[Ding]

[You have spawned in Beginner Village 000.]

[Village residential limit close to max capacity.]

[Once full, players will be transported to other beginner villages.]

[You can meet your friends from other villages when you reach the cities.]

Lumen found himself near a fountain at the center of the bustling beginner village. The area was crowded, with players chatting excitedly, some waiting for friends to log in, others marveling at the vivid virtual world, and many simply enjoying the picturesque scenery. Lumen was about to lose himself in the beauty of the village when a sudden notification disrupted his sightseeing.

[Ding]

[Registration period ended.]

[Hidden Event: Spending Spree triggered.]

[Hidden Event: Avail the limited-time feature "Add Money" and add the most money to your game account during the registration period.]

[Reward: Innate Talent Evolution Ticket.]

Lumen frowned. "Limited-time add money feature? That’s odd," he thought. In similar games, this feature usually remained available until the end. But his curiosity about what his talent would evolve into—especially since it was already decent—overrode his concern. Without hesitation, he used the ticket.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

[Ticket used.]

[...Analyzing possibilities…]

[...Considering highest stats...]

"Ugh…"

A sharp pain shot through Lumen, knocking him unconscious.

[...Error...]

[...Intrusion Detected…]

[...System Override...]

[...Ding…]

[...3volut1on o9tion founD...]

[...¢oNgratul@tion5! You4 Inn@te t@l£nt has evolve∆...]

[...to 'Mash 'em Together']

[Mash 'em Together: Fuse two items of similar rarity. There are hidden restrictions. Discover them on your own.]

"Ugh…"

When Lumen regained consciousness, he found himself in a dark, unfamiliar place. As he stumbled around, his feet collided painfully with rocks and debris. He deduced that he was in a cave.

After some disoriented wandering, he spotted a faint light ahead. Moving toward it, he reached the cave's exit and was greeted by a tragic scene. A man, shriveled and covered in blood, lay dying. His features were indistinguishable, but Lumen could tell he was a man in his 30s or 40s. The man wore a worn-out Muslim praying cap, a small detail that hinted at his identity and perhaps the hardships he had faced. In his left hand was a bloodstained letter.

Seeing Lumen, the man struggled to speak. Lumen leaned in closer to catch his words.

"...etter..."

"What?" Lumen asked, trying to understand.

"T...ake...letter...r..ead...now—Ugh."

With that, the man took his last breath. Lumen took the letter and unfolded it. The words were scrawled in blood, making it difficult to read. With effort, he made out the message:

"This game is not as it seems. Once you enter, you cannot leave. Death is permanent. Do not trust high-level NPCs. Leave this letter on my corpse—it will burn along with me. We cannot let THEM know."

At the bottom of the letter, it was signed: "By a Beta Tester ."

After reading, Lumen offered a silent prayer for the deceased: "Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Ra Ji'oon."

He did as instructed, placing the letter on the corpse. As soon as he did, the body and the letter burst into flames and burned away completely.

"Ugh…"

Another wave of pain swept through Lumen, and he lost consciousness once more. When he woke up, he was back near the fountain in the beginner village.

"Status," he muttered, pulling up his interface. He scrolled to the logout option.

"So he was telling the truth..." Lumen whispered as the gravity of the situation began to sink in.

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