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Eternal Art Online

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Synopsis
Will "neural-link games" ever become a reality? In 2038, the world witnessed the birth of a game that changed everything— The full-dive VRMMORPG known as 《Eternal Art Online》. Powered by the revolutionary Neural-link System, this game abandoned traditional controls entirely. With just one device—the legendary Mind Gear—players could immerse themselves in a fantasy world that felt as real as life itself. Every sword swing, every movement, every battle instinct came directly from the player’s mind. It wasn’t just a game. It was a second reality. Welcome to Eternal Art Online.
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Chapter 1 - Mind Gear startup sound

The humid heat of a summer night in A City, 2038, slipped through the half-open window of a small apartment.

Kiriya Noir's fingertips brushed over the silver-gray helmet resting on the desk—Mind Gear, its shell flowing with a sheen like liquid metal, the side etched with Aether's spiral crest.

This was Aether Corporation's full-dive VR device, the result of ten years of research and development. When it launched worldwide three days ago, the official website's servers had crashed in just ten minutes. Now, it emitted a faint hum, as if answering the touch of its owner.

"Finally," he murmured, brushing his black hair back.

The mirror reflected a pale yet sharply defined face. Obsidian eyes held little warmth under the light, save for a faint, almost imperceptible spark whenever the word "game" came to mind.

As a veteran gamer, he had anticipated Aether's new title—Eternal Art Online—for two full years. "Neural-linked five-sense immersion" and "1:1 motion mapping," as the official tagline promised, were enough to drive any hardcore player mad with excitement.

The moment the helmet settled in place, a cool sensation spread across his scalp. No heavy cables, no complicated straps—just the soft bloom of a light-blue scan frame inside the visor, projecting a line of text onto his retina:

[Neural connection initializing... Please confirm user agreement.]

"Skip." Kiriya's tone was flat. He could recite these agreements in his sleep.

[Beep—Neural sync rate 98.7%... Five-sense simulation starting...]

The mechanical voice cut off, and weightlessness seized him—like plummeting from a great height, or being pulled into a spinning current. The real-world noises outside—cicadas, distant traffic—faded behind an unseen barrier, replaced by a pure, ringing silence.

Then came a long, resonant hum.

Not harsh, but a tremor that felt as though some dormant energy within him had awakened. Kiriya felt his consciousness slip free from his body, floating in a pure-white void. Soft light gathered at the edges of his vision, outlining a suspended interface—

[Welcome to Altria]

Golden letters burst into view, scattering into countless points of light, which reformed into a miniature map of EAO's world: sprawling forests along the west, glimmering snow-capped peaks to the north, deserts and oases in the center, and the southern seas dotted with island silhouettes. Aether's decade of work had shaped this vast fantasy realm—a battlefield where swords and sorcery coexisted.

"Even better than the trailers." Kiriya arched a brow. He'd played at least eighty VR titles, but none had ever achieved this level of being there. He could swear the air carried the scent of grass and soil, and even the angle of the light in his vision was alarmingly precise.

In the center of the interface, the character creation menu appeared against a rotating starfield.

[Please select a base class]

Eight words scrolled past, each paired with a simple silhouette:

Swordsman – Single-handed sword, agile stance

Knight – Sword and shield, halo of light

Berserker – Axe cleaving the air

Mage – Wand crowned with a flame

Assassin – Daggers hidden in shadow

Archer – Bowstring drawn tight

Summoner – Small summoned beast at the feet

Priest – Holy tome glowing softly

Kiriya's gaze lingered on "Swordsman" for half a second. He preferred the direct thrill of melee combat—especially the precision and burst of swordplay.

His fingertip tapped the option, and the silhouette expanded into a black-haired, black-clad male model, features unfinished but already sharply cut.

[Please set your character ID]

"Kiriya," he said without hesitation. His real surname, Noir, carried a certain heaviness; the single name felt freer.

[ID confirmed: Kiriya. Please adjust appearance.]

A set of sliders appeared—hair, eye color, height, build… Kiriya ignored them and hit "Default."

The model's black hair brushed its shoulders, a fitted black tunic traced a balanced frame, and the only change he made was setting the eyes to a deep gray—almost identical to his own. Looks had never mattered to him; the heart of any game was in its mechanics and strategy.

[Please choose starting weapon]

One-handed sword

Two-handed sword

Sword and shield

Holy tome (unavailable)

Staff (unavailable)

Bow (unavailable)

Battle axe (unavailable)

Daggers (unavailable)

"One-handed sword."

A black-iron blade appeared in the model's grip, its surface catching the virtual light. Basic gear equipped itself automatically: a drab leather cuirass, its defense value marked "Common" in the corner of the interface.

[Character creation complete. Transferring to starter village: Green Town...]

Routine procedure. Kiriya readied himself for the standard tutorial, his fingers already mimicking the feel of a sword hilt—Mind Gear's motion mapping would sync even the smallest real-world movement to his in-game avatar, meaning pure instinct could decide a battle.

Then, just as the countdown hit "1," the white void flared violently.

A blinding red light tore through the starfield backdrop, and a line of text—absent from any official test reports—overlaid the interface:

[Warning: Abnormal mental waveform detected...]

[High compatibility detected...]

[Special event "Mirror's Secret Realm" activated — Enter?]

Kiriya's pupils contracted.

Mirror's Secret Realm?

He rifled through every scrap of EAO intel in his memory—official announcements, beta tester leaks, developer interviews…

Nowhere had this ever been mentioned. This wasn't a bug; the red glow pulsed in a steady rhythm, the lettering edged with arcane patterns. This was deliberate.

"High compatibility?" he echoed softly, fingers hovering over "Confirm."

As a prodigy player, he had an almost animal instinct for hidden content. Most players might hesitate, but Kiriya's blood carried the word challenge in every cell.

Whether it was scoring the world's first boss kill in Fantasy Saga or reaching the top ladder rank in Cyber Hunter with an off-meta class, he had always hunted the unconventional route.

This "Mirror's Secret Realm" was no exception.

"Yes."

His fingertip landed, and the red light swallowed his vision.

Weightlessness returned—tenfold this time—like being thrown into a tumbling vortex. In the spinning dark, faint shards of sound reached his ears, like glass shattering and countless whispers in the distance. At last, his feet found solid ground.

He snapped his eyes open.

No wooden gates of Green Town. No grassy fields of a starter zone.

A sealed chamber, pure white from walls to ceiling to floor, drained of all color. Dust-fine motes floated in the air, scattering like dandelion seeds at his touch. And three meters ahead stood… himself.

Same black hair and garb, same deep-gray eyes, even the identical stance with a one-handed sword in hand. Above its head, pale-blue text floated:

[Phantom (Mirror Entity)][Level: 1]

Kiriya's heartbeat faltered.

Not an NPC.

Its gaze held none of an NPC's mechanical emptiness—only a cold appraisal, like a predator toying with prey.

The phantom moved an instant later, so fast it left afterimages, black-iron sword lancing straight for his chest.

Instinct—honed over years—threw Kiriya into a sidestep, his right hand snapping to the hilt in a guard position. Steel rang against steel, the impact jolting his grip.

Its strength, speed, even the angle of its strikes—identical to his habits.

Kiriya pulled back, eyes flicking to his status window:

[ID: Kiriya]

[Level: 1]

[Class: Swordsman (Unawakened)]

[HP: 1200/1200]

[MP: 800/800]

[Skills]

Core Attack: Phantom Thrust (MP 20, 120% physical damage)

Movement: Blink Step (MP 30, teleport 5m to target direction, CD 8s)

Passive: Phantom Blade (After 6 consecutive hits, +30% critical damage)

None of these matched the published starting skills.

The phantom lunged again—another Phantom Thrust straight for his face. Kiriya drew a sharp breath, tapped his virtual panel with his left hand—

"Blink Step!"

He vanished sideways in a five-meter flash, dodging the blade by a hair. When he landed, he saw it—a 0.1-second pause in the phantom's movements, as if calculating his position.

"A mirror, huh?" Kiriya's lips curved faintly.

It could mimic his skills, predict his moves—but it was still built from him.

When it attacked the third time, Kiriya didn't Blink Step. He slowed his guard just enough to let the blade graze his shoulder—digital blood spraying (-120 HP)—but used the stagger to drive his sword into the phantom's gut—

"Phantom Thrust!"

The phantom's HP dropped by -144 (120% physical damage).

It stepped back, chest rising in sync with his own. Its eyes flickered—not with rage, but… excitement?

Then, to his shock, it raised its left hand, mirroring his earlier motion—the exact start of Blink Step.

White light flared, and it appeared at his back, blade whistling down.

"Tch."

Kiriya dove forward on reflex, the slash biting into the white floor, sending ripples across its surface. He rolled, reversed his grip, and stabbed behind him—another Phantom Thrust.

The phantom didn't dodge. It struck back.

Swords clashed—six rapid exchanges.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

On the sixth, his passive icon lit up—

[Phantom Blade triggered: +30% critical damage]

Without hesitation, he twisted his wrist, sliding his blade up the phantom's and into its throat—Critical! -234!

The phantom froze, dissolving into countless motes, scattering like fireflies in the wind.

[Congratulations, player Kiriya]

[Trial "Mirror's Secret Realm" cleared]

[Base class "Swordsman" has awakened into Hidden Class — Phantom Swordsman]

[New skill acquired: Clone Summon (MP 100, summon 2 clones for 30s, CD 60s)]

[Transferring to starter village: Green Town...]

The voice softened. The white space unraveled, revealing lush forests and the distant outline of a village. Kiriya looked down at his hands.

A hidden class… Phantom Swordsman?

He focused his mana and thought, Clone Summon.

His MP dropped by 100, and two pale-blue silhouettes flared into being beside him—transparent yet fully equipped with black-iron swords and leather armor, even their calm eyes a perfect imitation of his own.

"Interesting." Kiriya let out a chuckle.

He lifted his gaze toward Green Town, true fire finally kindling in his gray eyes.

Aether, EAO, hidden classes… and that mysterious Mirror's Secret Realm.

This game was going to be far more interesting than he had imagined.

What he didn't know was that, at that same moment, on the top floor of a skyscraper in A City, a man in a white suit sat watching a monitor displaying the name "Kiriya," his fingers tapping lightly on the desk.