Japan.
The bustling streets of Shibuya.
In the lively center of the city, the tall headquarters of HyperTech Industries rose high. With over eighty floors reaching toward the heavens, it stood as a symbol of technology and endless possibilities!
People went about their daily lives.
They were all unaware of the event that would take place.
Sakura Hoshigawa sat in a limousine, deep in conversation with one of her marketers. She was the genius behind the groundbreaking VRMMORPG game, Elden Online.
She had short brown hair, brown eyes, well toned cheeks and a slightly flat nose.
The car came to a halt in front of the impressive HyperTech building.
Sakura bid farewell to her conversation partner. "Alright, I'll talk to you later," she said, a smile gracing her cherry blossom lips.
With a gentle tap, she ended the call, securing her phone in her pocket.
Sakura prepared to step out of her limousine.
However, in that fateful moment, the world was caught off guard as chaos took hold, leaving no time for preparation or respite.
No country, satellite or astronauts could've seen it coming.
It just happened.
Out of nowhere, a massive comet shot through space like a wild beast breaking free from the depths of the unknown.
It broke all the laws of the universe!
And now, it was racing toward its target.
The Neutral Network.
This giant machine was a web of connections linked to the minds of every player in the Elden Online server.
It was essential to the game's very existence.
Its lifeblood!
────BAA-TOOOOOOOM!!
With a deafening crash, the monstrous comet slammed into the neural core.
The impact was devastating, taking the lives of hundreds who were inside and near the building.
The ground shook violently, and a massive crater formed where the comet hit.
A maelstrom of destruction followed.
The shockwave spread out forcefully, sending shards of broken glass and twisted metal flying like deadly confetti. Buildings couldn't withstand the relentless force and collapsed, crumbling to dust under the overwhelming chaos.
Sakura's limousine was flung across the street like a rag doll.
"GAH──!!"
"Achk! My fucking head!"
Both she and her driver were slammed against the walls of the car, and the pounding in their heads only grew worse.
BANG!!
It crashed.
"What's going on?!"
"It's the Apocalypse!"
"We're all gonna die!"
Everyone was scared, afraid of what would happen next.
The core handling the virtual reality game's neural network reacted with the enormous amount of energy unleashed by the comet. The energy interacted with the players' brain waves and consciousness, leading to a merging of their souls with the neural network. The fusion essentially eliminated the boundaries between their physical bodies and the virtual world, tethering their existence to the game.
Therefore, any harm inflicted on their in-game avatars would be communicated to their real bodies, resulting in death if their avatars died!
The clash and merging of different consciousnesses led to the birth of a brand-new world in a fresh, existential dimension.
This new world has four dimensions: length, width, height, and time, much like our physical reality!
These dimensions served as the foundation for the rules and laws governing the game and its environment.
It changed everything!
━ ━ ━ ━
The players all across the world of Elden Online were waiting for the event to start.
Miyoloris Continent.
The players in the Eses starter town were all waiting in the central square as they looked at the white number in the sky that slowly counted down.
[00:10]
[00:09]
[00:08]
"Man! I can't believe it's about to start…"
Helvick balled his fists.
Ciel chuckled softly. "Yeah, I'm also excited."
"…"
June just nodded.
She was mostly always silent, however, it was obvious that she too was excited.
Aqua looked at Shin, he didn't show any sort of interest or excitement. He may have dedicated his time to the event, but she knew he was only doing it because they were heavily invested in playing Elden Online.
She dressed her blue hair bangs then raised an eyebrow.
"Shin?"
"Yeah?"
"You're not really excited about the event, are you…?"
She frowned a bit.
Shin shrugged. "It's okay, I guess."
Ciel smiled at him.
"You should really be excited, it'll be a fun ride."
He was excited much like any player around but still calm.
"Sure..."
Shin gave a detached response.
[00:03]
[00:02]
[00:01]
[The Double-Tier Leveling Event has begun!]
The event commenced.
A loud uproar filled the virtual world, loud enough for every player in their VR experience to hear.
They were unaware and unprepared for what was about to happen…
Suddenly, the sky above them broke apart, showing thin cracks in what had been a smooth virtual world.
VWOOOOOOOO!!
A cold feeling ran down their spines as the pixels that made up their fake reality started to flicker, almost as if they were moving to a strange beat.
Panic seized the hearts of the adventurers, squeezing tight like an iron vice.
"What's happening?!" Helvick exclaimed.
His eyes darted from one horrified face to another, searching for answers amidst the digital disaster.
Touching his chest in distress, Cîel doubled over in agony, his face contorted in pain. "I… I can't breathe," he gasped, wheezing heavily as if his lungs were squeezed by invisible hands.
Even amidst the pandemonium, Shin's expression remained eerily detached.
"It's… it's nothing major, but it still hurts…"
Placing a hand on his own chest, he winced fleetingly.
ACH────KKKKKKK!!
June's cough grew more violent with each passing moment.
Panic etched across her face as she desperately searched for clarity.
"Something... something's wrong!"
June stammered, her voice trembling with fear.
Strength waning, Aqua collapsed to her knees and gripped her magic staff tight.
Cough! COUGH!!
With every cough, her body shook, as if she was burning from the inside. In pain, she reached out a trembling hand to Shin, asking for help.
"Shin, please… help me…"
It was like she believed he could take away all her pain.
Shin immediately reached out to take Aqua's hand.
But just before they could connect, the ground beneath them suddenly broke apart, cracking like delicate glass.
PLUUHHHMMM~!!
A huge chasm opened up, and in the blink of an eye, both Shin and Aqua were falling into a deep, endless darkness.
Many others met the same fate, disappearing into the menacing void that swallowed everything in its path.
For five minutes, all 1,000,000+ players… ceased to exist.
A blackout.
...
...
...
"Shin!"
"Shin!!"
"Wake up! Wake up already!"
Aqua kept shaking Shin, trying hard to wake him up.
Finally, he groaned and opened his eyes.
When he looked at Aqua, he noticed her white clothes were stained with blood, which made him feel worried, or maybe just curious.
"Aqua, what's wrong?"
He asked with such a gentle, peaceful yawn.
Shock.
Aqua couldn't believe his nonchalant response.
With heavy frustration in her voice, she lashed out.
"Are you serious right now, Shin? How can you still be asleep when everythingʼs falling apart──?!"
Aqua pointed behind them, showing the crazy scene that was happening.
Rubbing his eyes to wake up fully, Shin saw that they were trapped in a dark room.
It was a dungeon, and the air was heavy with the disgusting smell of blood.
"Hm?"
As he listened to the unsettling echoes around them, he began to understand how serious their situation was.
"We're being slaughtered here…" Aqua stressed urgently.
Taking a moment to take in his surroundings, Shin looked around the room.
They were on the last floor of the creepy Sila Dungeon, lit by an eerie blue glow from torches on the walls.
The ground was covered with headless and mangled bodies, scattered limbs, and detached heads that either looked terrified or as if their souls had been drained away.
"Woah…"
Shin looked back and forth.
In the chaos, he noticed a player who stood out because of his blue hair and outfit with blue accents.
The player, who was an elf, fought bravely against a powerful black creature… the boss of the final floor.
Even though he had lost his left hand, he held onto his blue crystal sword tightly, determined to take down the monster.
"RaaAAAaRrrGGghh!!"
With incredible speed, he swung a supersonic slash at the boss, but it ended in a quick and deadly defeat.
The monster was quick and brutal.
Aqua didn't see the attack…
All she could see was the sword of the final boss shrouded in deep darkness. And right after, with a swing of the blade that was almost impossible to follow, the player was torn in half.
"SERIX──!!"
Aqua shouted his name.
Shin slowly stood up from where he was seated.
"Ho? Whatʼs that?" he asked no one in particular.
It was the floor boss of the Sila Labyrinth.
A level 25 obstacle that slaughtered even level 50 players, which earned it the name: "Strongest Killer."
But its actual name was…
Spectral Blade Veiled Equinox Demonic General, Xalgun!
Its shapeless body constantly shifted and twisted, making it impossible to see its true form. From its core, many red tendrils emerged, pulsing with a dark energy, each ending in a sharp, black claw. Its eyes—if you could call them that—were swirling, ghostly whirlpools of deep violet.
|| S T A T S ||
- Level: 25
- Health Points (HP): 700
- Mana Points (MP): 300
- Attack Power: 100-105
- Defense: 70
- Magic Power: 50