[Welcome to Ethereal Realms! Create Your Legend!]
The words blared in Jin Park's headset, accompanied by a flashy cinematic of heroes slaying dragons and mages casting fireballs the size of buildings. The trailers had promised an immersive experience, limitless adventure, and a chance to become a legendary hero. What it didn't promise was soul-crushing despair.
"Alright, let's do this," Jin muttered, cracking his knuckles as his character loaded into the game.
He spawned in the World Hub's bustling inn—players dashing around, flashing high-level gear, flexing titles like "Godslayer" or "Emperor of Flames." Jin glanced at his own inventory with high hopes.
[Starter Pack Unlocked: Custodian's Toolkit]
• Item: Broom (Broken)
• Armor: Tattered Shirt and Pants (Smells Like Mold)
• Accessory: Wooden Necklace (No Effects)
"What the hell is this?!" Jin yelled. A player with a glowing sword walked by and snickered.
"Good luck, newbie. You're gonna need it."
...
Determined to prove himself, Jin set off on his first quest: killing Slime Larvae. Surely, this would be easy. Or so he thought.
The first slime bounced toward him. Jin swung his broom with all his might, only for the handle to snap in half. The slime retaliated, launching itself into his face.
[You have died.]
Respawning back at the inn, Jin gritted his teeth and marched back out. Slime. Face. Death.
[You have died.]
A third attempt ended with him accidentally falling into a nearby river.
[You have drowned.]
By the end of the day, Jin had died to slimes, drowned twice, gotten trampled by a herd of sheep, and somehow managed to blow himself up while opening a treasure chest.
Frustrated, Jin tried asking other players for help.
"Hey, can I join your party?" Jin asked a group of heavily armored knights.
"Uh, sorry, we're full," one of them replied while clearly inviting a random mage to their group.
"Hey, what about—"
"Gotta go, bye!"
Left to fend for himself, Jin embarked on a painful solo grind. Armed with nothing but half a broom and blind optimism, he died so often that even the respawn NPC began offering him pity discounts.
…..
Several hours (and a hundred deaths) later, Jin slumped onto a bench in the World Hub, staring at the glowing NPCs and bustling players around him. His starter clothes were in tatters, his broom was barely holding together with duct tape, and his morale was somewhere in the negatives.
As he wandered aimlessly, he spotted an NPC standing near the notice board. The NPC was a hunched-over janitor wearing a tattered uniform, clutching a broom that looked suspiciously better than Jin's own.
"You there!" the janitor NPC called out, his voice raspy. "You look like someone with… potential."
Jin blinked. "Me?"
"Yes, you! A promising young adventurer!" the NPC said, barely hiding his smirk. "I have a special quest for someone of your… caliber."
A quest! Finally! This was his chance to prove himself.
"What is it? Slay a dragon? Rescue a princess?" Jin asked, eyes gleaming.
The NPC handed him a scroll.
Quest Accepted: "Clean the Dungeon of Decay"
Objective: Sweep up dirt, cobwebs, and debris in the dungeon.
Rewards: 10 Copper Coins, 1 Broom Upgrade
Jin stared at the scroll in silence. "…You want me to clean?"
The NPC grinned. "It's an important job! Every hero starts somewhere!"
Jin groaned but reluctantly accepted. As he trudged toward the dungeon, broom in hand, he muttered under his breath, "I'm going to die scrubbing floors, aren't I?"
Little did he know, this would be the start of a legend. A ridiculous, dirt-covered legend.