Kazuo slowly awoke, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face and the soft murmur of the wind caressing his skin. He opened his eyes and found himself in a vast open field that stretched as far as the eye could see. The tall grass danced to the rhythm of the breeze, and the deep blue sky was adorned with white clouds that looked like soft brushstrokes on an infinite canvas. On the horizon, the edge of a forest rose like a dark green shadow, and beyond that, the silhouettes of snow-capped mountains crowned the landscape.
He stood up slowly, surveying his surroundings with a cold, analytical gaze. There were no signs of paths, buildings, or other players around him. Nature in its purest form surrounded him, everything was too vivid, too real. The air smelled of damp earth, and the wind caressed his skin as if he were in a physical world.
'Where am I...?' he murmured, barely audible.
Fragments of memory slowly returned. He remembered connecting the virtual reality helmet to try out Aether's Realm, the MMORPG that promised an immersive experience like no other. However, what he was experiencing exceeded all expectations. If this was a game, it didn't seem to follow the conventional rules.
He stood up and began to walk with steady steps, assessing every detail of his surroundings.
He waved his hand in the air, an automatic gesture learned in other games, hoping to open the map. To his surprise, a translucent window appeared, displaying empty statistics marked with question marks: Name: Kazuo Level: ? Class: ? Strength: ? Agility: ? Stamina: ? Skills: ?
Kazuo stared at the window for a moment, but closed it with a quick gesture. There were no options to log out or tutorials explaining what to do. Any sense of familiarity vanished; this world seemed designed to challenge him in ways he did not yet understand.
The sound of a low growl broke the calm. Without changing his expression, Kazuo turned his head towards the nearby forest, where a dark figure was slowly emerging from among the trees. The creature moved with heavy but calculated steps, like a predator that knew exactly where its prey was. Kazuo stood still in the tall grass, camouflaged by his surroundings. However, the beast turned its head directly towards him, its eyes burning like embers, fixed on his location.
Kazuo maintained his calm posture, but the fact that it had located him so effortlessly intrigued him. He watched the monster's movements closely, trying to understand how it had detected him.
The creature charged at him with surprising speed, but Kazuo did not flinch. Moving with calculated precision, he dodged the attack at the last second, letting the claws graze his arm. The pain was real, stinging, but Kazuo ignored it. His movements were fluid and methodical. He grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it with force at the monster's head. The impact caused the creature to stagger, giving him a few seconds to act.
The energy he had felt before began to flow through his body. It was like a raging torrent, a force he couldn't explain but knew how to use. Concentrating it in his fist, he launched a direct punch at the creature, guided instinctively by something new and unknown.
The impact echoed through the air. The creature disintegrated into a cloud of black dust, leaving behind absolute silence. A pop-up window appeared in front of Kazuo:
'Congratulations. You have defeated your first enemy. Skill acquired: "Eye of the Soul."'
As soon as he closed the window, something changed in his perception. Instantly, he noticed a faint translucent glow nearby, something he would not have been able to see before. He turned his head towards the source of the light and made out a small burrow between some nearby rocks. Inside, a rabbit moved cautiously, its aura dancing faintly as if emitting a faint energy.
Kazuo narrowed his eyes, processing the revelation. It was no coincidence. The creature he had just defeated had used that same ability to locate him, sensing his presence even through his camouflage. Now, that power was his.
'Ability acquired by defeating the enemy...' he muttered to himself.The logic was clear, but there was still much to explore. If that creature possessed such useful power, what other abilities could he gain by facing stronger enemies?
With this thought in mind, Kazuo turned on his heels and resumed his journey. In the distance, a village surrounded by a rudimentary palisade rose up, its lights flickering faintly in the distance. As he drew nearer, he began to notice the activity: players chatting in groups, others selling items at makeshift wooden stalls, and some simply sitting, their faces marked by confusion and uncertainty.
In the central square, Kazuo passed by a group of organised players. A young woman with red hair and a determined look on her face was leading the conversation.
'We need to specialise now,' she said, pointing to the statistics floating in front of them. 'If we don't have defined roles, we won't survive in the long run.''Aiko, do you really think we have time for this?' replied another player, a burly man who seemed hesitant.'If we don't start now, we won't have time later,' she replied firmly.
Kazuo walked by, listening without intending to stop. Aiko's words didn't interest him, but they reminded him of his own statistics. He moved his hand again to open them, only to find the same questions in every category.'Nothing has changed...' he thought, his expression cold and distant. There was no more time to reflect; something was about to happen.Suddenly, a message appeared in the air, visible to all players:'Welcome to Aether's Realm. The following rules govern your survival in this world:'Disconnection Conditions:Disconnection from the outside world will result in immediate death.
If you attempt to force disconnection from within the game, the system will execute the same termination protocol.Rules of Mortality:If you die here, you will also die in the real world.There are no second chances.Game Objective:Escape by defeating the Final Boss, whose location will be revealed upon defeating all Intermediate Bosses.The 9 Kingdoms are ruled by their own Kings, whose territories contain intermediate bosses. Defeating them will be key to advancing.Power System:Your power is defined by your physique, skills, and decisions. Some special skills can be acquired by defeating unique enemies.World Evolution:
The environment and monsters will evolve over time, adapting to the players' actions.As chaos unfolded in the village, images began to appear on large floating screens showing what was happening inside the game. At the same time, in the real world, news reports began to reveal the shocking reality: hundreds of players were trapped in a deadly game from which they could not escape.
On the news, anchors spoke with tense expressions as live footage from inside the game was projected, showing the desperation, battles, and interactions between players. Social media exploded with hashtags like #AetherCrisis and #VirtualTrapped, amplifying global fear.
Meanwhile, players in the village tried to come to terms with the gravity of the situation. Some huddled together in desperate attempts to plan, while others stood motionless, staring blankly. Among them, whispers grew louder:
'This can't be happening!' shouted a man as he covered his face with his hands, trembling. 'My brother disappeared an hour ago... that monster killed him and just vanished!' added another, sobbing loudly as his companions tried to calm him down.
The tension in the place was palpable. No one knew what to do, and fear seemed to paralyse them all. Then Aiko, her red hair tied back messily and her eyes full of determination, stepped forward towards the men. Her voice was soft but firm, cutting through the chaos with unexpected calm.
'Your brother... we may not be able to bring him back,' she said, kneeling in front of the crying man, looking directly into his eyes. 'But you can't let this consume you. He fought... and you can fight for all those who remain here.'
The man looked up at Aiko, his tears still falling as his body shook. She reached out a hand to hold his shoulder, a light touch but full of warmth.'You are not alone,' she added, her voice softer now.The man nodded slowly, as if Aiko's words had found a place in his despair. The other players who had been watching silently began to straighten up, inspired by the courage and compassion radiating from Aiko.
Kazuo watched the scene in silence, moving through the crowd with his characteristic calm. While panic consumed the players, he remained focused, assessing the situation. There was something about this chaos that was strangely familiar to him. He knew that the key to survival was not to get carried away by emotions, but to adapt quickly.Then, a blood-curdling roar interrupted the moment. From a nearby alleyway, a creature unlike any seen before emerged. Its body was covered in black scales, its size surpassing that of any wolf, and instead of normal hind legs, it had limbs resembling bird claws. Its eyes, glowing like embers, exuded an intent to hunt and destroy.
The creature did not stop. It charged directly at a group of players trying to retreat, striking them with its scaly tail and throwing them to the ground like rag dolls. Screams filled the square as some tried to flee, and others were paralysed in place.
Kazuo remained motionless, watching the monster's every move with precision. His body seemed to act on reflex: he analysed its position, attack patterns and possible openings for counterattack.When the monster noticed him, its fiery eyes focused on him, and Kazuo took a step forward, keeping his cool.The creature roared and charged at him with its tail raised, seeking to sweep him away in a single movement. With quick, calculated movements, Kazuo dodged the attack. His feet slid with precision, and his body moved fluidly, as if every muscle knew exactly what to do.
In an instant, he felt that latent energy inside him again. It was a feeling of pure power, like a torrent waiting to be unleashed. As the creature lunged at him once more, Kazuo concentrated that energy in his fist and delivered a devastating blow to the monster's chest.
The impact reverberated throughout the square, and nearby players froze, watching in disbelief as the creature disintegrated into a cloud of ash. Kazuo slowly lowered his fist, watching the remains of the monster dissipate into the air.
Silence filled the place for a moment before murmurs began to grow. Some players whispered among themselves, astonished by the scene.'Who is that guy? How could he defeat it so easily?'
Kazuo ignored the whispers. He looked around, assessing the square. Although he had defeated the creature, he knew this was only the beginning. Beyond the village's borders, much greater challenges awaited him.
As he walked away from the square, the floating screens showing the game broadcast began to focus on him. Unbeknownst to him, Kazuo had become the centre of attention, both within the game and in the real world.