They also found the stolen merchant goods and marked the quest as complete.
[QUEST COMPLETE: MISSING SHIPMENT]
[Return to Merchant Gorin for reward]
[Additional Reward: First Clear Bonus – Reputation with Merchant Guild +200]
As they exited the dungeon, the late afternoon sun felt warm on Max's face. Other players were gathering near the cave entrance, probably waiting for their turn to enter.
"Yo, how hard is it?" one player called out.
"Doable with two if you're coordinated," RaidKing replied. "Final boss hits like a truck though. Bring potions."
They made their way back to Veridian Gate, comparing their new gear and discussing strategy. Max checked his character sheet:
[MAX THORNE – Level 5 Soulbinder]
[HP: 200/200]
[MP: 250/250]
[Stamina: 180/180]
[Stats]:
[STR: 14 | AGI: 18 | INT: 23 | VIT: 16 | LUK: 9]
[Corruption: 5/100]
[Equipment]:
[Reinforced Combat Shirt – Defense +15, Vitality +3]
[Sturdy Combat Pants – Defense +12, Stamina +20]
[Bandit Leather Vest – Defense +8, Agility +2]
[Rusty Shortsword – Attack +5]
[Total Defense: 47]
"Not bad for day one," Max said.
"Not bad? Dude, we're ahead of the curve." RaidKing checked his interface. "Most players are still level 3 or 4, doing starter quests. We just cleared a Rank D dungeon."
They returned to the city as the sun began to set, painting Veridian Gate in shades of orange and purple. The city looked even more beautiful in twilight, lights beginning to glow in windows, street lamps igniting with what looked like actual fire.
Max thought about his mother, probably asleep by now in the real world. He had promised to text her when he woke up. How long had he been playing? It felt like hours, but time moved strangely in full immersion.
"I'm going to log out soon," Max said. "Need to sleep."
"Yeah, same. But tomorrow?" RaidKing grinned. "We hit the higher level zones. I want to see what this game really has to offer."
"Agreed."
They parted ways at the fountain, and Max found a safe logout point—an inn room he had rented for a handful of silver. He sat on the bed, pulled up the system menu, and selected logout.
[LOGOUT INITIATED]
[Saving character data...]
[Thank you for playing AETHERIA ONLINE]
The world faded to white, and then—
Max opened his eyes in his apartment. The NeuroSync headset beeped softly, indicating successful disconnection.
His clock read 4:47 AM.
He had been playing for almost five hours, but it felt like twenty minutes.
His phone buzzed with Discord notifications—hundreds of them. Screenshots, videos, theories, excitement. The game had exceeded everyone's expectations.
Max smiled, pulled off the headset, and immediately typed a message to his mother:
"Alive. Game was amazing. Going to sleep now. Love you."
He collapsed into bed, his mind still buzzing with strategies and possibilities.
Tomorrow, he would dive deeper. Tomorrow, he would truly test what the Soulbinder class could do.
But tonight, he'd earned his rest.
**
Max woke to the sound of keys jingling and the apartment door opening. His body felt heavy, like he had actually been swinging a sword for hours instead of lying in a gaming chair. The NeuroSync side effects, probably—his brain couldn't quite distinguish between virtual exertion and real movement yet.
"Max? You alive in there?"
His mother's voice. Max groaned and checked his phone. 11:23 AM. He had gotten maybe six hours of sleep.
"Yeah, I'm up," he called out, stumbling out of bed. His legs felt weak, and he had to grab the doorframe for balance.
Yuki appeared in his doorway, still in her nurse's dress, carrying grocery bags. Her eyes narrowed as she took in his disheveled appearance. "You look terrible."
"Good morning to you too, Mom."
"How long did you play?"
"Five hours, maybe? I logged out around five."
Yuki set the groceries on the kitchen counter and started unpacking. "Five hours in that thing. Your brain must be fried."
"It's not that bad. The system has safety protocols—"
"I know, I know. I read the manual you left on the table." She pulled out vegetables, rice, and what looked like ingredients for curry. "I just worry. This technology is so new. We don't know the long-term effects yet."
Max joined her in the kitchen, helping put things away. "How was your shift?"
"Exhausting." Yuki filled the kettle and set it on the stove. "But also bizarre. The entire hospital was talking about that game. Doctors, nurses, even patients who could move were glued to their phones, checking forums and videos."
"Really?"
"Really." She shook her head in disbelief. "Dr. Tanaka—you know, the head of cardiology, very serious man—he spent his lunch break explaining to me about some 'raid mechanics' and 'tank builds.' I had no idea what he was talking about."
Max grinned. "What class did he pick?"
"Paladin, I think? He said something about healing and protecting." Yuki poured tea leaves into cups. "But the crazy part? Even the Prime Minister is playing."
Max blinked. "What?"
"It was all over the news this morning. Prime Minister Yoshida logged in last night at midnight, just like everyone else. Picked a Warrior class, apparently. They showed footage of his first press conference since the launch—he actually discussed game strategy for ten minutes before getting to actual policy issues."
"That's insane."
"That's the world now." Yuki handed him a cup of tea. "Two point three billion people, Max. That's nearly a third of the planet. All playing the same game. I've never seen anything like it. Not even the Olympics gets this much attention."
Max sipped his tea. If even world leaders were playing, the economic and social implications were staggering. This wasn't just a game anymore—it was a cultural phenomenon.
"People are calling it the 'New Global Commons,'" Yuki continued. "A shared space where anyone from anywhere can meet. Language barriers apparently don't matter—the game has real-time translation built in."