"OT PARTY WITH USER CURRENTLY."
Rael bli the notification in fusion.
Noctus: What did you do?
A sed ter, Elias' response came in rapid-fire.
Chad_God: BRO. OK LISTEN.Chad_God: I THOUGHT THE HORNS LOOKED COOL.Chad_God: WHY AM I IN A CAVE. WHY IS EVERYTHING RED.Chad_God: HELP.
Rael exhaled slowly, already regretting sending that friend request.
Noctus: …What race did you pick?
A brief pause. Then:
Chad_God: UHHH. SO FUNNY STORY. I MAY HAVE CHOSEN SOMETHING CALLED "UMBRAVORE."Chad_God: WHICH SOUNDED KINDA METAL BUT APPARENTLY IT MEANS "DEMON THING THAT EATS STUFF."Chad_God: EVERY NPC HERE HATES ME. THE SKY IS BLEEDING. THERE'S TING IN THE DISTANCE.
Rael closed his eyes and pihe bridge of his nose.
Noctus: So, you're telling me you picked an obscure demon ra a game dominated by a holy empire?
Chad_God: …Yes.
Chad_God: IN MY DEFEHE AESTHETIC.
Rael sighed. At least this meant they wouldn't be running into each other for a while. Probably for the best.
He dismissed the party request s and turned back toward the world in front of him. The floating city loomed in the distas spires pierg the golden clouds. Down below, the medieval streets were ing to life—armored knights marg in formation, merts hawking their wares, and robed figures whispering in the shadows of cathedral-like buildings.
It was time to begin.
* * *
The city was alive.
Rael stepped forward, taking in the sheer density of movement around him. Uypical MM towns, where NPCs ofte robotic, these people had lives. He watched as a baker scolded a young boy for sneaking a roll off the ter, only for the kid to ugh and bolt—before the baker sighed and shook his head with a smile.
Further dowreet, two knights stood in versation, their polished armleaming uhe afternoon sun.
"—shipment's te again. The quartermaster's going to have my head."
"Not your fault. The roads have been a mess sihe bandit raids st week."
Even priests muttered among themselves he cathedral steps, exging hushed words that carried an uneasy tension.
Rael's immersion was broken by a sudden otion—shouting, followed by a loud crash.
His gaze soward the noise just in time to see a hooded figure bolt from a fruit stall, arms full of stolen goods. The vendor shouted after them, but before the thief could get far, a whistle cut through the air.
A city guard stepped forward, full pte, moving with unnerving speed. Before the thief could react, the knight swung his halberd low, hooking the fleeing figure's ankle.
The thief fated into the dirt.
A system message popped up in the air above them.
[Pyer "KrimsonBde" has beeained for breaking city ws. Penalty: Loss of Iory + Temporary Lockout.]
Rael let out a low whistle. Damn. That was fast.
The guard lifted his gaze, surveying the street before settling his eyes on Rael.
"You look new."
Rael didn't argue. "I was looking for some dires. Where should I start?"
The knight grunted, resting his halberd against his shoulder. "New initiates should report to the barracks. Straight down this road, take a left at the pza. You'll see a banner with a golden sun. Captain Oran handles recruits."
"Got it," Rael said with a nod.
As he walked, he flicked open the game's forums, scrolling through the live posts from other pyers. The reas were… eaining.
[Thayneman]: Anyone else just get chased out of town for looking too non-human?? WTF[LunaLuna]: GUYS. THE SKY TURNED RED. WTF IS THIS GAME??[Wolfram]: Who else picked a magic css? How do I stop lighting myself on fire?[DagonR]: Bro I just watched a guy get arrested INSTANTLY. These guards don't py around.
Rael smirked. The level of realism in Solmora was already exceeding expectations.
Still, he o focus. With a thought, he called upon the system.
"Open Status."
A translut s appeared before him.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: NoctusRace: HumanCss: TemprLevel: 1Affiliation: None
[ATTRIBUTES]
Strength - 9
Dexterity - 6
Endurance - 10
stitution - 7
Intelligence - 7
Charisma - 5
[STATS]
HP - 100/100
MP - 90/90
Stamina - 100/100
Rael gnced over his status window, nodding to himself. "Looks banced," he muttered. Nothing seemed too out of pce, though he'd have to see how it felt in actual bat. His fingers hovered over the dispy before he dismissed it with a flibsp;
Elias' choice lingered in the back of his mind. That idiot probably picked something ridiculous. Rael smirked, imagining his roommate's rea to whatever nonsense race he'd locked himself into. He made a mental o check ter.
His footsteps echoed against the cobbled streets as he he barracks. The faint etal and barked orders filled the air—shouts of disciplihe rhythmic pounding of boots against the ground, the unmistakable sounds of a well-trained force at work.
Pushing open the heavy wooden doors, Rael stepped inside. Soldiers drilled in tight formations, their armlinting uhe m light. Some sparred with wooden ons, while others ran ps around the courtyard.
A few g him, but most ignored his presence. He approached the guard standing watbsp;
"I'm looking for captain Oran."
Captain Oran marched in with the sharp precision of a seasoned soldier, his heavy boots striking against the stoh each step. His stern gaze swept over Rael, assessing him in an instant.
"You're here to train?" Oran's voice was rough, the kind that had barked orders for decades.
Rael nodded.
"Good. No warrior steps onto the battlefield without mastering the basics." Oran motioo a nearby rack lined with standard-issue training swords. "Grab one."
Rael picked up a sword. It was simple, unadorned, and slightly heavier than expected. The weight felt natural in his grip, though.
"Start with the fuals. Forip, and trolled strikes. No filing. A tempr fights with precision and discipline." Oran stepped back, arms crossed. "Practice with the recruits over there."
A notification popped up.
[QUEST RECEIVED: The First Step]- Perform 10 basic sshes (0/10)- Reward: Training Evaluation
Rael exhaled and moved toward the other recruits—pyers just like him, swinging their ons with varying levels of skill. Time to get started.
Rael stepped up to one of the training dummies, rolling his shoulders before raising his sword. It looked simple enough—just swing and cut. He tightened his grip and sshed down.
Thud.
The impact jolted up his arms, and the bde barely bit into the dummy's surface. He frowned. It wasn't as effortless as he expected. The weight distribution was different from the games he'd pyed before, and the resistance felt oddly real.
A chuckle came from his right. "Not as easy as it looks, huh?"
Rael turo see another pyer, a lean guy with short brown hair and a rexed grin. He held his own training sword with practiced ease.
"Here's a tip," the pyer said, shifting his stance. "Let the weight of the sword do some of the work. If you force it too much, you're just wasting stamina. Try swinging from the shoulder, not just the arms."
Rael g his grip, adjusting slightly before nodding. "Got it."
He readied himself again and swung—this time, the motio smoother, more trolled. The bde hit with a satisfying thunk.
Rael exhaled, feeling the differen the strike. He g the other pyer and gave a small nod. "Thanks. That actually helped."
The guy grinned. "No problem. Name's Gale by the way."
Rael adjusted his grip agaiing the name register. "Noctus."
Gale smirked. "hmm..." He gestured toward the dummy. "Keep at it. The muscle memory kicks in faster than you think."
Rael simply nodded before turning back to the task at hand.
After a while, as Rael pleted his tenth ssh, a deep voice cut through the training grounds.
"Not bad."
Captain Oran stood nearby, arms crossed, his sharp gaze assessing Rael's form. Without wasting time, he tinued, "You're not dohree more drills—overhead swings, diagonal sshes, and trolled thrusts. Ten of each. Focus on precision, not just power."
Rael exhaled, rolling his shoulders before tightening his grip on the sword. Looks like this was just the beginning.
Ten minutes in , As Rael pleted the final thrust, a familiar chime echoed in his ears.
[System Notification: You have learned 'Novice Swordsmanship.']
A subtle shift ran through his body—nothing drastic, but enough to make the weight of the sword feel slightly more natural in his grip. The movements that had felt stiff and awkward before now carried a bit more fluidity.
Captain ave a firm nod. "You're starting to get the feel of it. Keep training, and you won't embarrass yourself otlefield."
Rael flexed his fingers around the hilt, smirking slightly. The feeling ress, he had missed this feeling.
He turned away and made his way back tale, who was idly spinning his training sword between his fingers.
"Hey," Rael started, resting his own swainst his shoulder. "You know anything about quests?"
Gale g him with an amused grin. "Kinda. Y to get started?"
"Figured it's better than swinging at a dummy all day," Rael said.
Gale chuckled. "Good thinking. There's plenty of quests around if we were to look. Some are simple—fetch this, kill that—others, not so much. But hey exp is exp right?"
Rael nodded. "Got any leads?"
"Actually, yeah," Gale said, stretg his arms. "I was about to pick up a quest myself. If you're down, we could party up."
Rael gave a small nod. "Yeah, I'm in."
* * *
[New Quest: Pelt Collector]- Objective: Harvest 15 Ranboar Pelts- Reward: Experience, s
The quest hover lingered in Rael's vision as he stood at the forest's edge. The t trees loomed ahead, their dense opy casting shifting shadows over the ground. The earthy st of damp leaves mixed with the distant sounds of unseeures.
He g Gale, who eyed the quest notification with uainty. "So... this should be simple, right?"
Rael shrugged. "No idea. First time doing this too."
Gale exhaled, gripping his on a little tighter. "Yeah, the vendor just said she needed pelts. Didn't say how tough these things are."
Rael adjusted his stance, his grip firm around his sword. "Guess we'll find out."
As they ventured he outskirts of the forest, the undergrowth grew denser, and the sounds of rustling leaves hi movement ahead. Then, they saw it—a small clearing where several creatures roamed.
The creatures were squat, boar-like beasts with bristling, dark-red fur and thick tusks. Their eyes gleamed with a feral glint, and every few moments, one would sngressively, pawing at the ground.
Above them, a system overy flickered into view.
[Ranboar]- Danger Level: Medium
Gale frowned. "Medium? What the hell does that even mean? Medium for who? A knight in full pte or some guy with a training sword?"
Rael exhaled, watg the creatures move. "Guess we're about to find out."
He narrowed his eyes, the ranboars as they snorted and roamed in loose patterns. Charging in blindly was a good way to get trampled. If they rushed in without a pn, they'd get overwhelmed fast.
"We pull one first," he said. "No way we're fighting the whole group at once."
Gale nodded. "Alright, but how do we lure just one?"
Rael sed the area and spotted a fist-sized roear his boot. He picked it up, weighing it in his palm before smirking. Without another word, he pulled his arm bad hurled the rock straight at the closest ranboar's fnk.
The impact made a dull thud, and the creature let out a furious snort, stomping its hooves into the dirt as it turoward them. Its eyes fred with aggression, nostrils fring as it pawed the ground.
"Yep, that did it," Gale muttered, shifting into a stance.
Rael tightened his grip on his sword, exhaling slowly as the ranboar charged.
Rael stepped to the side, bde raised, as the ranboar barreled toward them. Its hooves dug deep into the dirt, kig up dust as it lunged.
"Move!" he called out, and Gale dove to the left just in time. The ranboar skidded slightly as it missed its charge, giving Rael the opening he needed.
He swung his sword in a trolled arc, striking the beast's side. The bde bit into flesh but not as deep as he expected—the ranboar's thick hide absorbed much of the impact.
"Not bad!" Gale shouted as he circled around, gripping his own on. "My turn!"
While the ranboar twisted toward Rael, Gale came in from behind, sshing at its hihe cut wasn't deep, but it made the creature stumble, f it to redistribute its weight.
Rael took the ce to strike again, driving his sword downward into its shoulder. The ranboar roared and bucked, but Gale quickly stepped in, jabbing his bde into its exposed side.
The birikes worked—the ranboar's movements grew sluggish, its aggression faltering. One final, well-timed ssh from Rael cut across its neck, and with a guttural grunt, the beast colpsed onto the ground.
A system notification flickered into view.
[Ranboar Defeated! +15XP Earned]
Rael exhaled, gng at Gale. "Well, that was easier than I expected."
"Yeah," Gale said, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. "I mean, the danger level said 'Medium,' but that felt... manageable."
Rael hummed in agreement. It wasn't just the ranboar itself—it was the fact that they had worked together, taking turns drawing its attention and striking from safe angles. Unlike solo fights, party bat made things far smoother.
He crouched beside the corpse, ready to cim the pelt. "Let's get this done before we attract more."
* * *
By the time the final ranboar fell, the forest had darkehe golden hues of su giving way to the deep indigo of night. Rael wiped a bit of sweat from his brow, rolling his shoulder.
"Fifteen," he muttered, gng at the quest log.
Gale exhaled, stretg his arms. "That took way lohan I expected."
"Wele tame grinding." Rael smirked.
The two made their way back to the city, their surroundings quieter than before. Most pyers had either logged off or were still struggling through their ows. A few torch-wielding NPC patrols kept the roads illumiheir armor g with each step.
At the marketpce, they found the accessory vendor who had givehe quest. The old man grunted in approval as they handed over the pelts.
"Det work," the NPC muttered. "Here's your reward."
A soft chime rang in Rael's ears.
[Quest plete!]
Reward: 25 silver, 50 EXP
[You have leveled up!][Level 3 Achieved]
A subtle warmth coursed through his body as the system processed the ge.
[You have gained 6 free stat points.]
"Oh?" Rael raised a brow. He called up his status window.
— Status Window —
Name: Noctus
Level: 3
HP: 100/100
MP: 90/90
Stamina: 100/100
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 6
Endurance: 10
stitution: 4
Intelligence: 7
Charisma: 5
Free Stat Points: 6
"Three points per level, huh?" He pondered for a moment. Early on, survivability mattered more than anything. He dumped 3 points into stitution and split the remaining 3 between Strength aerity.
— Status Window —
Strength: 8 → 10
Dexterity: 6 → 7
stitution: 4 → 7 (HP +30)
The ges took effect immediately, his body feeling just slightly sturdier.
"Not bad. This gives me room to optimize."
He dismissed the window and g Gale.
"Not bad for a first quest," Gale said, sending Rael a friend request. "If you're ever up for another run, hit me up."
Rael accepted. "Same to you."
With that, they logged out.
The pod's hatch hissed open as Rael sat up, blinking against the dim lighting of his room. His limbs felt slightly stiff, the usual side effect of long VR sessions. He flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders before climbing out.
Elias was already up, stretg zily in his own pod. His sharp eyes flicked to Rael, a smirk f.
"Damn, I almost fot how jarring logging out is," Elias said, crag his neck. "It's like waking up from a dream, but your body just aches."
Rael exhaled through his nose, rubbing his wrist. "You get used to it."
Elias snorted. "Says the guy who lived in VR for years." He leaned back against the pod, arms crossed. "So? How'd it go? Still getting used to things, or are you already breaking the game?"
Rael rolled his eyes. "Barely did anything. Basic training, first hunt, nothing crazy."
Elias grinned. "You know, I was gonna ask if you wao group up, but…" He tapped his temple. "Apparently, my unique choice of race decided to screw me over."
"Yeah, no kidding." Rael gave him a ft look. "You really went Umbravore?"
Elias ughed. "Of course I did! Tell me that doesn't sound badass. Shadow creatures? Evolving based on what they e? e on, that's peak gaming." He shook his head. "Except I kinda fot how games tend to treat non-human races."
Rael raised a brow. "You spawned in some shithole, didn't you?"
Elias sighed dramatically. "Uatement. I woke up in a cave. A cave, Rael. Surrounded by things that probably wao eat me."
Rael smirked. "Sounds like a skill issue."
"Screw you." Elias rolled his eyes but chuckled. "Anyway, I gotta figure my way out of that hellhole before I even think about grouping up. What about you? Gonna keep soloing?"
"For now." Rael stretched his arms. "I'll scout the area, see what kind of quests and meics are worth iing in."
Elias nodded. "Makes sense. Let me know if you find anything game-breaking."
Rael scoffed. "That's your job."
Elias grinned. "Fair."
With that, the versation drifted off, and they each went about their routines. Rael took a quick shower, mind already pnning his move.
Leon had invited him to py together. He had brushed it off at the time, but now… it didn't seem like a bad idea. Having a reliable party early on could make things smoother, ae everything, Leon was solid.
He exhaled, running a hand through his damp hair. No point overthinking it. Tomorrow, he'd reach out.
