The streets buzzed with quiet panic. The sky above swirled unnaturally, dark clouds twisting as if they reflected the fear and confusion below. People wandered aimlessly, whispering to each other in hushed tones, unsure of what had just happened. Some held onto each other. Others frantically looked around as if searching for answers.
Lex stood still, his face cold and indifferent. He watched the chaos spread, but it didn't faze him. He moved through the crowd, unnoticed and unaffected by the nervous glances and questions flying around him.
Suddenly, everyone's screens lit up with a new message:
[SUGGESTION: FIND A GAME MERCHANT IN THE WORLD AND BUY AN ITEM TO DEFEND YOURSELF.]
[You have received 10 coins from GAME.]
The crowd froze. Confused eyes darted between each other and the floating screens. Silence spread as everyone tried to make sense of what was happening. But just as the questions began to form, another message appeared:
[An attack wave is imminent. Survive this first attack wave to awaken your "aspect."]
Fear hit the crowd like a wave. People began talking loudly, panicking.
"Attack? What kind of attack? By what? Aliens?"
"Where's this coming from?"
"Ten coins? What are we supposed to buy with that?"
"Aspect? Is that some sort of ability? Like in novel or games?"
The growing confusion and panic made it hard for anyone to think clearly. Lex remained calm. He knew what was coming next and wasn't about to waste time like the others. He already had a plan.
Lex moved through the crowd, slipping between people without drawing attention. People were confused and scared, unsure of what to do. They wasted time looking for answers.
He ducked into a narrow alley, away from prying eyes. It was dark and cold, with trash piled in the corners. The noise of the crowd faded, leaving him alone in the silence. Lex leaned against the rough wall and took a deep breath before whispering,
"Administrator authority: Open shop."
A soft ding echoed, and his screen lit up with a new message
[Welcome back, Administrator. 5 coins have been deducted to use your privileges.]
Five coins—half of what he had just to open the shop. He winced but knew it was worth it. A blank search bar appeared on his screen, with no categories or lists. The Game system left it up to him to decide what to buy.
[What do you desire?]
Lex sighed. He had obtained his aspect, "Master of the Game," the first time he had successfully beaten the game. Although it sounded fancy, it was more practical than "strong."
This ability allows the user to change the game rules and forcefully use all of the game functions. Technically, this ability would even allow him to rewrite his own status and play as a literal deity. He could create quests for players, change the tutorial, and even set the difficulty level of the game.
This was his aspect, "Master of the Game."
But nothing is free in this world. And sadly this ability wasn't an expectation. Although this ability seemed overpowered, Lex needed coins to use it. He couldn't just abuse of this ability.
Focusing back on the task, Lex typed quickly in the search bar: [One-time use lowest disguise – Blurry Veil. (1 star) ] Price: 5 coins.
A small, glowing mask appeared in his hand. It looked simple, almost cheap, but Lex knew it would do the job. The mask wasn't anything special—just a one-time use with no added abilities—but it didn't need to be.
Lex slipped the mask on, and the change was instant. His appearance didn't exactly transform; instead, it blurred, as though anyone looking at him was seeing through fog. His features were unclear, like someone from a half-remembered dream. His clothes, already prepared for this moment, appeared somehow ordinary yet off—too plain to notice but just out of focus enough to be unsettling.
In a cracked window nearby, he caught a glimpse of himself—or rather, an impression of himself. His reflection wavered, shifting as though even the glass couldn't capture him properly.
Lex knew that even the most basic detection blessing could see through this cheap disguise. But since nobody has any blessing yet, why bother?
He stepped back into the crowd, leaving his loaded bag behind. People were still staring at their screens, confused by the quest and the coins they had been given.
Lex stood in the heart of a busy street, surrounded by panicked civilians and disoriented newcomers, their faces contorted with confusion and fear as the Game's ominous messages floated before them.
He had chosen this spot carefully—a crowded square where anxious players congregated like lost sheep, all desperate for answers, for guidance, for anything that could make sense of the chaos.
"Perfect," he thought.
In a place this public, with so many people lost and terrified, any sign of control or authority would attract attention. And Lex intended to do just that. It didn't take long for his presence to draw attention. Whispers started to ripple through the crowd, people pointing out the strange figure walking among them.
"Who is that?" a middle-aged woman asked, her voice shaky.
"I don't know... Why is he so blurry?" another man muttered, eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of the blurry figure.
Lex didn't bother acknowledging their murmurs. He moved slowly through the crowd, his eyes sharp, as if searching for something.
After a few short minutes, he finally found what he was searching. He spotted a small group huddled together, talking nervously. They looked lost, unsure of what to do with their coins. He walked over, his voice calm and smooth.
Without warning, Lex stepped into their circle, his voice calm. "Hey, there. Need to buy something?"
The group turned toward him, startled. A taller student, clearly the leader of their small group, frowned, his eyes darting over Lex's indistinct figure. "Who... who are you?"
Lex gave a slow smile, letting the moment hang in the air before replying smoothly and loudly, "I'm a game merchant. At your service."
The words spread like wildfire. Other players nearby began to turn their heads, curiosity flashing in their eyes. A merchant? Someone who actually knew something?
The idea that there might be someone here with answers immediately piqued their interest. People started to move closer, forming a loose circle around Lex and the group of high schoolers.
The young man still seemed uncertain. "How do we know you're not just scamming us? Also, what is happening?" he asked, his tone a mix of suspicion and hope.
Lex didn't flinch. He had expected this. "A good question," he said smoothly. Then, with a flick of his hand, a system window appeared in front of the group:
[??? is asking you to pay 10 coins.]
The message hung in the air for all to see. The surrounding crowd gasped. It was the same interface they had all been staring at since this strange event began. But this time, someone else was controlling it—proving that Lex had access to the Game in ways they didn't.
"But you have to pay if you want me to answer anything." the mysterious figure said in a strangely playful voice.
Now, the whispers in the crowd turned into murmurs of disbelief. People craned their necks, trying to get a better look at the strange, blurry figure. However, no matter how much they tried to focus, his face and clothes were always slightly out of focus. Was this man really a merchant? Could he actually help them?
"Uh... Okay, let's say that you are this thing—a game merchant. What the hell is happening?"
Lex only shrugged and pointed at the pay notification, hinting that he wouldn't say anything unless paid.
The high schoolers hesitated, but the pressure from the surrounding crowd was growing. Lex purposely allowed the tension to stretch just long enough before giving them a slight push.
"If you want information, you'll have to pay. From now on, everything requires coins. That's the Game's rule."
"Just pay him," a stocky man not far away grumbled. "We all want to know, and if you're the one asking the questions, it's only fair."
After a short moment, the young man finally faltered under pressure but clearly did not want to part with his precious coins. Yet, his finger hovered over the "Pay" option. He gave in with a resigned sigh and tapped the button.
[10 coins deducted.]
Lex's smile widened slightly, satisfied. "Alright, you paid the price, so here's your answer. The Game..." He paused for dramatic effect, watching their tense expressions. "It's not just some virtual reality experience or a twisted simulation. It's alive. A living, moving mass of worlds."
Everyone stared at him in silence, their confusion deepening. Lex continued, his voice steady. "The Game absorbs entire worlds into it. Every now and then, it snatches up a new one, and that world becomes the new floor 0—like where we are now. Your world has just been assimilated. You're standing on the very first floor of the Game."
A wave of murmurs swept through the group, and confusion spread like wildfire. Some faces paled, others frowned as the realization hit. They had been dragged into something far beyond their understanding. As much as they wanted to deny everything, there was literally living proof in front of them.
"So... this is all real?" one of the other teens, a wiry boy with glasses, muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "We're really... in some kind of world-absorbing game?"
Lex gave a slow nod. "That's right. The deeper you go, the older the worlds get. And the further down, the stronger the entities. As for the Game's rule, you probably already saw it... They are quite simple—survive, collect coins, and buy your way through the Game..."
The young man who had asked the initial question swallowed hard, his throat dry. "And what about the attack? The Game said we'd be attacked soon... What is it?"
Lex shrugged nonchalantly, his smile never faltering. "Now, that's information that'll cost you more coins. But," he added, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, "I'll give you a piece of advice for free: buy one of my weapons. Trust me, you don't want to face whatever's coming empty-handed."
And as Lex spoke, more people gathered around, drawn by the commotion. The crowd swelled, growing larger with each passing minute. Lex noticed this, but he didn't let it show.
He had achieved exactly what he wanted.
By positioning himself as the first "real merchant" and proving that he had access to the Game's systems using his aspects, Lex had successfully become some sort of authority figure.
He had made sure that his first transaction was a spectacle. Now, the real business would begin. It was time to make some profits.