Dark Cloak

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I was walking home after buying a few things from the nearby 7-E**ven. In my hands were three packs of Pancit Canton, a couple of Lucky M Chicken noodles, some eggs, a two-liter bottle of cola, and a handful of cheap snacks. The streets were well-lit by the lamp posts, and the glow of the city lights stretched far into the distance. The air buzzed with the sound of passing people—lively, but not overwhelming. Just another ordinary night.

When I got home, I made my way straight to my room and sat in front of my old PC. I searched for the familiar icon on my desktop and double-clicked it.

"Alfiria Saga."

It had been years since I started playing this game—ever since I resigned from work at 34. There wasn't much else left after that. My parents had already passed away. I lived alone.

I stared at the screen as the game launched. The opening cutscene played: a swirl of magic, battles in the distance, the music swelling with memories. Then it faded out, and the Character Selection screen appeared.

Player Name: Nuub

There he was. My character.

A familiar man clad in gleaming black armor, a massive sword slung across his back. He hadn't changed in years. I hovered my mouse over him, then clicked "Enter World."

That transition always made me smile.

The character falls from the clouds, caught by a glowing portal, and then—just before hitting the ground—a blinding white light engulfs everything. When it fades, you're standing exactly where you last used your Return Scroll. No loading bars, no interruptions. Just immersion.

It never got old.

As I watched my character appear on the screen, standing tall in the world of Alfiria, I felt that familiar warmth in my chest. I was home—at least, the only kind of home I had left.

The rusty gates of Krusha creaked behind me. I barely made it a few meters before a dozen players blinked into view—cloaks bearing the same guild crest.

I was surrounded.

Back in my dimly lit room, I leaned closer to the monitor. My heart raced, palms sweaty on the keyboard. The thrill was real.

On screen, my character raised a hand—casting minor buffs. No fear. Just instinct.

One step forward. Then another.

The first swing came fast. I smiled.

I didn't run.

I fought.

But for some reason… my vision was starting to blur.

---

Beep…

I woke up to a familiar sound.

My body lay resting on a bed layered with soft, unfamiliar fabric. I was inside a room—a quiet chamber filled with books neatly stacked on shelves, their spines worn but proud. A detailed map of Gram hung on the wall, framed by polished wood paneling that gleamed faintly in the soft light. The ceiling was painted a pristine white, reminiscent of those from my world, though foreign in texture. Suspended at the center of the room was a glowing orb of light—a "Light Orb," as it was labeled—illuminating the entire space with a gentle, warm hue.

On the table beside the bed rested my sword and the inventory bag I always carried.

I had finally fulfilled Nathan's request: to rest for a few days, to lay low after hunting down several bandit hideouts.

As I lay still, my eyes fixed on the translucent screen of the System, I noticed something strange. It was changing—its layout, the way it pulsed. I couldn't tell if it was exhaustion, sleep deprivation, or something more.

But I had long since accepted this truth: Alfiria was my new world.

The monsters here didn't vanish into pixels upon death, nor did they blink out of existence like they once did in the game. They bled. They screamed. They died. Bandits spilled blood like real men. NPCs no longer respawned—they stayed dead. Only I remained... abnormal. A stranger in a world that once was fiction.

Sometimes I wondered—was I now a monster too?

...Beep.
[System Upgraded]

I stared at the glowing notification, confusion simmering quietly beneath a neutral expression I could no longer fully control.

[Merging Inventory Bag to System...]

I turned my gaze toward the table. My inventory bag shimmered, then vanished, right beside my sword.

[Merging Completed]

I sat upright, blinking away the haze, and inspected the interface again. A new category appeared beside my usual Status Window. I tapped into the Inventory tab—it looked the same as before, only now seamlessly integrated.

The upside? I wouldn't have to carry anything physically anymore.

I stood up and walked toward the table. My hand reached for the sword, then paused—an idea struck. I focused on the weapon and attempted to store it. With a flicker of light, the sword vanished from my grasp.

I opened the Inventory.

There it was.

Not bad at all.

Knock knock...

A soft knock echoed from the door. I smiled faintly—my first in hours—when the door creaked open. A young girl entered, carrying a wooden tray of warm food. Her short, messy hair was dyed in shades of green and black, a playful contrast to her innocent features.

She moved carefully, almost tiptoeing, then placed the tray on the table. Her eyes met mine—wide, bright, and warm.

"Good morning, Kuya!" Lily beamed, her smile as sweet as always.

"Tatay Nathan and I made you breakfast! Hihi!"

I reached over, gently placing my hand atop her head. I tousled her hair lightly, eliciting a small pout from her lips.

"Good morning, Lily," I replied, still half-lost in thought.

"Hey, don't mess up my hair! I'll tell you to Tatay Nathan!" she huffed playfully, brushing my hand away.

She looked up again, her face suddenly sincere.
"Make sure you eat a lot, Kuya. Okay?"

I simply nodded, forcing a smile. I wasn't sure if my face matched the emotion behind it.

As she left the room, she called over her shoulder, "After you eat, Tatay wants to see you in his office."

Once breakfast was done, I headed to the washroom. There, I stared at my reflection in the basin's water.

My body bore the signs of discipline—trained muscles, arms built to lift weight, and palms hardened by years of battle. My hair had grown longer now, untamed. But it was my face that caught me off guard.

In that reflection, I saw nothing but sorrow... and eyes hollowed out by loss.

I need to become stronger.

That was the only thought echoing inside my mind.

So much had happened, too fast—too violently. On my first day in Alfiria, driven by adrenaline and disbelief, I had forgotten the most basic rule of transmigrating into a world you know too well:

Record everything.

I clutched at my hair in frustration, trying to recover any fragment of my past memories. But all I could recall were the eight years I had spent playing the game. I had sacrificed five years of memories as a penalty when I clashed with Gorren. I couldn't even tell if those memories were vital or meaningless.

But I had no regrets.

At that moment, my heart had been consumed by rage.

I blamed the weakness of my mind... and I despised this world.

Maybe that's why I never had any friends. Not in the game. Not even in the real world, in the company I worked for. I couldn't even remember if I had childhood friends.

The System had devoured those memories.

---

I arrived at Nathan's office and knocked politely before stepping inside.

He stood on the balcony, gazing out over Gram Village, his long, blue robe fluttering slightly with the breeze. His hair was tied neatly at the back, a rare contrast to the rustic wooden room we stood in.

When he noticed me, he turned and approached, motioning for me to take a seat. On the table between us sat a pot of tea and a pile of documents.

"Leben," Nathan said, voice low and serious, "can you stop hunting the bandits... for now?"

"You already know the answer to that," I replied without hesitation.

"I know how much you hate them," he continued, "but you can't eradicate them all alone."

I looked at him, eyes narrowing.
"They can't be wiped out?"

He shook his head solemnly. "No, Leben. That's why I've decided to help you bring them down."

He gestured to the papers on the table.

"Read them."

I leaned forward and picked up the documents. As I scanned the contents, my eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are all of these... true?"

Nathan simply nodded and stepped back toward the balcony.

"Leben, you know I want to protect Gram more than anything. And I still blame myself for what happened…"

"Do you need the Dark Cloak to defeat them?"

His eyes didn't flinch. "Can you fight them? You're no longer dealing with mere bandits… These are the ones pulling the strings."

I stood from my seat and downed the rest of my tea in one gulp. I placed the documents into my inventory, then looked Nathan in the eye.

My voice was steady.
"Consider it done."

Nathan gave me one last nod, still staring out across the village.

The papers contained a list of wealthy nobles—powerful men and women with deep ties to the slave trade and the bandits who served them.

---

I returned to my room and changed clothes. I opened the wardrobe and took out my black armor with a hood. Hanging on the side was a brown scarf. I ran my hand across its fabric and stared at it for a moment before putting it on.

As I stepped out of my room and closed the door, I saw Lily walking toward me. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around me.

"Please be careful, Kuya," she said, almost in tears.

I gently peeled her off and crouched down so I could meet her eyes. Placing my palm softly on her head, I smiled.

"Of course. It's me, after all. And next time, don't listen in on the grown-ups talking, Lily."

I didn't know if my face showed the same warmth as my words, but I tried.

Lily looked surprised and lowered her gaze to the floor. Fin's Ring had the ability to scan the surroundings, and earlier, I saw her behind the door of Nathan's office—listening.

"I was just worried, Kuya… I'm sorry for being mean," she said, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

Children are hard to understand sometimes. But I told her not to worry and that I wasn't angry about what she did. I ruffled her hair and pulled out a bracelet made of flowers from my inventory—crafted by a magical artisan to last a long time without withering.

I took Lily's small wrists and gently put the bracelet on her.

"If you ever find yourself worrying about me… just look at this, Lily."

She nodded as she stared quietly at the bracelet.

---

From a distance, I could see Gram Village.

Before I began hunting down the names Nathan had revealed to me, I decided to grow stronger first—to level up. I was sure that the rich nobles on that list were guarded by powerful knights.

I headed to a cave where a large Dungeon Boss was said to dwell. My plan was to abuse the Resurrection System—sacrificing rare items as penalty—to gain strength. My resolve was firm. Even if repeated resurrection had consequences on my soul, my being… it no longer mattered to me.

The dungeon was dim and spacious, resembling a deep canyon surrounded by towering trees. Only faint sunlight reached the ground, and the glowing marbled stones scattered throughout provided most of the light inside.

I drew my new sword—one of the many forged by Nathan in Gram Village. This was just one of the twenty.

Soon, I heard voices—no, sounds—beneath the earth.

The ground cracked open, and out burst monsters that looked like red-scaled lizards. Their eyes glowed fiercely as they spotted me and charged forward.

I tightened my grip on the hilt of my sword and...

[Mirage]

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