Dante stood there, his body forming pixel by pixel in this artificial world. His bright blue hair swayed slightly as he looked around. A vast blue sky, so clear it stole his breath away, stretched above. A swirling wind pricked his skin, and he thought, So real. He moved his body, testing a form that still felt unfamiliar despite his three days in this world.
"So this is what full VR feels like, huh?" Dante muttered, an excited grin spreading across his face.
His pink eyes then gazed over the distant meadow. According to his memories, he had trained in the art of daggers before his "awakening." Yet, he had no experience fighting, let alone handling a weapon.
Dante grimaced, and with a flick of his finger in the air, a customizable menu materialized before him.
"Let's see if it's just like the game," he said, tapping a button on the menu.
The Capsule Simulator, a technology that had been developed over time, played a crucial role in allowing older hunters to train younger generations with zero harm to their main bodies. And that was exactly why he needed this right now.
He was just an inexperienced man—without any real means to defend himself—and that was a death sentence in this world. A world where a peaceful facade hid the truth: only strength reigned supreme.
With that thought, he selected the weapon section in the menu, and a pair of crude iron daggers materialized in his hands. He twirled one smoothly as his muscle memory kicked in.
"Perfect," he said before clicking the 'Enemy' section on the menu.
He spawned a goblin—that's right, just a goblin. A mass of pixels swirled to form a green creature, about as tall as a human child. Drool dripped from its sharp teeth as it stood still, awaiting the signal to start.
He wasn't underestimating himself; he just had a fair perspective about himself and this body.
Dante exhaled and lowered himself, memories of the game flashing across his vision: how he controlled characters, his thought process when moving, his timing.
"You can do it, Marcus—no, Dante," he told himself. He readied the daggers in his hands and clicked "Start" with a three-second countdown.
"1," a system announced in a voice that was neither male nor female.
"2," The goblin twitched, awaiting its cue.
"3!" With the final count, the goblin lunged.
"Keeee!" it shrieked, charging with a small dagger in its hand.
It raised the weapon high before swinging it downward.
Dante watched, concentrating, his breathing heavy. 'It's coming, it's coming!' he thought, adrenaline pumping through his veins, forcing his legs to move.
'Move! Damn it!'
He sidestepped to the left, losing his balance, and before he could recover, the goblin was already on him, swinging its dagger wildly.
'Clam down!'
Its movements were frenzied, unpredictable, its yellow eyes gleaming with an artificial killing intent that was still enough to make him back away.
Dante stepped back, jumping over a wide swing, and took a deep breath, allowing his brain to think. 'It's small, has a short range of attack, and... no brain'
He muttered this as he leaned back to dodge another wide swing from the goblin. 'An opening!' he thought, stepping forward. The goblin's wide swing left its chest open, which was exactly what he needed. He brought his left dagger down in a clean slice, disarming the goblin by severing its left arm at the wrist.
'First,Get rid of it weapon!'
"Keeee!" The goblin shrieked, its face twisting in pain as it tried to leap back, but it was too late. Dante took another step toward it and plunged his right dagger straight into its chest. The goblin's back hit the ground with a sickening thud as Dante twisted his dagger, delivering the final blow. The goblin let out a wheezing groan, the light in its eyes dimming as it took a final breath before erupting into pixels.
Dante was left alone, staring wide-eyed at the spot where his blade had been plunged into the green grass. Breathing hard, he looked up.
"Whew. That was thrilling," he said. "And this is only a simulator… and just a goblin at that." He stood on shaky legs and brushed some dust off his body.
"Imagine other main characters and protagonist," he said, a bitter chuckle escaping him as he stretched his already sore muscles. "They can easily dispatch a goblin without breaking a sweat. This means I have a long way to go."
He spawned another goblin and, with another three-second countdown, prepared himself. 'Let's do this' he thought.
***
Across the Etharie continent, other youths also prepared themselves, some more extreme than others, some with more suitability and resourcefulness than others.
In the east.
within the Savalion Empire.
a soft knock sounded. The door opened, and a maid who looked to be in her thirties stepped into the massive, luxurious, and royal room. Red carpets were laid out, the walls were trimmed with gold, and a massive queen-sized bed was adorned with the symbol of Savalion royalty: a golden lion.
"Princess, please, take it easy," the head maid said, bowing to the side of the room. A table held papers covered in familiar magical formulas, a stack of books, and a chair crafted with the skill of a master. But what seemed to capture the moonlight peaking through the curtains was a girl sitting on the massive window frame.
Her luminous blonde hair swayed against the cold wind as her cyan eyes—so cool it was as if they could lower the room's temperature—gazed at the night sky, dark yet bright with stars. The moon shone brightly on her expressionless, doll-like face, and her pajamas hugged her frame loosely, revealing her delicate build.
"I can't do that, Emily," she replied. "You, of all people, know what the Academy has to offer me."
The Head maid, Emily, remained bowed as the princess finally turned to face her. "It's the only way... for me,Olivia Brige Savalion, to seize the throne." A fire of determination burned in her cool, cyan eyes.
**
Not far from the capital of the Savalion Empire stood the duke's manor of the Grafian family, one of the most important forces in the empire, its gates proudly bearing the griffin sigil.
In the training yard of it, a boy with short, navy-blue hair stood as he swung his sword. His movements were precise and graceful, his toes barely touching the ground before his feet moved again.
Each swing of his sword sent sweat flying. His red eyes, a perfect match for his sharp face, were focused. His face held the radiant smugness of a noble, not forced, but from the way he carried himself. 'Eight months... only eight months' he thought as he continued to move. Lightning crackled around his blade as his movements became swifter, deadlier.
**
In the north, where winter reigned eternally, a bitter frost bit at those who dared to inhabit this land. The duke's manor of the Blacklos family, a great fortress black as obsidian, stood proud. It bore the marks of countless mana beasts—a testament to countless fights, victories, and sacrifices.
On top of a wall, a figure sat. A black cape, like an eternal void, adorned his shoulders. His uniform was crisp and proper despite the bizarre storm raging. A greatsword, gleaming white against his coat, lay beside him as his gray beard and hair swayed in the wind. His frozen-blue eyes looked not just at the present, but prepared for the future as he spoke without turning his head.
"Report." His voice was cold—colder than the ice itself—as a shadowy figure materialized behind him. An old but sharp butler bowed and said, "Young Lady Ave and her highness Aria just departed to the capital, sir, after they finished your regiment's training."
The man nodded, stood up, and brandished his greatsword as he leaped down, his voice fading. "Escort them." His mouth twitched, curving slightly before his face became cool again as he added, "And be sure to 'take care' of any marriage proposals."
The old butler chuckled as he looked down. "As you wish, my lord." His dark eyes curved in a slight smile as he vanished.
**
In the west, a boy sat panting, his red hair clinging to his face, sweat trickling as he forced himself to continue training. He stood up before starting to move again. His movements were rough and unrefined but contained enough power to crush a boulder. "Father... Mother! Wait for me, I will definitely get your revenge," Carl Brouce, a protagonist of this game. As his yellow eyes shone with vengeance.
Across the world, each of these youths, from different factions, prepared themselves for a new era—the start of a new chapter at the most prestigious school in the land: the Hunter Academy.