Seven wandered down the cobblestone road, weaving past clusters of new players caught up in their own little storms.
Some were poking awkwardly at their menus, jabbing at buttons like they were hoping something would just work. Others stood frozen in place, eyes darting around like they expected the sky to collapse.
Seven, though, walked like he had all the time in the world. Arms stretched behind his head, an easy smirk playing on his lips, he strolled past the noise and fuss like it was all just scenery.
His eyes flicked lazily over the street ahead, soaking in the rhythm of his steps on the old stone.
"So, dungeon… where are you hiding, huh?"
[Bringing up navigation overlay. Route highlighted.]
A thin yellow line flickered into his vision, curling forward like a ribbon of light. It shimmered gently, as if waving him along without any rush.
Seven let out a soft laugh, shoulders loose as ever. He fell into step behind the glowing guide, boots tapping quietly as the path wound through narrow streets and wider crossings.
Seven moved casually through the streets, slipping between locals dressed in medieval outfits and players decked out in all sorts of battle gear.
Swords on backs, staffs slung over shoulders, armor gleaming or patched — everywhere he glanced, there was a mix of old-world charm and gamer chaos.
He'd half expected to spot something dramatic when he reached the dungeon — maybe a giant tower spearing up into the clouds, or a yawning cave mouth ready to swallow people whole. But no, that wasn't what waited ahead.
Instead, it was this: a massive circular gate, humming softly as a blue, water-like swirl pulsed and turned inside it. The glow shimmered in the air, flickering gently like light reflecting off a calm pond.
[Welcome to the entrance of The Dungeon.]
Seven tilted his head as he watched the portal. It was just a big, glowing ring, sure — but standing here in person, with players gathered nearby and the soft light dancing across the ground, it really did look kind of magical.
"This thing's really just called The Dungeon, huh? Wow. Of all the places the gods could've been lazy, they went and picked the name. Real creative, guys."
Seven strolled up to the swirling gate, eyes flicking over the soft, pulsing glow. Without much thought, he stepped forward, the surface of the blue light rippling as it wrapped around him.
The cool shimmer slid over his skin like walking through a thin curtain of water, yet there was no weight, no wetness — just a strange, smooth push as the world shifted.
A few more steps, and the hum of the gate was gone.
The air smelled fresh. The ground underfoot felt soft.
Seven blinked, taking it all in. Stretching out before him was a massive grassland, the green rolling far into the distance like an open sea of soft waves.
Surrounding it on every side were towering forests, the trees thick and endless, their canopies rustling gently under the bright blue sky.
The sun blazed overhead, not some half-baked simulation but something that felt real — its warmth on his face, the soft push of a breeze across his arms, the faint scent of earth and grass in the air.
"Okay… this place actually nailed the vibe. Didn't think it'd feel this real."
Seven swept his gaze over the wide field, eyes drifting across the messy chaos unfolding everywhere. New players scattered in clumps, fumbling through rough fights with packs of beginner monsters.
Slime blobs wobbled across the grass, their translucent bodies shimmering under the sun as they bounced toward anyone too slow to move.
Sharp-fanged rabbits darted low, their fur bristling as they lunged at ankles, quick as flashes.
A few horned boars barreled through the grass with heavy snorts, knocking players clean off their feet if they weren't paying attention.
Some players managed to land shaky hits, blades slicing into slime bodies with a splash, or jabbing spears into the flanks of the boars just enough to make them retreat. Their laughs came out loud and shaky, like they'd just survived something big.
Others weren't so lucky — shrieks and panicked yells echoed as players sprinted away, boots thudding hard, while the monsters swarmed after them, teeth snapping and horns lowered, eager for the chase.
"Alright, this is turning out way more entertaining than I thought."
Two sleek interfaces blinked into view across his vision — one marked Gear Slots, the other Inventory.
Both were completely empty, no weapons, no armor, no treasures. But even without anything inside, Seven instantly caught on to their purpose.
•••••
GEAR SLOTS:
MAIN WEAPON:
SUBWEAPON:
HEAD:
TORSO:
ARMS:
HANDS:
LEGS:
NECKLACE:
EARRING 1:
EARRING 2:
RING 1:
RING 2:
•••••
INVENTORY:
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:
•••••
[Welcome to Floor 1: The Forest of Beginnings. Before you dive into battle, it's a good idea to spend your stat points.]
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you."
Seven glanced at the glowing stat window, twelve points lined up neatly.
With a small grin, he dropped five into Agility, feeling his limbs hum lightly as if the world had slowed just a little for him.
Five more slipped into Charisma — there was no flash, but the air around him seemed to settle, like the world was giving him just a bit more attention.
The last two points slid into Strength. A faint tightening traced through his arms, a subtle pull across his shoulders, and when his hand brushed his jaw, it felt a little sharper, a little more defined.
[Since the Mesmer class doesn't come with a fixed weapon type, your first weapon will match the stats you allocated your stats on: Agility and Strength.]
[Go ahead — choose your first main weapon.]
•••••
Tier 0: Strength Weapons
• Greatsword
• Warhammer
• Battle Axe
• Heavy Mace
• Claymore
Tier 0: Agility Weapons
• Dagger
• Short Sword
• Twinshift Blades
• Rapier
• Throwing Knives
•••••
Seven scrolled through the weapon list without even pretending to care. Big, heavy stuff sat under Strength — giant swords you could barely lift, warhammers built to smash, axes made for brute swings, maces that looked like they belonged on a siege engine, and claymores that just screamed "overkill."
Then came the Agility lineup — fast, sharp picks. Daggers for quick pokes, short swords for flexible moves, rapiers thin enough to stab through gaps, throwing knives for the flashy types… and right there, sitting quietly, the Twinshift Blades — something between a twinblade and dual swords, built for speed and adaptability.
With a half-lazy smirk, Seven closed his eyes, scrolled up and down, and just clicked wherever his finger stopped.
[You have chosen Twinshift Blades.]
A shimmer stirred the air as a steel pole floated up, rough and basic, nothing fancy. Both ends were edged, thin lines of steel catching the light, and a clear groove ran straight through the middle, like it was just waiting to snap apart into two.
Seven gave it a light tap, feeling the balance. It was ridiculously light — definitely not the kind of weapon you smashed things with, more like something you danced with.
[Tier 0: Twinshift Blades.]
"I'm probably gonna be the most confusing player out here. No one's ever gonna guess what class I'm even running."
The Twinshift Blades gave off a faint flicker, then burst apart into tiny blue particles, swirling like lazy fireflies before slipping straight into his Gear Slots.
Just like that, gone — but not really gone, tucked away and waiting, ready to pop back into his hands with a single thought.
[Alright! Now that you've got yourself a weapon, you're set to grab a quest. Check out the Monolith right by the gate.]
Seven's eyes drifted over, landing on a massive boulder sitting next to the shimmering gate.
The thing was glowing — not just glowing, pulsing — a soft blue light rippling across its surface like it had its own slow heartbeat. The closer he looked, the more it felt like the stone was half-awake, waiting for someone to poke it.
A crowd had already gathered around it. Players pushed and squeezed in, arms waving at the glowing surface, trying to pull up quest screens.
Some looked excited, chattering non-stop; others wore the wide-eyed, blank stare of people who had no idea what they were doing but didn't want to admit it.
Seven strolled up to the glowing boulder, feeling the soft pulse of light brushing faintly against his skin as he closed in. There was something oddly alive about it, like the blue glow wasn't just for show but was actually aware, waiting for someone to step close.
Sure enough, the second he hit a certain distance, an interface flicked up right in front of his eyes — two big options hovering, clean and simple: Quest and Teleport.
[The Monolith can also teleport you to any floor you've already cleared.]
"Nice bonus, I guess."
Without much thought, Seven tapped the Quest option, and the list opened up wide. Rows and rows of quests lined up in front of him, each glowing softly, little snippets of rewards and objectives dancing across the screen.
But as his eyes skimmed down, something else caught his notice — quests were disappearing.
One by one, they flicked out, vanishing in little flashes as players all around him snatched them up. Every few seconds, another quest blinked off the list, gone before he even had time to read the details.
He raised an eyebrow, a half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. So, these things were limited. You didn't just scroll forever and grab one whenever — once they were gone, they were gone.
And knowing how fast the crowd around here was clicking, it probably wasn't worth sitting around to see how long it'd take for something decent to cycle back.
His finger hovered lazily over the scrolling screen when something popped into view — a quest title that stood out just enough to catch his attention.
•••••
Quest Name: Goblin Menace in the Forest
Quest Description: A group of goblins has been ambushing merchants along the main trade route in the Forest of Beginnings. Travelers fear to pass, and commerce is grinding to a halt. Brave adventurer, eliminate these pests and restore safe passage!
Quest Requirement:
• Kill 5 Goblins.
Rewards:
• 1 Gold Coin
• Experience Points
•••••
"Five goblins, huh? Yeah, that's good enough. I'm taking it."
[Quick note for your tutorial: you should know most players handle five goblins with a full party. Trying this solo? Could get messy.]
"Please, I can handle it solo. Actually, it's perfect— I get to see what I'm really capable of."
A thin golden string blinked into view, softly twisting and curling, stretching ahead like a glowing path just for him. It shimmered gently, almost playful, as if daring him to follow.
Seven's lips pulled into a slow smirk.
"This is gonna be easy."