"Argh... I feel like shit..."
Sam slowly got up as he spoke those words.
He blinked rapidly, chest heaving, as his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting.
Sweat clung to his forehead. It took him a moment to realize he was lying in a bed—one that was too small, too stiff, and definitely not his.
"What the hell...?" he muttered, rubbing his throbbing temple as he slowly got up.
His voice trembled as he glanced around, his senses catching up to the chaos of waking in an unfamiliar place.
"Where the hell am I...?"
The room was quiet. Too quiet.
He wasn't in his apartment anymore. That much was obvious.
Wherever this was, it wasn't his world. Not the one he remembered, at least.
"…Did I transmigrate?" Sam mumbled, frowning as he dragged a hand down his face.
His head ached—sharp and persistent, like needles just behind his eyes. "Fuck…"
The last thing he remembered was the difficulty setting screen.
He had picked a difficulty, smiled like an idiot while choosing [Hell], and then… death.
A brutal, sudden end. His memory cut off right at that point, just before something else appeared. A message? A system panel, maybe?
Something about becoming a [Primordial].
He had no clue what that even meant.
Groaning, Sam stood up and took a better look around.
The place he'd found himself in was more a shack than a home.
Dust coated the furniture. Cracks lined the corners of the ceiling. There was barely enough space to walk without bumping into the bed or the table.
One window let in some weak light from the outside, but it was too dirty to see through clearly.
Then his eyes caught it.
A small wooden table sat at the center of the room, and resting on top of it… was a piece of paper.
It was a torn scrap of something that looked like parchment, and it was soaked in a dark, dried red.
And scribbled in the middle of it in jagged, smeared letters were just two simple words:
[Have fun =)]
Sam stared at the message for a long second.
His lips parted slightly, then closed again. He didn't know whether to laugh or scream.
"…You've got to be kidding me," he whispered.
Before he could begin to process what that meant or who had left it, the silence broke.
The old television mounted on the wall crackled with static before snapping on by itself.
No remote. No warning. Just a sudden burst of noise and light that filled the small room like an omen.
Sam turned slowly toward it.
And the moment he read the headline at the bottom of the screen, everything fell into place.
[The Union Guild has yet again failed to reach the Fifth Layer!]
Sam's eyes widened.
He didn't need anything else.
That headline… that name… it was all too familiar.
His breath caught in his throat, and a dry, nervous laugh escaped his lips.
"…I'm in Forsakened," he said in disbelief. "This… is the game world."
He sat on the bed again, both hands resting on his knees as he tried to come to terms with what this meant.
The world of Forsakened, a brutal post-apocalyptic universe where Earth had long ago merged with a twisted dimension known as the [Forsaken Realm] during an event called the [Fracture].
That cataclysm had changed everything.
Monsters had invaded the planet. Cities fell. Civilization barely held on, protected only by massive glowing [Rings] in the sky and the strength of the Awakened—those who could enter the Forsaken Realm and obtain powers through classes.
That had become humanity's only hope.
The Forsaken Realm was structured in layers—each more dangerous than the last—and for decades, humans had pushed forward through them, trying to conquer the realm.
But even now, they were stuck. Still on the Fourth Layer.
And every new [Awakener] started from the First Layer…
That was the plot of the game. Sam had played it. He knew it well. Too well, actually.
Because he had never even reached the Second Layer.
"Fuck," he muttered again, his voice now filled with dread. "I'm so dead…"
Worse still, he'd chosen [Hell] difficulty out of habit.
But if this world followed the same settings as the game… then everything around him was now turned up to maximum danger.
Monsters and humans would be stronger. More events would trigger.
And dying? Dying might mean dying for real now.
Still, the broadcast continued, drawing his attention back to the screen.
A man appeared—middle-aged, sharp-jawed, with short white hair and golden eyes.
His presence demanded attention. He wore a sleek black uniform, lined with gold and crimson, and the crowd in front of him on the screen listened with rapt attention.
"I know it may seem grim," the man said, his voice calm but strong, "and we have lost many good men and women in this cursed realm… but we cannot stop now."
He stepped forward, eyes burning with conviction.
"As the prophecy foretold, once humanity conquers the Sixth Layer, we will unlock the path to the [Universal Stage]! That is our destiny! That is our one and only goal!"
Sam furrowed his brows.
The [Universal Stage]... he had seen references to it in the game, but it was always vague.
A distant goal mentioned only in the deepest parts of the story. The final frontier, beyond the Forsaken Realm.
What the hell did it even mean?
The screen flickered again. The man gave a final bow and walked away. A moment later, the TV shut off completely.
Darkness returned.
"Well," Sam muttered, exhaling heavily, "might as well see what the world looks like."
Before stepping out, he caught a glimpse of himself in a cracked mirror hanging crookedly by the wall. He leaned in.
He looked… young.
Eighteen, maybe nineteen. Black hair, slightly messy. Crimson eyes that reflected the dim light with a subtle glow. It was definitely him. Just a younger version.
But there was something strange in those eyes. A shimmer beneath the red. Like something ancient… or dangerous.
"…Great," he whispered. "Of course I look like this."
He left the apartment and stepped outside.
And for a moment, Sam forgot how to breathe.
Above him stretched a sky unlike any other.
Pale blue, nearly white, and laced with golden structures: massive, orbiting rings that cast shadows over the buildings.
These were the [Rings], the protective barriers of civilization.
They shimmered, humming with silent energy. A reminder that outside of their reach, death awaited.
"Yeah," Sam murmured as he walked, eyes wide, "I'm definitely in the game…"
He wandered for hours, blending in with the crowd, keeping to himself as he explored and observed.
Gradually, the puzzle pieces came together.
He was on the continent of Eclypsia.
Specifically, in the northern region—within one of the many well-defended, bustling cities nestled inside of the Inner Ring: Gravemont City.
He was safe, for now.
The Inner Ring cities were the last bastions of true human civilization.
Beyond them were the Outer Rings, semi-protected wild zones filled with dungeons, wandering beasts, and the ruins of old humanity.
Sam had never even explored those in the game. And yet, here he was.
And if the lore stayed the same… this was the continent where the game's protagonist began his journey.
Was there even a protagonist here now? Did he take that role instead since the protagonist was only controlled by the player?
These were questions without answers.
Eventually, night fell, and Sam returned to the apartment.
But something had changed. The bloody note was gone.
In its place, resting neatly on the table, was a single black backpack.
Sam approached it cautiously and opened it.
Inside were only two things.
A sword, and a card.
He pulled the card out first.
[Sam Walker – Student of Eclypsia Academy]
[Be ready for the Awakening Ceremony tomorrow.]
"…So that's how I'm getting in," he said, blinking.
Tomorrow was the [Awakening Ceremony], the formal event where young candidates were granted access to the Forsaken Realm for the first time.
That was when the game truly began.
Convenient timing. Too convenient.
He set the ID down and turned to the sword. Its surface was pitch black, sleek but ominous.
When he gripped the hilt, he felt a surge of energy rush through his arm.
Dark, ancient, and… familiar.
[Your powers as a Primordial resonate with this sword.]
He dropped it instantly, stumbling back a step. The aura around the blade faded.
"I…" he whispered, chest tightening.
It was dangerous. But it was his.
Still shaking slightly, Sam lay down on the bed. His body was exhausted, his thoughts spinning in circles.
Tomorrow, he would attend the Awakening Ceremony.
After that… he'd enter the Forsaken Realm for real.
Most people didn't survive long there, especially not on Hell difficulty.
But he didn't want to sit around and wait for death either.
If he was going to die, then he'd at least go out fighting.
So with a final breath, Sam closed his eyes and fell asleep.