She navigated through the auction house a few more times, checking the prices of various items.
It became clear that combat-related items were selling at high prices, while crafting and gathering materials were much cheaper.
Could botters be flooding the market?
It seemed likely.
Having gathered the necessary information, her next step was to head to Lunaris Capital.
There, she would acquire her desired class and begin progressing through the main story quests.
As she walked along the road, she noticed the stares of many players.
There was envy, jealousy, and even admiration.
It reminded her of the time when she had earned the first clear achievement of a raid boss—long ago.
Now, those same kinds of looks were directed at her.
After a moment of reflection, she understood why.
The game had fully entered the realm of senses, and it was difficult for average players to gather gear like hers. Even though it was just basic equipment from the beginner's region, it stood out.
The tokens she had earned from hunting orcs were valuable because they were needed for repeatable quests.
As she walked along the well-trodden path, a sudden message appeared in front of her.
[Guild Invitation]
[Guild Name: Starlight]
[ACCEPT/ DECLINE]
Surprised by the unexpected invitation, she looked around.
A knight in shining full-plate armor was waving at her.
"Hello there!"
His voice was confident and friendly, and the name and guild tag above his head confirmed he was the one who had sent the invitation.
"What's your intention?"
"Oh, I'm sorry! I was just looking at some info and must've clicked the wrong button," he explained, somewhat embarrassed.
Was he telling the truth?
Either way, there was no point in pushing further.
She nodded and pressed the decline button.
[Guild Invitation Declined]
The message disappeared, but the knight remained in front of her, blocking her path.
She stared at him, silently hoping he would move aside. He smiled and asked,
"Are you playing solo?"
He was probing about whether she had companions.
She gripped her sword, wondering if this knight might be targeting solo players.
She had read about rogue players, known as PKers, who preyed on lone users, hunting them for their loot.
But the knight's intentions seemed innocent enough.
Noticing her defensive stance, he quickly added,
"Oh, no, it's nothing like that! We're just recruiting for our guild."
"Guild recruitment?"
"Yes, very few people make it past level 10, so we're scouting new players."
She glanced around.
It wasn't just this knight—several high-level players were stationed along this road, observing the players who passed by at level 10.
"There seem to be plenty of other level 10 players around."
He chuckled awkwardly at her remark.
His interest in her was transparent, but at least he wasn't trying to hide it.
Compared to those who concealed their true motives, he was refreshingly straightforward.
She took another look at the other level 10 players.
The ones getting guild offers had something in common: either they wore full sets of repeat quest gear, or they traveled with small parties.
In other words, guilds were targeting players who either had skill or financial resources.
"And do you think I'm qualified to join your guild?"
"Absolutely! Someone like you would be welcomed with open arms, not just in our guild but in many others."
With his words, she sheathed her sword.
A big smile spread across the knight's face, thinking she was about to accept his offer.
But no, she wasn't interested in joining a guild just yet.
Based on her knowledge from another, similar world, Starlight wasn't a particularly famous guild.
There were no notable events tied to it, meaning it was just a run-of-the-mill social guild.
"I'm not really considering joining a guild right now..." she trailed off, turning her gaze away.
He quickly moved his hand in the air, and a transparent window popped up in front of her.
[Friend Request]
[Name: Nak-bi]
[Level: 22]
[Class: Knight]
[ACCEPT/ DECLINE]
"Feel free to add me as a friend! If you ever change your mind, just send me a message."
It seemed like the smarter option. If she rejected his offer completely, others standing nearby might try their luck with her.
She nodded and accepted the friend request.
Her friend list updated, adding Nak-bi.
It didn't matter. He'd likely be deleted by the end of the day, so there was no point in remembering his name.
Accepting his request had the desired effect. No one else bothered her as she walked down the road.
However, friend requests still kept coming. Not wanting to be hassled, she accepted them all.
By the time she reached Lunaris Capital, her friend list had grown to over 20 names.
As the name suggested, the Lunaris Empire was a nation that worshipped the moon.
Its mythology, religion, and various classes were all connected to the moon.
The buildings, said to be made from pale moonlight itself, were stunning to behold.
She wasn't staring at a screen, navigating with a mouse and keyboard; she was seeing this world through her own eyes and feeling it with her own skin.
In reality, it was just the capsule fooling her brain with electrical signals, but it still felt good.
It was time to choose her class.
She had already mapped out her career path in her mind, so she headed toward her destination without hesitation.
As a reward for entering the capital for the first time, a few potions were added to her inventory.
She ignored the more accessible class trainers in the capital—swordmasters, mages, archers, warriors, knights, and others.
The class she had chosen required her to travel a bit farther, to a mountain not too far from the city.
Exiting the capital, she began climbing a small mountain.
The area was primarily used for gathering, so it was crowded with players, but her destination lay further up the mountain.
It wasn't a hidden or secret class, just one with a slightly inconvenient location.
Halfway up, she spotted a man sitting on a large rock.
[Balthheim]
[Highlander Class Trainer]
Highlander. That was the class she had chosen.
The requirements to change classes were simple—talk to him and pay a small fee in silver to unlock the class skills.
"Are you interested in becoming a Highlander?" he asked.
She nodded.
Balthheim stood up and drew his sword.
The shining blade gleamed in the sunlight, scattering a dazzling light in every direction. The sight of it made her squint.
"To become a Highlander, you must pass a simple test."
She knew this well.
All she had to do was hand him some silver.
As she opened her inventory to take out the money, Balthheim's eyes flashed, and without warning, he attacked.
His blade shot upward in a powerful strike, leaving a blue streak of light in its wake.
Her body reacted instinctively.
Her eyes quickly tracked the sword's path.
The strike was aimed at her head—if she stood still, her skull would be split in half from the jawline up.
She took a step to the side.
It was a small, subtle movement, just enough to avoid the attack.
The sword's blue light brushed past her bangs, just barely missing her.
"Congratulations, you've passed!"
As soon as she dodged, a series of transparent messages filled her vision.
She blinked in confusion. Had the test changed?
It wasn't impossible.
This world was similar to her own, but small details could differ.
Still, it had been a sudden and dangerous change. If it had been an ordinary player instead of her, they might have died before even getting their class.
As a reward for completing the trail change, she was given a weapon.
It was a level 10 sword, repairable and durable enough to last for quite some time.
[Highlander Sword]
[Attack Power +65]
[Level Requirement: 10]
[A weapon given upon becoming a Highlander. Its performance is exceptional for its level, and it has great durability.
It can be used with one or both hands, depending on the player's skill]
It was longer and heavier than a one-handed sword.
She hefted the blade onto her shoulder, finding it surprisingly well-balanced.
Next, she checked her new skills.
[Victory After Victory]
[Grants a stacking buff for every enemy killed.
Each stack increases movement and attack speed by 1%, up to a maximum of 10 stacks. The buff lasts until combat ends]
[Unyielding Spirit]
[Reduces incoming physical damage by 10%]
[Skeptic of Magic]
[Increases incoming magic damage by 10%]
[Counterattack]
[Reverses an opponent's attack.
If timed perfectly, it deals critical damage]
[Warcry]
[Taunts all enemies within range.
Taunted enemies receive increased damage from all sources]
[Vitality]
[Increases natural health regeneration]
[Charge]
[Quickly charges forward.
If an enemy is hit at the end of the charge, they are stunned.
The user cannot be interrupted during the charge]
Highlander wasn't a class most beginners would choose.
Its passives and charge skill were useful, but it lacked strong active damage-dealing abilities.
Though it became a popular choice later for its passive skills, it wasn't highly favored in the current season.
With her class change complete, it was time to test out her new skills and equipment.
Thoughts of Harang had long since faded from her mind.
Nearby Lunaris Capital was the Forest of Verdant Green, a field where players could hunt wolf-type monsters called Dire Wolves and humanoid bandits.
At the forest entrance, many players milled about.
Some were looking for parties, others were preparing to hunt, but all of them had poor equipment.
Players with proper gear like hers were few and far between.
Their eyes began to focus on her as her armor and weapons drew attention.
She quickly moved on.
Once she entered the main hunting ground, the area was filled with flashes of skill effects.
There were no open spots.
Parties of players sat waiting for respawning monsters, killing them the moment they appeared.
She frowned. How could that be fun?
Ignoring them, she ventured deeper into the forest, toward the bandit territory.
Like the orcs, these were humanoid enemies.
The area was quiet. Only a few small parties were patrolling the outskirts, hunting the occasional stray bandit.
A grin spread across her face. Her heart raced with anticipation.
Her legs carried her forward, and she tensed her body in preparation.
A strange power surged through her legs as she pushed off the ground.
She was ready to activate her first skill.
Her sword trailed behind her like a tail as she gathered blue mana around her body, increasing her speed.
[Charge]
She shot toward the bandits at a speed far greater than running.
But just as she closed in—
[Shutdown Notice]
[You can no longer play the game.
The server connection has been terminated.]
"Ah..."
With a short sigh, the game ended.