The world of fire and ash faded into streaks of light as Kaelen logged out.
His consciousness rose through a blur of golden data, and the weight of reality replaced the heat of the Banepeak Mountains. When he opened his eyes again, the familiar ceiling of his bedroom greeted him—plain, unremarkable, but comforting in its normalcy.
He blinked at the digital clock by his bedside. 9:47 PM.
"Guess I was in there the whole day again," he murmured, stretching as he sat up. His neck ached, his back felt stiff, but the sensation of still being alive—of being himself—was grounding.
He sighed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Mom and Dad are probably worried sick."
After splashing water on his face and changing out of his gaming gear, Kaelen stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. The smell of warm soup and home cooking drifted from the kitchen. His parents were still awake, sitting across from each other at the small dining table, talking softly.
His mother looked up first. "Mark, you're finally out! You've been in that capsule all day."
His father chuckled lightly. "We were about to check if you were still alive in there."
Kaelen scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Sorry. Lost track of time again."
His mother waved him over. "Come sit. You must be starving."
He didn't realize how hungry he was until he saw the steaming bowl waiting for him. "You didn't have to wait."
"Nonsense," his father said, pushing the bowl toward him. "You work hard in there, right? Same thing as studying or training—just… a bit stranger."
Kaelen laughed softly. "Yeah. Something like that."
They ate together, the soft clink of chopsticks filling the warm, quiet kitchen. His parents talked about their day—his mother's shift at the bakery, his father fixing old machines at the workshop. Ordinary stories, simple but real.
Kaelen listened, smiling faintly. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to just… be home.
When they asked about his day, he hesitated for a moment. He couldn't exactly tell them he was trapped in a deadly virtual world. But he could tell them part of the truth.
"I, uh… found a way to make some money from the game," he said between bites. "It has a currency exchange system now. If I keep progressing, I might actually be able to cash out real money."
His mother blinked in surprise. "Really? That's possible?"
Kaelen nodded. "Yeah. I figured I could help out a little—maybe cover bills or groceries. You guys work enough as it is."
His father chuckled, shaking his head. "It's not about the money, son. You're finally smiling about something again. That's worth more than any paycheck."
His mother nodded, eyes soft. "As long as you're happy and healthy, that's enough for us."
Kaelen felt something warm twist in his chest. They didn't care about the promise of wealth or success. They just cared that he was living again.
He smiled, setting his chopsticks down. "Thanks, Mom. Dad."
After dinner, he helped clean the table, then went back to his room. The faint hum of the capsule resonated softly beside his bed, glowing with that cold blue light that connected two worlds.
Kaelen sat down, leaning back in his chair as he gazed at the ceiling.
"Today was insane," he muttered. "A dungeon full of weird captives, a girl trapped by some lunatic master, breaking formations, leveling up in a volcano wasteland…"
He let out a breath and chuckled. "If this is how it's gonna be, guess I'll just have to adapt."
His gaze softened as he remembered Anya's eyes—the way they had lit up for just a moment before he left. Hope was a dangerous thing to carry. But he'd given his word, and he meant to keep it.
"Life never goes smooth," he murmured. "But that's what makes it worth pushing through."
He lay down and closed his eyes. Sleep came quickly.
The Next Morning
The soft buzz of his alarm woke him. Morning light filtered through the blinds, painting his room in gold. Kaelen groaned, rolling out of bed, hair sticking up in all directions.
After washing up, he flopped into his chair and opened the system overlay connected to the game forums. He wanted to see if anyone had posted coordinates or data about The Banepeak Mountains.
Instead, the first thing that popped up made him blink.
#FirstDawnCheater#UnfairBossKill#BanFirstDawn
He clicked one.
Hundreds of threads filled the screen, arguing back and forth.
"There's no way that guy soloed a Silver-tier boss. Total exploit.""His pet looks like some event-only dragon. No wonder he's broken.""Dev favoritism, 100%.""LOL get good. He's just better."
Kaelen leaned back and snorted. "Ah, yes. The internet—where success is a crime."
He skimmed through a few comments, half amused, half exasperated. Some players had even slowed down his kill footage frame by frame, trying to prove his "cheats." Others defended him, saying it was pure skill. The chaos of opinions filled the feed.
He chuckled. "If I ever need entertainment, I'll just read these."
His mother knocked on the door. "Mark, breakfast!"
"Coming!" he called back.
He joined his parents at the table again, sharing toast, eggs, and quiet conversation. The smell of fresh coffee filled the room. It felt almost surreal—how normal everything seemed when, on the other side of that capsule, dragons and death awaited.
His father smiled over his cup. "Big plans for today?"
Kaelen grinned slightly. "Yeah. I've got something important to do."
His mother raised an eyebrow playfully. "Save the world?"
He laughed. "Something like that."
After finishing breakfast, he returned to his room and sat inside the capsule once more. The glass dome closed with a faint hiss as his body relaxed.
"Alright," he whispered. "Back to work."
The world dissolved into light.
Inside the Game
The Banepeak Mountains greeted him again with their endless red sky and rumbling molten plains. The air shimmered with heat, but Kaelen didn't mind. He felt focused—driven.
"Morning, Luna," he said as the small dragon materialized beside him in a swirl of azure light.
She chirped happily, circling once around him before landing on his shoulder.
"Let's not waste time," Kaelen said, drawing his blade. "We have a promise to keep."
The next few hours blurred into a rhythm of battle. Blazing serpents, ash golems, and molten beasts fell beneath their coordinated strikes. Kaelen's movements flowed with precision—Divine Charge, Dragon Slash, Judgement Strike—a symphony of motion and power. Luna's new skills painted the battlefield with waves of azure light and explosions of searing blue fire.
Every victory felt earned. Every breath brought him closer to the strength he needed.
By noon, the system messages came in a cascade of light.
Level Up: 23 → 28Luna has leveled up: 23 → 28Stats and power scaling adjusted.
Kaelen exhaled, lowering his sword. "That's… five levels. Not bad for half a day."
Luna landed on a nearby rock, folding her wings. Her scales gleamed brighter now, her aura more refined—a true mark of growth.
Kaelen took a drink from his flask and wiped his brow. "You know, Luna… I think we're starting to look like a real team."
The dragon puffed a small flame in reply, almost teasingly.
Kaelen chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. You're the star, I get it."
He looked around the barren wasteland. The air shimmered faintly, the heat distorting the horizon. He was about to open his map when a distant noise caught his ear—metal clashing against stone, followed by a deep roar.
He froze. "That… sounded like fighting."
Luna's head lifted, eyes narrowing as she focused in the same direction.
"Players?" Kaelen muttered. "No one should be here. This region's supposed to be off-grid."
The sound came again—shouts, the crash of explosions, and the unmistakable tremor of something large moving.
Kaelen tightened his grip on his sword. "Guess we'll find out."
He glanced at Luna, who gave a sharp nod.
"Let's move."
He dashed across the cracked terrain, Luna soaring overhead, the two of them cutting through the rising heatwaves toward the sound of battle.
And as the noise grew louder, the faint crimson horizon began to glow—flashes of magic, shadows of massive figures locked in combat.
Kaelen slowed his pace, eyes narrowing.
"Looks like today's about to get interesting."