A 20 year old Japanese man, named Hayate sato, leaned back in his chair and let out a weary breath. He had been playing his favourite game late into the night, and his eyes were heavy with fatigue. Despite the excitement of the game, Hayate decided it was time to get some rest.
Hayate was playing a massively multiplayer online role-playing game called "hollow" (MMORPG) that had just released just a year ago back in July of 2023 and had become a global hit almost instantly. The game was an open-world fantasy set in a vast and immersive world, filled with magic, monsters, and adventure.
Hayate had purchased the game the moment it was released, being an avid lover of video games. He had spent countless hours grinding to reach the maximum level cap of 100, and was currently preparing to take on a special event dungeon. However, feeling weary and tired, he decided to save the dungeon raid for tomorrow.
Hayate's PvP (player vs player) skills were decent, and he considered himself to be quite skilled in combat. However, his build was focused on spell casting rather than being a front-line fighter, so he decided it would be best to wait until tomorrow and team up with his friends to tackle the dungeon raid together. The special event dungeon was mid-tier in difficulty, but it had a unique and powerful reward that made it worth tackling. The dungeon was not particularly challenging for experienced players, but the reward at the end made it a highly sought-after event. Hayate knew that he needed to team up with his friends to have the best chances of completing the dungeon and claiming the special reward.
Hayate was determined to obtain the special reward from the event dungeon, as it was only available for a limited time. He was a collector at heart, and he wanted to add it to his collection before the event ended and the opportunity was lost forever.
Hayate stretched out his limbs, feeling the tension release from his muscles after being hunched over his computer for so long. He glanced around his dark room, the soft glow of the screen on his computer being the only source of light. He squinted at the clock on his desk and saw that it was nearing midnight.
With a weary sigh, Hayate reached out and turned off his computer, the soft hum of the machine fading into silence. He leaned back in his gaming chair, adjusting his position until he was comfortable. As he settled in, he closed his eyes and allowed his body to relax, preparing himself for a much-needed rest.
After a minute Hayate slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see the familiar surroundings of his room. But instead, he found himself in a completely different place. Confusion and disbelief washed over him, and he quickly sat up, taking in his surroundings.
Hayate found himself standing in an endless wasteland, devoid of any signs of life. There were no trees, water, animals, or other humans in sight. The ground beneath his feet was dry and parched, and it was currently snowing, but instead of the familiar white snowflakes, the snow was a dark brown colour. The sky was obscured by a thick layer of what appeared to be ash and smog, making it difficult to tell the time. The air felt heavy and polluted, and Hayate could distinctly smell the foul stench of pollution and decay.
Hayate's mind was swimming with confusion and disbelief as he tried to make sense of his situation. "What had happened? Where was he? Was this some kind of dream, or was he actually in this strange and desolate place?" He took a step forward, his feet crunching on the dry ground beneath him, and looked around, trying to find some clue as to where he was or how he had gotten there.
Taking a tentative step forward, Hayate felt the dry, crunchy ground beneath his feet. It was so unlike the soft soil he was used to, and every step he took sent up a cloud of pale brown dust. The sky, or what could be seen of it through the blanket of smog, was an eerie grayish-brown color, and the air was thick with the scent of decay. He shuddered, feeling a sudden sense of unease. This place was just...wrong.
Hayate looked down at his hands, his eyes widened as he realised something impossible. The items that adorned his hands, the legendary glove called the "glove of the All Seeing Eye" on his left hand and the 5 legendary rings he wore in each of his fingers in his right hand with their passive skills, were all taken straight out of his game. How could they be here, in this strange place with him?
He took a moment to process this bizarre sight, his mind struggling to come to terms with the unexplainable.
Hayate stared at the items on his hands, completely dumbfounded. This couldn't be happening, it had to be a dream or some kind of hallucination. He spoke out loud, his voice filled with disbelief.
"What the hell...? How do I have these items from the game on me right now? Am I going insane?"
He pinched himself, hoping that the pain would wake him up from whatever strange nightmare he was in. But the sharp sting of his pinched skin only confirmed that he was wide awake. The items on his hands remained, the "glove of the All Seeing Eye" and the five legendary rings, all as real as they were in the game.
Hayate finally looked down at his body and arms, realizing that he was clothed in the same robes and clothes he had last worn in the game. The fine, silk-like fabric of the robes felt smooth and cool against his skin, a stark contrast to the dry and dusty air surrounding him. He examined the intricate designs and patterns on the cloth, all faithfully reproduced from the in-game appearances of each piece. It was as if he had been literally transported into the game itself.
He was clad in a set of richly layered silken robes, the fabric a deep jet black with silver threading that wove its way through the fabric in intricate patterns. His boots were made of soft leather, dyed a dark grey to match the robes, and fit perfectly, as if they had been made for him specifically. In addition, all of these items were either legendary rank or lesser- legendary rank items.
Hayate couldn't believe his eyes. These were items he had spent countless hours grinding and raiding dungeons to obtain in-game, and yet here they were, adorning his body as if they had always been a part of him. The whole situation felt surreal, as if he had stepped into a nightmare.
"I must be losing my mind," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair but he felt something hard brush his hand.
His hands reached up to his head, and he gasped in surprise as his fingers brushed against hard, curving surfaces on either side of his forehead. Horns. He had horns.
Hayate's mind reeled in disbelief. In the game, he had chosen to play as a demon character, and thus had customized his character so he always had horns. But now, it seemed that he too had the same pair of horns adorning his own head.
He gingerly traced his fingers along the smooth, hard surface of the horns, feeling the ridges and curving shapes beneath his touch. The sensation was uncanny, and he quickly pulled his hand away, as if touching the horns would make this all seem more real.
But there was no denying it. He wasn't just wearing the same clothes and gear as his game character. He had become his game character, down to the very last detail.
Hayate's heart thudded in his chest as the reality sunk in. The horns, the clothes, the gauntlet, the rings it was all too much to dismiss as a coincidence. He was the spitting image of his game character, in both appearance and equipment.
He stumbled backward, his mind racing as he tried to understand what had happened. Was this some sort of freak accident? Had he somehow been magically transported into the game? But there wasn't any location like this in the game as far as he remembered.
Hayate took a deep breath, shaking his head, trying to concentrate. "Okay, so I was playing the game, about to raid a special event dungeon with my friends. I logged off, and then... I woke up here."
He looked around at the bleak, empty wasteland around him. There were no signs of life, no buildings, nothing but dead and decayed ground and dark, dark sky.
"What the hell happened to me?"
Hayate took a deep breath, to calm his racing mind. He needed to know if this was truly real or just a hallucination. The only way to find out was a test. He curled his hand into a fist and aimed an punch straight at his own stomach.
The impact was instant, and a sharp pain shot through his abdomen. He gasped in shock, doubled over from the sudden surge of pain.
"Yep, that hurts like hell," he gritted out.
Hayate clutched his stomach, the ache from the punch slowly fading into a dull throb. But the pain was confirmation enough that he wasn't hallucinating or dreaming. He definitely wasn't imagining this entire thing.
He slowly straightened upright, wincing as the movement reignited the pain in his stomach. "Well, that's one theory disproved," he muttered.
Hayate looked up and noticed that the snowfall had increased, the dark brown snow starting to pile up around him. It should've been a frigid, freezing hellscape, but he didn't feel a thing.
He thought back to the unique properties of the items he was wearing. One of his rings, a legendary rank item, it had a passive ability that granted him immunity to all temperatures, both cold and hot.
In game, this meant that he would be unaffected by hypothermia or freezing or heatstroke status effects in extreme cold or hot environments.
Now, as he felt not a single shiver or chill in spite of the snow piling up around him, it felt strange to be room temperature or normal temperature when it was snowing and supposed to be cold. He couldn't help but marvel at the fact that the game's properties had somehow carried over into reality. The ring's passive ability to grant immunity to temperature had, for some reason, become a real-life effect.
With that realization, another question popped into his mind – just how many of the game's properties had transferred over into the real world?
He reached up a hand, idly rubbing his chin as he pondered just how many more abilities might have become real. Could he fire off magic spells, or regenerate health by simply sitting still for a moment?
The thought was exciting. He had no idea to what extent the game's characteristics had been brought into reality. He thought about the spells he had learned in game. He had mastered the maximum number of spells – 500 to be exact. This included powerful offensive spells, defensive spells, and support spells.
But now that he was in this strange world, he wondered if he still possessed the knowledge of those spells. Could he cast them with the same ease and precision as in the game?
Hayate pondered over the question. In game, He had assigned the main spells to hotkeys, making it easier to quickly cast them in battle. For other spells, he would simply click on their icons. But now that he was in this world, how would he perform the spells? There were no icons to click on, no hotkeys he could easily press.
He tried imagining casting a fireball spell, picturing it in his mind, But nothing happened. He felt a little silly standing there, making silent hand motions, but he was determined to figure out how to cast his spell.
Hayate focused his mind, he shouted put the name of the spell – [Fireball] while He imagined a ball of fire in his mind, thinking about the heat of the flames and the bright orange and red colors.
[Fireball] was a straightforward and beginner-friendly tier 1 spell within the magical arsenal of mages. It is typically learned by beginner spellcasters when the game, usually falling within the range of level 5 to 10. Utilizing this spell requires expending 1mp, making it relatively inexpensive in terms of mana consumption. When cast successfully, it deals a modest yet useful 2 hp of damage, which can be supplemented with a 5% chance of inflicting the "burned" status effect upon the enemy.
A surge of energy coursed through him, and suddenly a ball of fire materialised in his hand. It hovered above his skin, the flames flickering and casting a warm glow on his face.
He was in awe at the fact that simply speaking the spell name had made it happen. It was incredible, and he tried to tamp down his excitement so he could continue his experiments.
As Hayate stared at the fireball in his hand, he realized the small problem. He had no idea how to extinguish it.
He began to panic, waving his hand wildly in an attempt to dispel the flames. But no matter what he tried, the fireball didn't go away.
"Crap, crap, crap," he muttered under his breath, trying to remain calm. "How the hell do I put it out?"
He took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts. He had to stay focused if he was going to put out the fire. He remembered reading somewhere that fire couldn't burn without oxygen. If he could take away the oxygen, the fire should go out, right?
With this idea in mind, he began to fan his other hand over the fireball, trying to blow away the oxygen around the flame.
Hayate realized how silly he looked, fanning his hand frantically over the fireball like a madman. He quickly stopped, feeling foolish. No, he had to be more practical about this.
He took a moment to focus, trying to feel the energy in his hand. It was like a current of electricity, coursing through his veins and powering the fireball. He tried to shut off that energy flow, severing its connection to the fireball.
With a burst of effort, he managed to halt the flow of energy. The fireball slowly fizzled out, leaving his hand empty and unscathed.
Hayate breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he had managed to extinguish the fireball without harming himself. As it dissipated, he was left with the stark realization that the energy needed to cast spells was his own.
"So, that was my mana," he muttered, looking down at his hands.
He had never had to think about it in the game, as it regenerated quickly and automatically, but here it may be a limited resource. Just how much mana did he have? How many spells could he cast before he ran out?
These were important questions, but he shelved them for now. Right now, he needed to focus on more pressing matters. There was still so much about this strange new world that he didn't understand.
Anyways, he was still relieved to remember that the game's rule applied here as well, meaning he didn't need food, water, or sleep which is due to the fact that since he is a higher demon and it's one of his racial benefits he got after he upgraded his race. He also enjoyed the benefits of his afore-mentioned legendary ring who's passive abilities have him immunity to the temperature. That gave him at least one less thing to worry about.
But as he scanned the bleak, empty surroundings, he realized that staying here indefinitely was not an option either. He had no idea how he got here, or how to get back home. That, he knew, had to be his top priority.
But where would he even begin? He had no idea where he was, no map or guide to show him the way. He was completely alone in this desolate place, with no sign of civilization or help in sight.
Hayate tried to remember any event that could've led to this, but nothing came to mind. One moment, he was playing the game, and the next he opened his eyes to wake up here. Something had clearly gone wrong, but he had no idea what it was.
As he racked his brain for clues, he noticed something strange. Off in the distance, there seemed to be a faint glow on the horizon, barely visible against the dark sky. He squinted, trying to make it out. Without any other clues or leads, he decided to head towards that faint glow. Maybe it would lead him somewhere, or give him some answers.
He started walking, each step kicking up brown snow beneath his feet. The dry, frozen wasteland was devoid of any life, and the only sounds were the crunch of the snow and the whistle of the cold wind.
As he walked, he kept his eye on the faint light on the horizon, trying to make out what it could be. Was it some kind of structure, or a natural formation? He had no idea, but it was the only landmark he had seen so far.
As Hayate continued walking, a thought struck him. He had wings! Why was he trudging through the snow when he could just fly?
He stopped in his tracks, looking at his own back. Yes, there they were, a pair of dark, leathery wings, folded neatly against his back. How could he have forgotten about them?
With a surge of excitement, Hayate unfurled his wings. The feeling was unfamiliar but also somehow natural, like he had always had these wings.
He gave a few experimental flaps, lifting himself a few feet off the ground. He wobbled a bit, but quickly gained balance.
As Hayate flew, he felt a bit unsteady, like he was going to crash into the ground at any moment. But he quickly found out that it was all about balance.
He lowered his altitude, preferring not to risk a crash and learning the skill properly. It was almost like learning how to ride a bicycle, balancing and maneuvering his body to maintain stability.
As Hayate flew, memories of his childhood came rushing back. He remembered the time when he was a young boy, learning how to ride a bicycle. It had been a challenging endeavor, with a few falls and scraped knees.
But his dad had been there, helping him and encouraging him. He remembered the feeling of pride when he finally managed to keep his balance and ride the bike without any help.
Now, as he tried to keep his balance in the air, it was like a flashback to that time. The feeling of uncertainty, the wobbly balance, the fear of crashing, he felt it all again.
But there was no dad guiding him this time, no one to catch him if he fell. He was now alone, all alone. earning how to fly like he had once learnt how to ride a bicycle – all by himself.
"What did you once say to me, dad. Oh yeah..just close my eyes and have faith in myself."
Hayate whispered the words to himself, remembering the advice his father had given him. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused on the sensations around him. The feel of the wind against his skin, the sound of his wings flapping, the feeling of his balance slowly improving.
He didn't need a dad to hold his hand this time. He had faith in himself.
As he opened his eyes again, Hayate was pleasantly surprised to find that he was flying perfectly now. The balance he had struggled with before was now natural, and he was maneuvering in the air with ease. The sensation of flying was nothing short of exhilarating. It was like a rollercoaster ride, with the wind rushing past him and the feeling of weightlessness as he soared. He found himself grinning like an idiot, enjoying this more than he thought he would.
He decided to test his limits, swooping lower to the ground before pulling up suddenly and shooting back up into the sky.
The feeling of adrenaline was incredible. He could get used to this, he thought to himself.