The buzz of fluorescent light greeted him as he stepped into his cramped apartment. A dull hum filled the silence—comforting, in a way that only routine could offer. He dropped his bag with a soft thud beside the door, kicked off his worn sneakers, and let out a long breath.
"Finally," he muttered, brushing a hand through his sweat-dampened hair.
Another shift down. Part-time at the convenience store didn't pay much, but it kept the bills just barely manageable. And more importantly, it kept him connected just enough to the real world. But that wasn't where he truly lived.
He moved on autopilot—shower, dinner, energy drink cracked open with a hiss. His fingers hovered over the visor lying on his desk. Matte black, sleek, with the faintest etch of blue circuit lines that pulsed when touched. His portal to something far beyond this tiny space.
Dark Fantasy Soul.
The name alone could stir the blood of any seasoned player. A world of shifting myths and brutal beauty, where over 1,000 unique classes awaited exploration. Where you weren't bound by logic or limitation—only will and imagination.
He'd done it all.
His main account stood at max level, cloaked in legendary gear, and etched into the global rankings. There wasn't a zone, boss, or hidden side quest he hadn't conquered. It was fun at first—addictive, even. But now, after years of min-maxing, PvP dominance, guild wars, and dungeon clears… it felt stale.
So tonight, he tried something different.
He created an alt account.
No power-mage, no assassin build. No summoner, no berserker. Nothing flashy or meta.
He picked a healer.
"Just to see what it's like," he told himself.
As he slipped the visor on, a prompt flashed.
[NOTICE: Experimental Environment Patch v7.9 Active – New Conditions May Apply]
He barely skimmed the text before accepting and logging in.
The moment he did, he spawned in a modest sanctuary. Sunlight filtered through cracked stonework and faded banners bearing the mark of some forgotten order. A single book floated midair, humming faintly as it assigned his starting parameters.
Account Name: Rein
Race: Human
Class: Healer
Alignment: Neutral
Religion: Follower of Elarin, Ruler of thunder
Starting Region: Elarin Chapel
A pure support class. One of the least picked. No damage skills early on. No dramatic animations. No praise.
Still, he pushed forward. He joined a party—three randoms on a world boss run. They moved fast, aggressive, blades flashing and spells roaring.
"Keep up, healer," someone snapped.
He did.
He healed. He cleansed. He resurrected twice. He even pulled aggro to save the DPS.
They still blamed him when the boss wiped them.
"Trash healer."
"Dead weight."
"Uninstall."
They disbanded before he could type a reply.
No thanks, no strategy, no teamwork.
Just blame.
He tried again. Another dungeon. Another group. Another wipe.
Over and over.
And slowly, painfully, it dawned on him—this was why no one picked healer. Not because it was weak, but because it demanded selflessness in a world built for glory.
He logged out.
The visor lifted from his face with a soft click, revealing the flickering lights of the cityscape outside his window. Neon reflections danced on the glass.
He stared at his ceiling in silence.
"…Guess I get it now," he muttered.
His body ached, but not from work. From weariness. The kind only digital rejection could deliver.
Without brushing his hair or turning off the desk lamp, he collapsed onto the futon and closed his eyes.
The world outside continued to spin.
And somewhere, in a forgotten chapel inside the game, a lone healer named Rein stood quietly in the dark—unnoticed, but waiting.
He slowly opened his eyes, and light grazed his skin.
Pain.
That was the first thing Rein felt—sharp, real, and cold against his cheek.
He stirred, groaning as grass brushed his skin. Sunlight filtered through a thick canopy above, golden and green, far too vivid for any loading screen. Birdsong echoed in the distance—but it was wrong. Too crisp. Too layered.
He opened his eyes.
And froze.
This wasn't his room. This wasn't the sanctuary.
This was a forest.
Not some cozy starter zone either. The air was heavy with moisture and the scent of moss and old stone. Massive trees twisted upward like ancient guardians. Strange insects buzzed in unnatural rhythms. Something massive growled far too close.
"…No way," he whispered.
He sat up, heart pounding. A familiar HUD flickered to life in the corner of his vision.
Name: Rein
Class: Healer
Level: 1
"Level… one?" he muttered.
That wasn't right. His alt was level 20 when he last logged out. But something else was wrong too—he reached out and felt flesh, not gloves. His real hand. Skin, warmth, the sting of a scrape beneath his eye.
His chest tightened.
This wasn't a session.
This was real.
And the trees…
He glanced around, piecing together the terrain from memory. The dense canopy. The stone ruins half-swallowed by vines. The flickering magical mist that shimmered through the gaps in the branches.
It hit him like a thunderclap.
Forest of the Trial.
A high-level DLC zone meant for players above level 70. Accessible only via post-game or special quests. A place packed with elite monsters and brutal world events. Infamous for its cruelty—and loved by hardcore players for the same reason.
But it made no sense. Even if he were level 1, why would the system spawn him here?
No HUD appeared. No logout button. No system menu. And worst of all—no gear.
He wore only linen robes. His left hand held a beginner's staff and a belt that strapped a single potion.
Something howled nearby—guttural and close.
Instinct screamed.
He ran and ran. No matter how much pain he felt right now, it could not compare to the sense of dread looming over him.
The forest punished him. Thorns slashed. The ground trembled. Predators tracked his every sound. But somewhere in the fog of memory, he remembered—
The Trial Grounds.
In normal gameplay, this zone had a unique feature: "Solo Trials," scaled to your current level. Once inside, no outside monsters could reach you. And if you cleared the final Trial? Instant teleport to Althain City, the main hub.
It was the only way out. He had no choice.
He found the stone arch between three crooked trees. The marble circle in the center pulsed.
Initiate Trial?
[Yes] [No]
He didn't hesitate.
Light swallowed him.
A voice whispered:
Detect Class: Healer
Welcome, Rein.
Trial of Grace Initiated – Scaled to Level 1
"Only those who carry others may find their own strength."
A floating wraith formed—chains trailing behind it.
Rein clutched his staff.
He trembled and was scared, but he would never back down. Bravery didn't come from not being afraid of anything—but from the will to face it.
The voices of his parents echoed in his head.
But one thing kept him going.
He could control this fight.
The wraith attacked.
The pain was real. A slash to the chest knocked the breath out of him. He stumbled, cast Minor Heal.
[Minor Heal – Proficiency: 2%]
Another cast. [4%]
Each time, the spell became more effective.
He fought like this for nearly fifteen minutes, sweating, bleeding, barely breathing.
But in the end, he stood. Just one enemy took 30 minutes to kill. Even though they were Level 1, they were still Unique and above monster tier. Their stats were far superior. Luckily, this monster didn't have any skills yet.
And he could feel that he'd received another skill. It was like something whispered in his mind.
[Skill Gained: Pain Resistance Lv.1]
[Minor Heal – Proficiency: 12%]
That was only the beginning.
Wave after wave tested him. Cursed blades. Ghost soldiers. Shadows that fed on fear. He treaded the trial very carefully. Killed them one by one.
At one point, an enemy dropped a rusted shortsword, which he picked up without hesitation.
"Finally," he muttered, gripping it with shaking hands. "Something to defend with."
By the time he reached the final chamber, he was bruised, exhausted, and healed only by the slow trickle of his spell.
[Minor Heal – Proficiency: 48%]
[Pain Resistance Lv.4]
He knew what it was. A huge gate with unknown languages carved on the door.
Final Trial: Mercy of the Fallen Sun
Warning: This path contains non-combat pain immersion. Experience will not be reversible until complete.
The enemy stood motionless, wrapped in black and red robes.
The arch pulsed with crimson fire, shadows flickering like claws around its edges. Rein stepped through—and the warmth of the earlier trials vanished instantly.
The final chamber was a cathedral of dread.
Stone pillars wrapped in rusted barbed wire stretched toward a sky that didn't exist. Candles floated in the air, their flames inverted. Chains hung from the ceiling like dead vines, swaying to a soundless rhythm.
At the far end stood a towering figure.
The Fallen Sun Champion.
The Fallen Sun Champion had served for eons but was defeated and fell from grace…
Its body was tall and gaunt, wrapped in priest-like robes. A metal mask covered its face, featureless save for a vertical slit leaking ghostly light. In one hand, it held a tiny orb.
He had never entered the trials using a healer class, so he had no clue about this. But the dangerous aura it gave off was so unnerving.
He readied his stance. Even though he knew this wasn't a combat situation, it gave him a small sense of security.
Suddenly, it twitched with life.
Final Trial: Mercy of the Fallen Sun – Initiate?
Warning: This path contains non-combat pain immersion. Experience will not be reversible until complete.
Rein stood still.
His heart thundered. Not from fear of death—death was easy in games.
This was different.
Suddenly, he remembered the rumors. The healer class trial was supposed to be easy, like healing patients or purifying the undead. But from what he had experienced, why was it different? Was this some unique sequence?
This wasn't about proving strength. It was a willpower test. But he didn't think he was ready yet, so he turned back to the entrance of the room—
But…
Chains exploded from the walls and pierced every part of his body. They were laced with magma and arcing lightning.
The pain hit instantly.
A whip of cold steel coiled around his ankle, yanking him off his feet. He hit the stone hard, vision flashing white. Another chain wrapped around his wrist. Then another around his neck. He tried to scream but no voice came out.
He gasped—but no air came. Every breath was agonizing. His insides felt like they were being boiled by a thousand suns, and the lightning seared his nerves, making him twitch uncontrollably. He tried to cast Heal, and luckily, he could activate it just by thinking.
His pain resistance also increased, making the pain slightly less unbearable.
He didn't know how many days had passed. The same things happened over and over again.
The enemy did not speak.
It only watched.
But still—no death screen. It seemed like he was truly in another world. Usually, when the pain threshold is over the limit, you would automatically log out.
So—no escape.
Suddenly, the enemy moved.
It whispered, "Revenge… New body… Kill."
He heard it, and now he knew why. This trial was just an excuse for it to take his body. But why was all of this necessary?
He couldn't help but feel very angry.
It walked slowly toward him and arrived in front of him.
It mumbled something… like chanting.
It put both of its hands onto his forehead and carved it with its fingers.
Painful.
But he gambled—if this world still followed the logic of the game, then during chanting, any interruption caused backlash. The higher the spell, the stronger the backlash.
Rein waited for its hand to near his mouth, and he immediately bit it vigorously. He didn't care if his teeth crooked or broke. Now, he just wanted to live.
It suddenly howled in pain, and the backlash seemed to affect it greatly. Rein didn't stop. He kept biting the hand and swallowed everything he could.
If it were just regular biting, the enemy wouldn't even flinch, even in the face of backlash. But now, Rein's body was laced with blazing lava, fire, and lightning.
The pain sensations were shared with the enemy. Bit by bit, the fire and lightning ate its body away. As long as he kept biting—
"You… dare… I… will… burn you…" The enemy fell silent for a moment.
"Where… why… orb isn't… working…?"
The enemy suddenly realized that Rein had swallowed the orb—unintentionally, of course.
It needed to retrieve it back, no matter what. So it freed Rein from all the chains and the torture.
The pain subsided for both sides.
But now Rein was in a dilemma. What should he do now? If this kept going, he would be cut open just to retrieve the core.
Is this the end?
It's unfair…
A whisper came to his ears.
"Do you wish to use the power of the UmbraSol (Darkness Sun)"
The whisper was eerie. Wrong, somehow. Tempting.
In his almost lifeless eyes, he just said yes. Did it matter now? He could feel himself drifting away.
A burst of darkness suddenly surged. It arced with the heat of the sun.
Every part of him screamed. Tears ran freely down his face—not from sadness, but instinct. A reaction to sensory overload.
But his mind…
His mind held on.
And that—finally—was enough.
UmbraSol sensed the divine power rooted in the Healer class—an ancient force it instinctively sought to destroy.
But in that moment, Elarin, the Ruler of Thunder, blessed her follower.
The clashing forces—UmbraSol's dark might and Elarin's divine lightning—rampaged within his body, an unbearable storm of chaos.
Each second felt like his flesh was being torn apart, only to be mended and shredded again.
The pain was beyond reason. Beyond endurance.
He couldn't take it. His vision faded, and he lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the enemy burned to a charred husk.
Rein checked his body—and no injuries.
What happened? didnt i almost.....
The trial has ended.
A towering voice echoed.
A light suddenly warped him.
And when he opened his eyes, he saw a village and a huge wall that protected the town nearby.
"So… it's over." Rein sat there, staring at the sky above the wall. All kinds of emotions welled up—but strangely, he felt calm. Too calm.
"Why?… Am I not supposed to feel sad, mad, or anything? Why am I so calm?"
"Status," he said.
Rein
Healer: Level 1
Attributes: SolasVolt (Unique Variant)
Abilities:
SolasVolt (99% SEALED)
- ??????????
- To unseal further power, the user must sacrifice something of equal value.
Calm Mind (Max)
- The user will feel calm in all situations.
"Level 1? That can't be right… I should've gained tons of experience from all those enemies. And what is SolasVolt, anyway? A hidden attribute? Then there's Calm Mind... Wait—didn't I accept some kind of power back there? UmbraSol, or something like it? And someone blessed me too… but it's all so hazy now, like a half-remembered dream. Maybe those powers got devoured… or fused together? Is that what SolasVolt really is—a merge of both?"
He read more and found that to unseal just 1% of the power, it consumed all his levels.
"Level 1," he muttered.A hollow laugh escaped him."I guess… that's the price."
"…hah. Whatever," he muttered, closing the status window.
He didn't understand it. Not yet.
But for now, he was alive.
And that was enough.