NPC wa Eiyuu no Yume wo Miru ka? (VRMMORPG : Elysia Online)

Darkness.

Emptiness.

I couldn't feel anything.

As if my body didn't exist...

"Where am I...?"

That thought crossed my mind as my consciousness slowly emerged from the darkness that felt like an eternal void. A cold sensation crept over my skin—or maybe it was just an illusion? I didn't know.

Then, suddenly...

Beep.

An unfamiliar electronic sound echoed. Faint, but clear. Something like... a machine? Or maybe a monitoring device?

The scene in front of me was still blurry, but I could see the shadow of someone standing behind a large glass panel. Red lights flickered from various devices, as if analyzing something.

"Test subject 045... Stabilization successful."

"The others... failed. All subjects except one... experienced system failure."

"The only one left... is him."

I tried to focus, but my head felt heavy, as if something was binding my thoughts to prevent me from thinking further.

Who are they?

What do they mean by "the only one left"?

Why do I feel like... I shouldn't be here?

Beep.

Suddenly, the entire room seemed to vibrate. My body felt pulled, as if being sucked into an invisible vortex.

Zing!

My vision spun—light, sound, and a strange warmth enveloped my body.

Then...

I fell.

The cold air jolted me back to reality.

I was still sitting on the ground, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The dream felt so real—the shadows of people behind the glass, the electronic sounds that kept beeping, and the words that still echoed in my head.

"The only one left..."

I shook my head slowly. No... it was just a dream. There's no point in thinking about it now.

I looked around. A vast green meadow stretched out before me, trees swaying in the gentle breeze, and a bright blue sky stretched endlessly.

Too real to be called a dream.

I raised my hand and tried to pinch my own cheek.

"Ouch—"

It hurt.

I tried it again.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Why does it hurt even more?!"

Alright, this is clearly not a dream.

I let out a long sigh and tried to remember the last thing I did before losing consciousness. But my memory was like a thick fog. I couldn't even remember how I ended up here.

"So... am I inside a game?"

It sounded crazy, but looking at everything around me, that was the only logical conclusion.

I tried raising my hand and opening the status window, like you would in a VRMMORPG game.

...

Nothing happened.

I frowned and tried again.

...

Still no reaction.

"Wait... I'm supposed to be a player, right? Why can't I open my own status?"

Something felt off. If this was a VR game, then I should be able to see my status, maybe even log out. But no buttons appeared.

And as I started to think further...

— [NPC: Rei Aetheros]

A name tag floated in the corner of my vision, leaving me stunned.

...

...

...

I'M AN NPC?!

I reflexively stood up and tried to find a mirror, or anything that could reflect my face. I turned to the side and saw a small river.

I ran to the edge of the river and looked at my reflection in the water.

A young man with slightly messy black hair stared back at me. His face was average, not too handsome but not ugly either. Above his head, I could see a small, transparent gray text:

[NPC: Rei Aetheros]

"Damn... This is serious."

I rubbed my face, trying to process everything. If my status is NPC, then... does that mean I'm not a player?

Or worse—I can't log out?

Before I could think further—

"Kyaaaaa!!"

A high-pitched scream echoed from a distance.

I reflexively turned toward the sound.

A short red-haired girl in adventurer's clothing was running toward me. Her expression was panicked, and behind her—

A giant black wolf was chasing her.

"Oh, great... Just woke up, and already in trouble."

I barely had time to think before the girl crashed into me at full speed.

"Uwaaaaa—!"

Thud!

The girl and I fell to the ground. This time, I became her cushion.

And to make things worse—

"Ughh... Are you okay?"

I opened my eyes and immediately froze.

Her face... was just a few centimeters away from mine.

I could clearly see her golden eyes, her panting breath, and—

Wait, this position is weird!

She was sitting right on top of me.

"...H-Hey, can you get off me first?" I asked, my voice slightly trembling.

The girl blinked a few times before finally realizing our position.

"EH—?! W-Why am I sitting on top of an NPC?! UGH, DAMN IT!"

She quickly jumped back, her face bright red, while I could only let out a long sigh.

"Why do I feel like this isn't the first time I've been in a situation like this?"

I got up with some effort. Damn, this body felt a bit weak.

I looked at the girl. She seemed like a beginner adventurer, judging by her simple clothing and ordinary-looking weapon.

However, I didn't have time to ask more questions.

The black wolf that had been chasing her now turned its attention to me.

Its glowing red eyes seemed to say:

"You're next."

I broke into a cold sweat.

"Oh, great. Just woke up in this world, and I'm already in danger. Fantastic luck."

The girl quickly drew her sword.

"I-I'll distract it! Run away, NPC!"

...

"Wait... What did she just say?"

NPC?

Me?

I glanced at the wolf again. If I'm really an NPC, then I shouldn't be able to fight, right?

But for some reason... I didn't feel like a normal NPC.

My heart was racing. Suddenly, a strange feeling enveloped me.

My right hand felt hot.

I looked down and saw—

A strange rune on the back of my hand glowing faintly.

And in my head, a voice echoed:

"Awakened Sense... Activated."

The world around me suddenly slowed down.

The wind rustled slowly, the leaves blown by the wind seemed to freeze in mid-air. I could hear my heartbeat thumping slowly, as if time itself was following my rhythm.

In front of me, Lyra was still running, her panicked expression clearly etched on her face. And behind her—two giant wolves were charging at her with impossible speed.

I had to move.

I don't know why, but my body reacted before my mind could finish processing the situation. My legs shot forward, and in an instant—

SLASH!

The first wolf lunged straight at Lyra, its massive claws ready to slash her back—but I was already there.

Without thinking, my hand reached out and touched the empty air—or so I thought.

Suddenly, a status screen appeared in front of my eyes.

───

[Wild Dire Wolf — Lv. 15]

HP: 2,400/2,400

Status: Aggressive

───

I didn't have time to analyze everything. All I knew was that my hand moved on its own, gripping the air in front of me—and something impossible happened.

The wolf's claws stopped in mid-air.

"Huh...?!" Lyra shouted in surprise as she saw the wolf frozen in the air, unable to move as if an invisible force was holding it back.

I was also shocked.

I wasn't using any weapon, but I could feel something inside me working. Like a natural instinct, my hand trembled slightly as the rune on the back of my hand glowed brighter.

And then...

CRACK!

The wolf was thrown backward as if repelled by an invisible force. The beast fell to the ground, groaning softly before running away into the forest.

Lyra stared at me with a stunned expression.

"What... did you just do?"

I didn't know how to answer.

But before I could think further, the second wolf was already charging.

"Awakened Sense... Activated."

The voice in my head still echoed.

The rune on the back of my hand continued to glow faintly, giving me a strange sensation as if something inside me was awakening. The world around me felt sharper—the wind blowing, the sound of rustling leaves, even Lyra's panting breath behind me.

But I didn't have time to think about all that.

The second wolf leaped, its massive claws ready to tear through my body.

I reacted instinctively.

My foot stepped to the side with a speed I didn't think was possible. The wolf missed me by just a few inches, and in a reflex motion, my hand shot forward—

SCREECH!

Suddenly, something happened.

The tip of my finger created an invisible pressure in the air, as if I was touching something intangible. And then—

BOOM!

The wolf was held in mid-air for a split second before its body was thrown backward with force.

"W-What...?"

I stared at my own hand, shocked. I wasn't using any weapon. I didn't activate any skill. But something inside me did something.

The wolf growled and tried to get back up, but this time, its eyes were filled with caution.

Lyra stared at me with a stunned expression. "What did you just do...?"

I didn't know. But I could feel something moving inside me—like the system in this game activated something that shouldn't exist.

However, I didn't have time to think about all that.

The wolf snarled, then lowered its body, ready to attack again.

And this time... I was ready to face it.

I was still staring at my hand, breathing heavily.

The second wolf that had charged earlier was now lying unconscious a few meters away from me. I wasn't sure how I did it, but... I felt something during the fight.

Is this part of the game's system?

Or something else...?

"Hey..."

Lyra's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned and found the red-haired girl still staring at me with wide eyes. She looked confused, shocked, and a little—curious?

"What?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

Lyra stared at me for a few seconds before pointing at the still-unconscious wolf. "What... did you just do?"

I blinked. "I... just reacted."

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't joke around. I've fought a lot of monsters, and I know that wasn't a normal attack."

I stayed silent, trying to come up with a reasonable answer.

"...Maybe beginner's luck?"

"Beginner's ass," she grumbled. "You don't even have a weapon! And somehow, you took down a Dire Wolf in one hit?! That's a level 15 monster!"

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Maybe I'm a special NPC?"

Lyra stared at me for a long time, then clicked her tongue. "Tch... whatever. I'll figure it out later."

I breathed a sigh of relief in my heart. For now, at least I didn't make her more suspicious.

She crossed her arms and leaned against a tree trunk. "So, do you live around here?" she suddenly asked.

I turned to her. "Huh?"

"You're an NPC, right? So you must have a fixed route or something."

Oh... that's right. I have to play my role.

I nodded quickly. "Uh, yeah. I usually wander around here."

Lyra let out a long sigh. "Tsk... I'm really unlucky today. I should've been able to handle those two wolves, but I guess I miscalculated."

She glanced at her arm, which was bleeding from the wolf's claws earlier.

I immediately approached her. "Hey, are you okay?"

She just snorted. "Ah, this? It's just a scratch. I've had worse."

I still felt uncomfortable seeing her bleeding like that. Instinctively, I reached out my hand toward her.

But before I could do anything—

"Healing Touch Activated."

A faint green light emerged from my hand, enveloping Lyra's wound.

His eyes widened. "W-What the—?!"

Within seconds, the wound began to close on its own.

Lyra immediately grabbed my hand, her expression full of shock. "You... can heal?! Regular NPCs can't do that!"

Oh, crap...

I quickly pulled my hand away. "Uh… maybe I'm part of a secret quest?"

She continued to scrutinize me before finally clicking her tongue. "Tsk… in that case, I'll be keeping an eye on this 'secret quest.'"

I could only give a stiff smile.

For now, I had managed to fool Lyra. But I knew she wouldn't stop until she got the answers she was looking for…

I glanced to the side.

Lyra was still walking beside me, occasionally stealing curious glances. We had just left the forest after facing two wolves and were now on our way back to town.

"What?" I finally asked, unable to bear the piercing gaze any longer.

Lyra narrowed her eyes. "You're a weird NPC."

I chuckled. "You've said that before."

"And I stand by it."

I sighed. "I'm just doing what needs to be done. You were in danger, and I helped."

"But the way you fight..." Lyra looked at me more intently. "That's not how regular NPCs fight."

I remained silent. I wasn't sure whether to feign ignorance or come up with a plausible excuse.

After a few seconds of silence, Lyra moved closer and nudged my shoulder with her elbow.

"Hey."

"Hm?"

"Are you really an NPC?"

I gave a faint smile. "What do you think?"

She stared at me for a long moment before clicking her tongue. "Tch. You're sneaky."

I simply shrugged. "Or maybe I'm just an ordinary NPC who happens to be a little more expressive?"

"Whatever."

We continued our journey in silence.

As the town came into view, I could feel a strange sensation washing over me. This world felt too real. The sensation of our footsteps on the rocky ground, the breeze carrying the scent of freshly baked bread from a bakery near the gate, and the distant sounds of the bustling city.

Lyra seemed to feel the same way because she suddenly said, "Sometimes I forget this is just a game."

I turned to her. "What do you mean?"

She looked ahead, her expression slightly more serious. "Everything feels too... real. The NPCs in this game are more alive than I expected."

I gave a small smile. "Isn't that a good thing?"

She looked at me again, then grinned. "Maybe."

As soon as we passed through the city gate, Lyra stretched and let out a satisfied sigh.

"I need a bath after all this."

I laughed. "You must be exhausted."

She turned to me with a mischievous smile. "Why? Want to join?"

I choked on air. "W-What?"

Lyra burst into laughter, clearly pleased with my reaction.

I could only sigh deeply. This was going to be a long journey…

I let out a deep breath as my steps touched the cobblestone streets of the city.

Finally, after the incident in the forest, Lyra and I had safely returned to town. The sky was starting to darken, and magical lanterns hanging along the streets began to glow, casting a warm and lively atmosphere over the city of Elysia.

"I'm hungry," Lyra suddenly said.

I turned to her. "Are you always hungry?"

"Hey, I need energy after being chased by wolves!" she protested, pouting at me.

I just shrugged. "Alright, let's find a place to eat."

Without wasting time, we headed to one of the city's famous bars, 'Silver Moon Tavern'—a place often visited by adventurers for food, drinks, and exchanging information.

As soon as I opened the door, a lively atmosphere greeted me. The enticing aroma of food, the loud laughter of adventurers sharing their tales, and the clinking of glasses filled the air.

"Hey, Lyra! Haven't seen you here in a while!" a large man in light armor called out from the corner of the room.

Lyra lazily waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah. I'm still alive."

I glanced at her. "You come here often?"

She grinned. "Of course! This place has the best beer in town. Oh, and the food is good too."

I sighed. Of course, her main reason was the drinks…

We chose an empty table in the corner of the room. Not long after, a waitress approached us.

"Welcome! What would you like to order?"

Without hesitation, Lyra ordered the special roasted meat and a large mug of beer.

I, on the other hand, only asked for warm soup and water.

While waiting for our orders, I observed the crowd in the tavern. Some adventurers were discussing quests, while others seemed more relaxed, enjoying their drinks.

Then, I overheard something interesting.

"Hey, have you heard? Apparently, one of the Top Rank players just arrived in town."

I immediately focused on that conversation. Top Rank?

Lyra, who also heard, leaned back in her chair. "Interesting. Top Rank players rarely show up in places like this."

I nodded. If this were true, it could be a chance to learn more about the ranking system in this game…

But before I could ask more—

BANG!

Suddenly, the tavern door swung open violently, and a large man stormed in with a furious expression.

"WHO HERE MESSED UP MY QUEST IN THE FOREST THIS AFTERNOON?!"

I immediately had a bad feeling.

Lyra glanced at me with a sly smile. "Rei, I think he's talking about us."

Damn… it looks like I caused another problem.

We pretended to be indifferent to the furious adventurer.

The atmosphere in Silver Moon Tavern grew even livelier as the night went on. Adventurers from all walks of life laughed, joked, and enjoyed their food and drinks.

I glanced around. I, an NPC, was now sitting among real players. An odd irony.

Lyra downed her beer in one go. "Haaah! After fighting those wolves, this cold drink feels like heaven."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You fought for five minutes and are acting like you just defeated a raid boss."

Lyra smirked. "Hey, I still got hit! Besides, if you think I'm weak, why don't we settle it with a challenge?"

I frowned. "A challenge?"

Suddenly, a large man sitting at the next table turned to us. "Oh? Did I hear someone talking about a challenge?"

Several other adventurers became interested, and before I knew it, we were caught in a tavern game.

"Alright, let's start with a drinking duel! The rules are simple—whoever lasts the longest without passing out wins!"

I looked at Lyra. "Seriously?"

She grinned. "What? Afraid of losing?"

I clicked my tongue. "I'm an NPC. I don't even know if the system allows me to get drunk."

One of the adventurers patted my shoulder. "Yeah, that's what we want to see! Can an NPC even get drunk?"

...This was not going to end well.