Final Life Online

He gave a slow nod, and with it, the heavy stone in my heart eased just a little.

The original quest required me to kill a Tribal Lord alone—solo victory was part of the deal. And while I'd done that three times already, the last one, the Dire Werewolf Alpha, had been too strong. I had needed help—twelve other players had been there, even if I was the one to land the final blow.

But Eldan didn't seem to mind.

Still, I knew what that meant.

The quest was cleared, yes—but the system had registered that final boss differently. No solo kill meant the outcome didn't trigger the maximum branch. There'd be no hidden bonus reward. No branching evolution of the reward tree.

Just the main quest complete.

And honestly?

That was fine.

At least the quest hadn't failed.

I exhaled slowly, the tension that had been gnawing at my chest finally loosening its grip. In a game like Final Life Online, where one misstep could lock you out of entire storylines or class paths, this was a mercy.

Eldan turned away, muttering something under his breath as he reached for an old scroll tucked into a side shelf. The soft crackle of parchment echoed through the quiet room.

"You did more than enough," he said, voice lower now, steadier. "Four heads… and one of them belonging to a monster that could've razed this village. That's not something I can ignore, even if it bends the rules."

He laid the scroll flat on the table and pressed his palm against it.

[Quest Complete: Path of the Hero – Stage One]

[Reputation with Village B12: MAXIMUM]

[Special Title Unlocked: Little Hero]

"Even the smallest flame can light the path for many."

[Title Effect: Easier Affinity gain with Neutral and Good-aligned Factions]

[All Stats +50]

That alone made me pause.

+50 to all stats?

Which means, its an atleast Legendary grade Title.

At this stage of the game, that was absurd. Most players were thrilled just to get +3 or +5 to key attributes from early gear. But a universal stat boost? That was equivalent to gaining several levels all at once—and then some.

But the system wasn't done.

[Skill Gained: Hero's Resolve]

"When a true hero stands firm, even fate hesitates to strike."

Skill Effect: For the next 30 seconds, gain 100% dodge chance against all non-targeted skills and +100% attack power.

Mana Cost: 1000

Cooldown: 6 Hours

"…That's broken," I whispered.

Not even trying to hide the grin that spread across my face.

The dodge effect alone meant I could ignore nearly every type of AoE, random spell, and crossfire damage as long as it wasn't directly targeted at me. In large battles or chaotic fields like world events, that kind of evasion was priceless.

And the +100% attack power? That turned me into a temporary nuke.

It wasn't a skill meant for spam.

It was a trump card.

A skill like that could change everything—whether in a duel, a raid, or a boss fight—if used at the right moment.

"You remind me of Klaus," Elder Eldan suddenly said, his voice quiet and full of memory. "He was the first to clear the Infested Forest from the Lamosna beasts. No monster ever dared approach his village again after that."

"Now, you have done it. Our village will no longer be under threat from the Black Forest for decades to come," he said, then added, "I only asked you for the head of one tribe lord, but you have killed all four."

"At first, I was just going to give you a piece of equipment left behind by the hero Klaus. But now, I will show you his legacy—and you can pick anything you like. But only one," he said.

"Come with me," he said.

I nodded, hiding a grin.

Yes—another special reward.

Finally, I was about to complete it.

The Path of the Hero—a quest available in every beginner village. Each village had its own version of the questline, but strangely, the hero mentioned was always the same: Klaus.

Was it just a coincidence? A lazy copy-paste? Maybe even a small glitch?

No one really knew.

What was known, however, was that this quest was never meant to be completed so early. In the old timeline, it was first cleared much later in the game—by one of the strongest players who appeared in the final war.

But now?

Now it was mine.

So sorry, Mr. Skully... looks like I'm taking this storyline for myself.

Elsewhere…

A player crouched awkwardly beside a grave, arms wrapped around himself as he shivered. He sneezed loudly, glancing around the misty tombstones.

"I really shouldn't have picked this hidden class," he muttered, teeth chattering. "Just the first requirement to sit in a grave and meditate on the 'nature of skeletons' is creepy enough to freeze my soul."

Above his head, his username hovered in glowing text:

[Mr. Skully]

Despite being new to Final Life Online, Mr. Skully wasn't new to gaming. In his mid-20s now, he had switched to this VRMMO after quitting a few older ones—and immediately decided he wanted to become a necromancer. That was his dream class, his identity, his everything.

So, he went exploring—dug into the hidden edges of the starter region, talked to obscure NPCs, even braved cursed ruins. Eventually, after leaving the Novice Village and grinding tirelessly, he found it:

A Hidden Rare Class: Undead Mage.

It sounded cool. It was cool.

Until he realized the first class quest made him squat in a haunted graveyard for hours, trying to "commune with naturally-born undead" while avoiding being turned into one himself.

"Why couldn't I just be a normal mage," he mumbled, shifting uncomfortably as a cold wind blew past, ruffling his cloak. "Why do skeletons have to watch me meditate?"

Behind him, a ghostly skull peeked out from a grave—and smiled.

Mr. Skully nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Dammit, bastard—don't sneak up on me like that!" he shouted, reflexively casting Ghastly Fireballs straight into the poor undead spirit's face. The wisp exploded with a harmless puff, vanishing into mist.

He sighed and slumped back onto the damp stone. "Ugh. You want realism, sure… but this is way too damn real."

Still muttering under his breath, he sat cross-legged once more, raising his palms as the dark fog in the air began to gather again.

Small, silvery wisps of Undead Mana drifted through the graveyard, drawn toward him.

Despite the cold. Despite the creepy whispers. Despite his constant complaining...

He was still here.

Still grinding.

Still doing the quest.

Because even if it was terrifying, bone-chilling, and required squatting in a grave for hours...

A Hidden Class was worth it.