The white brilliance faded.
Gale blinked, and when his vision cleared, he was no longer standing in the void of character creation.
Instead, warmth washed over him like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
He squinted against the sudden brightness, raising a hand to shade his eyes.
A crisp breeze ruffled his hair, carrying the scent of fresh earth, pine, and bread baking somewhere nearby. Beneath his boots lay cobbled stone, uneven but solid, leading into a sprawling village alive with motion.
Rows of timber-framed houses stood proudly along winding streets, their red-tiled roofs catching the light of a high sun.
Chickens darted between the legs of villagers.
A blacksmith hammered away at an anvil, sparks flying in sharp bursts.
The chatter of merchants hawking goods mingled with the playful squeals of children.
Every detail shimmered with a terrifying, beautiful realism.
'This... this feels alive. It's like I've actually stepped into another world.'
But Gale wasn't alone.
He turned slightly, and his breath caught.
Around him, dozens—no, hundreds—of other players stood in the village square, their forms settling as if just materializing from the same white brilliance.
Some gawked openly, their heads whipping about like tourists in awe.
Others immediately began boasting or fiddling with menus, their laughter and chatter filling the square.
Then, silence fell.
From the air itself, light rippled—soft at first, then growing into a radiant pillar in the center of the square.
Every player froze, instinctively drawn to it. Slowly, majestically, a figure descended within the glow.
It was a man, tall and draped in robes the color of twilight.
Silver runes shimmered across the fabric, and his eyes glowed with the depth of a thousand stars.
In his hand he carried a staff taller than himself, crowned with a crystal orb pulsing like a beating heart.
When he spoke, the entire village seemed to bow beneath his voice.
"Welcome, brave souls, to Mythras: Ascension. You are the chosen pioneers, the first of many who will walk this path. Before you lies a world vast and unyielding, a land of legends, blood, and glory. The rules are simple—survive, grow strong, and claim your destiny."
His gaze swept across the gathered players. Gale felt it land on him for the briefest instant, and despite knowing it was all part of the game, his stomach tightened.
The guide lifted his staff, and glowing runes spun in the air above them, forming sentences that every player could read.
"Here, death is not final—except in the deepest places where the gods themselves tread. When you fall, you will lose experience, sometimes loot, sometimes more. Yet if you seek forbidden places, your soul may never return. Tread wisely."
A murmur swept the crowd. Some players grinned recklessly, others frowned in unease.
"Your first task," the guide continued, "is to prove yourselves worthy of leaving this sanctuary. Until you reach level ten and overcome the trial of the Beginner's Guardian, the wider world will remain closed to you. Train well. Cooperate—or compete—as you see fit."
The words burned themselves into Gale's mind.
Level ten. A boss. The gate to the real game.
The guide's tone shifted, and his eyes gleamed with faint amusement.
"Fate is never equal. Among you, some have already received... a gift."
As though on cue, Gale's vision blinked with a soft ding!—a small blue notification appearing at the edge of his sight.
He hesitated but didn't open it yet, listening.
"In your possession lies a key—rare, mysterious, coveted. What doors it unlocks, none may yet say. Use it wisely, or lose it foolishly. But beware—treasures inspire envy, and envy breeds betrayal."
The guide raised his staff high.
The light surged, then burst outward in a wave of radiance that scattered like dust on the wind.
When Gale blinked again, the figure was gone—only the memory of his words remained.
The square erupted into noise.
"Wait, did he say a key?!"
"Check your menus, quick!"
"No way, I better have one—rare loot this early? That's broken!"
"Damn it, nothing in mine. Who got it?!"
Players scrambled, opening their system interfaces.
Gale's pulse quickened.
He willed his own menu to appear, and with a shimmer, a translucent blue panel unfolded before him.
His gaze swept across the tabs until he spotted his inventory.
With a thought, he opened it.
There it was.
Nestled in the otherwise empty grid sat a single item.
...
[Mysterious Key (Rare)]Description: A key wrought from silver and starlight. Its destination is unknown. Its purpose, hidden. But all treasures begin with a key.
...
Gale stared at it, heart hammering.
'A key… I actually got one. Out of everyone here, me.'
But the guide had said some.
Meaning others had one too.
He wasn't unique—yet the very fact that this item existed meant trouble. Already, players were whispering, their eyes darting suspiciously to one another.
'So that's what he meant. Envy. Betrayal. If this thing is even half as important as it looks, I'll need to be careful.'
Still, excitement bubbled beneath his caution.
This was it—the start of something bigger than he could imagine.
With a deep breath, Gale closed his inventory and flipped open his profile.
...
Character: Azrail
Race: Human
Level: 1
HP: 100 / 100
MP: 50 / 50
Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Endurance: 5
Intelligence: 5
Luck: 5
Skills: None
...
Average. Completely average.
He exhaled slowly, lips twitching into a wry smile.
'Figures. Nothing special about me yet. Just another face in the crowd.'
The crowd began to scatter, players racing off into alleys and toward the open gates at the edge of the village.
Gale hesitated, then followed more slowly, letting his eyes roam.
The streets bustled with life.
NPCs moved with uncanny naturalness—arguing over prices, gossiping in doorways, even waving at passing players with cheerful familiarity.
A merchant leaned out of his stall, thrusting a basket of apples toward Gale.
"Fresh fruit! First bite's free!"
Gale blinked, taken aback.
He reached out, half expecting the apple to vanish into pixels.
Instead, the smooth skin met his palm, solid and cool. He bit into it instinctively—juice burst across his tongue, crisp and sweet.
'This… this is insane. No VR sim has ever gotten this close to reality.'
The blacksmith he had noticed earlier paused mid-swing to wipe sweat from his brow, muttering curses at the stubborn metal.
A little girl tugged at her mother's sleeve, pointing at Gale curiously before being pulled away with a scolding.
None of them felt like scripted models—they felt alive.
As Gale wandered, his excitement only grew. The game wasn't just about stats or combat—it was a world.
A real, breathing world.
He ended his loop of the village back at the square, watching players vanish into the training fields beyond the gates.
Some already banded together in parties, laughing boisterously. Others charged out solo, eager to carve their own path.
Gale clenched his fist.
'This is it. My chance. I don't know why I got that key, but… I'm not letting it go. I need to figure out how to use it.'
The sun hung high, golden light painting the rooftops.
His new life had begun.