When I opened my eyes, I saw trees—
their roots twisted like veins, half-buried in the soil. Shafts of light broke through the canopy, each beam scattering tiny motes of energy that shimmered like falling embers. Somewhere in the distance, birds chirped, and a faint breeze carried the scent of damp earth.
For a moment, I just lay there, staring up at the gentle sway of leaves.
It was quiet like a dream.
I slowly sat up, brushing dirt off my cloak. The air was sharp and clean, laced with something foreign yet familiar. Mana.
It tingled faintly against my skin like static, humming just beneath the surface of reality.
Somehow it feels refreshing the sound of wind caressing my cheeks, the light of the sun embracing my body
I feel alive
I glanced down at my hands. untainted and smooth as if it came from a man who had never did labor on his life like a noble man
Unconsciously I glanced around my nearby reflection on a small puddle there I confirmed it—short black hair, soft brown eyes, a slightly slender build.
Handsome, maybe, but not in a way that drew attention. My face looked… approachable.
Cute, even. The kind of face people would not remember if met once
That worked for me.
My clothes were simple—a worn traveler's cloak, faded boots, a short sword tied to my waist. The standard beginner set from Eternal Fate Online.
I flexed my fingers and stood.
My head didn't hurt. My body didn't ache. In fact, I felt light. Too light.
As if I'd been carrying invisible weights my entire life and someone had just cut the chains.
A smile crept across my face.
"E.F.O… Eternal Fate Online."
The name left my lips like a prayer.
It wasn't just a game.
It was the game the most detailed, punishing, and unpredictable world ever created.
A place where every choice mattered.
Where a simple "yes" or "no" could change the entire continent.
I remembered the stories players used to tell—how someone's choice to spare a thief led to the collapse of an entire noble house.
How one missed quest caused a famine in a kingdom three regions away.
There was a random player who posted about his experience when he slaughtered a small village and spare a single child 10 in-game years later it came back as a Great black mage and burned the Empire
It's funny because that's how they discovered the existence of the ancient bloodline
It's because of a simple coincidence that a deep secret resurfaced
This pattern was used multiple times in the game to uncover many secrets
E.F.O. is a really special game even it's contents were absurdly detailed to the point you'll wonder if it's real
It's one of the many reasons why the players fell in love with the characters because they don't feel like fictional or an ai they feel alive
As if they really are living and struggling in their own way
That's what made that random guy repent in his sins after he found out the kids background
That was what made it cruel.
And beautiful.
A single decision could set off a domino effect that echoed through hundreds of lives.
If one was careless, fate itself would unravel.
And yet… here I was.
Inside it.
"I guess detailed planning is a must," I said under my breath.
The words felt heavier now that my life is at stake
I opened the system window with a thought.
It flickered before me—holographic blue, half-transparent.
And there it was.
[Trait: Broken Vessel]
A curse or a Time limit.
It may seem absurd that a man who had just left the desparate life he was dancing in a thin line called death. Unsure if he would still be able to see tomorrow
But I don't feel threatened at all even
Anyway, broken vessel makes my body leak mana uncontrollably—like a cracked container struggling to hold water. If I didn't stabilize it soon, the overflow would corrode me from the inside out.
I raised my hand. Faint wisps of light trailed from my skin, dissolving into the air like smoke.
So that's what it looked like.
Like I was constantly bleeding mana.
Still, panic didn't come.
I'd been worse off before.
This was something I could fix.
For now, I needed two things: information and money.
"First i need to know exactly where I am and what timeline I were summoned" I murmured, scanning my surroundings.
The forest stretched endlessly in all directions—massive trees with glowing roots, small critters darting between bushes, and streams that sparkled faintly under the light.
It was breathtaking.
Alive in a way no monitor could ever capture.
I started walking, boots crunching against the damp earth. Every few meters, I'd mark trees with shallow cuts from my sword—old habit from the game.
E.F.O. liked to play tricks with direction, after all.
Time passed unnoticed. The sound of cicadas faded into the rhythmic hum of the wind.
Occasionally, I spotted faint remnants of travelers—wagon tracks half-covered in mud, broken branches, a torn piece of cloth.
Signs of people. Civilization wasn't far.
As I followed the tracks, I couldn't help but think 'what exactly did I want to achieve'
I don't consider myself a good person however how come I want to give others a happy ending
That... I don't know myself
Eventually, through the gaps in the trees, I saw smoke—thin, gray trails rising in the distance. A campfire, or maybe a passing carriage.
Bingo.
I adjusted my cloak and followed the road downhill until the cobblestone path came into view. The faint creak of wooden wheels echoed through the quiet forest.
I smiled.
A small merchant carriage appeared, drawn by two brown horses. The driver — a middle-aged man with a kind but wary face — slowed down when he saw me waving.
"Hey there, traveler!" he called out. "You look a bit lost!"
"Yeah," I said, approaching carefully. "I woke up in the forest. Mind giving me a lift?"
He looked me up and down, then shrugged. "Sure, hop in. Ain't safe for a lad to walk these roads alone."
Fortunately the man was kind. He gave a lift even someone as suspicious of me. Perhaps my innocent face affected it
Anyway
As we rode, the rhythmic clatter of wheels filled the silence. I struck up casual conversation — standard RPG courtesy.
The man's name was Darin, a merchant heading to Elton, a border city near the Empire's edge. From his words, I pieced together the timeline.
Five months before the academy's next enrollment.
That meant I was early — far earlier than the main cast's debut.
Perfect.
I still have time to prepare specially for the entrance exam
It's an tutorial event where the main casts usually starts
But that's where the costum characters and some special extras gets an advantage
Unlike the main casts the custom and extra characters usually starts near or outside the capital
Giving them a chance to farm items and train themselves and even had an opportunity to awaken an trait
Especially since traits are a core aspects in this world.
It's basically a skill tree that defines what you are. Meaning if you don't have a trait you are nothing but an normal person
Anyway there are many types of traits like blood line type, curse type, blessing type, common types and many more
Blood like types are those inherited by the blood.
Blessing type is more like a gift most of them don't have any strings attached.
Common types are just something not to good but neither bad
While on the other hand Cursed types are the ones which is considered High risk High reward. They grant immense power however it got a price.
Just like my own trait Broken vessel. In exchange for unlimited potential of my power lays the danger of killing myself with the same power
Which more likely to harm myself rather benefit me.
That's why I had to train it
But even so it has a great reward once I unlocked it's potential
Because just like what I said this world always tried to balance things at some degree
"Elton, huh…"
It's the near the border of the empire not exactly a good place to start on fro others but this place is a fine training ground for me
Sooner the town Elton came to view it looks exactly like how I've seen it in the monitor
From a distance, Elton looked almost peaceful.
Nestled in a shallow valley surrounded by gentle hills, the town was neither vast nor imposing — more like a stubborn ember refusing to die out in a world long past its golden age.
Its stone walls, darkened by rain and moss, gleamed faintly under the afternoon sun. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, painting thin gray trails into the pale sky.
If I hadn't known better, I would've mistaken it for an ordinary trading town.
But Elton wasn't ordinary.
Not to me.
That place… was where countless players met their first deaths.
And their first triumphs.
From here, I could see the town clearly. Carts rolled through the gate in slow rhythm, merchants shouting at guards, and a few armored figures stood watch — adventurers, maybe. Their weapons glinted, but their postures spoke of fatigue more than vigilance.
The town's architecture was distinct even from afar.
Thick stone bases anchored the buildings, with wooden upper floors that leaned slightly toward the streets, their red and brown roofs layered like scales. Flags fluttered from towers — faded crests of the Empire, barely maintained.
To the west, I could see the outline of the Adventurer's Guild hall, built higher than the rest — a rectangular shape with a watchtower jutting upward, topped with a silver emblem that caught the light. Just below it, a marketplace sprawled outward like a web, full of moving specks.
I took a deep breath.
Even from here, I could hear faint echoes — laughter, shouting, the clatter of iron.
It was nostalgic
"Elton," I whispered, a small smile tugging at my lips. "You haven't changed at all."
I stood there for a moment longer, just watching the city breathe beneath the sky.
It's the place where many players starts their own journey
A town of adventurers.
A place of beginnings.
"Alright," I said quietly. "Let's start from zero again."
---
✦ End of Chapter.