Ding!
[Warning: You have spent 5 consecutive days ingame. Automatic logout in 30 minutes. Login cooldown: 6 real-world hours (1 ingame day).]
Liam frowned.
"Well, about time the login limit triggered," he muttered.
Aria looked up from her half-finished meal. "What's that?"
"Nothing... I actually have a quest I need to take, so I will be gone for the next day." Liam replied.
"Ah, where are you going? Can I come?" Aria sounded anxious.
"Don't be anxious, it is a small quest. I will be back around this time tomorrow," Liam said. "You should just rest and try to feel mana again. We still do not have any leads to help make you better again."
"Okay, please take care."
Ten minutes later, Liam paid for his meal and walked out of the inn, Vix faithfully following behind him. Once he reached a quiet alley behind the blacksmith's shop, he sat down on a crate and took a deep breath.
"Alright… let's log out."
Ding!
Logging out...
Disconnecting from Eternal Nexus...
-----------------------------------------
With a faint hum, Liam's senses faded—and the next moment, he was back in his room.
His tiny, real-world apartment.
A wave of contrast hit him immediately, and yet it was strangely familiar
From the vivid fantasy realm of enchanted forests and magic spells… to the dull, cluttered space of a college student's messy living quarters.
Books and energy drink cans were scattered across the desk. Socks lay abandoned on the floor. A half-eaten sandwich sat on the nightstand beside an open textbook titled Computational Probability—which Liam hadn't touched in days.
He blinked a few times, adjusting to the dim light seeping in through the blinds.
"Ah feels good to be back," Liam exclaimed, jumping onto his makeshift bedding on the floor as if it was the most comfortable thing in the world.
Even though Liam had lived here earlier, he had moved out once he had made some money in the game. Later, when the guild really took off, Liam lived in what was called the guild base in real life, an ultra luxurious 7-star hotel.
But now that he thought about it, it was not as good as the feeling of being free alone in his 500 sq ft apartment. After all, a bird in a golden cage was still a caged bird.
As he stretched and walked toward the kitchen to grab a drink, something moved near his bed.
A small shadow.
Liam froze.
"…No way."
Vix—his little Voidwolf companion—was sitting comfortably on the bed, tail flicking lazily, looking completely at ease.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
The little pup looked up at him and gave a small bark. "Aoo!"
"You're… here? In the real world?"
Liam walked over slowly and reached out. He touched the pup's fur.
Warm.
Real.
Not some AR projection.
He crouched down and stared at Vix. "How did you get here?"
Vix just wagged his tail and let out another small yip before hopping off the bed and circling Liam.
Liam stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "Well, I did see monsters appearing in the real world last time…"
He scratched the back of his head. "Still, this is early. Way too early."
He dropped onto his couch, and Vix jumped up next to him, curling into a small ball.
"…Alright. You're here, I guess you can make yourself comfortable. Here, eat this piece of meat." Liam tossed a piece of pork from his kitchen fridge, which Vix started to eat with gusto.
Liam grabbed his phone and opened the Eternal Nexus forums. Might as well kill time before the cooldown ended.
The main page was bustling.
[TOPIC] Best place to farm wolf pelts in Duskwind?
[GUIDE] All Beginner Quests in Windgale – Quick Leveling!
[DISCUSSION] What's your guild name? Show off your banners!
[LOOKING FOR GUILD]
There were hundreds of posts, most of them focused on beginner areas, early-stage quests, and the formation of low-level guilds.
Liam scrolled casually, half-interested. He smiled at some of the confusion in the threads. People still didn't know that potion mixing could give you hidden XP boosts or that the innkeeper in Ashford had a secret questline.
Suddenly, a familiar username caught his eye.
[LOOKING FOR GUILD] Username: CherryBlossomFairy
Liam's breath hitched.
"CherryBlossomFairy…?"
He leaned forward, staring at the post.
That name wasn't just familiar. It was legendary—in his past life, this user was one of the top five healers in all of Eternal Nexus. A crucial member of Eclipse, the same guild Liam had led.
Liam had played first hand with her and was really impressed with the way she effectively managed her mana, cooldowns, and heal target priority. She had even shown Liam some plays that even he would never think of if he were playing a healer.
However, one day, she just disappeared.
Rumors had spread for a few weeks. Some said she'd died in real life. Others claimed she'd been kidnapped by a rival guild. But the truth… Liam never found out. And never heard about her again.
And now, she was here, looking for a guild.
Or at least, someone using the exact same name was.
If Liam had not been mistaken, she would have joined another top guild as a vice leader, which would later merge into Eclipse.
"Just started playing. Looking for a semi-serious guild to play with. Healer main. Level 9 for now, but I'm climbing fast. Prefer respectful teammates and fun raids. PST."
Liam hesitated a bit, as he did not really want to form a party, but in the end, he caved. He had a good impression of her.
He clicked the "Send Message" button and typed:
Hey. I'm forming a new guild. It's not flashy right now, but it'll be one of the best. Interested?
There was a pause.
Then the reply came:
LOL. Everyone says that. A new guild? How many members do you have? Do you know how difficult it is to gain levels early? I cannot join a guild which will hold me back...." CherryBlossomFairy replied.
Liam smirked.
He opened his profile and let it sync his in-game stats, which now read:
Player: Liam Carter Level: 30
Title: None
Class: Soldier
Login Rank: Rank 1 (Global)
He sent her a screenshot.
There was another long pause.
Then
CherryBlossomFairy : Wait… you're level 30?! How?? Did you glitch the system?
Liam: Just grinding. Like I said, I'm aiming high.
So, you in?
Another pause.
Then:
CherryBlossomFairy : ...Fine. I'll think about it. But I need to confirm that it is not a glitch. Send me a friend request.
Liam: Sent. Looking forward to it, CherryBlossomFairy
CherryBlossomFairy : Call me Mia.
Liam smiled and leaned back into the couch. "Mia, huh? So you are the same one…"
The memories of old raids, coordinated strategies, and epic battles flooded back. She had been quiet, skilled, and a bit sharp-tongued. But no one matched her in focus and clutch healing.
He clicked the friend request button.
Ding!
[Friend Request Sent to CherryBlossomFairy]
He looked over at Vix, who was now dozing peacefully on the armrest.
Liam, Aria, Vix, girl Mia, and a beast Liam was planning to tame
"Looks like we're building a good team already, huh?"
The wolf pup yawned and rolled onto his back, paws twitching slightly.
Liam reached out and scratched Vix's belly. "Alright. Let's rest up. Big day ahead once I'm back in."