Rael woke up to the faint hum of his VR pod idling in standby mode. The dim m light filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across the room. He blinked, his mind sluggishly pulling itself back to reality.

  For a moment, he felt disoriented. His body was here, but his thoughts lingered in Solmora.

  He sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes befrabbing his phone from the bedside table. His fingers moved on autopilot, opening the game forums. If there was ohing he had learned from petitive gaming, it was that the meta ood still.

  And sure enough—

  [NEW UPDATE: TIME DILATION INTRODUCED – 1:3 RATIO]

  Rael's brows furrowed as he skimmed the annou.

  "Following initial feedback, we've activated an advanced synizatioure.For every 1 hour iy, 3 hours pass in Solmora."

  The ents were already flooding in.

  "Three times the grinding speed? This is insane.""So time flows differently… That means NPd fas won't wait for us?""This is either a blessing or a nightmare, depending on how you look at it."

  Rael exhaled through his hree times the time. That ged everything. It wasn't just about pyers adapting anymore—the world itself would move forward evehey weren't logged in.

  Which meant that if he wao take advantage of his knowledge, he o act fast.

  He shut his phone and got up. Elias o see this.

  * * *

  Elias was already awake wheepped out of his room. Their shared apartment wasn't big, but it was well-kept—mostly because her of them owned much aside from their gamiups.

  The smell of fresh coffee filled the air. Elias stood by the ter, zily scrolling through his phone. His brown hair was still a mess from sleep, and his oversized hoodie made him look half-asleep.

  "You see the update?" Rael asked, grabbing a mug from the cupboard.

  Elias yawned. "Yeah. Three times the time, huh? Wild." He took a sip of his coffee, then smirked. "You're telling me I get three times the gaming hours for every real-life day? I'm never logging out."

  Rael leaned against the ter, taking his own sip. "It also means that the game world won't pause when we're offline. NPCs, fas, as will progress."

  Elias stopped mid-sip. "…Wait. So, like, if some world event triggers while I'm making a sandwi real life—"

  "You might miss it entirely."

  Elias groaned. "Oh, that's evil." Then, after a beat, "I kinda love it."

  Rael nodded. "It makes exploratient. If things like hiddes or fa y out iime, the pyers who move first will have an edge."

  Elias grinned. "Well, good thing we've got you, huh, Mr. Big Brain?"

  Rael ignored him and checked the time. "I'm calling Leon."

  Elias raised an eyebrow. "Huh."

  Rael g him. "What?"

  Elias smirked, leaning back against the ter. "Nothing. Just… You're actually reag out to people again."

  Rael frowned but didn't respond immediately.

  Elias chuckled. "Hey, I'm not making fun of you. It's just o see you giving a damn again."

  Rael sighed and shook his head. "You're overthinking it."

  "Maybe," Elias said, still grinning. "But I don't think I am."

  Rael didn't buing. Instead, he dialed Leon's number.

  The ph a few times before Leon picked up.

  "Sup?"

  "You logging in?" Rael asked.

  Leon sighed. "'t. Still got some things to take care of IRL."

  Rael frowned but didn't push. "You saw the update?"

  "Yeah. The time dition thing is nuts." There ause. "Kinda makes me wonder how they're pulling it off."

  Rael exhaled. "No clue. But it means the world will shift while we're out."

  Leon hummed. "Then that means every time we log out, the game won't wait for us."

  "Exactly."

  Leon chuckled. "You must be loving this, huh?"

  "Yep, it's a unique experieer all."

  "Well, try not to die in there," Leon said. "I'll catch up when I ."

  "Yeah," Rael replied. "See you."

  He hung up a his phone aside.

  Elias stretched. "Well, guess that means it's just us for now."

  Rael nodded. "Yeah."

  Elias gave him a mock-serious look. "I swear, if you get some ultra-secret lore without me, I'm deleting my at."

  Rael snorted. "No promises."

  Elias sighed dramatically. "Figures."

  Rael rolled his shoulders and stood up. "Alright. Time to head ba." The VR pod's hum greeted him as he settled inside.

  He took a deep breath.

  Then—he logged in.

  [ Wele baoctus. ]

  Rael's vision readjusted to the dim glow of nterns flickering across the mert stalls. He was exactly where he had logged out—near a bustling street er where traders haggled over wares. The st of dried herbs and freshly baked bread mixed in the air, grounding him bato Solmora's immersive world.

  He flexed his fingers, feeling the smooth leather of his gloves. The transition had been seamless. No g, no disorientation. Just like stepping through a door into another reality.

  For a brief moment, he debated his move. Should he keep grinding, push ahead with quests, or just explore?

  His gaze drifted across the city streets, alive with flickering torches and the chatter of NPCs. He had rushed things st time. Maybe it was time to take a step bad observe.

  With that thought, he moved deeper into the city.

  As he walked through the stone-paved roads, the hum of versatioween pyers caught his attention. Near a small pza, a group had gathered by a fountain, animatedly discussing something.

  "…so that firms it, right? The Veil isn't just a lore thing."

  "The hell does that even mean?"

  "It means we're stu this ti for noyer with the name Galehart scoffed. He wore a mix of leather and mail, likely a rogue-type. "The tral ti is basically dominated by the Order, but outside of it? That's where the real game starts."

  A hooded pyer, nodded. "There are four other tis, but they're not immediately accessible. And the Veil—whatever it is—keeps us from reag the other races' realms."

  Another pyer, folded his arms. "Makes sense, holy. The scale of this world is already insane. Someone did the math aimated that Solmora is at least five times the size of Earth."

  Rael's eyebrows rose slightly at that. He had known the game was massive, but that number put things into perspective.

  The pyers tinued debating theories—how to cross the Veil, whether the other tis would be locked behind progression, and how the God-Emperor pyed into everything.

  "…I'm telling you, the Order runs everything for now, but they wouldn't make the God-Emperor this hyped if there wasn't more to him. Have you seen the in-game texts? People are already calling him the Supreme Will of Solmora."

  "Right, but that could just be NPC propaganda."

  "Or it could mean something more. Some pyers are already saying he might be an endgame raid boss."

  Rael listened, abs their words. The world structure was slowly unraveling, and he had the advantage of knowing more than most. But even he hadn't sidered the true scale of it all.

  Ohing was certain—Solmora was much bigger than he had initially thought.

  Rael turned his head slightly, gng at a nearby pyer who was quietly listening to the discussion. The man wore simple cleric robes, a staff strapped to his back. His username, Varian, hovered above his head in soft lettering.

  Curiosity g him. He khe God-Emperor was important, but beyond the vague details he had read before logging in, he hadn't looked into it deeply.

  Turning toward the robed pyer, Rael spoke.

  "Hey, you seem like you know a thing or two. Who exactly is the God-Emperor of Holy Grace?"

  Varian blinked, as if surprised by the question, before a knowing smile crept onto his face. "Ah, a curious face, huh? You must not have read much of the lore yet." He shifted his weight, resting a hand on his staff. "Well, listen up, because this is important."

  Rael nodded, arms crossed as Varian began his expnation.

  "The God-Emperor of Holy Grace is the supreme ruler of Solmora, the one whht order to chaos. A thousand years ago, the world was in turmoil—multiple fas warring endlessly, heretid dark creatures running rampaire kingdoms being wiped out ht. The world was on the brink of colpse."

  Varian's voice lowered, as if speaking of something sacred. "And then, He came. Alone. A single warriainst aire world."

  Rael narrowed his eyes slightly. "You mean he really did it alone?"

  "That's what the records say." Varian's expression was serious. "The First Holy War had been raging for turies, and no one could bring it to an end. But the God-Emperor… he carved his way through armies, shattered unholy legions, ahe warring fas to his will. They say no bde could pierce him, no spell could bring him to his knees. He stood above all, not just as a king, but as something more—divine."

  Rael could hear the awe in Varian's tone. Whether it was rolepy enuine admiration, it was clear that the God-Emperor's legend was deeply ingrained in the world.

  "And now?" Rael prompted.

  "Now, he rules from the Eternal Throne, enf the Law of Holy Grace. His word is absolute, his power unmatched. The Order of the Radiant Cross—his most devoted followers—act as his enforcers, ensuring that Solmora remains in bance. And though he hasn't been seen iuries, his will echoes in every er of the world."

  Rael absorbed the information, silent for a moment.

  A ruler who singlehandedly ended a war. A god-like figure who had reigned unchallenged for turies. And now, supposedly absent.

  Rael nodded slowly, letting the informatiole. The sheer scale of the legend was overwhelming, but it also piqued his curiosity. If the God-Emperor had truly ehe war singlehandedly, then just how powerful had he been? And more importantly—why hadn't he been seen iuries?

  He pushed the thought aside for now a Varian's gaze. "Thanks. That was helpful."

  Varian grinned, adjusting his staff. "No problem. If you ever need more history lessons, just ask. Solmora's past is deep—most people don't bother with it, but it expins a lot about the world."

  Rael gave him a brief nod before turning away. After a moment of thought, he opened his friend list a a message to Gale.

  [ Noctus: You in-game yet? Thinking of expl. ]

  A few seds passed but no reply came.

  Rael g his status s, Gale was offline.

  He debated waiting but decided against it. There was no point standing around. He could cover mround on his own for now.

  * * *

  Rael wahrough the streets, taking in the architecture and occasional chatter of passing pyers. The city felt alive, but uhe bustling hub he had imagined, most pyers still seemed lost—figuring out meics, bartering with merts, or simply gawking at the world.

  As he navigated through the stone-paved roads, a notification appeared.

  [Friend Request: Leon]

  He had sent Leon his ails earlier, so this was expected. Rael accepted it without hesitation.

  Almost instantly, a message popped up.

  [Leon: Yo, took you long enough.]

  Rael smirked. [Noctus: Didn't think you'd get in so fast.]

  [Leon: Couldn't resist. This world's insane. Feels way too real.]

  [Noctus: You got a good starting spot?]

  [Leo. But nowhere near you. My spawn point's way out in the frontier.]

  Rael exhaled slightly. That plicated things. [Noctus: We verging somewhere?]

  [Leon: Yeah. There's a major city called Vash'kar on the frontier's edge. I'm headed there now.]

  [Noctus: Sounds far.]

  [Leon: It is. But I checked a fes—seems like a tral hub fher-tier quests. If we meet up there, we'll have better options.]

  Rael sidered it. He had no solid p, and roaming aimlessly would only waste time. [Noctus: Fine. I'll make my way there.]

  [Leon: Good. Try not to die before we meet.]

  Rael scoffed before closing the chat. Now, he had a destination.

  * * *

  Rael stood just outside the wooden gates of the small town, taking in the vast, open world before him. The nd stretched far, rolling hills and dense forests painting the horizon with an inviting mystery. A dirt path snaked into the wilderness, fnked by patches of tall grass swaying uhe soft breeze. Somewhere beyond, the rger cities awaited, but for now, the road was his aloo walk.

  He sighed. "I should level up on the way."

  Just as he was about to start walking, a group of pyers passed through the gates, chatting amongst themselves.

  "Man, this sucks," one of them groaned, adjusting the sword on his back. "Traveling takes way too long. Why 't we just teleport or something?"

  "Yeah, right," another scoffed. "We're still early game, bro. I bet there's fast travel ter. No way they expect us to run everywhere forever."

  "I hope so. My legs hurt already."

  Rael listened in for a moment but didn't bother joining the versation. If fast travel existed, he'd learn about it wheime was right. For now, there was no point w about it.

  Turning away, he started his journey, letting the idle chatter of the pyers fade into the background.

  The wilderness outside town was teeming with life—mostly in the form of weak mohat posed little threat. Gnarled wolf-like beasts with hollow eyes prowled the tall grass. Oversized horned rabbits darted between bushes. Slow-moving creatures, like moss-colems, rumbled across the rocky hills.

  Rael moved through them with calcuted precision, cutting down anything that got in his way. His Tempr css was built for resilience, and while his attacks weren't the fastest, his strikes were and deliberate. His shield absorbed blows that would've staggered a lighter css, and his sword swung with measured force.

  It was methodical—strike, block, ter, advance.

  With each victory, he greer, more in sync with his movements. Time blurred as he fell into the rhythm of bat, one enter seamlessly flowing into the .

  [Level Up: 5]

  The notification snapped him out of his trance. He exhaled, rolling his shoulders before pulling up his status s.

  [Stat Points Avaible: 6]

  He took a moment to sider his build. More damage would help him progress faster, but endurance was just as important. After a brief pause, he allocated three points intth, oo Dexterity for movement, and two into stitution for better survivability.

  The ges were subtle, but he could feel the slight boost in his movements. Closing the s, he flexed his fingers, adjusting his grip on the sword.

  The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the fields.

  Still plenty of ground to cover.

  Rael tinued his jourhrough the untamed nds, hunting anything that crossed his path. Time passed in a blur of bat—sword fshing, enemies falling, his movements being sharper with every fight. The wilderness had an eerie beauty to it, but as he ventured further, the atmosphere subtly shifted.

  The nd became barren, the once vibrant greens fading into a desote stretch of broken stone and twisted ruins. The air carried a stillhat made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

  Then, he heard it.

  A soft, heart-wreng sobbing.

  He stopped in his tracks, tightening his grip on his sword. His eyes sed the area, searg for the source. The sound echoed through the ruins, dista unmistakably real.

  A new prompt flickered before his eyes.

  [Quest Received: Echoes of the Lost]Iigate the abaown and uhe source of the weeping.

  Curiosity stirred within him, but before he could take a step forward, a heavy presence filled the air.

  "Halt."

  Rael turned swiftly, his instincts sharpening. A figure white and gold stood before him, a t presen ornate armor. The man carried a longsword at his hip, and the emblem of the leamed proudly on his chestpte. A Padin.

  "You are not yet ready," the Padin said, his voice calm but firm. "Whatever lies within these ruins will e you as you are now."

  Rael frowned. "And how strong do I o be?"

  The Padin studied him for a moment before speaking. "You are still too weak. Return when you have grown stronger."

  A notification appeared before Rael.

  [Quest Update: Echoes of the Lost]You have discovered a pce touched by sorrow. Something lingers here, waiting to be unveiled. However, you ck the strength to front what lies ahead.

  Objective: Reach a higher level before iigating further. (Reended Level: 15)Reward: ???

  Rael exhaled through his nose, closing the quest window. "Figures," he muttered. Marking the location in his mind, he turned away, making a mental o return once he had grown stronger.

  Just like that, the man turned and walked away, his armor g softly as he disappeared into the ruiructures.

  Rael exhaled, etg the location into his mind. Fine. I'll be back.

  Turning on his heel, he resumed his grind.

  By the time he reached the city, he had pushed himself to level 6. The t gates stood before him, weling travelers with their imposing presence.

  As he stepped ihe bustling city came to life around him—merts calling out, adventurers in groups discussing quests, the smell of cooked meat and fresh bread wafting through the air.

  Leon was already there, waiting. "Took you long enough," he greeted with a smirk.

  Rael scoffed. "Didn't knoere rag."

  Leon chuckled, shaking his head. "I just got here myself. So, how's the game treating you so far?"

  "Better than I expected," Rael admitted.

  They caught up as they walked through the city streets, reminisg about old times. At some point, Leht up something Rael hadn't expected.

  "Evan asked me to join his guild a few days ago," Leoioned casually. "Said he's building something solid."

  Rael raised a brow. "And?"

  Leon shrugged. "Told him I'd think about it."

  Their old pro team had once been uhe banner of Remembrance of the Fallen—or ROF for short. It was strao hear Evan trying to form something new.

  As they spoke, a voice suddenly called out to them.

  "Well, well. If it isn't Leon."

  Both of them turoward the source. A man in polished gear approached, his expression shifting when he caught sight of Rael. His lips curled into a smirk.

  "But look at this... The fallen champion himself," he sneered. "Who would've thought?"

  Rael's gaze darkened as he reized the man.

  Salzar.