The monitor screen on the table flickers, reflecting light onto Nael's face—tired yet full of spirit.
In his dimly lit room, surrounded by piles of instant noodle cups and limited edition game posters, Nael is a king. The king of fantasy MMORPGs. But like a king whose kingdom no longer challenges him, Nael feels empty.
That is why tonight is different. Tonight, he left his throne to become a commoner in a completely new fantasy world.
"World of Destiny," he whispered, the name feeling like a spell on his lips. The game, which was released just two weeks ago, is a global phenomenon.
It's not because of its surreal graphics or revolutionary combat mechanics, but because of its crazy, mysterious premise. A world born from the creation of six gods: the Gods of Light, Darkness, Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth.
They then created the foundation for the manifestation of the world and its contents with the foundation of the 22 Major Arcana Cards. Players don't choose classes or abilities.
They simply design their avatars, press the "Start" button, and let fate—or a highly sophisticated random algorithm—decide everything for them.
Their background, initial abilities, even the city where they appear, are all mysteries. Every beginning is a gamble.
Nael smiled crookedly. He liked gambles.
His fingers danced across the keyboard. The character creation screen appeared. He spent nearly an hour perfecting his avatar.
Jet-black hair like the night with slightly messy blue highlights, sharp sapphire blue eyes, and a firm jaw that radiated confidence.
He created the ideal version of a fantasy hero. Handsome, mysterious, and ready to conquer the world.
Satisfied with his stunning work, he directs the cursor to the most thrilling part: Background and Abilities. Both are locked, displaying the text:
[To be determined by Fate upon entering the world].
"All right, Fate," Nael mutters, adrenaline starting to pump. "Don't let me down."
With one firm click on the [Start Adventure] button, his world turned white.
It wasn't just white on his monitor screen. His entire room, his entire field of vision, was swallowed by a light so bright it felt like it was burning. It felt like being forcibly pulled through the eye of a needle at the speed of light. There was no sound, no sensation, only... dazzling nothingness.
Then, everything went dark.
---
The smell of wet earth, moss, and bright sunlight was the first thing that greeted his consciousness. This was followed by the rustling of leaves blown by the wind and the rough feel of bark pressing against his back.
Nael slowly opened his eyes. The familiar ceiling of his room was gone, replaced by a dense canopy of towering giant trees, filtering the sunlight into golden beams that danced on the forest floor.
"Ugh, where am I... What happened..." he muttered, trying to sit up. He felt every blade of grass under his palms, every muscle in his body.
He remembered playing the game last time. He tried to find the log-out interface in his field of vision, a standard procedure for advanced VR games. There was none.
"Log out," he said hoarsely. Nothing happened.
"Main menu! Options! Status! Help!"
Silence. Only the sounds of the forest answered him.
A chill unrelated to the air temperature began to creep up his spine. Panic began to bubble up in his chest. This wasn't a game. At least, not a game as he knew it.
With a trembling body, Nael stood up. His clothes were no longer the loose pajamas he remembered wearing, but a simple set of clothes—a linen tunic, sturdy cloth pants, and worn-out leather boots. He glanced at the puddle of water near the roots of a large tree and gasped.
The face staring back at him from the rippling water was not his own. It was the face he had created just an hour ago. Black hair, sapphire eyes, a strong jawline. His avatar.
"Impossible..."
That was when a light blue transparent panel appeared in front of him, humming softly. The writing was simple, without excessive embellishment.
[World System Has Recognized New Entity]
> Name: Ars
> Age: 17
> Race: Human
> Class: Wanderer
> Unique Ability: Arcana [The Fool (0)]
> Active Ability: [Arcana Shift]
> Passive Ability: [Unlimited Potential [Probability Manipulation]
Nael—or now Ars—read each line with bated breath. Ars. A name he didn't even choose, simply given to him by the system. Wanderer, a basic class that implied he was nothing, a beginner.
But what caught his attention the most was the line "Unique Ability."
Arcana [The Fool (0)].
He knew about it. From the countless articles and lore videos he devoured before deciding to play *World of Destiny*, he knew that the 22 Major Arcana were the pillars of this world.
They weren't just names for servers or regions. Rumor had it that the Arcana were the true source of power, legendary strength possessed by only 22 individuals worldwide at any given time.
They were the hidden players on the world's chessboard, forces capable of shaking kingdoms.
And he had obtained one of them.
The Fool. Number Zero. The card symbolizing the beginning, ignorance, potential, and... foolishness.
In the game's lore, The Fool was the most unpredictable card. It has no clear power, no definite combat skill. It is a blank canvas. A joke to some, a mystery to others.
"Unlimited potential..." Ars read its passive ability. It sounded great, but in game terms, "potential" was another way of saying "weak at the start."
He has no fire spells, no super sword slashes, not even the ability to sneak.
"And Probability Manipulation...." It sounds too strong and confusing for a passive ability.
And there is only one active ability: [Arcana Shift].
And the description of this ability is just as confusing as its name.
> [Arcana Shift]: Activates one of The Fool's random effects. Cooldown: 6 hours.
"Random effects? Six hours?!" Ars ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. This was a nightmare for him. In an unfamiliar world, an ability that completely relied on luck with such a long cooldown was a disaster. How could he survive with this?
*Grrrrrrrrr....*
A low, deep growl, so low it felt like it was shaking the ground beneath his feet, shattered all his analysis.
Ars froze. Slowly, very slowly, he turned toward the source of the sound. From behind thick bushes about twenty meters away, a pair of glowing red eyes stared at him with pure hatred and infinite hunger.
The figure stepped out of the shadows, and Ars's heart seemed to stop beating.
It was a wolf. But not like the wolves he had seen in zoos or documentaries. This creature was as big as a calf, with jet-black fur that seemed to absorb light.
Its muscles bulged beneath its taut skin, and from its massive jaws, yellow fangs the size of daggers dripped thick saliva. This was a monster. A top predator.
His gamer instincts screamed, analyzing. Gloomfang Wolf. Aggressive Type. High speed, bite attacks that cause bleeding.
He knew the monster. He had watched videos of other players fighting it. But watching it on screen and facing it directly were two very different things.
On screen, it was a pile of pixels that could be defeated with the right button combinations. Here, in this world, it was the real, foul-smelling embodiment of death.
The wolf growled again, baring its terrifying teeth. It crouched low, ready to pounce.
And Ars ran.