We had finally reached the peak of the world-renowned VR game.
In the boss room, which we entered for the first time, the massive beast was seconds away from its final breath.
I was prepared to let out a victory cry when Enwoybi delivered the finishing blow.
I raised my hand to turn toward Ermo, but in an instant, Enwoybi collapsed where he stood.
“What’s going on?” I started to turn toward Scatroj, but my vision blurred.
The world began to spin.
I felt Ermo grab me by the collar, shaking me and shouting, “What happened!” but his voice grew distant until everything faded into darkness.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying in the shade of an ancient tree.
Looking up, I saw the whole team was there, but something was different.
As I reached for my staff to stand, the coldness of the grip surged from my fingertips through my entire body.
In that moment, I felt something awaken within my veins—flowing like a wild, untamed river.
A current that started from my heart and coiled down to my fingertips, turning into a glowing golden hue that pulsed beneath my skin.
This wasn’t a pixelated game mechanic anymore; this was pure Mana.
“Man…
we’ve been summoned!”
Enwoybi’s shout shattered the silence.
Instinctively, he cast a protection barrier around us.
Ermo activated his ability, weaving a passive layer of defense over the group.
The sky was actually moving, and the wind had a bite against our skin.
With Enwoybi’s explanation, we faced the bitter truth: as our chosen game characters, we had been dragged into an alternate dimension where the game was more real than reality itself.
Suddenly, our support characters appeared around us.
Beside Enwoybi stood Ramia, a pureblood elf; beside Scatroj was Kaju, a human-demon hybrid; and beside Ermo was Velmora, an ancient dragon…
Only the space beside me remained empty.
My support character hadn’t arrived.
We only managed to digest the situation as the sun began to set, leaving behind the distinct scent of a cooling earth.
While Kaju and his unit stood guard, we debated our next move.
Actually, there wasn’t much to debate.
I pulled out a sofa I had once bought as a decorative item from my inventory and lay down.
I cast a matte barrier over my eyes, trying to escape the noise of this new world.
In the morning, the aroma of a magnificent breakfast prepared by Ramia and Velmora woke me.
Enwoybi stood up and announced his final decision: “I’m going my own way, and Scatroj is going his.
What about you two?”
Ermo looked into Velmora’s eyes.
“I’ll head to the City of the Sun.
I’ll probably live there.”
I stood up and brushed the dust off my clothes.
“I want to explore a bit.
I’ll get in touch with you guys later.”
Everyone raised their hands for our famous oath: “If one is in danger, the others shall come to their aid.”
As we said our goodbyes, Velmora handed me an old parchment.
“Master, this is the map of the Dragon Realm.
It will be of use.” I took it with a nod and set off to write my own story.
Days later, I arrived at the first city in the Dragon Lands.
A fixation on ‘purebloods’ spread through the city like a plague.
Pureblood dragons oppressed the hybrids, even going as far as committing murder in broad daylight.
Although the new King had outlawed racism, the divide between nobility and commoners remained sharp.
Humans, on the other hand, were a hated minority in this land.
While walking through the marketplace, I bumped shoulders with a hybrid.
“Hey, human!
A simple apology won’t save you,” he snarled, grabbing my shoulder.
The guards just watched.
Not wanting to deal with the hassle, I looked directly into his eyes and slipped into his mind.
The moment he felt the pressure of my willpower, the ferocity in his eyes vanished.
His hand trembled as he pulled back, clearing the way for me.
The will of a hybrid was child’s play for my class.
Finally, I found what I was looking for: The Black Market.
A theater-like hall of shadows where nobles conducted their dirty business, accessible only by Mana signature.
My goal was to find a companion who could guide me through this world and make the journey bearable.
The auction began.
The first acts were slaves whose souls had been erased—living shells no different from zombies.
I was just about to leave in boredom when the auctioneer presented the “defective goods.”
An ice elf…
She was missing an arm, and half of her face was horribly burned.
But those eyes…
The fire of vengeance and resolve within them was so strong that she was analyzing the faces of every fake noble in the room one by one.
An elf lord bid 200 gold just to humiliate her; a vampire bid 400 for the taste of her blood.
“One thousand gold!”
When my voice echoed through the hall, no one dared to challenge me.
Receiving the elf, I felt a wave of disgust at the electric shock button handed to me.
I led her deep into the forest, inside a barrier I had constructed.
I pulled out two chairs and said, “Sit.”
She collapsed at my feet.
“Master, please don’t press it.”
I began to laugh.
“What would happen if I did?
What could this much electricity do to an ice elf like you?
Break the collar already.
The game is over.”
The moment I said it, her gaze shifted.
With a single motion, she shattered the collar, and a spear of ice manifested in her hand.
“Since when did you know?” she asked, poised to kill.
I leaned back comfortably.
“I have no intention of fighting you.
On the contrary, I’m going to help you.”
With my index finger, I traced a small magic circle in the air and paralyzed her.
As she let out a muffled cry, I placed my hand on her back.
I pumped the golden mana river from my heart directly into her body.
The burns healed rapidly, and her missing arm began to weave itself anew, starting from the shoulder bone.
When the process was finished, I leaned back on my chair, breathless.
Luna slowly straightened up.
The moonlight hit her newly healed ivory skin and silver hair, making her almost radiant.
She brought her hands to her eyes, looking at her new arm as if asking, “Is this a dream?”
After a moment, she lowered her spear and looked at me.
“What will happen to me?”
ı turned my head to her “Nothing.
You will simply guide me.
We will explore the beauties of the world together, and I promise, I will never treat you like a slave.”
She gauged my sincerity with her intuition and whispered: “My name is Luna.”