They say the first time you kill something, you change forever.
Which is hilarious, considering how many people tried to kill my self-worth and walked away smiling.
But when the blood isn't metaphorical—and when the thing you're killing actually has fangs and tries to rip your throat out—you don't have time to think about philosophy.
You just move.
Or you die.
---
The forest had gotten darker.
Even though the sky above shimmered like melted starlight, the air grew colder the deeper I walked. The grass under my feet crunched—not with frost, but with something else.
Glass?
I crouched and picked up a shard.
Clear. Jagged. Faintly glowing.
Not glass.
Crystal.
---
The trees here weren't made of bark—they were like amethyst trunks split open by time. The deeper I went, the more alien it all became.
Until I saw it.
A wooden house.
Old. But familiar.
It sat crooked between two silver-barked trees, half-covered in vines, like the forest had tried to swallow it but gave up halfway through.
The roof was slanted.
A paper lantern still hung from a rusted hook.
And the kanji on the old wooden sign above the door read:
> "Shinohara."
---
I laughed.
Not because it was funny.
But because of course my dead grandfather had a secret cottage in another world.
Why wouldn't he?
When the whole real world spat on me, he gave me a door to another one.
And now he was giving me a house.
The man's generosity literally transcended dimensions.
---
I stepped onto the porch.
The floor groaned under my weight.
Inside was empty—but not abandoned.
Dustless shelves. A futon neatly folded. Tea leaves in a tin.
Who lived here last? Him?
---
> "Guess I'm squatting in dead grandpa's Isekai man-cave now," I muttered.
But the second I opened the back door—
I saw it.
---
It was crouched low.
Body like a wolf, but skin like raw crystal.
Its eyes were glowing blue gems. Its legs—twice as long as a normal canine—snapped with tension.
And it was staring at me.
Not curiously.
Not cautiously.
Predator.
---
> [ Threat Detected: Crystalbeast – Variant Class – Level 6 ]
[ Danger Level: Moderate ]
[ Distance: 13 meters. ]
[ Action: Fight / Flee / Freeze ]
The system window popped up like a helpful customer service rep offering me a coupon right before stabbing me.
---
> "Oh. Great," I whispered.
"My first battle. And it's already a boss fight cosplay."
---
The wolf leapt.
I didn't have time to think.
Its claws shimmered like broken glass in the moonlight. It aimed for my face—classic predator move. Go for the eyes.
I threw my arms up.
Braced for pain.
But—
The second its claw touched my skin—
> [ Activating: Reversal Sync ]
A shockwave rippled outward.
The wolf shrieked—its own slash rebounding into its chest.
Blood sprayed—red but shimmering with crystal dust.
It stumbled back, whining, and I—
—I didn't feel pain.
I felt heat.
Power.
Like the world had leaned in and said:
> "Your turn."
---
I didn't move.
Not at first.
Just watched as the wolf stumbled again.
Then I ran.
Not away.
Forward.
I don't know why.
Something in me snapped.
All the years of being the one getting hit.
All the times I sat there and took it.
This time, I hit back.
---
I tackled it.
We rolled across crystal grass, shards cutting into my arms.
I didn't care.
I grabbed its head, pinned it down—and slammed my elbow into its jaw with all the weight I had.
Crunch.
A final breath escaped it.
Then silence.
---
> [ Target Defeated. +320 XP ]
[ Reward: 45 Silver Coins, Crystal Beast Fang ×3, Basic Combat Tunic (Uncommon) ]
[ Skill Proficiency Increased: Reversal Sync – Rank D → Rank C ]
[ Drop acquired: Soul-Forged Dagger (Rare) ]
---
I stood over the body.
Panting.
Not with effort.
With shock.
---
That wasn't a fight.
That was instinct.
A reflex.
The system wanted me to kill it.
It was built to let me.
I wasn't a fat, useless burden anymore.
I was a weapon waiting to be pulled.
---
But my hands still trembled.
Not from fear.
From something worse.
Guilt.
---
> "It tried to kill you, Yuuya," I said out loud, trying to convince the part of me that still wore school shoes and apologized when someone bumped into me in the hallway.
> "It was you or it."
---
The blood on my hand shimmered.
It wasn't sticky.
It was beautiful.
Like red crystal melting in moonlight.
I hated it.
---
Then the system beeped again.
> [ Currency Transfer Available ]
[ Convert Item → Earth Coin Equivalent? ]
▸ Soul-Forged Dagger → ¥18,000
▸ Combat Tunic → ¥5,000
▸ Crystal Fang ×3 → ¥2,500 each
I froze.
> "Wait… I can sell dungeon loot for real money?"
---
I tapped [Yes] out of reflex.
The items shimmered—vanishing in particles.
And in my pocket, something buzzed.
I pulled out my phone.
It shouldn't have worked here.
No service.
But my mobile banking app glowed.
Balance updated: ¥28,500.
---
I laughed. Actually laughed.
> "Great. Murder pays."
Sarcasm. The oldest defense mechanism in my toolset.
But it couldn't cover the spinning in my head.
Real money. Real death. Real blood.
And a house that belonged to the only man who ever called me worthy.
---
I stumbled back into the wooden house.
My legs finally gave out.
My hand was still trembling.
My breath hitching.
> "You're not weak anymore," I said to myself.
But the tears said otherwise.
---
I collapsed onto the futon.
The system flickered one more time:
> [ System Sync with Earth: 4.8% ]
[ Warning: Emotional Feedback Detected. Admin Logging Initiated. ]
Admin?
I didn't get the chance to ask.
Sleep took me like a wave.
---
And for the first time in years…
I didn't dream of falling.
I dreamed of a house that knew my name.
---
To be continued.