15 years ago, a virtual reality game was suddenly released by an unnamed game company that shocked the world. The game was called "Destiny", which gave players a real experience as if they were in another world.

The real experience here is not mentioned metaphorically but is truly real. The game even brings the realistic aspect to a level where the human brain cannot distinguish between reality and virtual reality.

The game's setting is in a world where there are various conflicts of interest with each other. Destiny carries a classic fantasy theme with a medieval feel combined with a little touch of technology. With various fantasy skills that can be enjoyed like in the novels that are circulating out there.

Even on the first day of sales, 'Destiny' sales reached more than 100 million enthusiasts and destroyed the games that existed at that time.

Like a wheel that always turns, when something is on top, it will eventually come down too.

The popularity of the Destiny game did not last long. After five years, many players stopped playing the game 'Destiny'

Why?

There are many factors such as the very high level of difficulty, there are no parameters that can help players in the game other than the status screen, and the worst is the absence of a save and load feature in the game. So if the player dies while playing, all the progress they have made will be lost and they have to start over again.

Who would keep starting over when they die while playing a game? Even for hardcore players, the person who made this feature is crazy.

Regardless of how the "Destiny" era ended, the game offered several features that have never been seen in other games. Interaction between players and NPCs can be done freely, and CGI can be offered to players in a very realistic way. Even experts around the world have said that games like Destiny will never appear with their current technology.

In one of the rooms in a large mansion.

"haah… in the end we have to part"

Ivo stared at the quantum reality technology (QRT) device that was the place to play the destiny game and recalled the days he had gone through so far.

Various memories came to his mind starting from the first time he played the Destiny game, the difficulties he experienced, how he had to repeat just to learn how magic energy works, and even writing dozens of books related to 'Destiny' that were currently piled up in his room in order to pass the academy arc. A smile appeared on his face as he remembered those things.

But the smile on his face quickly disappeared. The emptiness in his heart quickly appeared in his heart. Even the large room where he had spent years felt very cramped.

15 years spent playing Destiny without interacting with other people, but that didn't bother him. Even when he reached a stage where he couldn't continue anymore, he didn't express emotions such as sadness, disappointment, or anger. Even though I have to start over from the beginning just because of one mistake, it makes me happy to have played this game.

I took a deep breath and calmed my chaotic thoughts and suppressed the emotions in my heart. In the end, I have to move forward to live my life.

Knock-knock…

A knock on the door was heard from outside. The door opened and a woman who Ivo barely remembered was his father's secretary was waiting.

"Mr. Ivo, it's time to attend your father's funeral"

"Okay, I'll go out"

I moved out of the room and walked out of the mansion. Along the way, I looked at the rooms that I passed one by one. Even though this was the mansion I lived in, the feeling it gave was very foreign to me because I had no interest in anything other than Destiny.

Along the hallway, I felt strange, the servants who passed by avoided me and hurried past me. Seeing this, I felt awkward. Even though I had never interacted with them, I had never done anything wrong to them either. I ignored what was happening and continued walking to the exit.

Outside, a young man stood looking at his watch. He was wearing a white coat with various accessories around his body. Even so, it was in harmony with his sturdy body and handsome appearance. His face showed a bright smile as if he was the happiest person in the world. He was my younger brother, the person who would soon be appointed as the successor to all the companies owned by my father.

"Brother, you finally came out of that room. Isn't it good if you go out once in a while?"

I glanced at my younger brother but ignored him and walked towards the car that had been prepared.

"Brother, isn't it a bit cruel to ignore your brother like that?" 

"Well, it's not like I don't know your nature. You didn't even shed a tear when our parents died and just locked yourself in your game room. Are you even a human?" His face showed a disgusting smile.

Those words echoed in my ears. I stopped walking and stared intently at my little brother. Although he showed a smile on his face, in my eyes his smile was truly disgusting. I was about to reply to his words but pain struck my entire body. I fell and blood flowed out of my stomach.

"Y-you..."

I turned to my little brother who was standing there. The smile on his face had disappeared and he walked closer. He bent down and looked at me with cold eyes while holding a gun in his right hand. The eyes that were shown to me now were the same as the eyes during the incident that night.

"So that's how it is..."

No answer came out and the atmosphere became very silent.

'It ended up like this huh'. I looked around with my remaining strength. No one cared about my current situation. The servants who peeked from various gaps in the house, my father's secretary who averted her gaze, and the car driver who didn't even look back when the murder was committed. They were all likely involved in my little brother's actions,

Maybe this was planned by everyone or whatever their reasons were. Whether they were threatened if they spread what happened right now or if they participated in my little brother's plan, I didn't care anymore.

Besides, I had nothing but the game I always played.

My little brother stood up and pointed the gun right at my head. He pulled the trigger while saying his last words before I died.

"Human greed knows no bounds. No matter what world it is, humans will only move for their own interests. Goodbye, my stupid brother..."

***

"Hey, wake up... Hey..."

I felt a tremor in my body. At first, it was just a small tremor but the tremor became stronger and stronger until I started to feel uncomfortable. 'Can you stop doing that.'

Ivo slowly opened his eyes. In front of him was a man with a very handsome face. He had black hair with eyes that were a mix of blue and gold. His body was very beautiful with perfect proportions. If the concept of handsomeness could be shown physically, then the person in front of him was that concept.

But I seemed to know this person's appearance. He really resembled one of the most influential characters in the Destiny game.

"Hey, are you okay?" The person asked in a worried tone.

"Okay… I'm fine." I nodded while answering the person.

A relieved expression appeared and a smile appeared on his face, but his expression showed a sad face as if he pitied me.

"It's good that you're okay. Next time don't sleep in a place like this, I know you're excited to enroll in the academy but don't push yourself to the point of sleeping outside like this."

After saying that he got up and said goodbye. He walked away and disappeared from the crowd.

Seeing things happen so fast, I didn't know what was happening right now. The last memory I knew was when I was about to be killed by my little brother.

"Well… I have to understand my situation now. I should have died by then but no matter how I look at it this isn't an afterlife or anything."

I looked around and suddenly I felt nostalgic. I remember this place, a city that was always filled with people day and night, the beauty of the architecture that was enchanting, various students in blue uniforms with elegant white robes, and most importantly 5 towers could even be seen from afar.

Somehow this scene felt very familiar.

"No.. impossible, this really can't be happening right" I fell into a state of panic and denied all the thoughts in my head

I shook my head and when something caught my attention.

There, is a poster stuck on the wall with a white snow crystal logo. When I saw it my mind was immediately confused. The thing I didn't want to see the most and it immediately destroyed all the hopes I had built when I woke up.

There was only one sentence written there. But that one sentence was something that if seen by people in my previous world would make people scream, and curse all day long.

[White Snow Academy student recruitment]

That's right, I was transported into the world of 'Destiny'.