As I scanned through the quest board, the game's chatroom was exploding with excitement.
Ramen: OMG IS THE INFORMATION RIGHT?
Twinkle: Yeah, probably, I got it from the website.
Greeny: That's creepy, you know...
Twinkle: Hey! I wasn't the only one who saw that post!! Don't blame me.
Lunar: Yeah, I saw it too, along with a bunch of others.
Snowflake: What are you all talking about?
Twinkle: Y'know the VTuber Heejae?
Snowflake: Obviously, isn't he the clan master of the top-ranking clan?
Lunar: Yeah, and during one of his streams, he mentioned leveling up his alt these days.
Snowflake: Whaaat?? Really?
Lunar: Yep, it's been all over the website.
Greeny: Get a life, y'all.
The chat was buzzing with excitement over this Heejae person. Apparently, he was some kind of gaming celebrity, a top player in the community.
But honestly, I wasn't too interested. [Eclipse Nexus] was insanely popular, with over a million players logged in at any given time. Considering how it got released just a few weeks ago...or was it a month ago? Tsk, i don't care.
It was no surprise that people were obsessed with ranking players and finding out who was behind the biggest avatars.But me? I didn't care about that.
I just wanted to grind, level up, and keep my mind occupied.That's when I noticed a raid party forming. They needed a healer. Maybe I could do it. I wasn't the shy type, not really. It was just... I preferred not to get too close to people.
Friends can be fleeting, and when it comes down to it, relying on others only gets you hurt. In the end, you're nothing more than a burden to them.
I hesitated for a moment, then clicked on the raid request. A window popped up asking if I wanted to join the party. Why not? I selected "yes" and was instantly added to the team.The leader, ArcherZ, sent a quick message in the party chat.
ArcherZ: "Hey Yuna, welcome aboard. We need a healer for this dungeon. Think you can handle it?"
Yuna: "Yeah, I'll do my best."
ArcherZ: "Finally! A healer! Guys, we actually got one!"
BladeMaster: "No way, a real healer? About time! I thought we'd be running this dungeon with potions again."
MageKira: "Healers are like unicorns in this game. Welcome, Yuna! You're about to become our MVP."I couldn't help but chuckle at their excitement. I knew from my own experience that healers weren't common in games like this, and it felt nice to be needed for once. The others in the group were all experienced players, their levels ranging from 4 to 6. Meanwhile, here I was, a level 1 healer with barely any gear, yet they welcomed me like I was the missing piece to their puzzle.ArcherZ: "We're doing the Cave of Shadows. It's a level 5 dungeon, so it won't be too hard, but stay sharp."Level 5... Not too far ahead of me, but still a challenge for a level 1 healer. I can't screw this up.Within minutes, we were transported to the dungeon entrance. The Cave of Shadows loomed before us, its dark mouth swallowing the light. The eerie atmosphere gave off a cold, damp feeling, even through the screen. It was one of those places that screamed danger, but in the world of Eclipse Nexus, danger was half the fun.
MageKira: Let's go crush this. Can't wait to see what a healer can do.
I took a deep breath as the team began moving forward, with the leader leading the way. I stayed in the back, staff in hand, ready to heal at a moment's notice.
The cave was narrow, the walls covered in jagged rocks, and the sound of dripping water echoed through the tunnels. We hadn't encountered any enemies yet, but I knew that wouldn't last long.
Suddenly, ArcherZ stopped.
ArcherZ: Enemies ahead, stay ready.
The chat went quiet as everyone prepared. My heart started to race, and my fingers hovered over the keys, ready to cast a healing spell. Moments later, shadowy figures emerged from the darkness—a horde of bat-like creatures with glowing red eyes.
ArcherZ: Go!
The dungeon was cleared successfully, and as the last of the shadowy creatures fell, a victory message flashed across the screen. It had gone smoothly, maybe too smoothly, but I wasn't about to complain.
Everyone did their part, and my healing kept the team alive.
ArcherZ: Woah, Yuna. Do you have a main? There's no way you're just a newbie.
BladeMaster: I was about to say that! Yuna carried the team, ngl.
I stared blankly. Comments like these weren't unfamiliar. I wasn't new to gaming, just this particular one. Moreover they were too humble, all I did was give them some buffs.
Yuna: Just handling business.
MageKira: Well, you've got skills. If you're looking for more runs, we could use a healer. Want to join our clan? We're recruiting.
BladeMaster: Yeah, our clan could really use someone like you. Healers are hard to come by, especially ones that know what they're doing.
I wasn't here to join some group. I just needed something to pass the time, not a commitment. But clans usually came with better access to raids and quests.
Yuna: I'll think about it.
ArcherZ: No pressure. Just hit us up if you change your mind. We run dungeons regularly.
At that moment, a notification popped up on my screen:
[Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 5!]
So the dungeon run had been worth it after all. It felt good to see that leveling up was quite easy.
ArcherZ: Alright, good work, team! Let's split the loot.
As we distributed the loot, the conversation shifted to the real reason they were in the dungeon.
MageKira: By the way, Yuna, we're just leveling up our alts for the newbie event. Our mains are maxed out at level 200.
BladeMaster: Yeah, we all hit 200 a while back. This event just gives some decent rewards for leveling up new characters.
ArcherZ: Exactly. We've been doing these runs for a while, but man, running dungeons without a healer is rough. You saved us a lot of time.
Hearing that they were maxed out on their main accounts made their earlier performance make more sense. They weren't just regular newbies—they had already mastered the game and were just coasting through the early levels on alternate accounts. I was probably the only actual newbie here.
MageKira: Hey Yuna, that staff is perfect for you. Take it. You carried us.
BladeMaster: Yeah, take it. You earned it.
I took the Healer's Blessed Staff without hesitation. A better tool meant a better edge in the game.
Yuna: Thanks.
With the loot settled, the party disbanded. Standing alone in the newbie lounge, I glanced at the chat still buzzing with pointless conversations about streamers and other players. None of it mattered to me. The game itself was proving to be more engaging than I had anticipated, but I wasn't here to make friends or join a clan but it wasn't a bad idea, maybe I'll consider it. I just needed to keep moving forward, one raid at a time.
I equipped the Healer's Blessed Staff (+2), now a level 5 healer, and started looking for the next quest.