The moment Zihad—or rather, his in-game persona "Kairo Yuma"—stepped into the world of Dream Land Fantasy, everything felt... real.
Not just visually stunning—though the gleaming sky, crystal lakes, and rustling forest were all impossibly beautiful—but something deeper. The wind grazed his skin. The ground beneath his boots shifted ever so slightly with each step. The subtle warmth of sunlight hit his shoulders like the real thing.
This wasn't virtual reality.
This was a new reality.
[System Message: Welcome, Kairo Yuma. Hidden Class: Phantom Reaper. Beginner Quest Activated.]
A soft chime echoed in his ears. He ignored the starter tutorial hovering beside him and instead opened his inventory, already aware of the custom-coded starting items his class received.
[Item: Phantom Dagger – Bound]
[Item: Wraith Robe – Uncommon]
[Skill: Shadow Veil – Rank F]
[Skill: Soul Chain – Rank F]
[Skill: Grave Step – Rank F]
A balanced mix of stealth, magic, and necromancy.
He'd designed the Phantom Reaper as a hybrid between assassin, mage, and summoner—something completely different from what typical starter classes offered. It would be weeks, maybe months, before anyone even discovered this class existed.
And he was already ten steps ahead.
Meanwhile, in various cities around the world, millions of players were logging in. Streamers screamed in excitement, news channels broadcasted reactions, and social media was flooded with clips and screenshots. Dream Land Fantasy wasn't just a game anymore—it was a movement.
But back in the quiet corner of the starting forest, Kairo Yuma remained unnoticed.
Exactly how he wanted it.
He knelt by a corpse of a fallen NPC bandit and activated Soul Chain.
[Skill Activated: Soul Chain – A fragment of the soul has been bound. Summoning allowed within radius.]
A transparent wraith appeared beside him, floating silently.
Its appearance didn't scream powerful—but in battle, this lowly specter would absorb 50% of all magic and physical damage directed at him.
His first minion.
He didn't rush to level up. Instead, he wandered into the dark part of the forest, locating an obscure cave hidden behind a waterfall.
He knew it was there—he placed it himself.
Inside the cave was an optional quest most players wouldn't find until level 15.
He accepted it at level 1.
[Quest Received: Whisper of the Forgotten – Difficulty: Rare Hidden Quest]
[Objective: Defeat the Whispering Wraith and absorb its soul fragment.]
Zihad cracked his knuckles in real life, smiling slightly inside the pod.
Time to get serious.
Inside the cave, the temperature dropped. Frost lined the walls. The torch on the wall flickered with blue flame.
The Whispering Wraith emerged.
Level 12.
Unbeatable for anyone else.
But not for Kairo Yuma.
He dashed forward, disappearing into shadows using Grave Step. The wraith screeched and released a pulse of dark energy. He timed a dodge, then summoned his bound soul to intercept.
The damage was halved instantly.
He launched forward again—dagger in one hand, shadow magic in the other.
The fight lasted five minutes.
When it ended, the wraith dissolved into glowing particles.
[Quest Complete: Whisper of the Forgotten]
[Reward: Soul Core Acquired – Permanently enhances all summoned entities. Skill Upgrades Unlocked.]
Zihad leaned back in his pod, feeling the thrill rise in his chest.
He wasn't here to play.
He was here to dominate.
And so far, no one even knew he existed.
Back in the real world, players were grinding mobs, forming parties, and uploading YouTube videos titled "Best Starting Builds" and "Secret Tips to Level Fast."
They were all fighting for scraps.
While the hidden creator was already crafting his legend.
End of Chapter 2