The first thing Michel noticed wasn't the pain from hitting the forest floor—it was how real everything felt. The moss beneath his fingers was actually soft and damp, not the rough texture his old gaming chair used to have. The air smelled like rain and growing things, nothing like the stale pizza-scented atmosphere of his bedroom.
He pushed himself up slowly, and long strands of azure hair fell across his face. The color caught him off guard—his hair had always been plain brown before. Michel brushed the silky strands away with trembling fingers, and that's when he caught his reflection in a nearby puddle.
Golden eyes stared back at him. Not the tired brown eyes he'd grown up with, but brilliant golden irises that seemed to glow with their own inner light. The face was definitely his, but somehow better. Sharper features, clearer skin, and when he looked down at himself, he saw a lean but muscular build that suggested he'd actually exercised at some point in his life.
"What the hell?" Michel whispered, his voice carrying clearly in the forest air.
He stood up carefully, testing his new body. Everything felt different—stronger, more balanced, more alive than he'd ever felt before. His mind raced as he tried to make sense of his situation. The last thing he remembered was sitting in his cramped bedroom, clicking "Accept" on that strange contract.
Michel Hein. That was his name, and up until what felt like minutes ago, he'd had what anyone would call a pretty terrible life. After finishing high school, he'd become a complete shut-in. No job, no girlfriend, no real friends except for the people he met online while gaming. He spent his days clearing every game he could get his hands on, living off whatever his parents left in the fridge, and pretending the outside world didn't exist.
Most people would have called it pathetic, and Michel wouldn't have disagreed with them. But games were the one thing he was actually good at. While other kids his age were going to college or finding jobs, Michel was building a reputation as one of the best players on dozens of different servers.
Then DragonSlayer99 had changed everything.
The guy was someone Michel had been gaming with for months—a decent player who knew his way around most MMORPGs. During one of their late-night sessions, DragonSlayer99 had mentioned a new game that had just launched.
"You've got to try IRO," he'd said through their voice chat. "It's called Infinite Realms Online, and dude, it's unlike anything I've ever played. The graphics are insane, the world is huge, and there are so many things to do that I don't even know where to start."
The moment Michel heard those words, his attention was completely caught. Another game meant another world to escape into, another challenge to conquer. He'd cleared almost every game he'd ever played, mastering their systems and becoming one of the top players on multiple servers. This one wouldn't be any different, right?
Michel had bought IRO that same day and launched it immediately. From the very first login screen, he was hooked. The graphics were incredible—better than anything he'd ever seen. The world felt alive in a way that other games couldn't match. Every NPC seemed to have their own personality, every quest felt meaningful, and the combat system required actual skill instead of just clicking buttons and hoping for the best.
The game offered over twenty different races to choose from, each with their own unique abilities and starting locations. The job classes numbered in the hundreds, and players could mix and match skills from different paths to create truly unique characters. There were dozens of different worlds to explore, each with their own environments, cultures, and challenges.
But what really got Michel's attention was how deep everything was. Other games felt shallow once you understood their basic mechanics, but IRO seemed to have layers upon layers of complexity. The magic system alone was more detailed than entire games he'd played before.
Michel spent weeks exploring, learning, pushing himself to understand every mechanic the game had to offer. He joined parties with other players, completed quests, fought monsters, and slowly built his character into something truly powerful. Other players started recognizing his name on the forums. He was becoming known as someone who could figure out the game's most complex puzzles and challenges.
And then he found the Eternal Labyrinth.
Most players avoided it completely. The forums were full of horror stories about the place. They said it was impossible, that no one had ever completed it, that it was probably just broken code left in by mistake. Some claimed it was designed to drive players crazy with frustration.
But Michel had never backed down from a challenge before, and he wasn't about to start now.
The labyrinth was everything the forums had warned about and more. It wasn't just difficult—it was brutal. Puzzles that required perfect understanding of the game's physics engine. Combat encounters that demanded flawless timing and positioning. Riddles written in ancient languages that players had to decode using clues scattered throughout the game world.
Six hours. That's how long it took Michel to clear the entire labyrinth, and those were six of the most intense hours of his life. By the end, his eyes were burning from staring at the screen, his hands were cramping from constant play, and his brain felt like it might melt from overuse.
But he'd done it. He'd completed something that thousands of other players had declared impossible.
When Michel finally emerged from the labyrinth's final chamber, carrying treasures that no other player had ever seen, he felt like he'd conquered the world. The rush of victory was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
The email came exactly one hour later.
The subject line was simple: "Congratulations from the IRO Development Team." Michel's heart had started racing the moment he saw it. Game developers didn't usually contact players directly, especially not with congratulations.
The email explained that he'd completed a hidden quest that no other player had ever found, let alone finished. The developers were impressed with his skill and dedication, and they wanted to invite him to work on a special project with them. The benefits and details couldn't be revealed until he signed the attached contract, but they promised it would be worth his time.
Michel had read the email three times before it fully sank in. A real job offer from a game company. Benefits that sounded too good to be true. The chance to work on something that could change his entire life.
He'd been riding high on his victory, and honestly, he had nothing else going on in his life. His parents had been dropping hints about getting a job or going to college, but Michel had no interest in either. This seemed like a perfect solution.
So he signed the contract without really thinking about it.
And then he died.
The heart attack hit him like lightning. One moment he was clicking "Accept" on the digital signature, and the next he was clutching his chest as fire spread through his veins. The pain was incredible—like someone was squeezing his heart with a giant fist. Michel had collapsed out of his chair, hitting his bedroom floor hard enough to knock over a stack of pizza boxes.
The last thing he remembered was staring at his computer screen as everything went black.
Until he woke up here, in what looked exactly like the Delto Forest from IRO.
Michel looked around again, taking in his surroundings with the practiced eye of someone who'd spent countless hours studying game environments. Ancient trees stretched toward a sky painted with colors that seemed too beautiful to be real. Purple and gold clouds drifted across a sun that looked larger and brighter than Earth's. Flowers that glowed softly in the shadows grew alongside paths that seemed worn smooth by countless travelers.
The sound of distant water reached his ears, along with the occasional chirp of creatures he couldn't identify. Everything looked exactly like the starting area from Infinite Realms Online, but it felt completely real. The temperature was perfect, the breeze carried actual scents, and when Michel touched a nearby tree, the bark felt rough and solid under his fingers.
"This is definitely Istea," he said aloud, his voice filled with amazement.
Istea was one of the many realms in IRO, and it served as the starting world for most new players. It was designed to be peaceful and welcoming compared to the harsher realms that players could access later in the game. The landscapes were beautiful, the people were generally friendly, and the monsters weren't immediately trying to kill you the moment you logged in.
But peaceful didn't mean safe. The races and monsters in Istea might not be as aggressive as those in other worlds, but they were still incredibly strong. Istea served as a proving ground where adventurers had to clear all the major dungeons and prove their worth before they could move on to other realms.
And if you were a citizen of Istea—which Michel apparently was now—the game's lore said you could only stay in other worlds for three days at most before being pulled back home. It was designed to make sure players always had a base to return to.
Michel forced himself to focus on the immediate problem: survival. He was currently in the Delto Forest, which he recognized from countless hours of gameplay. If he headed west and kept walking, he should eventually reach Luva Village—the starter town where new players usually began their journey. The villagers there were friendly and helped newcomers get their bearings.
Of course, between here and there were plenty of monsters. Goblins and kobolds mostly roamed this area, along with the occasional wolf pack or angry bear. They were only Rank 1 monsters according to the game's classification system, but that was still dangerous for someone like him—especially if he was as weak as he felt.
Michel had another thought. If this really was the world of IRO, then maybe the game's interface would work here too.
"Status," he said aloud, feeling ridiculous but desperate to confirm his suspicions.
An azure flicker appeared in the air in front of him, and suddenly a translucent screen materialized, displaying information that made his heart skip a beat.
‐‐‐
Name: Michel Hein
Mana: 20
Age: 16
Job Class: N/A
Attributes
- Strength: 1
- Intelligence: 1
- Vitality: 1
- Agility: 1
- Constitution: 1
- Stamina: 1
- Magic: 1
- Charm: 1
- Luck: 1
Available Stat Points: 5
Skills
Unique Skill: Looper
- Death-triggered reset to a life anchor point with retained memories from past lives.
Subskills:
- Combat Genius - Instinctive mastery of all combat forms and weapons.
- Magic Genius - Natural aptitude for understanding and wielding all magic.
- Appraisal - Analyze and gain detailed information about people, objects, and situations.
- Temporal Regression - Return to a specific point in time while maintaining awareness.
- Inventory - Dimensional storage space accessible at will.
‐‐‐
Michel stared at the screen in complete shock. His stats were terrible—all ones across the board, which was exactly what new characters started with in the game. But everything else was incredible.
A unique skill. In IRO, only heroes and special NPCs called Visitors got unique skills. Regular players never had access to anything like this, no matter how long they played or how much they achieved. Unique skills were the stuff of legends, the abilities that separated the game's most important characters from everyone else.
And what a skill "Looper" was. The description about death-triggered resets sounded ominous, but Michel couldn't deny how powerful it could be. The subskills were even more incredible. Combat Genius and Magic Genius alone were worth more than most players ever got in their entire careers.
When Michel had played the game, he'd spent months of grinding just to earn Combat Expert—a much weaker version that only applied to sword fighting. Combat Genius suggested he could master every weapon and fighting style that existed. Magic Genius was even more impressive, since magic in IRO was notoriously difficult to learn.
The implications were staggering. In the game, Magic Genius meant that every point he put into Intelligence would be worth three points of Magic power. That was an incredible multiplier that would make him a devastating spellcaster. Combat Genius worked similarly with physical stats, giving him bonuses to Agility, Stamina, Vitality, and more for every point he invested in Constitution.
Michel quickly allocated his available stat points. He put three into Constitution and two into Intelligence, following a balanced build strategy he'd used many times in the game. The moment he confirmed the changes, power flowed through his body like electricity.
His muscles felt more solid, his mind became clearer, and there was a strange energy humming just beneath his skin. It was like someone had upgraded his entire body with better hardware.
"Inventory," Michel said next, curious to see if he had any starting equipment.
Another screen appeared, showing a grid of storage spaces. To his amazement, several slots were already filled with items. He had a Grade 3 starter pack, which was incredible news.
In IRO, most players started with basic Grade 1 gear—rusty swords, torn leather armor, maybe a single healing potion if they were lucky. Items in the game were ranked from Grade 1 to Grade 10, with each grade being significantly more powerful than the last. Grade 3 equipment was serious stuff, the kind of gear that took weeks of playing to earn normally.
Michel examined each item carefully:
The Grade 3 Steel Longsword was beautifully crafted, with a minor sharpness enchantment that made the blade gleam with deadly intent. When he pulled it from his inventory, it appeared in his hand instantly, feeling perfectly balanced despite being much better than anything he'd ever wielded in real life.
The Grade 3 Reinforced Shortbow practically thrummed with power, and it came with fifty enchanted arrows that would give him ranged options he desperately needed. The bow was lighter than it looked but felt incredibly sturdy.
The Grade 3 Enchanted Leather Armor Set fit him perfectly, as if it had been custom-made for his new body. The moment he equipped it, Michel could feel a minor agility boost kicking in, making his movements feel more fluid and precise.
The Grade 3 Traveler's Pants were comfortable and practical, with a self-repair enchantment that would keep them in good condition. The Grade 3 Swift Boots- provided a small but noticeable movement speed increase, while the Grade 3 Comfort Tunic- immediately began regulating his body temperature.
The accessories were just as impressive. The Grade 3 Utility Belt gave him additional storage pouches with minor weight reduction enchantments. The Grade 3 Weather Cloak would keep him dry and help him blend into his surroundings thanks to its camouflage properties.
The consumables were equally valuable. Five Grade 3 Superior Health Potions, Five Grade 3 Quality Mana Potions and Fifteen Grade 3 Sustenance Rations.
The tools and utilities rounded out the package perfectly. Grade 3 Adventurer's Kit, A Grade 3 Ever-Full Waterskin And a Grade 3 Eternal Lantern.
Finally, he had 2 gold coins—more starting money than most players saw in their first month of gameplay.
Someone or something was definitely giving him a helping hand. This wasn't the kind of equipment that appeared by accident.
Fully equipped and feeling much more confident, Michel began making his way west through the forest. The Combat Genius skill seemed to be working already—his footsteps were naturally quieter, his movements more fluid and purposeful, and he found himself automatically taking paths that provided the best cover and concealment.
It was like his body knew what to do before his brain caught up. When he needed to step around a fallen log, his foot found the perfect placement without him having to think about it. When branches hung low across his path, he ducked at exactly the right moment. His hand kept drifting to his sword hilt, and somehow he knew he could draw it smoothly and quickly if needed.
The forest around him was beautiful but dangerous. Thick canopy overhead blocked out most of the sunlight, leaving the ground level in perpetual twilight. Strange flowers grew along the path, some of them glowing with their own inner light. The air was filled with the sounds of creatures moving through the underbrush, most of which Michel couldn't identify.
About an hour into his journey, Michel encountered his first group of monsters. Three kobolds were gathered around what looked like the remains of a campfire, talking to each other in their harsh, barking language. They were exactly like the ones from the game—small, dog-like creatures that walked upright, covered in dirty fur and carrying crude weapons.
In IRO, kobolds were considered weak enemies, perfect for new players to practice on. But seeing them in person was completely different. They were bigger than Michel had expected, nearly four feet tall with muscled bodies and sharp claws. Their weapons might have been crude, but they looked perfectly capable of killing him.
Michel's new instincts kicked in immediately. Instead of charging forward like he might have done in the game, his body automatically guided him in a wide circle around the kobolds. He moved carefully from tree to tree, using the shadows and undergrowth to stay hidden.
The Combat Genius skill seemed to be feeding him information about the creatures. He could see their patrol patterns, identify their weapons, and estimate their combat capabilities just by watching them. More importantly, he could tell that fighting three of them at once would be extremely dangerous for someone at his current level.
Michel managed to sneak past them completely undetected. The kobolds never even looked in his direction.
A second encounter came an hour later—another group of kobolds, this time four of them, blocking the main path through the forest. Again, Michel's enhanced instincts guided him around them safely. His movements were becoming more natural, more confident, as the Combat Genius skill integrated with his muscle memory.
The third encounter was the most dangerous. Michel nearly walked straight into a goblin patrol—five green-skinned creatures that were larger and more intelligent than the kobolds. Goblins in IRO were known for their cunning and their ability to work together in combat.
Only his enhanced agility saved him. The moment Michel spotted the first goblin, his body reacted without conscious thought. He dove behind a large tree, pressing himself against the bark and controlling his breathing. The goblins passed by mere feet from his hiding spot, their guttural voices discussing something in their harsh language.
Michel waited a full ten minutes after they disappeared before moving again.
By the time the sun started setting, Michel had successfully avoided seven different monster groups. His confidence was growing with each successful encounter. The Combat Genius skill wasn't just helping him fight—it was teaching him when not to fight, how to move safely through dangerous territory, and how to read the behavior of potential enemies.
As the sky began to darken, Michel finally saw his destination through the trees. Luva Village appeared before him like something out of a fairy tale, with warm yellow light spilling from dozens of windows. The wooden walls looked sturdy but welcoming, and he could hear the distant sound of laughter and conversation from within.
After hours of navigating a forest filled with monsters, the village looked like paradise. Michel had made it. He'd started his new life in Istea without having to fight anything, and he still had all his equipment and supplies intact.
The guards at the main gate were exactly what Michel expected from his time playing IRO—two friendly-looking humans in simple leather armor, with spears that looked more ceremonial than functional. They were there to help travelers, not to interrogate them.
"Welcome to Luva Village, traveler!" one of them called out as Michel approached. "First time visiting us?"
"You could say that," Michel replied, still amazed by how real everything felt. The guard's voice had an actual accent, his armor showed signs of real wear, and Michel could smell the cooking food from inside the village.
"Well, you picked a good time to arrive," the second guard said with a grin. "The Harvest Festival is starting tomorrow, so there's plenty of food and drink for everyone. Head to the Laughing Griffin Inn if you need a room—Martha makes the best stew in three kingdoms."
"Thank you," Michel said, meaning it sincerely.
The guards waved him through with genuine smiles. Michel walked through the gates and into the bustling village square, taking in everything around him with wonder.
Luva Village was exactly as he remembered from the game, but so much more real. The cobblestone streets were worn smooth by countless feet. The buildings were a mix of wood and stone construction, with flower boxes in the windows and smoke rising from chimneys. People—real people, not NPCs—went about their evening routines. Children played in the streets while their parents chatted with neighbors. Market stalls were closing for the day, with merchants packing up their remaining goods.
The smell of cooking food drifted from various buildings, making Michel's stomach growl loudly. He realized he hadn't eaten anything since... well, since before he died. The sustenance rations in his inventory would keep him fed, but the idea of real, hot food was incredibly appealing.
Michel made his way toward the center of the village, where the Laughing Griffin Inn stood exactly where it had in the game. It was a three-story building with warm light streaming from every window and the sound of conversation and laughter coming from within.
He paused outside the inn's front door, taking a moment to process everything that had happened. A few hours ago, he'd been a shut-in gamer with no future and no prospects. Now he was standing in a fantasy world with incredible powers, high-quality equipment, and what felt like unlimited possibilities ahead of him.
Michel pushed open the inn's door and stepped inside. The warmth and noise washed over him like a wave. The common room was packed with people eating, drinking, and talking. A bard played music in one corner while a group of adventurers shared stories of their latest quest at a nearby table.
This was really happening. This was his new life.
Michel walked up to the bar, where a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and flour-dusted hands was serving drinks to customers.
"You must be Martha," he said.
"That I am, dear," she replied with a warm smile. "And you must be new here. I can always tell. What can I do for you?"
"I need a room for the night," Michel said. "And I was told you make the best stew in three kingdoms."
Martha laughed. "Only three kingdoms? Whoever told you that was being modest. But you're in luck—I just finished a fresh pot, and there's bread coming out of the oven in a few minutes."
Michel found himself smiling for what felt like the first time in years. Maybe this new life wouldn't be so bad after all. He had no idea what challenges lay ahead, but for now, sitting in a warm inn with the promise of good food and a comfortable bed, he felt hopeful.
His adventure in Istea had truly begun.