“Hmm…”
It was still early in the situation, so not all the information had been revealed yet.
No matter how quickly the news and communities moved, there were limits to how much they could convey every single piece of information and update in real time.
For example, information like how moving your left hand in a cross shape didn’t open the status and skill screen but instead opened your item inventory.
“…It’s more monotonous than I expected.”
Before heading out to test skills on the monsters roaming outside, I accidentally opened the inventory screen and muttered bluntly.
As the undisputed strongest existence in ‘Season Off Fantasy’, I had expected Selberion’s inventory to be overflowing with an enormous number of items.
But surprisingly, Selberion only possessed two items.
…Namely, the H-grade item ‘Chains of Death and Frost’, and another H-grade item, ‘Tiara of Illusions’.
Both were items Selberion was already wearing, visible in my current field of view, and were famously her exclusive items.
Part of the ‘Chains of Death and Frost’ was coiled around my wrist like a bracelet, while the rest floated sluggishly in the air around me as if suspended.
The ‘Tiara of Illusions’ was also gently perched atop my head.
There was no doubt— these two were the highest-grade items symbolizing Selberion.
…Even I had been able to realize more quickly and easily that I had become Selberion because of these two items.
“Chains…”
Selberion’s weapon, the ‘Chains of Death and Frost’.
Famous for lashing out alongside her basic attacks, it was also characterized by its ability to change form into various weapons, much like a chameleon.
Because of this, facing Selberion required caution even in weapon selection.
Theoretically, since it could take the form of any weapon, one could easily find their defenses rendered useless.
…It was already infamous for the terror it inspired— watching Selberion’s chains hurtling toward you while your body was frozen solid from the frostbite status.
“…Tiara of Illusions.”
Next was the sleek, black tiara resting on my head.
Honestly, I had never imagined it was an H-grade item.
It didn’t seem to have any particular effect in battle, nor did it grant buffs or debuffs.
I had assumed it was just a simple accessory to signify Selberion’s noble status— nothing more, nothing less.
But to think it was an H-grade item, so rare that people would kill to get their hands on it…
With a puzzled expression, I began slowly skimming through the detailed description of the ‘Tiara of Illusions’.
**
Item Name: Tiara of Illusions
Item Type: Magical Accessory – Tiara
Grade: H-grade
Slot: Head
Description:
Exquisitely crafted from moonlight and dream dust, this tiara is an ancient relic forged by a legendary mage to conceal their true identity.
It grants the wearer the ability to freely alter their appearance and is imbued with powerful transformation and stealth magic that completely blocks external detection or tracking.
At the center of the tiara lies a colorless gemstone, which shifts hues based on the wearer’s intent, signaling the start of a transformation.
Effects:
[Illusory Transformation]
The wearer can alter their external appearance (including clothing and accessories) at will.
[Identity Concealment]
The wearer’s basic information— such as name and level— is completely hidden, preventing enemy mages from discerning their details.
[Moonlight’s Protection]
Slightly increases the wearer’s defense.
**
“Ah.”
Unlike the ‘Chain of Death and Frost,’ which was fully equipped with combat effects from 1 to 100, the ‘Tiara of Illusions’ was strictly a non-combat item designed solely for purposes outside of battle.
…This beautiful tiara had three abilities.
The first was ‘Illusionary Transformation,’ which allowed the wearer to freely change all their clothing and accessories.
The second was ‘Identity Concealment,’ which completely hid all personal information.
The last was ‘Moonlight’s Protection,’ which slightly increased defense.
However, since items that boosted defense or concealed one’s identity were already commonplace, the true value of this tiara likely lay in its first ability, ‘Illusionary Transformation.’
Like most games, Season Off Fantasy also considered character customization through beautiful skins and accessories as one of its appealing features.
Moreover, due to the nature of VR games, the degree of freedom was even higher, and in theory, players could create any clothing they desired.
Some people even started playing solely for the customization aspect.
In such a world, being able to change the appearance of an item into any desired outfit without any cost was an incredible advantage.
There was no need to collect materials for crafting desired outfits or spend exorbitant amounts of money on microtransactions.
…Since Selberion always wore the same black sleeveless dress, I never imagined the tiara would possess such an ability.
I was probably the first to discover this aspect of the tiara, aside from the game developers.
“This is amazing…”
I examined the Tiara of Illusions with fascination.
Deciding to kill two birds with one stone, I immediately tried transforming my outfit.
The clothes I was currently wearing were an oversized gray hoodie.
Closing my eyes, I imagined the gray hoodie transforming into the sleeveless dress Selberion usually wore.
Vrrr—
Then, the gem at the center of the tiara emitted a red glow and immediately began reacting.
I could vividly feel the faint vibrations of the tiara through the top of my head.
“…”
Before long, the hoodie I was wearing began to shimmer with a black light, gradually changing its form.
Finally, what enveloped my body was a sophisticated dress, a harmonious blend of black, silver, and red.
It was the familiar dress Selberion always wore.
“Wow.”
Witnessing such a surreal scene firsthand, I couldn’t hide my astonishment that the item functioned in reality as it did in the game.
The rough, cheap hoodie was gone without a trace, replaced by nothing but a single, high-quality, soft dress.
Even during the peak of my business, when I wore plenty of nice suits, none of them could compare to the material and craftsmanship of this dress.
“It feels… a bit weird, though.”
But this was my first time wearing a dress.
Even if it was Selberion’s body, the air flowing freely underneath and the sheer embarrassment of wearing a ‘dress’ were a bit too much for my current mental state to handle.
“Sigh…”
In the end, I transformed the dress back into the cheap hoodie.
I decided to save the dress for when I had fully mastered Selberion’s skills and adapted more to her body.
“Alright…”
…Having finished examining the items, I was finally ready to head outside to test my skills.
Of course, since nothing was fully prepared yet, I didn’t want Selberion’s identity to be exposed, so I changed the tiara into the form of a black mask to conceal my face and pulled the hoodie’s hood low over my head.
Additionally, I transformed her signature ‘Chain of Death and Frost’ into the shape of an ordinary greatsword to hide its appearance. With that, all preparations were complete.
All that remained was to test the skills against ferocious monsters and adapt to Selberion’s body.
“…”
Steeling my trembling heart, I headed toward the window of my studio apartment.
Somehow, the idea of Selberion’s body opening the front door and walking down the stairs normally felt off, so I figured I might as well make a cool exit by jumping out the window.
After all, she was the Goddess of Destruction, the Blizzard of Ruin known as Selberion.
Surely, a mere three-story fall wouldn’t break or injure anything.
“…Let’s go.”
I flung open the window wide, pushed aside the torn insect screen, and finally leaped boldly into the world that had undergone a tremendous change— into the heart of Seoul, now overrun with all sorts of monsters. Â
“Light….”
…Selberion’s physical abilities were far more incredible than I had imagined.
A body as light as a snowflake. Strength and stamina overflowing beyond what this small frame could contain.
As if bouncing on a trampoline, I soared effortlessly from my third-floor studio apartment and landed softly— no, soundlessly— on the ground below.
Just 24 hours ago, my body would have shattered, and I’d have been rushed away in an ambulance.
But now, I felt nothing— no pain, no stiffness, no discomfort anywhere.
…It made the fact that I had undergone the transformation into Selberion feel all the more vivid and real.
“…….”
Once outside, I began moving, searching for monsters that could serve as suitable sandbags to test my skills.
Though the area around my apartment building was eerily quiet, countless luminous rifts still hung blatantly in the sky above, and if I listened closely, the roars of monsters echoed clearly.
…It wouldn’t be long before I encountered them if I wandered around a bit.
“I hope they’re reasonably strong.”
I muttered as I glanced at the H-grade weapon, Chain of Death and Frost, floating beside me, its form shifted into that of a greatsword.
Even if I ran into monsters, facing weaklings like slimes or mushroom creatures— classified as D-grade and likely even weaker than the average person— wouldn’t be much help in testing my abilities.
So, I needed opponents that were just right— strong enough to give me a decent fight, easy enough to handle, and rewarding enough to make it worth the effort…
—Grrrrrrrrrr…
“…!!”
…After about three minutes of walking down the alleyway, turning my head left and right, I finally heard the disgusting, phlegm-filled growl of something just around the corner.
The sound was unmistakably not from any beast or human— without a doubt, the owner of that noise was a monster that had crawled out of the rifts from Season Off Fantasy.
“….”
I stopped in place, waiting for them to fully reveal themselves.
Thud! Thud!
“…Seems like a big one.”
The closer the growling got, the clearer the tremors in the ground became.
Judging by the vibrations, the monster approaching was likely on the larger side.
—Grrrrrrrrrr…!!
“…!!”
…Finally, the monsters of Season Off Fantasy turned the corner and revealed themselves.
Creatures that had crossed the boundaries of dimensions, now standing before me in the reality of 21st-century Earth. Â
—Graaaaaaahk!!
“That’s….”
The source of the growls was a group of hulking, gray-skinned brutes, each standing around 2 meters tall.
Protruding fangs, rugged builds, coarse skin, and only a scrap of cloth covering their vital areas— their savage appearance was unmistakable.
They were none other than one of the iconic monsters of Season Off Fantasy— trolls.
“Trolls….”
Trolls were generally around level 200, classified as C-grade— the same as the kobolds that had driven back the military in Busan.
Their rank wasn’t particularly high, but the sheer force of their club swings and their tenacious stamina were not to be underestimated.
As a first warm-up opponent for Selberion, they weren’t a bad choice.
“…Alright.”
I stretched and loosened my muscles before slowly extending my palm toward the trolls.
In response, the greatsword floating behind me tilted forward, aiming its blade at them.
—Graaaaaaahk!!
Having noticed my hostility, the trolls bellowed in rage, raising their wooden clubs high.
Whether in-game or in reality, trolls were stupid creatures that lived by their anger.
Without even attempting to assess their opponent, they immediately prepared to charge at me.
—Gwoooooooooo!!
“Good….”
As the three trolls rushed toward me with terrifying speed, I steadied myself, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and anticipation.
“…Let’s start with a basic attack.”
In Season Off Fantasy, the most crucial aspect of combat wasn’t passives or skills— it was basic attacks.
How creatively and effectively you utilized them often determined victory.
So, against the charging trolls, I decided to start with a simple, fundamental strike rather than a skill.
…A monumental moment— my first battle as Selberion.
—Graaaaaaaaaahk!!
“…Here goes.”
With that, I swung my arm forcefully toward the oncoming trolls— and the crimson greatsword floating behind me shot forward at a terrifying speed, straight toward them.