The moment my vision cleared, I stood atop a grassy ridge that overlooked a vast, untouched plain.
Netherverse had begun.
A cool breeze danced across the alien grass, tall blades shimmering faintly under twin suns. The sky above shimmered in hues of violet and gold, casting surreal shadows across the rolling terrain. Each step I took pressed deep into the earth beneath my boots—sensation rendered in uncanny fidelity. I could feel the grain of the soil, the warmth of the light, the subtle scent of wild flora. Ninety-five percent neural integration was more than a number—it was indistinguishable from real.
Below, the starter zone unfurled before me—Verdant Hollow. A living city of polished stone and carved timber, its winding paths lit by crystalline lamps pulsing with soft light. Every few seconds, new players flickered into existence with prismatic flashes as their syncs completed. Some wandered in awe. Others surged forward, veterans chasing efficiency.
A calm, modulated voice slid into my consciousness:
"Welcome, Pioneer. Region ID: Horizon-713 confirmed. Neural imprint stable. Protective sync buffer: 24 in-game hours."
With a thought, my UI bloomed into view. Clean design. No clutter. Stats locked for now, but basic info displayed clearly:
Name: KaiMoren
Class: Vanguard (Initiate)
Level: 1
Vitals: 100/100
Stamina: 100/100
Trait: Second Surge (Passive)
I surveyed the ridge. A few tutorial drones buzzed overhead offering orientation prompts. I ignored them. A ping lit up in my ear.
[PRIVATE] ValeTrigger: Yo! That you? I'm in Verdant too. You roll dual axes or still living the sword-and-board life?
I smirked, thumbed back:
[KaiMoren → ValeTrigger]: Shield, as always. Tank it. Spank it. Thank it.
Vale sent back a dancing ogre sticker. "Meet me at the forge. Grabbing the first quest from Old Kren."
As I descended toward the village, a flicker passed through my periphery. The world stalled.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]: Unregistered signal detected... syncing with legacy data...
Blue code erupted through my field of vision. My HUD spasmed. Then, silence.
A voice spoke—not synthetic. Human.
"Welcome back... Vanguard of the Last Cycle."
Then, it was gone. The world righted itself. Players moved freely again. No one seemed to notice.
I opened the event logs. Nothing. No anomaly flagged.
"Bugged already," I muttered. But even as I said it, I knew better. That voice—it wasn't an error. It was a memory. A buried flag from some other cycle.
Down near the blacksmith's forge, Vale waved wildly, decked in haphazard starter gear and dual axes.
"Hurry up, tank-man. Mobs won't kill themselves."
I jogged toward him. Focused.
Old Kren stood behind his anvil, a one-eyed relic with arms like tree trunks. Sparks flew as he hammered molten metal. His gaze flicked up. He grunted.
[QUEST: Forging Your First Path]
Objective: Hunt 10 Emberfang Boars beyond Verdant Hollow. Return with their tusks.
Reward: Basic Weapon Voucher + 150 EXP + Minor Reputation
Vale cracked his knuckles. "Let's move before some streamer trains them all to death."
We passed through the village gates, entering wild scrubland dotted with trees and twitching underbrush. The Emberfangs were already there—hulking boars with cracked hooves and burning red eyes.
"Pull one at a time," I said. "Open with a bleed, I take aggro."
Vale was already moving.
The first boar screamed and barreled forward. I stepped in front, raised my shield, absorbed the hit. Feedback thudded in my chest. Adrenaline surged. I activated Second Surge—stamina fully restored. My blade swept upward into the creature's neck. Vale's axes carved in from behind.
It collapsed.
We moved fluidly, kill by kill. As the tenth boar fell, clouds swept overhead.
"Weather engine's live already?" Vale asked, eyes narrowing.
Two boars approached together—identical pacing, mirrored turns.
"Those aren't default paths," I muttered.
Too late. They locked eyes and charged.
I caught one. Vale caught the other.
The fight was brutal. Stamina dropped fast. I triggered Second Surge again. Vale yelled, "On cooldown!"
One boar dropped. The second staggered. Vale dove forward, blades flashing.
Done.
We collapsed on the grass.
"That... was tuned wrong," Vale breathed.
A soft chime rang.
[Quest Updated]
Old Kren: "You handled that better than most. You've got something strange in you—something old. Come see me."
Vale looked at me.
"Legacy signal again?"
I nodded.
The glyph shimmered faintly in the corner of my HUD.
We stood. Swords bloody. Bodies bruised.
The sun was setting.
And this? This was only the beginning.