As the school day ended, Arata walked out of the school building surrounded by friends. The four of them strolled along, talking to each other.
"What do you got going on this weekend, Kazuto?"
"Who knows... Maybe he got a girlfriend; that's why he doesn't want to hang out with us."
"Hey, stop teasing. I'm just busy for the weekend."
"Well, we already know Arata's not coming." The blonde kid looked at him and said, "He's always busy playing some VR game or something."
"Huh! What's wrong with spending the weekend playing games?"
"What's wrong is you're addicted. It's literally all you do nowadays."
He rolled his eyes to the side. "Just try not to die playing, alright?"
Arata laughed. "Of course. I'm not that far gone."
They continued strolling until they went their separate ways. Arata walked through a bustling district, looking at the displays of the shops.
"I'm nearly through with my last game; what other game should I get?"
"Hello kid."
Arata jerked back as he reflexively eyed the man.
"No need to worry; you just caught my attention. You seem bored."
The man reached into his suit jacket. "Why not try out a free game? It's in its beta test, and we'd appreciate your thoughts on it."
He waved a game case in the air. Despite the situation, he looks professional enough.
Arata walked away. "No thanks; I'll find something else."
"It'll take you out of this world."
Arata stopped right in his tracks as he turned to look at the man. "Out of this world?"
"It connects your mind to the world of Arkiel, a world of fantasy and wonder. It might be in beta testing, but I assure you that the experience is out of this world."
He looked Arata in the eye. "If you agree, you could experience this new world for yourself."
Arata grimaced, furiously thinking about it. A strange man approached him and offered him a free game. It sounds fishy, but...
"Fine, I'll take the game."
"Excellent! Just insert the game and start right away."
A mysterious grin marked his face. "Just remember... No second chances."
Arata turned to the man, trying to ask about what he said, but he had disappeared into the crowd.
Arata walked home with the game in hand. He changed out of his uniform and took a bath. After dinner, he went up to his room and noticed the game he left on the bed.
"I guess I could jump in just to check it out. It is the weekend."
He inserted the game into his computer and connected it to his VR set. He wore the headset and laid down on the bed.
"Let's login."
Arata is transported to a field of grass with a lone tree.
"Whoa! The graphics are so real! I can hear the wind blowing through the fields and along my skin."
He took a moment to take in the realism of everything around him. The stunning sunrise, the rustling of his clothes, the scrunchy sound of grass as he twirled around, the feeling of the wind. It was unrealistic how real everything felt."I could be fooled into believing this wasn't a game if not for this text showing up at the right corner."
"Safe Zone. I guess that means that this is an area where monsters won't be able to attack. Better mark this place on the map."
Arata pulled up the interface. He scrolled through, looking for the map.
"Weird. What type of game like this doesn't have a map?"
He opened the inventory. A dagger was all that was there. He pulled out the dagger and twirled it around.
"I guess I'll just have to stay close enough to retreat. It shouldn't take too long to understand its mechanics."
Arata scowled, searching for some prey. An alert went off; he had stepped out of the safe zone. He cautiously moved through the grass, looking for some prey. A wild boar spawned and darted towards him.
"Here we go."
The boar jumped, aiming for his chest, but he ducked and used his blade to slice its gut. The boar landed on the ground, its body limp and lifeless. Arata panted, hands on his knees.
"What's going on?"
Arata checked his stat screen. He noticed an orange bar that was nearly depleted.
"This most be for stamina then.". Arata tapped on it, and a screen with more information showed up.
"So if I run out of stamina, I'd gain a "tired" debuff. Then the point it goes into the negatives, it'll start eating out of my HP.". Arata closed the screen and walked over to the boar.
"Let's see its stats.". He pulled up a screen that showed info on the boar.
"Level 25! I'm only level 1."
"It must be weak prey. I guess that means this place is relatively safe."
He looked around.
"Not gonna lie. This game is kinda fun. I should log off, though. It'll probably get late soon."
He walked back to the safe zone and rested by the tree. He opened up the interface to exit the game.
"What's going on?! I can't find the log out button!". He tried to remove his headset.
"It's not going to work.", A voice echoed around him.
He jumped, searching for the source of the mysterious voice he heard.
"You're not going to find me."
"Who are you?"
"I don't know. I guess you can say I'm the one who trapped you here."
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? For fun."
"What! You trapped me here for fun?!"
"Yeah! You're someone who always had everything. Money, looks, friends, a loving family, athletic and smart, even luck. I just wanted to see how you'd react if you lost everything and had to start from scratch."
"Don't mess around. You're trying to say that you've been stalking me and decided to trap me in a game?!"
She chuckled. "Yes, I've been watching you, and now you're my new interest."
"What!"
"You were blessed from birth, in a way that most people aren't. Given what everyone longs for with nothing to want. A life with zero complaints.
I wanted to see if you could survive in a new world, provided with no special treatment."
"Wait! This isn't funny! How do I get back?!"
"Hmm. If you're so insistent, all you have to do is clear the game."
"How do I do that?"
"Gather all the legendary artifacts."
"Legendary artifacts? What are they like?"
"Sorry, but I'm not going to answer that."
"Why?!"
"Because... I told you, I want to see how you survive with no special treatment. You know what I've told you, so go." The voice fades.
Arata falls back against the tree.
"No way! I'm trapped in some kind of twisted game.
I guess I'll have to find all those "Legendary Artifacts" to escape.
This is why you don't accept free games from weird men in suits."
A moment passed. He stood and stroked his chin.
"I need to get to town. I'll most likely be able to get more information about what they are there. I could also find a way to make money since killing the boar didn't seem to give me any money or drops.
It should be close. Considering how safe this area is, I'll say it should be near some sort of beginner town. I should head there."
He looked around and headed to his right, blade at the ready. by