ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝟜: ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔯 ℭ𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔞𝔫𝔡 ℑ𝔫𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔢 𝔗𝔞𝔩𝔢𝔫𝔱

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Leon helped his father onto the bed, then carefully positioned the helmet on his head. The cool padding inside wasn’t stuffy or restrictive; instead, it was soothing, the chill against his skin almost refreshing, and the helmet’s weight so light it was barely noticeable.

“It’s a bit loose,” Noel muttered, frowning.

“Give it a second,” Leon replied, his voice tinged with anticipation. “The recalibrating tech is about to kick in.”

As they waited, the helmet’s padding began to shift subtly, adjusting to the exact contours of Noel’s head. It wasn’t just fitting; it was as if the helmet were tailoring itself specifically for him. The padding moved with precision, achieving a snugness that felt more natural than restrictive

There was no stuffiness, no discomfort—just a cool, refreshing sensation, as though the helmet was blending seamlessly with his body.

Noel’s eyes widened, curiosity edging into astonishment as the fit locked perfectly into place. Before he could voice his thoughts, a soft, almost childlike voice whispered within the helmet, gentle enough to be mistaken for a distant memory. “Voice recognition sequence initiated.”

The helmet’s response was instant, “Voice confirmed,” it chimed. The abruptness of the response left Noel momentarily stunned.

Sensing his father’s surprise, Leon reassured him. “One word is all it takes to register your voice and lock the helmet to you. Once you log in into the game, it will be synced to you and no one else can use it.”

Noel nodded in understanding. Moments later, crisp text appeared on the helmet’s display, instructing him to read the command that would transport him into ALTER REALITY.

Noel glanced at Leon. “Will we meet after I create my character?”

“We can, but only in a safe zone,” Leon explained. “You’ll have to clear the First Instance before that.”

Noel inhaled deeply, letting the information settle. “Alright then,” he said, his voice firm with determination. “Let’s do this.”

His heart pounded with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension as he focused on the command. “Initiate Drift,” he said, and with those words, the world around him began to dissolve.

As soon as Noel spoke the activation command, the helmet responded instantly. A soft hum filled the room, and the device’s streamlined surface lit up, as though energy was coursing through it. Noel’s vision blurred, the familiar surroundings of his room dissolving into encroaching darkness.

Then came a sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced—he was floating in a weightless void, free from all physical constraints. The darkness shifted, giving way to shapes and colors that slowly emerged, coalescing into something tangible.

Noel found himself drifting in a shimmering, silver-gray expanse, though he quickly realized he had no physical form. He was a consciousness suspended in a strange, ethereal void, without weight or substance. Below—or perhaps around—him stretched a smooth, mirror-like surface that rippled subtly like liquid mercury, responding to his thoughts as if the very ground was aware of his presence.

Above, the sky unfolded into a swirling tapestry of deep blues and purples, streaked with glowing lines resembling constellations forming, breaking apart, and reassembling. There was no clear boundary between sky and ground—just an endless blend of color and light.

As he marveled at the view, a holographic display flickered to life in front of him, its crisp lettering detailing his first objectives.

* Welcome to ALTER REALITY.

* Choose your character's appearance. Your face will remain the same as in the real world. You can only choose the body type.

Noel’s attention shifted to several panels hovering before him, each showcasing different body types—ranging from stocky and bulky to sculpted, almost impossibly fit. The options spun slowly in place, waiting for his choice. His eyes lingered on the variety, from a stout, thickset build to a figure so ripped it bordered on absurdity. But one caught his attention: a lean, muscular physique that reminded him of how he used to look before his body began to betray him.

A flicker of nostalgia surfaced. Before the accident, before five years in a wheelchair reshaped him into someone he barely recognized, he had been in his prime.

The softer, heavier version of himself now wasn’t who he wanted to be remembered as—not in this world where he had a choice. He selected the lean, athletic build without hesitation, feeling a surge of satisfaction as he looked at the chosen panel.

It was strikingly similar to his younger self—the firm lines, the defined muscles—but with the subtle marks of time visible on his unchanged, aged face.

The next prompt appeared, asking him to choose a name. There was a catch, though: his first name would remain ‘Noel,’ fixed like an anchor to reality. Only the last name could be customized, with the restriction that no numbers or special characters were allowed.

As he mulled it over, a name surfaced from his racing past: Veloce.

Back during his most triumphant race at the Italian Grand Prix, the commentators had dubbed him Noel Veloce for his lightning-fast maneuvers, where each move was executed with perfect timing and unwavering confidence.

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In Italian, Veloce meant ‘swift,’ but it carried deeper significance—effortless speed paired with razor-sharp focus. It was everything he aspired to reclaim, a reminder of the peak version of himself that he still believed existed.

Once it was confirmed that no one had taken the same name, it was finalized, bringing him to the next step. A giant spinning wheel materialized, divided into four distinct sections:

ELEMENTAL CATEGORY, WEAPON CATEGORY, MARTIAL CATEGORY, and VARIANT CATEGORY.

Within each section, there were even more specialized details, each further divided into segments.

ELEMENTAL: Fire Innate Talent, Water Innate Talent, Wind Innate Talent, Lightning Innate Talent, Earth Innate Talent, and more.

WEAPON: Sword Innate Talent, Spear Innate Talent, Saber Innate Talent, Bow Innate Talent, Dagger Innate Talent, and more.

MARTIAL: Iron Body Innate Talent, Physique Innate Talent, Muscle Expansion Innate Talent, Bone Reinforcement Innate Talent, and more.

The VARIANT CATEGORY, however, was different. The options within it seemed endless, constantly shifting and morphing so rapidly that Noel couldn’t focus on any of them, making it feel like a blur of unpredictable possibilities.

As soon as he went through what was on the wheel, another display popped up.

* Initiating the random draw to determine Drifter Noel Veloce’s Innate Talent.

Immediately, the wheel began to spin, glowing with vibrant colors as it prepared to seal his fate. Noel watched with bated breath, wondering which category would determine his path. The arrow slowed down, hovering over the Martial Category.

For a moment, he was certain that would be his draw, but then—almost teasingly—the arrow edged forward just a little more, crossing the boundary and landing in the Variant Category by the smallest margin.

* You have received an Innate Talent from the VARIANT CATEGORY: ⧼Grade-5⧽

* Grades range from 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

* This Innate Talent is permanently fixed and cannot be changed, even if you attempt to use another device. Additionally, a new Drifter account cannot be generated anymore.

A sense of unease settled in his gut. Liability? Of all things… A Grade-5 was painfully average, but the name stung even more. It carried a weight he wasn’t ready to bear.

‘I was already a liability in the real world—am I one in this game too?’ The thought gnawed at him, a bitter reminder of the years lost to his condition.

Before he could spiral deeper into frustration, the screen prompted him to think of the command ‘Status’ to open his Status Screen.

Noel exhaled slowly, trying to quell the rising tension in his chest. Steeling himself, he did as instructed, hoping to find some clarity about the so-called Innate Talent.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ STATUS ﴿

Name: Noel Veloce | Age: 42

Race: Lesser Human ⧼Male⧽

Level: N/A | Tier: N/A

Life Energy: 25/100

Strength: 10 | Agility: 10

Vitality: 10 | Endurance: 10

Spirit: 10 | Luck: 12

Health: 100/100

Stamina: 50/50

Spirit Energy: 50/50

Undistributed Stats: 0

INNATE TALENT:║LIABILITY║⧼ Locked ⧽

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

* Except for Luck, every other Attributes starts from a base stat of 10—the same for every Drifter.

* Each Attribute affects different aspects of your performance and can be improved by allocating Stats earned through leveling up. They will be explained in detail when you have Undistributed Stats at hand.

* Drifters need to kill a monster to unlock their Innate Talent.

* In 3 seconds, your consciousness will merge seamlessly with the virtual body you selected and you’ll be sent to the First Instance, where you must either survive for 12 hours or kill 100 monsters to clear it.

* Remember: This world only rewards those who adapt quickly and fight fiercely.

* Welcome to the grind—outlast, outfight, and carve your path.

* Initiating First Instance…. 3..… 2..…1.....

As the countdown ticked away, a sudden, desperate thought flashed through Noel’s mind. “Wait—does this mean I’ll be able to walk again?”

There was no response. The question lingered unanswered for just a moment before the countdown hit zero.

Before he could even process the lack of an answer, everything around him blurred and twisted. The surroundings vanished into darkness, pulling him into the unknown, his words left hanging in the silence.