Arwen had pulled his fifth all-nighter that week—because clearly, slaying digital dragons was more important than sleep.
The light of dawn barely filtered through his curtains, casting a pale glow across a cluttered room filled with soda cans, stacked ramen cups, and the hum of electronics.
Notifications buzzed on his phone and chat windows blinked, but he ignored them.
His bloodshot eyes were glued to the screen.
He'd named his character after himself: Arwen93, a Level 99 Paladin, now standing tall amidst a battlefield littered with fallen monsters.
He had just accomplished the impossible—solo-cleared a raid boss no one believed could be beaten alone.
He had chosen the Paladin class for one reason: versatility.
They could tank, deal decent damage, and most importantly—heal themselves.
The perfect solo class. Arwen proudly called himself a one-man army.
Heart pounding, he waited for the system notification to appear.
The one that would announce his feat to the world and cement his name in the global rankings.
Instead, the screen glitched.
He blinked.
Strange symbols flickered across the screen.
Somewhere between broken code and ancient runes.
"That's new," he muttered. "Where's my world record announcement?"
@*&#^!...23
@*&#^!...56
@*&#^!...90
The numbers ticked upward, climbing steadily until they stopped at:
@*&#^!...99
Then the distortion started—rippling outward from the fallen boss like a glitchy vortex.
Pixels bled into each other, collapsing into a black void.
Only one symbol remained, hovering in the darkness.
And then—silence.
A moment later, something crawled out of the darkness.
A skeleton dog.
It crept forward slowly, bones clicking with each step,then stopped and—somehow—wagged its tail.
Arwen stared, half-awestruck, half-weirded out."Okay... that's new."
The creature looked just like a low-poly glitch mob—except more detailed. Realistic. Too realistic.
Curiously, his mouse still worked. He clicked and dragged the skeleton dog like any other in-game object.
When he hovered it over the pulsing symbol, it shifted.
Connecting...99
His eyes widened as the garbled symbols began to realign, rearranging themselves like living code.
He dropped the dog onto the symbol.
Connected...100
"Knew it. Never doubt gamer instinct."
The screen went still. No sound. No movement. Just the strange symbol pulsing faintly beneath the skeleton dog.
Arwen leaned in.
Then the colors began to bleed.The entire screen warped—like a canvas soaked in water—until the image unraveled into blinding white.
His breath caught.
And then everything vanished.
* * *
When Arwen opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was the wind.
Not the low whirr of his desk fan—but actual wind. Cool and fresh, brushing through his hair like a gentle whisper.
The scent of pine, damp earth, and wildflowers filled his lungs. Sunlight poured over his skin, warm and real.
He sat up with a jolt.
No desk. No monitor. No chair. No keyboard.
All gone.
In their place was a forest clearing—quiet and sun-drenched, surrounded by towering trees and mushrooms that glowed faintly with an otherworldly blue light.
"Okay... definitely not my room."
And he was wearing… a noble's outfit?
He glanced down. Deep blue fabric with gold trim. A silver chestplate gleamed faintly in the sun, etched with an intricate crest.
His heart skipped a beat.
The Elmwald crest.
One of the most prestigious noble houses in Runebound Online—the very game he'd just been playing.
His pulse quickened. He reached for the crest instinctively—and nearly stumbled when a semi-transparent blue menu blinked into view.
[Name: Arwen Elmwald]
[Class: Monster Tamer]
[Level: 1]
[Status: Normal]
[Companions: None]
[Skills: Taming Lv.1, Summon Lv.1, Rock Throw Lv.1]
The crest acted like a trigger for the interface.
"Wait... what? Monster Tamer?"
The Paladin class he'd always taken pride in was gone—replaced by something unknown. He'd never seen it before. Not in any patch notes, dev leaks, or data mines.
None of his Mythical gear was here, either.
"What's with this noble outfit? It doesn't even give any stats... just boosts Charisma?"
He examined the elegant attire: deep blue with purple trim—the official colors of the Elmwald family. The same design featured on their flags and architecture in the game.
Then faint golden text shimmered across the menu:
[Class: Monster Tamer]
[A forgotten class lost to the flow of time. Bond with creatures, earn their trust, and let them fight alongside you. Only the worthy may walk this path.]
He stared at the message. "Monster... Tamer? That's not even in the game. I would've known."
He had read everything—every patch note, every obscure lore entry, every datamined asset.
But instead of panicking, a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. He was carefree by nature. And if there was one thing he loved, it was finding something no one else had.
Wouldn't hurt to explore. Might as well enjoy the ride.
This felt like the best kind of dream.
Still, he paused. What if it wasn't?
He stretched his arms and breathed deeply, savoring the realness of it all. The scents, the sounds, the warm soil beneath his boots.
"This feels too real."
His expression turned thoughtful. He had a theory. If this was Runebound, but without game restrictions... he had to play it smart.
Hell Mode. Survival Mode. One mistake and you're dead.
He closed his eyes and whispered his usual mantra. "Focus, and keep a strong will."
Deep breath in. Then out. Gamer mindset: on.
He recalled every map, every mechanic, every hidden interaction he'd uncovered. If this world saw him as Arwen Elmwald...
Then he would play the part.
His heart beat faster—half thrill, half wonder.
Then—a soft clink behind him.
He spun, hand darting to the short dagger at his belt.
A small figure emerged from the tall grass.
A dog.
Or rather... something that had been a dog. Its body was all bone, like the glitch creature before. A skeleton hound about the size of a beagle, its hollow eye sockets glowing faint blue. A worn collar hung around its neck, etched with runes faded by time.
It stopped a few feet away and tilted its head.
He stared.
"...Skele?"
The name slipped out before he could stop it.
There had been no such creature in the game—but something about it felt right. Familiar.
It looked just like the skeleton dog from before the white flash.
Then the system blinked:
[A wandering spirit seeks companionship.]
[Offer: Yes / No]
He hesitated—just for a second—then mentally selected Yes.
A warm light engulfed the creature. New messages scrolled into view:
[You have bonded with: Void Hound]
[Name your companion.]
He grinned.
"Skele. You're Skele now."
The dog wagged its bony tail and padded over, rubbing against his leg.
[New Trait Unlocked: Monster Affinity]
His chest tightened slightly. Not from fear—but from the strange warmth of familiarity.
He found me, Arwen thought. That glitch... Skele must be part of all this.
He knelt down and scratched Skele under the chin—though there was no fur to ruffle.
"Glad to meet you, bud."
Thus began Arwen's journey into the world of Runebound—with a skeleton dog and a forgotten class.
Later that day, he explored the forest, piecing things together.
Everything matched Runebound Online. The monsters. The flora. Even the terrain layout.
He began mapping the area mentally. A river to the west... matched Mebu Lake in Elmwald territory. That gave him a landmark.
But the class "Monster Tamer" had never existed in the game.
And "Void Hound" wasn't in any bestiary.
Skele acted like a loyal dog—despite being made of bones. Arwen chuckled as the hound pounced into a bush and dragged out a squealing, mushroom-like monster.
He tapped the bond command—but nothing happened.
"Guess not every monster wants to be friends."
He unsheathed his starter dagger and helped finish the fight.
[Skele gained EXP.]
[Arwen gained EXP.]
[Skele leveled up to Lv. 2.]
That confirmed it. He could grow stronger by training his monsters.
This changes everything.
Most classes had sluggish early-game progression. But if his summons could level quickly...
He might be able to break the early game entirely.
* * *
That night, he sat beside a stream, watching Skele lap at the water—though the dog had no tongue. He chuckled at the absurdity.
He checked his map. Still blank. But if geography matched, the beginner city of Elloria was about two days' journey.
And near Elloria...
His eyes lit up.
"There's that ruined chapel. It has a secret boss and an unlisted item underneath. Players always argued whether it was just an easter egg or an unfinished event."
This was his chance to test the lore.
If game knowledge still held true, then this world had no limits.
He smiled as the moon rose over the trees. Skele curled up beside him, bones clicking gently with every breath.
He didn't know why he was brought here.
But this world had chosen him.
And he intended to uncover its every secret.