At a secret government research facility in America, Dr. Imelda Emerson, a renowned scientist and developer, discovered the potential threat posed by the game Earthisia. Alarmed by the discovery, she immediately informed her superiors of the looming danger.
In a secure chamber, holograms of multiple world leaders hovered over a long table. The meeting was focused on the escalating civil war in Syria. Discussions about relief efforts and evacuation plans dominated the room until a sudden phone call interrupted the proceedings.
President Ronald Damp of the United States took the call. His expression hardened as he listened.
"Hmm... This seems like an immediate threat. I'll inform the others about this recent discovery," President Damp said, cutting the call.
"President, regarding Syria—we need to provide supplies to the residents and recall tourists from all nations to prevent political disputes," President Bennedict Salan of the French Republic said gravely. His voice faltered as he added, "My daughter and granddaughter are still there visiting. I'll be leaving this meeting to ensure their safe return before the situation worsens."
President Damp gave him a sympathetic nod. "Good luck, President Salan."
The hologram of the French President blurred and disappeared, leaving eight other leaders present.
"It seems we face an even greater and more immediate danger," President Damp began. "The world is at stake. Our investigations into the game *Earthisia*, which emerged five years ago, have revealed something alarming. This game gained worldwide popularity due to its hyper-realistic settings, but recent findings suggest it may be more than a mere simulation."
He tapped a screen embedded in the table. A video played, recorded at the research facility where Dr. Imelda Emerson had been investigating the game's code.
In the video, Dr. Emerson and her team were seen laughing and joking as they prepared to hack into the game's core program. Suddenly, a strange fissure appeared on the game screen. The light within the crack intensified, and a massive hand began to emerge from the display.
The scene turned chaotic as Sergeant Anderson, reacting with lightning-fast reflexes, drew his handgun and fired at the screen. The gunshot shattered the monitor, halting the anomaly's progression.
President Damp paused the footage. "This is the new threat. We need to take immediate action. However, publicly revealing this information will likely cause mass panic. Some experts, like Dr. Emerson, suggest this could be an extraterrestrial attempt to invade Earth. Others remain uncertain and are working to gather more data. Dr. Emerson assures us she'll have definitive answers in the coming days."
"President Ronald, could you replay the video?" asked President Hishiro Nakamura of Japan, narrowing his eyes. "I noticed a flash of light as the anomaly occurred. There might be more to this."
President Damp rewound the footage and played it back, pausing at 3 minutes and 41 seconds. A faint but distinct white light could be seen emanating from the screen just before the sergeant fired. For a split second, a shadowy figure seemed to emerge, then vanish almost instantaneously.
The room fell silent.
President Nakamura leaned forward. "That figure—it's not just a glitch. Something crossed into our world before the screen was destroyed."
"Alert all military personnel and government agencies," President Damp ordered firmly. "Inform them that the world faces a threat unlike anything we've encountered. Whether this invasion takes days, months, or years to manifest, we must be prepared."
Each leader called their aides, instructing them to disseminate the news discreetly to key departments and agencies.
The meeting concluded abruptly, the gravity of the revelation leaving a lingering tension in the room. Humanity now faced an unknown enemy—a force that had already crossed into their world, hidden in plain sight.
~~~
In a dark and gloomy forest, growls echoed through the air. A figure moved silently, as if the monsters couldn't detect him. It was Jensen, a gangster with the Unique Class—Shadow Assassin, with a title known as "He Who Controls the Shadows." His skill allowed him to meld into the shadows, remaining undetected.
"Now, where could I find this imposter?" Jensen mused, scanning the news for any leads. "The last place she was spotted was the Kingdom of Balake. Interesting... An Archmage's Apprentice, huh? This could be a good fight."
Suddenly, the sound of clashing swords reached his ears, followed by explosions. It sounded like a guild war was taking place nearby. Curious, Jensen vanished into the shadows.
A man with a bandana, holding a sword that appeared to be of value, shouted, "This boss monster is ours to kill! We got here first!"
He lunged at his opponents, pushing his sword to the side and slashing it in one swift motion. One of the competitors fell.
"Flame Strike!" shouted a mage from the opposing guild, casting a skill from a distance that nearly hit the man with the bandana.
"Icicle Arrow!" another mage from the same guild fired an attack.
"Earthquake Dash!"
"Flame Slash!"
A series of magical attacks rained down, splashing mud everywhere and evaporating water in the swamp.
"The boss will be ours after we eliminate your teammates, Valorian Guild!" shouted a man with spiky red hair, provoking the bandana-wearing man.
Unbeknownst to them, a shadow slithered silently through the battlefield, like a snake stalking its prey.
Minutes later, fewer people were seen in the area. It was as if someone was eliminating both sides one by one without a sound. The leaders of both guilds noticed the mysterious presence and called for a ceasefire.
"We need to stop! Someone is targeting us—an assassin!" the red-haired man shouted, clearly angry.
"Show yourself, assassin! We know you're out there!" the bandana-wearing man added, his voice tinged with frustration.
A grunt echoed from behind them, and another man fell to the ground.
"HAHAHAHA!" A sinister laugh rang through the swamp.
Another man dropped.
"Sh*t, this is getting scary! It's like we're being hunted by a ghost!" a Valorian member shouted, his legs shaking in fear.
Slash!
Another man fell.
"It's getting boring," Jensen's voice echoed through the swamp. "Time to finish this. HAHAHAHA."
Shadows began to converge around the swamp, as if an army of unseen enemies were gathering in one place. Suddenly, black spikes shot up from the ground, piercing through each person. Shadows emerged, wielding sharp katanas, cutting them down one by one.
"It's so convenient to kill here. There's no law to stop me," Jensen said, licking his katana with a smirk. "Looks like there really is a boss here. I hope it drops something good for me to sell."
In the distance, the silhouette of a giant frog appeared—a level 150 monster known as The Swamp Ruler. With immense HP, its main attack was "Tongue Touch," which poisoned its target, causing them to lose 5% of their HP per second.
"This is what a game feels like," Jensen proclaimed, his excitement rising.
At level 201, Jensen was one of the unregistered Rankers of the game.
He melded with the shadows again, leaving behind a decoy. The Swamp Ruler attacked the decoy, which emitted a cloud of black smoke, blinding the monster. Jensen then threw a kunai, which would detonate on contact.
BOOM! The explosion rang out, and the Swamp Ruler's HP dropped to 52%.
The Swamp Ruler, feeling its life at risk, let out a growl that created a force field, halting any movement within a 100-meter radius. Trees swayed, and water rippled in the distance.
Multiple clones emerged from the shadows, each holding a kunai. They threw them at The Swamp Ruler, bringing its HP down to 15%.
"It's so much fun playing with the weak," Jensen laughed, his voice dripping with amusement as he toyed with the boss.
To finish it off, he activated his special skill as a Shadow Assassin. The area around the boss turned pitch black as darkness crept in. The souls of its victims materialized in the form of shadows, their agonized cries pulling the boss into the abyss. This skill could only be used when the target's HP was reduced to 15%, and it was only effective on common bosses.
With the boss defeated, it dropped numerous items, including a unique weapon, rare materials, and other valuable loot.
"I'm unlucky again... no special drop," Jensen frowned, disappointed. He sighed, then disappeared into the shadows. "Now, it's time to find this girl."
The Kingdom of Balake is a place where Beastmen, Demi-humans, Humans, and other species co-exist. It is also a land of opportunity, home to one of the most famous dungeons, the "Devil's Lair," located at its center. This dungeon attracts millions of adventurers and players.
In the middle of the market, a giant statue stood. While the name was blurred, the statue exuded an otherworldly handsomeness and charm that captivated anyone who looked at it.
"Buy 1, get 1 potion! Buy now and get a 10% discount!" a merchant shouted in the bustling market near the dungeon entrance.
"Need a party of 3! Healer, tank, and archer classes are most welcome!" a swordsman called out.
A girl walked through the market, clearly mesmerized by the beauty of this otherworld. It was Yana.
"Wow! This game really didn't disappoint. Luckily, I spawned near this kingdom. I should've played five years ago when it first came out if I knew it was this great. I hope next time I can see this beautiful scene with Gerry," Yana happily said as she strolled around the market near the dungeon.
Near the dungeon entrance, a shadowy figure emerged. He took out binoculars and began scanning the crowd.
"Lvl 78 Andrew, Lvl 102 MeetmeattheAPT, Lvl 121 Worldend, Lvl 85 Skadoosh!, Mage, Healer, Priest, Druid," Jensen muttered to himself, scanning the players around the market, hoping to spot his target.
"Hmmm, where is she? Ah, there she is... Yana. Finally found you," Jensen said, narrowing his focus. He checked her stats again. "Damn, Lvl 8. She's Mr. Spencer's real daughter. Better call him to confirm."
With a flash of light and bits of data indicating his logout, Jensen vanished from the area. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Mr. Spencer, I saw your daughter in Earthisia. Does she play the game? If not, I found the imposter. But if she does, what are your orders?" Jensen asked, waiting eagerly for his next task.
"Help my daughter level up. She needs to get stronger and complete this quest. She has to obtain this class, no matter what. The priority is helping her, so finding the imposter can be put aside for now," Spencer Glade replied in a cold tone. "And Jensen, don't even think about making any...fun ideas regarding her. You know me and what I'm capable of."
Jensen was startled and terrified by the sudden threat. His voice became respectful as he replied, "Copy that, Sir!"
~~~
Back at the dungeon in the Frozen Plains, there he was, Grey almost finishing to kill the 100 Goblin Shamans.
Grey who was wielding his knife dodged at the black fireball the shaman had casted.
"Ignite from the desire to win, with these handsome face as the front, be the guide to form a ball. Fireball!" Grey casted the spell. It was the condition to cast the skill written in the Greji's Handsome Adventure: A spellbook in learning fireball.
"Its really cringy to say this but I had no choice. F*ck the developer of this skill." Grey cursed as he got goosebumps from thinking it.
The fireball hits the shaman then it died becoming ashes. The fireball can deal a lot of damage ranging from 2x times the intelligence plus the magic amplification to 5x the damage depending on his sincerity of his own handsomeness.
Quest Unlocked: Trials by the Ancient One
Objective: Slay 99/100 Goblin Shamans.
Reward: A privilege granted only to the cursed. (Unique to 1 player.)
"Only 2 hours left and finally I'll be done with this trial." Grey hopefully wants to know what the reward will be.
Grey walked back to the dungeon entrance. It's been almost a month since he was here in the dungeon without getting out. He now knows the ins-and-outs of the Cave. Now, waiting for all the monsters to respawn he came to the entrance. He checked his status window to know his stats which changed a lot since that time.
[Status Window]
• Name: Grey
• Level: 1 (Forever Level 1 - Curse)
• Class: None
• Title: Cursed by the Ancient One (+15 to all stats, immunity to basic status ailments), Barely Acknowledgment from the Ancient One(+20 to all stats)
• HP: 390 (Base) • Defense: 65
• MP: 137 (Base) • Evasion: 12%
Stats:
• Strength: 65 → +130 Physical Damage
• Dexterity: 57 → +28% Attack Speed
• Constitution: 39 → +19.5% Physical Resistance
• Intelligence: 42 → +8.4 Mana Regen/Second
• Wisdom: 37 → +12% Magical Resistance
• Luck: 35 → +4.4% Rare Drop Rate
• Charisma: 37 → +12% NPC Favorability
• Perception: 59 → +39% Trap Detection
• Endurance: 60 → +40 Stamina Regen/Second
• Willpower: 48 → +16% Mental Resistance
Current Effects:
• Passive Skill: Forever Level 1 (Prevents leveling; cannot be removed)
• Buff: Cursed by the Ancient One (+15 to all stats), Barely Acknowledgment from the Ancient One(+20 to all stats)
Unallocated Points: 0
Skill: Fireball(need the incantation to cast): The fireball can deal a lot of damage ranging from 2x times the intelligence plus magic amplification to 5x the damage depending on on the caster's sincerity of his/her own handsomeness/beauty.
In the entrance, a sudden glow could be seen, Grey got alerted.
Soon, a figure could be seen getting in. It was Yana—no she has a different aura, mannerism and all.
"Who are you?" Grey asked.
"I'm Yana, the only daughter of the Glade Family." She proclaimed.
"No, you are not. You have a different aura than her, she is more cheerful than others too, you also have different tone than her. I could noticed it because we are close. Now, who are you? Really?" Grey asked her as he pointed his knife into the imposter's neck.
"My name is Mary, a Level 209 player, The archmage's apprentice. I was tasked by my master to fetch the skillbook Greji's Handsome Adventure that he detected here, he also predicted that the gate will be spawned here." Mary, who was impersonating Yana said as she removed her mask revealing her true form. She has black hair with an unmatched beauty as if she is not from Earth.
"I think I got one but I could sell it to you, for a high price." Grey proclaimed as he brought out the book to let her see it and put it back immediately.
"Sure, how much. I'll send it to you, what's your bank account? Is a million fine?" Mary muttered not caring for the money.
'Sh*t, I'll be rich. Now, I can buy a car. I should quit later at the Never Eleven after this!' Grey thought to himself.
"Sure, It's 12**********. I'll be confirming it later, let's meet at 12pm. It's now 10pm huh, Wait a minute, you go send it first. I'm always here, so I won't scam you. I had to send someone a friend request first and send some rare items that I've got earlier.
Grey added Yana in-game then sent the items she bought from him.
"Yana has message you! Would you like to read it!" A notification appeared but Grey just ignored it. He logged out of the game and saw a notification in his phone indicating that his Bank Account got a million added to it. After confirming it he logged in back.
"Woah, it's still 10:20pm and you're waiting for me. You must be fun at dates." Grey joked with Maria but got ignored. "I'll transfer the item to you now."
Grey transferred the item to Mary.
Now, he has to wait for the final showdown with the Goblin Shaman. As Mary was about to leave, she asked him to add each other as a friend in-game. Grey sent a friend request to her then got accepted immediately.
After waiting for almost 2 hours, it's now the time to clear the dungeon.
In exactly 30 minutes, Grey has done it. He finished the trials tasked by the Ancient One.
Quest Unlocked: Trials by the Ancient One
Objective: Slay 100/100 Goblin Shamans.
Reward: A privilege granted only to the cursed. (Unique to 1 player.)
Trials by the Ancient One is now complete.
Reward Obtained. You've got a new authority.
Authority: Predator
Absorbs the essence of defeated enemies, granting unallocated points. Each kill increases unallocated points by 0.01, independent of the stat increase chances.
In addition, all stats will increase based on the following chances:
Common monsters: 0.01 to all stats (10% chance) Rare monsters: 0.1 to all stats (8% chance) Unique monsters: 1 to all stats (5% chance) Common bosses: 10 to all stats (5% chance) Field bosses: 50 to all stats (3% chance) Unique field bosses: 100 to all stats (1% chance)
The stat increase scales with the opponent's level and difficulty. Furthermore, there is a 0.000001% chance to absorb an opponent's skill.
"F*ck! It looks like RNG followed me here." Grey frowned but at the same time happy.
New Quest Arrived from the Ancient One: Class Change!
Task: Get to the temple of Arankhar!
Rewards: Class Change( Jack of all trades, master of none)(Unique), Main Quest Unlock!
"Cool! It looks like, I'm the first one to get the main quest!" Grey suddenly exclaimed.
With his newfound hope for strength and the ability to earn money, will Grey rise to the top of Earthisia? Or will he fail in his pursuit of greatness?
What awaits him is much more perilous than anything he's faced so far.