After leaving the party behind, Zack made his way back to the starting City, the familiar path offering a sense of calm after the chaos of the Verdant Frontier.
Under the pale glow of the moon, long shadows stretched across the cobblestone streets.
He passed through the City gates, nodding briefly to a few NPCs going about their routines and finally arrived at the central plaza, the designated safe zone.
The area buzzed with casual players completing low-level quests, unaware of the epic battle that had just unfolded miles away.
Finding an empty bench near the fountain, Zack took a deep breath and opened his system menu. "Safe enough," he muttered softly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. With a few quick taps, he logged out, the world fading around him.
The first thing Zack did after logging out was check the time— 7 a.m.
His eyes widened slightly. In-game, he'd been playing for a solid ten hours straight. Shaking his head, he pushed back from the VR capsule.
He left his room. Sleeping wasn't necessary, the VR capsule handled rest automatically but his stomach grumbled insistently. Breakfast, he decided and while he was at it, he'd finish some college work he'd been putting off.
Rin was still deep in his own game, on a different server. He probably couldn't even see all those notifications, Zack thought with a faint smirk.
He headed to the kitchen, stretching slightly, ready to start the morning routine—breakfast, a bit of work and a quiet moment to let the excitement of the VR game Immortals Conflict settle.
***
Zack was raised in the Starlight Orphanage, a simple, slightly neglected establishment located at the city's edge.
His life there was calm, structured and solitary but secure. Having experienced the loss of his parents at a young age, he quickly became self-reliant, adopting a steady, almost aloof personality that would stay with him into his later years.
Among the few guests who frequented the orphanage, one visitor lingered in Zack's memory more than anyone else — Trix, an exuberant little girl full of life and a knack for mischief.
At that time, Zack was about fourteen ( came to orphanage at 10 ), already introverted and reserved, while Trix, at eleven, was a bundle of laughter and trouble. She would storm into the common room like a little tempest, chattering incessantly and bothering the other orphans with games and inquiries.
Zack had often referred to her as a "small brat," someone who seemed oblivious to the concept of tranquility.
Her father, Gerald Vexley, a prosperous philanthropist, consistently contributed to the orphanage and was recognized for his stern personality, the type of man whose mere presence caused the staff to stand taller.
Most people viewed Gerald as strict, demanding and not someone to challenge. Yet, he was different when it came to his daughter.
Because of him, the children enjoyed better meals, new books and occasional outings beyond the orphanage's confines. During those excursions, Trix would show up, always pulling on Zack's sleeve to persuade him to participate in whatever mischief she had planned.
Although he found her antics bothersome, he secretly admired her bravery and vivacity. Zack recalled the exasperated yet affectionate smile Gerald would give Trix when she stirred up a little trouble, a rare glimpse behind his otherwise unyielding facade.
That fleeting warmth, brief though it was, stayed with Zack. Even though Zack was generally withdrawn and didn't often interact with the other children, Trix's presence had been a constant but eventually, her visits reduced until they ceased entirely.
Gerald Vexley had formerly been a friend of Zack's father, one of the rare individuals who didn't know the entire truth but still possessed more information than Zack.
It was Gerald who ultimately revealed to him that his parents hadn't perished in an accident, as the records from the orphanage suggested. Their deaths were tied to something much more sinister, a conspiracy that necessitated changing Zack's name before he was discreetly placed in the orphanage.
From then on, the world had felt a little colder to him. The fake name, the hidden past, it all became a kind of armor. He didn't talk much, didn't trust easily and when he did speak, it was usually with that calm, distant tone.
Life had already dealt him harsh lessons, shaping him into someone who could push past his natural introversion to get things done, no matter the cost.
Shortly after Zack left the orphanage, he obtained a full scholarship to Aether University, gaining admission to one of the leading institutions known for its innovative research.
The institute specialized in neural link technology, AI design and virtual architecture, making it one of the world's leading research universities.
Zack leaned back in his chair, eyes flicking across the glowing lines of his thesis draft. Dozens of data charts and neural response graphs filled the screen, each one neatly labeled, analyzed and cross-referenced. He'd been at it for weeks and now there wasn't much left to refine.
He let out a quiet sigh. "If I just wrap this up now… I could graduate early."
The thought had been circling his mind for days. He had already completed the most of the difficult lifting, while the majority of his classmates were still fumbling through drafts.
Finishing ahead of schedule wasn't impossible, just a matter of choice.
All his credits and research work were long done, he'd overloaded every semester just to get them out of the way.
He stared out the window, morning sunlight spilling into the room. The world outside was calm, but his mind wasn't.
The idea of immediate freedom from academic deadlines. No classes, no lab work, no supervisor meetings, free to focus entirely on something he actually cared about, sounded too good to ignore.
His gaze drifted to the silent VR capsule in the corner; Immortals Conflict waiting, like a world calling him back.
Zack exhaled through his nose, faintly smirking. "Yeah… the sooner I'm done with this, the sooner I can do what I want"
He turned back to the screen and started typing again, faster this time.
"Thesis submitted."
The confirmation window popped up instantly.
There it was: "Submission Successful. Awaiting Advisor Approval."
Zack remained unfazed. He had expected this. The process usually took a few days to a week, first the advisor would review it, then the department would formally approve it for graduation.
For someone like him, who had already completed all courses and credits, this was just a formality.
Zack stood by the fridge for a moment, quickly jotting a short note on a sticky pad.
"Rin, I'm already level 3. Don't slack, level up fast. Breakfast is in the fridge. Don't burn it. Already recorded the gameplay for streaming— now all that remained was editing it— Zack"
He affixed the note to the fridge door, organized and to the point, then headed toward his room. Rin would notice it once hunger struck.
Zack and Rin had already devised a plan to generate some income. Zack had an abundance of recorded gameplay ready; he just needed Rin to edit it, which he just communicated through the note.
The concept was straightforward: begin earning through recorded streaming first and if the demand increased, consider live streaming or selling game gold for real cash. With proper timing, it could lead to substantial earnings.
Moreover, he believed he would be occupied, "trying to get stronger."
It still sounded like a joke something Rin might have made up. But after grilling him about it and getting nowhere, Zack came to a different conclusion: someone who knew about his past had reached out.
And it certainly wasn't Gerald. If it were, Gerald would have told him directly… unless he was concealing something from me...
Zack glanced at the VR capsule, it was time to log back in, he mused.
He adjusted his headset and slid into the VR capsule, the familiar whizzing of the system filled his senses. The interface flickered to life and within moments, the virtual world of Immortals Conflict materialized around him.
He had 15 unallocated stat points ready to be utilized.
With approximately 12 gold coins available, he opted to purchase supplies and gear suitable for his class. A nagging thought in his mind suggested he would require them sooner rather than later.
Zack hurriedly opened the market place auction menu, scanning for equipment that could give him an edge. A few rare swords caught his eye, along with defensive gear that looked promising. Without overthinking, he purchased a couple of items that could come in handy later.
Next, he browsed through materials, some familiar, some completely unknown. A few of the obscure components had no listed use yet but Zack had a feeling they might be valuable in crafting or future upgrades.
Curious, he checked the in-game currency conversion. 1 Gold Coin = $150.
His jaw almost dropped. With fewer regular players able to contribute gold, prices skyrocketed. If nothing else, it told Zack how insanely popular the game was at the moment.
The auction listings glimmered in the air, any player in range could inspect, bid or snag items. He saw skills exclusive to him and some general skill useable by all class just like Adrenaline Rush which he snagged for 80 silver coins.
Most of the other skills were outrageously priced, tagged with random amounts of gold, anywhere from 8 to 20 gold coins, clearly out of his current budget.
Adrenaline Rush – Level 1, increases movement speed and attack by 20% for 10 sec, 120 second cooldown
Sanctuary – Level 1, creates AoE healing zone, heals 50 HP/sec for 6 sec, 1min cooldown
Holy Burst – Level 1, 140% magic damage, chance to blind target for 2 sec, 30 sec cooldown
Blessed Aegis – Level 1, reduces damage taken by 25% for 8 sec, 200 sec cooldown
Storm Mark– Level 1, marks a target to receive 20% more magic damage for 10 sec, 15 sec cooldown
Arcane Surge – Level 1, boosts magic attack by 25% for 30 sec, 1 min cooldown
Mage Skills :-
Fireball – Level 1, 120% magic damage, 3 sec cooldown
Meteor Shard – Level 1, summons a small meteor, 180% magic damage, 18sec cooldown
Fighter / Melee Skills (unusable)
Earthquake Slam
Shield Bash
Feral Strike
Defender / Tank Skills :-
Fortify Wall –
Iron Stance –
Assassin Skills :-
Poison Strike – Level 1, applies 30 damage over 5 sec, 6 sec cooldown
Shadow Veil – Level 1, grants invisibility for 5 sec, 300 sec cooldown
Windstep – Level 1, teleport 5 meters forward, increases dodge 20% for 4 sec, 60 sec cooldown
Archer Skills (unusable)
Quick Shot – deals 120% of user damage and apply equipment effects.
Piercing Arrow – deals 150% of attack and ignore 50% defense of the target.
Zack took the following minutes to purchase everything he could find—common and uncommon gear from levels 1 to 3, reasonably priced skill scrolls for different classes and inexpensive crafting supplies.
Among the skills he snagged were:
Poison Strike, Shadow Veil, Quick Shot, Piercing Arrow, Windstep, Feral Strike and Void Pulse.
Void Pulse, Shadow Veil, and Feral Strike were costly yet powerful skills that he purchased for 5 gold coins. Even though he couldn't utilize it, he believed he could sell it.
The market was too varied when it came to equipment, so he opted to only acquire the less expensive items.
His inventory consisted of a Rusted Dagger, Wooden Sword, Apprentice Staff, Short Bow, Reinforced Leather Armor, Leather Gloves, Leather Boots, Iron Helm, Explorer's Cloak, Wooden Shield and Swift Boots.
Once Zack had filled his inventory, a subtle smile appeared on his face. He proceeded to list each item on the auction house, pricing most of them at four to five times their purchase price while some of the more uncommon skill scrolls were marked up to ten times their original value. With the listings completed, he quickly reviewed what he had gathered, equipping all the items that he could use.
As the weapons, armor, boots and several universal skill scrolls were put on, his stats experienced a noticeable enhancement.
Equipped Item:-
Explorer's Cloak (common) → +10 hp +5 Agility,
Leather Gloves (common) → +10 hp +5 def
Leather pants (common)→ +10 hp + 5 def
Reinforced Leather Armor (uncommon) → +20 HP, +10 Physical DEF
Wind boots lvl 2 (uncommon) → +20 hp , has an option attached that gives +20 agility for 20 second cd 1 min
Leather helmet (common) →+10 hp +5 def
Ring of Minor Vitality →+10 HP, +50% Healing Rate
Title: Pioneer of Loot
+10 HP and +1 DEF per chest opened.
Runeblade Dagger (Uncommon)
Weapon Type: Dagger Magic Attack Power: 30–37
Stats: +10 INT
Zack glanced at his status window, eyes tracing the numbers. A faint, satisfied smile curved his lips—pleased with the upgrades, for now.
[Character Status – Zack | Priest | Level 3]
HP: 300 / 300
MP: 435 / 435
Magic Attack Power: 192.5-199.5 | INT: 65
Stats:
INT: 65
Agility: 5
Physical DEF: 26
Magic DEF: 10(default for priest)
Healing Rate: +50%
New skill gained !
Adrenaline Rush – Level 1, increases movement speed and attack by 20% for 10 sec, 120 second cooldown.
Mana Surge – lvl 1 (Passive) - Increases natural mana recovery by 5%