**Chapter 1: The Shattered Sky**
Daniel Mercer awoke with a gasp, his lungs burning as if he'd been drowning. His fingers dug into cold, dew-slick grass—wrong, all wrong. The last thing he remembered was the screech of brakes, the glare of headlights, the impact that should have killed him.
And yet, here he was. Alive.
**"Where…?"** His voice was ragged. He pushed himself up, his muscles trembling, and froze.
The sky was *wrong.*
Above him stretched a vast, swirling expanse of violet and gold, split by twin moons—one a pale, cratered giant, the other a smaller, jagged shard of blue-green, like a broken piece of glass. Between them, distant pinpricks of light pulsed in unfamiliar constellations. Planets—three, no, *four*—hung low on the horizon, their rings glowing faintly in the dusk.
**"This isn't Earth."**
A gust of wind carried the scent of something metallic, like ozone and wet stone. The air itself felt thicker, heavier, as if it pressed against his skin with purpose. He looked down at himself—his jeans and tattered flannel shirt were intact, but his hands…
His hands *shimmered.*
Faint, golden lines traced beneath his skin, pulsing like veins of liquid light. He flexed his fingers, and the glow intensified, responding to his movement.
**"What the hell is—"**
A chime rang in his skull. Cold, mechanical text scrolled across his vision:
>> **[Welcome, Traveler. You have entered the World of Eldros.]**
>> **[System Integration Complete.]**
>> **[Current Level: 1.]**
>> **[Unique Trait Detected: <
Daniel's breath hitched. **"Okay. Either I'm hallucinating, or this is really happening."**
The forest around him was alive in ways no Earthly woods should be. Trees towered like ancient sentinels, their bark etched with glowing silver runes that pulsed rhythmically, as if breathing. Bioluminescent moss clung to their roots, casting an eerie glow over the undergrowth. In the distance, something howled—a sound too deep, too resonant to belong to any natural beast.
Then, the rustling.
Something moved in the bushes.
Daniel spun, adrenaline surging. A creature emerged—a wolf, but not. Its fur was black as void, its six eyes burning like embers. Jagged bone spikes jutted from its spine, and above its head, crimson text flickered:
**[Voidfang Predator – Level 3]**
**"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."**
The beast snarled, saliva dripping from its fangs. Daniel had no weapons. No armor. Just his fists and the strange energy humming beneath his skin.
The Voidfang lunged.
Instinct took over. He sidestepped, feeling claws graze his ribs. Pain flared—but with it came something else. A *pull,* deep in his chest, like a coiled spring releasing.
>> **[Combat Engaged!]**
>> **[Survival Instinct Activated.]**
>> **[Outlier Effect: EXP Gain Multiplier Active.]**
The world sharpened. The wolf's movements slowed, as if time itself bent around him.
**"Move!"** his own mind screamed.
He grabbed a fallen branch—hardened wood, unnaturally light—and swung. It connected with a sickening crack.
>> **[Critical Hit!]**
>> **[Voidfang Predator HP: 70% → 25%]**
The creature howled, recoiling. Daniel didn't hesitate. He struck again.
>> **[Voidfang Predator Defeated!]**
>> **[EXP Received: 50 → 150 (Outlier Bonus)]**
>> **[Level Up!]**
>> **[You are now Level 2.]**
Power *surged* through him. His wounds knitted together. His muscles tightened, his vision sharpened. It was like downing an entire energy drink in one gulp.
But the next message made his blood run cold:
>> **[Next Level: 100 EXP.]**
**"That's… nothing."** He'd played enough games to know—early levels were supposed to be easy, but this was *absurd.*
Then, another alert:
>> **[System Notice:]**
>> **[User's Leveling Efficiency: <
>> **[Localized System Error Detected.]**
Before he could process it, a new sound cut through the trees—footsteps. Heavy. Armored.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
A woman, clad in sleek, silver-plated armor, her long, dark hair tied back in a warrior's braid. A scar ran down the left side of her face, cutting through an otherwise striking, sharp-featured visage. Her eyes—one deep brown, the other an unnatural, glowing violet—locked onto him.
Above her head, her level burned in bold, golden text:
**[Commander Kaela Voss – Level 41]**
Her gaze flickered to the dead Voidfang, then back to him. Her expression shifted from shock to something darker.
**"You killed a Voidfang. At Level 1."** Her voice was low, dangerous. **"That's impossible."**
Daniel opened his mouth—but then he saw her grip tighten on the hilt of her sword.
Her mismatched eyes dropped to his hands. To the golden light still writhing beneath his skin.
**"Oh, no,"** she whispered. **"Not another one."**
>> **[New Quest: Survival.]**
>> **[Objective: Run.]**
>> **[Reward: Stay Alive Long Enough to Learn Why.]**
Daniel didn't need telling twice.
He ran.
---
### **Key Worldbuilding & Character Details:**
- **Twin Moons:** *Lyrris* (pale giant) and *Veyl* (jagged shard).
- **Visible Planets:** Four, including the ringed gas giant *Zorath.*
- **Daniel's Appearance:** Early 30s, lean but wiry-strong. Dark brown hair, messy from the crash. Hazel eyes that now flicker gold when the System activates.
- **The Outlier Effect:** His EXP gain is *multiplied,* making him level at a terrifying rate.