“Welcome back, Nate,” Iris said as she appeared from the Oracle Pod on the table.
“It seems today brings good fortune—your expression looks far happier than usual,” she continued, watching me place the box containing the Neo Helm Genesis beside the bed.
“Hehehe… of course! Tonight is going to be the most memorable night of my life,” I replied enthusiastically.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Iris said with a gentle smile. “Have you checked the messages on your Pulse today?”
“Messages?” I raised an eyebrow, tapped the Pulse on my wrist, and opened the unread notification.
“It’s from my parents,” I said, slightly surprised. “They said they won a small prize from the lottery, so they sent me some UniCred.”
I quickly checked my balance.
The amount—2,169 UniCred.
My eyes widened. In an instant, I jumped up in excitement.
Not only could I finally play my dream game tonight, but I’d also received extra money right when my wallet was completely empty.
I dropped to my knees, tears of happiness welling up. “Thank you, universe… maybe this is the first time I’ve truly been lucky,” I whispered.
“All right, Iris. Please order a meal that meets my nutritional needs for tonight,” I said quickly, then added softly, “but… nothing expensive.”
“Order confirmed. I will place it now. By the time you finish bathing, the meal will be ready,” Iris replied as she displayed a menu list in the air.
“All right—time to perform my purification ritual before eating proper food… and playing the greatest game in the world!” I shouted, clenching my fists.
I headed toward the bathroom while typing a reply to my parents—thanking them for the gift. Somehow, my fingers also typed, “Thank you for bringing me into this world.”
It was silly, but I really was that happy tonight.
When I finished showering and opened my room door, the aroma of food greeted me immediately. A boxed dinner was already waiting outside.
I devoured it without hesitation—and for the first time in days, I felt human again.
After cleaning up, I looked at the helmet on the table with a wide grin.
At last, the moment I had been waiting for had arrived.
“Now… it’s time to log into Project Omniverse,” I said proudly.
Iris clapped her small holographic hands. “Enjoy your game, Nate.”
“While I’m online, please watch over this room,” I said as I prepared the helmet.
“Understood! I will ensure everything remains secure. Enjoy your time in the game,” she replied with a polite bow.
“All right… logging in.”
I activated the helmet’s system and lay down.
A soft hum echoed.
White light flooded my vision. Streams of holographic symbols spun around me, as if my body were being drawn into a digital current.
Large letters appeared before me:
WELCOME TO PROJECT OMNIVERSE
The text slowly faded, replaced by a radiant door that opened wide in front of me.
Light poured out, filling my sight—then everything changed.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Thin mist drifted across the ground beneath the moonlight, causing the rows of gravestones behind me to glow faintly.
I looked at my palms, turning them over. My skin, my shape—everything was exactly the same as in the real world.
I clenched my fist. It felt strange, yet real. Lighter. Stronger. Even the night breeze felt alive against my skin.
The clothes I wore had changed into coarse linen, replacing my T-shirt and sleep shorts. In the distance, the glow of a large city beckoned—lanterns, shop signs, and guard torches pierced the darkness like fallen stars.
Time in the game was synchronized with the real world. Logging in at night meant it was night here as well.
“Why is my spawn point a graveyard…” I muttered in complaint.
Then I smiled faintly. “Whatever, Nate. The important thing is you’re officially inside Project Omniverse. Don’t let something trivial ruin a major moment.”
I stepped forward, following the lights ahead.
Once I passed through the graveyard gates, the sounds of life emerged—lively, yet… not entirely human.
On the main road, players and NPCs mingled together.
Some wore gleaming armor, while others dressed in worn robes bearing guild symbols on their backs.
Conversations, merchant shouts, and the rhythmic clatter of digital horse hooves blended into a symphony of a world that was half real, half artificial.
Stone buildings towered on either side, their windows glowing with magical candlelight.
Kingdom banners fluttered in the night wind. A bell tower at the city’s center rang slowly—like the heartbeat of the world itself.
The scent of roasted meat, hot metal, and dust filled the air. Particles of system light drifted softly, dancing whenever the wind blew.
I stood still for a few seconds, gazing at the city that never truly slept.
Even the night here felt alive.
“So this is Server Aethelgard—the beginner’s hell?” I murmured. “But… it’s not as bad as I imagined.”
I focused on the virtual screen before my eyes.
“First things first… check my Aether.”
“Inventory!”
A holographic screen appeared, displaying rows of empty slots in my digital bag.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
In the upper-right corner, the text was clear:
AETHER: 500
“New players only start with 500 Aether. That means the most important things here are still the same: leveling and grinding.”
But since I was already here, I decided to explore first and memorize the layout of this major city.
After wandering for quite some time, I noted several important details—three city exits to the west, east, and south. There was also an inn to recover HP and MP, an item shop, an armor shop, a weapon shop, a bar, and a notice board now standing right in front of me.
“According to Kaito, I should avoid leaving the city for now. He said player killers like to camp outside,” I muttered.
“To level up and earn Aether, I need to take quests from the notice board. Usually things like helping NPCs or killing rats in the sewers.”
I pulled one quest paper about killing rats. The moment I touched it, a gray holographic screen appeared before my face:
----
Quest: Kill 10 Dire Rats
Level: ☆
Location: Sewers
Reward: 100 Aether
[O] Accept [X] Decline
----
Without hesitation, I pressed [O].
“All right. My first quest is killing rats. But before that, I need a weapon and some supplies,” I muttered as I headed toward the weapon shop.
Inside, rows of weapons were neatly displayed—from wooden ones to black steel arms. An elderly man stood in the center and greeted me warmly.
“Welcome, new player. Looking for a weapon? You’ve come to the right place,” he said with a smile.
“What kind of weapon do you need? I can recommend one that suits you.”
Wow… the NPC interaction isn’t stiff at all.
“I need a weapon to kill Dire Rats,” I replied.
“In that case, you’ll want a short weapon so you can move freely in tight spaces,” he said while searching around. Soon, he placed a wooden sword on the counter.
“This sword is suitable for beginners… and for those who are short on Aether,” he added with a smile.
“Impressive. Even NPCs can throw shade,” I thought irritably.
I lifted the sword. A small holographic window appeared beside it:
----
Name: Wooden Sword
ATK: 5
Durability: 100/100
----
“Low ATK is expected for a wooden sword… but durability exists too,” I murmured.
“All right, I’ll take this,” I told the shopkeeper.
“That will be 10 Aether,” he said kindly.
After the transaction, he looked at me and said, “May your adventure be a pleasant one.”
“Now that I have a weapon, it’s time to buy additional supplies,” I muttered.
A few minutes later, I had stocked up on Aether Salve S and Aether Tonic S to restore HP and MP when needed.
The item shop really caught my attention—not because of the goods, but because the NPC clerk had a beautiful face and… well, a rather generous chest.
As I walked toward the sewers, the image of her face lingered in my mind.
“If only she were a real woman…” I muttered with a foolish smile.
“Are you the Adventurer assigned to exterminate the Dire Rats?” asked a young knight standing guard at the entrance to the sewer.
“That’s right. I have a mission to kill Dire Rats inside,” I replied confidently.
The knight unlocked the iron gate and fixed me with a serious look. “Be careful, and do not underestimate your enemy, Adventurer.”
“It’s just rats—why so dramatic?” I muttered irritably as I stepped inside.
The sewer beneath the city felt like a labyrinth of ancient stone—dark, damp, and reeking of metal. Filthy water flowed slowly through narrow channels, reflecting the light of strange torches mounted along the walls. The flames gave off no smoke and never went out, burning in a bluish-orange hue that cast a cold glow over moss-covered stone.
The sound of dripping water, clanking chains, and distant footsteps echoed faintly. It felt like walking through the city’s belly—alive, yet quietly breathing.
Partway through, I heard footsteps ahead. I lowered myself and carefully peeked into the corridor—and my eyes widened instantly.
A black-furred rat—Dire Rat (Level 3)—as large as a five-year-old child was gnawing on something.
“This isn’t a rat… this is a monster!” I screamed internally.
“There’s no way this Wooden Sword can kill something that big. I should’ve taken NPC assistance quests first.”
I slowly backed away, muttering, “Okay… time to abort this insane mission.”
Just as I turned to leave, my foot accidentally kicked an empty tin can, which clattered loudly across the stone floor.
My body froze. I held my breath, trying not to make a single sound. Slowly, I looked back.
From the dark corridor, the rat stared straight at me with two glowing red eyes.
I bolted at full speed, and the rat immediately gave chase, charging after me without hesitation.
After several minutes of running, my breathing grew ragged and my legs felt heavy. Every step echoed through the narrow passage, followed by the pounding footsteps of the rat closing in. There was no time left to think.
“There’s no other choice… I have to fight it,” I thought, turning around and raising my Wooden Sword, ready to thrust it into the charging beast.
“I understand inertia and momentum—an object moving at high speed can’t stop easily. At that speed, it won’t have time to change direction or halt. A single thrust right in its path should be enough.”
“I’m sure it won’t be able to stop. If my timing’s right, it’ll run straight into the blade.”
I steadied my stance.
Just as I expected, the rat couldn’t stop—but just centimeters from my sword’s tip, it leaped, spun twice in midair, and landed on its hind legs like a human—ridiculously cool, like a professional gymnast.
Then the rat glanced at me… and sneered.
“What kind of System AI is this?! There’s no way a normal monster should be able to do that!” I shouted in frustration as I turned and ran again, chased by the absurdly overpowered rat.
I finally burst out of the sewer. My breathing was ragged, my heart pounding like it was about to explode. Exhaustion and panic blended into one.
At the exit, the knight on guard simply chuckled as he watched me.
“Damn it… even now I’m getting laughed at by an NPC,” I thought bitterly, my face burning with embarrassment.
“Arghhh! This is the most humiliating experience I’ve ever had in a game—chased by a low-level rat and mocked by an NPC on top of that!”
I took a deep breath. “There’s no other way… I’ll have to make money first, just like Kaito suggested,” I muttered irritably.
I headed toward the city’s entertainment district. There stood a building glowing in purple and gold, filled with the constant clatter of metal and the jingling of coins.
Inside, rows of magitech slot machines greeted me—powered not by electricity, but by mana crystals embedded within them. Each pull of a lever was accompanied by flashes of light and the laughter of players testing their luck.
They called the place Fortune Hall—a place where fortune could change in a single second… or be destroyed just as fast.
According to Kaito, I needed to pick the machine in the far-right corner, near the back wall, beside a potted plant.
“To activate the bug: wait until a seven appears on any screen. If it doesn’t, pull at least ten times.”
I let out a long sigh. “Guess I’ll have to sacrifice what little Aether I have left.”
“Alright… goddess of luck, please be on my side. I’m betting everything.”
First pull—fail.
Second pull—a seven appeared.
“Once the seven appears, I have to pull the lever seven times quickly,” I thought, following the bug instructions.
Seconds later, three sevens lined up on the screen. A loud siren blared, and every player turned to stare at me with envy and hostility.
I stood frozen—half thrilled, half stunned—as notifications flooded in: Aether +1000… +5000… +10000…
Minutes later, the machine finally stopped. When I opened my inventory, my eyes went wide.
My Aether balance had reached 6,080,000 Aether.
I sprinted out of Fortune Hall, my expression bordering on madness from sheer joy.
“With this, I can buy top-tier weapons and armor! That damn rat is going to regret ever chasing me!” I shouted internally.
I even found myself smiling as I thought, Maybe I should thank Kaito later. That guy’s a genius.
But just as I arrived in front of the weapon shop, a holographic letter appeared before me.
“What’s this?” I wondered.
The moment I opened it, all my happiness collapsed.
----
To player Yoruno,
You have received a warning for engaging in fraudulent behavior that caused a system imbalance.
As a consequence, you have been granted the cursed title: “Greedy Mamon Atonement.”
We hope you will not repeat actions that may damage the game system in the future.
— GM Odin
----
“What does Greedy Mamon Atonement even mean?” I thought in panic.
When I opened my inventory, my blood felt like it stopped flowing.
My Aether balance was now –6,080,000.
I collapsed in front of the weapon shop, staring up at the virtual sky as a bitter laugh escaped my lips.
“Haha… incredible. From instant millionaire to utterly bankrupt. A true curse of greed.”
