To avoid disrupting people’s daily routines, World of Eldrath only opened from 6 PM to 8 AM local time.
Within each region, everyone logged in during roughly the same evening window. No one could grind endlessly while others slept, and the nightmare of 24-hour gold farming operations was effectively cut off at the source. At least, that was the official explanation.
When the game introduced its real-world currency exchange system, things changed overnight. World of Eldrath was no longer just a game; it became part of everyday life.
By the end of its first year, it was harder to find someone who didn’t own a neural link than someone who did. From children to retirees, millions stepped into its full-dive world each night, chasing adventure, fortune, or simply an escape.
The money flowing through the game was staggering. Entire service industries sprang up within it: guild management agencies, equipment brokers, dungeon guides, information dealers. What began as entertainment slowly grew into an economy of its own.
For ordinary people exhausted by long workdays, logging in became a ritual. The moment their neural link synchronized, their bodies slipped into deep sleep while their consciousness stepped into another world. They woke up rested, yet with memories of battles fought, treasures earned, and laughter shared with friends.
And for some, it became more than escape. Professional players emerged in droves, turning skill into income. For many from ordinary backgrounds, World of Eldrath offered something rare: a second chance and a second paycheck.
Kairon stared at the 600,000 credits in his account, knowing full well this was the first pot of gold he'd earned since his rebirth, and the most critical startup capital he could ask for. His priority was to cover his basic living expenses, and his second priority was to secure his personal safety.
With two hours left until the game's daily server shutdown, he decided to complete the summoning pact quest for the Moonfeather Owlbeast first.
Kairon headed to the town's Engineering Shop and spent 50 Silver Coins on a professional-grade paraglider from the NPC's shelves.
In the quest description for the Moonfeather Owlbeast pact, there was an easy-to-miss note. It is recommended to prepare a paraglider in advance, as it may play a critical role during the quest.
Most players would brush this off as an irrelevant tip, but Kairon knew full well it was required for a critical step in the quest, one that would reduce the quest's difficulty to its absolute minimum.
But in the early days of launch, almost no player would be willing to spend a full 50 Silver Coins on an item that seemed to have no practical use whatsoever.
Forces of nature adrift in the void, heed my call. Let me transcend the bounds of space, and guide me to the homeland of all living things. Teleport: Nature's Grove.
Kairon found a secluded, empty spot and chanted the incantation under his breath.
Teleport: Nature's Grove was a starting skill innate to all Nature Mages.
This was the homeland of all Nature Mages, and the vast majority of class-exclusive quests could only be accepted here.
When cast outside the grove, it teleports the user directly to the Nature's Grove map. When cast within the grove, it returns the user to the location they departed from.
The skill had a 10-second cast time and would be interrupted if the caster took damage or was disrupted.
The Twin Continent was now ravaged and scarred across its entire expanse, and only within Nature's Grove did the land remain lush and vibrant, filled with the songs of birds and the scent of blooming flowers.
The entire forest was shrouded in a massive magical barrier, said to be a haven preserved by the Moon Goddess's boundless divine power when the apocalyptic cataclysm struck.
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In the past, anyone who harmed the forest or stirred up conflict within its bounds would be collectively banished by the Nature Mages.
But after the cataclysm, only players with the Nature Mage class could enter this place via the exclusive teleportation spell.
This was Kairon's first time here, and he stared out at the vast, sprawling lake at the very heart of Nature's Grove.
Its shimmering surface glowed like moonlight mirrored against a sky full of stars.
And so it had been given its legendary name. Lake of the Moon Goddess.
The architecture behind him blended seamlessly with the surrounding forest, every line of its structure harmonizing with the wilds. Beneath its quiet, serene exterior, a primal wildness lingered just out of sight.
Ding! System Announcement: You have discovered the map [Nature's Grove].
The System announcement pulled Kairon out of his thoughts. This place was truly breathtaking.
He gathered his focus, his gaze sweeping through the trees, and quickly spotted a figure beside a campfire in the distance.
It was a stocky, rotund NPC, with a bear-like body covered in fine feathers, the head of an owl, and a pair of antlers like branching tree boughs sprouting from the top of its skull. It paced back and forth, its round belly jiggling with every step, a bright, dark gold question mark floating above its head.
Kairon stared at the charmingly clumsy NPC, a thought crossing his mind. So this is the Moonfeather Owlbeast I'll be able to summon later? It's got a cute look, but with that bulky frame, there's no way it's going to be nimble.
He stepped forward toward the NPC, but had barely taken a few steps when he nearly tripped over his own feet.
The NPC wasn't just pacing; it was spitting a fast-paced rap, its tone-deaf delivery and bizarre flow catching Kairon completely off guard.
Damn those arakkoa, stole my tail feathers, cold wind howls, I can't sleep through the night! Traveler from another world, will you answer my call, and bring back my lost honor, my pride, my all?
"Uh...I will"
Listening to that tone-deaf rap, Kairon's entire soul cringed inside.
He'd never heard anyone mention that this Moonfeather Owlbeast NPC was a rap fanatic. Though he supposed that made sense. Far too few players played the rare Nature Mage class for word of it to spread.
Ding! You have accepted the quest [The Moonfeather Owlbeast's Errand].
...
[The Moonfeather Owlbeast's Errand]
Quest Objective: Retrieve the Moonfeather Owlbeast's Tail Feathers 0/1
Quest Location: Arakkoa Nest, Southern Mountain Peak, outside Nature's Grove
Quest Description: The first time the Moonfeather Owlbeast stepped beyond the ward of the natural woodlands, he was filled with curiosity for the world outside.
When he tried to listen to the voices of the many souls within it, he was stunned by what he heard. At the same time, he noticed that the voices of some souls were completely muffled to him. He tried every method he could think of, yet he still could not reach the souls of the arakkoa.
...
Kairon bid farewell to the Moonfeather Owlbeast and headed south.
He circled Lake of the Moon Goddess, pushed through a dense ancient forest, and reached the edge of Nature's Grove's magical barrier. Even through the ward, he could see the towering, cloud-piercing mountain beyond.
He stepped beyond the grove's barrier and saw a dark red energy barrier not far ahead. He knew full well that crossing it would take him into the bounds of the arakkoa nest.
Ding! System Announcement: You have entered the trial grounds [Lair of Anzu the Raven God].
All equipment enhancement effects are temporarily disabled. Creatures within the trial grounds have scaling levels, which will adjust to match the level of the engaging player, with a maximum monster level cap of 6.
This was exactly why he'd bought up a huge stock of Enhancement Stones earlier, yet hadn't rushed to enhance his equipment. He'd heard about this quest long ago. Entering the arakkoa's territory would forcibly negate all enhancement effects.
The landscape here was nothing like Nature's Grove. The sky, the earth, every flower and tree were shrouded in an oppressive dark purple haze. The flat, uncanny hue was deeply jarring to the eye.
Kairon pressed deeper and soon spotted a lone Talon Warrior.
The arakkoa looked exactly as their name suggested, walking upright like anthropomorphic crows, their limbs gaunt and gnarled like a chicken's talons, their blood-red eyes blazing with bloodthirsty malice.
Kairon lifted his hand and cast Basic Observe, and the monster's stat panel unfolded instantly.
...
[Talon Warrior]
Scaling Level: 1-6
Scaling Attack: 5-30
Scaling Health: 60-360
Scaling Defense: 5-30
Skill: [Berserk]. Upon activation, enter a berserk state, increasing attack speed by 200%.
Description: A devout follower of the Raven God, bloodthirsty and feral. It will tear apart any living creature that enters its line of sight, with the exception of its own kind.
...
Kairon slowly circled behind the Talon Warrior, then summoned the Shadowwood Panther.
The panther erupted forward like black lightning, leaping into the air and driving its sharp claws toward the Talon Warrior's skull, activating the skill [Rip].
World of Eldrath had a fully fleshed-out weak point hit detection system. The weak point of the vast majority of creatures was the head, and a precise strike to a weak point would drastically increase the maximum damage dealt.
-82!
No critical hit triggered, yet the strike still wiped out nearly a third of the Talon Warrior's total health.
The Talon Warrior let out a shrill screech, activating its Berserk skill instantly and lunging toward the panther in a frenzy. The Shadowwood Panther darted nimbly to the side, dodging the pounce with effortless ease.
