…
Minjun woke up, his head dizzy, and his senses confused.
He remembers a bright white light before passing out, now he found himself in a garden with lush greenery all around him.
He got up, but felt something strange. He looked at his arms which seemed to be smaller than before, his hair which brushed past his shoulders and went all the way to his torso…
Minjun frantically started looking around… Then,
"Hey, stop panicking and come have a seat." He heard Aleia's voice from behind him.
He turned around and saw her sitting around a luxurious marble round table, sitting on an elegant chair, with another elegant chair empty from across her seat.
His steps were light and soft, stepping on the grass.
"What… Is this? Where are we? And what happened to my body?" He asked her. He realized that his voice was softer than it usually was.
"Relax, settle down. Have a look at yourself in the mirror."
She swiped her hand up and a mirror appeared beside him.
He looked at himself in the mirror.
A gorgeous woman stood where he was standing, with long black hair, long eyelashes, she donned a white dress shirt—a clean, sleek, long-sleeved, buttoned, white shirt—along with black slacks.
"Jeez… Isn't this what people who work in offices wear… W-wai-Wait! WAIT!"
"Hold on just a moment…!"
"This… If we were HYPOTHETICALLY in a webnovel… This novel doesn't have the Genderbender tag right?" He asked her.
"Hm? I don't think it does." She replied.
"Then why do I look like this?"
"Relax. Your character's still a guy, I just got a little too carried away in the character creation."
"H-huh!? What do you mean you got carried away?"
Aleia elaborated, "Normally, when someone is transported from your world to here, they'd take on the appearance they have in real life…"
"However… Because I'm giving you a special item to help you, if I simply gave you your body, and called it a day—you'd get no help…"
"So… I had to make a custom character for you to receive your reward."
"...And… I may have gotten a little too carried away with designing the character."
"W-what!?" Minjun exclaimed.
"Hey! I didn't have any other basis for the character aside from myself, so I designed the character based on myself, alright?"
"Besides, shouldn't you be grateful that I'm even helping you? Jeez…"
Minjun sighed and massaged his forehead with his fingers, stressed out of his mind.
"However! After designing the character! I got out of the trance I had while designing her and remembered you're a guy! So I changed the gender accordingly!"
"Well? Aren't I such a merciful goddess?" Her smug face annoyed Minjun.
"Merciful my ass!"
"Hey! Don't players like you spend so much time on their avatars too?!"
"Also.. Check this out!"
Aleia tapped her finger and opened up a menu… It was Minjun's character's menu.
[Han Seoyeon]
[Level 1]
[F-Class Character]
[Status Effects]
[Beautiful: People will naturally be more inclined to support or help you.]
"H-huh!? Who said you were beautiful, you annoying goddess!"
"Shut your blabbering! Jeez! Isn't it obvious?! I designed this character based on myself! Naturally, the character is beautiful too! Albeit, less beautiful, because I am clearly the epitome of beauty!"
"You were talking so much about greed and how evil it is while you're the most narcissistic person I've met in a while."
"Shush! A pitiful human like you could never understand the beauty of a deity!"
"Argh… Besides… Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, isn't it?" Minjun asked.
Aleia replied, "Well… You're right, different parts of Withering Moon's map have different beauty standards… That character's simply a jack of all trades when it comes to charisma. I invested a lot into that character's charisma after all…"
"Anyways, it doesn't matter… Because it'll help you too."
"?"
"What do you mean?" Minjun raised his eyebrow.
"I mean, isn't it obvious? In most webnovels from your world, the overpowered protagonist hides himself and his power to get around easier… His true power is only revealed to the public around the middle chapters."
"The whole world of Withering Moon knows of MinusXjun11… The only free to play player who made it to Floor 99… But they don't know who Han Seoyeon is…"
"I'm surprised you didn't realize earlier… The name when I pulled up your character info… It wasn't Lee Minju…"
"From now on, you are Han Seoyeon, the newbie level 1 free to play player."
"It'll help you avoid unnecessary and unwanted attention from everyone else."
"...Plus, don't male players often use female avatars for… Hmm… Let's see…"
"Their smaller hitbox?"
Minjun laughed,
"No. No. No. Remember, you're Han Seoyeon now, not Lee Minjun."
…
…Seoyeon laughed,
"Damn… I really am in a shitty webnovel aren't I?"
"Geez. Can we stop whining about such an insignificant topic and actually get onto your mission? We need to keep the plot running after all."
"Okay, fine." Seoyeon sat down.
"In case you forgot, and on the very small chance that we ARE in a webnovel and that the readers didn't read the exposition dump from the last chapter…"
"Aracles, the abyssal being, descended upon the world and killed the six celestial deities, and brought about calamities to this world to fuel his endless greed, amassing a great army."
"I, Aleia, the goddess of the moon, used the last bit of my power to transfer my consciousness into a body very different from my original body, deceiving Aracles and his loyalists from the major and minor deities below the central deities."
"Withering Moon—the video game that you played for hours on end, Seoyeon—was made to further supply Aracles with more money for his army."
"Some of the game's administrators are on our side, most aren't… Be careful not to attract their attention… It's also why I gave you a new identity."
…
"Your objective… Is to defeat the true villain of Withering Moon, Aracles, and rid this world of his endless greed."
…
"...And this is my support for you, the reason why I made a new character for you… Was to give you an item that wouldn't normally be in the hands of a player who transferred from your world to Eioth—this world."
…
She extended her palm and manifested an item.
[SSS-Class Credit Card]
[Details:]
[Rank: SSS-Class]
[Description: 150/150 Credits stored. Going into debt is allowed, but the debt must be paid before the clock strikes twelve midnight and the next day arrives. A punishment will be given in correlation to the amount of money owed. Credits stored will replenish at 12:00 AM at midnight.]
"Woah…" Seoyeon said in awe.
She reached her hand out and gave the item to him.
"Lee Minju- No. Han Seoyeon."
"Defeat Aracles… And everyone will be transported back to the real world with everything they have amassed in this world."
"...And that includes you and your SSS-Class Credit Card."
…
"Well… Off you go then!" Aleia winked,
"I'll be chiming in to help you occasionally, just look out for any system messages I send you!" She said as she waved goodbye.
"W-wait! One more question! What happened to FeiFei?! The others?"
…
Aleia smiled,
"Don't worry. You'll see them again one day on your journey to defeat Aracles."
Seoyeon, after hearing this news, smiled too.
"Alright then. I trust you."
Then, a bright light surrounded him…
…
When he woke up, he found himself in a square in the middle of a large, bustling city…
He knew this city all too well—the city's sleek, modern designs, the roads around him, the trees of the square, the fountain in the center…
The beginner city—one of the many cities where players first spawn…
"Ah… Laures City…"
Laures City, one of the many starter cities, and one of the major cities for the Republic of Ferausier.
The Republic of Ferausier was in the north, bordering the "Outerlands" which wasn't controlled by a definite political party—in the Withering Moon game, the Outerlands was where guilds and players could set up their base, but they could also interact with the nations of Withering Moon.
One of the many helpful political entities in Withering Moon was…
"The World Association"
A faction which allowed players of Withering Moon to do basic quests for rewards, evaluate their character's capabilities, and meet up with the many prominent figures in Withering Moon.
Seoyeon saw a crowd of people gathered around the World Association building—many of whom were most likely players wanting to evaluate themselves.
He saw an unsuspecting man with a gray scruffled beard and gray hair amongst them and approached him.
"E-excuse me sir?"
…
"Oh? What can I do for you, miss?"
Seoyeon thought to himself,
"Miss? Damn you, you narcissistic goddess."
Even though he couldn't see her, he felt as if Aleia was laughing at him from above.
"What's going on here?" He asked the man.
"Ah! You must be new to Withering Moon! This is Laures City's World Association building… It allows
"It's been three days since the first players arrived to this world, and many more are still arriving, all in different starter cities too!"
"Hmm… I wonder how many on Earth ended up being transported…" (Actual Answer: Everyone was transported into Withering Moon.)
However, a more important question lingered in his mind.
"Sorry… 3 days since the first players arrived? Does this mean not everyone arrived at once?"
"I think so, yeah…" The man replied.
Suddenly, a receptionist came out of the World Association building to address the growing crowd of players outside.
She stood firmly and yelled out,
"Excuse me! Everyone! Our queue is currently full! Please return later at 5:00 PM when we have more space to accommodate all of you!"
The man sighed,
"Ah… So much for waiting in line…"
"Well… I'm off now, I guess I'll be seeing you around."
He pulled out a phone from his pocket and checked the time before putting the phone back. This caught Seoyeon's attention.
"Wait! Excuse me!"
The man turned around,
"What is it?"
"T-that phone? Where'd you get it from?"
"Huh? Oh, right… You're new. Come with me, let me show you around."
In fact, Seoyeon, as Lee Minjun on Earth, had been playing the game for four years and already knew how to obtain a phone…
He just wanted to get to know the man as he could be a potential friend in a world of distrust.
The two walked along the sidewalk.
Seoyeon thought to himself,
"Hm… I should hide my identity as a Floor 99— Wait… I technically beat Floor 100, didn't I? …I should hide that from most players."
As they were walking along the sidewalk, cars passed by, and the leaves of trees on the sidewalk slowly fell down.
"Y'know… This scenery is why I played Withering Moon… I used to play a lot of gacha games like Genjin Hitpact, or Wuthering Tides… But none of them have ever come close to the vast world of the Withering Moon." Seoyeon said.
"How about you, Mister… Uh?"
…
"Oh, just call me Roderick."
"I started playing Withering Moon after I saw my son playing it… I'm 50 years old already… I have liked fantasy books since I was a child… Withering Moon made my dream come true… And I got occupied by its guild management system… Really made me feel like a true bureaucrat, had my head spinning for sure… Haha."
"I'm from Canada by the way, how about you?"
"Oh, me? I'm just a random 18 year old guy from South Korea."
"Y-you're a guy?" Roderick asked as he slowly turned his head to face Seoyeon, his mouth wide in surprise.
"W-what's up with that reaction?!" Seoyeon thought to himself,
Once again, he could feel Aleia's sly grin looking down on him.
"Yeah… Haha…"
"Jeez. This is awkward." He thought.
Roderick replied hastily,
"Well… Nothing wrong with it, I was just caught by surprise, that's all… You're very cool looking!" He said, giving a thumbs up and smiling.
"Ah! This old man… He's so… Kind! If I ever return back to the real world and have a family… I'll definitely tell my children of your kindness, Roderick!" Seoyeon said with a deep sense of gratitude and warmth.
"Oh! Looks like we're here!" Roderick exclaimed.
Seoyeon looked up,
"Vick's Phone Store" It was a sign that was barely holding up, the neon "OPEN" sign outside the front door seemed like it was on life support, flickering constantly.
"Jeez… This is shady as hell, are you sure this is the right place?" Seoyeon asked Roderick.
Roderick enthusiastically replied, "Don't let its shabby looks fool you! This place is owned by the most tech-savvy engineer in Laures!"
The two enter the store and find it littered in paper and cardboard boxes. The dusty store irritates Seoyeon as he sees cobwebs around the store's only room.
He glides his hand across the glass showcases which display the phones—smooth to the touch, but covered in a thin layer of dust—Seoyeon can smell the iconic scent of dirt and paper as the room is littered in trash.
Seoyeon coughs a bit, covering his mouth with his hands.
Then,
*Clang* A metal door from behind the counter opens and closes as a man with messy, unkempt black hair, and thin, round glasses walks in. He is wearing a black shirt and black pants, with wireless earphones in both of his ears.
"Hey there Vick!" Roderick greeted him.
"Hm? Oh! Roderick, what brings you here?"
Then, he glances over to Seoyeon…
"W-what!?"
"Is this… A dream!?!"
To him, Seoyeon stood as a ray of brilliance, illuminating the dimly lit store and seemingly purging the store of the dust build-up and trash.
In an instant, Vick had already imagined a life with Seoyeon, who was like his guiding light…
Suddenly, it all came crashing down,
"He's a guy by the way." Roderick said with a displeased face.
"H-huh!?!" Vick yelled out in surprise.
'W-w-w-what!?!"
Seoyeon crossed his arms together and stood with an annoyed face.
"Ah! Right! My apologies! I'm so sorry! What can I do for you?"
"Jeez. Looks like you're still single, huh? Vick?"
"Shut up geezer! It's only been a day since you found out I was single! Of course I'm not going to find a girlfriend in a day!"
Seoyeon thought to himself,
"Okay, okay… This whole "I'm actually a guy" thing is getting too much now…"
He sighs,
"Uh… I'm looking for your best phone…—"
"Whaaaat did I just hear!? Laures' best phones!?!" Vick cut him off.
"WEEELLLLL LOOK NO FURTHER!"
He tapped the play button on a tape recorder which played a hastily done ear-screeching tune followed by an unenthusiastic "Vick's Phone Store, the best phones in Laures City!" in Vick's voice.
"Was that supposed to convince me? Cause I think it had the opposite effect."
"Hey, Roderick. Let's go find some other phone store."
"Yeah, we should." Both Seoyeon and Roderick said teasingly in a monotone voice as they both walked away from the counter.
"WAAAAIIIIIITTTTTTTT!"
"T-T-TEN PERCENT OFF! I'LL GIVE YOU TEN PERCENT OFF!"
Seoyeon's eyes glistened like the stars—filling the room with radiant energy—as he turned around and rushed back to the counter.
"TEN PERCENT OFF?!" He exclaimed.
"Y-yeah… Ten percent off."
"Hah! See, you were right Roderick! We really are at the best phone store in Laures!" Seoyeon's attitude immediately flipped at the sound of a discount.
"What type of phone are you looking for?" Vick asked as Roderick came back to the counter.
"Uh… I'm looking for a phone that's cheap and reliable for a player."
"Right! A phone for players. Well, how about this?"
He brought out a white box with a picture of a phone and a label that read, "Somsing 11"
Vick opened the box and pulled out the phone, showcasing its brand new condition and highlighting its features.
…
After some time, Vick finally finishes showing the phone.
"It'll be 850 Credits!"
"850 Credits? H-how do I check my credits, and how can I give them to you?"
"Oh! Right! You're new…" Roderick said as he began to guide Seoyeon.
"Open your character menu first, just think about opening it and it should open." Roderick explained, guiding Seoyeon by opening his own interface.
"Oh! You can't see my interface unless I decide to share it with you by the way…"
"I see." Seoyeon muttered.
"How do manhwa protagonists get used to using the system so fast…?" Seoyeon thought.
"Think about opening it…" Even though Seoyeon had studied the game extensively, he hadn't gotten used to actually being in the world of Withering Moon and thus didn't know how to use the system yet.
Then, an interface appeared in front of Seoyeon.
[Han Seoyeon]
[Credits: 1,500]
Seoyeon reminisces on the past and says to himself,
"I remember first starting the game… The game gave you 1,500 Credits for free… With 100 credits costing 900,000 Won in the in-game store…."
"Geez… Talk about hyperinflation, it's like we're in one of those Chinese dramas where the protagonist sells a jade antique worth 5,000,000,000 dollars…"
"Anyways, it shouldn't be a problem…"
"Let's see…"
He opens another interface.
[Han Seoyeon]
[Inventory]
[SSS-Class Credit Card]
Vick asks,
"Well? What're you waiting for? You've opened your system, right?"
"Hold on just a moment, I'm checking something." He replies.
[SSS-Class Credit Card]
[Details:]
[Rank: SSS-Class]
[Description: 150/150 Credits stored. Going into debt is allowed, but the debt must be paid before the clock strikes twelve midnight and the next day arrives. A punishment will be given in correlation to the amount of money owed. Credits stored will replenish at 12:00 AM at midnight.]
…
"Huh, what's this?"
[Disclaimer! This item is bound to the player and can not be traded, exchanged, or given away. The item may be summoned by the player at will at any given time.]
"Neat. Looks like I can't lose it…"
"Hm? What're you muttering to yourself? Are you going to buy it or not? If you want, I have other alternatives that are cheaper…"
"W-wait. I'll buy it…"
"850 Credits, right?"
"Yep! 850 Credits and it's all yours!"
"Sure. I'll buy it."
"Haha! Sweet! Alright now just think about manifesting 850 credits in your hand!"
Seoyeon focused on his palm, channeling his thoughts into manifesting 850 Credits.
*Ding* A beep notified Seoyeon of the manifestation.
A golden orb with a fractal-like pattern around it manifested within his palm.
He gave the orb to Vick as Vick absorbed the orb.
"Sweet! Thanks, the phone's all yours!"
…
Soon after, Roderick and Seoyeon left the phone store after finishing up some paperwork and certain details…
"Hey Roderick, is Vick a player?"
"Hm? Oh, nope… He's just a regular person in Withering Moon."
"So an NPC?"
Seoyeon looked at Roderick.
"Well… They aren't exactly NPCs now… They're real people, humans like us."
Roderick shrugged, his face full of fairness and consideration.
"...You're right." Seoyeon nodded.
"Y'know… You should start by leveling up, Seoyeon. Then you can get enough Credits for an apartment room."
"Yeah, you're right… But do you know where rooms are cheap?"
"The apartment block I'm staying at offers housing for players for only 200 Credits a week."
"200 Credits a week? Alright." Seoyeon looked at his interface.
[Han Seoyeon]
[650 Credits]
"Hm… I guess this is a good time to test out my ability… But not in front of Roderick, I don't want people finding out yet…" Seoyeon said in his mind.
"Oh! By the way…" Seoyeon turned towards Roderick as they both walked on the sidewalk.
"Can you give me your contact information? I might do some credit farming in the nearby forests before heading to bed. I want to find out where this apartment block is…"
"Sure! Here you go…" The two exchanged contact information as Seoyeon and Roderick parted ways, waving each other goodbye.
Now alone, Seoyeon manifested the SSS-Class Credit Card while no one was looking.
Shiny particles and visual effects appeared in his hand as a sleek, shiny, glossy, black credit card appeared in his hand, lined with gold accents and intricate patterns.
"Interesting… And to use it, I assume I just have to…"
He thought of using the item… Then,
[You have converted 150 Stored Credits into 150 Credits.]
[0/150 Credits stored.]
[Han Seoyeon]
[800 Credits]
"Nice!"
"Huh… 800 Credits isn't gonna cut it though… I guess I need to level up
[SSS-Class Credit Card]
[Level 1]
[Capacity: 150 Credits]
"Hmm…"
"Then it looks like I'll need to credit farm in the Borealon Forests…"
Credit farming—a common method of obtaining credits used by mid to high-level players of Withering Moon involves going into monster-rich areas such as dark forests and soloing the mobs to gain credits and sell their drops to the World Association or other potential buyers.
Borealon Forests—a location east of Laures City, it is a vast forest where many monsters lurk.
Seoyeon looked up at the sky, the gray cloudy skies of Withering Moon had always given him a sense of belonging—normally, the game's skies would be a dull, pale blue, or a moody, dim, gray. Sometimes, the skies changed, but this dim, almost depressing ambience, is what made Withering Moon feel so alive at the same time.
He breathed in the air around him and listened to the noises of Laures City, feeling his shoes into the concrete sidewalk, closing his eyes and letting himself be consumed by the world around him.
"This is really happening, huh?"
…
"The many webnovels I read of a game turning into reality… It became my reality too…"
…
"Well, I see no benefit in standing around all day breathing in the air and appreciating the environment…"
His face got serious, his eyes firmly focused, he clenched his fist, and manifested the SSS-Class Credit Card as it returned to his inventory.
…
"Hm, what cheesy line should I say next…?"
…
He smiled,
"Let's do this."