The mundane hum of fluorescent lights filled Gok Sun Ji's small apartment as he returned from his shift. Tossing his bag onto the couch, he collapsed into his chair, exhausted. The day had been long, and the stark contrast between his real-world life and the grandeur of Rankers gnawed at him.
"Another day, another paycheck," he muttered, staring at the ceiling.
But as he glanced at his desk, his breath caught. Sitting there, glowing faintly with a soft, ethereal light, was the Infinite Blade.
"What the…?" Gok froze, his heart pounding.
The blade, which had only existed within Rankers, was now here—in his room. Its sleek, black surface shimmered, and the runes etched into it glowed faintly as if calling to him. The air around it was heavy, charged with an energy that made his skin tingle.
Gok slowly approached, hesitant. "This… this can't be real. It's just a game."
But when he reached out to touch it, the blade pulsed. A wave of warmth flowed through his hand, followed by a familiar SYSTEM ALERT sound in his mind.
> SYSTEM ALERT:
Infinite Blade has manifested in Reality Mode.
Warning: Interactions may have consequences.
"Reality Mode?" Gok whispered, his voice trembling. "What does that even mean?"
---
He picked up the blade, its weight solid and real in his hands. The glow intensified, and for a moment, the room seemed to warp around him. Shadows stretched unnaturally, and the faint hum of the blade grew louder.
"This has to be some kind of glitch," he muttered, his mind racing. "Or… maybe I've been in VR too long."
But as he turned the blade over, inspecting its runes, a knock at the door startled him.
"Hey, Gok! You in there?" It was his neighbor, Mina, a college student who occasionally borrowed his Wi-Fi.
Gok panicked, shoving the blade under his bed. "Y-yeah! What's up?"
The door creaked open, and Mina peeked her head in. "You left your keys in the door again. Thought I'd let you know before someone steals your stuff."
"Oh, uh, thanks," Gok said, forcing a smile.
Mina raised an eyebrow. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Yeah, just… tired," Gok replied, waving her off.
Mina didn't press further, though her gaze lingered on him for a moment before she left.
---
Once she was gone, Gok retrieved the blade, his mind racing. He needed answers, but where would he even start? His instincts told him to log back into Rankers, but he hesitated. What if the blade's appearance here was just the beginning of something bigger?
As if on cue, his phone buzzed. It was a notification from the game.
> [Rankers Alert]: Infinite anomalies detected. Immediate investigation required.
"Well, that's ominous," Gok muttered, glancing between the notification and the blade.
---
His alarm buzzed again, reminding him of his early shift the next day. Groaning, he set the blade down and paced the room. "I can't skip work. Bills don't pay themselves."
But every time he looked at the blade, he felt its pull. A nagging thought crept into his mind: What if this is more important than work?
After a few minutes of internal debate, he sighed. "Fine. I'll deal with this after my shift."
He hid the blade in his closet, double-checked the lock, and climbed into bed. But sleep didn't come easily. His dreams were filled with visions of the Infinite Blade, its glow illuminating a shadowy figure in the distance.
When he woke up, the visions lingered, and the blade's faint hum echoed in his ears.
---
As Gok trudged to work, the world around him felt different—sharper, more alive. Colors seemed more vibrant, and every sound was amplified. He couldn't shake the feeling that the Infinite Blade's presence had changed something fundamental about his reality.
"Just a game," he whispered to himself. "It's just a game."
But deep down, he knew that wasn't true anymore.
---