The young man sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the massive, pearlescent VR Capsule that now dominated his tiny, cluttered apartment. It hummed with a soft, promising energy, a stark contrast to the dusty silence of his NEET existence.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfIw8uW6bpY
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“Alright… this is it. The great escape,” he muttered to the empty room, running a hand through his unkempt hair. “Two billion people can’t be wrong. Or maybe they can. Who cares? It’s gotta be better than this.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBnD4w7zaW
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GTPZ2x5E1
He’d blown the last of his savings on this thing. The game itself, *Illusion Tree*, was a one-time purchase. The real cost was the capsule—the only hardware advanced enough to deliver the promised “second reality.” No subscriptions, no microtransactions. Just… a new life.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUB6xYG0iKG
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2b6NjXpTC
With a deep breath, he climbed inside. The gel-filled contours molded to his body with a sigh. A holographic interface flickered to life before his eyes.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBrxc2NplX
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAgGVxitSx
[Welcome to Illusion Tree. Please state your player name.]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrutCl838F9
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9UG5XE07z
He’d practiced this. “Eon. Eon Moonlicht.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XmtUGft30
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZ26hwsy2r
[Confirm character name: Eon Moonlicht?]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk0hoUM41c
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“Confirm.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4HITQ1Y5j
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[Initialization complete. Connecting to the World Tree. Enjoy your new life.]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kZZlgXSMu
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZO55d6aKM
The hum of the capsule faded, replaced by an absolute, silent white.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25nByHT4qZ
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A voice, ancient and resonant, filled the void. It wasn't heard; it was *felt*, vibrating in his very soul.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6sFFI5sBu
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDiBwehN9G
From the chaos of the primordial code, twelve deities emerged. They forged the World Tree, Illusion Tree, from dreams and logic. Each god poured their essence into an Orb, a fragment of ultimate power. But ambition shattered their unity. A divine war raged, scattering the Orbs and their divine weapons to the farthest roots and highest branches of the Tree. Now, only echoes of the gods remain, and mortals tread the paths they forged. Your journey begins at the end of their story. Your choices will write the next.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcSMXf7zXY
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsg99cdmbTC
The white dissolved into a breathtaking, golden space. Before him stood a being of impossible beauty, her wings not of feather, but of crystallized light. Her voice was like a symphony. “Welcome, soul. I am your guide to genesis. To step upon the path, you must first choose your first identity. Who will you be in this world?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9XWQ9faAR
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A colossal, shimmering menu materialized, listing thousands of classes: Dragon Knight, Arcane Weaver, Shadow Dancer, Rune Smith, Celestial Bard… the list seemed infinite.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgRbnHRkvJ
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“The timer begins now,” the angelic guide said gently. “Choose wisely, for your beginning shapes your journey.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6pncNoyxy
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A clock appeared above her head. [00:59]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc26ig5GLNu
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Eon’s heart hammered against his ribs. The pressure was immense. Every class glowed with potential, a promise of power and purpose. But he remembered the video, buried deep in the algorithm,352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNHjTUh5nA
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2KCJWVIDX
titled “Three Things I’d Do if I Started Over Again | Illusion Tree.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v5nEM1ZqZ
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKI8KEuzSV4
The third point, delivered by a calm, masked avatar, was seared into his memory.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPU5hTtjUr
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“Do not choose a class. Let the timer run out.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGJkR6HhOI
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The comments were a torrent of rage.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVp7mLJbAhV
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYBdAau44b
SCAM!352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMtNAopk26
I tried this and it ruined my account!352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLP3WsojoDx
Waste of time, you spawn with NOTHING!352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPqdipcvRN
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZQidTRHlY
Yet, the uploader never responded, never defended themselves. The mystery of it, the sheer contrarian absurdity, called to Eon. His entire life had been about having nothing and making nothing of it. Why should a game be different?352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk93ZTzgGWn
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOG8VRU3s6X
“I… choose nothing,” Eon said, his voice firmer than he felt.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepSSiKnomo
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The angel’s serene smile didn’t falter, but the light around her flickered almost imperceptibly. “Nothing? That is not a path available on the menu, traveler.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTUTHUbRfe
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7timJewr77
“I know. I’m not picking anything. I’ll wait.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbViFxRdiDA
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The timer ticked down. [00:45]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfjB2XdFlQ
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“This is most unwise,” she urged, her melodic voice gaining a sharp edge. “To refuse a class is to refuse the very foundation of this world. You will be granted no starting weapon, no armor, not even the most basic skill like <Appraise> or <Sprint>. You will be less than a newborn. You will be… a void.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpdXheN4mI
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqr6fk0XnNF
“I’m used to it,” Eon retorted, a defensive smirk on his face. “Isn’t this supposed to be a real second life? In real life, you don’t get to pick ‘Dragon Tamer’ as a starting class. You figure it out.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUA7UxVhsq
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[00:30]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGs5FpmLLFn
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“This is not your world!” she insisted, her composure cracking for the first time. A divine frustration leaked into her tone. “It has rules! You are not ‘figuring it out,’ you are wilfully crippling yourself! Why would you do this? What possible logic drives you?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRI9OCYaSmG
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“Let’s call it an experiment.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4XqBgiA3g
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[00:15]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdkRWYaqgf
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“It is folly!” The space around them shuddered. “You tread a road of pure anguish. The wilds will devour you. Other players will scorn you. The world itself will not acknowledge you! This is not a brave challenge; it is a surrender before you have even begun!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWZUzJAZJy
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsMJAg37Fk
“Then I surrender,” Eon said, meeting her glowing gaze. “But I’ll do it on my terms.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IR5d00htS
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12ZwQHwfZT
[00:03… 00:02… 00:01…]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQYPsNLgCZ
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFdtYYcOM7
The magnificent menu shattered into motes of light. The angel’s form seemed to dim. The disappointment on her face was profoundly, unsettlingly real.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdT481oBvq
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVyqv4uiqP
“So be it, Eon Moonlicht. You enter the world as a paradox. A blank page. May your story be worth the pain of its writing.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKplQqBQlbQ
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbl7EpSZ0V
The golden chamber imploded into a vortex of color and sound.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdanqw26nU9
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68H6C7jN1J
Sensation returned all at once. The smell of damp earth and baking bread. The feel of a warm breeze on his skin. The sound of a bustling crowd and chirping birds. Eon blinked, his eyes adjusting to the vivid sunlight of a perfect fantasy village square. He looked down at himself. Rough-spun tunic, soft linen pants, bare feet. Absolutely, utterly ordinary.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeUzVzv7bN
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A notification hung in his vision, transparent and mocking:352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxYBvmO8QB
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIwXtASVLBA
[ Class: None ]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDuJg7pMOre
[ Equipped: None ]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMOT1PTgGF
[ Skills: None ]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3e36DXK73
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJNs8d6TDH
“Well,” he whispered to himself, wiggling his toes in the grass. “Here goes nothing.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmL3ShRGuVa
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7629WYPe0
The starting village, Haven’s Reach, was flooded with new players, all clad in their starting gear. Leather armor, simple robes, Initiiate’s staves. Eon, in his peasant clothes, stood out like a sore thumb.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KewqSImpY
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZOyoVIKlI
“Hey, you there!” a boisterous young man in chainmail called out, clanking over. “You just pop in? What’d you roll? I went Guardian. Gonna be an unkillable tank!” He thumped his chest plate.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJNRtAoADa
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbtoodzq9t8
“Uh, I didn’t… roll anything,” Eon said.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7g7CYn2dr
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOS5afop53
The Guardian’s smile faded. “What do you mean? Everyone picks a class.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24bOXWOseX
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRerH4ueupK
“I didn’t. I waited out the timer.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXHmzBq8Ld
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGK1sFtiM0
A nearby Archer, stringing her bow, burst out laughing. “You did what? Oh, man, I heard about that! There’s some stupid rumor on the forums. You actually fell for it?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldmMjdrRVz
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The Guardian stared in pure disbelief. “But… why? You have no gear. No skills. You’re literally a level-zero NPC.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNspvHL8n2
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Their conversation attracted a small crowd. A Mage in blue robes sneered. “Look at this! A true noob! I didn’t think they actually existed.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3caopbnJX
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“Hey, buddy,” the Archer said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. “You know you’re basically just XP for the tutorial slimes, right? They’re gonna have to respawn you so many times your brain will get dizzy.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYW6sDZHGU
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The crowd erupted in laughter. Eon tried to push past them, his face heating up.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQr74xlmLr
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrRyLM4YkQ
“Wait, wait, don’t go!” the Guardian said, stepping in front of him. “I’m feeling charitable. I’ll mentor you. First lesson! How to punch air!” He demonstrated with a slow, exaggerated punch. More laughter.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspZ6Mk8apH
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRx78LiHeOo
“Second lesson!” the Archer chimed in. “How to run away crying! It’s gonna be your most-used skill!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18qEmbZmnS
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Eon shoved past them, their jeers following him. “Thanks for the offer! I’ll manage!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0W4hDzCfqV
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEm0JKhKz2o
He made his way to a small equipment stall run by a grizzled NPC smith. “Excuse me,” Eon said. “I’d like to buy a knife. The cheapest one you have.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnK8UdNsi8N
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The smith looked him up and down, his brow furrowed. “You’re new. What’s your class, lad? Gatherer? Skinner? I’ve got good starter knives for both.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8taQt0HSjn
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“I… don’t have a class.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tSGrO7szR
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The NPC’s friendly demeanor vanished instantly. He scowled. “No class? Then I’ve got nothing for you. Can’t have untrained fools waving sharp metal around. You’ll poke your eye out, or worse, someone else’s. Move along. You’re scaring off proper customers.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2b3BA0LYI
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From behind him, a player buying a sword chuckled. “Even the AI knows you’re a lost cause, man. Give it up.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqd8xfVXpn3
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ke5JexeTx
Defeated, Eon moved to a potion vendor, an elderly woman with a kind face. Maybe she’d take pity.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsg6DO0N2v
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“Hello, dearie. A healing potion for the road? Only a few copper.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSXDyCVZIV
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“I’d like one, but I don’t have any money. Or a class.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqply8OMYHm
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcux2gi7rd9
The woman’s kind eyes narrowed. “No class? Then I cannot, in good conscience, sell you a potion. Without the <Potion Lore> skill granted by a class, you might misdose. You could poison yourself! The liability! Shoo, now. Come back when you’ve found your purpose.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8tMg2ktcs
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsnZXl4v27
The final humiliation came at the village inn. The common room was packed with players celebrating their new beginnings. Eon slipped in, hoping to just listen and learn.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRazCReczM
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLj51ooacLT
A hush fell over part of the room. Then a loud, mocking voice rang out. “Well, well, look what the cat dragged in! Or should I say, what *didn’t* drag anything in! It’s Mr. No-Class himself!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEdTVFRZoR
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAKNqGy5Vw
A barrel-chested Warrior stood up, raising a tankard. “A toast! To the biggest idiot in Haven’s Reach! May your respawns be quick and your failures be entertaining!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49xWamp2uL
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The room roared with approval. Another player yelled, “What’s your build, man? Is it ‘Optimist’ or ‘Masochist’?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCun2HY0ybI
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7mbeZ26gW
“Maybe he’s roleplaying a village idiot! Hey, do a trick! Can you eat mud?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6G3ZSk8U7
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjFkoA7MZi
Eon turned on his heel and marched out, the sound of their laughter feeling like physical blows against his back. He didn’t stop until he passed through the village’s main gate, the guard NPC simply shaking his head in pity.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoz6ppRnb4v
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM51q4X7smX
The sun was warmer outside the walls. The grass was greener. The air was free of their mockery. Before him, a wide, peaceful meadow stretched out. And there, bouncing aimlessly, was a small, gelatinous, green Slime. The most basic of basic monsters.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKI5vJNYFv0
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It was the only thing in this world that wasn’t laughing at him.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnv9QstOxGj
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“Okay,” Eon breathed, his heart starting to pound not with embarrassment, but with anticipation. “Just you and me.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkesyCHbZAd
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzU557XR1W
He approached cautiously. The slime noticed him, gave a cheerful little wobble, and hopped forward. Eon lunged, swinging a wild punch. His fist sank into its cool, jelly-like body with a soft *squelch*. It didn’t hurt it much, but the impact stung his knuckles.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHi0zYxJzVz
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2Z0B5KtTH
The slime retaliated, launching itself and smacking into his leg. It felt like being hit with a wet bag of sand—not deadly, but surprisingly solid and painful.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEWeuAvHlF
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“Yowch! Okay, you little jerk!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlYp8TZCnw
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4StP2V0eLA
This wasn’t a quick game fight. This was a clumsy, gritty, undignified scrap. He couldn’t just press a button for a skill. He had to actually move, dodge, and swing. He kicked at it, his bare foot connecting with the same squelching sensation. He overbalanced and fell onto his backside in the grass.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuUsU8Pnx9
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGaU0nzAja
The slime hopped onto his chest. He grabbed it with both hands, the substance oozing between his fingers, and with a grunt of effort, he ripped it in two. The two halves quivered for a moment before dissolving into a faint, shimmering mist.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNzhshdT68
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A warmth flowed into him. A transparent, grey text appeared in his vision, simple and profound.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlhCNjmLAD
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[Strength +1]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7LCzbUe5x
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMG9DomYEIv
Eon lay there in the grass, chest heaving, covered in faintly glowing slime residue. He started to laugh, a real, breathless, incredulous laugh that echoed in the quiet field.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6Do4RRlZl
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He had nothing. No class, no skills, no gear, no respect.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8l0E3hcWS
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But he had one single point of Strength that he had earned all by himself. And for the first time in a long time, that felt like everything.
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and then Add to home screen.