The woodcutter's axe trembled in his hands as three wolves circled him, lips peeled back in snarls. His strikes were wild, panicked, each swing glancing off fur or missing entirely.
Kenji burst into the clearing, blades flashing.
[Twin Slash]
Steel carved across the first wolf's flank. It yelped, spun, then lunged again. Kenji pivoted, sidestepping, bringing both blades down in a clean arc. The beast dissolved into ash.
The second wolf darted in. The woodcutter stumbled back, nearly falling. Kenji intercepted, blades crossing in a parry that jarred his arms. He slashed once, twice—then rolled under snapping jaws.
The third came from behind. Kenji spun, stamina bar dipping, and cut it down in a blur.
Silence fell.
The NPC woodcutter stood frozen, chest heaving. His eyes darted across the clearing, then fixed on Kenji.
For a moment, Kenji forgot himself.
The man looked real. Too real. The fear in his eyes, the tremble in his hands, the sweat on his brow. If not for the faint [NPC] tag hovering above him, Kenji would have thought he'd just saved another player.
Then a soft chime rang in his vision.
[Reputation Gained: +30 (Regional)]
Kenji's breath caught.
His first Reputation.
The woodcutter lowered his axe slowly. "You… you're different," he rasped. His voice was hoarse, not scripted. "Most walk past when danger comes. You didn't."
Kenji waited, expecting a quest box, a reward screen, something. Nothing appeared.
The man wiped his brow, voice quieter now. "I've nothing to give you. But if courage burns in you, there's a place… a tunnel, hidden beyond the ridge. Dark things linger there. But so do chances. For those who dare."
Kenji's eyes narrowed. No quest marker. No glowing waypoint. Just a hint.
This wasn't a theme park MMO. It was a world.
He nodded once. "Thanks."
The NPC said nothing more, turning back to his axe, his hands still trembling.
Kenji followed the direction the woodcutter had pointed. The forest thickened, undergrowth clawing at his boots.
On the way, he fought. Wolves. Boars. Even a massive spider that lunged from the canopy, legs slicing.
Each battle ate into his stamina, each kill barely nudged his bar forward.
Finally, after hours, the chime came again.
[Level Up — Lv 3 Reached][+10 Attribute Points Gained]
Kenji opened his stats.
GrayWolf — Lv 3 (Commoner)
Base (Level):
STR: 10
VIT: 10
DEX: 30
INT: 10
Items:
Cracked Iron Bracers (Common, Tier 0) → +1 STR
Cards:
None registered
Total Visible Stats:
STR: 11
VIT: 10
DEX: 30
INT: 10
His strikes felt sharper. His feet lighter. For the first time, his blades cut before wolves could fully react.
Another fight rewarded him with something else.
[Loot Acquired: Tattered Leather Belt (Common, Tier 0)]
+1 Vitality
Kenji equipped it, feeling a faint solidity in his stance.
Item Bonuses: STR +1, VIT +1.
Not much. But better than nothing.
A sudden pulse lit the sky.
[Global Announcement][Player Count Online: 200,000,000+]
The text burned across his vision, echoed by distant fireworks bursting high above the canopy.
The forums exploded instantly.
SteelWidow: "TWO HUNDRED MILLION. HISTORY MADE."
EmeraldKnight: "This world is bigger than anything we imagined."
LotusShade: "And only one history. No resets."
CrimsonAlliance (official): "We will rule the capital. Mark this day."
Kenji stared upward. Two hundred million.
The scale was staggering. This wasn't just a game. It was civilization.
The forest thinned. Ahead, hidden by roots and overgrowth, a hollow gaped in the earth. A tunnel entrance, black and silent.
The woodcutter hadn't lied.
Kenji stood at the threshold, blades in hand. His chest rose and fell slowly. Behind him, the forest crawled with players dying, screaming, respawning.
Before him, the unknown.
He smiled faintly.
And stepped toward the darkness.