Chapter 1: A New Beginning

The azure, clear sky had been replaced by a blood-red hue, while the dim, lifeless ground lay in ruins.
From the sky looking down, all that met the eye was the parched, cracked, ochre earth, dotted with countless craters like festering sores.

“How many are left?”
A girl with shoulder-length pale golden hair, her eyes a vivid crimson with vertical pupils like those of a cat or reptile, spoke in a low, masculine voice that belied her appearance.

At her question, a vibrant, feathered dragon-beast resembling a Utahraptor rose beside her.
“Only ninety remain, Alicia. This mission is tougher than we expected. The bait plan worked, but too many died in the process and had to go corpse-running.”

“As long as the plan succeeded, it’s fine. Even if our team fails, the other guild forces should break through. When it comes to attrition, no one outlasts us players.”
The player called Alicia glanced at her resting teammates, speaking softly.

“You can’t say that. You’re our ace. Shouldn’t you rally the troops at a time like this and lead us to snag that boss’s first kill?”
Her friend’s words drew a smile from Alicia. Seeing her teammates, now rested and gathering around, she collected her thoughts.

“I’m not great with speeches, but everyone here, sticking with this game, has poured in immense time and money. For the world we love, let’s drive out every last one of those alien mongrels!”
At this, Alicia clenched her fist and swung it forcefully.

“Ohhh!”
Alicia looked at her comrades not far ahead, ready as always, awaiting her command.
She gripped her sword tightly, then turned to face the distant sky, where thunder roared and a majestic interstellar fortress loomed faintly through layers of mist.
As a teleportation array lit up, Alicia stepped into it first.

In the year 2193, as the Earth Federation ventured into space, fully immersive virtual reality technology became widespread among civilians.
A hyper-realistic MMORPG called Rodinia: Epoch was the first to utilize this technology, exploding in popularity across the net.
The game was set on a planet called Rodinia.
Here, on a world where technology and magic intertwined, players could choose from various fantastical races, freely explore the continent, and defeat the ultimate invading enemies.

As a player since the beta, Alicia had lived through every version update, treating this world as her second home.
But with the invasion of the new faction, [Dissaria], in this update, players from previously warring races set aside their grudges to unite against the common foe.
Alicia and her team’s current mission was to destroy the enemy’s stronghold.

As they pressed deeper, they finally faced the final boss.
Yet the enemy leader, the [Dissaria Commander], proved far stronger than anyone anticipated.
In mere moments, he decimated more than half their numbers.

Alicia gritted her teeth. The crimson before her eyes grew blinding, signaling her damage had reached critical levels.
But that was no longer her concern. Most of her teammates had lost their combat ability. This was their last chance—succeed or face a total wipe.
She raised her longsword, thrusting it forward, a dazzling glow of mana obscuring everything.

But at that moment, the [Dissaria Commander] recovered, firing two crimson-purple heavy particle beams from his weapon.
Simultaneously, Alicia hurled her longsword, radiant with mana’s glow.

Boom!
A blinding white light filled her vision, accompanied by a deafening roar—the last thing Alicia saw before losing consciousness.

After an unknown time, Alicia’s eyes snapped open.
She stared blankly at the unfamiliar surroundings, recalling only that she seemed to have perished with the boss.

“Ugh!”
Trying to rise and assess the situation, a wave of dizziness hit her, accompanied by ringing in her ears and bodily pain, forcing her to stop.
She lay back on the bed, struggling to turn her head and survey her surroundings.

It seemed she was in a large tent, alone. Shelves held bottles of medicine and unfamiliar camping tools, giving the space a lived-in feel.
Only then did Alicia notice her left shoulder and chest were fully bandaged. Though she didn’t know what happened, the blood seeping through suggested serious injury.
This was definitely not the game!

Through a nearby mirror, she saw her body had changed drastically.
Beneath disheveled golden hair were refined features, her mysterious crimson eyes captivating, and her perfect proportions stirred unfamiliar impulses.
Feeling the new weight on her chest, Alicia realized she faced the greatest crisis of her life.

As she teetered on the edge of despair, the tent’s curtain was suddenly pulled open.
A girl entered, her eyes widening in surprise at the half-sitting Alicia.

“You’re awake? That’s great!”
She was about sixteen or seventeen, with beautiful hazel-brown hair, wearing a white priestess robe reaching her ankles, its hem adorned with intricate golden embroidery.

The girl’s words were neither Chinese nor English, yet Alicia understood them perfectly.
This startled her—she recognized the language.
It was the standard tongue of the Human Empire in Rodinia.

“Your injuries were severe. Honestly, I wasn’t sure you’d pull through. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Cosette, a priestess.”
Her gentle voice carried an unmatched warmth, like soaking in warm water, calming Alicia instinctively.

“…Alicia Savoy, I guess you could call me an adventurer.”
Though still unclear about the situation, Alicia hesitated briefly before giving her in-game ID and a makeshift identity.

Her response didn’t surprise Cosette. On this continent, many adventurers preferred to explore alone.
She was more curious about what Alicia had encountered to sustain such grave injuries.

“So, an adventurer? Rest for now. I’ll get you something to eat.”
Skeptical of Alicia’s words, Cosette made an excuse and left for the moment.