Chapter 2 - Aetherfall

Rain inhaled—

No pain.

His eyes opened.

The screen.

[Welcome, Player]

[Please select your starting element]

Rain didn’t move.

“…What?”

A pause.

His hand moved to his shoulder—

Stopped.

A flash—

A spear.

Driving through.

“Finish it!”

Darkness.

[You have died]

Silence.

Then—

Another flash.

Faster.

[Neural Load Critical]

A sharp signal tore through everything—

Then nothing.

Rain’s gaze steadied.

“…Right.”

A quiet breath.

“I died.”

A beat.

His eyes narrowed.

“…No.”

The memory sharpened.

[Neural Load Critical]

“…Something broke.”

A brief pause.

“…That wasn’t just the game.”

Silence.

Rain looked back at the screen.

Four options.

Fire. Water. Earth. Wind.

A quiet exhale.

“…I’m back.”

Rain didn’t move.

Four options.

Fire. Water. Earth. Wind.

A pause.

“…Yeah.”

A quiet breath.

“This is where it started.”

Silence.

“…Seven years ago.”

No hesitation.

No doubt.

Just—

recognition.

“…I went back.”

A faint exhale.

“…All the way back.”

Fragments surfaced—

Fights.

Formations.

Deaths.

[You have died]

Rain’s eyes steadied.

“…I remember.”

Not everything.

But enough.

“…How it ends.”

A pause.

“…And how I got there.”

His gaze remained on the screen.

“…Mistakes.”

A quiet breath.

“…Repeated.”

Silence.

Then—

calm.

“…Good.”

His hand lifted.

“If this is the start…”

A slight pause.

“…then I don’t need to change everything, just be more cautious.”

A faint shift in his tone.

“Same start, same playstyle.”

His finger moved.

Fire.

[Element Selected: Fire]

[Class Selected: Hunter]

[Welcome to Aetherfall]

Light formed—

Then heat.

Voices followed.

Loud.

Unorganized.

The starting zone.

Players rushed forward.

“Horned rabbits this way!”

“Goblin spawns outside!”

“Party up!”

Rain stood still.

“…Same.”

No change.

Most of them—

Already moving.

Field.

Forest edge.

Safe.

Slow.

Rain turned.

Not toward the field.

Not toward the outer forest.

But deeper.

“Hey—wrong way!”

“That’s not beginner area!”

Ignored.

Rain walked.

Calm.

Measured.

The noise faded.

Fewer players.

Then none.

Better.

He stopped.

Trees stood still.

Silent.

Unmoving.

Rain’s gaze shifted.

Scanning.

“…There.”

One tree.

No different at first glance.

But—

The roots.

Slightly exposed.

Not buried.

Resting.

“…Found it.”

[Focused Sight]

The world sharpened.

Details aligned.

The base.

The roots.

The structure.

“…Weak point.”

The Treant moved.

Slow.

Heavy.

Rain didn’t step back.

“…Too slow.”

Flame gathered.

Condensed.

[Flame Arrow]

Release.

Impact.

Fire spread across bark.

The Treant reacted—

Too late.

Rain moved.

Second shot.

Same point.

Burn deepened.

A third—

Impact.

The Treant jerked.

A sharper break.

Then—

collapse.

Silence.

[You have defeated Treant]

[EXP Gained]

[Item Acquired: Rough Treant Bark]

[Item Acquired: Burned Core Fragment]

Rain exhaled slowly.

No pause.

Another tree.

Roots.

Exposed.

Another target.

Time passed.

Shots refined.

Fewer arrows.

Same pattern.

First—

mark.

Second—

deepen.

Third—

break.

Treants fell faster.

Again.

And again.

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

No reaction.

Only adjustment.

Distance.

Timing.

Precision.

[Focused Sight]

Short.

Controlled.

Never wasted.

The forest grew quieter.

Burn marks spread.

Fallen trunks scattered.

[You have defeated Treant]

[EXP Gained]

[Item Acquired: Sap Essence]

[Level Up]

Rain didn’t stop.

Another target.

Another sequence.

First.

Second.

Third—

A sharper collapse.

[Level Up]

A pause.

Then—

[Level 10 Reached]

[Choose a Skill]

[Ember Mark]

Applies a stacking mark on hit. At 3 stacks, detonates for bonus damage based on target HP.

[Arrow Rain]

Launches multiple arrows into the air, raining down over an area.

[Piercing Flame]

Fires a flaming arrow that pierces through enemies, dealing increased damage.

Rain didn’t move.

A brief glance.

“…Area.”

Dismissed.

“…Linear.”

Discarded.

A pause.

Silence.

His finger moved.

[Skill Acquired]

No change.

Only movement.

Another tree.

Roots.

Exposed.

A target.

Flame gathered.

Release.

First.

Second.

Then—

The third.

A sharper impact.

The Treant staggered—

collapsed faster than before.

Rain watched it fade.

“…Better.”

No pause.

Another target.

His hand lifted.

“…Not enough.”

And Rain kept going.

The forest had grown quieter.

Too quiet.

Rain stopped.

The air stilled.

A brief pause—

“…Here it comes.”

The ground trembled.

Roots tore through the soil.

The earth split—

A Treant rose.

Bigger.

Thicker.

Rain watched it for a moment.

“…Right.”

A brief pause.

“…Before this.”

[Attribute Points Available: 45]

“…DEX.”

[DEX: 10 (+20) → 30]

“…AGI.”

[AGI: 10 (+15) → 25]

“…INT.”

[INT: 10 (+10) → 20]

A short breath.

“…Enough.”

Then—

Rain moved first.

[Focused Sight]

The world sharpened.

Weak point—base.

[Flame Arrow]

Release.

Impact.

A faint mark settled.

Second shot—

Another layer.

The Treant reacted instantly.

A root surged forward—

Rain stepped aside.

Clean.

Third shot—

—

[Ember Mark Triggered]

A sharp burst.

The bark split.

The Treant staggered—

But didn’t fall.

Roots erupted.

Faster.

More.

Rain moved.

Step.

Shift.

Turn.

Another shot.

First.

Second—

A root swung wide—

Too close.

Rain twisted—

barely slipping past.

“…Oops.”

The ground shattered beside him.

No pause.

Third shot—

—

[Ember Mark Triggered]

A deeper crack.

The Treant roared.

Its body surged forward—

Faster than before.

Roots burst from the ground—

multiple.

Closing space.

Rain moved through them.

Clean.

Controlled.

Another sequence—

First.

Second.

The Treant slammed downward—

Heavy.

The impact shook the ground.

Rain stepped back—just enough.

“…Chill, buddy.”

Third shot—

—

[Ember Mark Triggered]

The core split further.

Flame surged inward.

Rain stepped forward.

No hesitation.

Another sequence—

First.

Second.

The Treant lunged—

Desperate.

Unstable.

Rain shifted.

Minimal.

Third—

—

[Ember Mark Triggered]

The core shattered.

The Treant froze—

Then collapsed.

Silence.

[You have defeated Elder Treant]

[EXP Gained]

[Item Acquired: Treant Core]

[Item Acquired: Verdant Heart Staff] (Rare)

+12 INT, +3 VIT

[Passive: Verdant Flow]

[Item Acquired: Heartwood Pendant] (Rare) +8 INT, +4 DEX

[Passive: Lingering Ember]

[First Boss Clear Reward]

[Select One Equipment (Rare)]

[First Solo Boss Clear]

[Select One Equipment (Epic)]

Rain stood still.

A second passed.

Then—

“…hah—”

A laugh slipped out.

“…haha…”

It grew.

“—hah, haha—!”

Not restrained.

Just—

release.

“…That was good.”

The grin stayed.

“…Yeah.”

“…I missed this.”

It slowly faded.

“…Right.”

A pause.

“…I was only thinking about killing them.”

Silence.

Rain looked at the staff.

“…Not useful.”

He ignored it.

The pendant—

He equipped it.

“…This works.”

Rare selection.

“…Movement.”

[Selected: Windstep Boots] (Rare)

+10 AGI

[Passive: Momentum]

Epic selection.

“…Same pattern.”

[Selected: Cindertrace Arrows] (Epic)

+14 DEX, +6 STR

[Passive: Cinder Chain]

Rain flexed his fingers slightly.

“…Good.”

He turned.

“…Let’s keep going.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***