched into the distance, dotted with strange crystalline formations that pulsed with inner light. The sky above held two suns—one gold, one pale blue.
"I don't have any money," Kai said.
Ellis grinned. "Everyone says that. Check your inventory."
"My what?"
A translucent menu shimmered into existence:
[STARTER PACK: 50 COINS | BEGINNER'S TUNIC | WOODEN DAGGER]
"This is... exactly like a game," Kai muttered.
"Life, death, afterlife—it's all games with different rule sets," Ellis shrugged. "Now, about my fee..."
A distant howl cut through the air. Ellis's casual demeanor vanished instantly.
"Night wolves," he hissed, drawing his sword. "They shouldn't be hunting this close to the village."
The ground trembled. Over the ridge behind them, three massive wolf-like creatures appeared—each the size of a small car, with glowing red eyes and shadowy mist curling from their jaws.
"Run!" Ellis shoved Kai toward the village.
Kai's legs moved before his brain caught up. He sprinted downhill, heart hammering against his ribs. Behind him, Ellis shouted something unintelligible—a spell or curse—and there was a flash of blue light.
One wolf yelped in pain. The others kept coming.
Kai reached for his wooden dagger, then froze as the full implications of his situation hit him. He had died once already. If these wolves tore him apart...
"Wait," he called, skidding to a halt. "If I die, I go back 24 hours, right?"
Ellis, now running alongside him, shot him an incredulous look. "Sure, but world progression continues! You'll just respawn alone, with these wolves still here but stronger!"
A shadow fell over them. Kai looked up to see a night wolf mid-leap, jaws wide and dripping darkness.
Time slowed.
A weird, calm clarity washed over Kai. This was like his e-sports training. Respawning wasn't failure—it was data collection. Each death was information.
"Ellis," Kai said with surprising calm, "what's the fastest way to level up in this world?"
The guide's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're thinking about that now?!"
The wolf's jaws were inches away.
Kai smiled grimly. "I think I'm about to discover a speedrun exploit."
The last thing he saw was Ellis's shocked expression as shadow teeth closed around his vision.
The world went dark.