That evening, Hana sat in her room, legs crossed, staring at the download screen on her laptop. The game Miho recommended — Valerion Realms — looked like something totally outside her comfort zone. Swords, spells, monsters, levels. She wasn't even sure if she liked fantasy.
But revenge? Yeah. Revenge sounded great.
Installation Complete.
"Alright," Hana muttered, cracking her knuckles, "let's find a virtual boyfriend."
She clicked Create New Account.
Username?
She typed slowly: HanaQuest
Choose Your Class:
Knight. Archer. Mage. Assassin.
She hovered for a second, then picked Archer — fast, sleek, and from what Miho told her, pretty beginner-friendly.
Enter World
A rush of color, a blast of music, and suddenly, Hana found herself standing in a sprawling meadow under a sky that looked more real than reality. Fields stretched for miles. Trees swayed in the wind. Other players ran by, some casting spells, some dueling.
Whoa... this is kind of... beautiful.
Meanwhile, in the same world — though miles apart — Kaito was in a forest clearing, single-handedly demolishing a dungeon boss with sharp, calculated movements. His avatar, SpecterX, wore black armor and wielded twin blades that glowed red.
"Too easy," he muttered, finishing the kill.
His screen flashed:
World Event Starting in 10 Minutes — The Fallen Wyvern
Kaito narrowed his eyes. That event always drew strong players — and plenty of annoying ones too. He figured he'd solo it, as usual. No need for a party. No distractions.
Back in the starter town, Hana was... struggling.
"Wait, why do the sheep keep attacking me?" she cried, running in circles. "I thought this quest said to gather wool not get murdered by it!"
Nearby players laughed, but one of them kindly messaged her and explained how to equip a bow. With some trial and error — and a lot of sheep-chasing — Hana managed to finish her first quest.
A pop-up appeared:
New Quest Unlocked: Join World Event — The Fallen Wyvern
"Huh? What's this?"
She tapped accept without thinking.
And just like that, she was teleported out of town… right into a giant, flaming canyon where a massive wyvern screeched overhead.
Hundreds of players gathered, their weapons ready.
Kaito, already in position, glanced at the new arrivals. Most were high-level. Then, he spotted her.
A Level 3 Archer. Wearing basic gear. Standing awkwardly with her bow upside down.
Kaito groaned. "Great. Another noob here to die in two seconds."
But something — he didn't know what — made him keep watching her.
And for the first time in a long time…
He felt curious about someone in the real world.