[ A Village is Born ]

[ The Question No One Wanted to Ask ]

The sky was still scarred from the Plague Doctor's announcement, and the tension in the air had settled like a heavy fog.

Players stood scattered across the ruins of what had once been a bustling outpost. Some still clung to the hope that the logout button would reappear. Others were already searching for food and supplies, their survival instincts kicking in.

And then—a voice broke through the silence.

[Young NPC Boy, hesitantly]: "Mister… what will happen to us NPCs when you beat the game?"

Raine turned.

The boy was small, no older than ten, with dusty brown hair and tattered clothes. His tiny hands were clenched around his mother's worn dress as he looked up with wide, innocent eyes.

The crowd of players went still.

No one had asked this before. No one had thought about it.

Because in the old Eclipse Online, NPCs weren't real.

They were scripted. Resettable. Disposable.

But now—now they bled. They cried. They feared.

[Raine, kneeling down]: "…What do you mean?"

[Young NPC Boy, voice trembling]: "If you win the game… does that mean our world disappears?"

A hollow silence followed.

No one had the answer.

But Raine saw it in the way the other NPC villagers glanced at each other—the fear behind their eyes.

They knew.

This world, their world, existed as long as the game continued. If the players won—if the Kings were defeated—what would happen to them?

[Raine, after a long pause]: "…I don't know."

The words felt heavier than any sword.

The boy gripped his mother's hand tighter.

[Young NPC Boy, whispering]: "Then please don't let us disappear."

And then he ran.

Disappearing into the ruins, leaving behind nothing but a silence so thick it felt suffocating.

[Raine, exhaling slowly]: "This just got a lot more complicated."

[ A New Struggle: Building from Nothing ]

The reality of the situation hit hard.

They had no cities. No safe zones. No NPC shops.

If they wanted to survive, they had to build their own village from scratch.

The beta testers moved quickly, forming small groups to gather whatever resources they could. Some players hunted for food, while others scavenged broken carts and abandoned buildings for usable materials.

But resources were scarce.

And soon—conflicts began.

[Beta Tester, angrily]: "Why the hell do we have to share? We earned our strength in the beta!"

[New Player, furious]: "That doesn't mean you get to hoard everything, jackass!"

Fights broke out over water, weapons, and food. Some of the stronger players started taking what they wanted, using brute force to keep weaker players in line.

It was chaos.

Until Raine stepped in.

The crowd turned toward him.

[Soren, crossing his arms]: "Took you long enough."

[Raine, stepping forward]: "We don't have time for this. We're all stuck in the same world now—players and NPCs alike. We fight each other, we die. We work together, we survive."

A murmur spread through the players.

A few looked like they wanted to argue, but the truth was undeniable.

[Raine, continuing]: "We build. We defend. And if King Malakar marches on us in seven days, we make sure we're still standing to fight him."

A long pause—then, finally, someone spoke.

[Female Player, sighing]: "…Fine. What's the plan?"

[Raine, glancing around]: "First, we secure food and water. Then we fortify the village. We need defenses, weapons, and a training ground. And lastly—"

He turned his gaze toward the crumbling ruins on the outskirts.

[Raine, serious]: "We need to find out what's hiding in that dungeon."

[ A Dungeon Uncovered ]

Beyond the ruined outpost, the land sloped downward into an unnatural valley.

It was a place that hadn't existed in the beta. A place that shouldn't exist.

The entrance was a massive, gaping maw in the earth, carved from obsidian and pulsing with faint violet energy.The dungeon door was covered in runes that flickered as Raine and his group approached.

[Soren, frowning]: "I've never seen this place before."

[Lyra, cautiously]: "Neither have I. And that energy… it's not normal magic."

There were no torches. No guides. No quest markers.

Just darkness.

[Raine, gripping his sword]: "We don't have a choice. If we want an edge against Malakar, we need to see what's inside."

He took a deep breath—and stepped in.

[ The Forbidden Tome ]

The dungeon was unlike anything Raine had ever seen.

The air was thick with something unnatural, and the walls seemed to breathe. The deeper they went, the colder it became, until even their breath started fogging.

Then, at the very center of the chamber—

A tome sat upon an altar of black stone.

It pulsed.

Alive.

[Lyra, uneasy]: "I don't like this."

[Soren, narrowing his eyes]: "This place reeks of death magic."

But Raine felt drawn to it.

Something inside him whispered—take it.

Slowly, he reached out and touched the cover.

The moment his fingers brushed the leather—a surge of energy slammed into his mind.

Images flashed before him—shadows, forgotten spells, ancient curses—a power lost to time. A voice whispered from the depths of the void—

"The Black Arts have chosen you."

And then—the system notification appeared.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

You have obtained the Forbidden Tome: Black Magic, Level 1.

Warning: The path of darkness cannot be undone.

The air rippled as the tome's energy sank into him.

Lyra staggered back, eyes wide.

[Lyra, horrified]: "Raine… what did you just do?"

He looked down at his hand—black sparks danced across his fingers.

Raine exhaled slowly.

[Raine, quiet]: "I think I just changed everything."