image [https://i.imgur.com/UefyWY0.jpeg]

“Unique!?” Ren exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock as he saw the item's rarity.

A unique rarity item meant it was one of a kind in the entire world. In the game, such items were the rarest and could never be found in any shop. They couldn't be sold, and no one except the original finder could use them.

“I can't believe I found a unique item this early,” Ren muttered, still in disbelief.

He inspected the black orb. It was unlike anything he'd seen before, even in the game.

"I’ve never seen this, not even on the game forums,” Ren murmured. “Was this created when this world became real? Or was it always hidden in the game’s code?”

The confusion was warranted. This item had appeared because Ren had chosen not to follow the scripted event, which meant it wasn't tied to the game’s main storyline.

“This item belongs to this world, but not to the game,” Ren realized. “Which means… this world isn’t following the game’s design completely.”

Ren had already seen plenty of evidence. His Unexistence skill and the many unscripted events. This world was diverging from the game Illustria Chronicles. It was something different now, something more.

“But what caused this world to stray so far from the game?” Ren wondered, a deep frown creasing his brow.

There wasn’t much time for reflection though. He decided to push his thoughts aside for the moment.

Ren picked up the black orb, surprised by its texture.

“It’s so soft,” he remarked, feeling the smooth surface. “I thought it would be rougher, since it’s metal.”

As he studied the orb, something unexpected happened. The black metal began to shift, melting into a liquid state, flowing like water. Ren’s eyes widened as the liquid metal twisted and swirled in his palm, moving with an almost hypnotic rhythm.

“Is this some kind of liquid metal?” He theorized, recalling items in other games with similar properties. The idea of metal transitioning between solid and liquid intrigued him.

Curious, he reached out to touch it again. As his hand neared the metal, it seemed to sense his intent. It surged forward, wrapping itself around his fingers, then his hand, like a living entity. Ren flinched, startled, but the metal didn’t harm him. It continued to spread, encasing him in a smooth, second skin.

For a tense moment, Ren remained still, unsure of the metal’s purpose. But it wasn’t trying to restrain him; it was molding itself to his body. The sensation was strange, but not uncomfortable. It was as if he were wearing a perfectly fitted suit. When it finished, Ren found himself clothed in a sleek black robe with silver accents, the material seemingly absorbing the dim light of the chamber.

He looked down at himself, a grin spreading across his face. “This is incredible,” he muttered, running his hands over the robe, which was cool to the touch and incredibly light.

This was more than just an item, it was a tool, a weapon, and a shield all in one. And, to top it off, it looked amazing. For a gamer like Ren, aesthetics mattered.

“I look like one of those imperial mages,” he said, admiring the design. “But way cooler.”

The best part? The metal remained with him even when he vanished again, confirming his earlier theory.

With his new robe and leather bag, Ren felt more optimistic than he had in a while. As he retraced his steps through the dungeon's corridors, he opened his status screen to read the item’s description once more. One word in particular caught his attention.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Dwarven,” he whispered, narrowing his eyes. “I didn’t expect to see that here.”

Dwarves.

They were one of the three species created by the Goddess Ilis, alongside humans and elves. In ancient times, dwarves, humans, and elves lived in harmony. Unlike the familiar tales of conflict found in books, movies, or other games, Illustria Chronicles described an age where the three races coexisted peacefully. There had been no war, no hatred, only mutual advancement through shared research and innovation.

But according to the game’s lore, something happened just before the Dark Ages. Both the dwarves and elves were wiped out, leaving only humanity. The cost of survival had been steep.

Humanity had endured, but they were a shadow of their former selves. The advancements they had made with the help of the dwarves and elves were lost. Human civilization plunged into decline, its population decimated, its kingdoms shattered, and its technology forgotten. It was, as history called it, the Dark Ages.

“There were no dwarf or elf survivors… at least, not in the game,” Ren murmured, a thoughtful expression on his face.

If this world truly followed the game’s lore, then Ren would never encounter dwarves or elves. But time and time again, this world had proven it didn’t adhere strictly to the game’s rules and design. The Origin Metal itself was proof of that.

“That means... there's a chance. A survivor, or maybe their bloodline, might still exist,” Ren mused.

It was just speculation for now, but even the smallest possibility was enough to fuel his curiosity. If it were true, he had to find out.

After an hour of walking, Ren finally returned to the first arena.

“Hah... I hate walking,” he panted, breathing hard from the exertion. “Really not built for this.”

His legs screamed for rest, but he knew he needed to hurry back to the academy.

“I don’t even see Shiro and his group anymore,” he muttered, leaning against a wall to recover. “They didn’t stop to rest on the way back at all.”

Just as he regained some strength and prepared to move, something yanked him backward.

“Wha—what the hell!?” Ren exclaimed, looking down to see his robe pulling him back.

The Origin Metal, now in the form of his robe, wasn’t letting him move forward.

“Why is it doing this?” Ren wondered, struggling against it. He even tried to remove the robe, but it was stuck fast, as if glued to his skin.

After a few minutes of wrestling with it, he finally gave up. “What’s going on?” he asked aloud, holding onto the fabric. It wouldn’t let him take a single step forward.

As Ren tried to figure out why the metal was behaving this way, the robe tugged him in another direction. Following the pull, Ren’s eyes landed on a familiar sight.

The Dullahan Greatsword, still embedded in the ground where he’d last seen it.

“You want me to go there?” he asked, glancing down at the robe. It gave no response, only continuing to pull him toward the sword.

“Alright, alright. I’m going,” Ren relented, walking toward the massive blade.

When he got closer, he noticed the blue flame that had once lit the sword was now extinguished. It was nothing more than a hulking scrap of metal.

Curiosity piqued, Ren activated his timer and reappeared in the room. He cautiously approached the greatsword, his robe rippling with anticipation. Without much thought, he allowed the metal to extend from his body toward the weapon. The moment they made contact, the metal surged forward, wrapping around the greatsword like a hungry predator.

Ren watched in awe as the metal absorbed the sword. It changed form once again, molding itself into a new shape. When the process was complete, the metal returned to him, but now it had taken the form of a greatsword, sleek, sharp, and gleaming with a dark, almost sinister light.

“Wow, it’s beautiful,” Ren whispered, admiring the weapon’s new form.

The handle of the sword pulsed, a piece of the metal shifting as if beckoning him to grab it. Ren hesitated, confused.

“Wha—are you expecting me to wield this thing?” He asked, staring at the massive sword. “I’d be crushed by the weight alone!”

Despite his reservations, the gamer in him couldn’t resist. Wielding a greatsword was a dream for many players.

“But I suppose I should try it,” Ren said, almost salivating with anticipation.

His hand trembled as he reached for the handle. The Origin Metal surged into his right hand, latching on tightly. With one final breath, Ren hefted the sword, and to his surprise, it was incredibly light. The balance was perfect, and it felt like an extension of his arm, as if it had always been his.

“I can’t believe this,” Ren whispered, eyes wide with wonder. “My own sword!”

With a grin, he swung the blade experimentally. It sliced through the air with a satisfying whoosh. “This... this is amazing,” he muttered, barely containing his excitement.

The sword was almost as tall as he was, but he wielded it with ease, like it was nothing more than a kitchen knife. As he swung the sword near the ground, it effortlessly sliced through the stone floor, leaving a clean cut behind.

“Holy shit, this thing’s dangerous,” Ren said, marveling at the damage.

But he was thrilled. He finally had something to defend himself with, and better yet, he had a sword of his own, fulfilling one of his long-time gaming dreams.

“Oh crap, I need to get back fast,” Ren suddenly remembered, realizing how much time he had wasted.

Sensing his urgency, the metal dissolved back into liquid form, then reformed into his robe.

“Well, that’s convenient,” Ren said, watching the process in awe.

With his business finally done, he hurried back to the academy as fast as he could.