Astralyth Online

"I finally found you!" A voice boomed from the treeline, confident and full of energy. A man emerged from the shadows, tall and broad-shouldered, with the kind of solid, dependable look that screamed of a lifetime spent working with his hands. His skin was tanned, his arms muscular and thick, the sleeves of his worn tunic rolled up to reveal a strength earned through honest labor. His face was framed by a short, scruffy beard, and his warm brown eyes crinkled with a smile that seemed genuine and welcoming. He looked like the kind of villager you’d expect to see helping newcomers—strong, grounded, and completely at ease with his surroundings.

Benjamin stood there, still clutching his tail in front of him, completely taken aback. The man’s presence, so casual and friendly, clashed with the raw panic he had been feeling just moments before. “W-what?” Benjamin stammered, still trying to process the sudden shift in the situation.

The man chuckled softly, clearly noticing Benjamin’s confusion. “You’re one of those adventurers, right?” he asked, his tone as casual as if they had known each other for years. “Normally, when adventurers like you show up, there’s a bright light in the town square, a big to-do. The gods predict your coming, and we all know when to expect you. But you…” He rubbed the back of his neck, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “Well, you didn’t exactly show up where we thought. I’ve been looking for hours, trying to track you down.”

Benjamin blinked, his mind reeling. “Adventurer? Gods? Town square?” None of it made much sense. How had this man found him, and why did he seem so... casual about everything? The sheer normalcy of the man’s demeanor only deepened Benjamin’s confusion. Then it hit him, the man was probably an NPC to help new players.

The man’s smile softened. “I get it, you’re probably disoriented. The first moments after arrival are always confusing. But don’t worry, you’re safe now. Let’s get you back to town.” He gave Benjamin a reassuring nod, as if that was enough to explain everything.

The man gestured for Benjamin to follow, his smile still warm and reassuring. Benjamin, still dazed and not fully processing what was going on, found himself walking alongside the man almost automatically. His body moved without thinking, following the path through the forest, though his mind was a chaotic mess of confusion.

As they walked, the man glanced over and, with a friendly tone, introduced himself. “Name’s Garrick,” he said, his voice steady and calm. “I help out newcomers like yourself when they arrive. Make sure they find their way, get them set up with whatever they need. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but we’ll get you sorted.”

Benjamin nodded absently, barely registering the introduction. Garrick. Okay. But none of this felt real. The forest, the stranger leading him, his own body—it all felt like a bizarre dream he hadn’t woken up from yet. He didn’t reply, too lost in his thoughts to even form a proper response.

The two of them walked mostly in silence after that, the sounds of the forest filling the space between them. The gentle rustling of leaves, the occasional birdcall, and the crunch of their footsteps on the soft earth felt oddly peaceful, almost surreal given Benjamin’s state of mind. He kept glancing down at himself, the dress, the delicate hands, the fox tail swaying gently behind him. It was all too much.

I’m a girl, he thought again, the words bouncing around in his mind like a broken record. This shouldn’t be possible, not even in the game. His hands clenched slightly, his small fingers curling into the fabric of his dress as he tried to make sense of it. FDPs aren’t supposed to change your body like this. They can’t... right? He couldn’t remember hearing anything like this happening to other players, and the more he tried to rationalize it, the more confused he became.

The physical sensations were undeniable. He felt the cool air against his skin, the weight of his new body as it moved. It didn’t feel like just a visual change—his entire being felt different. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to confront that fact head-on, not yet. The questions swirled around, unanswered, and the more he thought about it, the more the fear started to bubble up again.

But Garrick was still walking beside him, calm and collected, as if nothing strange was happening at all. His presence kept Benjamin grounded in some small way, enough to keep his panic at bay. For now, all Benjamin could do was follow him, hoping that somewhere ahead, there were answers waiting.

The walk through the forest was shorter than Benjamin expected. As they emerged from the treeline, a village came into view. It was exactly what Benjamin had imagined a medieval fantasy village would look like—small cottages with thatched roofs, dirt roads winding through the settlement, and a scattering of villagers going about their business. The place had a cozy, rustic charm, with the distant sounds of chatter and clinking metal drifting through the air. A small stone wall surrounded the village, more for appearance than protection, it seemed, and at its entrance stood a large wooden gate.

As they approached the gate, two guards standing watch nodded toward Garrick in recognition. They were clad in simple armor, the kind that seemed more decorative than practical. One of them leaned forward slightly, raising an eyebrow as he glanced between Garrick and Benjamin. “Who’ve you got with you, Garrick?”

Garrick turned to Benjamin with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his neck. “Ah, I never did get your name, did I?”

Benjamin hesitated, something twisting uncomfortably in his chest. Benjamin didn’t feel right anymore. Looking down at his delicate hands, the fox tail twitching nervously behind him, the name seemed foreign, a remnant of someone he wasn’t anymore—at least not here. Without fully understanding why, he blurted out, “It’s Madelyn.”

Garrick nodded, taking it in stride. “Madelyn, right. Adventurer from afar,” he said to the guards with a grin. The guards exchanged a quick glance, but they didn’t press further.

“Well, welcome to Adros,” one of the guards said with a friendly nod, stepping aside to let them pass through the gate.

As they entered the village, Madelyn felt a strange mix of relief and uncertainty. Giving a different name had felt strangely... right, but it also deepened his confusion. Everything around him seemed so normal, yet here he was, a complete stranger in a body that didn’t feel like his own. And now, with a name that felt oddly fitting in this strange new world.

Benjamin followed Garrick through the village, his mind a storm of conflicting thoughts. Every step felt surreal, as if he were trapped in someone else’s life. I should just log out, he kept telling himself. Forget about all of this. But the idea of logging out felt oddly distant, like it wasn’t as simple as pressing a button anymore. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, caught between the strangeness of the situation and the odd feeling that something deeper was at play.

As they walked, Benjamin couldn’t ignore the way people in the village looked at him. The villagers smiled at him, greeting him warmly, but always referring to him as “miss” or "young lady" when they spoke to Garrick. It should have bothered him more, but for some reason, it didn’t—not as much as it should. It was disorienting, sure, but the confusion it stirred within him was less about how they saw him and more about how he saw himself.

His body felt different, alien, yet not entirely wrong. That was the part he struggled with the most—why didn’t this feel as uncomfortable as it should? Why did the name Madelyn slip from his lips so easily? Benjamin’s mind circled the same questions over and over, but there were no answers. Just a strange knot of emotions he couldn’t untangle.

“Almost there,” Garrick said, pulling Benjamin from his thoughts. They reached the town square, a wide open space with a large stone fountain in the center. The square was bustling with activity—villagers going about their day, merchants setting up stalls, and a few adventurers mingling in small groups.

“This is where you should’ve appeared,” Garrick said, pointing toward a glowing circle on the ground near the fountain. “The adventurers usually arrive right there. Not sure why the gods had you pop up in the forest instead.”

Benjamin stared at the circle, feeling a strange disconnect from it all. He should feel out of place, uncomfortable even, but instead, he only felt... lost. His thoughts turned again to the idea of logging out. He could leave this all behind and go back to his normal life. But something inside him hesitated, as if logging out wouldn’t solve the confusion inside him.

He looked around the square, surrounded by the sights and sounds of the village, feeling more uncertain than ever.

As Benjamin stood in the bustling town square, a soft chime echoed in his ears, and a translucent window appeared before his eyes. It was a quest notification, the kind he'd seen in countless MMOs before—but this one felt startlingly real, just like everything else in this world, but it also was the first actual real confirmation he was still playing Astralyth Online.

Welcome, Adventurer!

Congratulations on your arrival in the world of Astralyth! To begin your journey, visit the following key locations to familiarize yourself with the village and gather essential supplies for your adventure:

Objectives:

• Visit the Inn: Speak to the innkeeper for a place to rest and gain information about the local area. [0/1]
• Visit the Blacksmith: Check in with the blacksmith for your first set of armor and weapons. [0/1]
• Visit the Leatherworker: Get fitted with light armor suitable for travel. [0/1]
• Visit the Apothecary: Purchase basic health potions and other useful items. [0/1]
• Visit the General Store: Stock up on provisions and essentials for your journey. [0/1]
• Visit the Adventurers Guild: Introduce yourself to the guild master and receive your first official mission. [0/1]

Benjamin blinked at the floating quest window. It was simple, just like the typical starting quests in games. Normally, he'd have been excited to dive into this part of the game, checking out the shops and talking to NPCs. But now, standing here in his strange new form, the words on the screen felt both familiar and alien at the same time.

What am I supposed to do? He thought. Part of him knew he should just follow the instructions, keep his mind busy and distracted from the storm of confusion he felt. But the other part... that part wanted to figure out why everything felt so confusing.

He sighed, glancing at Garrick. "Looks like I have some places to visit," Benjamin muttered, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Ah, your first quest," Garrick said with a grin. "Good luck to you then, adventurer!" and with  a wave he was gone.

Benjamin watched as Garrick’s figure disappeared into the crowd, leaving him standing alone in the bustling town square. He glanced around, feeling a wave of uncertainty wash over him. Okay, now what? he thought, staring blankly at the village. He had a quest window full of tasks, but how was he supposed to find these buildings? There were no obvious signs or markers around to guide him.

Wait, he thought suddenly. A map. There has to be a map, right?

He tried a few things—waving his hands, saying commands out loud—but nothing seemed to work. Frustration began to build, but then he stopped, focusing on the thought of opening a map. In an instant, a translucent screen materialized before his eyes, showing a detailed layout of the village. Blinking quest markers highlighted the key locations he needed to visit: the Inn, Blacksmith, Leatherworker, Apothecary, General Store, and Adventurers Guild.

"Finally," Benjamin muttered, relieved that something had gone right. But then his eyes caught something else—down in the corner of the map, there was a small clock. His heart skipped a beat as he realized the time. It was almost 11:30 PM.

How long have I been in here? Panic briefly flared up inside him. He hadn’t even thought to check the time, hadn’t realized how much of the day had slipped away while he tried to figure out what was going on. His pulse quickened. He should log out, get some rest, and clear his head. Staying up this late inside a game wasn’t going to help him deal with anything. Besides, this whole situation was still confusing, and fatigue was only making it worse.

But even as he thought about logging out, his body hesitated. The strange pull he’d felt ever since he woke up in this new form lingered, tugging at him. Something inside him didn’t want to leave yet, as if there were answers just around the corner—answers to questions he didn’t fully understand.

I’ll just check out one of the places, Benjamin reasoned, his eyes drawn to the blinking marker of the Inn. Then I’ll log out. The thought gave him some sense of control, a plan to follow. He closed the map with a thought and set off toward the Inn, determined to at least complete the first task before facing the real world again.

As Benjamin made his way toward the inn, he wove through the bustling streets with surprising ease. He was a bit anxious to be around this many people. The town was alive with activity, villagers—NPCs—going about their daily routines, moving between market stalls, and chatting with one another. What struck him, though, was how easily he moved through the crowd. His body felt... different. It wasn’t just the unfamiliarity of being in this new form, but the way he slipped past people with an unnatural nimbleness, as if he’d been built for speed and agility. His reflexes felt sharper, his movements more fluid, and he could sense the small shifts in the crowd around him, navigating without even thinking about it.

What is going on? he wondered, feeling the slight disconnect between his mind and his body. It wasn’t unpleasant—if anything, it felt natural, like this form was meant for quick, graceful movement. But it also deepened his confusion. Why did this body feel more comfortable, more right than his real one?

As he moved further into the town, he began to spot other players, distinguishable from the NPCs by the way they stood out—talking in small groups, laughing, showing off gear and weapons. It was strange to see them, to recognize that these were real people behind the avatars, all caught up in their own version of this adventure. For a brief moment, he wondered what they thought of him, if they saw him as just another player. Did they see him as he saw himself? Did they even care? How did he see himself?

He kept walking, pushing the thought aside. The NPCs paid him no mind, busy with their routines, while the players seemed to stick together, chatting and planning their next moves. The whole village felt like a living, breathing world, but Benjamin felt separate from it—an outsider in more ways than one.

The inn’s wooden sign swayed gently in the breeze ahead, marking his destination. He felt a strange sense of relief as he approached, eager to complete at least this first task. He pushed open the door, the warm glow of the inn’s interior beckoning him inside.

The moment Benjamin stepped into the inn, the noise and movement hit him all at once. It was crowded, the air thick with the hum of conversations, the clatter of dishes, and the occasional burst of laughter. Anxiety crept up his spine, tightening his chest. The sudden rush of activity to his improved senses made him feel exposed, vulnerable in this strange body, and the urge to retreat grew stronger with each passing second.

A serving girl, no older than a teenager, approached with a warm smile. She was beautiful, with long, dark hair and a graceful air about her, moving through the crowded inn with practiced ease. "Welcome to the Golden Hearth Inn," she said cheerfully. "Follow me, I’ll get you settled." Benjamin nodded, following her through the maze of tables and people until they reached a small, quiet spot in the back.

He sat down with a soft sigh, glad to be away from the noise, but the tension still simmered beneath his skin. Almost immediately, a notification popped up in front of him: First Objective Complete: Visit the Inn.

Benjamin stared at the words, feeling a strange mix of accomplishment and unease. The relief of completing the first step in the quest didn’t outweigh the pressing thought that it was late—far too late to still be here. He could feel his body ache with fatigue, and he knew he needed to log out. I should just do it now, he told himself, the nagging voice in his head reminding him that he could deal with everything tomorrow.

With a thought, he opened the menu, the same way he had accessed the map earlier. The interface appeared before him, floating in his field of vision. His hand, small and delicate, hovered over the logout button. He stared at it, feeling the strangeness of his own body again. The sight of his slender fingers made something twist in his gut, but he forced himself not to linger on that thought.

Log out. Just log out. He pressed the button.

The world around him began to fade, the sounds of the inn growing distant, the light dimming as the familiar pull of the game releasing him took hold. He felt a brief flicker of uncertainty as everything dissolved into blackness.