Leon woke up to the loud ringing of his alarm clock, the obnoxious ringing irritated him. Grumbling, he stretched his arm out from beneath his blanket and hit the snooze button hard. His eyes were still weighed down with sleep, his body not wanting to get up.
"Ugh… another school day," he grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
He pulled himself out of bed, he got dressed lazily. Life was slow. uneventful and monotonous. Nothing ever changed. Every day is the same, wake up, go to school, come home, play video games, sleep, and repeat. Nothing out of the ordinary ever occurred.
As he walked out of the house, the sidewalks were lined with students walking towards school, but Leon hardly noticed. His thoughts were elsewhere.
The school day was always ordinary as usual. Classes trudged on, teachers droned in the background and Leon caught himself gazing at the clock more often than his textbooks.
When the bell sounded, he breathed a sigh of relief and gathered his belongings. The moment he was outside, he felt the cool evening breeze touch his skin. The sun is starting to set.
His thoughts drifted as he headed home. He considered all the games he had been playing lately—new releases, upcoming RPGs, and the ones he never completed. If only life were as thrilling as games.
That's when he saw a guy in a hoodie.
The guy in the hoodie was behind the pillar by the park, partially concealed in the shadows. His stance was too rigid, too calculated. There was something about him that was... off.
Leon let his pace slow, eyeing the man warily.
Then—
"Hey, kid."
Leon winced as the figure advanced, pulling back his hood to reveal his face—a pointed grin underneath. He outstretched his hand, palms up, offering a shining game disc and a tiny chip.
"Take this. It'll change your life."
Leon gazed at the objects, then again at the man. "Uh… what?"
The stranger grinned, his tone only a breath above a whisper. "Place the disc in your console or computer. The chip." He flashed it between his fingers, twisting it ever so slightly. Symbols glowed on its face—runes that throbbed as if they were living things.
"Let's just say it will make things more interesting… once you're in."
Leon scowled. "In? What do you mean—"
Before he can complete his words, the man suddenly spun and disappeared in the crowd.
Leon stood there, clutching the game and chip in his palms, totally bewildered. What the crap just occurred?
He glanced at the game disc.
Its surface glowed curiously under the setting sun. The letters "Isekai World" throbbed faintly, like the game was. beckoning to him.
That evening, Leon sat in bed, gazing up at the ceiling. He couldn't keep his mind from the mystery game.
What if it was a prank? A virus? A scam?
…Or something else?
Curiosity prevailed.
He sat up, reached over and picked up the disc from his desk, and inserted it into his PC's disc drive. The computer hummed quietly as the screen went black.
One message came through:
"Ready for this adventure?"
Leon arched an eyebrow. Strange game.
Without much hesitation, he picked up his mouse and clicked 'YES.'
The instant he clicked, light burst on his screen.
Something strong pulled him forward. He felt as though his whole body was weightless, as though gravity had just ceased to be. Wind was screaming in his ears, and his eyes whirled in a vortex of colors.
His stomach rolled. His body thrashed about as he was pulled into the void.
"Wait! What the hell is—"
Then—
Silence.
Leon gasped when he opened his eyes, his heart racing in his chest.
He was no longer in his bedroom.
The first thing he saw was the sky. It was enormous and boundless, with floating islands and gigantic airships moving in the clouds.
The second thing he saw was the city.
Impressive castles towered in the distance, their spires shining in the sunlight. The roads were lined with buildings of many medieval and fantasy architecture—shops, taverns, and guild halls.
Leon stepped back, breath stuck in his throat.
"No way… No freakin' way…!"
And then, as if to verify his increasing suspicion, a huge HUD screen appeared before him.
It was just like a game.
Name: Leon Striker
Class: ???
HP: 100/100
MP: 50/50
Strength: 10
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 14
Skills: ???
Leon's hands shook as he gazed at the hovering interface.
This wasn't a dream. This wasn't VR.
This was real.
A small notification flashed at the bottom of the HUD:
"Cheat Code Activated."
The words "Welcome to Isekai World" shone brightly.
Before Leon could even make sense of any of it, a new message flashed in front of him.
[Tutorial Mode Activated]
Defeat 10 Goblins
Reward: +10 Stat Points
"Wait—what?! I have to fight already?!"
The earth beneath him trembled furiously.
Leon spun around just in time to see a portal rip open in mid-air.
Ten goblins burst forth, their ragged weapons shining in the sunlight. Their radiating red eyes fixed on him as they snarled.
Leon stepped back, his heart pounding.
"Wait! I don't even have a weapon—!"
The goblins charged.
To be continued...