Reality Breaker: Edge of Reality

The buzzing in Cale Roth’s ears wouldn’t stop.

It wasn’t from the usual sounds of the city: honking cars, chattering crowds, or the rumble of trains speeding by overhead. This was different. It was subtle, like the hum of something broken, something… wrong. And for some reason, it followed him everywhere today. He tugged at his hood, trying to block out the sensation as he made his way through the crowded streets.

The delivery bag on his back felt heavier than usual, though the package inside wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Just another mundane day in his less-than-exciting life as a courier. He weaved through the foot traffic with practiced ease, dodging office workers in business suits, tourists holding up their phones, and groups of teenagers laughing at memes Cale never had the time to understand.

That damn buzzing. He rubbed his temple.

He’d been hearing it since he woke up, an electric charge in the air that kept prickling at the edge of his senses. He glanced at the sky, noticing something else out of place—a faint crack, like a hairline fracture, stretching across the otherwise clear blue.

“What the hell?” he muttered under his breath.

No one else seemed to notice. People walked beneath the sky as if nothing was wrong, their lives proceeding like clockwork. Cale frowned, quickening his pace, hoping the weird sensation would pass once he finished his last delivery. The quicker he could get this job over with, the quicker he could go back home and get some sleep.

Ping.

A sudden notification flashed in his vision, stopping him in his tracks. Cale blinked.

The notification hovered there—an impossible, transparent screen, floating right in front of his eyes.

New System Detected. User Confirmed: Cale Roth. Synchronization in progress…

“What the hell is this?” Cale said, swiping at the air, but the screen remained in place, waiting.

A low rumble echoed from the distance, growing louder with every second. People around him paused, looking up as the ground trembled beneath their feet. Then came the sound of glass shattering—but not from any nearby building. Cale’s eyes snapped up to the sky.

The crack was widening.

It stretched further across the heavens, a jagged tear that seemed to split reality itself. Through it, Cale saw something. Something dark, swirling in the space beyond, writhing with shapes that shouldn’t exist. Tendrils of shadow reached out from the crack, pulling at the edges as though they were trying to rip the world open.

Chaos erupted.

People screamed, pointing at the sky as the fracture split wide open. Dark figures began spilling out—twisted beasts made of shadow, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. They plummeted from the sky, landing in the streets, and immediately tore through everything in their path.

“What… the hell is going on?!” Cale shouted, frozen in place.

The buzzing in his ears became a roar, and the system interface in front of him blinked to life once more.

System Activation Complete. Welcome, User Cale Roth.

Quest Initiated: Survive the Dimensional Anomaly. Reward: System Access.

Before Cale could react, one of the shadow beasts charged straight at him, its maw filled with rows of jagged teeth. His body moved on instinct, diving to the side just in time to avoid the attack. The creature slammed into the concrete where he’d stood, cracking the pavement with a deafening crunch.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Cale scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest.

Another screen popped up in his vision, this time outlining his options.

Available Weapons:

Arcane Blade (Lv. 1)

Void Dagger (Lv. 1)

He didn’t know what was happening, didn’t know why this “system” was talking to him or why monsters were falling from the sky, but he wasn’t about to die standing around like an idiot.

“Arcane Blade! I choose the damn Arcane Blade!”

The moment he made the selection, he felt a surge of energy course through his body. In his right hand, a sword made entirely of blue light materialized, crackling with raw energy. He barely had time to process it before the shadow beast charged again.

This time, Cale was ready.

He swung the blade with all his strength, aiming for the creature’s head. The sword cut through the beast like butter, dispersing its dark form into a puff of shadowy mist. It vanished, leaving no trace behind, as if it had never existed.

Breathing hard, Cale looked down at the glowing sword in his hand. It flickered for a moment, then faded into nothingness, leaving his hand empty once more.

“What… the hell did I just do?” he whispered to himself.

Before he could process the answer, another rift opened in the sky, and more shadowy figures began to pour out. Dozens of them. Hundreds.

The system interface flashed again, more notifications appearing in quick succession.

Quest Updated: Survive the Anomaly (Time Remaining: 59:00).

Defeat as many creatures as possible to unlock further abilities.

Cale’s breath caught in his throat as the swarm of beasts descended on the city.

Survival was no longer a question.

It was the only option.