Ethan lay back on his creaky bed, the VR headset snug over his face. The countdown to Ethereal's official launch ticked away in his mind.
Ten minutes.
He tried to steady his racing thoughts. This was it. His chance to reclaim everything he'd lost.
Five… four… three… two… one—
Ding…
"You're here, kid."
There was no dramatic intro screen. No character creation. No guide NPC to welcome him.
Instead, Ethan found himself face-to-face with a ragged old man, his tattered clothes and singed beard giving him the appearance of someone who'd just crawled out of an explosion.
"Uh…" Ethan blinked. His brain struggled to process what he was seeing.
The old man chuckled, a knowing glint in his eye. "Didn't think you'd be so surprised, considering everything you've been through. Then again, you're the only one who passed the test."
"The… test?" Ethan echoed, his stomach knotting with unease.
The old man nodded. "That's right. You're here because you completed the 'Angel's Salvation' quest."
Ethan's breath caught.
"Back when I designed that quest, I made sure the activation requirement was no joke. Over 1,000 deaths, within the time limit, of course. And you're the only player stubborn enough to pull it off. That takes some serious grit."
The old man's tone was casual, as though recounting a mildly interesting story. Ethan, however, was less amused.
He remembered the leaderboard from his previous life, where his name sat at the top under Most Deaths—1,389 times. The runner-up? A distant 287.
At the time, people had joked about him being a masochist. A few players had even tried to grind deaths to climb the leaderboard, but none lasted long. The pain was too real.
Ethereal's death system didn't just simulate physical pain; it simulated fear, despair, and the primal terror of dying. It was rumored that the second-place player had gone insane after his 200th death.
"So… no one else can trigger this quest, huh?" Ethan muttered.
The old man shook his head. "Nope. You're one of a kind, kid. I know you've got questions, but now's not the time for answers."
Ethan frowned but said nothing, sensing there was no point in arguing.
The old man continued. "As the only one who passed, you've earned the right to three Devine Abilities. But there's a catch: your class is locked to Druid."
"Druid?" Ethan's skepticism was immediate.
In his previous life, Druids had been the laughingstock of the game. Sure, they could shift between six forms, A Bear, Panther, Owl, Tree, Stag, and Human, but every form was outclassed by another profession:
The Bear couldn't tank like a proper shield-wielder.
The Panther lacked the versatility of a Rogue.
The Owl couldn't out-damage a Mage.
The Tree wasn't half as effective at healing as a Priest.
The Stag? It had no combat abilities whatsoever. The only thing it could do was move fast… and act as a mount for others.
And in Human Form, Druids couldn't use skills from their other forms, rendering them almost useless.
The community's verdict had been unanimous: a Druid could do everything, but none of it well. "Jack of all trades, master of none" was an understatement.
Many who chose the class at launch ended up quitting or pivoting to non-combat roles like crafting and gathering. After all, Ethereal didn't allow players to delete their characters and start over.
Now, this strange old man wanted to saddle him with the worst class in the game? Ethan's gut reaction was pure resistance.
"I'm not sure about this…"
"Relax, kid," the old man said, waving dismissively. "You're not like the others. As the sole victor of the trial, your Druid class will start with an additional +10 to all attributes."
Ethan's protests faltered. +10 to every stat? That was… absurd. No other class came close to that level of baseline growth.
The old man's tone shifted, growing somber. "You'll need that edge, trust me. Five years from now, when the Ethereal Cataclysm arrives, the world as you know it will end. This game isn't just a game, kid. It's a glimpse into what comes after, a world reborn a millennium after the fall of civilization."
Ethan's head spun. "Wait, what? Are you saying—"
The old man cut him off. "You'll understand in time. For now, just remember: choose Druid. It's the only way forward."
Before Ethan could object, the old man' ascended through the air, his ragged clothes bubbling in the wind as he disappeared.
"...."
The world around Ethan dissolved, replaced by a familiar interface and the stirring orchestral music of the Ethereal login screen.
"Protect the world, my ass," Ethan muttered, glaring at the character creation screen. "What kind of deception is this? End of the world, my foot. If thay means a world as cool as Ethereal, then bring it on!"
Ding…
[You have selected the class: Druid. Please customize your character's name.]
Ethan's mind was still reeling from the old man's words when the system prompt blinked in the corner of his vision.
"What the hell? You said I could choose Druid! At least let me pick it myself! What's with the forced assignment?"
Ding…
[The character name 'What the Hell? You Said I Could Choose Druid! At Least Let Me Pick It Myself!' is unavailable. Please try again.]
Ethan let out a long sigh, muttering under his breath, "This is just ridiculous."
After a moment of thought, he typed in: NotADruid. It felt like his last act of rebellion.
Ding…
[Character created successfully. Logging into the Northern Frontier Zone of the Dragonspire region. Please wait…]
Ethan's lips twitched into a faint smile. The Northern Frontier. Same as his previous life. He knew every nook, cranny, and secret quest in this zone.
Ding…
[Welcome to Novice Region 1314.]
His eyes lit up. This was it! The same Region where he'd stumbled upon the hidden quest that rewarded him with the mythical Wishbound Relic in his past life, a treasure that had both elevated him to legendary status and ultimately led to his downfall.
For a moment, he'd worried he might spawn in a different village. But luck seemed to be on his side.
Ding…
[Activating Divine Bloodline: King of Elves.]
"Bloodline? What the hell happened to the legendary Abilities?"
Ethan groaned. He barely had enough money to survive tomorrow, let alone make sense of whatever "bloodline" meant. He opened his inventory, hoping for something useful.
Inside, he found three items: a coarse linen shirt, tattered grass sandals, and a wooden staff with a pathetic attack stat of 2.
Disappointment flickered across his face. He'd been hoping for three activation cards for the promised legendary talents, something he could sell for cash and live like a king for at least a month. But it turned out to be something else.
With a resigned sigh, Ethan equipped the ragged shirt and sandals. No stats, but at least he wouldn't be walking around barefoot. He gripped the wooden staff and opened his character stats.
---
[NotADruid]
Class: Druid
Race: Human
Level: 1
Faction: Unaligned
Bloodline: King of Elves (Divine)
Strength: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases physical attack.
Intelligence: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases magical attack and mana capacity.
Agility: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases attack and movement speed.
Stamina: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases defense.
Vitality: 2 (Growth Index: 20) – Increases max health.
Physical Attack: 2–6
Magical Attack: 2–4
Physical Defense: 2–4
Magical Defense: 2–4
Health: 40
Experience: 0/100
General Skills: Basic Appraisal (Inspect monsters up to 5 levels above your own.)
---
Curious, Ethan navigated to the bloodline section, this was a feature he'd never seen in his previous life.
---
[Bloodline: King of Elves (Divine)] (Unique)
Passive Bonus: +10 Star Growth to all attributes.
Bloodline Ability (stacks with player talents):
Focus (Divine): Increases skill effectiveness by 50%.
Prophecy (Divine): Grants +10 distributable stat points per level.
Growth (Divine): Doubles experience gained from quests and monster kills.
Description: The peace-loving Elven race has left an indelible mark on every recorded Holy War. Though they cherish tranquility, their valor in battle is unparalleled.
---
Ethan stared at the screen in disbelief.
The Abilities the old man talked about were related to this Bloodline?
And these abilities… they were absurd. Pairing Prophecy with his +10 attribute growth, it meant his potential was off the charts. By the late game, he'd be unstoppable. And Growth? That Ability alone had propelled players to legendary status in his previous life.
He recalled the #1 player on the global rankings—a priest class who dominated for four years straight. That guy's secret? A single legendary growth Ability, which kept him a staggering 20 levels ahead of everyone else.
It didn't matter whether it was one-on-one combat or massive battlefield showdowns; his level advantage crushed all opposition.
As for Focus, it had been a cornerstone of the infamous Arcane Mage. That player had used it to devastating effect, turning a single mana bar into enough firepower to annihilate bosses in seconds. Sure, the mage needed perfect conditions to fully unleash his abilities, but when he did? Nothing survived.
Now, Ethan had all three Abilities. If he could acquire duplicates of his stats later, the stacking bonuses would make him a walking apocalypse.
Suddenly, his resentment over being forced into the Druid class melted away.
"First things first," Ethan muttered. He needed to retrace his steps and secure the hidden quest for the Wishbound Relic. This time, though, he wouldn't let its secrets ruin him.
Transforming into his Panther form, a skill that boosted his movement speed by 30%, he shifted into a sleek, dark feline. His fur was pitch-black, almost blending into the shadows.
He grinned, as his feline ears twitched.
"Time to rewrite history."