First Breath of a Spirit
Hours earlier…
Two new players appeared at the entrance of Drunai. Their arrival wasn't exactly human. Rather, they manifested as floating spheres of colorful, ethereal smoke.
As soon as they materialized, one of the spheres began moving at high speed, zigzagging wildly like an uncontrollable bolt of lightning. In contrast, the other one remained still, as if she didn't quite understand what she was seeing… or feeling.
She slowly drifted a few inches forward, then stopped again. Finally, a soft, feminine voice emerged from the mist.
"I… I can move. I can feel!" she exclaimed, more amazed by that simple ability than by the fantastical world around her. "I can feel…" she repeated, her voice so full of emotion that, had she possessed tears, she would have cried.
"Oh! Hello there. You must be a new player," said a voice suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She turned around and found herself face-to-face with a woman of impossible beauty. Her appearance was openly demonic—membranous wings, curved horns, a long tail, and a calm smile on her face.
"You should look for Lua. She's the NPC in charge of this place. Although lately she's been delegating a lot, so she'll probably send someone else to explain everything. She's gotten a bit lazy," the woman said with a soft laugh, as if it wasn't the first time she'd seen it happen.
"H-h-hi," murmured the little smoke sphere.
"Ah, shy type. Well, I'm waiting for someone right now, but I can give you a quick summary. Basically, in this game you just have to kill something to level up and unlock your first evolution. I'd help you, but I'm a bit busy. Anyway, if you've ever played an MMO, it's easy to understand," she explained in a relaxed tone, not trying to pressure her.
"Y-yes… I've played games before," replied the sphere with renewed timidity.
"Then it's simple. This is a magical fantasy world. In your status panel, you can see your stats. Choose your first form wisely—there are branching evolutionary paths as you level up. For example, I chose to evolve into a Lesser Succubus. There's even a tiny angel living in the village."
The demoness waved her hand nonchalantly.
"And if you don't like fighting, you can complete missions. Just check the mission board in the center of the village. If you need help, look for a girl with starry wings. Her name's Loli. She's adorable and will definitely help you. Well, I'm off. Good luck!" she said, and her figure vanished without a trace.
The little smoke ball floated there for a moment, then slowly drifted into the village. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she saw the other floating sphere zipping around excitedly, shouting with joy. The sight made her a bit nervous… but it also brought a small smile to her invisible face.
Once she reached the village center, she stopped completely, silently observing her surroundings. She wasn't shouting or bouncing around like her companion, but her excitement was no less intense.
"This is… wonderful…" she murmured with a deep, invisible smile.
She remained there for at least an hour, doing absolutely nothing.
Just… enjoying it.
Eventually, she saw the other new player heading toward what looked like a beach in the distance. She considered following her… but something—her eyes, or maybe her soul—was drawn to the nearby forest, right next to where they had first appeared.
Finally, she made up her mind. And she entered the forest.
…
Hours passed as she floated through the trees and brush, drifting among branches and roots, exploring with a childlike sense of wonder. Several demonic beasts appeared and attacked her, but as a spirit, she took no damage. She didn't have a physical body yet—just like Rachel, the ghost.
Still, she didn't fight back. She didn't flee. She simply floated higher and continued on, observing everything with fascination: glowing flowers, vibrant plants, colorful crystals… she paused here and there just to take it all in.
She wandered for hours with no destination. She wasn't looking for quests or rewards. She just wanted to enjoy what she could never have in the real world.
"Ah… this is so amazing. So amazing…" she repeated over and over again, overflowing with quiet joy. "I… I missed out on so much…"
"No game ever worked. I couldn't feel anything. No touch, no smell, no taste… But here, I can. I really can! I can finally feel!" she cried out in delight, even though she had no throat to shout and no eyes to cry.
Suddenly, something caught her attention.
A deer. But not a normal one. Its antlers were made of gleaming crystal, and its eyes met hers with a strange awareness.
As soon as she noticed it, the deer opened a portal in front of itself and vanished inside—leaving the portal behind.
"Wow…" she whispered, cautiously approaching the open gateway. Without hesitation, she stepped through it.
On the other side, she found a place even more fantastic. A forest filled with trees of every color, insects that shone like jewels, and impossible plants. It was like a paradise hidden in the world.
"I see now…" she murmured. "So I died."
She spoke softly, without sadness. As if she had finally understood what had happened.
"Silly Natasha. You fell asleep. You probably left the stove on. The house caught fire… and since I can't feel pain, I didn't notice. I burned alive without even realizing it. Yeah… that must be it," she said, like someone accepting a dream that came true too late.
"Oh? And what do we have here?" came an unexpected voice.
Natasha immediately turned around.
Three men were standing in front of her.
One of them was an old man, his head completely gray and his face covered in scars. His gray eyes studied her with curiosity, as if he already knew exactly what she was.
Behind him, a young redhead held a rifle with both hands, pointing it directly at Natasha with a dangerously eager expression.
The last was a blond man with an indifferent face and a sheathed sword at his side. Though he looked bored, his hand was already resting on the hilt, ready to draw.
All three wore dark blue uniforms with golden trim, cut in a distinctly imperial style. The old man wore a silver medal pinned proudly to his chest, clearly displayed by his straight, formal posture.
"I thought your kind was eradicated two hundred years ago. I was there," the old man said with a mocking smile. "But it seems His Majesty let one of you slip away."
"Are you sure this thing's a spirit, old man?" asked the redhead, eyeing Natasha skeptically. "Looks more like a glowing fart to me."
"I'm sure," the old man replied calmly. "The last specimen in the lab turned into one of those when it killed itself."
"Then we should capture it. Could be useful to Lord Draeven," said the blond one with a neutral tone, his hand still on his sword.
"Bah… Draeven only wants that so-called legendary flower," the old man muttered. "He's after it so badly he even used the info as bait to lure out powerful beasts. He never told us what it's for—just what it looks like."
He turned with disdain and added:
"The spirit's not necessary. Kill it and let's keep searching."
Zzzt.
Just as he finished speaking, Natasha barely had time to see a red beam fire from the redhead's rifle.
She felt nothing. No pain. No impact. She simply… vanished.
And reappeared instantly, right in front of the village.
"Hmm? What was that…?" she muttered, thoroughly confused.
Then she felt a presence behind her. As she turned, her ghostly form trembled slightly.
Standing before her was another demon woman. Her red horns glowed intensely—just like her eyes, which stared at Natasha with terrifying focus.
"Boss, you're scaring her…" said Sia mentally, trying to reach Lua.
But Lua didn't respond. She took a step toward Natasha, her eyes burning with unmistakable fury.
"Where did you find the humans?" she asked, her voice sharp and cold enough to pierce through Natasha's fog-like body.
"I-I… I don't know…" Natasha stammered, clearly nervous.
"Where did you go? How did you find them?" Lua pressed, stepping even closer.
Several players who had seen Natasha earlier in the village center began to gather around, drawn by the sudden tension. And they all saw Lua… acting nothing like her usual self.
Her face was terrifying. Her eyes glowed a deep red, and her aura felt hot enough to melt the air.
"I-I… I just went into the forest. I saw a deer… it opened a portal… and I followed it," Natasha explained as best she could.
"A space deer…" Lua murmured, her brow furrowing deeper. "Then there's no way to know…"
She looked toward the forest. A moment later, she jumped with such force that she cracked the ground beneath her feet. She vanished into the trees like a bolt of lightning.
"…Eeeh, I think Lua really hates humans," Sally commented, still shocked.
"Well… according to what we've heard, humans wiped out all the original spirits of this village," Loli added with a somber tone.
"So humans are our enemies?" asked Joe, intrigued. "Wait… aren't we technically humans too?"
"Not here," replied Sig, dry as ever.
"By the way… that old guy looked strong," Joe added, now sounding genuinely interested.
"Hey, what exactly did they say?" Bert asked, looking at Natasha.
Being the center of attention again, Natasha tensed up even more.
"W-well… I… uh…"
"Okay, better take her somewhere calm," said Loli gently. "Come with us. We'll explain how everything works along the way."
Though she had no physical body, Natasha couldn't help but follow them.
…
"I see… so you try out lots of games, hoping to find one that makes you feel alive," said Loli, intrigued.
They were all sitting in a circle near the village's central campfire. The sky above had faded into a soft purple.
Natasha floated among them timidly in her spirit form.
"By the way, why are you still a spirit?" asked Sig, glancing at her.
"I-I didn't kill anything… I just wandered… or floated," Natasha replied in a soft voice.
"I see. Want help getting your first form?" asked Loli with a cheerful smile.
"E-eh… s-sure," Natasha answered, a little uncertain.
"Perfect! Then it's time for a girls' mission!" Loli declared, full of energy.
The group included Loli, Sig, Sally, Liora, Linda, Silvia, and Rachel, who had just arrived floating as usual.
"Hey, don't forget me! I'm a girl too!" shouted a voice from behind.
It was the same player who had recently died to sea monsters.
"My name's Polly, I'm 19, I live with my parents, I'm a Gemini, blood type O+, my dad runs a textile factory, and my mom's a housewife. I'm… unemployed," she finished in a flat tone, slowly sinking to the ground. Her enthusiasm deflated like a balloon.
Everyone stared at her in silence… then shrugged and accepted her without a word.
Soon after, the group of girls left the village, chatting happily as they went.
Meanwhile, the nearby guys glanced at each other… and then up at the darkening sky.
"Should we go with them?" Bert asked.
"Nah. They'd get annoyed. Let's just hunt near them," replied Joe, thinking strategically.
"I've got work to do…" Silver muttered—only to be dragged along anyway.
In the end, all of them ended up heading into the forest… just as night began to fall.