Hey hey~ I’m Bo Le Bird, a fantasy novel writer who’s just out here doing my best.

  Super duper sorry—my English is absolutely garbage, so everything you see here is translated by the one and only GPT-senpai.

  Hope it’s still readable and doesn’t break your brain too much!

  An ancient voice spoke.

  "Before the Star-Devouring Will consumes all, I... we dreamed a beautiful dream. A dream where the damned fate might be reversed, where a miracle could be born."

  "That miracle... is you—Helier."

  And with that, the voice vanished.

  —

  Player Plaza. Before the teleportation gate.

  5:55 AM.

  Thousands of players had gathered here—beastkin, demi-humans, and humans mixed together, yet still maintaining their distance.

  Everyone was geared up and ready to go, pouring in from all directions.

  Among the vast crowd, Helier stood out. Snow-white hair, skin like frost, and plain white robes—he seemed to glow from head to toe.

  Expressionless, he chewed on a bland steamed bun, silently waiting for the game to officially begin in five minutes.

  Most players arrived in pairs or groups, forming countless small teams.

  Few stood alone like him.

  A third-rate reporter from DawnLine News quickly locked onto him.

  This human boy looked about ten years old, but his gaze was sharp and unwavering—clearly, someone with a story. Perfect interview material!

  Without hesitation, the reporter dashed over, squatted down in front of Helier, and flashed a practiced smile.

  "Hi there, little guy! I'm a reporter from DawnLine News. Mind if I ask you a few questions? Don’t worry—it’ll be simple stuff." As he spoke, he pulled out a few beautifully wrapped candies to tempt him.

  Helier met the reporter’s gaze, accepted the candy, and nodded. “Sure.”

  “Great, thanks! First, how old are you this year?”

  “Born yesterday.”

  “…Huh?”

  The reporter froze.

  He’d planned to use the age question as an opening—to praise the boy’s youthful appearance and brave participation in the game, setting up follow-up questions. But right out of the gate, the answer threw him off. Born yesterday?

  Still, the kid didn’t look flustered at all. Calm and serious, as if he’d rehearsed this. Damn, must be a tough one.

  The reporter composed himself and forced a stiff smile. No matter. A professional never backs down. If this one flops, just move on.

  “Haha, that’s a good joke.”

  “As we all know, the Oriegel Galaxy will soon be completely devoured by the massive black hole.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “In this moment of crisis, the Witch Council has staked everything to create this grand game. The ultimate goal: escape the black hole and forge a new world in another universe.”

  “The players are the foundation of this great endeavor, the pioneers of the new world! Little one, is your heart racing with excitement and anticipation right now?”

  Eyes gleaming, the reporter spoke with passionate fervor.

  The Council had promised that players with high contributions would receive priority in entering the new world. Many of those present were chosen representatives of families, villages, nations—even entire planets. Each bore the heavy burden of salvation. The reporter genuinely respected such sacrifice.

  Helier paused, then replied, “Mm.”

  “That’s the spirit.” The reporter nodded in satisfaction and followed up, “So, are you here to become a legendary hero? A founder of the new world? Or perhaps to lead your homeland to safety—or avenge yourself against the black hole?”

  He watched Helier closely, already imagining the kid’s backstory.

  Maybe when he was a baby, the elders surrounded him with weapons. No friends, no childhood joys—just endless, brutal training and a mission burned into his bones…

  “No,” Helier cut him off with a brief reply.

  “Oh? None of those? Then what are you here for?” The reporter grew even more curious.

  Those four motives were statistically the most common among players, according to the Council. The fact that Helier didn’t fall into any of them made him even more intriguing. This was a gold mine!

  “To play,” Helier answered without hesitation. At the same time, his gaze drifted past the reporter toward the giant, sealed teleportation gate.

  “…Huh?” the reporter blinked. Someone joined this game… just to play?

  Wait—technically, that wasn’t wrong. It was a game, after all. But something about it just felt... off.

  He fumbled for more questions—but at that moment, a resounding chime echoed across the plaza!

  The teleportation gate began to open slowly. On the other side, a planet came into view—the first destination.

  The crowd fell silent. Every face turned solemn.

  Three thousand players stood ready—just a fraction of the tens of millions signed up. Only 1,500 would make it through to the next phase.

  As the final echo of the bell faded, chaos erupted. The crowd surged forward, scrambling to crash through the gate!

  In the blink of an eye, the plaza was empty.

  The teleportation pathway was strange, like a long branch stretching out across the void, winding thousands of meters toward the destination. All the players sprinted forward with all their strength, as if running a cosmic marathon. The beastkin and demi-humans surged ahead, while most humans trailed behind at the very end.

  Among the stragglers was the reporter, panting like an ox as he struggled to keep up with the rear of the group. His eyes stayed fixed on the one exception among the human players—the boy who had already broken into the front ranks.

  “That kid… he’s really something else. As a professional journalist, I must dig out some dirt on him!” Driven by sheer willpower, the reporter forced his numb legs to move, but the distance between them only grew larger and larger.

  Meanwhile, Helier dashed effortlessly out of the teleportation gate and found himself on a vast, boundless plain of pink grass. The wind brushed gently against his skin, cool and soothing.

  He glanced around. Most players had begun equipping themselves with all kinds of translucent weapons—tower shields, spears, longbows—all faint and ethereal, like sketches awaiting color.

  They pressed their weapons into the ground, absorbing pigments from the pink grass itself. As the weapons filled with color, they shimmered—and then solidified, becoming real.

  Once armed, the players instinctively broke off into countless small teams, scattering in different directions—some heading for the towering mountain range to the right, others rushing toward the dense forest on the left.

  Helier blinked, then followed suit. Just as he reached for the large staff on his back, a diamond-shaped mark on the back of his left hand suddenly lit up. With a gentle wave, a communication request appeared in the air.

  “Good morning, Mr. System,” Helier said as he accepted the call, greeting the voice on the other end.

  “Morning. Find somewhere without other players. There’s something I need to tell you.” The voice was low and calm, distinctly male.

  “Okay.” He nodded.

  Looking around, Helier spotted a spot where the mountains met the forest, a place where a gentle stream flowed. No other players seemed to have chosen that direction. Perfect. He’d head there before the second wave arrived.

  Not long after, Helier reached the edge of the stream. Confirming he was alone, he reopened the communication.

  “Wait a moment,” the voice said. The screen flickered briefly before shifting into the image of a green maple leaf brooch.

  “Alright, we’re good. From now on, I’ll accompany you in this unremarkable form, helping you with various questions during the game.”

  “Helier, remember—don’t draw too much attention.”

  “I understand.”

  “Good. Now go fulfill your role.”

  “You mean the one you mentioned yesterday? To just… enjoy myself?” Helier asked, a hint of doubt in his voice. The reporter earlier had spoken of grand missions and heroic destinies—he couldn’t help but wonder if he was missing something.

  “Yes. Go play. Do whatever you want, however you want. That is your most important task for now. One month after the game opens, I’ll tell you your true mission.” The maple leaf gently nudged him forward, both urging and encouraging him, dispelling his hesitation.

  “…Alright then.” Helier glanced around. Not far ahead, he spotted a tree bearing several fruit.

  Though he had no idea why the system had assigned him this task, one thing was certain—filling his stomach came first.