1:prologue
The world was cruel to the weak.
Lee Haneul learned that lesson every day.
At 17 years old, he was the kind of person no one noticed—thin, quiet, invisible. His black hair was always messy, his uniform a little too big, and his posture screamed don't look at me. But even that wasn't enough to avoid trouble.
Because people like Jung Minho existed.
Haneul moved carefully through the crowded hallway, eyes locked on the floor.
He wasn't in a rush—just cautious. If he was careful, if he kept his head down, he could get through the day unnoticed.
But luck was never on his side.
A shove.
His shoulder slammed into the lockers.
"Hey, loser."
Haneul didn't react. He didn't have to look up to know who it was.
Jung Minho.
Tall, broad-shouldered, rich. The kind of guy who never had to worry about anything. His uniform was perfect, his sneakers were expensive, and his smirk was full of entitlement.
"Still walking around like a damn zombie," Minho scoffed. "You ever gonna talk, or are you just mute?"
Haneul kept his mouth shut.
Minho didn't like that. He grabbed his collar but quickly got bored, shoving him back into the lockers. "Tch. Whatever. Anyway, games are trash now."
"Yeah," his friend Choi Daeho grunted. "Except for Eclipse Online."
Minho grinned. "Right. The only game that matters."
Haneul didn't react, even as his fingers twitched. He had heard of Eclipse Online before, but never paid attention to it.
Minho didn't notice. He was already walking off, laughing with his friends.
Haneul exhaled slowly before picking up his bag and heading home.
Home was a small, worn-down apartment. A humming fridge. A flickering lightbulb. But it was still better than school.
In the living room, his mother, Lee Jiyeon, sat at her desk, headset on, handling another exhausting customer call.
His little sister, Soojin, was asleep. 10 years old, bright, full of life—everything he wasn't. He did his best to protect her, even if he couldn't protect himself.
Haneul sat at his desk, rubbing his sore ribs. His old computer whirred as it booted up.
The bullies' words echoed in his mind.
Eclipse Online.
Curiosity won.
ECLIPSE ONLINE
The Only Game That Matters.
The website was strange. The background looked like shifting shadows, almost alive. The game's trailer played—massive dungeons, monstrous bosses, glowing warriors.
Then, a pop-up appeared.
[Congratulations, You Have Been Chosen.]
[Claim Your Free Access Key – Limited Time Offer.]
Haneul frowned. He hadn't signed up for anything.
A bad feeling crawled up his spine.
But then he thought about school. About Minho. About how weak he felt every day.
He clicked.
The screen flickered.
The lights in his room dimmed for just a second.
And then the game launched.
The Eclipse Online login screen loaded.
[New Player Detected.]
[Initializing Character Creation.]
A mirror-like projection appeared before him, displaying a default model—an average-looking male with short brown hair and generic features.
[Customize Your Hero.]
A menu appeared, allowing him to adjust every detail.
Haneul hesitated for a moment, then quickly made his choices.
Hair: Black.
Eyes: Red.
Height: Slightly taller than his real body.
Build: Lean but athletic.
The character in the mirror shifted, reflecting his choices. His new avatar stared back at him—black hair like the night sky, red eyes burning like embers.
For once, he looked strong.
[Confirm Character?] [Y/N]
Without hesitation, he clicked Y.
The screen glitched violently.
[Select Your Starting Class.]
A list of normal classes appeared:
Warrior – Balanced offense and defense.
Rogue – Fast and deadly.
Mage – High magic power.
Cleric – Healing and support.
Haneul hovered over Warrior. Safe. Strong.
Then the screen flickered.
A fifth option appeared, the text barely readable, flickering like broken code.
???
Haneul's breath caught. A hidden class?
[Warning: Invalid Selection.]
Proceed Anyway? [Y/N]
His instincts screamed no. But something about it called to him.
He pressed Y.
The world shattered.
System Error
Pain.
Not the dull ache of a game hit—real, searing pain.
Haneul gasped as his body burned, like something was being rewritten inside him. He clenched his fists, struggling to stay conscious.
Then, the pain stopped.
A new notification appeared.
[You have chosen an unregistered class.]
[Warning: System instability detected.]
[Adjusting parameters…]
For a brief moment, the air cracked, as if reality itself had splintered. A deep pressure settled in his chest.
Then—
[Welcome, Player.]
[Your Journey Begins.]
The darkness around him pulsed.
And then
He wasn't in his room anymore.
The world had changed.