Emptiness…
Then a flash.
It wasn't ordinary light, but something that pierced his perception, rearranged his senses before reshaping his world.
When his consciousness opened, he found himself standing in an infinite white space—no walls, no visible ground, just a luminous surface pulsing like the heart of a living entity.
> "Synchronizing neural map… please remain still."
The voice was calm, neutral, without a human tone.
He felt a tingling in his skull, like hundreds of microscopic needles probing his mind, checking his memories, weighing them, and rearranging them.
Then…
> "Visual-motor coordination test: begins now."
A blue line appeared running in front of him.
He ran.
> "Vertical jump."
He jumped.
> "Left roll."
He executed.
> "Neural stimulus response: begins now."
A flash of white light burst in front of him, moving at irregular speed.
> "Track the visual target."
His eyes followed the light.
He tried to focus, but it suddenly split into two, then three, then five.
All exploded except one.
He followed it without hesitation.
> "Response rate: above average."
"Immediate memory recall test."
A dorsal image of a complex symbol appeared in front of him for two seconds, then disappeared.
> "Redraw the symbol."
He moved his hand in the air as he had learned from previous interactions, and drew the symbols he remembered.
> "Accuracy: 87%."
❖
> "All preliminary tests successful. Proceeding to physical customization."
The surrounding light dimmed, and a gray model appeared on a curved platform in front of him.
Karl looked at it for a long time, then made adjustments:
Moderate height
Flexible build
Eyes the color of gray garnet
Short black hair
Neutral features, without any distinctive mark
> "Username?"
He shook his head: there's no way to link his identity to this character.
No one can know who he is behind the avatar.
He said: "Rin."
❖
> "Please distribute the free points:
Strength: 5
Endurance: 5
Agility: 5
Wisdom: 5
Intelligence: 5
Free points: 4"
Karl didn't hesitate.
He didn't even look at the usual suggestions.
He knew exactly where he was going.
"If I really want to make an impact… being smart isn't enough.
I need magical burst… and execution speed."
He whispered to himself:
"Battle Mage… the only purple class that grants damage, burst, and evasion at once.
Reaching it is risky… but it's a risk I must take."
+2 Intelligence
+2 Agility
Silence.
He saw the system window flash, as if surprised by the unconventional distribution.
> "Are you sure about the distribution?"
[Yes] [No]
He pressed: [Yes] without hesitation.
> "Entering data… done. You will enter YGGDRASIL servers in moments."
❖
A countdown timer appeared in the upper corner: 10… 9…
Karl stood firm.
This time it wasn't his body that trembled, but his heart.
Three years of hell… begin now.
A new flash…
The weight of a moment, then the flow of light, then… air.
"Rin" opened his eyes to find himself standing in the middle of a massive stone gate flanked by violet banners, with strange crow-shaped emblems at the center—wings spread wide.
Around him, dozens—no, hundreds of players began appearing one after another.
Some screamed with excitement, others looked around in amazement, and many began taking their first steps in this new world.
> "…Raven?!"
Karl whispered it to himself slowly.
This wasn't his original city.
He was supposed to be transferred to Saphir, the southern city with dense forests and moss-covered stone walls.
But now he was in the north, in the streets of a city wrapped in a history of pain and regret.
He gasped lightly.
> "This… is the Butterfly Effect."
Every change—even a simple one—means the possibility of diverted fate.
This change wasn't huge, but it was clear.
Karl swallowed slowly.
"Raven… ah, Raven…"
The memories flowed.
Not just data.
But scenes of fire, smoke, and screams.
Raven, the city that witnessed the first level catastrophe in Yggdrasil's history.
When the first player reached level ten, and the city failed to contain the event.
Monsters overran the gates.
Most beginners were killed.
The level ten player fell too late.
The guards intervened… after there was nothing left to protect.
It was a massacre.
But from the womb of this massacre, something great was born: the Raven Support Guild.
Players who survived the disaster decided not to let it happen again.
They began gathering information, writing quests, teaching new players, and forming a support system that later evolved into resistance networks in other cities.
Karl—or "Rin"—smiled sadly.
> "The beginning was bitter… but the end? It inspired hundreds."
"Perhaps my fate now is to start from here."
❖
He paused his thoughts for now and blended into the crowd.
Noise.
Laughter.
Voices of amazement.
The clatter of basic gear handed to new players.
Bursts of light appearing every few seconds with each new player joining.
❖
Raven was a spacious city with a clear geometric layout.
Streets paved with symmetrical gray stones, and wooden windows peeking from tall buildings with dim lights.
The clock tower at the city's center rose like a temporal spear watching over everyone, its chimes low but steady, announcing the passage of time in a new world.
The players were at peak excitement:
Some ran wildly in all directions, exploring alleys, shouting in awe.
Others tested movement commands, jumping, or opening the system menu.
A small number sat by a central fountain discussing the "best point distribution."
Some had already started forming temporary exploration parties or exchanging information.
Karl passed by a young group debating whether it was better to raise "strength" or "endurance."
He thought of intervening, but held back.
Not yet…
Soon, he would have his voice—but not now.
He looked at the clock tower…
Time was moving fast.
> "This is just the beginning."
Steps Toward Power
The city was full of life.
The players' voices mingled with those of merchants, blacksmiths, and roaming horses.
Karl, under the name "Rin," made his way through the crowd with confident steps.
> "Raven…
In the past it was hell, but from the heart of the catastrophe, hope emerged."
Time wasn't on his side.
He needed the basics: skills, equipment, and a place to begin executing his plan.
[Guild System]
In Yggdrasil, each player can initially register in one or more of the beginner guilds:
Warriors, Assassins, Mages, or Healers.
Registration grants:
Free basic equipment.
Access to training centers.
Bonus stat points from training.
These guilds don't bind the player to a permanent path, but prepare them to choose their true class upon reaching level ten.
---
[Warrior Guild – Raven City]
A low stone building surrounded by red cloth banners.
The sword-and-shield emblem swayed at the door.
Karl entered, paid 5 coppers, and registered.
He received:
A wooden sword.
A light shield.
Combat skill: "Cleave."
"You can enter the training yard in the back if you wish," said the clerk.
Training wasn't mandatory.
But Karl knew that training grants small but important bonus stats.
> "Even one point makes a difference at the start..."
---
[Warrior Training Yard]
An enclosed dirt field, with scarecrows for practice.
Beside them stood a young woman in leather armor with a trainer badge on her shoulder.
Her brown hair was tied back, and her gaze was stern.
[Irene – Basic Training Instructor (NPC)]
"Welcome. Do you want to start sword training?"
"Yes."
She pointed to one of the scarecrows:
"Destroy it completely. I won't tell you how… learn on your own."
---
Karl began.
Every strike was weak, exhausting, and disappointing.
It took him more than ten minutes to destroy a single scarecrow.
> "In the past, I used to take down bosses. And now?
I fight a stick..."
But the real pain wasn't in his hand… it was in his tired body.
His stamina bar was nearly depleted.
His movements slowed, breathing heavy.
> [Warning: Low stamina. Rest or eat is recommended.]
He sat beside the wall, exhausted.
Then, Irene, the trainer, approached with a small basket:
"You've only completed half the training, but you look ready to collapse."
She handed him a piece of bread and vegetables wrapped in paper.
"This… for me?"
"You don't have to pay. Consider it part of training."
"Thank you… I'm not used to being weak anymore."
He ate. A message appeared:
> [Restored 30% stamina.]
He stood, looking at her.
"I owe you a meal. I won't let my debt remain unpaid."
She pointed to a nearby board:
"There's a simple delivery quest. Five coppers for carrying boxes to the storeroom."
Karl smiled slightly, for the first time since entering the game.
> "Alright… seems I'm starting from scratch again."
Rin finally finished his training at the Warrior Guild and received the title "Novice Warrior," along with two extra points in strength and endurance—a price of evident sweat and fatigue he hadn't felt in a long time.
His heart beat not from exhaustion, but from the cruel irony.
He, who was once used to epic duels, complex maneuvers, and ultimate skills, now stood in front of a wooden scarecrow hitting it for ten straight minutes to earn a point in endurance.
He had once been one of the highest-ranked players—the top of a peak known only to a rare elite.
Players used to follow his steps in forums, watching his replays in awe:
"Did you see how he used the reverse explosion chain?"
"He's unbeatable!"
But now, here he was, back at square one.
He opened the player panel to review his new status:
---
Name: Rin
Level: 1
Title: Novice Warrior (+1% Physical Damage)
Currency: 10 coppers
Attributes:
Strength: 6 (+1 from Guild Training)
Endurance: 6 (+1 from Guild Training)
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 5
Max Mana:70
---
"All this… isn't worth even a single skill I used to have."
He muttered quietly, then smiled bitterly.
"But I have what no beginner here has… knowledge."
He took a deep breath and headed to his next goal:
The Mage Guild.
Through the crowded streets of Raven, the players' voices around him buzzed with excitement and eagerness, rising in laughter and debates about the best starts, best skills, or even endless rumors.
In front of the Mage Guild, a blue banner stood tall, with a crystal eye in the center staring at those entering.
An ancient symbol of magic… and knowledge.
Rin entered through the gate and was immediately faced with a flood of players.
The scene was familiar—boring, even.
"Magic always attracts newbies… looks powerful and impressive at first."
But the truth he knew well:
Magic's real power doesn't manifest before level ten.
Only then do the true abilities begin to appear.
He paid the registration fee: 5 coppers
And received the starting kit:
A simple wooden wand (+1 Intelligence)
A light gray robe
Skill: Energy Ball (non-elemental attack – 5 mana per use)
He opened his panel again:
---
Intelligence: 8 (after wand)
Max Mana: 80
Regen: 1 mana every 2 seconds
He headed to the mage training ground.
Slowly moving, swaying scarecrows.
The training wasn't violent—it was precise.
The player had to destroy 10 scarecrows, each requiring 10 hits.
The most important part: no mana waste.
"80 mana, each ball costs 5… that's 16 shots if I don't miss."
He smiled to himself:
"From battle master… to bullet counter."
He began aiming.
Hit the first, then the second.
Missed the third…
-5 mana, no damage.
He sat for a bit to regenerate.
Two seconds per point.
"This
Wisdom… must be raised quickly."
Ten minutes of shooting, focusing, and angle adjustments.
Finally, the last wooden target fell.
> ✅ Mage Guild Training Passed
+1 Intelligence
+1 Wisdom
---
Opened the panel again:
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 6
Max Mana: 90
He closed the panel, and looked toward the inner alleys.
There, a short side quest awaits him…
He needs 5 more coppers before heading to his next guild.