Echoes of a Crafted World

Same thing happened again.

It had been a week since the player left, and silence once again swallowed the world. During that time, Elion maintained his routine—training, resting, training again. Today, like the others, ended with him sprawled on the floor, soaked in sweat.

"I think my stamina improved…" he muttered, wiping his forehead. "Alright, maybe one more set."

He pushed himself up for another sprint across the open plains.

Then it happened.

The sky rippled.

The soft blue hue fractured into sickly purple, as though bruises bled across the heavens. A translucent screen shimmered into existence, stretching from one horizon to the other like a giant dome. And behind it—impossibly large—loomed a silhouette. Its gaze seemed to pierce through the sky, down to Elion himself.

[God has arrived]

[Player Nèvalis has logged in]

A pulse of energy surged through the world like a heartbeat, rattling the very ground. Elion stumbled, blinking against the blinding glare that followed.

But this time, something was different.

Instead of pulling out the usual rankless bathc of Characters , the player did something unusual.

[The Player has used a large amount of gold to summon 1-Star Characters]

A portal opened mid-air, and five new figures emerged. Though they bore the 1-star designation, they weren't panicked or lost like previous batches. Their eyes were calm. Their presence solid.

They were guided by a fairy. Unlike the last chaotic summons, this group followed her without question, their feet steady, their expressions resolute.

[A new party has been formed]

Party Members: Elion, Cain, Lance, Mira, Thorne, Iris

"All of you will be raiding the Tower—first to fifth floor," the fairy announced with a distant, eerie smile. "You'll be tested. Try not to die."

Light burst from beneath their feet. Before Elion could respond, the world twisted—and they were gone.

---

They landed in a grassy field at the edge of a forest.

No, not just any forest.

The Tower's First Floor was now taking the form of nature itself. Moss-covered stones, thick trees with branches that creaked in the wind, and a distant haze that gave the forest an eerie glow. Elion had seen this place before, twice now—but it never felt the same.

[New Party Formed]

Party Members: Elion, Cain, Lance, Mira, Thorne, Iris

[Mission: Goblin Subjugation – 10/10]

Elion stood beside his new party members. Cain, the flame mage. Lance, a lightning-quick swordsman. Mira, the soft-spoken healer. Thorne, a hulking axe-wielder. Iris, a quiet sharpshooter with cold eyes. All summoned—yet strangely composed.

The goblins arrived shortly after.

Ten of them rushed out from the bushes, snarling.

Cain didn't wait.

"Burn," he whispered.

A wave of fire swept through the undergrowth, incinerating all ten goblins before Elion could even raise his sword.

[Mission Complete]

[Teleporting to Second Floor]

---

[Second Floor – Goblin Subjugation]

[10 Swordsmen / 10 Archers]

They appeared deeper in the forest. Thicker trees. Less light.

The goblins this time came from above, arrows raining down.

"Move!" Iris called, her voice sharper than Elion expected.

He ducked behind a thick root just in time. Several arrows bounced off his shield.

Cain raised his staff again. "Fire Blast!"

The air ignited in a burst of flame, vaporizing the trees and the goblin archers perched on them. Smoke curled in the air. On the ground, Lance dash forward like lightning, weaving between goblins and slicing through them with surgical precision.

[Mission Complete]

MVP: Cain

Elion Level 8 → 9

Elion wiped sweat from his forehead. He hadn't landed a single strike.

---

[Third Floor – Goblin Subjugation]

[15 Swordsmen / 15 Archers / 15 Wolf Riders]

The scenery shifted again. Trees gave way to rocky hills. Wild howls echoed through the valley.

Wolf riders.

Elion's blood ran cold.

They were fast, unpredictable, and brutal. He readied his sword and managed to intercept three. His blade clanged against a goblin spear, and he shoved his shield forward, knocking the rider off its beast. A clean slash finished it.

He turned—

And saw the rest of the battlefield already quiet. Mira was calmly dusting off her robes. Iris was adjusting her bowstring.

The others had already cleared the floor.

[Mission Complete]

MVP: Lance

Elion lowered his sword. "They're monsters," he muttered—half awed, half defeated.

---

[Fourth Floor – Goblin Subjugation]

[20 Swordsmen / 20 Archers / 20 Wolf Riders / 20 Spearmen]

The air grew colder. The forest twisted into a marsh, water soaking their boots as they moved.

This was the hardest fight yet.

Goblins came in waves. The spearmen were smart—they moved in formation, coordinating with archers for deadly precision. Elion took a spear to the shoulder. Blood dripped, but he held firm. Mira's healing light eased the pain, and he pushed forward again, slamming his shield into a charging rider.

Thorne shouted something unintelligible and split three goblins in a single swing.

Cain scorched a line through the swamp, burning dozens alive.

When the smoke cleared, the team stood victorious. Not a single member had fallen.

[Mission Complete]

Elion collapsed to one knee, breathing hard. "We're still alive…"

But something twisted in his gut. A tension that wouldn't fade.

Then came the final notification.

---

[Fifth Floor – BOSS MISSION: Crowned Terror]

[Mission: Kill the Target]

[5000 Goblins / 1 Crown-Wearing Goblin King]

Elion stared at the message.

"Five… thousand?" Iris echoed, her voice unshaken but tight.

"No way," Mira whispered. "That has to be a glitch."

The world shimmered. Once again, light swallowed them whole.

---

They landed in darkness.

The moment the light faded from their teleportation, a chill crawled up Elion's spine. This floor was different—wrong in a way the others hadn't been.

The forest around them was ancient, cursed. The towering trees arched so high they swallowed the sky. Not a single ray of sunlight pierced the thick canopy above. Tree roots jutted from the ground like grasping fingers, coiling between stones slick with moss. The air was cold and wet, the kind of damp that clung to the skin and made every breath feel heavier.

And then they heard it.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

A deep drumbeat echoed from somewhere far beyond the trees. It was slow, steady, like the heartbeat of something titanic and vile.

Then came the footsteps.

Stomping. Uncountable. And getting louder.

From every direction—trees, undergrowth, burrows, shadows—goblins poured out. Thousands of them. Their eyes burned red in the gloom, and they didn't scream or bark orders. They marched in perfect sync, like they were answering a single mind.

Then, from above, a low growl cut through the air.

High on a twisted branch stood a goblin easily twice the size of the rest. His armor was jagged bone, and his rusted crown sat crooked atop his misshapen head. Gold thread weaved through his tattered cloak. His weapon—a cleaver larger than Elion's torso—rested across one shoulder.

He raised it.

And roared.

The forest exploded into war.

"Hold the line!" Cain shouted, already conjuring a wall of flame in front of their group. The fire lit the trees in flickering orange and cast monstrous shadows on the undergrowth.

Elion didn't hesitate.

A goblin lunged from the side, swinging a crude axe. Elion met it with his shield. The impact rattled through his bones, but he held steady and countered with a sword slash, cutting the creature down.

Another one. Then another.

They just kept coming.

Cain's fire scorched the frontlines, sending goblins shrieking and burning. But for every one that fell, three more took its place.

Iris stood behind them, calm and deadly. Her arrows fired with mechanical rhythm—thud, thud, thud—each shot finding a goblin's throat or eye socket. They dropped before they could reach the backline.

Thorne let out a primal howl, swinging his axe in wide arcs, cutting down enemies like wheat. Blood sprayed across his armor, but he didn't stop.

And Mira—sweet, gentle Mira—moved between them, weaving glowing spells that knit torn flesh and sealed cuts. But her face was pale, sweat pouring down her temple.

"I'm running dry!" she called. Her voice trembled. "I can't keep up… I—"

"Don't stop," Elion grunted, planting himself between her and the next wave. "If you fall, we all do."

The next wave was worse.

Wolf Riders.

They tore through the underbrush at terrifying speed, snarling mounts leaping over fallen logs and broken trees. Their riders screamed, spears drawn, ready to impale anything in their path.

One charged directly for Mira.

Elion didn't think—he threw his shield like a discus, slamming it into the wolf's face. The beast tumbled, crashing just beside Mira. The goblin rider scrambled to its feet—

—and was nailed to a tree by one of Iris' arrows.

Mira looked at Elion, eyes wide. "Thanks."

But things were unraveling fast.

Cain's flames were thinning. Thorne was slowing. Mira could barely lift her hands to heal anymore.

Then—

"They're not staying dead!" Cain shouted. "Look!"

Elion turned—and his blood froze.

The dead were rising.

The goblins they had killed just moments ago—burned, slashed, crushed—were getting back up, glowing with a sickly green aura. Bones cracked as they pulled themselves upright, wounds sealing with unnatural speed.

"There's something reviving them," Cain said, eyes searching the trees. "A totem—maybe magic."

"There!" Iris pointed with her bow. "Under the King—there's something glowing beneath him!"

They all looked.

A faint green light pulsed at the base of the ancient tree the Goblin King stood on. A totem, hidden in the roots.

"I'll go!" Lance shouted, his sword already glowing with enchantment.

"You won't make it alone," Elion yelled back, ducking under a swing. "I'll clear the path!"

They broke off from the group, plunging into the sea of goblins.

Cain shouted, "Cover them!"

Elion and Lance carved a trail through the horde. Elion raised his shield with both hands, plowing forward like a wall. Goblin clubs and spears slammed into him from all sides. Pain bloomed in his ribs. One lucky blow clipped his thigh—but he didn't stop.

Behind him, Lance darted left and right, a blur of steel, taking down anything Elion left standing. The two moved like gears in a machine—one shield, one sword.

Then something massive dropped in their path.

A Goblin Champion—almost as big as the King—landed with a crash. Its twin axes gleamed with blood.

Elion had no time to think. He lunged forward, taking the full force of its swing on his shield. The impact shattered his armguard. He screamed, but held firm, planting his feet.

"Now!"

Lance used Elion's back like a springboard. He jumped, flipped in mid-air, and brought his sword down in a perfect arc.

The champion's head rolled away into the grass.

Elion collapsed to one knee, coughing up blood. "Go. Finish it."

Lance nodded once and sprinted to the tree

The totem was a crystal—twisted, corrupted, pulsing green with death magic. Its roots snaked into the forest floor like veins.

Lance didn't hesitate.

He drove his blade into it.

CRACK.

The light flared—then snapped, exploding into fragments.

All across the battlefield, the reanimated goblins froze—then dropped like puppets with their strings cut.

The Goblin King screamed in agony.

He leapt from the tree, crashing into the battlefield, rage in his eyes. His cleaver slammed into the ground, carving a crater.

"Now!" Cain shouted, stepping forward.

He raised his staff, its tip glowing white-hot.

"Oblivion Ray!"

A lance of pure flame shot from the sky, punching through the King's body. He roared—once—and was engulfed in fire.

When the light faded, nothing remained but ash. The crown lay in the dirt, melted and broken.

---

[Mission Complete – Boss Defeated]

MVP: Cain

Elion Level 9 → 10

[1-Star Rank Achieved]

---

The battlefield went still.

Smoke rose from charred trees. The faint sound of crackling embers filled the silence.

No more drumbeats.

No more footsteps.

Just breathing.

Heavy, ragged breathing.

Elion sat down hard on a rock, clutching his side. Blood still seeped through the tear in his armor, but Mira was already beside him, hands glowing.

"I told you not to stop," he said weakly.

She gave him a tired smile. "I didn't."

Thorne dropped beside them, tossing aside his shattered axe. "That… was the worst one yet."

Cain approached, wiping soot from his face. "I think I'm gonna die out of exhaustion."

Lance returned, looking no worse for wear—just a little winded. "You tanked that monster," he said to Elion. "Wouldn't have made it without you."

Elion looked at the others. Bloodied. Burned. But alive.

He exhaled. Deep and slow.

"We made it," he said. "Together", Reminding him the past, when he was still in the military and completing mission with his colleagues.

Iris stood a few steps away, quietly stringing a new arrow, her face unreadable.

And beyond her, in the roots of the ancient tree, the ashes of the Goblin King drifted into the mist.

The cursed forest had fallen.