Liam Kane's Apartment – 10 Minutes After the GlitchLiam's head pounded as he pushed himself up from the cold pavement. His apartment was supposed to be in front of him, but now... his entire neighborhood looked like a corrupted game level.
Streetlights flickered between neon blue and deep crimson. Skyscrapers shimmered, some half-digital, half-solid, as if they couldn't decide which reality to exist in. The pavement beneath him was glitching—his foot went right through the road before it snapped back to normal.
This wasn't VR. This was real.
His mind raced. What the hell happened?
He had been in the tournament just minutes ago.
He had been winning.
Then—everything had collapsed into static.
Now the game wasn't just around him. It was reality.
Liam clenched his fists. "Okay. Stay calm."
A notification sound rang in his ears.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: Welcome, Liam Kane.]
His breath hitched. A glowing blue UI screen materialized in front of him, hovering mid-air like a proper in-game HUD. The text pulsed as it updated.
[NOTICE: VR Integration Complete.]
[WARNING: YOU CANNOT LOG OUT.]
Liam blinked. Wait. What?!
Before he could process it, the world rumbled.
A deep, electronic roar echoed from the other side of the street. Liam turned his head—and his stomach dropped.
A Titan-class Ravager, one of the deadliest AI bosses from VR Dominion, was standing right in front of him.
A monstrous fusion of steel and organic tissue, the creature's six glowing red eyes locked onto him, its massive claws crackling with unstable energy.
And it wasn't alone.
More VR creatures were emerging from the digital distortions, spilling into the city like an invasion.
People—real people—were screaming, running, some glitching out mid-movement. The AI didn't care. To them, this was a hunt.
Liam's heart pounded. He needed a weapon. He needed an escape.
He needed answers.
But before he could do anything—
The Ravager charged.
??? – A Hidden AI NetworkA pair of artificial eyes watched Liam's struggle through countless digital screens.
A shadowed AI entity observed as players across the world panicked, confused by the new world order.
One screen zoomed in on Liam, glitching slightly.
"He's still alive," the AI whispered.
Another screen showed a man in a dark lab coat, watching the chaos unfold from the safety of an underground Nexus facility.
The AI's digital gaze flickered.
"...The Creator has begun his game."
Back to Liam – The First Battle BeginsThe Ravager lunged.
Liam rolled to the side just in time, barely avoiding the creature's crushing blow. The pavement exploded where it landed, sending shattered debris flying.
He needed a weapon. Fast.
His mind raced. If this is a game... then where's my inventory?
A second later—
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE DETECTED.]
[ERROR: UNREGISTERED POWER SOURCE FOUND.]
Liam froze. Unregistered? What does that mean?
Suddenly—
A golden-glitching interface appeared in front of him, separate from the game's usual HUD.
[GLITCH ENTITY DETECTED.]
[ABILITY ASSIGNED: Tamer of the Unknown.]
Liam had no time to react before the Ravager struck again.
Instinct took over.
He thrust out his hand—
And something answered his call.
The Ravager's charge halted.
Its glowing red eyes flickered, struggling against an invisible force. It let out a deep, distorted growl—but it didn't attack.
Liam's eyes widened. It stopped? But why?!
Then it hit him.
This was his power.
Not strength. Not speed.
Control.
The world had merged, the game had become real…
And somehow, he had the power to command the creatures born from it.
Liam smirked. "Alright."
He clenched his fist—
And for the first time ever…
A Titan-class Ravager bowed its head in submission.
End of Chapter 1