Nash was the last of the Chosen to enter Eidolon, having only been playing for a few days—just shy of a week. Meanwhile, the others—Luna, Jasper, Kyle, Seraphine, and Eliath—had been here since launch, six months ago. Naturally, they were all higher-leveled than him.

  Luna – Level 42

  Kyle & Seraphine – Level 50

  Eliath & Jasper – Level 45

  Each of them had chosen to customize their classes using Dream Creation, a rare feature that allowed for unrestricted class crafting. Unbeknownst to them, this was the first reason they had been marked as Chosen.

  Luna – Alchemist (Combat) / Nature’s Alchemist (Life Profession)

  Traditionally, Alchemist was considered a life profession in most games, but Luna reshaped it into a combat class, tailoring it to her needs. At level 10, players were given the opportunity to select life professions, and Luna’s choice—Nature’s Alchemist—only further expanded her potential.

  Jasper – Beastmaster (Combat) / Animal Empath (Life Profession)

  The Beastmaster class was one of Eidolon’s standard archetypes, often categorized as a Summoner or Ranger with pets. However, Jasper used Dream Creation to refine it into a specialized combat profession. To complement it, he selected Animal Empath as his life profession, enhancing his ability to tame, understand, and fight alongside creatures.

  Kyle – Mirrored Revenant (Combat) / Celestial Botanist (Life Profession)

  Kyle was perhaps the most creative with Dream Creation. His combat class, Mirrored Revenant, was an unconventional hybrid, while his life profession, Celestial Botanist, was just as peculiar—but Kyle had always had an affinity for botany. Despite its odd setup, he made it work in ways no one else could.

  Seraphine – Veil Breaker (Combat) / Formation Master (Life Profession)

  Seraphine’s Veil Breaker class allowed her to manipulate and counteract the Rift’s influence, while Formation Master gave her mastery over magical arrays and runes, solidifying her as a strategic powerhouse.

  Eliath – Shadowblade (Combat) / Temporal Scholar (Life Profession)

  Eliath’s Shadowblade class specialized in stealth, precision, and darkness-based combat, but it was his Temporal Scholar life profession that set him apart—giving him access to time-altering magic that could manipulate combat flow in unique ways.

  Nash – Veil Seeker (Combat) / Divination (Life Profession)

  Nash’s Veil Seeker class was deeply tied to the Rift itself, granting him the ability to phase between dimensions and manipulate shadow-based magic. His Divination profession allowed him to perceive hidden truths, making him an unorthodox but powerful wildcard.

  At first glance, Luna and Jasper’s class choices might not seem as overtly creative as Kyle’s, but their ingenuity came in how they utilized them.

  What none of them realized—or perhaps suspected—was that Eidolon itself was adapting to them.

  From the moment they entered the game, every decision, every skill gained had been tailored specifically to them. The system didn’t just hand out random abilities—it gave them exactly what they needed. The perfect fit.

  And that, more than anything, was why they had been Chosen.

  ---

  Lazryn and Thalyon were not the type to sit around and babysit their Chosen. They had given them direction, set them on their paths, and then went off to pursue their own objectives.

  Upon receiving player privileges, their first assigned quest had been simple:

  Meet the Player Chosen and introduce themselves as their guides.

  The reward?

  Two powerful passive skills—both of which were granted to all four guides:

  Adaptive Growth – Allowed them to progress like players, gaining levels, stats, and new abilities over time.

  System Override – Gave them limited control over game mechanics, enabling them to bend rules that applied to standard players.

  Using System Override, they had transported their Chosen to higher-leveled cities, ensuring they had access to better training, stronger quests, and greater opportunities than regular players.

  Though Lazryn was currently in Beast Haven, he wasn’t simply observing Jasper’s trial—he was honing his own abilities.

  With his Potential Shaper class, Lazryn was no longer bound by rigid skill trees or fixed combat paths. He could create anything. Shape anything. Become anything.

  Versatility was his goal.

  And he intended to master every possibility.

  Thalyon, much like Lazryn, wasted no time lingering—he left Eliath to his own devices and instead dove into dungeons, focusing on leveling up and refining his skills.

  Kaelith, on the other hand, took a more observant role. While Seraphine immersed herself in mastering formations, he quietly honed his Destiny Scribe life profession, watching as the threads of fate unfolded around them.

  Occasionally, he checked in on Nash and Luna.

  Seeing Nash's moment of breakdown didn’t surprise him—the newest of the Chosen had barely been in Eidolon for a week. Unlike the others, Nash hadn’t spent months investing his time, his emotions, his identity into this world. Kaelith believed he needed that moment of doubt, to truly grasp what was happening around him.

  Then there was Luna.

  Kaelith smirked when he saw her take on the Legendary Poison Master quest. It was a brutal challenge, one few would dare attempt. Yet she did.

  It only reinforced what he had already begun to understand.

  These Chosen were different.

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  Among millions of players, they stood at the top—not just because of their abilities, but because of their versatility, their ambition, their drive to push beyond limits.

  They were unstoppable.

  And watching them rise?

  It inspired even him.

  ---

  Back to Kyle and Aren

  Flashback to Chapter 25

  Aren had arrived at Kyle’s guild house, an event that sent shockwaves through the members. An NPC entering their private guild hall? That was unheard of—unless the NPC had become a follower, which Aren had not.

  The whispers, the questioning stares—Kyle ignored them all.

  Inside his office, Aren revealed the truth.

  Kyle had been chosen for a specific reason, one that went beyond mere strength. He had learned that Eidolon and the Rift were not separate entities but one and the same—and, most importantly, that the Merge wasn’t approaching.

  It had already begun.

  Present

  Kyle exhaled, leaning forward in his chair. "So, what now?"

  Aren smiled. "You all need to reach level 100."

  Kyle’s brows furrowed. "And how do we do that?"

  Aren leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "We start by heading to a level 70 dungeon—and we’re bringing some of your guildmates."

  Kyle nodded but quickly realized something. "If all six of us are supposed to reach level 100, that means the other guides are helping the rest. That leaves two of us without a guide."

  His eyes narrowed. "Who are they?"

  Aren chuckled, impressed by Kyle’s perceptiveness. "Luna and Nash."

  Kyle shot up from his seat. "Wait, Nash?! He’s the lowest level among us! Why didn’t one of you help him level up?"

  Aren rolled his eyes, clearly offended. "We’re not here to power level you guys. We’re here to shorten the time it takes for you all to reach level 100—not to carry you there. Luna and Nash will find their own opportunities. No need to worry about them."

  Kyle sighed, rubbing his temple. He still didn’t like it, but he trusted Nash to figure things out.

  Shaking off his frustration, he asked, "Alright, where’s this dungeon?"

  Aren smirked. "Three hours from here, in Subvale. Gather eighteen members, plus you and me—that makes twenty. It’s a twenty-man dungeon."

  Kyle nodded. "Theme?"

  Aren added as an afterthought, "It’s nature-based."

  Kyle’s mind immediately shifted into strategy mode.

  Nature dungeon? That means elemental hazards, status effects, and terrain manipulation. I’ll need…

  Four tanks to hold aggro and withstand environmental attacks.

  Ten damage dealers to burn down enemies fast.

  Three supports to manage healing and buffs.

  One mechanic, a spiritualist, to counter nature-based curses or magical anomalies.

  With a plan forming, Kyle activated his guild communicator and contacted Gareth, the Vice Guild Leader.

  The moment Gareth answered, Kyle gave a direct order.

  "I need eighteen members. Four tanks, ten damage dealers, three support, and a spiritualist. Get them ready in an hour. We’re tackling a level 70 nature dungeon."

  Gareth, ever the professional, nodded sharply. "Understood. I’ll assemble the team."

  As Gareth left, Kyle called in Styes, a fellow guild executive.

  The moment Styes entered, Kyle wasted no time.

  "Prepare the following: flame-enchanted weapons, poison resistance potions, petrification wards, movement-enhancing boots, and sound-dampening charms."

  Styes raised an eyebrow. "Alright… Mind telling me what this is for?"

  Kyle grinned. "Some of us are going dungeon diving."

  Styes hummed thoughtfully, nodding. "I’ll have everything ready before departure."

  With both men carrying out their roles, Kyle leaned back, his mind already running through possible scenarios.

  Aren, watching him with an amused expression, gave a slight nod. "You seem to know your stuff."

  Kyle chuckled. "This isn’t my first time dealing with a nature dungeon. Just making sure we’re ready."

  Aren’s smirk widened. "Good. Because this one won’t be like the others."

  ---

  A few hours later, eighteen of Kyle’s guildmates stood before the entrance to Wild Heart, a level 70 nature-themed dungeon.

  Excitement buzzed through the group, but underneath it, there was an unspoken awe and disbelief.

  They were all under-leveled for this dungeon—yet they had been chosen.

  Many of them stole glances at Aren, the NPC who had somehow overridden the system, bending the dungeon’s entry restrictions to allow them inside.

  "How did Kyle convince an NPC to do this?" Some whispered. Others simply stared at the shimmering portal before them, watching as it pulsed with an eerie, living energy.

  Aren raised a hand, fingers gliding through the air as though manipulating an invisible interface. The portal’s color shifted—from its usual deep blue to an unnatural white.

  A flicker of something ancient rippled across its surface.

  Aren turned to Kyle.

  "We can enter now."

  Kyle took a steadying breath. Then, with a determined nod, he stepped forward—

  And they followed him into the unknown.

  Inside Wild Heart – A Realm of Living Nature

  The moment they crossed the threshold, the air changed.

  The warmth of Subvale was gone—replaced by a damp, cool atmosphere.

  They found themselves deep within a labyrinthine forest, its canopy so thick that only fragments of light pierced through. The sky was hidden—nothing but an endless stretch of twisting branches and moss-covered boughs.

  But the most unsettling thing?

  The forest was breathing.

  A rhythmic pulse, like the slow inhale and exhale of some vast, unseen entity, vibrated beneath their feet. The trees shifted subtly, their trunks bending ever so slightly, like watchful sentinels.

  Vines curled and unfurled on their own. Flowers bloomed, then retracted when approached. The land itself was alive.

  "This place feels... aware." Niala murmured, her bow already drawn, fingers tightening over the string.

  Aren’s voice was calm but firm. "Because it is. Wild Heart isn’t just a dungeon. It’s a living being."

  Kyle rolled his shoulders, feeling the air around him pressing in. He had raided plenty of dungeons before, but this—this was something else entirely.

  Then the dungeon’s first challenge began.

  Phase 1: The Living Maze

  The moment they moved forward, the ground shifted.

  Thickets thickened behind them, closing off the entrance. The only way forward was deeper into the maze.

  Every step triggered the land itself to react.

  Vines slithered from the undergrowth, reaching for their legs, attempting to ensnare them in thorned coils.

  Glowing pollen clouds rose from the bushes, swirling toward them—a potent sleep-inducing toxin.

  Strange, twisted creatures—Vine Beasts, their skeletal wooden frames creaking, moved through the foliage, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

  Then—chaos.

  Gareth, the Titanward Shieldbearer, was the first to react.

  "Shields up!" His voice was a command, not a suggestion.

  He slammed his massive shield into the earth, sending out a thunderous shockwave. The vines recoiled, shriveling from the force, giving the team precious seconds to reposition.

  Mason, the Eldritch Arcanist, didn’t waste time.

  He lifted his staff, muttering an arcane incantation. The air shimmered, distorting as he conjured Eldritch Fire.

  The pollen clouds ignited midair. A roaring wall of violet and crimson flame devoured the toxin before it could reach them.

  Kia and Mia, the Phantom Reavers, vanished into the shadows.

  From the dense foliage, the first Vine Beasts attacked.

  But the twins were faster.

  They reappeared behind their targets, their twin blades flashing in mirrored arcs—severing the creatures' tendrils before they even realized they had been struck.

  Kyle moved next.

  His phantom clones rippled beside him, their distorted echoes shifting with unnatural fluidity.

  Spectral Legion.

  The clones surged forward, three echoes of himself slamming into the Vine Beasts, their strikes synchronized.

  The enemy numbers dwindled.

  But the dungeon was far from done.

  The ground quivered—then split apart.

  From beneath the roots, massive thorns erupted, seeking out targets at random.

  A deadly environmental hazard.

  Rogar, the Ironwood Defender, acted immediately.

  His hands glowed green, and vines of his own erupted from the soil—counteracting the dungeon’s trap.

  The battlefield tilted in their favor.

  For now.

  The Dungeon Fights Back

  Suddenly, the trees rippled.

  The maze shifted, and the battlefield changed beneath their feet.

  What was once a single path forward became a forking route.

  Aren narrowed his eyes. "The dungeon is adapting."

  Kyle gritted his teeth. "Then we adapt faster."

  The Living Maze was only the beginning.

  And Wild Heart was far from finished with them.