"Steve"—a regular high school boy with just a handful of friends. He lived with his mom and younger sister and had one obsession: Epic Showdown.
He'd been playing the VR game for a year straight. His starting character? A trash-tier, low-class Appraiser.
Still, he poured his heart into the game. He traveled the lands, appraised loot for various parties, and joined countless expeditions—not as a fighter, but as a silent support. Most players didn't even treat him like part of the team. He'd hide in the shadows during battles, then appraise the items afterward. That's how he leveled up.
After a long grind, he finally reached level 100, the point where players unlock their second advancement class.
But instead of promotion…
His account was banned.
No warning. No reason.
That night, feeling defeated and numb, he collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep.
And that's when everything changed.
---
Steve sat on his chair, staring blankly at the floor, still haunted by the dream.
> "So... after unlocking my class, I saw Terix's memories? That's insane... almost magical."
He clenched his fists.
> "If I really am Terix, then I'm not just some background character anymore. I've always played as a nobody… but if I follow Terix's memories, then... wait, wasn't Terix a swordmaster?"
Terix—a legendary figure in the world of Osmos, the setting of Epic Showdown. No, not just legendary. The most powerful swordsman in the entire game.
His party? Recognized by everyone as the strongest squad ever formed.
> "So the rumors were true... Named characters do exist. And Terix was one of them."
> "But why does his profile say 'Farmer'? What's going on with his Job?!"
Curious, Steve got up and stepped into his VR capsule. He lowered the headset, took a breath, and said:
> "Start."
The system's voice rang out:
> WELCOME.
> "Open Epic Showdown."
> LOADING...
In the blink of an eye, Steve found himself inside the game.
---
> "Whoa... a jungle?"
He looked around. Tall trees, thick vines, and a damp breeze surrounded him.
> "Oh... this must be near the beginner village—Harvar."
He took a moment to gather himself.
> "Status window."
A soft hum came from the bracelet on his wrist as a screen appeared in front of him:
TERIX / Level 1 / Farmer / Class: ???
> "Still nothing about my real class. Let's check inventory."
He summoned the interface, and among the few items listed, one caught his eye: a glowing orb.
> "What's this? A ball?"
He tapped it.
> "Equip."
The orb materialized in his hand, softly pulsing with mysterious light.
> "Appraise."
Then he chuckled.
> "Right... I'm not an Appraiser anymore."
He unequipped the orb, shaking his head in amusement. But before he could take a step—
SLASH!
> "HEALTH LOST."
An alert flashed red as a skeleton warrior swung a rusty sword at him from behind.
> "What the hell? A skeleton... in broad daylight?!"
Undead mobs like skeletons or zombies shouldn't spawn during the day unless…
> "No way… it's a general-rank mob?!"
He caught sight of the creature's hat—exactly what high-tier undead wear to avoid sunlight damage.
The skeleton raised its sword again.
> "Crap—what do I do?!"
He scrambled backward, fumbling through his inventory while dodging. His fingers hovered over one item:
> "An axe... that'll have to do! Equip!"
The worn axe materialized in his hand just as another memory surged into his brain—Terix performing a basic sword skill: Vertical Slash.
Steve inhaled sharply.
> "No time. Let's go!"
He lunged forward, channeling instinct.
> "Vertical Slash!!"
A precise, powerful strike cleaved the skeleton clean in half. Its bones scattered across the ground.
> "I... I did it."
He stared in disbelief.
> "I actually killed a mob. My first real kill… after a whole year of playing."
For a moment, everything felt surreal.
But then—
The mysterious orb in his inventory began to glow. No, it didn't just glow—it floated.
> "What the...?"
The system voice echoed once more:
> "QUALIFICATION MET."
"CLASS UNLOCKED."
NAMED CLASS: SWORDMASTER (TERIX)
> "Wait... WHAT?!"
The orb exploded in a burst of light.
And everything changed.
---
To Be Continued