Chapter 2: Races and Runs
The known races of My Journey to My Kingdom were divided into two categories.
Major Races:
Human
Elf
Dwarf
Beast
Demon
Minor Races:
Fairy
Dragon
Mermaid
Giant
Unknown
The reason only nine races were publicly known was simple—the final race remained locked. It would only be revealed after completing the ninth run, something no one had ever achieved.
Each race granted a unique bonus effect. When a run was completed, that racial bonus permanently carried over into future runs, allowing players to stack abilities across multiple races but will disappear when your character dies.
The races also possessed their own cultures and languages, but the permanent bonuses were what truly mattered.
Human — Enhanced learning ability
Elf — Mastery of bows and magic; sensitivity to nature's emotions
Dwarf — Expert crafting, upgrading, and rune inscription
Beast — Superior animal taming, smell, and hearing
Demon — Proficiency in dark magic and emotional perception
Fairy — Access to varied magical effects and the Fairy World
Dragon — Innate magical affinity and understanding of dragons
Mermaid — Enhanced swimming and underwater breathing
Giant — Immense physical strength
However, power came at a price.
With each completed run, enemies grew stronger, smarter, and far more difficult to defeat.
Zane finished creating his character—a Human—and began his journey once more.
A month passed.
Zane became the first person in the world to clear the ninth New Game Plus.
As the victory screen faded in, he leaned back and exhaled.
"Finally," he murmured. "Just one more."
He stood up and stretched, his body aching. For an entire month, he had played nonstop—only pausing to exercise, eat, and shower. Sleep had become optional, even though exhaustion constantly tugged at him.
After showering, Zane left his apartment to celebrate.
He ate at a nearby restaurant, then stopped at a gas station for snacks and drinks before starting the final run.
The energy drink shelf was empty.
Zane asked the cashier, only to be told that the next shipment wouldn't arrive until tomorrow. Normally, he relied on energy drinks to stay awake.
Today would be different.
He grabbed a few alternatives, paid, and headed home, wondering if he could last without them.
Back in his apartment, Zane placed the bags on the and sat down at his computer.
This was it.
He clicked New Game Plus.
The screen shifted.
A wave of exhaustion slammed into him as a new interface appeared, but he forced his eyes open.
NEW RACE UNLOCKED
Zane leaned forward, trying to focus.
Just as he was about to see what appeared next, his vision blurred.
His forehead struck the keyboard.
And everything went dark.
When Zane slept, the room around him turned pure white.
A woman appeared.
She looked down at him, her expression filled with longing.
"Zane…" she whispered softly. "I really missed you. I knew you'd be the first to come this far."
She leaned down and kissed the back of his head.
The moment her lips touched him, Zane vanished.
The woman remained behind.
Her gaze fell upon a photo lying nearby—an image of two people smiling together.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"You still had this…" she murmured.
She clutched the picture to her chest.
And disappeared.