Ryuji Lee ran through the school corridors, breathless.
He stopped at the end of a long hallway where there were no doors.
Just behind, five seventeen-year-old boys, the same age as Ryuji, surrounded him.
In the middle was the complete stereotype of a bully, a boy named Sakamoto.
Strong physique for his age, green eyes and platinum hair.
Completely different from Ryuji, with a lean physique, brown eyes and black hair.
Sakamoto smiled and said something to Ryuji.
"Did you really think you could run away like this?"
"I think he forgot he is yours puppy, boss."
"An owner always finds his lost dog, Ugly Ryuji."
The five laughed frantically.
Ugly Ryuji, that's how he was known at school.
A slave who was supposed to do the favors of Sakamoto and his gang, no questions asked.
Humiliate himself in front of girls? Ryuji had already done that.
Cursing a teacher? He was also forced to do this.
Be beaten thousands of times? It was like any other day in Ryuji's life.
He was Sakamoto's punching bag.
No girlfriend. No friends.
He was a disease to be avoided by everyone at school.
"If I were Power...!"
Sakamoto punched Ryuji in the stomach, who fell to his knees on the ground.
Without the strength to get up, he was panting and drooling as the pain spread through his body.
"Do you play Blackfield?"
Sakamoto approached Ryuji, holding him by the black strands of hair.
"I bet you are nothing in that game."
"Do you know how much the boss earns from Blackfield's live broadcasts?"
"Much more than you will do in the rest of your life."
"He might even start playing championships soon!"
They mocked Ryuji. He was used to it to the point where he didn't want to cry anymore.
Blackfield. The game where he was the most powerful player of all, where he was the "bully" of the other players and one day it was just over for good.
Or at least that's what Ryuji thought for several months in a row.
A year after the servers closed, the game was released again.
Synctech, the developer of the virtual reality helmet and Blackfield were bought by Japanese conglomerate Tossy.
They resumed game development and, within a year, with a powerful marketing, the game now just called Blackfield was the biggest commercial success in video game history.
In just a few days, they had already earned four times the amount invested in relaunching Blackfield.
Former players could not recover their old accounts and had to create new ones.
Power was not a name to remember when other legends emerged. The world ranking was a dispute for the podium of the best and strongest player.
But what really attracted players of all ages, whether children, adults or elder people, were the championships and live broadcasts.
An era of digital influencers focused only on Blackfield had begun.
It was practically impossible not to see someone who wasn't playing and recording the game. Besides being extremely profitable.
The tournaments that took place every month since the third month of the game's relaunch were another focus of thousands of players. Cash prizes with astronomical values and the chance to be considered the best in the world, across all servers.
When Ryuji discovered Blackfield's return, he wasn't eager or even willing to play the game again.
All he felt was disappointment.
For the rest of the year, he ignored Blackfield. He left the history of Power behind, returning to being a nobody as he always was.
It was time to show them what it's like to be the best player for real!
In the end, Sakamoto threw Ryuji in the trash.
"Go find your mommy, idiot."
Aya Hirano, one of the most popular girls in school, walked past Ryuji without even trying to face him.
She didn't even try to reach out to help him. Two completely different worlds.
Aya was not only known for being beautiful and extremely versatile in conversation, but for being one of Blackfield's greatest players today, remaining in the top 30 since she started playing.
She was considered Japan's future at the Blackfield Championships. The mountain of money she received was indescribable.
Aya only stayed in school because of her parents, who forced her to attend.
"Top thirty huh..."
Ryuji arrived home completely exhausted.
His mother, Inori, greeted him as she prepared dinner.
"How was school today son?"
Since he left Blackfield, Ryuji has reconnected with his family.
"It was normal, no big deal as usual."
His sister Haruka rushed past him to grab a slice of bread that was on the table.
"You stink, yuck!"
She held her nose and ran into her bedroom. Haruka was completely addicted to Blackfield, just like Ryuji a year ago.
"She doesn't give up on this game. Reminds me a little of you." Inori said laughing and Ryuji, not knowing how to react, also laughed.
He went upstairs to his room. His father, Lee Rae-won, was working outside the country.
Ryuji didn't have anyone to vent to, but he really missed his father.
The boy sat in the chair and felt something hit his foot. It was his virtual reality helmet.
He picked it up and spent a moment analyzing it. It was dusty.
"Championships. Streams. Money and fame."
"There was none of that when I played this game."
Ryuji remembered the insults, the constant intimidation and the people who ignored him.
He growled to himself and if he could, he would punch the computer itself.
"I'll show each of them!"
With a cloth, Ryuji wiped the dust-covered helmet. Fortunately, the device still worked.
He hooks it up, lies down on the bed in his smelly school clothes, and puts on his helmet.
The helmet was like a portable console. With its own launcher for downloading games.
There was no need to move, the moment you entered the game it was like having a lucid dream.
A conscious state of the brain, but the body is totally asleep.
Downloading the game took exactly 12 minutes.
[Loading]
[Wait]