At a research facility led by Alen Must, focused on developing AI chips implantable into the human brain, a man was preparing for his surgery.
That man was me, Ale Wayan, someone whose entire life had been full of suffering. Born with cerebral palsy, I endured ridicule and scorn, even from my own family. The only people who truly cared for me—my parents—were taken from me during my childhood. I still remember that moment vividly...
It was raining in the area where we lived. Everything seemed normal as we sat down for dinner. There were warm smiles from my parents and laughter filling the small dining room.
Until suddenly...
"Bang!" A loud knock came from the front door.
My mother went to see who it was, but then I heard gunshots from outside.
"Bang! Bang!"
Four armed men barged into our house, firing their weapons into the ceiling.
"Ale, go! Hide in the fridge!" My father pushed me toward the kitchen.
But with my disability, I struggled to walk properly and ended up crashing into furniture.
"Dad... Dad... help..." I pleaded.
Seeing me struggle, my father turned to block the intruders from entering the living room. "Hide quickly! I'll distract them!"
Panicked, I mustered all my strength and managed to climb into the fridge.
Amidst the sound of pouring rain, I, a four-year-old boy, sat cramped in the tight space of the refrigerator as my house was being robbed.
"Bang! Bang!" Gunshots echoed all around me. I didn't know what to do...
Eventually, the loud noises subsided, followed by the rain stopping.
I stepped out, pushing the fridge door open, only to find my parents lying on the ground, their bodies riddled with bullet holes.
At that moment, I couldn't say a single word. The voice I wanted to release was caught in my throat and refused to come out.
Even after more than a decade, the memory remains vivid in my mind—my parents' shattered bodies and the deafening gunfire. Psychologists couldn't heal me. People wouldn't accept me with all my flaws. And I couldn't even find a job.
It felt as though the world had abandoned me... like I didn't matter at all.
After that tragic event, I lived a secluded life, unable to bear the mockery and pitying stares of others. I spent my days reading manga, novels, or watching anime. In short, I became a shut-in otaku.
During that time, I often thought that perhaps death wasn't such a bad thing. At least in death, I wouldn't have to endure the ridicule and pity anymore.
Then one day, I came across an online advertisement for a project developing an AI chip called NeuroLink, which could be implanted into the brain. The developers claimed it could help repair nerve damage and even allow blind or deaf individuals to regain their senses. In simple terms, this device could make your nervous system function properly. It could even display a VRMMORPG-like interface, just like in anime.
At the time, NeuroLink was still in development and looking for volunteers to become its first test subjects. Without much hope, I immediately signed up, longing for any chance to change my life.
To my surprise, Alen Must chose me to be the first guinea pig, and the operation was a success. But when I woke up after the surgery, I was struck by an overwhelming dizziness, and my memories were in complete disarray.