[.....]
[Welcome user to New World.]
[Please select your sigil.]
[....]
[Please select your sigil.]
[If the user does not select any sigil, then the system will assign a sigil automatically in 10 earth minutes]
[Countdown:9 minute 56 sec]
[Countdown:9 minute 12sec]
[Countdown:8 minute 23 sec]
[Countdown:5 minute 2 sec]
The insistent, mechanical voice and the relentless ticking finally disturbed the man sleeping on the hard ground. He slowly opened his eyes, which held a raw mixture of hidden confusion and doubt.
"Where am I, and what is this irritating sound?" he muttered, the words thick with lingering sleep.
He scanned the immediate surroundings. There was nothing—just a flat, featureless void that stretched out to an invisible horizon. The emptiness offered no explanation, and the confusion held deep within his gaze only deepened further.
But then, a cold, sharp realisation struck him. He knew exactly where he was. He was in the System Selection Void, the starting point for every new player entering the global VRMMO, New World. Yet, this knowledge only intensified his doubt.
"Why am I here?" he whispered to himself. "I thought I was on my way to Desolate Lake in the ship." He had been hours into his journey, deep into the game's high-level zones. His question hung unanswered in the silent space.
[Countdown:4 minute 43 sec]
[Countdown:4 minute 21 sec]
The chime repeated, harsh and metallic, dragging his focus back to the timer that governed his immediate future.
Open sigil, he commanded mentally.
A transparent System interface materialised instantly before him.
Name: None
Sigil: None
Hp:1
Mp: Hidden
Strength: Hidden
Agility: Hidden
Core: None
Achievement: None
"Why is my status reset to the start of the game?" he gasped, the shock vibrating in his chest. "Where are all the sigils I collected?"
He was a rational person, a veteran who relied on data and logic, yet he could not fathom the nature of this inexplicable event. He was at Level 1, with a base HP of 1, as if he had just created his account. The countdown, however, paid no attention to his distress.
[Countdown:2minute 35 sec]
[Please select a sigil to proceed further]
An icon appeared, displaying a mysterious symbol he couldn't decipher. He had encountered thousands of sigils over his eight years in the game, but this particular emblem was utterly unable to decipher.
He pressed the icon. A list unfolded, displaying potential starting abilities. While many were accompanied by the strange, new symbol, he instantly recognised the critical ones.
[Inferno sigil: Adds fire element damage to your attack. Can be further evolved by combining it with compatible sigils]
[Wood sigil: Adds compatibility with nature and healing sigils, along with the potential for evolution when combined with a compatible sigil.]
[Air sigil:Adds compatibility with wind and wind damage to your attack. Further evolution is not possible.]
[Wind Sigil: Adds wind damage to your attack. Further evolution is possible by combining it with compatible sigils.]
[Luck sigil: Adds compatibility with the Luck stat. Further evolution is not possible.]
[Sight sigil: Adds compatibility with the Sight stat. Further evolution is not possible.]
The descriptions were a trap. He knew the System was only providing the barest, most misleading information—just enough to fool any newbie into making a choice based on flashy names. But he was a master. He knew which sigils were worthless and which, when combined correctly, could become literal game-changers.
But he still does not know how he came to the start of the game when he was on his way to the desolate lake. Is he in some kind of lucid dream, or is this reality?
The panic in his mind was held at bay by a professional detachment. He didn't have the time to solve the mystery of his reset. That could wait. First, select the sigil. Then, I can figure out what is happening.
[Countdown:0 minute 52 sec]
[Please select sigil 0/3]
Let's select some sigils.
His eyes scanned the list, discarding the obvious options like the single-path Air Sigil or the redundant Luck Sigil. He needed flexibility. He needed a foundation that could scale with the unknown path ahead.