Darkness.
Then—pain.
A suffocating pressure wrapped around Lee Haneul's body like he was sinking into the abyss. His lungs burned. His vision blurred.
Then, suddenly—
Light.
He gasped as he fell forward, landing hard on cold stone. His body trembled as he tried to regain his breath.
"What… the hell?"
He blinked.
Gone was the dim glow of his computer screen. Gone was the cramped apartment, the distant hum of his mother's voice, the familiar weight of reality.
Instead, he stood on a massive stone platform, floating in an endless void.
The air was thick with energy, heavy and electric, as if the very fabric of reality had shifted. Towering monoliths engraved with ancient symbols floated in the distance, glowing faintly with an otherworldly light.
This wasn't just a game.
This felt real.
Then—
[Welcome, Player.]
[Initializing Tutorial…]
A voice echoed from nowhere, deep and mechanical. A golden system window materialized in front of him, flickering slightly, as if unstable.
Haneul's breathing was ragged. His fingers trembled as he reached for the window—
And the moment he touched it, his body froze.
[Error Detected – Unrecognized Class.]
[Adjusting Parameters…]
The air around him cracked, like something was being rewritten.
Then, just as suddenly as it came, the distortion vanished.
[System Adjustments Complete.]
[Welcome to Eclipse Online.]
The tutorial window expanded, displaying the fundamentals of the game:
1. Players control a customizable hero to fight in dungeons.
2. Dungeons have different ranks and difficulty levels.
3. Clearing dungeons grants EXP, items, and skill advancements.
4. Heroes can change class paths based on choices made in battle.
5. Death in-game results in hero reset, but not real-life harm…
Haneul exhaled sharply, gripping his chest.
So this really was Eclipse Online.
But—
Why did it feel so real?
His hands didn't feel like VR controls. His body wasn't just an avatar—it was him.
He could feel the fabric of his shirt, the weight of his boots, the faint vibration in the air.
"Is this… full-dive?" he muttered. But even full-dive VR had its limits. It wasn't supposed to be this real.
Something was wrong.
[Would You Like to Proceed with the Tutorial Dungeon?]
[Y/N]
A chill crawled down his spine.
He didn't remember pressing anything. He didn't remember logging into VR.
So how the hell did he get here?
Haneul clenched his fists. There was only one way to find out.
He took a deep breath—
And pressed Y.
Dungeon Initialization – The Unknown Awaits
The world around him shattered like glass.
Then—
The dungeon began.