Noir stood silently as the guide Sage faded from view, leaving him in the starting zone of Seldom. The place was alive—noisy and buzzing with excitement. He could hear players from all over the world laughing, shouting, and chatting. Despite their different origins, the game's automatic translation system ensured everything made sense in whatever language the player had set. For Noir, everything came through in smooth, casual English.
He walked around slowly, testing out his body. Every step felt real. He jumped—his legs reacted just as his real ones would. He crouched, rolled, stretched his arms. He even did a few shadow jabs, just to see how fluid the motion was.
This is insane, he thought, spinning around to soak it all in. It's like my body is really in here.
Around him, players were talking about quests, shops, and leveling spots. Seldom was chaotic but in a lively way. His senses were overwhelmed by the chatter, the clanging of beginner weapons, and the sight of dozens of avatars running around.
Then, a notification blinked in front of him:
Beginner Quest Available
Eliminate: Forest Spider (Lv1)
Location: Outskirts of Seldom
Reward: Twin Dagger (Lv1)+10 ATK / +1 Agility
He tapped "ACCEPT" without thinking twice.
"Alright," he muttered to himself, stretching his neck. "Let's see what this game's made of."
He headed toward the outskirts, weaving through the crowd until he hit the edge of town. The terrain turned rougher. Trees got taller. The cheerful chatter of the town faded behind him, replaced by birdsong and rustling leaves.
Then he saw it—three feet tall, hairy, black with red streaks along its legs. The spider was perched on a rock, legs twitching as if sensing his presence.
Noir stepped forward and pulled out the default daggers he received after character creation.
"Let's go."
He dashed in—his movements quick—but not quick enough. The spider leapt from the rock with terrifying speed. It spun midair and shot a silk line that smacked into Noir's shoulder, yanking him off balance. He stumbled back and barely dodged a lunge that could've taken his face off.
"Damn!" he hissed, rolling to the side.
He gritted his teeth and slashed at the silk, cutting it off his arm. The spider charged again. Noir dove to the left, rolled, and sliced at its legs. One clean hit. It screeched and backed off, lifting its front legs to intimidate him.
Then it spat venom.
The green liquid sizzled as it hit the ground. Noir backpedaled and narrowly avoided it—but not without slipping on a mossy rock. He hit the ground hard, the impact rattling through his ribs. The spider pounced.
Noir raised both daggers and crossed them just in time to block its fangs. His muscles strained. He could feel the weight of the thing pressing on him.
With a grunt, he kicked it in the underbelly and pushed it off. Rolling backward, he got to his feet. Breathing hard, he waited for the spider to come again. This time, when it lunged, he dashed under its body and plunged his daggers deep into its abdomen.
It shrieked and thrashed, throwing him off—but Noir landed on his feet.
One final lunge. Noir sidestepped, pivoted, and spun—his blades sliced across the spider's head.
It collapsed.
Breathing hard, hands shaking, Noir stood over it.
Quest Complete
Reward Received: Twin Dagger (Lv1)
+10 ATK / +1 Agility
EXP Gained: +3
Level Progress: 4% to Level 2
"Damn… that was intense," Noir muttered, sitting down on a nearby rock. Sweat trickled down his neck—even if it wasn't real sweat, it felt real.
Unbeknownst to him, someone had been watching the whole thing.
Korb177 stood behind the cover of a tree, mouth slightly open in surprise. He'd seen plenty of newbies die to that spider. Hell, he died to it on his first attempt. But this guy… this Noir… didn't even break a sweat, even if he struggled, even if he slipped. There was a calmness in his aggression, a focus that didn't belong to a beginner.
Korb177 narrowed his eyes. Interesting.
Meanwhile, Noir got to his feet and decided to push forward.
He ventured deeper into the Forest of Seldom. The monsters changed. There were level 1 wolves with gray fur and yellow eyes. He fought cautiously now—learning their movements, testing his agility. A goblin leapt from a bush and nearly took his head off with a crude axe. He parried, took a hit to the shoulder, and countered with a stab to the chest.
Then there were the 4-foot chickens—big, fast, aggressive. Noir learned quickly not to let them surround him. He dragged out every fight, surviving off precise movements and counterattacks.
And still—he didn't level up.
Korb177 followed at a distance, curiosity growing. He expected Noir to get overwhelmed. But every time the assassin seemed close to defeat, he adapted. Dodged better. Hit harder. Fought smarter.
Eventually, Noir came across other players—parties running quests together. He paid them no mind, moving quietly past them. He wasn't here to socialize. He wanted to get stronger.
Then he saw it: a cave.
Small. Hidden. The kind of place that screamed secret loot or death trap.
He stepped in.
Darkness swallowed him. He lit a torch from a wall bracket and continued cautiously. Spiders—lots of them. Smaller than the one before, but faster. Dozens. They swarmed.
He fought like a madman—spinning, dodging, slicing. His arm got nicked. His leg bruised. But he didn't retreat.
Eventually, after an hour of endless fighting and navigating tunnels, he stood before a large set of stone doors. His torch flickered as he stared up.
A name hovered over the door in violet text:
Karkaskhan – Lv2
A boss.
He froze. Do I go back? If I die, I lose everything—gear, exp.
But then… he stepped forward.
He wasn't here to play it safe.
He was here to escape.
With a deep breath, Noir pushed open the doors.