Yunari Mizukane woke up and realized she was lying in her bed. She sighed.
"Another dream…" she whispered to herself while slapping her own cheek.
She stood up and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Staring into the mirror, she looked at herself closely.
"I'm in the real world now. Sigh, this dream… it never ends," she said before slapping herself again.
When she went downstairs, she saw breakfast on the table. She sat down and ate. Then her mother arrived and spoke:
Mother: "You have class today, right?"
Yunari froze. When she looked at the calendar, her eyes widened.
Yunari: "Huh?! Monday!!"
She hurriedly bathed, got dressed, and ran out. Since she was already late, she suddenly felt electricity surge through her legs. In an instant, her movements became faster—unbeknownst to her, she had already gained strange new strength.
When she arrived at school, the guard greeted her.
Guard: "Oh, you still made it! Go on, hurry inside!"
Yunari: "Woah, thank you!"
(She still hadn't noticed the changes in her body.)
---
Breaktime
During class, break finally arrived. Yunari went to the canteen to eat. The bullies approached her again. They messed with her, causing her food to spill. Annoyed and angered, Yunari suddenly manifested a dagger in her right hand.
Her eyes widened.
Yunari: "What is this…?!"
Then, just as suddenly, the dagger vanished. She shivered.
"That wasn't an illusion… my dream was real."
The bullies left as if nothing had happened, while Yunari was left trembling, still unable to believe what had just happened to her.
---
The Portal Again
After class, she quickly went to the place where she had first seen the portal. But when she got there, it was gone. She thought maybe it had all been her imagination. Yet while walking home, the glitching portal suddenly reappeared right in front of her.
Her eyes widened.
Yunari: "It's real…"
Because of this, she decided to enter once more. And just like before, she was instantly pulled inside.
---
World Tech
When she emerged, she found herself once again in World Tech. Amazed by the surroundings, she said:
"This isn't a dream… what I saw that day was real!" she muttered, slapping herself again.
She began to walk around and explore. Soon, she encountered a creature and tried to fight it. Suddenly, her legs charged with energy, and in a flash—like lightning—she moved so fast that she easily killed the monster.
After the battle, her body glowed with an aura.
Yunari: "What is this…?"
Then she realized it was EXP. The aura signified that she had leveled up. She took the chest that dropped and found coins inside—but no items.
She continued to explore and fight. Yet no matter how many monsters she killed, she only kept getting coins.
While wandering, without realizing it, she stumbled upon a highest-level creature. It lunged at her, but Yunari managed to dodge. However, with every attack it launched, she struggled more and more to fight back.
---
The Arrival of Ariyane
Ariyane Hinazora happened to pass by and saw Yunari struggling against the high-level monster. She stepped in to help, and together, they finally brought it down.
Yunari: "Thanks for the help! But… your face looks familiar… have we met before?"
Ariyane: "Yes. You're the one who helped me before, when I was desperate."
Yunari recognized her.
Yunari: "Ahhh, right… it was you."
They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Yunari offered Ariyane the chest they had obtained from the monster. But Ariyane refused.
Ariyane: "You don't have anything besides my dagger. That chest is yours."
But Yunari insisted, so Ariyane finally accepted it. When she opened the chest, she shivered and dropped it.
Yunari: "What happened?!"
When they looked, inside was a legendary weapon. Yunari's reaction was plain, since she was still a beginner.
Yunari: "It's just a weapon… what's the big deal?"
But Ariyane explained:
Ariyane: "That's one of the legendary weapons players have been searching for. And it's incredibly valuable!"
Yet Yunari remained unimpressed. Slowly, she picked it up and examined it.
Yunari: "It does look nice… but it's so heavy, I don't think I can use it."
Ariyane: "That weapon is strong… but I don't know what abilities it holds."
Curious about what happened earlier, Yunari asked Ariyane about the dagger.
Yunari: "Mmm… By the way, how did you summon that dagger before? I didn't see you holding it—just a sword."
Ariyane: "Double tap the air."
Yunari tried it, and it worked. She successfully stored the weapon in her inventory.
Ariyane: "Wow, you really don't know anything, huh? How did you even get in here?"
Yunari: "I just heard your voice calling for help… so I followed it."
Ariyane fell silent.
Ariyane: "…Do you want to come with me?"
Yunari: "…Sure."
And so, their journey together began.