'Ugh…
'This… hurts so much…'
'My whole body aches… my head feels like it's going to split…'
Half-conscious, Lucian tried to focus his scattered thoughts. His body and mind seemed to reject each other—out of sync, chaotic, like a fever dream where everything felt real yet impossible to control.
Slowly… very slowly… his senses began to return.
He felt his body lying on an uneven surface. Rough. Damp. Slightly warm—whether from the surrounding heat or something else, he couldn't tell.
The air entered his lungs.
Rotten.
Like a mix of wet soil, decaying trash, and something that had been left dead for far too long.
"What kind of smell is this…"
Lucian tried to open his eyes.
Heavy.
As if an invisible weight was pressing down on his eyelids from within.
But he forced them open.
Little by little, his vision returned.
Light stabbed into his eyes.
Harsh sunlight pierced through his retinas, turning everything white for a moment—blurred, unstable.
The world around him slowly took shape again.
A narrow alley stretched before him, filled with muddy ground and murky puddles. The walls on both sides were made of rotting wooden planks—some cracked, others barely held together just to keep from collapsing.
Dirty cloth hung between the buildings, swaying gently in the wind, casting thin, uneven shadows across the ground.
Piles of trash were scattered in the corners of the alley—rotten food scraps, torn fabric, and the corpses of small rodents.
Flies swarmed over the remains, their constant buzzing filling the air.
Lucian slowly sat up.
His hand unconsciously touched the ground beside him.
Soft.
When he lifted it—something dark brown clung to his fingers.
A sharp stench immediately assaulted his nose, stronger than before.
"…disgusting."
He flicked his hand lightly, trying to shake it off, though it didn't really help.
Slowly, he stood up.
His legs wavered for a moment—then steadied.
His eyes swept across his surroundings.
A few figures could be seen in the distance.
Their clothes were tattered, their skin dull and covered in grime, their bodies thin as if they hadn't eaten in days.
Some of them glanced at Lucian briefly before losing interest and looking away.
"Argh..." A sharp pain pierced his head again as he tried to recall what had happened.
"Where is this…" His voice was low. But his mind was already starting to work.
'Ah right, I was supposed to deal with the attackers, then suddenly one of them brought Natasya as a hostage…'
'Right, they took Natasya hostage, and then…'
'I got shot!'
Lucian reflexively touched every part of his body.
'No wounds… how is this possible? I can still clearly remember the pain from that shot.'
In his shock and confusion, he realized the clothes he was wearing felt unfamiliar.
The fabric was rough, scraping uncomfortably against his skin, leaving an irritating itch. The fibers were stiff and thin in places—too poor even for cheap clothing.
Before he could recover from his confusion, a transparent screen appeared in front of him.
[Welcome to Lost Genesis]
[Status initialization complete]
[
Name: Lucian Halcyon
Gender: Male
Age: 10
Radiant: -
Dominion Point: -
Member: -
Skill: [[Analysis]]
]
Lucian observed the display carefully. He felt like he had seen an interface like this before, though at first it was vague and hard to grasp. As he dug deeper into his memory, a realization finally surfaced.
'Even though I don't know what Dominion Point and Member are, overall this looks like a status panel from the game Lost Genesis.'
'…Does that mean I'm inside a game world, in the body of a child?'
Memories of his previous death flooded back into his mind.
"No… that feeling was too real. And there's no way a game could affect smell and taste like this, it's too realistic."
[The Host has died in the previous world due to a confirmed fatal incident.
In accordance with the active transmigration protocol, the Host's soul has been transferred and integrated into the world of Lost Genesis.]
Lucian read the message in silence. It felt as if the system could read his thoughts.
"Let's say I believe you. Then what's your purpose in bringing me here?"
[MAIN OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE]
[
Remaining time:
2 Months : 27 Days : 16 Hours : 20 Minutes
]
Lucian frowned.
"…Hello? Can you hear me?"
Not getting any response, Lucian tried to change his question.
"So what exactly am I supposed to do? Do I just survive as a beggar, or is there some other threat coming?"
No response.
Not giving up, Lucian kept trying to communicate with the transparent screen, hoping for some kind of reply. But no matter what he said, there was still no answer.
"Huft… forget it, I can't stand staying here any longer."
Feeling his efforts were pointless, Lucian shifted his focus. He couldn't stand being in that filthy environment any longer. Without hesitation, he walked out of the slum.
He tiptoed, trying to minimize contact with the dirty ground, occasionally making small jumps to avoid blackened puddles and damp areas that reeked.
After walking for quite some time, the scenery around him began to change.
The narrow, filthy alley opened into a much wider roadside.
People were passing by.
Horse-drawn carriages moved in a steady rhythm, their wooden wheels rolling softly over neatly arranged stone roads. The pedestrians wore structured and refined clothing—long coats, layered dresses, and uniforms marked with emblems that signified status or affiliation.
Lucian slowed his steps, his eyes moving quickly as he observed his surroundings.
The buildings lining the street stood tall and grand, constructed from white stone and smooth marble. Their roofs were high and elegant, decorated with gleaming metal ornaments that reflected the light.
This was not the image of a dirty, grim medieval world.
There were no muddy streets or crumbling structures dominating the view.
Instead, the city looked organized, clean, and aesthetically refined—more like a royal capital in a fantasy story, where luxury radiated from every corner.
Even the air felt different from before—much cleaner and fresher.
'This really does look like the game… did I get thrown into some kind of ultra-realistic VR world or something?'
Lucian stood still at the edge of the road, considering that possibility.
'No… there shouldn't be technology like this. I've never even heard of anything close to it.'
He lowered his head slightly, his eyes narrowing.
'And there's no reason for anyone to do something like this to me. Besides…'
The memory of the attack resurfaced—far clearer than before.
'Those attackers intended to kill me. Even if I survived the first shot, they would make sure I was dead.'
"Hey! You!"
A loud voice cut through his thoughts, making Lucian raise his head.
A man in knight's armor stood not far from him. His silver armor gleamed under the light, with the kingdom's emblem engraved on his chest. His sharp gaze clearly showed his displeasure.
The emblem took the form of a symmetrical circle, framed by two wings spread gracefully to either side—the lines were smooth yet firm, resembling feathers of light carved with precise detail.
At its center was a slender crown with three peaks, each adorned with small star-like points. Beneath the crown, a straight vertical line split the circle, symbolizing absolute and unshakable authority.
'The emblem of the Kingdom of Celestra… just like in the game.'
"You think this is a place to wander around looking like that?" The knight's gaze dropped, assessing Lucian's ragged and filthy clothes.
"This is the main road of the city, not a place for beggars like you to stand around and block the way."
A few people nearby glanced over, though none of them actually stopped.
'Great… out of everyone, I had to attract a knight's attention.'
The knight let out a short breath, his tone turning slightly colder.
"If you don't want to be thrown out by force, clean yourself up first. At least make yourself look like you belong here."
He pointed toward a certain direction at the end of the road.
"There's a well over there. Go wash yourself. Don't make this place look like a slum." Without waiting for a response, the knight turned away, as if the matter was already settled.
Contrary to what he had expected, the knight turned out to be quite reasonable.
Seeing that reaction, Lucian decided to gather some information. He asked about the location of a river nearby and whether he was allowed to leave the city.
Instead of being ignored or chased away, the knight gave a fairly clear answer. He explained the direction to the river outside the residential area, even describing the route in some detail.
However, before Lucian left, the knight gave him a warning.
Around the city was a boundary known as the safe zone—an area protected by magic crystals installed throughout the perimeter. As long as one remained within that boundary, threats could be relatively controlled.
Outside of it, however, was not a place for someone like him.
Lucian understood the meaning clearly.