The protagonist, a former world-ranking #1 player in the VRMMORPG "Crest Online" (Creon), receives a mysterious message from the game's administrators inviting him to test new content. Upon accepting, he is transported into the game world, retaining his memories of both his past life as a Japanese player and his current life as Zeros Silfide, the second son of a marquis. He finds himself at his 15th birthday ceremony, the "Emblem Bestowal," where players receive their chosen Emblem.
To his surprise, Zeros receives the "Emblem of Nothingness," an incredibly rare and powerful Emblem that allows the user to acquire all inheritance skills, unlike other Emblems which are limited to specific skill trees. This is a significant advantage, as inheritance skills are obtained from challenging "Inheritance Shrines" and are crucial for becoming powerful. However, his half-brother, Dion, mocks him, boasting about his own "Emblem of All," a beginner's Emblem considered worthless by experienced players. Zeros then realizes the shocking truth: he is not in the game's present, but 1000 years in the future, a fact confirmed by a statue of "Zeronity," the hero who defeated the "Evil God" in a raid he participated in.
In this future world, the concept of Inheritance Shrines and their importance is lost. Consequently, the Emblem of Nothingness, which grants no initial or growth skills but unlocks all inheritance skills, is misunderstood as useless, while the Emblem of All, which provides many initial skills, is favored. Zeros's father, Duke Silfide, a proponent of strength, is disappointed by his son's Emblem and dismisses him.
Armed with his knowledge of the game and the unique potential of his Emblem, Zeros resolves to become the strongest once again. He begins by venturing into the F-rank dungeon "Novice Training Ground," where he easily defeats goblins using his superior player skills, leveling up and confirming that his game knowledge translates to this world. He successfully defeats the dungeon boss, the "Lightly Armored Knight," and accesses the Inheritance Shrine, acquiring the skill "Parry." He then proceeds to the next F-rank dungeon, "Thorn Needle Den," where he encounters a boy named Il, who is struggling with his "Emblem of Shield." Zeros, using his newly acquired "Slash" skill, swiftly defeats the monsters threatening Il. He learns that Il was tricked into believing he needed to solo the dungeon to join a party, a common issue for players with less popular Emblems in the early game. Zeros encourages Il, revealing his own Emblem of Nothingness but allowing Il to believe he defeated the monsters without skills, which inadvertently motivates Il. Zeros then proceeds to the Thorn Needle Den's Inheritance Shrine, acquiring the skill "Slash," which allows for ranged attacks, further enhancing his offensive capabilities.
