In the year 2034, the tenth world championship of the most popular game for the past 11 years, Runes and Worlds, was being held. Although the game had been released in 2023, there had been no organized tournament during its first year. So, this year marked the tenth, rather than the eleventh, world tournament. To commemorate the tenth tournament, the prize for the first place was enormous compared to that of the first and subsequent tournaments, attracting the attention of former champions and retired players to return and participate, though not all of them managed to qualify for the live tournament.The tournament was based on 1vs1 battles, where each player had to give their all in a best-of-five series, using characters they had created and customized since they started playing the game. This tournament style could have ended too quickly, so battles included a rune system, and the map changed each round. Players had to adapt their playstyle and figure out their opponents' strategies as the match progressed.This year, the favorite, as always, was the four-time champion from Japan, Takato Kiyoshi. Having already won four world tournaments, he was considered virtually unbeatable, only having been defeated by two people throughout his career. The person standing before him at that moment wasn't one of them.Arata: "Hey, it's been a while, you idiot."Kobayashi Arata was the former two-time champion of the first and second Runes and Worlds tournaments. After a falling out with the developers, he decided to retire undefeated, making him somewhat of a legend—though others simply saw him as a coward. He also didn't enjoy the best reputation due to his personality.Kiyoshi and Arata had known each other since childhood and were close friends. Recently, Kiyoshi had married Arata's sister, making them brothers-in-law. Both were exceptional players, though Arata had retired just the year Kiyoshi qualified for his first tournament, so they had never faced each other. This year wouldn't be any different, as Arata didn't even try to participate.Kiyoshi: "Arata, long time no see! You don't even bother to respond to your Sbeam messages. Your sister was really worried, you know."Arata: "I'm sure she wouldn't worry about anything at all. Besides, you know I've been busy. Not everything has been easy since I left Japan."Although both were from Japan, after retiring, Arata had decided to travel to Dubai to make more money than he had with the first two tournaments. Coincidentally, Dubai was also home to Runes and Worlds' largest server, which seemed odd—who would place a server in the desert? Arata wasn't an expert in servers, but he knew that the cost of maintaining server cooling wasn't something to take lightly, and with Dubai's hot climate, it didn't seem like an ideal location. Even more surprising was the decision to hold the live tournament final there for the first time this year.Unknown Character: "Oh well, it seems the 'princess' is going to complain that her life hasn't been easy since retiring.""Princess" was Arata's nickname, a reminder that his character in Runes and Worlds was a woman. During the first year of the game, before any tournaments existed, Arata was already famous for leading the PvP leaderboards and streaming his matches. In an attempt to gain popularity, he decided to put on an act, pretending to be a girl in his streams, conspiring with his sister, who would speak during the sessions pretending to be him. It wasn't entirely a lie, as his sister was also an excellent player, and they would take turns facing the toughest duels, which they never broadcasted. The charade crumbled during the first in-person tournament when Arata had to show his true face and apologize. Though he wasn't expelled, he lost the favor of many, who, with disdain, nicknamed him "Princess," a label that haunted him until his retirement.Tanaka, another professional player without notable titles, seized the opportunity to attack.Arata: "Wow, if it isn't Tanaka, the famous benchwarmer. You say retiring is bad, but if I had to be losing without winning anything for nine years, I think it would feel like a relief."Tanaka: "What?! Don't talk nonsense..."Unknown Character: "It seems that winning is so great, since eight years later, the prize can still support a useless person."The one who spoke was Onodera, the former interviewer of Runes and Worlds, who had known Arata since his beginnings and had always had a tense relationship with him.Arata: "Wow, long time no see, Onodera. You're younger and slimmer than I remember."His tone left no doubt; it was a cutting remark, designed to discomfort. With 27 years of experience being unpleasant, Arata also knew exactly how to hit women's sensitive spots. Eight years had passed since they last saw each other; Onodera wouldn't think he would say she looked younger and thinner, so he said it to mock her.Kiyoshi: "Don't be like that, apologize."Arata: "Well, sorry for causing trouble." His tone was sarcastic and indifferent. "Anyway, I was leaving. I just came to drop you a gift before the final. Catch it."Kiyoshi: "Whoa, what...!"Arata: "I wish you luck, though I think you should consider retiring from this shitty game before it make you lose more of your time."After throwing something to Kiyoshi, Arata left the room with an arrogant smile, enjoying the bewilderment he had left in his wake. As he walked away, he imagined Kiyoshi apologizing for his behavior, something typical of his friend, but Arata simply laughed to himself. In the end, it was always about proving that, despite everything, he was still the best.After leaving the building, Arata remembered how he and Kiyoshi had agreed to meet at a hotel before the final to catch up. Arata had been looking forward to seeing his old friend again after such a long time and, after winning, heading out for drinks. But, as usual, Kiyoshi was always surrounded by people Arata couldn't stand. That's why he left the room somewhat irritated with Kiyoshi, even though there were very few people in the world Arata could tolerate. The gift he had given Kiyoshi was the keys to a sports car he had parked on the second level of the building's parking garage. He had planned to show it to him, but now it was Kiyoshi's job to find where it was.As he had promised himself after leaving Japan, Arata focused on making money, enough that he could afford such luxury items. The car Arata drove was also a sports car, which he had bought at half the price because the seller wanted to cover up a money-laundering case, which was not uncommon in that city. However, the car he bought for Kiyoshi was completely legal because Arata knew Kiyoshi wouldn't accept it otherwise.Arata: "Damn... well, I didn't just want to stay and watch him lose tonight anyway."Arata muttered as he drove back to his "home."Arata: "I'm back."Knowing no one would answer, he still uttered that typical phrase. The strange thing was that he hadn't even gotten out of the car yet. That was because, in fact, Arata lived alone in a warehouse.Arata worked as a supplier to local shops in the city, mainly selling electronic goods. It was like a small business, except that Arata was the only boss and employee, handling administration, management, and accounting by himself. He even served as the security guard for the warehouse. This business model worked because Arata was very skilled at navigating market prices and knew when, where, and to whom to sell his goods. He generated a decent amount of money since he was his own boss and rarely had to pay third-party companies to help distribute his products during busy days.When he arrived at the back of the warehouse, Arata parked his sports car next to a cargo truck. Right beside where he parked was a desk with a computer, a bed, and a couch, like a makeshift living space. He also had gym equipment and a refrigerator. The only thing missing was a bathroom, which was outside the warehouse for hygiene reasons, and there was no kitchen since smoke could damage the merchandise.In any case, he always ate out. Anyone who saw Arata's lifestyle could easily point out that it was lacking in several aspects.The real reason Arata argued with the developers and eventually retired was that, after the second tournament, the game creators wanted to completely reset the world of Runes and Worlds and introduce a new one, with new items and mechanics. This infuriated Arata, who tried to make them reconsider, but no one listened, even though he was the reigning champion. Over time, he realized how immature his reaction had been. Of course, the developers weren't going to undo months of work just because of one player's opinion, no matter how successful. Yet, Arata had always been proud and egocentric he wanted everything to go his way.He promised himself he'd make a fortune and start his own video game company, where he would have total control. But soon enough, he learned how hard it was to become a millionaire, and that his biggest problem wasn't really about the game. At some point, he stopped caring about what happened to Runes and Worlds. He then remembered why he had started playing video games in the first place: he found the real world boring, full of limits. But eventually, even games hit the walls of reality, repeating the same frustrating cycle.They say a man can hit rock bottom in three ways: through love, money, or a lack of purpose. Arata suffered from the latter... If only he could control everything in the world, he thought. While he was lost in his thoughts, he realized the time. It was late, and the final was probably about to end. If he couldn't watch it in person, at least he could catch it online.When he connected to the stream, the first thing he saw was the following:Interviewer: "Welcome back, viewers! Today, we've witnessed an incredible final at the 10th Runes and Worlds World Championship. I'm here with the new champion, a name we'll surely remember for a long time. Congratulations on your victory! You've managed to beat Kiyoshi, the so-called greatest player of all time, 3-1."Unknown Player: "Thank you! I still can't believe I defeated Kiyoshi. He's been an incredible player throughout his career."Interviewer: "Indeed, Kiyoshi is a true icon in the game. What do you think was the key to your victory in such an intense series?"Unknown Player: "I think the key was strategy. I knew Kiyoshi relied on his experience and aggressive playstyle, so I decided to play defensively and wait for him to make a mistake."Interviewer: "That's impressive. Tell us about the character that inspired you to develop that playstyle."Unknown Player: "Well, even though I'm a relatively new player, I was inspired by the old playstyle of the former champion, Runa. I figured that strategy would work against Kiyoshi."Interviewer: "Runa? Ah, you mean the Princess?"Runa was Arata's in-game nickname. Although some people knew him as Runa, most called him "The Princess," and after his eight-year retirement, very few remembered the name.Unknown Player: "That's right..."The new champion gave an awkward smile as the crowd's laughter could be heard.Interviewer: "Speaking of the Princess, with this victory, you've become the first Korean champion and the youngest champion in Runes and Worlds history at 16 years old, breaking the old record held by the Princess at 17. I'm sure they're watching you with a smile from somewhere right now."Arata: "Damn... How did you lose to that nobody, Kiyoshi?"Arata muttered as he watched the stream and opened a can of beer. He felt somewhat frustrated, as he had also lost his title as the youngest champion, which made it feel like both he and Kiyoshi had been defeated that night.Interviewer: "We also have some unfortunate news tonight."Hearing this, Arata didn't feel sad or anything because he had predicted that Kiyoshi would eventually retire. He knew Kiyoshi well enough to expect this. Kiyoshi had likely decided long ago that he would step aside at a certain age, leaving room for younger players. He was a kind person. Now that a younger player had defeated him, Kiyoshi would allow this person to carry the fame of being the one who defeated the strongest player and become the next iconic figure for future generations, giving them something exciting to look forward to. This was in stark contrast to Arata, who had retired undefeated, avoiding giving his fame to anyone.But, in some way, Arata was happy that his friend had retired, as it meant he could invite him to start playing another game together from scratch. However...Arata: "Well, it's also time for me to say goodbye to this game for good."Arata logged into Runes and Worlds for what he thought would be the last time. There, he saw his old character, "Runa" was an elven maiden, her skin as pale as moonlight, her hair cascading like liquid silver, and her eyes glowed a deep crimson, reminiscent of the blood-red sunsets that stained the horizon.. He had originally created the character as a joke with Kiyoshi but later regretted it.Arata: "And delete..."Arata attempted to delete his character as a final farewell to the game, but instead, a dialog box appeared, saying, "You cannot delete a character with a World Rune."A World Rune was an item he had received after winning the first and second tournaments, so he had two of them. This item was purely decorative, and after Kiyoshi won his first tournament, he confirmed that he also received one, so Arata could infer that all players who won the finals received one 24 hours later. He had already tried selling the item for money, but it wasn't allowed to leave his inventory.Seeing this, Arata could only laugh at the irony of not being able to make any decisions in this stupid game—not even about his own character.Arata decided to close the game and opened his browser. He typed the usual keywords he had grown accustomed to: "New MMORPG 2034." His search history showed similar past searches: "New MMORPG 2033," "New MMORPG 2032," and so on. He was always trying to find a new game to get hooked on, but none of them ever appealed to him. He thought that maybe good games just didn't come out anymore because everything now revolved around the commercial aspect of the industry. After a few hours of searching, he couldn't find anything worthwhile.Arata: "Well, anyway, Kiyoshi just retired. It'll probably be a while before he feels like playing another game, so I have time to find something new. I'll do it later."After that, Arata collapsed onto his bed, which was inside his warehouse. The bed was quite large, as the warehouse had plenty of space, and under the bed, he kept a knife and a firearm. Arata had bought these in case someone tried to break into his warehouse and steal his goods. He wasn't an expert with either weapon, but at least he knew the basics in case the worst happened. He had also set up his belongings and bed at the back of the warehouse so that if someone broke in while he was sleeping, he could hear their footsteps before they reached him. That's why he also acted as his own security guard. So far, nothing had ever happened, but as they say, a person who sleeps with a weapon in hand is a clown every night except one.Lying down on his bed, Arata relaxed his mind and stopped thinking. He had finally finished his day and quickly fell asleep.Suddenly, he felt something rough and had to wake up. When he realized what it was, he calmed down, thinking he had slept on his knife or something. Wait... Grass? Why would there be grass inside his warehouse? Once that thought clicked, he quickly stood up and looked around. What he saw was something he had never seen before. He was sitting in a wide-open plain, and in the distance, he could see an enormous forest with colossal trees that looked like something out of a fantasy world. His body, for some reason, felt lighter, and when he looked at his hands, they seemed smaller and paler than he remembered. He immediately frowned and decided to ignore that line of thought because he had a bad feeling. He had seen this kind of sequence of events in novels and anime, but he knew it could very well just be a dream.He tried pinching himself and holding his breath; everything felt real. He had had nightmares before where he could feel pain, so he still hadn't ruled out the possibility that he was simply having trouble waking up. But after an hour of trying to wake up and sitting down, he resigned himself to the idea. His breathing, his pain, his senses, and the passage of time—everything felt real.He muttered to himself, "This really can't be a new MMORPG, right?"End of Prologue