He was an ordinary boy with an ordinary life.
At least, that's how he perceived it.
He woke up in the morning, ate breakfast, and went to middle school. He wasn't in any clubs, so he went straight home after school. He did his homework, played video games, and went to bed.
This routine was repeated by thousands of boys in the world. And like many, he dreamed of being different.
*What if I had superpowers? What if I had super-intelligence?*
This was a thought that entered many teenage boys' heads.
Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man...
These superheroes and others were the infatuation of many young boys. Before a new movie came out, they would drop everything to watch the trailers. When it released, they would go see it in theaters.
And when it ended, they would discuss these movies with many other like-minded fans.
But the boy was well aware that he wasn't any different from these fans. He looked up to these heroes with superhuman abilities just like thousands of others did.
Yet, he did not possess any qualities that put him above these other people.
By wishing he was super, by wishing he was different, and by wishing he was one of those superheroes in the movies, he was simply losing himself in escapist fantasies.
Just like many others. And he knew this.
It was why he wished to be different. He was the only one conscious in his own body, so why was he the same as everyone else?
*What can I do to be different?*
This thought plagued him for years to come.
Eventually, the middle schooler grew up to be a high schooler. And now, this high schooler was on the verge of the next step of his life. But he didn't know where to go.
One day, this boy decided to walk home in the midst of a thunderstorm.
College admissions had to be submitted soon, but he was reconsidering his approach to this lifestyle. Maybe a different environment could give him some ideas.
This post-graduation path was the only one he was aware of at the time, but since it seemed like the "right" path for most people, he didn't want to take it.
What could he do to forge his own path?
But he didn't realize that his own path could be the wrong one.
Yes, he'd veered off his usual route home and walked towards a hill with an old tree standing at the top. This was entirely by accident. He should have known to avoid high places during a thunderstorm, but he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he forgot this common knowledge.
What happened next was a foregone conclusion.
A light flashed so bright that his vision went dark.
A pulse of sound so loud that his innards reverberated violently.
An odor of inorganic singe assaulted his olfactory senses.
And it was over as abruptly as it started.
He miraculously survived with little to no damage.
Only now did the boy realize what a dumb mistake he'd made by walking to the top of a hill in a thunderstorm!
He sprinted to safety: a lower elevation. But he couldn't help but turn around and witness the aftermath. And what he saw changed his life.
The old tree at the top of the hill was a massive one. Chopping away at it with an ordinary axe would take weeks if not months, and it wasn't even easy to knock down with a chainsaw.
But in less than a second, this entire tree was split down the middle.
*I want that.*
Lightning. Just like a superhero, he wanted to harness this power. This was what would differentiate him from the masses!
The boy arrived at home safe from harm and pondered whether acquiring a lightning superpower was a reasonable goal.
*... It's not impossible.*
Lightning was just a discharge of electricity. He'd seen those orbs that would discharge sparks when they were close to each other, so why couldn't he make something similar?
But where could he learn to make such a thing?
*College...*
He gritted his teeth, but this was likely the only place he could learn more about electricity, physics, and magnetism. On top of this, he needed research materials to conduct experiments. A university was likely the only place he could get easy access to these resources.
It was the "right" path for him just like it was for everyone else. But now, it was only a means to an end.
With newfound motivation, the boy studied hard in his college years. He wasn't a genius, but with enough hard work and determination, he completed his engineering degree.
Now, this boy was a man. This man pursued his doctorate, and he was determined to create the most efficient electricity storage system known to humanity.
He knew that discharging electricity through air, an insulator, required an ungodly amount of voltage.
One day, to brainstorm ideas, he decided to walk outside in another thunderstorm. Last time he did so resulted in an epiphany, so perhaps this time would yield something similar.
And this time, he made sure to be safe. He meticulously planned his route to be at the lowest elevation possible.
He walked outside and focused on the raindrops falling on his skin.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
And when he opened them, he was in an unfamiliar place.
*... What?*
It was a white room void of gravity.
Well, was it even a room? The white space seemed borderless. And despite it being pure white, his eyes didn't have to adjust. Nor did he feel like he was floating.
He quickly realized, though, that he didn't have any eyes. His body was gone, too.
He just *was*.
*Did I just...*
He didn't want to consider the worst possible outcome. But what else could explain this strange situation?
"Yes, you've thought correctly. You died."
A woman's voice paradoxically reverberated through the borderless room. It was coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Was it even a sound?
He was speechless at how this information was directly transmitted to him. But when he realized the contents of the message, the only thing he felt was denial.
*Why?*
"You were incredibly unlucky. You stepped outside only to be struck by lightning! Fortunately, since all of your nerves were shot basically simultaneously, you died in the most painless way possible. Isn't that some form of luck? Heehee~"
When the woman laughed, rage swelled within him. He wanted her to understand the efforts he'd gone through. He had so much more to do in life. The unfairness he had to endure was comical. But before he could say anything, the woman spoke up first.
"You want the power of lightning, correct?"
"Are you mocking me?"
These were the man's first words after death. His life's effort were cut short only for the possibility of what could have been to be rubbed in his face. He was about to go on another tirade, but the woman spoke up again as if she was reading his mind.
"You are one angry fellow. Well, that's understandable. I know everything about your life. If you want, I can grant your soul a new life in another world. And in that world, there's magic. There's mana. A new power source you so vehemently crave. And with this power, you can harness lightning with ease."
The man was doubtful. These were some very bold claims.
"It looks like you don't believe me. Who was the kid who considered himself ordinary every day? The kid who entrenched himself in escapist fantasies? The kid who saw the tree split in half? And the one who has been working towards harnessing lightning from that point on?
"I can grant you the power of lightning in another world. I am God, after all."
"... God is a woman?"
"... I can put you back on Earth if you want."
"No no no no! If you can take me to another world and give me lightning magic... Please do!"
"Hmmm... Really? Do you not feel like your research was wasted if I can instantly give you what you've wanted for years?"
"Why does it matter? At the end of the day, if I can harness lightning, I've achieved my goal."
"Haha. Very well. I will create your new body in the new world. If you could stay the same age forever, what would it be?"
"Can I really be young forever?"
"Not forever, but for a very long time. Survival will become more difficult as time passes, but as long as you keep strengthening yourself, you will be fine."
"Then please give me a young man's body!"
"Very well. May your lifelong wish be granted."
These were God's... or Goddess' (?) last words before the man's consciousness slowly shifted into a new body.
When he awoke, he found himself in a quaint village situated in the mountains.
*>System message: Welcome to Astok Village.*
*System message?*
A strange message was instantly transmitted to his mind, but he thought nothing of it.
When he looked around, he saw many different people in this village. Some of them had biological features that were not present on Earth.
Ice-colored eyes.
Silver hair.
Pale blue skin.
Gray hands.
*I really am in a different world. What on Earth are they?*
When he thought this, a new wave of information entered his mind.
*>Name: Snow Puff*
*>Level: 82*
*>Name: Aslan Frost*
*>Level: 97*
*>Name: Svek*
*>Level: 91*
...
"Names" and "levels".
*A game?*
As an avid gamer in his younger years, there was no way he wouldn't recognize this concept.
"System". "Level". If it wasn't a game, then it was an incredibly game-like world.
*Do I have a level?*
*>Name: xxx*
*>Level: 100 (Tier 1)*
*>Class: Lightning Mage*
*>...*
*Huh...*
He instantly noticed that his level was higher than everyone else around him. He didn't know what "Tier 1" meant, but it was... probably a good thing?
The other thing he noticed was his class "Lightning Mage". When he saw this, his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
Had he finally realized his dream?
*Well... Let's test this out.*
Another similarity to games: he had "skills". And they all claimed to be lightning-related.
After reading his skill descriptions, he decided to test the skill "Circle of Sparks". Apparently, it was supposed to generate an area-of-effect + damage-over-time spell that also paralyzed those affected.
AoE, DoT, and crowd control or CC. This spell did it all. The only downside was that it didn't do nearly as much damage as his other spells.
*Now, how do I cast this? ... Do I just chant "Circle of Sparks!"?*
When he thought this, a red circle about 30 feet in diameter appeared with him in the center. And a second later...
"What?"
"Is someone attacking the village?"
Sparks began to fly. Arcs of electricity sprung from the ground and paralyzed anyone it touched.
*-10*
*-10*
*-10*
...
Damage values appeared above the heads of the victims.
And chaos broke out.
"Hel- Help!"
"S- S- Someone d- do something!"
"Is he crazy?"
"Get him!"
Those who were paralyzed barely managed to speak, and before long, they vanished into white light. This, being an obvious act of violence towards the citizens, earned their ire.
In a game-like fashion, tens of villagers chanted spells and hurled attacks his way.
*Ah... I'm screwed.*
He didn't mean to kill anyone. Yes, he was a bit careless and let an ability loose in a populated area. He didn't think of the consequences. And those consequences shot towards him in the form of vicious attacks.
For a brief moment after the spell was cast, his heart fluttered with joy. But now...
*It was a fun second life, I guess. I can't believe I messed up this early...*
He couldn't dodge. He didn't know how. Though he was a gamer, full-dive VR was merely in the realm of science fiction. There was no way he had any experience with it.
With heavy disappointment, he watched the spells land on his body.
But...
*-10*
*-9*
*-10*
*-7*
...
Even the largest spells only did as much damage as one tick of the insanely-quick tick rate of Circle of Sparks.
By the time all of the spells landed, he noticed his HP had only dropped about a quarter.
*... I can fight back!*
As a mage, he couldn't run or dodge. He had to participate in a silly battle of attrition, but it was the only thing he could do to survive.
The excuse of "it was an accident" wouldn't suffice. He was already a killer.
A slew of ice-type spells headed his way. Crackles of electricity flew back.
Slowly but steadily, he was coming out on top.
When he realized he would win, he regained his confidence. He threw out his lightning with reckless abandon.
*Is this because electricity is effective against snow?*
He wasn't completely sure why he was so much stronger than them, but the outcome of the battle was clear.
Approximately 20 villagers died by his hand. He looked around at the countless white particles that almost resembled snow.
When his adrenaline died down, he truly realized that he'd become a killer.
*What have I done...*
Killing 20 people at once. Was this the reason he wanted so much power?
No, he never wanted to kill anyone. He simply thought that lightning was cool. But now, a heavy feeling rested in his heart.
Was it a game? He didn't know. But it felt real. And if this world felt real to those villagers, it was a real battle with real lives being lost.
He walked through the now-empty village.
Wind howled through the abandoned architecture. The wooden cabins were beautiful, but now, there was no one to live in them.
Just like these houses, his soul was hollow.
*... The best I can do is give them a proper goodbye, I guess.*
He wasn't sure how he was going to bury nonexistent bodies, but he decided to pick up the particles of white light left behind.
Surprisingly, when he walked towards these particles of light, his body absorbed them. Though he felt a bit strange about this, he figured it would be better than leaving them outside to rot.
When he collected all of them, however, something unexpected happened.
*>System message: Level up!*
*>Name: xxx*
*>Level: 100 -> 101 (+1)*
Since the world was similar to that of a game, he shouldn't have been surprised.
If you kill, you get XP. With XP, you level up. It was that simple. And when this level increased, excitement involuntarily shot through his mind.
The phrase "I leveled up" was a joyous one for gamers. But...
*Was it supposed to feel this good?*
When he saw his stats increase as well, he now knew what he had to do.
What was the purpose of power? Why did he want to wield lightning?
If he couldn't lord it over others, what was the point in possessing it?
It was what superhumans of the stories did. If it was a hero, they were revered like gods by the masses. If it was a villain, they caused chaos for their personal gain.
*Personal gain...*
If personal gain without regard for others made him a villain, hadn't he been a villain his whole life?
Even he didn't know what he was going to do once he accomplished his goal. It was uncertain that he was going to be a hero. And after killing innocent people, this uncertainty perished.
He was going to become a villain. He was going to level up.
The values of a gamer that were instilled in him at a young age resurfaced.
He wanted that hit of dopamine. He wanted to see that number increase. Even at the cost of others' lives.
He put a hand to his face and chuckled maniacally. Was he already that far gone?
Perhaps.
In no way would killing 20 people leave someone unchanged. But whether this change was for the better or worse... was not for him to decide.
---
*>System message: Level up!*
*>System message: Level up!*
*>System message: Level up!*
...
Just like this, days passed. Then weeks. Leveling up only became more and more difficult. How much had he killed?
Humans, demihumans, monsters. All were equal in the face of death. Yet...
*>Level: 105*
*Is there nowhere I can go to level up faster?*
As he relaxed in a remote village known as a Hamlet, he tried to come up with new ways to level up. However, he was at a loss.
Thus far, the world was incredibly game-like. There should be many methods to gain XP. Yet he couldn't find anything else to do but kill townspeople and monsters.
Worse, the more he killed, the more quickly he would be recognized by nearby people. There were even bounties on him at this point.
*Aaaaah, what do I do?*
As he scratched his head in frustration, he overheard a nearby conversation.
"Have you heard of the rumor that new... people are coming here?"
"I think I heard something about that now that you mention it. They're supposed to be something different from anything in the world until now, though I don't know how."
"I'm not sure, either. But they're apparently called Beyonders. What do you think that means?"
"I don't know, but we'll find out in a few weeks. Do you know where we can find them once they show up?"
"No... there's just too much we don't know. But if I had to guess, they'll be level 1 when they show up."
"Ah, the outskirts, then... That's quite a distance away."
"Yeah... It'll be a while before any show up here."
This conversation held his attention until the end.
*Beyonders? A new type of person?*
He wasn't sure what they were talking about, but it was something he'd never heard of before. Since this was a new thing, was it a new source of XP...?
He had to find out.
He quickly ran over to the two villagers that had already moved on to another topic.
"Hey, you two. I heard you talking about the outskirts... Where is that?"
The two villagers looked at each other and then back at him.
"Well, we've never been there, but apparently if you go out far enough, there's nothing as far as the eye can see. Sometimes it's plains, sometimes it's stone, but it's always flat and featureless. I don't know how people can survive out there.
"I'm guessing you overheard our conversation about Beyonders. If you want to find them, head towards places with lower and lower levels. Once you reach 1... that's where the outskirts start.
"The only problem is that travel to and from there can apparently take weeks. Neither of us have the time to make that trip right now, but if you're free, then why not?"
"Hm... Thanks."
As a token of gratitude, he decided to keep them alive. And thus began his search for the outskirts.
Finding the direction he needed to go was simple. Since he always traveled in the direction in which levels increased, all he had to do was turn around. This was counterintuitive to his thought process. Higher levels should give more XP, but it was possible for it to be different now.
So, he trekked over mountains and through valleys. When he found transportation such as tamed monsters, he purchased a fare akin to that of a taxi.
Eventually, the stone mountains became mountainous forest. The mountainous forest flattened out into a jungle-esque biome. The jungle thinned into a sparse forest.
Now, the forest was almost sparse enough to be called plains.
In this sparse forest, he decided to take another stop at a Hamlet.
*>System message: Welcome to Covan Hamlet.*
Hamlets were small, but they were everywhere. They were extremely convenient to stock up on supplies. Sometimes, they even offered transportation.
Right now, the average level was around 5. He was almost there. He would have considered killing every low-level being along the way, but eventually, they didn't even give him XP anymore. There was no point. The only thing left to do was to find the Beyonders.
But just as he was about to leave, he heard some positive news.
Apparently, this Hamlet hosted an auction every once in a while. Since it was famous in the area, many villagers and townspeople would show up.
And in this auction, many Beyonders would flock here.
The auction started in less than a day. He decided to wait for them nearby. Why seek them out when hordes of them would come to him?
It didn't take long. Since Hamlets were sparsely populated, it was easy to pick out the new faces that were showing up.
*>Name: Luden*
*>Name: Hutian Crest*
*>Name: Aphro Expo*
...
Though the appraisal results were identical to that of ordinary people and monsters, *something* told him that they were different.
Not to mention, some of them were simply appearing out of thin air.
*No wonder they're different.*
Appearing and disappearing at will... It wasn't something he'd seen anyone else do before. And their levels weren't even high. In fact, most of those who appeared were simply level 0!
*Level 0?*
He'd assumed, just like the two villagers he'd initially overheard, that the lowest level was 1. But there was now a 0?
*... Do I get anything for killing them?*
The level 0, though an extremely low level, seemed legendary. After all, he didn't even know it existed.
But when he tried activating his spells, *something* prevented them.
*Huh? "Safe Zone"? What's that?*
He didn't know how, but this "Safe Zone" was prohibiting him from attacking. Somehow, the Beyonders were engaged in grappling, but he was prevented from doing anything at all!
As much as he wanted to venture outside to hunt these Beyonders, he decided to rein himself in and waited as more and more of them showed up.
He appraised every single one of them. Eventually, those who were at 0 leveled up to 1 without doing anything. And after waiting some more, those with slightly higher levels began showing up in the Hamlet.
*I wish leveling up was that easy for me...*
Once he saw the level 0s hit level 2 and even 3, he couldn't help but be jealous. How much time had he spent grinding 3 levels?
Of course he knew the difficulty of leveling up would increase the higher he got, but he still couldn't help but grumble about this inconvenience.
The Beyonders kept trickling in. The hour of the auction was nigh.
*Hm... Level 2... 1... 2... 3... 2... Huh?*
As he noted the level of every Beyonder thus far, something shocked him.
There was one he couldn't appraise.
*How?*
Appraisal told him that this was definitely a Beyonder. It was unlikely for them to be above level 3 since even this level was sparse among them. But the appraisal failed. No matter how many times he tried, the result didn't change.
Appraisal failing meant one of two things.
1. Their level was too high.
2. Their concealment method was higher than the appraisal method.
If all Beyonders started at level 0, option 1 was impossible. But this also made option 2 practically impossible. How could a level 3 Beyonder have an item that surpassed his level 105 eyes?
*Interesting!*
This was his new prey. Out of all the Beyonders, which were rare already, he found a special one!
But of course, he couldn't attack yet. Not only was he in a Safe Zone, but if he showed any hostile intent, the Beyonder could just disappear at will (somehow).
So, he simply observed. He kept a fair distance as to not be noticed. His eyesight should be superior to theirs, so he was confident he would remain unnoticed.
He watched as this mystery Beyonder rounded up several others.
Then, they all walked into the auction house together.
Naturally, he had to follow.
When he heard her bid on the first item, he confirmed this Beyonder was female. As they looked identical to humans, identifying their gender was simple. He watched as she scammed a male Beyonder, Luden, into purchasing a useless item.
Then, he noticed an item that was apparently "the first to be auctioned by a Beyonder". When he saw this, he knew he had to purchase it.
If Beyonders continued to level up quickly, they would spread throughout the world. If he was in possession of one of their rare items, how much would it be worth in the future?
But when he attempted to make the purchase, it was prevented by the system.
*Damn system, why do you favor them so much? My level is to high to buy that? What a load of bull...*
He could only observe Luden snatch this item from under his nose.
*Change of plans, this one's the new prey.*
The rest of the auction was uneventful. The only thing worth noting was that the mystery female Beyonder won the final item.
Unsurprisingly, there were no good items in this low-leveled auction. The only thing left to do was retrieve that Wooden Slingshot!
He observed *her* exit the Hamlet. Luden and his posse followed behind. He tailed Luden from a distance.
He noticed Luden's posse surround her. He would engage as soon as they targeted her. This would be his best opportunity. Though they were of a low level, he didn't know how they fought.
Perhaps these Beyonders were stronger than they looked.
Luden's posse engaged. He looked to attack from behind, but she made him doubt his eyes.
*... She's like me.*
He observed her fight one vs many and come out on top. It was exactly how he fought.
*She's a rare one indeed! But I can't let her take that item!*
He closed in on Luden and activated his Circle of Sparks.
Since this ability CC'd enemies, he didn't have to worry about them being able to counterattack.
There were a couple of Beyonders outside of the ability's range, but he'd already noticed their damage values were extremely small. He let them hit, and they couldn't cause 1 HP of damage. There was nothing to be afraid of here!
Circle of Sparks almost instantly annihilated the Beyonders' miniscule HP pool.
The loot showered to the ground, and he grinned.
After he picked up the Beyonder's Slingshot, he would target her. How much XP would she drop? He wouldn't let this legendary monster get away!
But before he could do anything...
The items disappeared off the ground one by one.
"No!!"
And before he could react, they were gone.
She was gone. How?
"AAAAAAAAH!"
In a fit of rage, he destroyed several nearby trees. They were split down the middle just like the very first one he saw.
The legendary monster escaped.
*You... will give me that item. And you will help me level up!*
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