Ryota Kitazawa's parents had both perished in the aftermath of Second Impact.
Now, he lived alone—which made managing the War God System far easier.
Thinking about that, Ryota nodded to himself.
> "Activate the War God Space. Now."
> "Beep. Command received. War God Space activation initiated.
Training phase starting.
Please confirm launch."
> "Confirmed," Ryota answered without a trace of hesitation.
In the next instant, a brilliant flash of light engulfed him—Ryota's body vanished, drawn into a strange and unfamiliar world.
Everything was blanketed in mist. The surroundings were hazy and indistinct, and he appeared to be the only living soul in this realm.
> "Congratulations, Host. You have entered the War God Space.
This dimension is a completely isolated plane, where the time ratio compared to the outside world is 1 year to 0.0000001 seconds."
> "Explain that more clearly," Ryota said, frowning.
> "Answering host query: in simple terms, one full year inside War God Space equals one minute in the real world.
Additionally, the host will not experience hunger or aging. Please train without concern."
The system's cold, robotic voice echoed again.
> "Perfect. Let's begin," Ryota said firmly, staring into the swirling chaos ahead of him.
> "War God Space training initiated.
Beginner mission unlocked: Survive for one year in War God Space.
Reward: Beginner's Gift Pack ×1
Failure Penalty: Human extinction."
As the system's voice faded, the mist began to lift.
Ryota's eyes narrowed as he stared at the scene forming before him.
He had expected the War God Space to throw something like a giant monster at him—maybe a nine-headed bird or some kind of mythic beast.
What he didn't expect… was a massive lightning bolt crashing down from the sky!
> BOOM!!
The heavens flashed, and a giant bolt of lightning struck with terrifying force.
The sheer energy radiating from it felt like five million volts surging through the air.
Even the atmosphere around him crackled violently with electrical snaps and sizzles.
If he didn't dodge in time, Ryota would be vaporized on the spot.
His skin was already tingling from the static in the air. Without thinking, he bent his knees, pushed with all his strength, and launched himself to the side—using every ounce of power he had.
> BOOOOOM!
The thunderbolt slammed into the exact spot he had just vacated—splitting the earth and sending chunks of dirt and stone flying in every direction.
Had he hesitated for even a second, Ryota would've been nothing but ashes now.
> "That was close..."
Cold sweat poured down his back.
If his reaction had been even slightly slower, he would have died right then and there.
This was no simulation—no dream. The War God Space was a real, living dimension.
> "Host, the War God Space is calibrated to match your current peak physical and mental limits.
Please continue pushing forward."
> "So that's how it works..."
Ryota nodded.
He'd heard of systems based on mental and physical strain thresholds before.
Apparently, the War God System had already created a custom training regimen for him.
That thunderbolt just now?
It had only been launched because the system calculated he could survive it.
> "System, what would've happened if I'd failed to dodge that strike?"
He had to ask. Just to be sure.
> "Answer: If the host sustains fatal injury in War God Space, biological functions cease.
System binding will be forcibly terminated."
The voice was emotionless.
> "So basically… I'd be dead."
Great.
He clenched his teeth.
> If this is my fate, so be it. I'll face it head-on.
> "Resume training."
> "Command received. Restarting training phase."
The system's indifferent voice rang out again.
From this moment on, the War God System's tone would only sound like one thing to Ryota:
The voice of a merciless drill sergeant.
This was the start of his hellish training.
---
Within the War God Space, lightning thundered endlessly.
---
Before he knew it, a full month had passed.
A lone boy stood amid the storm, breathing heavily, eyes fixed on the dark sky above.
There was no hunger here. No fatigue.
The system regulated his body completely.
Even so, Ryota Kitazawa was panting like a beast.
A month of enduring constant lightning strikes had brought unimaginable mental strain.
This wasn't about stamina anymore—it was about neural overload.
His brain was bearing the brunt of it, and the pressure was overwhelming.
But even so, Ryota's face held no fear.
His eyes were sharp, resolute.
He glared up into the sky with unshakable determination.
> BOOOOOOM!
Another storm raged.
Thunderbolts rained from above like divine punishment—instant, merciless.
But this time, Ryota moved.
Faster than before.
Sharper.
His footwork shifted fluidly, dodging strike after strike.
Explosions erupted around him, rocks burst into dust, and the air filled with heat and ozone.
This kind of scene—he had lived it countless times in the past month.
> "Beep! System Alert: Phase Two training unlocked.
Objective: Survive in the Cosmic Forest."
> "Countdown: 3… 2… 1…"
> "What the hell?!"
Ryota blinked, startled.
After a month of nothing but thunder and lightning, the abrupt transition caught him off guard.
The scenery around him suddenly shifted.
He now stood before a vast, pitch-black forest—a strange and eerie place, where monstrous howls echoed from all directions.
> Seriously? You could've given me a heads-up!
Who's the real host here—me or the damn system?!
Without hesitation, Ryota ducked down and dashed into the undergrowth.
This was clearly no ordinary forest.
The threats here were unknown, but Ryota had no doubt: this place was just as deadly—if not more so—than the lightning storms before.
And there was no way a system like this was going to go easy on him.