The soft clicking of keys and the theme of a game were the only sounds in a dimly lit room.
The light from a monitor lit the room as much as it could, casting shadows along the edges. A boy sat on a chair, half-buried by the graphics and gameplay of the game he was so into.
"Yes!! Phase one completed," he shouted, forgetting it was past midnight.
"Just one more level and I'll acquire the Cinder title," he giggled, scrolling through the game interface on the screen.
Fractured Dawn was a popular game that was played among teenage males. Most of them went crazy about it, and this night was one night he got to play.
His parents were strict, hardly letting him play despite his good grades every semester. So, when they were out on business trips, he took the opportunity to dive into the moments he missed when they were around.
He took this game more seriously than his grades. If not for his parents, he'd be gaming all semester, reading only a week before exams.
While his daily life was mostly full of books, lectures, and tests, taking time off to release stress was the best feeling he always had. So, whenever his parents were going on business trips, he'd be overjoyed about it.
"Alright, I've got to sleep, or I'll be looking like a zombie in class," he said, staring at the time, which read 00:59 a.m.
He moved the cursor toward the shutdown icon, but then he stopped. "One more game won't hurt."
"I've just got to get five more kills, and I'll finally attain the Cinder rank," he muttered, a grin displaying on his face.
The Cinder rank was second to the highest rank in the game, with the highest rank being Cinder Lord.
"Once I attain it, they'll finally stop calling me a noob," he said, clicking the Start Game icon.
The game began, and he cut through the monsters with the same combo he loved using.
Parry, slash, dodge, then repeat.
It had always worked for him in most cases. It took longer than he expected, with time passing in every strike he missed.
"Okay, just the boss to beat, and I've got it," he smirked, playing harder.
He finally came out victorious with little HP left. The screen lit up with level-up notifications and gifts, but his smile faded when he noticed one that stood out.
[Congratulations! You have attained a new rank → Awakened Cinder]
[Would you like to claim?]
[CLAIM / REJECT]
[Warning! Player would become in-game character]
The system read. He stared at it, his mind buzzing with numbness.
"I've never seen this rank before. Is it a new update?" he muttered.
He didn't know whether to accept or reject the rank, but the thought of acquiring a rank neither of his classmates had was just one he couldn't miss.
"Alright, I don't see a problem with it. Plus, I can't smudge their faces tomorrow," he smirked as he tapped the Claim option.
The screen flickered softly, releasing an ethereal glow before returning to normal.
He rubbed his eyes as the light affected them, cursing, "What the f*ck?! What was that for?"
The system didn't respond, just minor hiccups, like an engine about to knock .
"What's happening?" he muttered, panic rising within him.
He stared at the computer, then bent below the table to check the rig for overheating. The fans were running smoothly, and the coolants were active as well. Nothing out of the ordinary, so why was his PC making this sound?
"What kind of update is this?" he asked, his brow furrowing.
In a while, the bright light returned, glowing brighter than before, absorbing his body particles.
He grabbed onto his desk, gripping it as it pulled him in. "Help, help me!" he screamed.
The force from the pull was far greater than his grip on the table, and soon he couldn't hold on any longer and got pulled in.
■■■■■■■■■■■
A soft wind prickled his ears, tickling them softly, the sound of leaves rustling against hard concrete.
He opened his eyes slowly, his head throbbing from the impact. "Damn, that took a dark turn," he said, trying to sit upright.
He opened his eyes fully, glancing around his environment. It looked like a tomb from the early centuries.
"What is this place?" He said, forgetting he wasn't back home.
Slowly, the realization hit him like hardwood. "Wait, where's my PC?!" he said, his blood flow increasing rapidly.
He stood up slowly, trying to remember how the hell he had gotten here. "Why does this place look like Pacific?" he said, mentioning a map in the game.
He touched his face, trying to grab any VR headsets—to pull it off or at least remind him that this was just a game—but all he could feel were his cheeks.
"How real is this game?" he muttered, slowly reaching for a stone near him.
He touched it, and it felt way too real. "No, no, no, no," he continued, panic rising at a fast rate.
He gave himself the old trick of pinching himself, but his skin felt real as well.
"This is not possible. This can't be possible," he continued, his eyes widening.
Slowly, he started hearing the sounds of hooves galloping toward his direction at a fast pace.
"Someone! That must be someone!" he shouted, wanting to run toward the sound.
But then he heard a growl, and it felt very familiar. "That... that is not human," his eyes widening, his brain falling into sudden shock. "That's the sound of a hungry Gravemare."
He began running, faster than he thought he could. But the hooves were faster.