Jack didn't move for a long time.
The puddle had already settled, the faint ripples fading back into stillness, but the numbers—those impossible numbers—remained burned into his mind.
3… 11… 29… 47…
They weren't random.
They felt alive.
Jack staggered back slightly, his breathing uneven. His fingers trembled as he wiped his wet hand on his jeans. The alley around him looked the same—cracked walls, rusted pipes, dim light—but something had changed.
Or maybe… he had.
"Okay… okay… think," he muttered under his breath.
This wasn't normal. Numbers appearing in reality? Patterns reacting to him? That coin…
The coin.
Jack's hand shot to his pocket. The moment his fingers touched it, a sharp pulse surged through his body.
"—!"
His vision flickered.
For a split second, the world froze.
Then—
[System Initializing…]
Jack's eyes widened.
A translucent blue screen appeared in front of him.
Floating.
Impossible.
Real.
"What… the hell…?" his voice cracked.
The screen glitched once, like static on an old television, then stabilized.
[User Detected]
[Binding in Progress…]
Jack stumbled backward and hit the wall.
"No… no way… this is insane…"
But no matter how much he blinked, the screen didn't disappear.
It hovered right in front of him, cold and silent.
[Binding Complete]
[Welcome, User: Jack Marlowe]
A chill ran down his spine.
It knew his name.
"Who… are you?" he whispered.
No response.
Instead, the screen shifted again.
[System Type: Numerical Ascension System]
[Primary Function: Growth, Calculation, Domination]
Jack's heart pounded harder.
"Domination…?"
That didn't sound good.
Another screen appeared instantly.
[Starter Gift Available]
[Would you like to claim?]
Jack stared at it.
A button appeared.
[YES]
[NO]
He hesitated.
Every instinct told him this was dangerous.
But another voice, deeper, sharper—
This is your chance.
Jack clenched his fists.
"…If this is a dream, I'll wake up anyway."
He reached out.
And pressed—
YES.
The world shattered.
Not literally—but that's what it felt like.
Sound vanished.
Light twisted.
And then—
Pain.
A burning force surged through his body, like electricity tearing through his veins. Jack dropped to his knees, a scream caught in his throat.
"AAAA—!"
Numbers flooded his vision.
Endless.
Infinite.
Equations forming and collapsing, symbols rewriting themselves faster than he could comprehend.
His mind felt like it was being expanded… forced open.
Then suddenly—
Silence.
Jack collapsed onto the ground, gasping.
Cold sweat drenched his body.
The screen returned.
[Starter Gift Claimed]
[Skill Unlocked: Numerical Insight (Level 1)]
[Stat Unlocked: Intelligence +5]
[Stat Unlocked: Perception +5]
Jack blinked.
"…Stats?"
Another panel opened instantly.
[Status Window]
Name: Jack Marlowe
Level: 1
Title: None
Strength: 5
Agility: 6
Endurance: 5
Intelligence: 12
Perception: 11
Luck: 3
Jack stared at the numbers.
"This… this is like a game…"
But it didn't feel like a game.
It felt real.
Too real.
He slowly stood up, his legs still shaking.
"Numerical… Insight?"
The moment he said it—
The world changed.
Everything slowed.
Not physically—but mentally.
Jack's eyes widened as he looked around.
Distances… angles… movement patterns…
He could see them.
The dripping water from a pipe—he could predict exactly where it would fall.
The flickering light above—he could calculate its failure timing.
Even the cracks on the wall—
They formed patterns.
Hidden.
Precise.
Perfect.
"…No way…" Jack whispered.
His breathing grew heavier—not from fear this time.
From excitement.
"This… this is real…"
For the first time in his life—
The numbers weren't just something he studied.
They were power.
But before he could process further—
The system spoke again.
[New Quest Generated]
Jack froze.
"…Quest?"
[Quest: The First Step]
Description: Return to the location of initial contact and uncover the hidden node.
Reward: +1 Level, Basic Gear Unlock
Failure Penalty: Unknown
Jack's expression darkened.
"Hidden… node?"
His mind immediately went back to the construction site.
Elm Street.
The place where it all began.
Jack looked down at his hand.
Then at the floating screen.
Then toward the direction of the city beyond the alley.
The normal world.
His old life.
Classes.
Routine.
Everything that used to matter…
Suddenly felt small.
A slow smile formed on his face.
"…Alright."
His voice was steady now.
Confident.
Different.
"If this is real…"
He clenched his fist.
"Then I'm not staying weak."
The coin in his pocket pulsed once.
As if responding.
And without hesitation—
Jack turned and walked out of the alley.
Toward Elm Street.
Toward the unknown.
Toward the beginning of something far bigger than he ever imagined.