First human kingdom.

In a mountainous region,

A small blue macaw was flying between various trees and small valleys. The winds sometimes struck it, slightly hindering its movement. Land monsters also roared from time to time, trying to capture it—or rather, turn it into a delicious meal. The fluffy bird dodged them, and whenever things became too dangerous, walls of water or dark energy appeared to protect it and distract the enemy while it accelerated and escaped.

Occasionally, it would stop in a tree to rest, even pulling out a bottle of juice or water to wet its beak. Then, it would continue flying. 

And a few minutes later, a new sight appeared before the small macaw.

A gigantic city came into view—massive walls in a soft bluish-white colonial style. Upon entering the city, there were players and merchants, and a great magical barrier could also be seen, preventing anyone from invading through abnormal means.

The small macaw sighed in relief at the sight and quickly landed on the ground. The moment it did, its body began to transform.

Its size increased, revealing a humanoid figure with enchanting dark blue-black hair, immense blue wings, and eyes so brilliantly blue they resembled the rarest, most charming gemstones from the ocean depths.

"It looks like I finally arrived in a kingdom. The capital of the Mitú Kingdom," the young man murmured with satisfaction—but he wasn't done yet. His wand appeared in his hand, and he lightly twirled it in the air. A neutral energy with traces of illusion magic covered his body, hiding any features that could reveal him as a non-human.

"Perfect."

After saying this, he covered his face with a fox mask and donned a cloak. To the disappointment of outsiders, his face would remain hidden.

…

MC POV

After moving with the giant toad, I transformed into my beast form as a bird, aiming to speed up travel while avoiding constant fights. Besides, as long as I didn't reach a certain altitude, aerial monsters wouldn't attack me.

Luckily, after a long journey—landing in some caves and trees along the way—I finally reached a kingdom. However, there were some problems. The first was that it was a human kingdom. Based on the information I gathered from the tribe, this kingdom wasn't particularly prejudiced, which was why I chose to come here. Still, it could be complicated, so I decided to buy the skill I had already planned for.

....

Skill: Illusion Mask

Rank: Class

Effect:

Allows the user to change certain body and aura characteristics (hair color, eye color, hide racial features and aura). If MP drops below 5%, the skill is undone. MP Cost: 5% of total MP. Cooldown: 5 minutes after being undone. Description: A perfect magic for disguising one's aura and making small alterations. It is said to have been created in the past, derived from illusion magic, by non-humanoid races to facilitate their entry into human cities and avoid suffering from violence and discrimination. Normally found in neutral magic class skill trees or as a Skill Book, though human kingdoms are less likely to distribute this item to prevent non-human races from hiding their identities.

...

This skill does not fall under the category of elemental or illusion magic, instead being a simplified form of certain deception magics. It is classified in the class skill tree as a neutral magic skill.

I took a deep breath as I watched the spell take effect and made my way toward the city. Unless it's a high-level NPC or someone with a special skill, they shouldn't be able to see through this illusion. Of course, I need to be careful not to let my mana drop below 5%.

As I continued walking, I finally reached the line to enter the city.

There, I saw not only NPCs but also a large number of players. Most were human, but I also spotted dwarves, elves, and Beastkin. I didn't see any members of the Aeros group, but I did see Aquos and Terris. The only race I didn't find among the initial ones was the Undead—something expected based on what I read in the forums. The Undead face even more discrimination than other non-human races.

It's safe to say that almost no human city accepts an Undead member. This has led to some player protests, though fortunately, certain non-human races welcome them, in addition to the specific cities and kingdoms built for them.

"Hey, young man, are you new to the city?"

I heard a voice that caught my attention. Looking toward the speaker, I saw a man with Latin Western features. He had brown hair with a slight touch of gray, a handsome face that exuded a mature charm, and appeared to be between 50 and 60 years old.

He wore common Western-style clothing suited for a warmer, more humid climate—green shorts and a black shirt.

What stood out the most to me, however, was the fact that he wasn't an NPC but a player.

Since you can't change your age in the game, unless he was using some special method, he was likely indeed an older player. While this isn't extremely rare nowadays, given the central role of virtual reality games, it's still not the predominant demographic.

For this type of game, the player base generally ranges from 14 to 35 years old.

These thoughts passed through my mind in a matter of seconds before I responded with a greeting.

"I am. By the way, my name is Alan. And yours?"

"I'm William, a small-time merchant enjoying retirement in this new world and running a few small businesses here. I've been having a great time. I imagine you're an adventurer... but that outfit… Why are you wearing it? Are you a criminal?"

He asked with a gentle smile, tinged with a subtle political undertone.

Hearing that, I was speechless for about five seconds.

"Ahem... No, I just wear it because I personally like it."

Of course, I wasn't about to say that it was to hide my race and appearance, which sometimes attracted unwanted attention and caused irritating problems.

He didn't seem to dwell on it too much and simply nodded, probably recalling the Karma system, which would make the guards eliminate me if I committed any criminal or immoral acts.

'It could be something related to his class… or maybe a player or guild is hunting him. After all, players sometimes offend major guilds and end up being targeted,' William thought as he continued chatting with me.

Note: The Karma system, often referred to as the "Red Player" system in common games and series, will have a more interesting explanation later on—stay tuned! :)