Chapter 2: Brothers in struggle

Valerius Cassian opened his eyes, his heart racing with exhilaration. A pristine white void stretched endlessly around him, its emptiness almost hypnotic. He felt light—weightless even—and his body thrummed with energy. His arms spread wide as he twirled dramatically, reveling in the sheer perfection of his form.

"Ah! Did you see that, Astrid? Champion Valerius conquers yet again! The hero of—"

"Valerius."

The voice was soft, tender, yet carried the weight of unshakable authority.

Valeri froze mid-spin, the grin on his face faltering for a split second. He turned, arms still outstretched, to see Astrid descending from above. She hovered effortlessly, her eight golden wings spread wide, exuding an ethereal glow that illuminated the void. Her golden hair cascaded like liquid sunlight, and her divinely white eyes, framed by shimmering golden lashes, seemed to pierce through him.

She was a vision of elegance and power, but her serene expression carried a flicker of weariness.

"…Yes?" Valeri ventured, suddenly feeling like a child caught red-handed.

Astrid folded her hands delicately in front of her, a faint golden circle glowing around her waist. "Congratulations on surviving the trials and unlocking the Ultimate Champion attribute. None have achieved this."

"Thank you, thank you!" Valeri beamed, puffing his chest. "It's only natural for someone of my—"

"However due to the reset," Astrid continues, paying him no mind, "you will need to pick up everything again, from your elemental selection, to your class, the concept of the three major life essence."

"That's easy," Valeri said, "since I was a swordsman before, let me go with a brawler now" Valeri said staring at the projections infront of him, "Hmm.... I never really understood these elements but I kinda like the Speed boost wind gives you so I'll keep that one too." scrolling through the options, one by one, he was beginning to lose himself thinking about all the things he could do with his skills, he'd spoken so much, he didn't realise Astrid was trying to speak with him.

"Silence," she interjected, her tone still gentle but with a sharpness that made him pause. "We need to talk, Valerius."

"Talk? Pfft, no time for that! Let's move on to the next stage! I'm ready to save more kingdoms, wrestle dragons, and—"

"There are no more levels, Valerius," Astrid said softly, yet her words hit like a hammer.

He blinked. "…What do you mean? There's always another level. That's how games work." He grinned, tapping his temple as if explaining to a novice. "You beat one, you move to the next. Easy." Astrid closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply. When she opened them, there was a hint of sadness in her divine gaze. "Valerius… this is not a game." Valeri frowned, tilting his head. "What are you talking about? Of course, it's a game. Look at me!" He gestured to his grown body, now taller, broader, and more powerful than he remembered. "The system's just adapting my in-game character. Pretty sweet upgrade, huh?" Astrid's voice softened further, almost as though she pitied him. "This is not the system. This is the Higher Realm." Valeri chuckled nervously, waving her off. "Okay, Astrid, great joke. Higher Realm. Sure. What's next, I'm actually in a divine simulation?"

"You've been here for eight years, Valerius."

The words were calm, devoid of malice or mockery, but they froze him in place.

"…What?"

"Eight years have passed since you were transported here from Earth," she continued, her voice tinged with sorrow. "This is the Higher Realm, the world your so-called 'game' was designed to emulate. It is not a simulation. It is real." Valeri's laughter was hollow this time, forced. "No. Nope. That's not possible. It's only been a few days! A few—" He looked down at his hands, suddenly noticing how unfamiliar they felt. His arms, muscular and scarred, didn't belong to the young man he remembered. His legs, longer and sturdier, felt alien. Astrid stepped closer, her wings folding slightly. "The passage of time in this realm differs from what you knew. While you've grown stronger, your perception has been clouded. You have lived and fought here for eight years, believing it to be a game." "No," Valeri muttered, shaking his head. "This is just another quest. Another level. You're just an NPC trying to psych me out." "Valerius." Astrid's voice cracked slightly, her patience wearing thin. "This is not a quest. It is your life." "Life? Don't be ridiculous!" he snapped, laughing nervously. "If this were real, why haven't I… why hasn't anyone…" His voice trailed off as fragments of memories surfaced—people he'd fought beside, towns he'd sworn to protect. Their faces felt real now in a way they hadn't before. Astrid watched him, her divine aura softening as she saw the cracks forming in his facade. She took a step forward, reaching out a hand. "Valerius, you must accept—"

"No!" he shouted, backing away. "You're lying! This is just another level! Just another—" The shock came over him as he stared at his palm once more. His mind went to his sisters when he was younger, before his sickness, he had fallen off a chair and scrapped his palm trying to support himself, he'd remembered crying for ages because of how deep it was and there it was. Initially he'd assumed it was just a scar from one of his battles. But as he stared at it, recalling Astrid saying that everything had been reset, he couldn't believe it. But still the idea of bringing reborn in a new world was inconceivable, afterall he looked nothing like he was kn earth.

Astrid sighed, lowering her hand. Her radiant form flickered briefly, as though her frustration were seeping into the air around her.

"Very well," she said quietly, regaining her composure. "If you will not listen to reason, then I cannot help you."

Valeri stared at her, his expression defiant. "Good. I don't need help. I'm the Ultimate Champion!" Astrid's lips curved into a faint, almost mischievous smile. "Then good luck, Champion Valerius." Her voice was laced with an undertone he couldn't quite place, but before he could respond, the white void began to ripple.

"Wait, what's happening?" he asked, panic creeping into his voice. Astrid hovered higher, her wings glowing brighter as golden light surrounded her. "You will learn soon enough." "Learn what?" Valeri shouted, his voice tinged with desperation.

Astrid didn't answer. She simply smiled, a hint of amusement in her divine features, and whispered, "Good luck."

Astrid watched from the Higher Realm, her wings folded neatly as she gazed into a glowing portal. Her serene expression masked a flicker of doubt.

"May the Light guide you, Valerius," she whispered. "You're going to need it."

Into the Forest of Null

Valerius Cassian landed with a jolt, the world spinning around him. His knees buckled, and his palms scraped against the rough ground as he caught himself. A wave of nausea surged through him, and his breaths came shallow and erratic.

The forest was unlike anything he had ever seen. Massive trees with bark as black as coal twisted unnaturally, their branches clawing at the crimson sky. A heavy mist clung to the air, thick and suffocating, carrying an acrid stench that made his throat burn. The ground beneath him was damp and cold, its texture like flesh rather than soil.

"What… is this place?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

His body screamed for relief. A maddening thirst clawed at his throat, each swallow a painful reminder of how parched he was. He stumbled forward, his legs trembling under the weight of exhaustion.

"Water… I need water."

Valeri's instincts, honed during his countless dungeon runs, kicked in. He scanned his surroundings, looking for a break in the landscape. Streams usually ran downhill. If he followed one, he might find water.

The forest was eerily silent. No birds, no insects—just the oppressive hum of the mist pressing down on him. His boots squelched against the damp ground as he moved, the sound unnerving in the stillness. Then, he heard it.

A faint, trickling sound.

Relief surged through him, and he quickened his pace, weaving between the gnarled trees. The sound grew louder, leading him to a narrow stream that cut through the dark terrain.

He fell to his knees beside it, plunging his hands into the icy water. His reflection wavered on the surface, distorted by the ripples. The face staring back at him wasn't the youthful one he remembered. It was older, scarred, and haunted.

He shoved the thought aside and cupped the water, drinking deeply. The chill bit at his insides, but he didn't care. The relief was intoxicating.

A low growl shattered the silence.

Valeri froze, water still dripping from his chin. Slowly, he looked up.

On the opposite bank, a pair of glowing eyes pierced through the mist. Then another. And another.

The creatures stepped into view, their forms unnervingly alien. They resembled wolves but with elongated limbs and hollow, translucent torsos that seemed to pulse with an unnatural light. Their teeth gleamed like shards of glass, and their eyes burned with a malevolent intelligence.

"Null Wolves," Valeri whispered, his heart sinking. He'd fought their kind in the dungeons—feral, relentless, and deadly. But those were simulations. This… this was different.

The pack began to circle him, their movements fluid and predatory.

"Okay, stay calm. Think." Valeri straightened, his mind racing. "Running downstream. Always downstream."

He took a cautious step back, then another. The wolves mirrored his movements, their growls intensifying.

Then one lunged.

Valeri bolted.

The wolves erupted into motion, their claws tearing through the ground as they pursued him. The forest became a blur of shadows and red light as he sprinted, his breath ragged and his muscles screaming in protest. "System! Open the system!" he shouted, desperation creeping into his voice.

Nothing.

"Log out! LOG OUT!"

His cries echoed uselessly through the forest. The realization hit him like a thunderbolt—there was no system. No logout button. No safety net.

"This isn't a game…"

Panic threatened to consume him, but he forced it down. He had to survive. That was all that mattered now. A root snagged his foot, sending him sprawling. He barely had time to roll over before a wolf pounced, its translucent fangs snapping inches from his face. "No, you don't!" Valeri roared, grabbing a nearby branch and swinging it with all his might. The branch struck the creature's head with a sickening crunch. The Null Wolf let out a distorted, otherworldly howl before collapsing, its body flickering like a dying flame before disintegrating into ash.

The pack hesitated, their glowing eyes narrowing as they assessed the sudden threat.

Valeri took the opportunity to scramble to his feet and run.

His lungs burned, his legs felt like lead, and the mist seemed to grow heavier with every step. The wolves, undeterred by their fallen kin, closed the distance effortlessly.

Valeri risked a glance over his shoulder and cursed. There were more of them now—at least twenty, their hollow forms glowing brighter as they gained momentum.

"This isn't fair!" he shouted, his voice cracking.

The lead wolf lunged, its claws raking across his side. Pain exploded through his body, and he stumbled, barely managing to stay upright. Another wolf slashed at his leg, drawing blood and nearly toppling him.

His stamina was failing. His vision blurred.

Valeri skidded to a stop, turning to face the pack. He clenched his fists, his body trembling.

"If this is it," he muttered through gritted teeth, "then I'm taking as many of you with me as I can."

The wolves growled, their translucent bodies pulsating ominously. The largest of them stepped forward, its fangs bared in a grotesque grin.

Valeri let out a primal roar and charged. His fist connected with the first wolf's head, shattering it in a burst of ash. He pivoted, delivering a kick that sent another crashing into a tree.

One by one, he knocked them down, his movements fueled by sheer willpower.

But his body betrayed him. His breaths grew shallow, his limbs sluggish. As he swung at the sixth wolf, his strength gave out. His vision darkened, and he collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. The wolves closed in, their growls a deafening chorus. Valeri braced himself, ready for the end.

Then, the smell of burning wood filled the air.

The wolves froze, their glowing eyes flickering. A faint crackling sound, like embers in a fire, echoed through the forest.

Footsteps followed—deliberate, heavy, and unmistakably human.

Valeri's head swayed as he tried to locate the source, but his body refused to obey. The last thing he saw before darkness claimed him was a figure stepping through the mist, surrounded by flickering flames