The main hall of the capital outpost fell silent the moment Crit Happens stepped through the reinforced gates.
Dusty, bruised, and bearing the weight of a battle most teams wouldn't have survived, they walked with slow, measured strides — not out of pride, but exhaustion.
At the front desk, the Eden clerk stood wide-eyed, scanning their approach like someone watching living legends come to life.
Valen stepped up to the counter and dropped a velvet-wrapped bundle onto the scanner. The red glow of a Large Soul Gem shimmered through the cloth — pulsing with residual power.
The clerk’s fingers trembled slightly as she unfolded the cloth and placed the gem on the glowing reader.
A soft chime echoed.
Then the screen behind her blazed to life with massive, bold letters:
“Named Beast Soul Gem Detected.”
Designation: MINOTAURAS
Location: Temple Ruins — Capital Outskirts
Confirmed Kill — Party: Crit Happens
The silence broke.
Cheers erupted like thunder across the room. Players who had been sitting quietly waiting for missions or rewards were now shouting, clapping, some even stomping their feet.
“CRIT HAPPENS!”
“THEY TOOK DOWN A NAMED BEAST!”
“IS THAT THE WATER GUN GUY?!”
Dillion flinched slightly at the roar of the crowd. His cheeks flushed as he looked up… and there it was.
The Displays.
Dozens of hovering Eden holo-screens rotated above the crowd, showing replay footage already being analyzed, clipped, and looped. Dillion could see himself on one — dashing through fog, casting water bullets like tiny comets, and then, that moment — when he dove in front of Mika and raised his shield.
The camera caught his face mid-yell. Soul Mark glowing. Fog swirling around his feet.
Another screen showed the final blow: Valen’s Storm Blade slicing clean through Minotauras, just as Dillion’s Shield Guard blocked the beast’s final, desperate strike.
Someone near the back yelled, “Yo, that was him! That’s Water Gun!”
A group burst into laughter and applause.
Dillion rubbed the back of his neck, wishing he could melt into the floor.
Kael leaned in with a grin and clapped him hard on the back. “Told you, man. You keep doing cool stuff, they’re gonna keep putting it on loop.”
Lana passed by and elbowed him lightly. “Next time, maybe don’t look so surprised when you’re awesome.”
Even Mika gave him a rare smirk. “Nice shield work. You kept me alive.”
And then, Valen turned to the team. “Let’s head back. Tonight… we rest.”
The cheers followed them all the way to the guild suite.
Back at the Crit Happens suite, the atmosphere was far more relaxed — and way louder.
Someone had tossed a few Soul Crystals into the light sockets, flooding the lounge in soft, party-like colors. The air smelled faintly of citrus and fried rations, and someone (probably Kael) had cranked music through the shared interface panel.
Valen kicked back on the arm of the long couch, drink in hand, while Lana spun a spear between her fingers like she was still in the fight.
Gorran sat with his legs stretched out, armor half-off, bruised but grinning.
Kael was the first to bring it up. He tossed a glowing red gem into the air, caught it, and let it spin between his fingers. “So… one Large Soul Gem each, thanks to the Eden quest reward.”
He nodded at the glowing pile in the center of the table. 6 gems — one for each member who’d completed the request.
“Plus one more,” Mika added quietly, pointing to the center of the table. “That’s Minotauras.”
Everyone looked at it.
It pulsed slowly, a molten-red hue rippling beneath its surface — violent, heavy, and alive. A Named Beast’s core, full of raw potential. And unlike the auto-distributed Eden rewards, this one was theirs to allocate.
Lana leaned forward. “So… what’s the move? Split it? Trade it? Feed it to the Arena and see what pops out?”
Kael shook his head. “No splitting. That thing’s worth way more fused than it is fractured.”
Then — all eyes turned to Dillion.
He blinked. “Wait, me?”
Valen smiled slightly. “You’ve been the only one here to use a Named Beast Soul before. What do you think?”
Dillion looked down at the Gem, the same way he had stared into Gnarlfang’s before absorbing it. He took a deep breath.
“That Gem… it changed the way I fight,” he said quietly. “Gnarlfang gave me Overwhelming Strength and Weak Point — skills I didn’t even know I needed. If I hadn’t absorbed it, I don’t think I would’ve made it past the last two rounds of the tournament.”
He looked around at the group. “These kinds of Gems… they reshape you. They’re not just power boosts. They’re defining.”
He turned to Gorran, who was halfway through devouring a ration bar.
“I think it should go to him.”
Gorran blinked. “Me?”
“You’re the closest thing to Minotauras we’ve got,” Dillion said with a smile. “Big, loud, unstoppable. That beast fought like a wall of muscle and rage — and you matched it. Hell, you survived a direct hit from its hammer. That Gem could make you even scarier.”
Gorran scratched his beard, clearly caught off guard.
Lana nodded slowly. “He’s got a point.”
Kael tossed the Gem gently across the table. “Alright then. Big guy, you earned it.”
Gorran caught it midair. He stared into the soulfire swirling inside — then looked at Dillion.
“…Thanks, kid.”
Dillion shrugged, but inside he felt something shift — a quiet sort of pride. Not from absorbing a gem, or leveling up — but from belonging. From having a say.
From being part of something real.
Valen raised his drink. “To Crit Happens.”
They all lifted theirs.
“To Crit Happens.”
The hallway to the sleeping wing was quieter, softer somehow — lined with velvet-paneled walls and low, glowing lanterns that flickered like candlelight. It felt… peaceful. A strange contrast to everything Dillion had been through in the last few hours.
Mika walked ahead, hands clasped behind her back, her soft blond ponytail swaying as she led him past several closed doors. “Most of us already picked our rooms,” she said, glancing over her shoulder. “But this one’s still unclaimed. It’s yours, if you want it.”
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She stopped at a door etched with faint blue lines — barely visible unless the light hit them just right. With a small gesture, she opened it, and the door hissed quietly as it slid aside.
Dillion stepped inside and blinked.
The room was beautiful — and nothing like what he expected. A single bed with deep navy covers rested against the far wall, flanked by built-in shelves filled with blank scrolls, simple books, and a few rune-marked stones pulsing gently. A desk faced a window-like panel that glowed with the illusion of a tranquil sky. A small table off to the side even had a bowl of fruit and a canteen of water.
Mika leaned in beside him, voice softer. “Each guild suite room is soul-tuned once claimed. It’ll adjust to your element over time. This one’s already feeling Blue.”
He looked at her. “It’s… a lot. I mean, I’m not even an official member yet.”
“You’re in here, aren’t you?” she replied with a smirk, walking past him and doing a little twirl near the center of the room. “Might as well get used to it.”
He watched her for a second, unsure of how to respond. The weight of everything was still settling in his chest — the fight, the team, the guild.
Then Mika stopped spinning and turned to face him. She stepped in a little closer. Her eyes, usually analytical and steady, now shimmered with something more playful.
“You know…” she said, tilting her head slightly, “…not bad for a water gun.”
Dillion blinked. “Uh… thanks?”
She stepped closer — close enough for him to catch the scent of mint and wildflowers. Her hand lifted to gently fix a loose strand of hair behind his ear.
He froze.
His mouth opened, but no words came out. His brain, usually sharp in combat, was now as useful as a puddle.
Mika giggled.
“…Just kidding,” she said, voice light and teasing.
But before he could process that, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
A soft, warm kiss.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For saving me.”
And before he could say a single word in return, she spun on her heel and dashed out of the room, laughter echoing down the hallway.
Dillion stood there for several seconds, cheeks burning, one hand touching the spot where she’d kissed him.
“…Sora is the greatest,” he muttered.
Dillion lay on the bed in his private room, staring at the ceiling in quiet disbelief. The room was still, the soft hum of ambient magic barely audible beneath the silence. After everything — the training, the mission, the laughs, and Mika’s unexpected goodbye — the stillness hit harder than he expected.
The mattress was firm but warm, the blankets lighter than air. It felt too perfect, like it might disappear the moment he got comfortable. He shifted once, then again, unsure of how to let his body relax.
His thoughts spun in slow circles. The battle. The team. Mika’s smile. The look on Valen’s face when he called him “dangerous.”
Dillion exhaled through his nose.
“I guess I belong here now, huh…?”
His Soul Gem hovered above him, faintly glowing. It was the first time he wasn’t watching it like a hawk. For once, it just floated — like a nightlight for a tired warrior.
His eyes grew heavier.
His limbs finally loosened. The muscles in his shoulders stopped bracing for the next attack. His mind drifted, thoughts growing foggy, soft around the edges.
“Maybe I’ll just… rest my eyes…”
Dillion groaned as he blinked awake, the weight of sleep still clinging to his limbs like mist. For a brief second, he forgot where he was — the bed too soft, the room too quiet, the ceiling definitely not the one from his tiny Earth apartment.
Then he sat up.
Blue light shimmered around his wrist as his Soul Gem floated into view, humming with energy. A familiar chime rang in the air, followed by a glowing interface spreading in front of him like a divine scroll.
His eyes scanned the numbers.
Then widened.
Name: Dillion Rogers
Soul Mark: Blue
Level: 30
Skills:
Shield Guard (Rank 6) – 0/600
Shield Bash (Rank 6) – 0/600
Dexterity (Rank 6) – 0/600
Overwhelming Strength (Rank 8) – 0/800
Weak Point (Rank 5) – Max Level
Spells:
Water Manipulation (Rank 9) – Level 1
Swift Boots (Rank 8) – Level 2
Fog Control (Rank 5) – Max Level
Passive Enchantments:
Fog – Grants access to the Fog Control spell line (initial enchantment from soulbound knife)
Fog Ring – +1 Level to all Fog-based spells (Boosts Fog Control from Level 5 to Level 6)
Dillion stared.
Then slowly fell backward onto the bed again, limbs sprawled like a man who had just faced the truth of the universe.
“All I had to do… was sleep?”
He dragged the pillow over his face and groaned into it like a tortured soul. “No wonder Mika looked at me like I was a lunatic... I’ve been running around like a half-charged phone!”
He flipped the pillow dramatically. “This whole time, I thought I was grinding at 100%. Turns out I was still on the tutorial battery.”
The Soul Gem floated quietly above him. Peaceful. Judging.
Dillion sighed and let the stats sink in. Stronger. Faster. Sharper. He didn’t just feel rested. He felt... awakened.
And now?
Now he was finally caught up to the player he thought he was.
He sat up again, rubbing his face.
“…I’m never skipping nap time again.”
Dillion stepped out of his room, feeling like a new man — or at least like someone who finally found the "on" switch. The Crit Happens suite was quieter now. The scent of morning tea still hung in the air, but the sound of voices and idle banter had faded.
Kael’s bow was gone from the weapon rack. Lana’s spear, too.
He spotted Valen at the far end of the common room, stretching by the window, the city’s skyline behind him. Mika sat nearby, feet up on a couch, flipping through a crystal tablet. Gorran was absent — probably off arm-wrestling a wall somewhere.
“Hey,” Dillion said, approaching. “Where is everybody?”
Valen cracked his neck. “Kael and Lana logged off. Real-world check-ins.”
“Ah.”
Valen glanced at him. “You look sharper.”
“I feel sharper,” Dillion admitted. “Like I finally booted up all the way.”
Valen smirked. “Good. Then let me ask — what’s your current rank?”
Dillion blinked. “My what?”
“Your adventurer rank,” Valen said, folding his arms. “You know, the system that actually tracks your standing in Sora.”
Dillion scratched the back of his head. “Uh… I don’t think I have one? I didn’t even know that was a thing.”
Mika let out a snort from the couch. “You’ve been to the semifinals of a national tournament… and you’re unranked?”
Dillion’s ears turned red.
“Wow,” Valen said, grinning. “Running before you could crawl.”
Mika added, “I bet the clerks at the Licensing Board will faint when they see your name.”
Dillion frowned. “Okay, then explain it to me. How does the ranking system actually work?”
Valen nodded. “Alright, listen close. Adventurer Ranks go from F to A, with F being the starting point for new players. A is elite — pro-tier. The kind of people who can walk into a ruin solo and walk out with a boss’s skull under their arm.” Then there is World Ranking, World Ranks are basically past A rank. Anyone with a world rank is viewed as Sora's top players
He paused, then added, “Each rank has requirements. Kill counts, quest completions, Soul Gem upgrades, even party leadership. Once you hit those, you get a notification saying you’re eligible for a Rank-Up Quest. Complete that, and you advance.”
“And… how do I even start?” Dillion asked.
“You need an Adventurer License,” Valen said. “Any official outpost can issue one. They’ll scan your Soul Gem, log your info, and give you a questline based on what you’ve already done. It’s simple… unless you’re someone who skipped the tutorial like a lunatic.”
Mika grinned. “So basically, step one: get your learner’s permit.”
Dillion groaned, rubbing his face. “Can I at least fight before I get laughed at again?”
Valen clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve already proven yourself. Getting your rank is just catching up to what everyone else already saw in that arena.”
Dillion looked down at his glowing Soul Gem, still humming softly. Maybe it was time to make things official.
The sun over the capital was warm but filtered, its golden rays dulled by the soft shimmer of Eden’s ever-present sky dome. Dillion putting his Equipment away in his inventory as he stepped out of the Crit Happens suite, trying to blend in with the steady foot traffic of players and locals.
Compared to the isolated, high-level chaos he’d been living in for the last week, the city’s main outpost felt almost… casual. Like a marketplace stitched together with game menus. Players moved between mission boards, merchant stalls, and repair counters. The buzz of conversation blended with the distant sounds of duels in the training yards.
Dillion headed straight for the wide marble counter at the center of the plaza — the Adventurer Licensing Hall. Behind the desk sat a lean, bored-looking clerk, flipping through a translucent crystal screen. Her nameplate read: LYRIA - REGISTRAR (RANK C)
She looked up, smiled professionally. “Welcome to the Capital Outpost Licensing Bureau. New registration or rank evaluation?”
“New,” Dillion said, placing his palm down on the Soul Scanner embedded in the counter.
The crystal disk blinked to life, then pulsed a deep blue. Lyria’s screen lit up, then froze — her eyes widened slightly.
“Oh,” she said, sitting up straighter. “Um. Please wait a moment.”
She tapped a few things, and the system began auto-scrolling through a flood of battle footage, kill logs, soul gem upgrades — and one very clear tag: SEMI-FINALIST – EDEN ARENA TOURNAMENT
Lyria’s jaw tightened into a stiff smile.
“You… don’t have a license yet?”
“Nope,” Dillion said with a sheepish shrug. “First time.”
She stared at him for a beat, then said, “You’re either a prodigy or a walking violation.”
After a few more taps, a slim, steel-blue card shimmered into existence and floated above the scanner. Dillion reached out and grabbed it — it felt warm to the touch, embossed with the Eden symbol and his name.
Adventurer License Issued
Initial Rank: E+
You are eligible for immediate rank evaluation. Would you like to accept your Rank-Up Quest now?
“Yes,” Dillion said without hesitation.
The clerk nodded. “Your accomplishments qualify you for an E to D rank advancement. Quest parameters will be loaded into your system shortly.”
Sure enough, a soft ding echoed in his mind.
New Quest: Rising Tide
Objective: Clear a Class-C Ruin near the capital.
Bonus: Complete within 24 in-game hours for performance boost.
Lyria leaned forward. “Welcome to the system, Mr. Rogers. You’re officially a part of the Adventurer Registry. Please try not to destroy any more public records. We’re still recovering from the orb report Zren filed.”
Dillion blinked. “You know Zren?”
She smiled tightly. “Unfortunately.”
Dillion turned, new license in hand, and made his way back toward the guild. The card shimmered softly in his palm — official proof that he was no longer just some anomaly. He was a registered player now.
He was on his way to becoming a Pro Player in Sora