On the final day before the shutdown of his favorite game's server, Reyes chose to witness its last moments within the virtual reality world. He logged in as his main character avatar and closed his eyes, hoping to savor the bittersweet end.
Never having maxed out his character yet, Reyes was one of the few players who had selected the game's almost impossible race, made up of many different character races. Even among players of the same character race, he managed to reach the upper levels of beginning to max out his character set and still ranked in the lower top high-level charts. He was famous for this achievement. He was the weakest of the high-level global players, yet now it amounted to nothing. However, a sudden heart attack struck him in his pod, and he collapsed, lifeless.
A ghostly white ball engulfed in light, a transcendent-like fluffy, jolly, cute little thing smiled at him. It seemed confused yet happy.
"Last week of Grand Stori Online, they say," Reyes mused, surveying the ruins of an old building site. "Servers shutting down on Monday at midnight. Players won't be able to access online shops this week or log online. No character updates or changes will be added; all things will be permanent. Yet, I'm playing right now, and I'm seeing all these new things..."
The white glowing ball of light smiled. "You're strange one. Well, then, will you accept me? I am a Wisp of the Travelers. I am sure you've heard of us."
"Huh?" Reyes said, puzzled. The Wisp floated closer, its glow intensifying. He tried accessing his system menu, hoping to find answers. To his surprise, everything seemed functional. His inventory, skills, and stats were intact. Yet, the world chat was eerily silent, except for the persistent icon in green, "(1) Player Online".
Reyes squinted at the Wisp. "So you're some advanced reactive AI? Very interesting, how realistic? This isn't just some weird update, beta stuff, or mod?"
The Wisp bobbed up and down. "Uh, okay. I am Nex, a Wisp created by the embers of Travelers, eons ago. And yes, this is as real as it gets. You've been chosen, Xela."
"My Userna-wait, Chosen for what?" Reyes asked, struggling to his feet. "And why do you keep calling me Xela? My name is Reyes."
Nex giggled, a soft musical sound. "Names have power here. You cannot lie to me. I know it as I do your whole past history, and your brother's scarcity offering to the gods to make you a Sepherim."
"As for what you've been chosen for, you are now the Chosen, tasked with wielding the mantle of the Travelers before you. It's a great honorary achievement. You're a lucky one. We Wisps don't find gems worthy to bound ourselves to. Be glad and be proud to have this opportunity." Nex replied as she seemed worried for about him for some reason. Having no arms or feet, but simply simple line-art eyes and mouth, some emotional expressions still crossed over enough to be deciphered.
Reyes frowned, trying to process everything. While during her ranting of the introduction, the little wisp that could fit in his palms, he was still checking and trying to access further settings in his system. Which it couldn't see, and had learned that now he couldn't log out! "So, I'm stuck here? In this... game world? And what's this mantle of the Travelers you keep talking about?"
Nex floated to his left shoulder, her light illuminating Reyes's face. "The mantle of the Traveler is a grand power, and a great responsibility. The Travelers once protected and guided this world. Now, that duty falls to you. But first, we need to get you oriented. Make a bonding pact with me to initiate our relationship and endeavors to come (sigh)."
"This is crazy. Screw it. So, where do we...start?" Reyes asked, with determination or rather curiosity creeping into his voice.
"First, you need repeat after me, 'I, Nex and Xela make this pact to become a singular vessel, with the authority charged upon us by the essence of the Travelers's Void to make forthright choices for Storia.'" Nex replied.
In unison as they both said those phrases, suddenly, the Wisp disappeared, and he felt dizzy, collapsing to the ground. As reality started to close in, he remembered he had just had a heart attack. Flashes of his previous life flickered in his mind, and he began to understand—this was another life! One that felt like a game, but it was not!
**
When Reyes, now Xela my in this strange world, opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on the ground. The skies were like those he knew back in his favorite VR game. He sniffed and touched the ground, it was at settings he had never played on.
The cold stone beneath him was unmistakably too real, unlike anything he'd ever experienced in the game. The sun was rising, casting long shadows over the ruins of the old building site he had landed in.
He slowly sat up, rubbing his head. "What the hell just happened?" he muttered to himself.
The white glowing ball, the Wisp, hovered in front of him, pulsating gently with a warm light.
"You're awake," the Wisp said in a cheerful tone. "Glorious to your new reality, Xela."
Reyes glanced around, noticing the vibrant life around him. Beyond the forest, he moved to see a small village with activities waking up the day. They seemed rather autonomous as the game was, yet something's weren't quite lifeless and preprogrammed as he'd seen a million times over.
NPCs—no, people—were going about their business, stating to build structures, tending to the wounded, and patrolling the perimeter. This wasn't just a game anymore; it was a living, breathing world.
Reyes, still grappling with the surreal turn of events, took in his surroundings once more in a daze of realization. The encampment below the forest hills buzzed with activity, NPCs performing tasks with a lifelike quality that was unimaginable in the original game. The realization struck him hard—this was not merely a continuation of the game. It was a new reality where the boundaries between the virtual and the real were blurred.
He tried accessing his system menu, hoping to find answers. To his surprise, everything seemed functional before was gone. Him waving his gestures and mentally speaking to invoke the system. It never appeared! His inventory, skills, and stats that were intact, now gone!
"Am I the only one here?" he wondered aloud. His voice echoed back, reinforcing his solitude. The Wisp reappeared, hovering beside him, radiating an aura of warmth and comfort.
"You are in a unique position, Reyes," the Wisp explained. "This world, though born from the game sense you knew, is now a living, breathing reality. You were chosen by me before, because I sensed you had the soul essence to handle mine."
This wisp had changed its tone of condescending to one of servitude, it respectively spoke carefully and clearly to Reyes, that he seemed taken back, "Please experience it as before, because of your dedication to your own passion and unique standing. I believe I made the best decision of my entire existence, please make Storia right again. I know how much you love it. Do it again for these people."
"...But what about my previous life? My friends? My parents, my brothers, my fiancé. How do I get back?" Reyes's voice trembled with a mix of fear and curiosity.
Nex kept quiet as it didn't respond to the questions, it appeared apologetic and saddened to see him that way that it merely stayed motionless.
Reyes took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the Wisp's actions he'd thrown upon it. The encampment, once a familiar in-game location, now felt like anew adventure to see. He decided to put his personal emotions away to pursue the new life he had.
He stood up, brushing the dust off his grey-black armor, and took his first steps into the unknown down the hill.
**
"So, the union that happened gave you my memories?" Reyes asked the wisp, watching as it nodded or shook its body in response.
During the journey down the winding path, Reyes had started to learn the basic principles of this new world. Nex, his wisp, had a vast but ancient understanding of the world. It lacked knowledge of the current historical events or geographical details. Reyes realized that to truly understand this world, he would need to interview its inhabitants. He needed detailed information on the ruling class politics, the geography, the various class types, and ways to make a living.
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As they exited the grassy fields and approached a small village, Reyes saw two guards standing by the entrance. He approached them but quickly realized there was a language barrier. Just as confusion started to set in, Nex floated closer and imprinted the common language into Reyes's mind. The sensation was strange, but suddenly, the guards' words became clear.
"You can't just walk into our village," one guard said sternly. "Nomads need permission from the chief."
Reyes, now understanding, nodded. "How do I get this permission?"
The guard pointed to a small hut near the entrance. "Visitors without a pass must wait until the chief is available. It could take days, sometimes weeks."
Reyes sighed but thanked the guard. As he walked towards the hut, Nex whispered in his mind, reminding him of the patience required in this world. Inside the hut, a villager handed him a waiting list. Reyes signed his name down not as "Xela," but another an alias he decided to use in this unfamiliar place.
The village itself was quaint, with thatched roofs and dirt roads. Children ran around playing, and villagers busily went about their daily chores. Reyes watched them, noting the simplicity yet efficiency of their lives. He found a spot on a bench under a large oak tree and sat down to wait.
"What's our next move?" Reyes asked Nex, his mind already racing with plans.
Nex floated around him, glowing softly. "First, we gather information. Then, we find allies. You can't navigate this world alone."
Reyes nodded, appreciating the wisp's wisdom. As he waited for his turn to meet the chief, Nex looked at him carefully before asking a question.
"What?" Reyes interrupted the wisp, noticing it quickly turn away.
"Why NobieZomAngle24? It's not...your true name. It's cringy, don't you want to put a different name, remember I said before names have power in this world, no players as you know since they are all 'offline', no humans would have any idea," Nex stated logically, staring at him intently.
"It's a hope that maybe someone who knows that name may recognize me. I was famous before, so I'll try to leave as many breadcrumbs for anyone who is a player," Reyes replied mentally.
"Hmm. It's a hope for both of us then." Nex replied embarrassingly.
His high-quality armor, perfect skin, and symmetrical face drew quite a bit of attention. Yet, none dared to approach him due to his 'aura' of nobility. Even the guards seemed more alert around him.
"Why are they like this? Everyone seems on edge around me," he questioned his wisp.
Nex giggled. "To others, you're very handsome and exude a strength that seems to suffocate those of lower levels. To them, it feels like they have a fire close to their skin, yet they can't see it. You should learn to suppress your half-released aura."
"Okay. Tell me or show me, maybe do that thing you did with the guards," Reyes commanded, sounding bored. Nex felt annoyed but obedient to its master.
"I'll imprint the memory of how to do it. While you're working on it, I'll go to rest," Nex replied.
"No, I still have one more question. Actually, a lot. So you'll stay until I no longer rely on you," Reyes said firmly. Nex kept quiet.
"Understood. What is the question? Do know I also need rest. We wisps recover fast—an hour is good enough for a day," replied Nex.
"Okay. My first question is, what lore is known to this world about my race? I know this world, or the game, had no other races but human-hybrid types. Is that true?" Reyes inquired, staring at the wisp, which nodded in response.
He began understanding how to suppress his aura. Unconsciously, he was already doing it, which made Nex fear the talent he displayed even without the system anymore.
"Ahem, yes. Human-hybrid only. The details you know from the game are very specific. In this world, it's more folklore," Nex continued to explain.
"In the ancient annals of the world, many recount legends of a Sepherim, born from the sacred rites of a twin's selfless sacrifice."
"It is said that to forge a Sepherim, one's blood twin kin must offer themselves to all the gods, transforming their own kin into this rare race."
"Endowed with mysterious magic, neither of light nor dark, a Sepherim walks a path of neutrality. Their power is unmatched the longer they live passively to the world's flows."
"Due to all gods participating in the creation process, no blessings or curses fall upon such beings, making them perfect offerings to appease the gods."
"Sepherim are extraordinarily rare; you're the third to appear in ten thousand years. None are alive today. You're also the first to reach such a level or in your case, you reincarnated as one."
"Do you see, Rey-" Nex was cut off as Reyes glared back. "Call me Xela. I prefer you to keep that name off-limits until I know your true intentions."
"B-b-but, we are one. Why would-" Nex was interrupted once more as Reyes spoke. "I'll decide. Go rest. I'll need you back in an hour to talk about the situation with my system gone." Nodding, the wisp entered his body, leaving him feeling nothing at all.
Reyes leaned back on the bench, then switched to lie down on it while his aura was now suppressed completely, making him appear as a greenhorn. The villagers around him, sensing the change, began to relax, their curious gazes softening. He closed his eyes, letting the sounds of the village wash over him as he too took a nap.
**
As Reyes walked up to an old man who had been staring at him, Nex, his wisp, appeared. The old man's wisp seemed taken aback by the presence of Nex. Both wisps appeared reluctant to communicate, with Nex nervously sliding back while the other wisp aggressively moved closer.
"Old man, take your wisp away, or I'll make both of you disappear," Reyes interrupted the growing tension.
"Oh? Do you not know who I am?" the old man replied, clearly curious about Reyes's audacity.
Before Reyes could respond, the old man's wisp lunged toward Nex. In that very moment, the old man raised his hand, halting his wisp. He had felt the intense pressure emanating from Reyes. A cold chill ran down his spine as Reyes glared at him, cold and calculated. The old man knew he was outmatched.
"Do say, could you retract your killing intent for the moment? You've disturbed the peace of the area, as you can see," the old man requested, glancing around. Reyes followed his gaze and noticed the crowds of people scared and frightened by the sheer force he had unconsciously projected.
"First, remove your wisp from my range. Second, answer my questions. Third, disobey or speak without my permission, and I'll end you and clean this whole area up. I care not for NPCs who think they are players. Consider yourself warned," Reyes stated firmly.
The old man nodded and returned his wisp to his body. Reyes did not do the same, glancing at Nex, indicating he had questions for it later.
As the tension in the area eased, Reyes allowed the old man to sit. The man appeared to be of some importance, perhaps the chief or an expert adventurer. Reyes didn't care. "Who are you? Where are you from? What was your purpose in approaching me? How did you retract your wisp? Why didn't you attack me outright?"
Reyes fired off the questions methodically, recalling his civil prosecutor training. The five Ws always provided the answers to the most important aspects of any situation.
The old man took a deep breath before responding. "I am Thoran, the chief of this village. I approached you because your presence and aura were unusual. I sensed you to be around level 10 at max yet you're a teenager, with R99 armor!"
"I retracted my wisp by mentally commanding it with the word, 'Return'. It was because I sensed your true power, and knew I was outmatched. As for not attacking outright, I prefer to avoid unnecessary conflict. (laughs)" Thoran replied with ease as he appeared an easy going person.
Reyes nodded, processing the information. "Alright, Thoran. Now, tell me about this village and its surroundings. I need to understand more about this...place, and how things work here."
Thoran glanced around, ensuring the villagers had resumed their activities, albeit cautiously. The guardsmen that had moved to the rear now returning back to their posts, "Our village is small but quite significant in this region. We are situated near ancient ruins that many adventurers and scholars seek. The village has changed much over the years, due to the recruitment of the sovereignties, and the balance of power is delicate."
Reyes listened intently, his mind already formulating plans. Responding in a manner of superiority, "Good. We will continue this conversation. But for now, know that I am not here to cause harm unless provoked. Give me access to enter the village without any restrictions or permissions. "
Thoran nodded, clearly relieved. "I understand. We will cooperate as long as you respect our village."
Reyes leaned back, his aura now completely suppressed, blending in with the common folk. He stood and played a bit with summoning and sending his wisp inside him, asking general questions that it should know. Nex responded a bit nervously.
"You no longer need to worry about the system. I can handle it for you. It's your mental intent that determines whether you summon me or not," Nex replied, her voice tinged with fear.
"Why do you fear me? Or rather, what are you scared of?" Reyes inquired as they approached the guards, whose wisps acted similarly.
"It's due to many aspects. One is that I am a Tier One wisp, so I'm like a baby or rather a snack for most other wisps. Two, remember what I said: most people reveal their wisps at Tier Four. You don't need me summoned to conjure your system out, but only to see other people's wisps. Know that if you summon your system out, others can see it. However, if I do it, others cannot. Understood?" Nex replied rapidly before disappearing once more.
Reyes had learned something else too: that Nex couldn't read his mind but could feel his intent for summoning her. The guards saw a lady running towards them. She whispered to them, and only then did they salute. The crowd, now curious, wondered who he was. He had drawn too much attention to remain undercover. The lady handed him a golden pass ring, which he attempted to scan with his wisp, but to no avail.
He realized that while he still had system functions via his wisp, the ability to log offline was beyond its capabilities. Certain features were locked away because Nex was a low-tier wisp. He knew what he had to do. 'I guess I gotta do adventuring tasks and level my wisp up to regain the general features of my system,' he thought as he entered the village.
"Nex, what happens if you're dead?" Reyes asked as she giggled.
"We can't die per se. We simply get our essence transferred. However, if I am devoured, you'll regress to level one and be unable to use the system," she replied coyly, staying close to him, scared as other wisps seemed to eye her down.
"Only those with wisps can see me. Do note that the world has reached 50% of the population having wisps, so be careful. Just because you're strong doesn't mean I am," she said, asking to be returned as many people with wisps tried to get close to him. He returned her within him as they sucked their teeth, missing the opportunity. 'Okay. I better avoid taking my wisp out from now on. Even if I can destroy everything, if my wisp is weak, so am I.'
"I have a Tier One wisp. So I have lots of work to do before we get to the point of revealing Nex to converse and aid me. Most people are Tier Three, and those at my challenge level are Tier Six. (Sigh)," he muttered as he approached the adventurer's guild. Thanks to Nex imprinting his memories of the world's language, he wasn't hopelessly unaware of his navigation.
The guild was an inn and bar-restaurant fusion, with an elvish style. It had three stories, a large basement, and a backyard that seemed like a mansion space. The guards allowed him entry due to his gold pass ring. He was unsure what it could possibly do just yet.
Approaching the clerk, he noticed the lady seemed nervous, indicating she recognized him. It seemed that those who avoided him were of importance, while those who didn't were youngsters or on the lower ends of the social class.
"Name, Xela. No last name. I'm a rogue, and my level..." he trailed off as everyone seemed curious to know what level he was. Without his identifier skill and with his aura hidden, both the crowd and he were at a standstill, eavesdropping on each other.
"Level 20," Reyes finally said. The clerk glared at him with clear doubt but, seeing his golden ring, complied with the information. She asked for a drop of blood to confirm his registration.
After examining the details and explaining the process of ranking up at the guild and the costs involved, she reminded herself that he was a VIP and that the fee was waived for him. Once she was done, she bowed and welcomed him as an adventurer.
As Reyes stood up, he noticed others watching him intently. He walked over to the quest board and selected the most expensive quest. Although his default rank was G, he was elevated to A-rank due to his VIP status. He felt hidden glares on him but ignored them as he stepped out with the quest in hand.
Leaving the village and entering the forest, Reyes felt many eyes on him. He sighed, standing still and waiting to see if he would be besieged. When no action occurred, he muttered to himself, "Well, I was hoping I could get jumped, but it seems that won't be happening. Great. Now I can't even learn much unless I get involved in the political landscape of this village."
"Nex, come out. If they dare to approach you, return to my body. Now, about my abilities—how do I use them?" Reyes asked, as Nex giggled happily.
"To understand your abilities," Nex replied, momentarily thinking, "since you're used to the system of simply thinking of a skill and instantly utilizing it, here, we manipulate the energy within and draw the process through a series of actions or mixing the mind and spiritual energy together to make soul energy into our desired techniques based on our race and class." Reyes could sense others hidden, appearing bewildered that he didn't know this basic concept.
"Okay, how do I start?" Reyes asked. Nex zipped around him in excitement.
"You've already done it with your body, so it's simply reversed for you. We need to get you back to your prime. Let's start with your senses," Nex said, beginning the conversation.
[Chapter 1 • End]