"Come on, Zack, it's simply a harmless wager!"
Zack felt a wave of regret wash over him the moment Rin began to smirk.
A few moments earlier…
Zack had a face that made people reconsider before interacting with him, sharp eyes and an almost intimidating demeanor. He didn't consciously strive to seem threatening; it came to him effortlessly.
The tousled black hair and that unwavering gaze gave him an aura of someone more familiar with silence than casual conversation.
In a different life, he could have easily been a lone warrior, someone who didn't need words to convey his thoughts.
Sadly, destiny and a certain best friend had different ideas.
"Alright, big guy," Rin said, grinning across the table.
"You lost fair and square. Time to pay up."
Zack reclined in his chair, arms crossed, and gave a flat stare. "You fixed it"
Rin pretended to be innocent. "Hey, I call it strategic brilliance. There's a distinction"
They were situated in the bustling campus café, the clinks of cups and the buzz of conversation filling the atmosphere. Rin was the exact opposite of Zack; chatty, laid-back, a magnet for trouble.
He leaned forward, clearly relishing the moment. "So, as the noble loser, you get to choose your punishment."
Zack let out a quiet exhale. "Go on"
"Option one" Rin declared, raising a finger. You confess your everlasting love to Trix in front of the entire café.
Zack's calm façade nearly faltered. Almost.
"...You're joking."
Rin's grin broadened. "Nope. Option two — create a character and team up with me in Immortals Conflict. You can play the role of my personal healer or something."
Zack's eyebrow twitched.
Rin quickly corrected himself. "Alright, fine, maybe… a supportive role"
"I'd rather punch a raid boss than look after your HP bar"
Rin clicked his tongue, amused. "Sounds to me like option one is your pick," he said, his voice dripping with mischief.
Zack sighed, already feeling as though he'd lost the argument the instant Rin spoke. His silence screamed volumes.
His grin turned devilish. "You're really that afraid of talking to her?"
Zack didn't reply, his gaze drifting to the café window.
Outside, a group of students was passing by and among them was her—Trix, the girl who seemed to be known by everyone on campus.
She exuded that effortless charm that captivated people: a warm smile, soft golden-brown hair and eyes so bright they could halt a conversation in its tracks.
Zack's chest tightened slightly, though his expression remained unreadable.
"I'm not scared. And like I said, we're merely acquaintances." He replied flatly.
"Sure you aren't," Rin said with a smirk. "So, what's it going to be, Mr. Stoic? Public confession or supportive service?"
After a lengthy pause, Zack muttered, "I'll take the support role.."
Rin clapped his hands together. "Fantastic choice! Get ready to embrace the divine"
Zack shot him a look sharp enough to slice steel. "You're enjoying this way too much."
As he rubbed the back of his neck, goosebumps rose as he envisioned himself, a robe-clad healer, surrounded by thousands of players.
Rin's grin didn't just widen, it claimed victory. "This is going to be comedy gold."
Moreover, Immortals Conflict just had its global launch. It's a good time to start.
Zack muttered under his breath, "Yeah, sure. Fun. Healing strangers for the next month."
Rin laughed, completely unfazed. "Everyone's buzzing about it. You should be grateful that I'm pushing you to have some fun."
And that letter you received, the one saying 'if you want answers, rise to the top in the game', that must signify something, right? You're not bad at games anyway, so why not give it a try?"
A part of him had always been curious about his origins; he just wasn't prepared for the dangers that accompanied that desire. And honestly, how bad could a game be... right?
Zack's apartment wasn't large but it thrived, thanks solely to Rin.
Two compact rooms, a kitchen and a shared living area brimming with energy drink cans, tangled headsets and Rin's ever-expanding game library.
The only decoration on the walls featured a large poster of Immortals Conflict, the new VRMMO Rin couldn't stop raving about.
Zack's side was an entirely different reality; orderly, minimalist with everything in its precise spot.
His bed was neatly made, the sheets tucked tightly and his desk was lined with meticulously organized textbooks.
Rin used to jest, "Zack, if cleanliness granted EXP, you'd be at max level already"
Zack didn't mind; he favored tranquil environments. However, at times, when Rin was out, the stillness became overwhelming, reminiscent of the old orphanage.
The steady ticking of the clock, the faint hum of the refrigerator and the soft light spilling through the window painted a silence he knew all too well.
Rin never knew the full story behind Zack, just the parts Zack let slip.
He didn't dig deeper. He simply filled the silence with noise and warmth, turning emptiness into something that almost felt like home.
"Hey, ice cube" Rin shouted. "Do you have any idea when they're coming to set up the VR capsules for us?"
Zack flicked through his phone. "They'll arrive before eight," he replied, then resumed reading about the new game.
Rin hadn't persuaded Zack to try Immortals Conflict just for enjoyment; there was more at stake, something that reached back to Zack's past.
That evening, the apartment felt unusually silent.
Rin had already vanished to watch a tutorial livestream of Immortals Conflict, leaving him alone with the sleek VR capsule humming gently in the corner.
With nothing else to occupy his time, Zack began browsing and stumbled upon a collection of amusing posts.
Tweet 1:
"If this game doesn't let me romance a dragon I'm taking this to court"
DaggerDaddyVR:
"Frame 2: You can see a loot chest. Frame 19: A secret pet? Possibly rideable?"
(screenshot of Black color Wolf)
@_AeltharionMain:
Sold my soul, to prepare for The Immortals Conflict. I'm ready to ascend.
(still waiting for the release tho)
Hey… is it true this game grants one wish? Like an actual one?
Zack's thumb froze mid-scroll. Then he shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
@PreOrderProphet:
When the servers go live, remember me not as a man… but as a Immortal warrior.
The game was already riding a wave of hype and plenty of well-known guilds had already made it clear they were planning to jump in.
Around 8:45 PM, Rin burst through the door. "Come on, log in already! We've got characters to make!"
Zack sighed, setting his phone aside before stepping toward the VR capsule.
A familiar thrill of anticipation coursed through him.
The glossy black helmet settled over his eyes and ears, neural links syncing almost instantly. The real world vanished.
[Neural Link Established]
Welcome, Player. Please confirm your username.
"Zack" he muttered, voice calm and smooth.
Username confirmed. Synchronizing sensory parameters…
Entering The Immortal's Conflict.
"System online" The lid sealed shut, muffling the world outside. A rush of light flooded his vision.
The soft whirring of the VR capsule deepened as the system initialized. Lines of light raced across Zack's vision, forming the sigil of The Immortals Conflict.
Welcome, New Player. Before entering, choose your allegiance.
Two Factions exist in this world —
Light or Darkness
The two emblems floated before him, spinning slowly in the void.
Light Faction — described as defenders of harmony, order and divine energy. Priests, Paladins and Archmage were common among them.
Darkness Faction — a realm of shadows and ambition, where strength and chaos shaped destiny. Assassins, Warlocks and Berserkers thrived there.
Zack studied both silently. The Light side gleamed gold and white, almost blinding in its purity. The Darkness side pulsed in deep crimson and violet, dangerous but alluring.
The rational side of him considered the advantages and disadvantages.
However, he chose the light faction simply because Rin did.
A moment later, his vision faded to black.
Welcome to The Immortals Conflict.
Choose your class.
Six figures appeared before him in a glowing circle, each surrounded by dazzling runes.
The Fighter — raw power, every strike shaking the air.
The Defender — a walking fortress, a human wall of steel.
The Archer — precise and deadly, every arrow a whisper of death.
The Assassin — silent as the void, moving like a shadow's shadow.
The Mage — eyes burning with arcane knowledge, reality bending at a gesture.
And finally: The Priest — a figure clad in white, light circling around their staff like a heartbeat.
A floating panel appeared in front of him:
All new players receive 5 free stat points.
Base stats vary by class and each stat has different scaling for different class
Each level grants +5 points for allocation.
He scrolled through the stat list, reading it carefully, his thoughts running through each stat like a checklist.
Strength — Increases physical damage.
Agility — Improves attack speed, slight movement speed, accuracy, minor attack power and dodge rate.
Vitality — Boosts HP and defense.
Intelligence — Expands mana and enhances magic damage.
Wisdom — Raises mana , magic resistance and strengthens healing capacity.
Luck — Affects critical rate and critical damage( cannot be raised by stat gained though level ups)
Zack wasn't exactly a beginner, just new to playing support.
Back then, Rin had been the one looking out for him, always trying to find some way Zack could make a bit of cash. That's how he ended up in those competitive matches, winning fights for pocket money.
Hopefully the Priest has some decent skill… maybe good advancement options too, he thought.
The letter did say to become strong, priests have strong allies, no?
The game had a full customization panel— faces, voices, even small expressions. Most players used it to make their characters look cool or flashy.
He changed a few details here and there until his character looked calm and distant, just like him, enough to make him hard to recognize compared to the real world.
The User has selected Priest
Loading…: "You have chosen the path of eternal poverty and healing strangers who ignore you"
Zack: "..."
The world formed around him in streaks of color and sound, grass rippling under the wind, sunlight spilling through drifting clouds, the faint chatter of players filling the air.
Spawn point: City of Gaia.
Zack blinked as his vision adjusted.
He stood in the middle of a cobbled street, the air vibrant with activity. Players were everywhere, some shouting about party invites, others comparing weapons, a few already sprinting out of the city gates in excitement.
A faint chime echoed.
Welcome, Player Zack, May the light guide you through the realm of The Immortals Conflict.
He looked around quietly, expression unreadable. "Guide me, huh?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone.
A glowing interface appeared before him, showing his character stats and 5 unallocated points. He scrolled through them once, then closed the menu without touching a thing.
"I'll figure it out later" he said under his breath. "No point wasting them without checking what my class can do"
He opened his map next. Almost the entire thing was blacked out, except for a small glowing circle labeled Gaia City..
The game's site described it as a tutorial region, filled with towns and cities like this one, meant to ease players into the world. Every tutorial zone housed nearly a hundred thousand players, all set to compete, trade and clash over the limited resources scattered across the map.
He thought of messaging his friend, Rin, wondering if they'd ended up on the same server. But no matter how he searched, Rin's profile didn't appear.
Tapping open the Messages panel and switching to the Cross-Server tab.
A dull chime echoed.
Feature locked until Level 10.
He sighed softly. The other chats were fine; common, Local zone chat, private chat and even global chat (server) but the cross-server chat was still disabled.
After closing the chat panel. He brought up the Skill window, curious about what he'd find there.
Skill Unlocked: Heal (Class Starter)
Mana Cost: 10 MP | Cooldown: 5s
Restores small HP to target.
A basic support skill — something he'd expected from a Priest. He tried it, lifting his hand.
A faint golden glow appeared around his palm, soft and warm but it faded quickly.
"Not bad" he murmured as a +40 blinked above him. His HP hadn't even dropped and the tiny bit of mana he spent was instantly restored, probably because he was still in a safe zone.
He looked around once more. The plaza was overflowing with players, chasing NPCs and yelling about loot, quests and equipment.
Suddenly, someone nearby shouted in frustration about their logout option being available. Zack couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
He considered accepting a quest but then opted against it. Noticing the throngs of players gathered around various NPCs.
"Too crowded," he decided. "It's best to gain experience through action."
Stepping beyond the wooden gates of Gaia, the noise behind him faded. The fields outside stretched wide, tall grass swaying gently in the wind.
In the distance, he saw creatures moving among the hills.
Grey boars, wild monkeys.
Low-level mobs, perfect for beginners he reckoned
Grey Boar — Level 1–2
Wild Monkey — Level 2
He looked over his skill list once more, still finding it barren except for Heal. There were no attacking skills or offensive spells.
Nearby, several parties engaged in battle, their laughter and spells illuminating the plains. Zack observed for a moment before turning away and making his way toward the quieter outskirts of the field.
A lone Grey Boar (Lv.2) scratched at the ground a short distance away, its tusks shining in the sunlight. He tightened his hold on the basic wooden staff provided by the system.
"Let's find out if a Priest can handle this alone," he remarked, a faint smirk appearing on his lips. Then he advanced, causing the boar to turn and snort aggressively as the fight commenced.