Staring blankly at the system messages, Eren couldn't stop a soft gasp escaping his lips as a strange, spring-like warmth surged through his body—gentle yet electrifying.
"Imh... shit! So this is what getting stronger feels like? Hope no one heard that…"
Still dazed by the intoxicating sensation coursing through him, Eren glanced around, only to curse again in disbelief.
"Damn it… Has it really only been ten minutes? Is this still my city?"
The shining stone pavements, the fresh green trees planted between the roads, and the newly built apartments from recent urban renewal efforts—all of it had vanished. In their place were entrails, shattered bodies, and blood-soaked streets. The air was thick with the primal stench of death, as if civilization had been dragged back into a barbaric age. The scent of rotting eggs and scorched flesh hit his nose. He trembled. There was nothing he could do.
"User Panel," he muttered.
[User Panel]Active Quest (1):Mage of Ashes
He frowned. His level was still displayed as zero—despite killing that monster. Furious, he snapped:
"Hey system! What kind of sick joke is this? I just killed that damn beast!"
The system's reply came, calm and cold, with that same eerily feminine mechanical tone:
"To ascend further and shatter your chains, the user must awaken their first Trace."
Eren blinked. He'd dismissed the Traces as decorative—just RPG-like fluff. But now?
"How do I do that?"
Careful not to sound too demanding, he softened his tone, worried the system might ignore him.
"The user can find the required task in the Quest menu," it responded.
[User Panel]
User: Eren Star
Age: 22 (physical)
Health: 40/50
Energy: 10/10
Class; -
Level: 0(4)
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Stamina: 10
Vitality: 16
Intelligence: 10
Spiritual Energy: 10
Traces:
1-********** (Levels 1-20)
2-********** (Levels 21-40)
3-********** (Levels 41-60)
4-********** (Levels 61-80)
5-********** (Levels 81-100)
6-********** (Levels 101-120)
7-********** (Levels 121-140)
8-********** (Levels 141-160)
9-********** (Levels 161-180)
[Quest: Mage of Ashes]
Description:O you who offer yourself to the flame—reborn in the ashes where death reigns. Burn a creature stronger than yourself with the sacred fire. In the circle of rites, offer its ashes to the god above.
Reward:Trace – Mage of Ashes
Reading it, Eren's heart leapt with joy.
"'Mage'... That's definitely a combat class, right? Of course it is. I must be the chosen one!"
Grinning like a maniac, he puffed his chest.
"Just wait till I level up. I'll crush every so-called god under my feet and build a harem of celestial beauties! Hehehee!"
But then he turned—and froze.
The street behind him had become a vision of hell. A grotesque creature danced in and out of the ground, a worm-like abomination fused with countless human and animal limbs. It was over 50 meters long, with razor-sharp teeth… and no eyes. No ears. Just death incarnate.
"Right. Probably shouldn't be mocking the gods anymore," Eren muttered, eyes falling on a cigarette pack on the ground. He picked one out and bit it.
"Of course. No lighter. Just my luck."
Suddenly, screams echoed from a nearby building. Hope flared. Maybe someone was still alive.
He approached cautiously.
"Hello? Anyone in there?"
Silence. Unease crept in.
Then—cold steel touched his throat. And a girl's voice, cold as ice:
"Who are you?"
Eren didn't move. Just spoke calmly.
"I'm Eren. Eren Star. Just looking for a lighter or matches. You can see the cigarette behind my ear if you need proof."
A long pause. Then the blade withdrew.
"Okay. I don't have a lighter, though."
Her voice remained expressionless.
"That's fine. Thanks anyway. Uh, what were you doing in here? I heard some screaming earlier. Are you okay?"
Eren now saw her clearly: grey-haired, blue-eyed, about 160 cm tall, wearing a school uniform. She looked like a porcelain doll. And something in Eren—some deep, brotherly instinct—wanted to protect her. She reminded him of the orphan girls he'd grown up with… the ones he used to help feed, shield, and love like a real big brother.
"My name is Alice," the girl said. "And those screams? They weren't from women. They were from men."
She pointed toward a staircase.
"Go up. You'll see the bodies. One of them might have a lighter."
Her voice grew even colder at the mention of the men. Eren felt his stomach twist.
"What do you mean, you killed them? That's... murder!"
He wasn't naïve. Eren had long accepted that killing was sometimes necessary. But there was something about her tone—the ease, the indifference—that made his skin crawl.
"I don't owe you an explanation," Alice replied flatly.
Eren clenched his fists.
"Damn it. Someone who can kill their own kind without hesitation is worse than any monster. Go ahead, kill me if you want. But don't expect me to stay quiet."
A pause.
Then something unexpected.
"You're... a good person, Eren."
He blinked in surprise. That was... the last thing he expected from her.
"Please," he said softly, "just tell me why you did it."
She didn't hesitate this time.
"It was a system quest. For my Trace. Those three men tried to rape me."
Eren was silent.
The room seemed to grow colder. The weight of this world, its new rules, and its dark truths pressed down on him like a storm. The anger in his eyes faded—replaced by sorrow. Confusion. A creeping understanding that this world wasn't going to give him the luxury of black and white.
Everything was gray, just like ashes.