THE ELEMENTALS Beginning of a New Era

Faint murmurs. Warm hands. Blurred light danced behind Harsha's eyelids as if trying to guide him back from darkness.

Then—cheering.

"He's waking up!"

"Shhh! Let him breathe!"

Harsha's eyes fluttered open. A soft groan escaped his lips as he blinked at the straw-thatched ceiling above. His body ached like he'd been thrown off a cliff… then run over by a boulder.

A dozen tiny faces crowded around him, wide-eyed and grinning—orphans, their clothes dusty, their eyes full of mischief and admiration.

> "Mister Warrior… that was AMAZING!"

"We've never seen anyone fight like that before!"

"You even scared old Zogo when you roared!"

Harsha slowly pushed himself up, supporting his back with one trembling arm. His vision swam.

"Did I… lose?" he asked groggily.

A calm voice answered, full of teasing certainty.

> "Yes," said Zara, arms folded, chin raised. "You lost. As expected."

Harsha looked at her, then chuckled weakly.

> "Tch… I'll take that," he muttered, flashing a crooked smile.

He tried to stand, but his muscles screamed in protest.

Zara moved closer, her voice softening.

> "Zogo gave you a healing potion. You'll need five to ten hours to fully regain stamina and strength. Your wounds will heal naturally… so don't be a fool. Rest."

Harsha glanced down at himself. His dusty, torn shirt was gone—replaced with clean, patched-up clothes that smelled faintly of herbs and firewood.

> "Who… changed my clothes?" he asked, confused.

A little voice piped up proudly.

> "Zara did! When you were unconscious. We saw your body! You're like… super muscular for a kid!"

"Yeah! We wanna train like you!"

"Teach us how to fight!"

Harsha gave a half-smile, speaking like a gentleman from a palace throne.

> "One day, you'll all be better than me," he said warmly. "Much better."

The kids giggled, some shyly nodding before Zara clapped her hands and ushered them out of the hut. "Go on now! He needs to sleep."

Once the room was quiet, Harsha lay back down, letting his gaze wander to the ceiling. His breathing slowed.

Then—

His eyes flicked up.

In the top-right corner of his vision, the translucent interface pulsed again:

TIME REMAINING: 06D : 08H : 30M

[i]

A knot tightened in his stomach. He remembered Lady Sephara's warning:

"It will take you at least ten days to collect all 100 Elemental Stones… if you're lucky."

His brows furrowed.

> "But I only have six days left…"

Suddenly, the [i] icon blinked red—an exclamation mark now glowing beside it.

> "Alert?" Harsha murmured.

He waited until the last child had left. The room was still.

Then quietly, under his breath:

> "Open notification."

The interface shimmered. A soft chime echoed in his mind as the panel unfurled.

[ REWARD UNLOCKED ]

FOR YOUR FIERCE BATTLE — YOU HAVE PROVEN STRENGTH.

>> CLAIM REWARD <<

Harsha blinked, heart suddenly lighter.

> "Reward?" he whispered. "What can it be…"

He focused again.

> "Claim reward."

The system beeped.

Reward Granted:

⚡️50% REDUCTION in Blue Gems required for Quest: Elemental Stones Collection.

New Requirement: 50 Stones.

Time Remaining: 06D : 08H : 02M

A stunned breath escaped his lips.

> "Unbelievable… This game is amazing. Everything feels so real."

He stretched slightly.

His body still hurt, but something about the pain felt meaningful—earned.

Even the sleep… felt like actual sleep.

The warmth of the fire. The smell of wood. The aura of every "NPC" around him—it wasn't just code.

> "They feel… just as real as me."

His eyes drifted to his wrist.

The bangles.

Smooth, metallic, fused to his forearms like guardians. As he raised his hand, the moonlight reflected off them with a faint gleam.

A sudden flash tore through his memory.

> —Yug's weapon crashing down—

—Harsha raising his forearms—

—The bangles absorbing the full force without cracking.

He stared at them, now with growing wonder.

> "I blocked that attack with these..."

He tapped them gently.

> "They're unbreakable," he whispered.

"Good… I can use them. Not just for tradition—but for survival."

Outside, the night wind howled across the wooden walls of the hut.

Harsha sat at the edge of the bed, muttering to himself :- "Six days left... fifty stones... and I'm just getting started."

Just then, the door creaked open.

Two girls stepped inside wearing casual nightwear—shorts and loose t-shirts. One was Zara, the ever-sharp goblin girl with a commanding presence. The other, a shy human girl, stood close behind her, half-hiding.

Harsha's eyes widened. His entire body froze.

Two mature-looking girls. Nighttime. Same room.

His brain shouted: Abort mission!

He stood up instantly, blushing like a kettle about to whistle.

"W-Why are you two in my room?! It's the middle of the night! A-And you're dressed—"

He covered his eyes dramatically. "—like this?!"

The human girl shrunk behind Zara, hiding her smile.

Zara raised an eyebrow. "Your room? Are you stupid?"

She stepped in, hands on hips. "This is my room. Where else do you think we'd sleep?"

Harsha blinked. "Wait—so why did you bring me here?"

The human girl peeked out and said gently, "You were injured, mister. This was the closest room near the arena."

Zara shrugged. "And this is the only vacant room. All the others are full. So stop acting like a spoiled prince."

Before Harsha could respond, the door burst open again.

Two more girls—around his age—dashed inside, laughing.

"Big sis Zara! All work's done!"

They instantly jumped onto one of the beds, claiming it with the speed of wild cats.

Zara pointed to the other bed. "Nayra, you sleep there."

"But what about you?" Nayra asked.

"I'll sleep on his bed," Zara said coolly, pointing at Harsha. "I don't trust him. You're too innocent to share a bed with this guy. If he even twitches suspiciously, I'll personally kick his ass."

Harsha's soul nearly left his body.

"I-I'll just go," he said, awkwardly trying to stand. "I'll find somewhere else."

Zara stepped in front of him. "Where do you think you're going? You still owe me—for saving your life, remember?"

Harsha gave an awkward smile. "I just… I have some, uh… personal business."

Zara narrowed her eyes. "At this hour? What kind of shady business?"

Harsha leaned in with a serious expression. "I need to use the bathroom. Can I please go?"

Zara made a dramatic angry face, puffing her cheeks like a child. "Hmph. Fine."

Harsha limped out of the room like an old man. While passing through the corridor, he noticed someone sleeping on the couch.

As he got closer, he recognized the face.

"Yug…" he whispered, surprised.

Yug was fast asleep, curled up, peaceful.

Harsha looked at him for a moment and smiled faintly. "I wish I had won… Having someone like him beside me… these deadly quests might not feel so impossible."

He sighed and continued to the washroom.

When he returned, the room was filled with the soft sound of breathing. Everyone had fallen asleep.

Zara had stolen his bed, lying diagonally like a queen, limbs spread across the mattress.

Harsha just smiled. "Figures."

Without a word, he turned and walked outside. Past the inner walls of the stadium, onto the open field under the starry sky.

He lay down on the grass, gazing up.

"Wow…" he murmured. "Everything feels so peaceful here. Honestly… better than Earth."

Then a quiet voice spoke beside him.

"May I join you, Mr. Harsha?"

A small goblin boy stood nearby—one of Zogo's servant boys.

Harsha smiled and patted the grass. "Sure."

The boy lay beside him, both staring at the sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" the goblin said.

Harsha nodded. "Yeah…"

"But not for everyone," the boy added quietly.

Harsha turned toward him.

"The world is cruel," the boy continued. "Some live their lives wishing for things they'll never have."

Harsha sighed. "Yeah. I get that."

The boy looked up. "I'm Zubo. A goblin slave… from Rajyalok."

Harsha blinked. "Wait, you're a slave? I thought only humans were treated that way here."

Zubo shook his head. "Rajyalok is the land of High Goblins. Pure bloodlines. Even goblins like me are treated as trash if we're not born noble."

He paused, then whispered, "There are rumors. Some of them can travel across realms. Some possess magical powers beyond anything we understand."

Harsha's eyes widened. "Magical powers?"

Zubo nodded. "Mrs. Sephara once told me… there's a stone. If it chooses you, it awakens the elemental power inside your soul."

Harsha felt something shift inside him. A strange familiarity. Like déjà vu.

That word.

Elemental.

"Who is Mrs. Sephara… to all of you?" Harsha asked quietly.

Zubo's expression softened.

"She's not from here. A mysterious human girl. No one knows where she came from. But she was obsessed with gems and inventions. That drew attention from greedy goblins."

"Because she wasn't a contracted slave," he added. "She had no master. That made her… dangerous."

Harsha listened intently.

"She was targeted by many. There were even fights over her. Then Zogo stepped in. With only four warriors, including himself, he defeated 17 marshal goblins and nearly 3000 troops to protect her."

Harsha's jaw dropped slightly.

"But ten years later," Zubo continued, "Zogo lost everything. His precious daughter and son-in-law… executed in front of his eyes. It broke him."

Harsha remained silent.

"We orphans… were raised by Zogo's daughter before she died," Zubo added softly. "After she was gone, Zogo took all of us in. He protects us now."

Zubo smiled. "Yug is the son of one of those warriors. He's our leader. Even though he's younger than most of us, he inspires us."

"He makes us believe… that we can be stronger than even the High Goblins. That we can rise."

He paused, his gaze firm beneath the moonlight.

> "We all want to grow stronger—not just for ourselves, but to change this cruel system.

To rise above the bloodline chains.

And one day… to take revenge for Yug's parents and the warriors who gave everything for us."

Harsha stared at Zubo, his chest heavy with something he couldn't name—respect, sorrow… maybe purpose.

He looked up at the stars again. The sky felt endless.

> "Whoever made this game… really thought of everything. These characters, this pain, this history… it all feels so alive."

He turned toward Zubo and whispered with a half-smile, "Alright then… what's next?"

No answer.

Zubo was already fast asleep beside him, curled up like a child under the night sky.

Harsha chuckled softly.

Yeah… fair enough."

He closed his eyes, letting the cool breeze brush across his face, and for the first time in days…

…he felt at peace.