[Welcome, adventurer from another world, to the realm of *Godfall*!]
[Are you ready to begin your adventure?]
"Yes!"
Claire replied. She had played virtual games before, so the process didn't surprise her.
[Since this is your first login, you have the chance to awaken a special talent. Would you like to proceed?]
"Yes!"
[Ding! Talent awakened successfully!]
[Congratulations, you have awakened the SSS-level talent: *Ethereal Realm*!]
[*Ethereal Realm*: You possess a unique world of your own, transcending all universes!]
- **Feature 1**: +80% effect on *Inspect*-type skills.
- **Feature 2**: +80% effect on tracking skills.
- **Feature 3**: +80% resistance to sealing-type skills.
- **Feature 4**: Your attacks carry *Ethereal Strike*, ignoring armor, magic resistance, barriers, and even the laws of the world.
- **Feature 5**: Your attack range is unlimited and increases permanently with your level.
- **Feature 6**: You have a special vision that allows you to see entities outside of the normal world.
[Note: Just point me in the right direction.]
"What… I got an SSS-level talent!"
Claire's eyes widened, her hand covering her mouth in shock.
She had done some research on *Godfall*, familiarizing herself with its systems.
Every player got a unique talent upon their first login, which greatly influenced their future path.
The talents were graded as SSS, SS, S, A, B, and C, with SSS being the highest.
Official forums had gathered data, showing that most players had B- or C-grade talents, with A-grade being quite rare.
As for S and above? Those were practically legendary.
Claire never imagined she would awaken the highest-level SSS talent. Her luck was off the charts!
She decided to make the most of this, vowing not to waste such a powerful gift.
"Hm, according to the forums, I'll need to choose a class after the talent awakening."
Claire thought about it carefully, then said seriously:
"Choose class!"
[Ding! Matching you with a suitable adventure class.]
[Matching in progress...]
[Ding... Matching successful!]
[Based on your talent, the following classes suit you: Swordmaster, Blademaster, Hunter, Archer.]
[Please make your selection!]
"I'll choose Blademaster!"
Claire had once watched the movie *Kill Bill* and had been captivated by the scenes of swift sword strikes, finding them incredibly cool.
Without hesitation, she chose the Blademaster class.
[Class confirmed. Please name your character.]
"I'll call her Mooncleaver!"
This was her old gaming ID, and she thought it sounded cool.
[Name confirmed. Would you like to change your appearance and body shape?]
"Keep the body shape the same, but... change the appearance 100%."
Claire was a strong-willed woman. She didn't want to burden Ethan or rely on him too much, so for now, she decided to keep her gaming identity a secret.
Someday, when she could make money from the game herself, she would tell him—and surprise him with her progress.
[Ding! Your body has been shaped, and your status panel is ready.]
[Would you like to enter *Godfall*?]
"Yes!"
[Adventurer Mooncleaver, you are now entering *Godfall*.]
[Starting location: Argoth Prime, Silvermoon Alliance, Mapleleaf Town.]
[Cosmic coordinates: 19521, 56210, 62375, 12981.]
[Current time: 7:02 PM (Terra time).]
[Note: Argoth time is reversed from Terra's.]
As the notification ended, a white light enveloped Claire. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a small town.
The outskirts of the town were lined with maple trees, their leaves swaying gently in the breeze. The atmosphere was refreshing.
In the town square, players and NPCs bustled about. Most of the NPCs had pointed ears, marking them as elves.
"Silvermoon Alliance! This must be within the Elven territories."
Claire marveled at her surroundings, taking it all in with wide eyes.
"Hey, such a beautiful newbie! Sister, would you like to join our guild?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm WaterDrop, a Water Mage! Our guild is *Red Mansion*, have you heard of it?"
"Uh... no."
"Well, now you know! Our guild ranks in the top four of *Godfall*. So, what do you think? Want to join?"
"Sorry, I want to explore by myself first."
"Oh, come on! You're new here, what if some bad guys trick you? Come on, our guild is full of girls..."
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Argoth Prime, near Deepwater City, in a small town called Death Valley.
Damien opened his eyes, taking in the surroundings with a look of astonishment.
"I never imagined virtual games could be this advanced. Is this really just a game?"
As someone with a sharp eye for business, Damien instantly recognized the massive potential of this game.
If he had known earlier, he would have jumped into this market right away. But it wasn't too late.
Damien muttered to himself, inwardly thankful to Ethan. If not for him, Damien might not have discovered this hidden goldmine.
"Damien!"
At that moment, a voice called out to him.
"Who are you?"
Damien frowned. He didn't recognize this person.
"I'm Xeno, my in-game name is *The Shades of Yin and Yang*!"
"Oh, it's you. Just in time. So, what's the next step?"
Damien asked. Before entering *Godfall*, he had acquired a small gaming guild, and Xeno was its leader.
As Damien was still unfamiliar with virtual games, Xeno was here to help guide him.
"First, we need to level up. It's slow going in *Godfall*, but I'll have the guild's elite team assist you."
Xeno said, but then hesitated before adding:
"By the way, if I may ask... what grade is your talent?"
"Why do you need to know?"
Damien narrowed his eyes. Though he didn't fully grasp the game's mechanics yet, he knew enough to understand the importance of talents.
So Xeno's question instantly made him wary.
"No need to be concerned, Damien. I just need the information to help plan your leveling strategy and skill development."
"That's not your concern. Just take me to level up. Oh, and while we're at it, tell me about the top guilds. I plan to acquire one."
"Understood!"
Xeno didn't press further, and the two set off toward the wilderness.
As they walked, Xeno explained,
"The current top hundred guilds in *Godfall* are all very strong. Groups like *Mount Shu*, *Chasing Cats' Tails*, *Sniper Alliance*, and *Red Mansion* dominate the ranks. Oh, and G&G has been getting a lot of attention recently."
"G&G?"
Damien's eyes lit up. He knew that Naomi's company was called G&G. Could it be the same one?
"The G&G you're talking about—does their leader happen to be named Naomi?"
"Exactly! G&G is on the top 100 list, and their ranking has likely improved recently."
Xeno paused for a moment before continuing,
"Honestly, Damien, top guilds don't usually need money—they're backed by big financial groups. Acquiring one would be tough, but..."
"But what?" Damien asked, intrigued.
"There's one guild that's had some setbacks recently, so it might be worth a shot."
"Oh? Which one?"
"*Third Heaven*,"
Xeno answered.
"Their elite group was wiped out not long ago, and they took a massive hit. Rumor has it that the financial backers are thinking of pulling out, but that's just hearsay. Nothing concrete yet."
"Hearsay is good enough."
Damien smiled. As long as there was an opening, he wouldn't let it slip by. After all, money wasn't an issue for him.
"Reach out to the leader of *Third Heaven*. Tell them we're very interested."
"Yes, sir!"
...