Akhil stood near the school gate, holding his old bag tightly.
Students around him laughed loudly, showing off their new VR gear and gaming devices.
Most of them played Luminaria Online, the hottest full-dive game in the world.
He heard them talking about rare items, powerful swords, and how much real money they had earned.
Akhil stayed silent.He had nothing to show.
No gaming account.No equipment.No money.
One of the rich students waved his tablet around.
"Look at my Dragonfire Blade! I bought it yesterday. Easy boss kills from now!"
Others cheered.
Akhil looked away.
He wanted to be there.He wanted to matter too.
But how could someone like him enter a world ruled by money?
He walked home without a word.No one noticed him leave.
His home was a small, a rented room.The paint on the walls was peeling.The fan made a low, broken noise.
Akhil placed his bag down and sat on the floor.He opened his old phone, scrolling through random news.That's when he saw it.
[Special Event: Luminaria Online Free Trial Capsule! Limited to 24 Hours!]
His heart skipped.
Free?
He clicked on it quickly.
Free capsule headset for poor players.
DNA scan to prevent multiple accounts.
One-month trial.
Real money can still be earned if lucky.
It was real.No tricks.
Akhil filled out the form without thinking.
He didn't care about the bad graphics or the basic equipment.
It was a chance.
[Congratulations! Your free trial kit will arrive within 48 hours.]
Akhil stared at the screen.His hands were shaking slightly.
Maybe...Maybe this time, he could change something.
Two days later, a plain box arrived.
Inside it was a cheap-looking VR headset and gloves.
No brand name.
No fancy designs.
Just dull grey plastic.
But to Akhil, it was precious.He spent an hour checking every cable, every setting, making sure nothing was broken.It was old, but it worked.
That night, after a simple dinner, Akhil lay down on his mattress.He wore the headset.
The login screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[Welcome to Luminaria Online.]
[DNA confirmed. Account registered. No reset possible.]
[Proceed to character creation? (Y/N)]
Akhil took a deep breath.He pressed "Yes."
His vision turned white.His body felt weightless.He was finally inside.
The world around Akhil shifted into a wide, glowing space.
[Character Creation Started.]
He stood there in simple clothes, staring at the options floating in front of him.
Class Selection:
[Warrior]
[Mage]
[Archer]
[Assassin]
[Support]
Each class had a short, colorful description.
Warriors had shining swords.
Mages had glowing staffs.
Archers wore stylish leather armor.
Akhil looked at them carefully.
But something strange happened.
A small crack appeared on the side of the menu.A black ripple moved through the air like a glitch.
Then a new option blinked into existence at the bottom.
[ERROR CLASS: Unknown Path]
(Warning: Not recommended.)
It wasn't listed with the others.No fancy description.No picture.
Just a glitchy black box.
Akhil hesitated.
Was it a trap?
But then he remembered...He had nothing to loose anyway.
No strong background.No future waiting for him outside.He smiled a little.
"If I'm going to lose, I might as well lose in my own way."
He tapped the [Unknown Path].
The system froze for a second.
[Confirmation: Class — Glitchborn.]
[Starting stats adjusted randomly.]
[Warning: Irreversible.]
Akhil blinked.
Glitchborn?
He had never heard of it.But there was no turning back now.
Next came the Stat Distribution screen.He didn't really know how to assign stats properly.He had only watched some gaming videos online before.
No guides.No pro tips.
He placed random points here and there without thinking much.
Strength: +3
Agility: +4
Intelligence: +2
Vitality: +3
Dexterity: +5
Luck: ??? (Hidden)
He pressed "Confirm" without checking twice.
Then the Equipment Selection appeared.
Sword: Locked (requires purchase)
Staff: Locked (requires purchase)
Bow: Locked (requires purchase)
Dagger: Locked (requires purchase)
Only one thing was left.
[Fists: Default Weapon Equipped.]
He laughed bitterly.
No weapon. No armor. No boosts.
Only his bare hands.
[Character Creation Complete.]
[Welcome, Akhil, the Glitchborn.]
[Transporting to Beginner's Plaza....]
Light swallowed him again.When he opened his eyes,he was standing in a crowded square filled with players.
Everyone around him wore cool outfits and carried shining weapons.
Some had swords taller than their bodies.Others had wings, glowing pets, flashy accessories.
Akhil stood out immediately.Wearing a torn cloth shirt.
No weapon.
No armor.
Just basic sandals on his feet.
A group of players nearby burst out laughing.
"Yo, check out that guy!"
"Is he a beggar NPC or a real player?"
"Maybe the system glitched and spawned garbage!"
One of them, a tall boy with bright red armor, pointed directly at Akhil.His name tag floated above: Renji [Crimson Vultures Guild].
Renji smirked."Hey, you! Nice fashion sense. What are you, Zero Bug?"
More laughter exploded around the square.
Akhil felt the stares,the whispers around him.The invisible wall of mockery closing in.
But he stayed quiet.He had expected this.
Still, deep inside, a small fire lit up.
He would remember their faces.
One day, they would remember his.
Akhil turned away from the laughing crowd.
He didn't say a word.He didn't look back.
He walked quietly toward the west gate of the Beginner's Plaza.
Outside the safety zone, low-level monsters roamed.Boars, rabbits, small wolves.
Other players grouped up in parties.Chatted loudly.Compared their shiny weapons.No one invited Akhil.
No one even looked at him twice.He stepped through the gate alone.
The outside world was simple wide green fields, a few trees, dirt roads.Small monsters wandered nearby.
Akhil spotted a weak-looking boar grazing a few meters away.
Level 1.
Just like him.He clenched his fists.It was time to try.He moved carefully, trying to get closer without alerting it.
The boar noticed him anyway.It charged with a loud grunt.
Akhil panicked.
He tried to punch it.It Missed.The boar hit his side hard.
Pain flashed through his body.His health bar dropped by nearly half.He stumbled back, gasping.
"I'm dead at this rate..."
The boar charged again.
Akhil gritted his teeth.He dodged to the left at the last second, pure instinct.
The sun was starting to set.Shadows grew longer across the field.And then it happened.
A faint shimmer surrounded Akhil for a moment.His body felt lighter.His eyes sharpened.He didn't know what it was,
but when the boar rushed again,he moved faster.
Just a little.Just enough.
He ducked under the attack and slammed his fist into the side of the boar's neck.
A small damage number floated up:
[8]
It wasn't much.But it stunned the boar for a second.
Akhil didn't waste the chance.He punched again.
And again.
And again.
Each hit was weak, but fast.The boar's health dropped steadily.
Finally, with one last desperate punch, the boar collapsed.
[Level Up! Level 2 Reached!]
[You have earned 5 Credits!]
[Item Drop: Boar Tusk (Low Quality)]
Akhil stood there, panting hard.He looked at his trembling hands.He had won.Not because he was strong.Not because he had a fancy weapon.He had survived with pure instinct...
and something else he couldn't explain.
He opened his status window.
[Passive Skill: Night Predator — Activated]
(Boosts speed and strength slightly in dark areas.)
Akhil stared.
He had a skill.A real skill.And it activated naturally.He hadn't even picked it manually.
His lips curled into a small smile.
He picked up the dirty Boar Tusk and the few credits that appeared on the ground.
It wasn't much.But it was real.It was his.
For the first time since entering this world,
he felt a small spark of hope.
As he walked back toward town, his health low, his body aching,he passed by a group of rich players.
They laughed and showed off rare drops.They didn't even glance at him.
But Akhil smiled quietly.
They had money.
They had gear.
But they didn't have what he had.
A reason to fight.
Akhil entered the town slowly.Other players rushed past him, shouting about dungeon runs and team missions.
Nobody noticed the thin boy in torn clothes, carrying a cracked Boar Tusk in his hand.
He found the small Item Exchange Booth near the plaza center.
An old NPC stood behind the counter, looking half-asleep.
[Sell Item?]
[Boar Tusk (Low Quality): 5 Credits]
Akhil tapped "Yes."
The tusk disappeared.
A soft chime sounded.
[Total Credits: 10]
Ten credits.
It wasn't even enough to buy a basic health potion.But Akhil smiled.
It was still his.
His first real earnings.
He tucked the virtual coins into his basic inventory.
He wasn't rich.He wasn't famous.He wasn't powerful yet.But he was inside now.
Fighting,earning,moving forward.
Step by step.
Later that evening, while wandering near the edge of the town walls,Akhil noticed something strange.
A small patch of air shimmered like heatwaves.It was barely visible.No one else seemed to see it.Players walked past without reacting.
With Curiousity, Akhil moved closer.The shimmering grew stronger.
A system message popped up suddenly.
[Warning: Unstable Data Detected.]
[Error Correction In Progress.]
He froze.
Unstable data?
Another box appeared.
[Special Hidden Quest Available: "Whispers of the Forgotten."]
[Only unstable players may accept.]
Akhil blinked.
A hidden quest?
He had read online that hidden quests existed in big games,but they were rare.
Super rare.
Almost nobody ever found them without luck or guides.And here he was, barely Level 2, being offered one.His fingers hovered over the accept button.
Maybe it was a trap.Maybe it was a bug.
But deep inside, something told him....
This was his path.
His real start.
He pressed "Accept."
The shimmering vanished.
A new quest appeared in his log:
[Quest: Whispers of the Forgotten]
Find and listen to five invisible gravestones hidden in the Rustfang Forest at night.
Rewards: Unknown.
Time Limit: None.
Akhil closed the menu.He didn't understand why it was happening to him.
Maybe because of his weird class.Maybe because of bad luck.
Or maybe....
Maybe the world still had a place for broken people like him.He looked at the dark forest beyond the town walls.It looked dangerous.
It looked endless.
But Akhil's heart beat steady and strong.
He would go.Not today.
He needed to recover, prepare.But soon.Very soon.
He would walk into the darkness.And he would come out stronger.No one would stop him.Not the rich players.Not the laughing guilds.Not the broken system itself.
In the distance, the giant moon of Luminaria Online rose into the sky,casting silver light over the town.
Akhil clenched his fists.
This was only the beginning.
Zero Start.
But from zero….
he would build everything.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
[Player Status: Akhil]
Class: Glitchborn (Hidden Class)
Level: 2
Health (HP): 140/140
Mana (MP): 70/70
Stamina (SP): 90/90
Strength (STR): 4
Agility (AGI): 5
Intelligence (INT): 3
Vitality (VIT): 4
Dexterity (DEX): 6
Luck (LUK): ??? (Hidden)
Title: None
Skills:
- [Night Predator] (Passive)
Equipment:
- Weapon: None
- Armor: Torn Cloth Shirt
- Boots: Worn-out Sandals
Credits: 10
Quest Active:
- [Whispers of the Forgotten] (Hidden Quest)