Year 2132 – EARTH TIME
Velcro woke up with excitement. Today was the day of his long-awaited game release. After freshening up, he made a series of calls to finalize everything for the launch of the game he had spent the last ten years developing. At the age of 23, Velcro had a dream—to create a game where players could dive in completely, experiencing it as if they were living a second life. Now, at 33, his dream was finally a reality.
With all the calls made, Velcro waited, watching the clock tick down. At exactly 12 PM, he sent out the final message confirming the launch.
He stepped into the Capsule, a FullDive Machine, built by a subsidiary company known as FBCM. Velcro waited for the final confirmation.
Ding.
Asher: "It's done, Velcro. The game is live! All systems are stable. You're clear to dive in."
Velcro: "Great! Thanks, man. Keep up the good work. Don't forget to activate AUTO mode so we won't need to monitor the game directly."
Asher: "Already done, sir."
Velcro nodded and laid down inside the Capsule.
Ding.
{Do you wish to log in?}
[Yes] [No]
Without hesitation, Velcro pressed Yes. He finally logged into his game. The sense of immersion and wonder was beyond anything he had imagined. The world he had created was now fully alive, and he spent an entire week exploring, battling, and perfecting his character.
At last, he and his guild reached the first major boss—a towering beast with devastating attacks. Despite their efforts, they lost. Velcro found himself the last one standing as the boss prepared to land its final blow.
The boss struck him with a powerful upper slash, but instead of the usual respawn screen, Velcro was suddenly ejected from the game. He couldn't move. The Capsule wouldn't open. Pain began to sear through his body, as if he was being fried alive. His skin burned, and his final moments were filled with torturous screams—screams of pure agony, as though his body was engulfed in the fiercest flames.
And then... Velcro died.
For three long, dark years, Velcro's consciousness lingered in a void—an endless, silent expanse of nothingness. No light. No sound. Just void. In this empty space, he was left alone with his thoughts, slowly losing all sense of time and reality.
Until, without warning, a message appeared before him:
[A Gift Has Been Received]
...
...
...
[Would you like to open the gift?]
(Open) (Destroy)
...
Velcro hesitated, unsure of what was happening. With no other choice, he selected Open.
...
[Gift has been opened]
[The Gift Contains:]
...
{Infinite Stone System}
{System AI: SEBAS}
{Message from ####}
The words appeared, cryptic and foreboding. Before Velcro could comprehend their meaning, another message flashed across his vision:
[Destroying User Soul...]
...
"What?! Why would it destroy my soul?!" Velcro screamed in panic. "Stop it! Stop it now!"
The pain returned, far worse than before. His body convulsed as if being torn apart from the inside. For ten excruciating minutes, he endured agony beyond description, every nerve set ablaze.
And then, mercifully, it stopped.
Velcro gasped, drenched in sweat, his mind barely hanging on.
[User Soul Has Been Destroyed]
His essence, his very being, had been obliterated. He no longer existed as the person he once was. Yet something strange was happening.
[Combining User with the System...]
A cold, mechanical process began. It felt as if the very fabric of the universe was rewriting him. He had no control over it, and no understanding of why or how.
[Estimated Time to Complete Combination: Unknown]
Velcro waited. And waited. Time, or what seemed like it, passed endlessly. He had no sense of how long it had been—possibly billions of years.
"Huh, this is so dumb," he muttered. "I just want to sleep and feel nothing. How am I still awake, but not feeling any boredom or sadness? It's like I'm trapped in a dream where nothing changes…"
Ding.
[SEBAS: Master, you do not feel anything because the system has temporarily eliminated all emotional responses to help you endure the waiting process.]
"Huh? What the... Who are you?"
[SEBAS: Hello, Master. I am SEBAS, your personal System Assistant. I am fully integrated with the system and have access to all its knowledge to assist you in any way you need.]
Velcro blinked—or at least he thought he did. "And here I thought I was completely alone... Thanks, SEBAS. But how come I'm not even surprised by this? It feels weird not to have any emotions about what's happening."
[SEBAS: The lack of emotional response is temporary. For now, it is part of the system's protocol until you receive your new body.]
"New body?" Velcro asked, his curiosity spiking. "Wait—am I not human anymore? Please, explain everything."
[SEBAS: Certainly, Master. You are no longer human, as you were once. You have been integrated into something known as the Infinite Stone System. There are only five such stones in existence. The requirements to obtain one are unknown to me, as that information is classified, but you, Velcro, are one of those chosen.]
Velcro tried to grasp what SEBAS was saying. "So, I'm... a stone?"
[SEBAS: Yes, Master. You have been transformed into an Infinite Stone, an unbreakable entity. The purpose of creating all five of you is still unknown, but what is certain is that you now have the potential to become the strongest being in the universe. You will be able to explore infinite worlds, with varying energies and ecosystems. Through the system, you can purchase anything you desire with a currency called Cosmic Energy (CE). Since you were created from the same energy that forms the very fabric of the universes themselves, you have limitless potential.]
Velcro took a moment to process. "So... I'm this stone, and I can explore infinite worlds? And I can buy things with this Cosmic Energy?"
[SEBAS: Precisely, Master. As an Infinite Stone, you will have access to worlds and powers beyond human understanding. Is there anything else you would like me to explain?]
"Mmm, not for now," Velcro replied, thinking it through. "Could you let me know how long I need to wait?"
[SEBAS: Certainly, Master. The process will be complete in 231 hours. After that, you will be released to roam space until you find your first world. However, be warned—when you are first 'born,' you will be very weak. You could be shattered with just a touch, meaning death. To survive, you must absorb energy to strengthen yourself. The more energy you gather, the stronger you will become and the more advanced your form will be.]
Velcro raised an eyebrow—well, mentally, at least. "Absorbing energy to get stronger, huh? Sounds a bit complicated... and scary. Not that I feel scared, of course," he added, slightly amused by his own lack of emotions. "And what happens when I spend the energy?"
[SEBAS: Each time you reach a certain energy threshold, your strength will be locked at that level, even if you deplete all of your energy on purchases or other uses. You won't grow weaker, but to increase your power further, you must continue gathering energy.]
"Huh, that's good to know. So I'm not completely helpless... just fragile at first." Velcro gave a small, inward sigh. "Thanks, SEBAS. Let's just wait for the process to be done. Oh, and call me Vel from now on."
[SEBAS: Understood, Vel. I'll update you when the process is complete.]
Vel closed his thoughts, settling back into the endless void. Now, it was just a matter of waiting—for whatever came next.