"Miguel, Miguel…"
Still groggy and reluctant, Miguel opened his eyes. In front of him stood Helena, a girl with curly hair and an impatient expression.
"What is it, Helena?" he asked, rubbing his eyes lazily.
"It's the first day of school, and you're still sleeping!" Helena crossed her arms, her tone mixing irritation with concern. "We're in our senior year of high school, Miguel. You should introduce yourself to others."
Miguel, indifferent, glanced at her briefly before replying:
"Besides you, I don't need any friends."
Without another word, he turned his face and lay back down as if the world around him didn't exist.
"Idiot! At least wish me luck!" Helena exclaimed, pouting. "I won't be able to go with you today. I have gymnastics practice, and they say a specialist is going to evaluate us."
She rushed out, leaving Miguel still lying there. He peeked over his shoulder, watching her athletic figure as she left. Her movements highlighted her femininity, but he sighed and looked away.
Miguel had always been reserved, especially since he lost his parents. The trauma drove him away from everyone except Helena, who insisted on staying by his side. After that first day of school, Miguel went home with her, only to find his house surrounded by police.
According to them, a drug dealer had broken into the house while fleeing and, in a desperate act, shot his parents to escape. The bullets hit their lungs, resulting in a slow and agonizing death. The police tried to save them, but it was too late.
Helena did everything to support him, but Miguel withdrew even further, despite knowing about her feelings for him.
In the present, he got up with a heavy sigh. Grabbing his bag, he left the room under the curious gaze of his classmates. Miguel's classroom was at the end of the corridor, near a wall leading to another street. Without hesitation, he climbed over it and ran off, spotting the bus he needed just about to leave.
Somewhere in São Paulo – A Market
Miguel got off in a bustling street filled with stalls run by street vendors selling CDs, video games, and various items. He smiled, recognizing the place.
"Looks like you finished God of War pretty quickly, kid."
A slap on the back followed the comment. It was Marcos, a skinny man with graying hair who always seemed on the verge of a coughing fit.
"God of War 1 was too easy! I don't know how the old folks in the past struggled with such a simple game," Miguel replied, laughing and rolling his eyes.
"Old folks? Are you calling me old, kid? I'm only 37! You've never lived through the true PlayStation era." Marcos retorted, laughing teasingly. "It's because you were born with a cellphone in your hand!"
Miguel shook his head. "Just show me something new! These old games are way too easy. And tell me, do you have those cheap portable consoles?"
"Alright, alright, follow me. Something cool came in yesterday. I'll sell it to you for a hundred bucks," Marcos coughed.
Taking the lead, Marcos guided him to a small warehouse. Amidst heaps of junk, Marcos pulled out a cellphone and tossed it to Miguel.
"Here, take this. I got it from a friend's house. He's been missing for about half a month now."
"Missing? What do you mean?"
"I don't know. The cops searched the whole house and found nothing. I think he ran away. Before disappearing, he kept bragging about beating the game and showing off his RPG skills."
"Oh, so why don't you play it?"
"I tried, but the game says my characteristic is 'sickly.' Damn cough! Turn it on, and you'll see."
Clicking the large button, Miguel watched as the screen lit up.
System activated...
Analyzing user's body...
Health status: Healthy body, normal energy levels, and balanced vital functions.
Immune system: Functional.
Stamina capacity: Ideal for challenges in the Nexus.
Please wait while the system loads...
Surviving in the Nexus loading... {1%}
Seeing the message, Miguel's jaw dropped. Beside him, Marcos commented:
"When I turned it on, it said I was sick, no matter how many times I tried," he coughed. "Why are you backing away, idiot?" Marcos laughed. "You already caught my 'Marcos disease'! Hahaha! So, are you keeping the game?"
Putting the phone in a bag along with his jacket, Miguel replied:
"I'll keep it and see if it's any good. If not, I'll just throw it away."
"110 bucks, no more, no less." Marcos fixed the price while eyeing the phone, clearly impressed with the transaction.
"Damn it, I thought it was a hundred!"
"The extra ten is for my meds," Marcos coughed dramatically, his expression pitiful, like a certain donkey from a movie when he swapped bodies with a cat.
Throwing a crumpled 100-real bill at him, Miguel bolted while shouting:
"That's all I have! I'll bring the rest for your meds next time! And stop making that face, Marcos!"
Marcos, startled by the money hitting him, started chasing Miguel but stopped when he saw the boy hopping onto a bus and escaping.
"MIGUEL, DIDN'T YOU SEE THE SIGN? IT SAYS, 'NO CREDIT UNLESS YOU'RE 80, WITH PARENTS AND ID IN HAND, KID!'"
Hearing the shout, everyone, including Miguel on the bus, burst into laughter.
Home
Returning home, Miguel cooked a meal for two and headed to his room. Since his parents' death, he had moved in with his uncle, a single police officer. His uncle worked long hours and was rarely home, leaving Miguel to spend most of his time alone.
In his room, Miguel fiddled with the brick phone while chewing on a fried chicken leg.
Surviving in the Nexus loading... {99%}
"Almost 100%, but I've tried everything to open it. It looks like the back cover is fused to the screen," Miguel muttered, turning the phone in his hands but finding no way to open it. All he could do was wait.
Dig, dig
Looking at his phone, he sees a message from Helena.
[Message: Are you home yet?]
[Reply: Yes, I arrived about 5 minutes ago.]
[Message: Seriously, you missed the first day of school? Be responsible. (Angry emoji)]
[Reply: I had to leave urgently. I won't do it again, and good luck with your practice. (Heart emojis)] Helena liked this message.
[Message: I'll reluctantly accept it, just because of the message. Good luck.] You liked this message.
Smiling, Miguel sets his phone aside and sees that the game is already complete, ready to be started. He just needs to click "OK."
{System Complete...}
Welcome to Surviving in the Nexus!
You are ready to start your journey.
Nexus Environment: A mysterious and dangerous world full of unknowns. Survival depends on your choices.
Objective: Explore, fight, and evolve to face the most relentless challenges.
Prepare yourself: The Nexus is waiting for you.
Starting your experience...
After this, only four options appear for Miguel:
Teleport
Convert [locked]
Store [locked]
Draw [locked]
Clicking on the store, nothing happens except for some clicking sounds.
– Well, that was expected, but this game is strange. The store should have been unlocked right away with a tutorial. Let's check teleportation.
First Nexus Teleport: FREE!
You have access to your first teleport to the Nexus at no cost. Take this opportunity to begin your journey.
Do you want to teleport? YES/NO
Without thinking much, Miguel clicks YES, and instantly, his vision fades as the lights in his room go out.
KNOCK, KNOCK
– Miguel, I'm here! How was the first day of school?
Looking at the dim lights, the male voice continues, now with a surprised tone:
– Man, it must have been exhausting today… it's not even 8 PM.
{NEXUS}
{The Nexus, a brutal world where only the strongest can survive. Its landscape is as vast as it is varied, filled with dense forests, endless deserts, towering mountains, and ruins of forgotten cities scattered across the land. Each region of the Nexus seems to have its own story, marked by blood and the struggle of countless beings fighting for supremacy.}
{In this hostile environment, strength dictates the rules. Different races compete for territory, resources, and power. Humans, elves, orcs, and other species coexist in a fragile peace, always on the verge of conflict. However, it is the monsters that truly dominate the Nexus. Fierce and relentless creatures, classified by threat levels, roam these lands, hunting everything in their path.}
{In this world, there is no room for weakness. Every battle is a gamble, every move a strategy, and every day lived is a victory against the inevitable. Surviving in the Nexus is not just about strength; it is a test of determination, adaptation, and cunning. Good luck, warrior.}
Hearing this, Miguel opens his eyes and finds himself in the middle of a dense forest. The air is cold, and a light fog envelops everything around him, making it difficult to see more than a few meters ahead. The tall, twisted trees intertwine above his head, blocking most of the light trying to filter through the leaves.
The sound of breaking branches and leaves being dragged by the wind is the only noise, creating an atmosphere of total silence. The ground is covered by a thick layer of moss and dry leaves, and the environment gives off a damp, earthy smell.
– Shit, did I fall asleep in the chair?
Pinching his leg through the thin school pants, he feels the pain.
– Damn.
What he feared most had happened: this wasn't a dream. Remembering something, Miguel starts to search frantically until he finds the brick-like phone. With every move, the bushes around him seem to shift, as if something is watching him.
Clicking to dial, a small avatar, like a comic, appears on the screen.
– What?! This didn't exist before.
Clicking on the gear, Miguel sees four options and, without hesitation, clicks on teleportation.
System Notice…
Teleportation Unavailable
Reason: You do not have the 50 gold coins required to activate teleportation.
Looking at the message on the screen, Miguel falls to his knees, feeling a wave of despair. He remembers Marcos' words, now understanding why his friend had disappeared. The distant sound of some animal moving in the shadows makes his heart race.
Not wanting to give up, Miguel looks at the other options and clicks on convert.
System Notice…
Conversion Available
• Active Function: The conversion system allows you to transform collected brain balls.
• Conversion Rate: Each brain ball is worth a specific amount of gold.
"So I can go back home! But how do I get this ball?"
Miguel thinks, staring at the option. The sounds of the forest around him increase, and he feels the pressure of being watched, but he can't identify where it's coming from.
– Hey, idiot, what are you doing out here?
Hearing this voice, Miguel squints. "It's already the third time today, I'm starting to think I really am!" Looking at the person who spoke, Miguel sees a group of men.
As he observes them, a shiver runs down his spine. The men are dressed in rough clothes, full of patches. In some cases, their skin is exposed, and what stands out the most is the vacant look in their eyes, almost as if they live just to live, without any purpose. The only one who seems to have a bit of life in his eyes is the man who called him.
– You're in the Death Forest, kid. – The man responds, evaluating the young man in front of him. Miguel's thin pants, white shirt, and bare feet make him seem completely out of place in this apocalypse.
With a sigh, the man turns his back and starts walking, followed by the others, who continue walking in silence, with the same empty looks, not caring about Miguel anymore.
He, in turn, follows the man, keeping his distance, as if trying not to attract too much attention. The other men show no interest in him and continue their path without a single pause.
After walking for a while, they crossed a small hill, and Miguel saw a small building ahead. With this sight, all the men in the group smiled and advanced, carrying planks, iron, or anything they could use as weapons, toward the building.
As they got closer, the environment took on a darker, more oppressive tone. The building exuded an air of abandonment. It was a cracked concrete structure, with the facade covered in moss and vines that had infiltrated the wall cracks.
Pieces of the roof had collapsed on the ground, creating obstacles between Miguel and the group, but it didn't seem to bother them. The sound of wind cutting through the gaps in the walls and the creaking of the structure added an even more sinister tone to the scene.
The sound of the men's breathing and the creaking of the planks on the floor created a claustrophobic feeling. Their vacant stares made Miguel want to step back, but he stayed steady, feeling uneasy. Yet still, something in the air seemed to tell him that there was more to this place than meets the eye.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Miguel approached, trying to hide among the shadows of the pillars and debris scattered on the floor. The silence was broken by a loud roar coming from one of the rooms in the back.
As the group moved toward the room, Miguel saw the monster for the first time. The creature resembled a sloth, but its arms were as thick as those of an adult elephant. Its body was huge and imposing, and its eyes seemed to reflect its true wild nature.
Before Miguel could process, the men began to attack the monster, but the creature raised one massive hand and threw one of the men away. The others didn't care and kept hitting. Blood sprayed everywhere, but the group seemed unfazed.
Miguel, paralyzed for a moment, quickly grabbed a piece of wood and joined the fight. After about 30 minutes of battle, the monster finally succumbed, and the men, covered in blood, smiled victoriously.
Miguel felt a knot in his stomach but tried to stay composed. However, the horror grew even more when one of the men, with a grotesque smile on his face, began to open the creature's head. Miguel couldn't hold it in and vomited on the floor.
– I ate something weird earlier – Miguel quickly tried to justify his reaction.
The men all nodded, as if they were used to such situations.
– Alright, everyone, gather up. Let's divide the rooms. Each of you gets… Hey, kid, are you joining too?
– Sure, I fought too. Raising the broken piece of wood, Miguel replies, wiping his mouth with his shirt sleeve, but a feeling of disgust still dominates him.
Soon, the man who seemed to be the leader divided the rooms, and then each man headed to his destination. Silence returned to the place, now heavier than before.
– Kid, follow me. Your room is across from mine. The man spoke with a friendly tone, but still carrying a relaxed smile.
– Sir, don't call me kid, call me Miguel.
– Since you introduced yourself, I'll do the same. Call me Bill. Bill said.
Arriving at the door to Miguel's room, he pushed the doorknob but realized the door was locked. He tried pushing it harder, but nothing happened. Looking to the side, Miguel saw Bill smiling, almost as if he knew this would happen.
– Knew this would happen, haha. – Bill laughed, approaching with a crowbar in hand. With a skill that Miguel didn't expect, Bill broke the doorknob with a single hit and opened it with ease.
Miguel entered, breathing deeply. As he took his first steps, the heavy, damp air of the building filled his lungs, and he felt the weight of the dust on the furniture. The room was in complete disarray, with cobwebs in the corners and dust covering the few remaining pieces of furniture. There was an old, sagging bed in the corner, a broken desk, and a window with cracked panes, through which the weak afternoon light barely illuminated the space.
Miguel ignored the chaos around him and, with a sigh of resignation, took out the brick-like phone, which was already becoming a constant companion. His fingers hesitated for a moment, but he knew that the only way to get out of here and understand what was happening was by exploring the game's options.
– Let's see if the draw option works! He said to himself, trying to focus on what might be a loophole in his situation.
He clicked on the draw option, and seeing that the first draw was free, he didn't hesitate. The screen flickered, and the message appeared.
You Won: Lucky Card
Active Bonus: For 1 hour, you will have a 15% increased chance to obtain items or fortuitous encounters.
Miguel felt a wave of relief upon reading the message. Maybe this was a sign of luck amidst all the chaos. Without wasting time, he tore the virtual card and felt the urge to investigate the newly acquired room.
He started searching the room, moving through the dust and cobwebs. With each step, the creaking of the wooden floor echoed unsettlingly, but he stayed focused on what was there.
After a while, he found some old necklaces and jewelry scattered in a broken drawer. The shine of the pieces seemed to contradict the dirty, forgotten atmosphere of the place. With a surprised smile, he murmured to himself:
– My God! Thanks, lady luck.