"Alright, checklist time! We have exactly one hour before Ast ges the world forever, and I refuse to have our names go down in history as the dumbasses whot to plug in their VR pods."

  Elias stood in the middle of the apartment, arms crossed, clipboard in hand (Rael had no idea where he even got a clipboard). He tapped the paper with unnecessary seriousness, squinting at Rael like a disapproving drill sergeant.

  Rael, meanwhile, rawled on the couch, one arm draped over his face, barely reag. "We installed them yesterday. Everything's fine."

  Elias scoffed. "Yeah? That's what every horror movie protagonist says before their VR pod turns into a human blender."

  "That's not a thing."

  "Yet," Elias muttered.

  Rael sighed, pushing himself up. The two VR pods took up most of the living room space, sleek and futuristic, their surfaces refleg the neon city lights seeping through the window. Installing them had been a pain—not because it was difficult, but because Elias kept treating it like assembling an a artifact.

  "Pod calibration?" Elias asked, flipping a page on his clipboard.

  "Done," Rael answered.

  "Power supply?"

  "Stable."

  "I e?"

  Rael rolled his eyes. "Fiber-optic. We're not cavemen."

  Elias gave an approving nod before dramatically underlining something. "Alright, up: essential survival provisions."

  Rael cracked open one eye. "...Really?"

  Elias held up a finger. "Excuse me, but do you want to wake up eight hours ter in a post-apocalyptitasy war zoh nothing but regret and low blood sugar?"

  "We don't need snacks. The pods e with built-ih packs that provide full daily nutrition while we're inside."

  Elias blinked. "Wait. So you're telling me I didn't have to spend fifty buergency gamer fuel?"

  "You did what?"

  "Nothing." He quickly scratched something off his clipboard.

  Rael shook his head. "Also, remind me why you have a pod? You're ly the 'serious gamer' type."

  Elias grinned. "Oh, that's easy. Because of you."

  Rael raised an eyebrow.

  "Look, if I let you go in alone, you'd turn into some brooding warlet lost in the game for years, and e out with a beard and a tragic backstory. I'm here to prevent that."

  "How noble."

  "I knht?" Elias puffed out his chest before dramatically tossing his clipboard onto the table. "Alright! tdown's o's do this."

  Rael stared at the pods, exhaling slowly. The past few days had been a blur, but now? Now it was real.

  One hour until Ast.

  N back.

  With an hour left until unch, Rael leaned ba the couch, scrolling through the game forum on his phohe developers had opehe discussion boards 24 ho, and in that time, pyers had already flooded the pce with theories, debates, and pletely unhinged specution.

  Elias, sprawled across the couch beside him, munched on a protein bar despite knowing full well the VR pods would haheir nutrition. "Yo, anything good?"

  "Depends on your definition of 'good,'" Rael muttered, flig his thumb across the s.

  -> Thread: Best Css to Pick at Launch?

  -> EpicGamer420: Alright, real talk—what's the best css?

  -> KnightmareXX: Easy, Knight. Heavy armor, big sword, no thinking required.

  -> FireballEnthusiast: Nah, Mage. Always Mage. Every game starts with Warriors being OP, then they hem and Mage takes over.

  -> StealthPigeues are best. Imagine assassinating some dude in the middle of his epiologue. Peak gamepy.

  -> 2Hot4PvP: Okay, but hear me out: Bard. Charisma builds. I'm about to serenade my way into enemy strongholds.

  -> GigaDruid69: What if we all just touch grass and go Druid?

  Rael smirked. Cssic gamies.

  Ahread caught his eye.

  -> Thread: What role are you guys rolling for?

  -> MeatShieldSupreme: Tank, obviously. Someone has to carry you gss ons.

  -> AreLover: DPS, I don't tank. I don't heal. I kill things.

  -> StealthPigeon: Still going Rogue. If I die, I die in style.

  -> DaddyDarkness: Gonna rolepy as an evil overlord and crush some peasant vilges. My reign shall be eternal!

  -> CrimsonMoon[Moderator]: And you shall be eternally bonked if you try that.

  -> DaddyDarkness: Welp.

  Rael exhaled through his nose. Some things never ged.

  And then, just as he was about to close the app—

  -> Thread: Character ization is INSANE

  -> HornyOnMain: You ize EVERYTHING. I mean, EVERYTHING. If you catch my drift.

  -> BootyBandit69: Bro, I will spend two hours on thighs alohis game is peak gaming.

  -> LewdLich: Finally, a game that lets me live out my true form. Thank you, teology.

  -> CrimsonMoon[Moderator]: Banned.

  -> HornyOnMain: WAIT NO—

  Rael blihen exhaled sharply through his nose. "Wow. I missed this, huh?"

  Elias gnced over. "What now?"

  "Some guy got banned mid-sentence."

  Elias wheezed. "LMAO. Cssic."

  Rael shook his head and put his phone down. Ast hadn't even unched yet, and already, the unity was as chaotic as ever.

  He tinued scrolling through the forums, occasionally reading out the more absurd posts to Elias, who cackled like a maniac at eae.

  "Dude, listen to this," Rael said, trying to keep a straight face. "Some guy just posted: 'If I die in the game, do I die in real life?'"

  Elias choked on his protein bar. "Bro thinks this is a certain anime."

  Rael snorted. "Someone replied, 'Yeah, your pod explodes on the spot.'"

  Elias clutched his stomach. "Oh my god, the i was a mistake."

  They kept at it, boung off each other like they always did. Elias might not have been a pro, but his enthusiasm fames was tagious. The hype, the specution, the absolute nonse all felt nostalgic. But as the clock crept down, the atmosphere shifted

  At five mio unch, a loud chime echoed through their pods, signaling the final system check.

  Rael cracked his neck, standing up. "Alright, guess it's time."

  Elias stretched dramatically before climbing into his pod. "So, what's the pn? We making a guild? Running the world? Deg ourselves kings on day one?"

  Rael smirked. "Nah. I just eriehe game raw first."

  Elias groaned. "You're so me, man."

  "You're free to do whatever," Rael said, stepping into his own pod. "But I'm not about to get caught up in power struggles before I even know how the game pys."

  Elias made a face but didn't argue. "Fine, fine. But when yret not f 'The Fool's Fellowship', don't e g to me."

  Rael rolled his eyes as the pod's hatch slid shut.

  3 minutes remaining.

  A system voice echoed in his ears.

  [Neural Synitiated.]

  [Preparing for Full Dive.]

  Rael took a deep breath.

  For a moment, there was nothing. Then, his visio white.

  A voice—smooth, artificial, and strangely om—filled the void around him.

  "Wele, Traveler, to Solmora: Ast. You stand ohreshold of a world beyond imagination, a nd where fate is shaped by your choices. Glory, power, and legend await—but beware, for every path is fraught with peril."

  As the brightness faded, Rael found himself floating in an endless expanse of shifting light. Geometric patterns wove through the air, reshaping themselves into abstract symbols before dissolving again. He instinctively tried to move, but his body felt weightless, like a phantom without form.

  "Before you may step into the world of Solmora, you must first take shape. Choose the vessel through which you will fe your destiny."

  A circur interface materialized before him, glowing with a, runic script. A sele of six figures emerged, each standing atop a raised ptform, the defining gear of their css. Their titles flickered beh them i, golde.

  Ranger → Masters of precision and agility, Rangers wield bows and crossbows to strike from afar. They excel in mobility, trag, and terrain adaptability, making them deadly hunters in the wild.

  Warrior → Armed with sword and shield, Warriors are the bae of any battlefield. They boast high endurance, banced offense and defense, and withstaless assaults.

  Mage → Schors of the are, Mages and elemental forces to devastate their eheir power is vast, but their frail bodies demand careful positioning in battle.

  Rogue → Striking from the shadows, Rogues specialize in speed, stealth, ahal precision. They thrive in one-on-one bat, eliminating foes before they have a ce to react.

  Barbarian → Brutality inate, Barbarians fo armor in favor of raw, overwhelming strength. They wield massive ons and thrive iless, high-impabat.

  Tempr → Devout warriors imbued with divine power, Temprs blend martial skill with sacred magic. They serve as stalwart defenders, capable of both smiting foes and shielding allies with holy blessings.

  Rael's gaze swept over the choices, taking iails. The designs were impressive—ornate armor, flowing robes, and ons that looked like they had actual weight to them. Even though this was just the startiion, the game had already he immersive feel.

  He thought about it, eyes narrowing as he sidered his options.

  Tempr. It was the obvious choice. A solid, banced css that would give him survivability, utility, and a strong early-game presence. Plus, the blend of martial and divine abilities meant he wouldn't be easily tered. More importantly, it left room for something greater. He had no i in following a ventional path. There were always hidden meics, unique evolutions—ways to bend the game in dires others wouldn't anticipate.

  Besides, base csses weren't the end. He had already noticed something ierface—subcss paths. Warrior could lead to Knight, Ranger could branto Hunter or Scout, and even niche choices like Bard existed. That meant Tempr had its own evolutions. Padin? Crusader? Something else entirely? He had no way of knowi, but that was exactly what made it iing.

  "Tempr," he said firmly.

  The moment he spoke, the figure oform straightened, light enveloping its armor. The interface pulsed, reizing his choice.

  "Aowledged. You have choseh of the Tempr. Now, select your race. Be advised: most of Solmora is dominated by the Order, and your choice will impact your early-game experience."

  A new set of options appeared before him, each depig different races—elves, dwarves, beastkin, even the more exotic demonid alien beings. Yet, Rael barely spared them a gnce.

  "Human," he answered without hesitation. The safest, least plicated route. He could explore ter, but for now, he o establish himself within the world as smoothly as possible.

  "Human firmed. Now, ehe name by which you shall be known."

  A text box appeared before him, its lumi letters waiting to be filled. He stared at it, fingers h over the input field. A name. A simple thing, yet ohat carried weight.

  A memory flickered in his mind.

  A r crowd. A stadium bathed in neon lights. Voices screaming a name over and over, a t that echoed in his ears.

  "Aureus! Aureus!"

  His old tag. The hat had once meant everything. A hat carried victories, expectations, and burdens he no longer wanted.

  Rael inhaled deeply and typed something new.

  Noctus.

  The past was gohis was a fresh start.

  "Name firmed. Wele, Noctus. May your path in Solmora be one of legend."

  A chime echoed as the system accepted his he space around him began to , colors blending into streaks of gold and deep violet. The void crumbled away, revealing a breathtaking panorama.

  A vast sky stretched endlessly above, painted in shades of dusk and dawn. Gryphons soared through the clouds, their wings casting enormous shadows over an a city built atop floating isles. Belorawling medieval metropolis gleamed uhe m light, its t spires refleg the radiance of the sun. Beyond the city, rolling fields and mist-cloaked forests stretched toward the horizon.

  A soft, melodic female voice rang in his ears.

  "Wele to Solmora."

  The world had begun.

  Rael opened his interface, sing the friend list. The game had only just started, a, he already kly what o search for.

  Chad_God.

  Elias had been using the same ridiculous username for years, pletely immuo any sense of shame. Sure enough, the name popped up instantly. Rael sent the request.

  [Friend Request Sent to: Chad_God]

  Almost immediately, a response arrived.

  Chad_God: who's this?

  Noctus: It's me.

  A flood of gag stickers followed—g ughing faces, exaggerated thumbs-ups, and a cursed image of a goblin dabbing.

  Chad_God: BRO UR SO EMO. THE EDGE. I FEEL IT.

  Noctus: Shut up.

  Chad_God: NO FR THO. "NOCTUS"??? HELLO??? WERE U BITTEN BY A VAMPIRE MID-LOGIN??

  Noctus: I will block you.

  Chad_God: U WILL NEVER ESCAPE ME. ACCEPT MY PARTY INVITE.

  Rael sighed. Some things never ged.