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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49rKdZ1RCy
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLvEzNOLfL
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMXX2z9ebR
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpVNugjYZd
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EfigJpfXu
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWRqI4z6RS
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tbpdjc6k0
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtcold0QXx
[Welcome to Illusion Tree. Please state your player name.]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRwM2IW7Zx
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdrjhbpRN9
He’d practiced this. “Eon. Eon Moonlicht.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2s5VDiyuS
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEbtXd5fHp
[Confirm character name: Eon Moonlicht?]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKFWVPKCkM
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuspL9d9s5
“Confirm.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzvQNkJo33
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88HLMA7IOl
[Initialization complete. Connecting to the World Tree. Enjoy your new life.]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00Z2yB1x8O
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXhP5PDt3M
The hum of the capsule faded, replaced by an absolute, silent white.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYF76TlrOR
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNhgGXvgVP
A voice, ancient and resonant, filled the void. It wasn't heard; it was *felt*, vibrating in his very soul.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8T5B2qhX3
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00tEhdHXJ9
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84Zh46BmNV
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJ4dZvjA2A
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8v53h8rKGu
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1cEwO650D
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCjwWDbVBs
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMD4nIpMxGz
“The timer begins now,” the angelic guide said gently. “Choose wisely, for your beginning shapes your journey.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWB17CXJ7c
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpiCWdw0uA
A clock appeared above her head. [00:59]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWy1ROC0AY8
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbzK9jHIJ3
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoezVGHw14G
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVr9AVYpQKU
titled “Three Things I’d Do if I Started Over Again | Illusion Tree.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3ptj5UqGK
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hG5O5OvqP
The third point, delivered by a calm, masked avatar, was seared into his memory.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkbZto5nHL
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKQHkKSt5m
“Do not choose a class. Let the timer run out.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lHYoA9myy
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Wo2TLZ55D
The comments were a torrent of rage.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQYh31eDCS
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPjwTyg9Oc
SCAM!352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbYZaaCVMp
I tried this and it ruined my account!352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyYnA0WWme
Waste of time, you spawn with NOTHING!352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAo5cJUWr1
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtI0rqKxg7b
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiL4EfS0xN7
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm49BpBP0kc
“I… choose nothing,” Eon said, his voice firmer than he felt.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡew8h7p9tV8
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1sj3G6gUA
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2O9wXmzRo
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9JWbHEyqP
“I know. I’m not picking anything. I’ll wait.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYRW29XWEJ
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFokoQ99EUl
The timer ticked down. [00:45]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV19nqLXDGZ
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0jnXQgDae
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv83wkW3wfY
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUC3DovnsE
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFf9MYbDBj
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUKch8wIcT
[00:30]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmmBoGagIF
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88JDFeXMud
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZmNjXyeYL
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IOleSgpx1
“Let’s call it an experiment.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcthXvI2Hz
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJoHvPxOKZ
[00:15]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39Pi3CC6PB
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RDaFz7UMe
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5E6rAaNLcB
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9j3o2OcCcr
“Then I surrender,” Eon said, meeting her glowing gaze. “But I’ll do it on my terms.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcX3IHDiYSa
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeLoB9ljBh
[00:03… 00:02… 00:01…]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EXvn2QgvB
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEtZFLnwHL
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutXAPDQJfT
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqEiYCiIek
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhO52nJBr77
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbagFlDu01D
The golden chamber imploded into a vortex of color and sound.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEoFvuPYhJ
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgjaAnuzr3
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡya3ByFjRjQ
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43moj9ZHrX
A notification hung in his vision, transparent and mocking:352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNpjvABR3F
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihQLs1nBCy
[ Class: None ]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlN3XvGJOW
[ Equipped: None ]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ym8obyKoA
[ Skills: None ]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkFyO1Qt39
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQimeeE68I
“Well,” he whispered to himself, wiggling his toes in the grass. “Here goes nothing.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7SuWv5dBh
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFuI0tPZm1
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcK7dcwIwpH
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxVUFFdKZ9
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bS9DXmSbv
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSTdCNZODt
“Uh, I didn’t… roll anything,” Eon said.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LgjjF3J9s
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5xlp8RRrL
The Guardian’s smile faded. “What do you mean? Everyone picks a class.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9hlSalAB6
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVO0lmnL9Es
“I didn’t. I waited out the timer.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGmMVgVZrq
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FUTv2b092
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1ahPmoNWt
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDi6ECthj3P
The Guardian stared in pure disbelief. “But… why? You have no gear. No skills. You’re literally a level-zero NPC.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUh7PvDqVh2
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5Zmv0K0m7
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1DCoYfZUt
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6m2b2OKBmK
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiPrD1uni8
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFoQnOzvAw
The crowd erupted in laughter. Eon tried to push past them, his face heating up.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyghAYRKrY
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6MzjLeqJs
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1dwL3kJh23
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5R0UE6NSB
“Second lesson!” the Archer chimed in. “How to run away crying! It’s gonna be your most-used skill!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9FwshcAi9
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxl0gAQAW6
Eon shoved past them, their jeers following him. “Thanks for the offer! I’ll manage!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWwJ9dHWjR
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6o2LAPvni
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YCXNCJNIl
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGeVO1DKyZ
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbOKmFb2TV
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oHaAZBdKk
“I… don’t have a class.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWan7i6wuJ
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozlCeODi4N
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeayA5ucOE
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHYiDfMmS7
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRmiGiSz94
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bnKnFCtdD
Defeated, Eon moved to a potion vendor, an elderly woman with a kind face. Maybe she’d take pity.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qNUUYZQ6R
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjIDv8UazZ
“Hello, dearie. A healing potion for the road? Only a few copper.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewDbGSjhsB
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4eym5q1dv
“I’d like one, but I don’t have any money. Or a class.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRu1xZ1stSo
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPhkjsI5l5
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoO2IqP5JY
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOsUowBSrn
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE14QlVGDgU
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlife6wkO34
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhh87N4CqPM
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qBQBuCyux
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDC8DcZSp4
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZC9OqkZHAD
The room roared with approval. Another player yelled, “What’s your build, man? Is it ‘Optimist’ or ‘Masochist’?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCFRiyeUvx
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFokbxfgpvE
“Maybe he’s roleplaying a village idiot! Hey, do a trick! Can you eat mud?”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61aegXvFP4
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaG3TeGq7Dy
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoNAizQLqp
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLz8q4HmDCT
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZZf4KU1z0
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFpI9ocG4N
It was the only thing in this world that wasn’t laughing at him.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEkTNyR4F6
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoSFPmA7An
“Okay,” Eon breathed, his heart starting to pound not with embarrassment, but with anticipation. “Just you and me.”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLv6G7ReVoe
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWx1JhCnoZ
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Oiufakca9
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGo4vCCS4ie
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxv661ONE2f
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFO3UmIRPG
“Yowch! Okay, you little jerk!”352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZUBotMK5o
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzeHwXyJZ4
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9D1dJ3vjp
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIyElBLio2
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJoyqPxTIM
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzGNbAhdbF
A warmth flowed into him. A transparent, grey text appeared in his vision, simple and profound.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMdOrC6jyG
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4i1yygK9b
[Strength +1]352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGroRgtFu9
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPbCx8fnmW
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZUBqWIBpK
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTy3bysX2dC
He had nothing. No class, no skills, no gear, no respect.352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRHOkromDgD
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZanKypVTZ
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.
352Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdI0EawGIK
and then Add to home screen.