It was actually a good question because it was going to be very hard.
On one hand, Alexander wanted to go back home.
He wanted to see the world he knew again… his small apartment, his half-broken computer, the late-night takeout wrappers that had started piling on the table.
But then, what was he going to do if he went back?
Go to work?
Keep debugging code for a company that didn't give a damn about him?
He'd worked so much, given so much, and received almost nothing. Besides, his ex was also there too…
He sighed.
Still, being stuck in a world where he could die just by letting his guard down for a minute… that wasn't exactly better.
Here, even a random creature in the snow could probably tear him apart before he could scream.
But somehow, even that felt less terrifying than spending the rest of his life as a nobody.
The thought was strange, but true.
Before he could think any deeper… a screen appeared in front of his eyes
[Ding]
[Welcome to Winter Lord Online]
[You have received a Starter Pack]
'Eh?' He froze.
That was the in-game interface.
The same one that appeared when a new player logged in for the first time.
He hadn't seen it since the early testing days, and now it was floating right in front of his eyes… it looked amazing.
[Would you like to open your Starter Pack?]
[Y/N]
He stared at the glowing text for a moment.
'Seriously? It's asking me this?'
There was no question about it… who would ever pick no?
He hesitated for a second, then reached out and tapped the "Y."
The screen blinked, then changed.
[You have received the Mystery Function]
[You have received Ultimate Skill: Master Control]
[You have received Ultimate Skill: 10x Exp]
[You have received Ultimate Constitution: Chaos Body]
[You have received 10x Beast Wool Coat]
[You have received 10x Bone Swords]
…
Isriah felt his throat go dry.
He blinked several times, reading the list again.
'It gave me the bugs?'
He stared at the glowing words with his heart pounding in his chest.
Those were the exact same skills he'd been trying to remove before everything went haywire.
These bugged perks that were only supposed to appear during paid events.
'Maybe the world really does favor me.'
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it felt.
He remembered every detail of those skills because he'd worked on their scripts himself.
Master Control… a lord-exclusive skill that let you oversee your entire territory through a mini-map.
You could track resources, buildings, troops, and even issue commands from a distance.
It also came with a private shop that used System Points, a currency earned by expanding or defending your territory.
Through that shop, you could literally construct buildings instantly. It was an incredible tool… something that could turn any small settlement into a fortress.
10x Exp… it didn't sound like much, but it was a godsend in this world.
Monsters in Winter Lord Online were ridiculously powerful. Killing even one low-tier beast could take a whole team of attackers.
The EXP gain was so slow that the beta players used the complained devs were sadists. This perk changed everything. Ten times faster growth, ten times faster mastery.
And then there was Chaos Body.
That one was something special.
It was a constitution, not a skill. For warriors, a strong body was everything.
The tougher your body, the stronger your strikes, and the longer you could survive.
Chaos Body was the ultimate form of durability… it rebuilt your muscles, bones, and skin using chaos energy.
Once it was fully upgraded, it could grant almost complete immunity to pain and a body that barely aged.
It was so strong that only one out of the millions of players would probably have it.
[Your constitution is taking effect… It will now be integrated.]
The words floated calmly before fading away.
He gulped.
'Now all I have to do is wait,' he thought.
Then it hit him.
Wait… this wasn't a game.
He was here in real life.
Before he could brace himself, pain exploded through his body.
It wasn't mild neither was it tolerable… it was agony.
He screamed, clutching his chest as his body convulsed violently.
It felt like every bone in his body was being crushed, shattered, and then forced back into shape.
His muscles tore apart only to knit themselves back together stronger and denser than before.
His blood felt like fire running through frozen veins.
He couldn't breathe.
He couldn't even think.
This wasn't how it was described in novels or games.
This was hell.
He collapsed onto the cold floor, his fingers clawing at the furs beneath him.
His vision blurred as bright red light began to glow from his skin.
Steam poured from his body, and his breath came out in harsh, ragged gasps.
His body shook uncontrollably and his throat tore with another scream as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
Somewhere in the distance, he heard something crack… maybe it was the ground or maybe his own bones.
He didn't know.
He just wanted it to stop.
The heat grew unbearable.
His entire body looked like it was glowing from within, veins shining crimson as if molten metal flowed beneath his skin… He looked like he was burning alive.
And then, finally, he collapsed completely.
His body hit the ground with a dull thud and the red glow began to fade..
Two people rushed into the cavern.
"My lord!"
Through the haze of pain and exhaustion, Alexander managed to glance up.
Lyria stood at the entrance, her robe whipping in the sudden gust of cold air… He could see what was beneath her clothes but that didn't matter right now.
Beside her was a man… he was tall, broad-shouldered, easily seven feet if not more.
His skin was tanned from battle and his muscles looked like sculpted stone.
He carried a makeshift wooden kit strapped across his back, the kind used for field healing or first aid.
His long hair was tied back with leather, and his expression turned grim the moment his gaze fell on Isriah.
They both froze.
Lyria's lips parted in shock. "My lord…"