Wallace stared at his hands—or rather, Dean's hands—unsure if he could really believe what was happening. He was in the body of the "trash character" he had played for years.
The cold air on his skin, the noises of birds and wildlife outside the barely standing hut—it all pressed against him with unsettling clarity. The more he wanted to deny it, the more real it felt.
He was in Dean Mayfest's body.
Wallace began questioning everything again, trying to recount how he had ended up here. He had beaten Helmut, the field-type boss in NOTFH, and then the headache struck. A bright red message had flashed across his vision, saying something about 70% of players reaching the worst ending in the game. Then came the last message—golden, radiant—asking him to reach the True Ending of the Nexus World.
The more he thought about it, the less believable it all seemed. Yet the reality was undeniable: he had transmigrated into the world of Nexus of the Future Heir.
Wallace sighed deeply. He was in deep shit—that much he knew.
From what he could tell, he wasn't in the maxed-out version of Dean. Judging by the ragged clothes and this broken-down hut, this was the very beginning of Dean's story—the place where the player first starts.
Taking deep breaths, Wallace tried to compose himself. What exactly am I supposed to do? Just follow how the story goes?
Before he could think further, a noise outside snapped his attention.
Cautious and confused, Wallace crept toward the cracked window of the hut. Peering through it, he spotted a group of armored men moving through the forest. One barked an order to the others:
"FIND HIM! The brat couldn't have gotten far!"
Wallace grimaced and leaned back against the wall. He recognized this part of Dean's prologue.
Each character in NOTFH had their own introduction sequence—a prologue that taught the player the mechanics while fleshing out their backstory. Dean's began with him on the run, chased by enemy soldiers after looting their camp for food. He would stumble into this hut to rest, only to be discovered and hunted down again.
Which meant Wallace was in a very tight spot. At this stage, Dean didn't know swordsmanship or any combat skills. His only option was to run.
A glowing notification suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Episode 0: Escape]]
Wallace gave it a weak, sarcastic smile. "Thanks for the reminder."
Something whizzed past his ear at blinding speed, embedding itself into the wall. He turned, heart pounding, to see an arrow quivering in the wood. Blood trickled from a shallow cut on his ear.
"Shit…" he muttered.
The soldiers had found him. He could already hear their heavy footsteps pounding through the trees. Without another thought, Wallace burst through the rotten door at the back of the hut.
"I heard something! Quick, it might be the brat trying to escape!" one soldier shouted.
Wallace cursed again, sprinting as fast as Dean's body could carry him. What the hell am I supposed to do? Run forever? Hide? There weren't many hiding spots in this forest.
He had done this scenario countless times in the game, but experiencing it firsthand was entirely different. Fear twisted in his chest with every step.
—-
He ran for what felt like hours, weaving through endless trees. His lungs burned, and his legs felt heavier with each stride. But he couldn't stop—not when they were still on his trail.
Finally, he skidded to a halt. The forest ended abruptly at a sheer cliff.
"…Shit. Shit. Shit."
The abyss below was impossibly deep. There was no way down. Trapped between a cliff and approaching soldiers, Wallace clenched his teeth in frustration. I'm out of options. What am I supposed to do now?
As if in response, another system message appeared:
[The Skill '[Evade] can be used.]
[Evade: Level 0 | Maximum uses: 3 | Cooldown: 20 minutes]
Wallace blinked. Then his eyes widened. Evade? I can use Evade?!
But a problem immediately came to mind. Back on Earth, activating the skill had required precise timing with a mouse and keyboard. He had no idea how to pull it off in a real fight.
"OVER HERE! I SEE THE LITTLE BASTARD!" a soldier roared.
Wallace's pulse spiked. Damn it… I don't have a choice. I'm not jumping to my death.
Steeling himself, he turned to face the armored men bursting through the treeline, fury and malice painted across their faces.
He glanced at the glowing text again:
[Evade: Level 0 | Maximum uses: 3 | Cooldown: 20 minutes]
A nervous smile tugged at his lips.
"…Alright. Time to get some practice in."