Month

~~~

walls b

od, swords clash and

ctiles rain down, shatter

d fear echo thr

and minors scatter, desperately s

, hiding in every nook

ne figure sits perched

h a blood-red outline, his iden

, he gazes out over

green metal, rest firmly on his knees. In one

from him as he assess

y on the ledge, summoned his 14 co

concealing their identities, they wasted no

swiftly eliminated the invad

os and triumph, the hood

rcing gaze fell upon the enemy king, who

tened his grip on his massive brawler ga

ajestic griffin, its feathers shimmering with gold. Mounting t

st potent magic, summoning meteor showers that rained down

scended upon the king and the powerful knight,

six perfect replicas of himself materia

king and the knight in an intense battle, while the ho

ver combat, swiftly dispatching the powerfu

w, severing their heads from their bodies. Victory,

paralleled courage and skill, the

downfall of their enemies, leaving no doubt in any

hant grin, returned to the gr

obliterated the remaining enemies within the cas

wess, that's why they referr

ower and determination that flowed throug

gh the streets, ravaged by the unforgiving horrors o

they called

rio

gratitude and reverence,

d both hands, gripping the gruesome remains of

d landscape, he bellowed his victory, his triu

efore his eyes. The hooded man, now

evealed as nothing more than a dream from his past, a mere f

~

gaze vacant as he star

t as if it were trap

s night replayed in his m

own cousin and the daughter of his arr

change, filled with res

calculating demeanor, informed Luca that he w

hard work, he had been

d Luca, the weight of his

e of income to support himself an

as he realized the enormity

s meet? How would he

off the couch and stood up, his mind

wering pear-shaped device

the ISRI and Playbox Ninsoft, seem

s best friend Aldrin gi

e new game called "Titan's Advent," Luca hesitated for a

ush his spirit, but the memory of his friend's voic

o earn real money out of this! Just play the game, and you'll know," his

, like a flame dancing a

game could be

ation, he mad

od, its sleek, pear-shaped form to

ing a world far removed from the har

ounding in his chest as he reached o

d, a rush of anticipation

himself on the cushioned interior, his bod

other realm, and Luca couldn't help but feel

, the wires from the DivePod connecti

ne as the game system hummed to life, filli

ment when his consciousness would transcend the boundaries of his

away, replaced by a swirling kale

its tendrils reaching into Luca's sen

then, with a sudden jolt, he was transpor

~

e god of Birth, welcomed him

of mystery, its voice resonating like a

tline of facial features was faintly visi

a focused his attention on c

n menu, he discovered a list of innate skills

ld abilities, a reminder of the person he wa

ion, Athleticism, Survivor, Intuition, Strategic, and Analytic-the list of innat

g that these skills would aid him in

yer is given 10 skill points to add to the

Horse riding, Basic navigation skills, Basic mapping, Interme

ill one more ski

options, and his gaze landed on a

ibilities of this skill and its

ned to Eion, who had be

asked, pointing to the screen where the desc

ive, moved closer to Luca, hi

od began to explain the sig

ces, who possessed magical abilities that allowed them to manipul

standing of runes and their potential. The knowledge h

ntemplated the potential

id him in his journey or simpl

on, he sought furt

" Luca asked, his voice

t expanse of the virtual world, carryi

in revealing all the surprises from t

but grin at the god

apestry of challenges and disco

ermination, he m

nowledge," Luca declar

nity for growth and understandin

oval, his form shim

u to greatness and enlightenment. Now, it is time for

on faded from view, leaving

ting through the surroundings, a

ch and distort, echoing i

, was not spared from

lfunctioning hologram, causing hi

he tried to make sense of th

part of the psychological and b

but the glitching persisted, distorti

to reach its peak, Eion, the god

soothing aura, attempting

poke, his voice resonating

ion asked, his voice

ted memories, scattered like puzzle

the test, but they eluded him, sli

a woman's voice, hauntingl

rofound sense of fear,

eped into Luca's being, leaving

r distress, one sentence ra

. With this divine pact, I shall

a's mind, their weight

n? And what did she m

emained disjointed, taunting

Luca's thoughts, the god's

he asked, his voice fi

ickly composed himself, pushing aside the

plied, "I'm fine, Eion. Just a little

he tests can be quite disorienting at times.

ill reeling from the fragmented memo

pered to himself, his voic

o real. Eventually, I will find the answers

~

ng platform in outer space, he couldn't

before them, stars twinkling in the distance as

accessed the data he h

real light, his eyes filled wit

d in front of him, urging Lu

rmured to himself, a wave of

e had spent immersing himself in virtual worlds

est, the name that had become synonymo

s of his lips, Luca confidently ty

gnificance, a symbol of his resilience

text box, a sudden surge of energy enveloped him. The world around hi

Luca. Each box contained a memory, a fragment of hi

d, the sound of laughter and the warmth

orld with wide-eyed wonder, discovering the j

engrossed in virtual worlds, his fingers dancing across a

ythical creatures, solving intricate puzzles, a

uca's journey through life. He saw himself facing challen

ents of heartache, each memory etching

other boxes vanished, leaving only one

rldly aura, emanating a s

he reached out to touc

h his fingertips, connecting him

ws his stat

lations &

e: L

ed Race

vel

ss:

ligenc

engt

erity

bilit

lity

ent:

f sick joke is this?!" Luca shouted in frustration, his v

etched across his face as h

d, it was a grave disadvantag

r possessed the ability to wield the

eir identity, their strength,

s, the disappointment

expected when he embark

er players when he lacked the

ever have no elemental powers,] Eion

d Luca closely, his eye

Luca respond

intensified a

s gaming prowess, on his ability t

ist of fate, a wrench thrown

Eion offered to report the i

mistake,] he suggested, his

a moment, consid

as a chance he might never b

ology, one that he couldn't afford to replace, he

down, and he had to honor

aid, determination

t be other ways to thrive in th

le playing at the

May your journey be filled with un

h the character creation process, determined

again, transporting him to a bustling floa

he crowd, his brows f

ing wa

e human race, not a single dwarf,

hirled wit

e the oth

ome sort o

eeper reason beh

searching for answers amids

to find his own path, regardless of the absence of

rounded by strangers, Luca felt a spa

Titan's Advent, and carve out a niche for

s first steps, ready to face w

would prove that one's worth was not sol