A cold breeze swept across the ancient hall.
Eren stood motionless, eyes wide as the glowing blue interface hovered before him.
[Welcome, Player.]
[Initializing System Protocols…]
[Soul Synchronization: 100% Complete.]
Lines of light crawled across his skin, tracing faint symbols before vanishing. His pulse quickened — each breath visible in the damp air.
"This… can't be a dream," he murmured.
He reached out to touch the floating window. His fingers didn't pass through it — the surface rippled, reacting to his touch like water.
>l [Name: Eren Cross]
[Level: 100 (Transfer Bonus Active)]
[Class: ???]
[Skill Slots: Locked]
[System Calibration Incomplete.]
The final line blinked repeatedly, then faded.
The ground beneath him trembled. Far off, something stirred in the shadows — heavy footsteps echoing through the corridor. The same deep rumble he'd heard countless times before in his game.
Don't tell me… it's a spawn zone?
He glanced around, scanning for his weapon. Nothing. Only dust and shattered armor scattered across the floor.
"Come on… there has to be something."
Then he spotted it — a broken sword half-buried in rubble. He grabbed it just as a growl rolled through the hall.
A creature stepped from the darkness — its body humanoid but twisted, skin made of cracked stone and molten veins. Its eyes burned like embers.
[Dungeon Guardian – Lv. 75]
Eren's blood ran cold. "You've got to be kidding me."
The monster roared, lunging forward. He barely rolled aside, the creature's clawed hand smashing the floor where he'd stood. Shards of stone cut across his arm.
Pain flared — real pain. Not the numbed sting of a game hit, but sharp and burning.
"So… this isn't virtual," he hissed.
[Auto-Sync: Combat Mode Enabled.]
[Skill Slot Unlocked – "Adaptation Instinct Lv.1"]
A blue glow flared in his eyes. The moment the Guardian swung again, his body moved faster than thought — ducking under the blow, sliding past the monster's reach, and slashing at its leg.
The blade cracked, but so did the creature's stance.
[Critical Strike — 214 Damage.]
Eren's grip tightened. "If this is real, then I fight to survive."
The Guardian struck again. He met its attack with a desperate parry, the impact rattling his bones. The sword snapped in half, but before he could retreat, another system prompt appeared.
> [Synchronization Threshold Surpassed.]
[Unique Skill Unlocked — "Phantom Step."]
His body flickered. For a split second, the world slowed, and he reappeared behind the monster. He slashed with the broken blade — once, twice — sparks flying with each strike.
The Guardian stumbled, roaring as cracks spread through its chest.
"End it—!" Eren lunged, driving the shattered weapon deep into its core. The creature froze, light spilling from its wounds.
[Enemy Defeated.]
[EXP +12,000]
[Item Acquired: Crystallized Core (D-Rank)]
The hall fell silent again, the System's hum echoing softly. Eren fell to one knee, gasping. Sweat trickled down his temple, mixing with the dust and blood.
"Too real," he whispered. "Way too real."
The broken sword dissolved into light, leaving behind only the faint crystal in his palm. It pulsed once, syncing with his heartbeat.
He looked up at the fractured window — the mist outside glowing faintly with sunrise.
"I'm really here," he said quietly. "Inside the game."
But as the realization settled, his thoughts darkened.
Riel.
He turned sharply, scanning the hall. "Riel?!" His voice echoed through the empty chamber. No answer.
Only wind.
[Quest Generated: Find the Lost Connection.]
[Time Limit: None.]
He clenched his fists. "You got dragged into this too, didn't you…"
His reflection glimmered faintly in the crystal's surface — the same silver hue in his eyes as Riel's.
Eren stood, shoulders squared. "Then I'll find you."
Outside, thunder rolled again — faint, distant, as though the storm still raged on Earth.
And far away, in the forests of Valtheris, Riel awoke beneath the rain, alone and without a system screen.
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