My name is Ryan.

Just an ordinary seventeen-year-old high school student from Bandung.

I wasn’t particularly talented.

No achievements worth bragging about.

No special future waiting for me.

But I did have one hobby.

Games.

And there was one game I had devoted more than two years of my life to—

The New World Online.

TNWO was a global phenomenon.

Ever since its release five years ago, the game has exploded in popularity almost overnight. People called it the first true virtual world.

I spent three years working part-time jobs and saving every bit of money I could to buy the VR device needed to play it.

And once I finally entered that world—

I never wanted to leave.

Even during New Year’s Eve, when everyone else gathered with their families beneath fireworks and warm lights, I locked myself inside my room and dove into TNWO instead.

At that time, my character had already reached the first level cap:

Level 300.

After reaching that point, every player had to undergo a process called Rebirth. Once completed, the level limit would increase to 500.

But during my rebirth process—

Something went wrong.

A blinding white light swallowed my vision.

And when I opened my eyes again—

I was no longer inside the game.

Worse—

I had become a baby.

An infant.

Alone.

In the middle of a forest.

I still remember the terror vividly.

The fear of hearing something move between the trees.

The fear that some wild creature would devour me before I could even crawl.

Fortunately, a pair of farmers discovered me after hearing my cries.

They took me in.

Raised me.

Loved me as if I were truly their child.

Even though I was only adopted, they never once treated me differently.

And before I realized it—

This world had become my home.

• •

Even though I had returned to Tazik and met them just last week...

...I already missed them.

"...."

TOK! TOK! TOK!

"Come in."

The office door opened.

"Excuse me, Vice Commander. I’m here to deliver the latest report regarding the city damage caused by last week’s falling stars," said Lieutenant Bagir.

"Thank you for your hard work. You may leave." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Yes, sir."

After Lieutenant Bagir left the room, my gaze drifted back toward the window.

Far beyond the city walls—

The sky still felt... different somehow.

As if the world itself had not yet fully recovered from what happened that day.

[Back to Luna]

"Haaahhh..."

I let out a long sigh before collapsing face-first onto the wooden table on the back terrace.

"Thank you for your hard work," Lusserina said softly as she placed a cup of warm tea beside me.

"How was the meeting?" she asked.

"Boring."

I groaned dramatically.

"I honestly admire how Rima can sit through meetings like that every single day without complaining."

"Perhaps Lady Rima is simply used to it by now," Lusserina replied calmly.

"...Maybe."

I lifted my head slightly.

"Oh right, speaking of which... where’s Daisy?"

"Didn’t Young Miss leave together with Madam and Sir earlier?" Lusserina tilted her head slightly.

"We were together at first," I answered. "But then I got dragged into another boring meeting with Rima, Rania, and King Siegfried. I thought they already came home."

Lusserina shook her head gently.

"No, Madam. Young Miss and Sir haven’t returned yet."

"...."

Where did they go?

A few minutes later—

A violent gust of wind swept across the terrace.

QWAK! QWAK!

ZWUUUZZZ!!

"MOM!!"

The voice came from above.

When I looked up, I saw Daisy riding atop Griffa together with Ringga. Riffon flew alongside them, while Nina and Nino clumsily flapped their smaller wings nearby.

A moment later, they landed in the backyard.

Daisy immediately jumped down and ran toward me.

"Sweetie, where have you been?"

"Mom! We were teaching Nina and Nino how to fly! Daisy exclaimed excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

"Really? Could they do it?"

"At first they kept wobbling around," Daisy giggled. "But eventually they managed to fly!"

After Griffa gave birth to the twins, I ended up surrendering the naming rights entirely to Daisy.

Naturally, she had been unbelievably excited about it.

After debating countless names, she finally chose:

Nina and Nino.

Daisy then happily ran toward Lusserina to continue telling the story.

Just as I was about to follow after her—

"Lun! Wait!"

Ringga called out.

I stopped walking, but didn’t respond.

"...Are you still mad at me?" Ringga asked carefully.

"...."

"I already apologized, okay?"

I resumed walking.

"Wait, wait!"

This time, even when he called out again, I kept moving.

"Fine! Fine! I’ll tell you!"

"...."

"I know how to get help for the Forbidden Land expedition," Ringga said.

Then he paused.

"But..."

I stopped.

"But what?"

"We need to stop one of the Guardian Towers first," Ringga replied seriously. "Before it destroys Nyrranthea Castle... and the barrier protecting the Forbidden Land."

"...What did you just say?"

• •

The scenery around me blurred.

And when my vision finally cleared again—

The landscape had completely changed.

"This is..."

A massive castle stood before me.

"...A castle?"

"That," Ringga said, "is Nyrranthea Castle."

Nyrranthea?

He brought me all the way here?

"And now..." Ringga continued quietly.

"...that’s the problem."

I followed his gaze.

And froze.

A gigantic turtle stood in the distance.

No—

"Monster... turtle?"

Its size was absurd.

Hundreds of meters tall at least.

Its shadow alone swallowed the surrounding plains whole.

My eyes widened.

"...."

"Relax," Ringga said casually.

"That’s not a monster."

"Huh?"

"...It’s a Guardian Tower."

"...WHAT!?"

• •

"Wait," I said quickly. "If that thing is a Guardian Tower, shouldn’t its owner be able to stop it?"

"...That’s assuming the owner is still alive," Ringga replied bitterly.

"...Did the owner die?"

"How would I know?" Ringga shrugged.

"...You’re annoying."

Suddenly—

"Lady Rima!"

I turned toward the voice.

Two armored guards approached us from the city gate. The moment they saw Ringga, both of them froze briefly before immediately focusing on me.

"Lady Rima, Her Majesty Queen Shanyrria is waiting for you," the senior guard said respectfully.

"Hurry and inform the royal palace!" he added to the younger guard beside him.

"Yes, sir!"

Without wasting another second, the younger guard sprinted back toward the city.

"Apologies, Lady Rima. I must return to my post."

The senior guard bowed before quickly leaving as well.

Ringga turned back toward me.

"Now then... where were we?"

"You being annoying?"

"...Not that."

I glared at him.

"I mean the Guardian Tower!"

"Oh. Right."

Ringga scratched the back of his head.

"We’ll understand better if we see it ourselves."

"...See what?"

"Come on."

Without waiting for my response, Ringga shot into the sky toward the giant turtle’s shell.

I immediately followed him.

At the peak of the massive shell stood a small structure.

A building?

No—

It looked more like an elevator.

But what drew my attention wasn’t the elevator itself.

It was the dwarf standing beside it.

"Yo!" Ringga greeted casually.

The dwarf turned around.

An elderly dwarf with white hair and a thick beard. He wore traditional pangsi clothing, complete with a batik-patterned sash tied around his waist.

"Took you long enough," the dwarf grumbled. "We’re running out of time before that thing steps on Nyrranthea."

"Sorry, sorry," Ringga laughed awkwardly. "Had to babysit first."

"Come on, Lun."

Without waiting for me, Ringga walked straight into the elevator together with the dwarf.

I had dozens of questions—

But none of them seemed answerable right now.

Once inside the elevator, the dwarf pressed a button.

Immediately—

The scenery around us distorted into blinding light.

When my vision returned—

We were still inside the elevator.

The doors slowly opened.

Ringga and the dwarf stepped outside first, and I followed behind them.

Beyond the elevator stretched a long corridor lined with green walls.

At the very end stood a massive door.

Above it hung a signboard.

"Quiz Studio."

"...."

The moment we entered—

I froze.

The interior looked exactly like a television quiz show set.

Rows of audience seats filled the room—

occupied entirely by dolls.

Human-shaped dolls.

Sitting silently.

Watching the stage.

Three podiums stood side by side beneath bright lights, while opposite them stood another podium occupied by a wooden mannequin wearing a tuxedo.

"...What kind of place is this?" I muttered quietly.

"Well..." Ringga spread his arms dramatically.

"This is the interior."

"It’s completely different from the outside..."

"Seems like the owner really loved quiz shows," Ringga replied.

"Take your positions," the dwarf instructed.

The dwarf walked toward the podium on the far left.

Ringga took the one on the far right.

Leaving the center podium for me.

The moment I stepped into position—

"WELCOME TO KSP! QUIZ SIAPA PINTAR!"

A loud voice thundered throughout the room.

"To pass this trial, contestants must answer one hundred questions!"

"If you correctly answer seventy or more, you shall be declared successful!"

Rules immediately appeared before us.

"You may answer TRUE or FALSE by pressing the buttons before you."

"You will have thirty seconds for each question."

"Failure to answer within the time limit will automatically count as incorrect."

Before me sat two buttons.

⭕ and ❌

"...."

"Now then! Let us begin with the first question!"

"TRUE OR FALSE—Players are given freedom in creating their avatars?"

Ringga and the dwarf immediately pressed TRUE.

Naturally—

I did the same.

"...."

DING! DONG!

"CORRECT!"

• •

After several more questions—

I had answered thirty-one correctly.

Meanwhile, Ringga and the dwarf had answered all thirty-four without a single mistake.

"QUESTION THIRTY-FIVE!"

"TRUE OR FALSE—The maximum level limit in TNWO is 500?"

...False.

There was a hidden quest that allowed players to surpass the limit and reach Level 600.

Without hesitation—

I pressed FALSE.

"...."

DING! DONG!

"CORRECT!"

• •

Several minutes later—

I lost.

After answering the final question incorrectly, my total score stopped at sixty-four.

And only five questions remained.

The elevator expelled me back outside.

Cold wind brushed against my skin.

The view from here...

It wasn’t bad at all.

An endless landscape stretched beyond the horizon.

From this height, even the massive Nyrranthea Castle looked small.

Slowly, I turned toward the elevator behind me.

"...I guess I’ll leave the rest to those two."