"A lot of death these days," Rain muttered under his breath as he browsed through his phone.

The 'death in sleep' stories had become so numerous lately that they even appeared in his news feed.

Rain wasn't interested in these kinds of things, so he quickly scrolled away. The deaths lingered in his mind, though.

How scary, Rain thought, glancing at the clock.

[2:07 AM]

Is it that late already?

Rain turned off his phone and tried to sleep. He still had class tomorrow, and at this rate, he would surely end up sleeping in Mrs. Roger's class again.

Twisting and turning, Rain squirmed under his blanket. The news still haunted him, and his mind swirled in different directions that made it impossible to sleep.

It took another hour of thinking about numerous useless things and another hour to finally fall asleep.

In his dreams, Rain saw his own death, even seeing his lifeless body sprawled on the bed.

His eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright, panting and gasping for air. The light was blinding, but he didn't mind as he frantically checked himself to ensure he was fine.

When he was certain he was alive, Rain wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Whew. It was only a dream."

It was all that news' fault, Rain thought.

Wait.

Why is it so hot? It felt like he was basking under the sun.

Rain got out of bed, but as soon as his feet touched the ground, he jolted from the sudden burn and leapt back onto his mattress.

"What the–!"

Rain stared at the ground, baffled as the stone floor seemed to have transformed into dry, cracked earth.

"What's this?"

It was only then that Rain noticed his surroundings. He was no longer in his familiar bedroom. The walls, once adorned with posters and shelves, had turned into rough, earthen barriers. The air was thick and dry, and the heat was almost unbearable.

Rain's heart raced as he took in the surreal scene.

All he saw was a desolate, endless stretch of sand and rock. Charred trees and shrubs struggled to survive, and eroded rock formations adopted curious shapes.

A faint hint of sulfur and brine burned across his nose. The eerie wailing of the wind never ceased. The searing heat of the sun scorched his face, neck, and ears.

He was in the middle of nowhere!

Where am I? He wondered, his mind racing with a thousand of questions.

He reached out to touch the ground, feeling the gritty texture under his fingers, confirming that it was really dry earth.

"I get it . . ." Rain chuckled a little, the dry, sandy air leaving a gritty taste in his mouth. "I must still be dreaming."

"Greetings player!"

Rain's head whipped to the sudden voice and saw a swirling ball of light staring at him face to face.

"What's this?"

"I am %$@#*&."

"Huh? What?"

"You are Rain Weathers, player #1047. As a new player in the Spirit Realm, I, as your guide, will explain the basics to you."

Rain tilted his head to the side. "Player?"

"That's right. I know this might be confusing at first, but the universe has chosen you to be a player in this world, the SPIRIT REALM!"

"Huh?" Rain crossed his hands and thought for a minute. Then he snapped his fingers. "I get it! This is part of a dream."

He went back into bed and covered himself with a blanket. "If I go back to sleep, I'll surely wake up in my room."

Suddenly, the bed disappeared, and Rain fell onto the hot, barren ground. He jolted and squirmed from the sudden burn.

"Oh, sorry about that," the ball of light said. "Let me give you your beginners gear."

With a snap, Rain's pajamas were replaced with leather armor, pants, and boots.

Rain sighed in relief as he could no longer feel the burning earth beneath his feet. But he had another problem — if he could feel the burn, then . . .

Rain's eyes widened. "This is REAL?!"

"You're rather slow, aren't you?" the ball of light dryly remarked.

Rain ignored it and grabbed his head, looking down at his feet, his mind blank.

"Ahem. Anyway, back to the topic. Rain Weathers, you have been chosen as a player in this realm. Develop your territory, defend it, and become a lord, and you will be rewarded!

"The first step to ruling vast empires and managing your territory is to create your own. Think about the kind of nation you want to build! You might want a brutal halfling nation hungry for expansion. Or perhaps a nation of cultists, psionically controlled by a powerful entity. Maybe you aim to raise a mighty kenku empire, seeking to restore your people's ability to fly.

"Or do you enjoy politics and the intrigue of infighting within a duke's royal family? Or do you want to summon powerful angels as wizards, wielding earth-shattering spells? Perhaps you prefer to manipulate the world's power behind the scenes with blackmail, assassins, and a robust thieves' guild.

"Anything is possible here as long as you're a player!"

Rain blinked and then stared at the ball of light. "Uhmm . . . can I not?"

"Yes, yes. You must be thrilled and excited . . . wait, WHAT?! What are you talking about? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You can wield magic, fight beasts, and become a lord of legends!"

"No, thanks."

". . ." The ball of light swirled frantically. "Hmm . . . I know some humans might see this as a tragedy. Your life is constantly on the line, and you could die at any time, but still . . ."

"Huh? What was that?"

"Anyway, the universe has already chosen you, so there's no turning back! You have no choice but to accept your fate, become a lord, or . . ."

". . . or?"

"You will die, both spirit and body."

". . ."

Rain didn't know what to feel or what to make of this situation.

"Anyway, being a player in this world means you can take resources from here back to your real world. High risk equals high rewards. All you have to do is develop your territory, defend it, and become a Lord. Simple right?"

Rain still hadn't gotten over the dying part.

"If you have any more questions, you can access your [Library], [Stats], and other information in your [Menu]. It can be accessed through thought, so make use of it."

The ball of light continued to speak, but Rain still couldn't get past the dying part.

The ball of light finally said its goodbyes. "Nice to meet you, Rain Weathers, and I hope you become a great Lord someday. Until we meet again."

The ball of light couldn't wait to get out of there. Dealing with players was its least favorite thing to do.

As the ball of light disappeared, various notifications appeared before Rain's eyes:

[Obtain Title: New Player]

[Obtain Territory: (?) The Barren Wasteland]

[Obtain Soldiers: Random Tokens x5]

[Obtain, Common Adventuring Garb x1]

This . . . this can't be happening!

Rain shot up in bed, panting and heaving. Looking around frantically, he saw his familiar room and closed his eyes in relief.

It was all a dream.

Thank goodness.

Rain didn't know what he would do if it were real.

SLAaAmM!

The door to his room burst open, and several men in black suits and sunglasses stormed in.

"Rain Weathers, come with us."