Cade Greene sat slumped in his creaky old chair, the kind that wobbled every time he shifted. His tired eyes were glued to the screen as a live broadcast of Hunter's World played out. The game was everything Cade had dreamed about. A wild virtual reality world where players became legendary hunters, slaying beasts, conquering dungeons, and earning fame and riches.

But this wasn't just any gameplay stream. Cade was watching a showdown between two of the game's top guilds, Dragonspire and Eclipsion. On-screen, the battlefield went into chaos as glowing beasts swarmed the guild members. Each side showed their devastating abilities—flames shooting from one guild's mages, bolts of crackling lightning raining from archers on the other side.

"Look at that damn coordination!" Cade muttered, almost drooling.

At the center of the action was the star of the show: Ashveil, the most famous streamer in Hunter's World. She danced effortlessly between the glowing monsters, her twin daggers leaving streaks of fire in their path. Her movements were smooth, precise, and straight-up hypnotic.

"Critical strike! Critical strike!" The system's robotic voice announced as Ashveil landed another combo.

The live chat in the corner of the screen exploded with praise:

[KnightSlayer77]: GOATED PLAY!!

[GoldenHunter]: Legendary drop incoming!!

[Ashveil4Life]: I want to be her dagger.

Cade couldn't blame them. She was perfect—cool, skilled, and way out of his league. Her silver hair shimmered like moonlight in the game's glow, and her confident laugh after every monster kill made his chest tighten.

"C'mon, drop it already," Cade mumbled, gripping his chair.

As if on cue, a notification popped up on Ashveil's screen: Legendary Drop Acquired! Phoenix Core Blade.

The in-game crowd roared in approval, their cheers flooding her audio. Cade groaned and leaned back in his chair.

"Must be nice," he muttered bitterly, clicking out of the stream.

He stared at his reflection in the dark screen. His brown hair was a mess, and the bags under his eyes made him look twice his age. The room behind him wasn't any better. The peeling posters of old games he'd bought on clearance laughed at him from the walls, their faded colors a perfect match for his life. His desk was cluttered with snack wrappers and empty soda cans, the leftovers of another weekend spent playing free-to-play games no one cared about.

Cade sighed. No matter how hard he tried, he never measured up. At school, he was invisible—average grades, no talents, and no friends worth mentioning. Sports? Forget it. He was the guy they picked last for dodgeball. And gaming? The one thing he actually cared about? He sucked at that, too. He could barely beat the tutorial levels of most games, let alone dream of competing in Hunter's World.

"Legendary loot," he scoffed, picking up a crumpled bag of chips. "I'd settle for decent loot in real life."

The sound of his mom's voice cut through his self-pity like a dagger.

"Cade! Get your butt off that chair and go to work!"

He jolted upright, almost spilling the bag of chips.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going!" he called back.

"You've got five minutes, or I'm canceling your internet!" she yelled from the kitchen.

Cade groaned and threw on his battered hoodie. His mom had mastered the art of yelling, and there was no winning against her.

As he slipped on his scuffed sneakers, he muttered under his breath, "Guess this is what peak existence looks like."

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Cade headed out the door. Another shift at the pet store wasn't exactly his dream job, but at least the dogs didn't judge him.

—-

Cade arrived late for his shift at Paws & Claws, his shoulders slumped in defeat as he slipped in through the back door.

Miss Martha was already at the counter, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. "You're late again, Cade!" she snapped.

"Sorry, sorry!" Cade blurted, rushing past her to the supply room. "I'll make it up! I promise!"

"You better," she huffed, but Cade could see the corners of her lips twitching like she was trying not to smile. She was tough, but deep down, she wasn't all that bad.

The work wasn't hard—feed the dogs, clean their cages, fill the water bowls. Cade was a natural with animals. The dogs loved him, and the cats? Well, the cats ignored him, which, in their world, was a compliment.

After a few hours of tiresome work, Cade clocked out and headed to the convenience store. His stomach rumbled as he passed the aisles of junk food. But there was something else he needed so bad.

Walking past the toiletries section, Cade paused. A slight flush crept up his neck as he eyed the lotion and tissue paper, his mind wandering to… well, let's just say he wasn't the only one who used that stuff.

He grabbed the bottle of lotion with as much dignity as he could muster, then tossed the box of tissues into his basket. "Just for my dry hands," he muttered under his breath, hoping no one could read his mind.

At the register, the cashier, a bored teenager, barely glanced up. "Got everything you need, man?"

"Yeah," Cade mumbled. "For sure."

He walked out with his purchases, trying not to think about the stupid joke he'd just made to himself. As he walked past the bulletin board near the door, a bright flyer caught his eye.

"Win the Ultimate Prize: Full VR Gear Set for Hunter's World! Enter the Raffle Today!"

Cade snorted. "Yeah, right. Like I'd ever win something like that."

But for some reason, his hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins. He looked at the flyer again, then tossed the coins into the jar. "Maybe I'll get lucky, huh?"

After all, it was only a couple bucks.

Later that evening, Cade dragged himself home. The shift had worn him out, and all he wanted was to collapse into his bed. But as he reached his doorstep, something unusual caught his eye. A small, sleek box sat waiting for him. It wasn't like any package he'd ever received—this one looked way too expensive for the likes of him.

Cade's heart skipped a beat as he read the label:

Congratulations, Winner! Full VR Gear Enclosed.

His breath hitched. No way. Was this real? Could this be the same raffle he'd entered earlier?

His fingers shook as he tore the box open, revealing the most amazing VR setup he'd ever seen. The headset was sleek and black with glowing blue accents, almost like it was rushing with energy. Beside it was a pair of gloves, matching in color, and a lightweight bodysuit that looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

"No way…" Cade whispered, his hands trembling as he picked up the headset. It felt real—too real. He glanced up at the ceiling, half expecting the world to return to normal. But it didn't.

The excitement surged through him.

Ignoring his mom's yelling from downstairs—"Cade! Where are you?!"—he dashed into his room, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him. His heart was pounding, and his hands trembled as he opened the box and pulled out the VR headset. The sleek, black design and the glowing blue accents made it look like something straight out of a futuristic movie. Cade could hardly believe his eyes. This can't be real.

His fingers shook as he set everything up, too excited and nervous to take a breath. The gloves slipped on easily, and the bodysuit fit just enough, but as he adjusted the headset, something felt off. It was heavier than he expected, like it was pulling him in, trying to swallow him whole.

He took a deep breath, his palms sweating as he tightened the strap around his head. The moment the headset clicked into place, everything around him blurred. For a second, he thought he might pass out. Then, the world around him disappeared—like someone had flicked a switch, and the real world was suddenly gone.

His stomach wobbled. He stumbled back, reaching out for something solid. But there was nothing. No floor, no walls, no ceiling. Just an endless void of swirling colors and lights.

What the hell…? Cade thought, panic creeping up his throat.

His breath quickened. His chest tightened. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He tried to tear the headset off, but his fingers couldn't find it. The void around him twisted, and his body felt like it was being pulled in every direction at once. The sensation was so real, it almost made him dizzy.

"W-what's happening?!" he gasped, his voice barely a whisper in the empty space. The fear began to bubble up inside him, and he tried to calm himself. It's just a game. It's just a game…

But the panic was hard to ignore. The sensation of falling, the heaviness of the air, the way everything was… wrong.

"Welcome to Hunter's World," a deep, resonant voice boomed through the headset.

The words vibrated in his skull. His eyes went wide, and his hands trembled as he tried to steady himself. This wasn't a game. This was something far worse. The voice didn't sound like a pre-recorded message—it was alive. It was felt real.

A glowing menu appeared in front of him, shimmering like a hologram, displaying options Cade couldn't comprehend. His hands reached out instinctively, but his fingers passed through it like he wasn't even there.

"No, no, no, no…" Cade muttered, panicking as he tried to make sense of what was happening. The room around him spun and shifted in impossible directions. The colors and lights blurred together in a dizzying spiral. The voice was still echoing in his ears.

[Character select will begin shortly. Please choose your avatar.]

Cade's stomach dropped as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks: He wasn't in a game anymore.

He was in the game.

His heart raced, and his thoughts scrambled for any kind of explanation. He tried to blink, to rub his eyes, but it didn't help. The world around him didn't change. He was here.

I'm IN the game!?

The thought struck him like lightning.