Aveline flicked her wrist, and a small pouch of coins landed in my hand. It had some weight to it—definitely not just a couple of pennies.

“Consider it payment for your heroic efforts,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

I pulled open the pouch and peeked inside. Gold coins. A decent stack of them.

“How much is this worth?” I asked.

“One hundred gold,” Aveline replied, already turning away like she had more important things to do.

One hundred gold.

For all I knew, I just got scammed out of proper payment, or I was walking around with enough money to buy a castle.

I frowned at the pouch. Alright, let’s see how this works.

Inspect.

The second I thought the word, a small translucent box blinked into existence in front of me.

[Item: Coin Pouch – 100 Gold]

Currency used in Shadow Land and other regions. Standard trading unit. Gold is valuable, but excessive amounts may attract unwanted attention.

I stared at the notification.

Huh. Alright. That works.

I waved my hand, and the box vanished.

So I can inspect items manually. Cool.

Georgio’s tutorial was complete garbage, so if I wanted to learn basic mechanics, I’d have to figure them out myself.

Thankfully, I was a pro gamer.

Time to test some shit.

First, I opened my inventory to check if there was a weight limit.

I focused on the pouch of gold and willed it into my inventory.

The pouch flickered out of existence.

[Item stored in Inventory.]

Alright, so there was an inventory system.

Next test.

I picked up a random glass bottle from a shelf near the door. Just some cheap empty vial for potions.

Inspect.

[Item: Empty Vial]

Type: Miscellaneous

Quality: Common

Description: A basic glass container used for potions. Fragile.

Okay, so the system works on anything, not just important items.

Next test. Could I store random objects?

I focused on the vial and willed it into my inventory.

Nothing happened.

[Error: Item cannot be stored – Owner: Nightwell Alchemy]

I blinked. Oh. Ohhh.

I glanced at Aveline.

Yep. That tracked.

So I couldn’t just shove random shop items into my inventory. Ownership was a thing.

That meant players couldn’t rob NPCs blind just by abusing the system.

Smart.

I put the vial back and pulled out my katana instead.

The blade looked even shittier in proper lighting. Dull edge, questionable stains, and I was 90% sure it would snap in half if I swung too hard.

Inspect.

[Item: Rusted Katana]

Type: One-Handed Sword

Quality: Poor

Damage: 3-7

Durability: 12/50

Description: A once-fine blade that has seen better days. Probably worth more as scrap metal.

Twelve durability. Out of fifty.

I exhaled. “Yeah. That tracks.”

Alright, next test—could I store weapons?

I focused on the katana and willed it into my inventory.

The blade flickered out of existence.

Perfect.

I turned toward the door. “Alright, kid, see ya.”

I glanced at Elisabeth—she was half-hiding behind Aveline’s dress, staring at me with those big, wide eyes.

I gave her a small nod.

She hesitated, then lifted her hand in a shy little wave.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Didn’t say a word.

I stepped out of the alchemy shop and into the cool night air, rolling my shoulders.

Time to kill some wolves.

But out of the corner of my eye, I instinctively glanced at the bottom of my vision—where any decent MMO would keep the XP bar.

There it was.

And… it wasn’t empty.

I stopped walking.

Wait. What?

I had XP. Not a lot, but definitely more than zero.

That made no sense. I hadn’t fought anything yet. Hadn’t completed a quest.

Frowning, I pulled up my menu. There had to be a reason.

The interface opened up—sleek, minimalistic, thankfully not a confusing mess of tabs. I scrolled until I found something labeled “Quests.”

Alright. Let’s see what’s going on.

I tapped it, and a new screen appeared.

[Completed Quests]

Lost and Found

You helped a lost child return home. Sometimes, kindness is rewarded.

Reward: 50 XP, 100 Gold (Received)

I blinked.

Huh. So that counted as a quest.

I wasn’t used to getting XP for something that didn’t involve stabbing things, but hey—I’d take it.

Since I was here, I scrolled through the settings tab.

If I was stuck in this game, I might as well set things up the way I liked them.

First up—notifications.

By default, every single little thing was turned on.

New quest obtained! XP gained! Inventory updated! You took a single step!

Yeah. No thanks.

I adjusted the settings:

* Quests and vital information? Always pop up.

* Level-ups? Important, keep them visible.

* Everything else? Minimized.

There. Much better.

I closed the menu and resumed my walk toward the city gates.

No distractions. No unnecessary pop-ups.

Just me, my rusted katana, and an unknown number of wolves waiting to ruin my day.

The second I stepped past the city gates, the world hit different.

Not just “good graphics” different. Not “wow, nice textures” different.

I’m talking Witcher 3 ultra settings, Elden Ring at sunrise, Red Dead 2 with max ray tracing.

The trees weren’t just props—they swayed, shifting shadows across the path as the golden light bled through their branches. The grass moved like it had individual physics, bending with the wind, every blade crisp enough to make me question reality.

I crouched, running my fingers through the grass.

It wasn’t just visually detailed—I could feel it. The soft brush of blades against my skin, the subtle dampness from morning dew.

This was next-level immersion.

Mountains loomed in the distance, not some painted skybox illusion, but real, solid, like I could actually climb them. A stream cut through the landscape, its surface catching the light in perfect reflections—water physics so good it deserved its own tech demo.

And the sound? Birds chirped, leaves rustled, and the wind carried the distant howl of something that definitely wasn’t friendly.

I exhaled.

Alright. Let’s see what’s interactable.

A cluster of bright blue flowers grew near the path, their petals almost glowing in the sunlight. They looked like something straight out of a potion recipe, so I crouched down and reached for one.

Nothing happened.

I frowned and focused harder, trying again.

Pluck.

The flower came loose with a soft snap, and a system message popped up.

[Item Acquired: Azure Bloom]

Type: Alchemy Ingredient

Description: A vibrant blue flower known for its mild healing properties. Commonly used in beginner potions.

Nice. So gathering plants worked.

I pulled up my inventory and willed the flower inside. It disappeared, stored safely away.

Alright, that worked. What else could I grab?

I spotted a flat stone near the path and bent down, picking it up.

Nothing.

I tried storing it.

[Error: Item cannot be stored – No system value detected.]

So random junk didn’t count. Only stuff the game recognized as useful.

I sighed and was about to move on when something caught my eye.

A boulder sat just off the path, wedged between a cluster of tree roots. Unlike the small rock I just tried to pick up, this thing looked important.

Could I mine it?

Most MMOs had crafting systems, and if this game was really as immersive as it seemed, then maybe…

I’d need a pickaxe.

That would explain why I couldn’t grab random rocks—maybe the game had resource nodes, and I needed the right tools.

If that was true, then maybe there were full crafting professions—blacksmithing, alchemy, even base-building.

Man. That would be sick.

I made a mental note to check for shops selling pickaxes later.

But for now… wolves.

But as I walked, something clicked.

Wait. Didn’t I have an actual quest?

I had checked my quest log earlier, but all I saw was the Elisabeth side quest.

I swiped open my menu again, scrolling until I found the Quests tab.

Sure enough, there it was.

[Active Quest: Prove Your Worth]

Markus has tasked you with hunting wolves in the forest outside town. Bring back five pelts to show your competence.

Objective:

* Wolf Pelts Collected: 0/5

Rewards:

* 75 XP

* 5 Gold

Alright, nothing surprising. Basic MMO hunting quest.

The rewards weren’t great, but it was my only real lead right now.

The deeper I went, the quieter it got—no birds, no rustling, just the distant whisper of the wind through the trees.

Then I heard it.

A low growl.

I froze.

My fingers hovered near my inventory as I scanned the underbrush. Something big was moving. Shadows shifted between the trees, golden eyes gleaming through the dim light.

Another growl, closer this time.

Then, a wolf stepped into view.

Not some scrawny, low-poly MMO starter enemy.

This thing was huge—easily the size of a full-grown Rottweiler, its fur bristling, claws digging into the dirt. When it bared its fangs, I got a perfect view of teeth meant for tearing flesh.

Mine, specifically.

My heart pounded. Alright. First real fight. Let’s do this.

I pulled my katana from my inventory—the dull metal flashing in the light as I took my stance. Feet apart, blade raised.

The wolf lunged.

Shit—!

I twisted to the side on instinct.

Not fast enough.

Teeth tore into my forearm.

A white-hot burst of pain shot through my nerves, so raw and real that my vision blurred for a split second.

I stumbled back, gasping, and my mind screamed at me—

That fucking HURT.

I’d been expecting damage numbers or maybe some dull impact, but no—this was full sensory pain.

My arm burned where the wolf’s teeth had ripped through skin, warm blood dripping down my sleeve.

The wolf landed gracefully, already turning to lunge again.

I gritted my teeth.

Alright. If this game was gonna play for keeps, so would I.

I tightened my grip and swung my katana—

The blade sliced through the air, catching the wolf’s flank.

A sharp yelp—it staggered back, blood staining its fur.

It wasn’t a deep wound, but it was enough.

The wolf circled me now, slower, more cautious.

I exhaled, adjusting my stance. My arm throbbed from the bite, but adrenaline kept the pain at the edge of my focus.

Alright. Now I know two things.

One: I can actually get hurt.

Two: So can they.

The wolf snarled, lowering itself for another attack.

I took a deep breath, steadying my katana.

Round two. Let’s go.

Alright. No more sloppy reactions. Time to play this like a real game.

I’ve fought a hundred enemies like this before—not here, but in Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Monster Hunter.

AI always followed patterns.

Enemies had wind-ups, tells, weaknesses they telegraphed if you just paid attention.

I focused.

The wolf’s front paw shifted slightly, muscles tensing.

There. That’s the prep movement. It’s about to—

Lunge.

I sidestepped before it even left the ground.

Not barely in time—but clean.

The wolf flew past me, jaws snapping at empty air. Wide open. Exposed.

Now.

I whipped my katana upward, aiming for the neck.

The blade sliced clean through flesh.

A choked yelp—then silence.

The wolf collapsed, its body hitting the dirt with a dull thud.

I exhaled, lowering my blade.

One hit. Instant kill.

Blood pooled beneath the corpse, dark against the forest floor. My heartbeat slowed, adrenaline fading.

Damn.

That felt… good.

I expected the wolf’s body to just… stay there. Maybe I’d have to skin it manually or something.

Instead, the corpse shimmered, dissolving into wisps of light.

A small brown bag dropped onto the ground where it had been.

Huh. So loot bags.

I bent down and grabbed it, and the moment my fingers touched the fabric, a small system window popped up.

[Loot Acquired]

* Wolf Pelt x1

Just the pelt. No gold, no extra drops.

Makes sense. Early-game mobs weren’t gonna shower me in loot.

I willed the bag into my inventory, and it vanished.

Five of these, and I’d be done.

I rolled my shoulders, gripping my katana again.

Alright. Next.

I scanned the trees, my ears tuned for movement.