I Am Dead

---

[ Mission starts in 10 seconds ]

Rey glanced at the last notification on the screen before returning his gaze to his dagger.

"Don't disappoint me, please," Rey prayed silently, now holding the dagger in a battle stance, ready to swipe if necessary.

[ Mission starts now ]

Rey turned his head carefully, not wanting to be caught off guard by a surprise attack from the orcs—he needed no one to tell him he was an amateur at this.

A complete beginner. Even with the dagger and the system's help, his heart was still pounding—like it would burst at any moment.

Snap!

A sharp sound echoed from behind him, forcing him to turn back abruptly—but it was too late.

A hard object slapped across his face with brutal force, sending him flying backward. His back collided heavily against a tree.

"Huh—"

He gasped for breath, slowly lifting his gaze. Standing before him was a being he had never encountered before.

It stood 8 feet 6 inches tall, completely hairless, with dark green skin. It held a thick log of wood that looked like a weapon—its tusks were tipped with sharp blades.

Its chest was heavy with thick, unyielding muscles that threatened to burst from its hide.

"Holy moly..." Rey cursed under his breath, staring at the monstrous creature.

Is this system really planning to kill me?

My first Main Quest, and I'm faced with something like this?!

[ HP: 9/10 ]

"What?!"

"My HP has already been reduced?!" Rey exclaimed in shock. How the hell am I supposed to fight this thing with such low HP? This better be a joke.

The orc charged forward again, moving at a crazy speed despite its massive size, shocking Rey even more.

On instinct, he rolled away just in time. The orc's weapon slammed into the tree, splitting it in half instantly.

Rey's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly shook it off, recovering his footing and standing battle-ready.

"If I'm going to get stronger… then I have to break through every single obstacle in my way."

"And you…"

"You're one of them."

This time, Rey charged first. Leaping forward at incredible speed—even surprising himself—he swung his dagger, aiming for the orc's neck.

But—Clang!

It was blocked.

A fleshy thud followed.

Rey landed perfectly on his feet and turned his head toward the orc.

The orc roared in pain and rage—its wrist had been severed. The frustration in its glare was clear. It hadn't expected a weakling like Rey to spill its blood.

In the blink of an eye, the orc charged again.

But this time, something was different.

The movement was sharper, more unpredictable.

Before Rey could react, a massive fist struck him square in the face, sending him crashing to the ground.

[ HP: 8/10 ]

Before he could even counterattack—

Boom!

Another devastating blow landed on him, forcing blood from his mouth.

His head smashed against a tree, the impact shaking it to its very roots. The orc, still furious, grabbed him and hurled him away like a ragdoll. The sheer force of the throw cracked the ground beneath him.

[ HP: 5/10 ]

Rey coughed up blood.

His face was now covered in it.

He hadn't realized orcs were this brutal. He had only ever seen them in shows, where they were taken down easily.

But here he was—struggling against one.

Lying helplessly on the ground, his gaze locked onto the dirt as if blaming his misfortune on it.

This wasn't the first time he had been beaten bloody.

Even during the Rankers' Beginner Test, he was beaten senseless by a Low-Rank Beast. So getting destroyed by a Middle-Rank Orc wasn't all that surprising.

The fact that he had even managed to cut its wrist?

That was nothing short of a miracle.

Thanks to his system stats.

But…

"Giving up isn't an option."

Especially not now.

Just as the orc closed in, raising its weapon to finish him off—something unimaginable happened.

Rey moved.

At an incredible speed.

Darting to the side, he barely escaped the incoming strike. The orc staggered slightly, losing balance.

He didn't waste that slim advantage.

With a flick of his wrist, he twisted his dagger skillfully and dashed forward at an insane speed—leaping into the air.

Strength. Speed. Agility.

He combined all three abilities at once.

Then—

Slash!

The orc's head flew off its shoulders, tumbling to the ground.

Dark green blood gushed from its severed neck, spilling like an open floodgate.

Finally.

A small smile crept onto Rey's face.

He had done it.

He had defeated a beast—something he had never managed to accomplish before.

"My stats."

At his thought, a screen appeared before him.

[ Basic Stats ]

[ Player: Rey Reed ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Age: 19 ]

[ HP: 5/10 ]

[ EXP: 10/100 ]

"Ability stats."

The first screen vanished, replaced by a second.

[ Level 1 ]

[ Strength: 11/11 ]

[ Speed: 10/10 ]

[ Agility: 11/11 ]

[ Stamina: 10/10 ]

"Woah." Rey exhaled sharply.

"My HP has dropped a lot… and I haven't even finished the quest yet."

He clenched his fist and raised his gaze forward.

Staring at the alley ahead—fear crept into his soul at what awaited him.

But he shrugged it off.

"If I really want to get stronger, then these are just stepping stones."

"System, is there a way to restore my HP?"

[ Shop ]

A shop tab appeared, changing the screen's display.

[ Recovery Pill ] – Restores 5% HP (Cost: 10 Gold Coins)

[ Full Recovery Potion ] – Restores 10% HP (Cost: 15 Gold Coins)

"If I'm fighting more orcs, I need to be at full strength."

"Two Full Recovery Potions."

[ Request Successful ]

[ 25 Gold Coins left ]

Two small orbs appeared in his palm, each filled with a purple liquid.

Without hesitation, he drank the first potion.

Even before he had finished it, he could feel the difference.

His fatigue vanished.

His strength returned.

"Nice. This one will do."

He tossed aside the empty bottle and looked at the second potion.

"I'll save you for later. You might be useful."

The potion vanished from his palm, returning to his system's inventory.

[ HP: 10/10 ]

"Perfect."

"Now that I have a glimpse of how my enemies attack, my HP shouldn't be a problem."

Moving forward, he kept his guard up, staying on high alert.

For 30 minutes, he walked without encountering a single orc.

His brows furrowed.

"What's going on?"

"Why haven't I come across any more green orcs?"

Then—suddenly—it hit him.

After killing the first orc…

The entire forest had gone silent.

Could it be—?!

He turned sharply toward a dark area, catching a glimpse of movement.

The air grew heavy.

The atmosphere shifted.

Something had changed.

[ Notification!! ]

[ Enemies detected ]

[ Player is surrounded ]

---

---

[ Mission starts in 10 seconds ]

Rey glanced at the last notification on the screen before returning his gaze to his dagger.

"Don't disappoint me, please," Rey prayed silently, now holding the dagger in a battle stance, ready to swipe if necessary.

[ Mission starts now ]

Rey turned his head carefully, not wanting to be caught off guard by a surprise attack from the orcs—he needed no one to tell him he was an amateur at this.

A complete beginner. Even with the dagger and the system's help, his heart was still pounding—like it would burst at any moment.

Snap!

A sharp sound echoed from behind him, forcing him to turn back abruptly—but it was too late.

A hard object slapped across his face with brutal force, sending him flying backward. His back collided heavily against a tree.

"Huh—"

He gasped for breath, slowly lifting his gaze. Standing before him was a being he had never encountered before.

It stood 8 feet 6 inches tall, completely hairless, with dark green skin. It held a thick log of wood that looked like a weapon—its tusks were tipped with sharp blades.

Its chest was heavy with thick, unyielding muscles that threatened to burst from its hide.

"Holy moly..." Rey cursed under his breath, staring at the monstrous creature.

Is this system really planning to kill me?

My first Main Quest, and I'm faced with something like this?!

[ HP: 9/10 ]

"What?!"

"My HP has already been reduced?!" Rey exclaimed in shock. How the hell am I supposed to fight this thing with such low HP? This better be a joke.

The orc charged forward again, moving at a crazy speed despite its massive size, shocking Rey even more.

On instinct, he rolled away just in time. The orc's weapon slammed into the tree, splitting it in half instantly.

Rey's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly shook it off, recovering his footing and standing battle-ready.

"If I'm going to get stronger… then I have to break through every single obstacle in my way."

"And you…"

"You're one of them."

This time, Rey charged first. Leaping forward at incredible speed—even surprising himself—he swung his dagger, aiming for the orc's neck.

But—Clang!

It was blocked.

A fleshy thud followed.

Rey landed perfectly on his feet and turned his head toward the orc.

The orc roared in pain and rage—its wrist had been severed. The frustration in its glare was clear. It hadn't expected a weakling like Rey to spill its blood.

In the blink of an eye, the orc charged again.

But this time, something was different.

The movement was sharper, more unpredictable.

Before Rey could react, a massive fist struck him square in the face, sending him crashing to the ground.

[ HP: 8/10 ]

Before he could even counterattack—

Boom!

Another devastating blow landed on him, forcing blood from his mouth.

His head smashed against a tree, the impact shaking it to its very roots. The orc, still furious, grabbed him and hurled him away like a ragdoll. The sheer force of the throw cracked the ground beneath him.

[ HP: 5/10 ]

Rey coughed up blood.

His face was now covered in it.

He hadn't realized orcs were this brutal. He had only ever seen them in shows, where they were taken down easily.

But here he was—struggling against one.

Lying helplessly on the ground, his gaze locked onto the dirt as if blaming his misfortune on it.

This wasn't the first time he had been beaten bloody.

Even during the Rankers' Beginner Test, he was beaten senseless by a Low-Rank Beast. So getting destroyed by a Middle-Rank Orc wasn't all that surprising.

The fact that he had even managed to cut its wrist?

That was nothing short of a miracle.

Thanks to his system stats.

But…

"Giving up isn't an option."

Especially not now.

Just as the orc closed in, raising its weapon to finish him off—something unimaginable happened.

Rey moved.

At an incredible speed.

Darting to the side, he barely escaped the incoming strike. The orc staggered slightly, losing balance.

He didn't waste that slim advantage.

With a flick of his wrist, he twisted his dagger skillfully and dashed forward at an insane speed—leaping into the air.

Strength. Speed. Agility.

He combined all three abilities at once.

Then—

Slash!

The orc's head flew off its shoulders, tumbling to the ground.

Dark green blood gushed from its severed neck, spilling like an open floodgate.

Finally.

A small smile crept onto Rey's face.

He had done it.

He had defeated a beast—something he had never managed to accomplish before.

"My stats."

At his thought, a screen appeared before him.

[ Basic Stats ]

[ Player: Rey Reed ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Age: 19 ]

[ HP: 5/10 ]

[ EXP: 10/100 ]

"Ability stats."

The first screen vanished, replaced by a second.

[ Level 1 ]

[ Strength: 11/11 ]

[ Speed: 10/10 ]

[ Agility: 11/11 ]

[ Stamina: 10/10 ]

"Woah." Rey exhaled sharply.

"My HP has dropped a lot… and I haven't even finished the quest yet."

He clenched his fist and raised his gaze forward.

Staring at the alley ahead—fear crept into his soul at what awaited him.

But he shrugged it off.

"If I really want to get stronger, then these are just stepping stones."

"System, is there a way to restore my HP?"

[ Shop ]

A shop tab appeared, changing the screen's display.

[ Recovery Pill ] – Restores 5% HP (Cost: 10 Gold Coins)

[ Full Recovery Potion ] – Restores 10% HP (Cost: 15 Gold Coins)

"If I'm fighting more orcs, I need to be at full strength."

"Two Full Recovery Potions."

[ Request Successful ]

[ 25 Gold Coins left ]

Two small orbs appeared in his palm, each filled with a purple liquid.

Without hesitation, he drank the first potion.

Even before he had finished it, he could feel the difference.

His fatigue vanished.

His strength returned.

"Nice. This one will do."

He tossed aside the empty bottle and looked at the second potion.

"I'll save you for later. You might be useful."

The potion vanished from his palm, returning to his system's inventory.

[ HP: 10/10 ]

"Perfect."

"Now that I have a glimpse of how my enemies attack, my HP shouldn't be a problem."

Moving forward, he kept his guard up, staying on high alert.

For 30 minutes, he walked without encountering a single orc.

His brows furrowed.

"What's going on?"

"Why haven't I come across any more green orcs?"

Then—suddenly—it hit him.

After killing the first orc…

The entire forest had gone silent.

Could it be—?!

He turned sharply toward a dark area, catching a glimpse of movement.

The air grew heavy.

The atmosphere shifted.

Something had changed.

[ Notification!! ]

[ Enemies detected ]

[ Player is surrounded ]

---