A new notification appeared the moment his breakthrough stabilized.
〈Level-Up Bonus Granted〉
〈You have gained +100 to all stats〉
〈Due to gaining +100 to all stats, Strength and Defense have been unlocked〉
〈You have gained +51 Essence for becoming a Mage〉
Ekant blinked.
Then immediately opened his profile.
Mana Gathering Guide (1000 / 2000, Efficiency: 100%)>
"…So," Ekant muttered, rubbing his chin, "I'm not exactly weak like I was a moment ago."
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
If he were being honest, even earlier he hadn't been as weak as he thought—he just didn't know how absurdly high his Essence already was.
And now?
With even more Essence added, he was practically a fox disguised as a sheep.
Of course, that fox was still innocent, unaware that it was sitting on the potential to become a massacre-level existence someday.
But ignorance was bliss.
Still—
He frowned slightly.
"Strength and Defense are only 100…" he murmured. "Compared to Essence, that's nothing."
If Ekant had known that the second-highest Essence among all players was only 88, he might have passed out on the spot.
Unfortunately or fortunately— he didn't.
What he did realize was this:
"If I don't know how to use Essence properly," he said quietly, "I'll get axed faster than my favorite manga."
A manga that had ended tragically at 18 chapters.
He shuddered.
"Shh… If I leave the safe zone like this, monsters could still kill me."
Then—
His eyes lit up.
"Oh, wait a second."
He grinned.
"I have three Black Magic Balls."
A slightly evil smile crept onto his face.
"I could just use one and level up."
He paused.
Thought for a moment.
Then checked his stats again.
"…If I absorb mana for another 200 seconds, I'll level up naturally."
He nodded decisively.
"I shouldn't waste resources when I can just sit and cultivate."
Then he sighed.
"But… I started playing this game because I can't move much in reality."
"So I should at least walk around."
With that logic, he stood up.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just curiosity.
He began walking through the forest, taking slow steps, feeling the ground beneath his feet.
"I still can't believe how much money and resources they poured into this game," Ekant muttered. "It feels unreal."
Trees surrounded him —some short, some towering so high their tops disappeared into the canopy. Flowers dotted the ground, most of them ordinary, familiar.
But then—
He noticed a few plants that shouldn't exist.
Extinct species.
Beautiful beyond words.
Naturally, he reached out to pluck one.
The moment his fingers touched it—
〈No one can be harmed inside the Safe Zone〉
Ekant stared at the message.
"…That's not even a warning," he said. "That's a challenge."
"One I absolutely cannot complete."
He laughed softly and continued walking, enjoying the scenery.
After a while, he reached the very edge of the Safe Zone.
A floating sign hovered in the air.
〈Safe Zone ends here〉
〈From here on, your life is in your hands〉
〈You will receive a Voice Assistant to identify monster levels in the Beginner's Forest〉
Ekant stopped.
"Hmmm… so if I cross this sign," he said thoughtfully, "I'll be in danger."
He looked beyond the boundary.
The forest there felt… different.
Darker.
Alive.
"Well," he continued, "at least they're giving beginners some assistance."
"Knowing which monster is about to hunt us is already generous."
What Ekant didn't know—
The Beginner's Forest was special.
No one could truly die here.
The system intentionally hid this fact, using the area as a testing ground for skill, mastery, and growth.
Even after three months, no player had figured it out.
And so—
No one had taken full advantage of it.
Ekant stretched slightly.
"…Let's go then."
He stepped forward.
Crossed the floating warning sign.
The moment Ekant crossed into the Beginner's Forest—
An announcement quietly appeared.
Not in the Eternal Arcana Of Magic.
But on the official Eternal Arcana of Magic website forum.
[New Player "NoName" has successfully started their journey in Eternal Arcana of Magic]
At first glance, it looked ordinary.
Just another automated system post.
But within seconds—
The forum exploded.
Because "NoName" was not an ordinary username.
Not even close.
In the past, countless players across different games had tried to use that name. Scammers. Imposters. Attention-seekers.
Too many.
So many, in fact, that complaints piled up to the point where governments were forced to step in.
Special laws were created to preserve famous gaming usernames.
Names that weren't just IDs—
But legends.
"NoName" was one of them.
When Eternal Arcana of Magic launched, someone had managed to register "NoName" during the first week. The developers initially allowed it, as the game had its own independent standards.
That lasted exactly seven days.
Once the promotion team contacted the player to verify identity—
The account was permanently banned.
No warning.
No appeal.
Because the real NoName was above celebrities, movie stars, and even professional gamers.
He was the kind of player who dominated games the way an adult dominated children's games.
Effortlessly.
Coldly.
Among all preserved usernames, only eight existed worldwide.
And among them—
Seven were known as the "Septet Gaming Monsters."
So when "NoName" appeared again—
The uproar was inevitable.
Forums flooded.
Accusations flew.
"Another fake?"
"Another scammer?"
"Who dared use that name again?"
Within minutes, the Eternal Arcana of Magic development team responded.
[Official Announcement]
{ The player "NoName" currently registered is verified as the original NoName.
Identity confirmation has been completed. }
Silence.
Then—
Absolute chaos.
The team went further.
They revealed that three months ago, they had personally contacted the original NoName and invited him to join the game.
He had declined.
Citing personal circumstances.
However, he had agreed to cooperate if he ever decided to play in the near future.
To do so, he granted facial recognition authority, allowing the system to instantly verify him.
No one else could replicate it.
Because no one knew what he looked like.
Among the Septet—
Only six had ever appeared publicly.
NoName had never shown himself.
Some believed he was a man.
Some believed he was a woman.
Some believed he was an entire team pretending to be one person.
And now—
He was finally here.
Gaming news sites erupted.
Microblogs exploded.
Social media trends reshaped themselves around a single word.
'NoName.'
Players began referring to them again—
The Septet Gaming Monsters.
Six of them had already been playing Eternal Arcana of Magic since day one.
All were ranked within the Top 10.
Yet even they admitted—
"This game is really brutal."
"Even for gaming monsters like us."
Headlines flooded the internet.
[Finally, the last of the Septet Gaming Monsters has appeared.]
[Will NoName dominate Eternal Arcana of Magic as he did other games?]
Another post gained traction.
[The other six couldn't achieve much despite starting early.]
[I doubt NoName will do anything special as a latecomer.]
Fans retaliated instantly.
[God of Games "NoName" shall rule Eternal Arcana of Magic.]