"Oh my god... Finally."
Shinji let out a long, weary sigh, the kind of breath you take after a week-long, caffeine-fueled campaign.
On his PC monitor, which reflected the stale gloom of his apartment, a massive pop-up with [MISSION COMPLETE] shimmered in glorious, golden letters.
The triumphant victory music, blasting from his speakers, now felt as hollow and annoying as a cheap ringtone.
For seven solid days, his diet had consisted of nothing but instant noodles and coffee sachets.
Tangled mess of blankets and pillows on his sofa bore silent witness to his descent into gamer-fueled madness.
The air, thick with the lingering scent of cold noodles and old coffee dregs, hung heavy and stagnant, a perfect tribute to his glorious victory.
After graduating with grades that were, shall we say, "less than stellar," Shinji had found his true calling: professional video game streaming.
He had conquered dozens of ridiculously difficult games, yet with each victory, a growing emptiness followed. The thrill was gone, replaced by a profound, soul-crushing boredom.
He wasn't chasing scores or rankings anymore; he was just searching for a lost feeling, a spark that had long since fizzled out.
"Maybe I need a new challenge," he mumbled, letting out a wide yawn that felt more like a sigh of surrender to the universe.
...
That night, Shinji ventured out to his usual 24-hour convenience store in search of a new game.
Neon sign above the entrance flickered erratically, like a tired, old heartbeat.
Inside, the place was eerily quiet, the only sound the low hum of a refrigerator.
A half-asleep cashier barely registered his presence as the rhythmic, unsettling flicker of the fluorescent lights cast long shadows.
Shinji browsed the shelves, his fingers tracing the spines of familiar games, but nothing caught his eye.
Horror games? Too cliché. Racing games? He had finished them all. Fighting games? He was already the undisputed king.
Then, something in the darkest corner of a shelf, a spot that seemed intentionally obscured, snagged his attention.
A slow, deliberate thud echoed in his chest. His feet moved forward as if drawn by an invisible magnet.
It was a game box covered in a fine layer of dust, with a cover that looked like it belonged in a museum.
Title was a strange scrawl he couldn't read, an alphabet from a long-lost civilization.
But on the cover... there was a stunning woman in a form-fitting dress. She had long, flowing silver hair, a very generous chest, and a sword she held like a goddess of war. Her shimmering blue eyes seemed to call to him.
Shinji was instantly captivated. His interest wasn't in the game's mystery, but in the woman on its cover. "A perfect woman..." he thought, a familiar smirk spreading across his face.
Shinji was a normal man with normal, very predictable desires, and he would always chase them.
Without a second thought, he grabbed the game and took it to the cashier.
Cashier, rubbing his eyes, stared at the box with a puzzled expression. "What... is this game?" he mumbled.
Shinji shot him a glare. "Just ring it up, uncle, I'm buying it."
The cashier nodded stiffly, as if just waking from a daze.
After paying, Shinji noticed the cashier staring at his hand, then at the now-empty shelf, his face a mask of utter confusion. "Huh? When did I sell that game? Wasn't that section empty?"
Shinji merely shrugged it off as a strange oddity and hurried home.
Weight of the game box felt strangely heavy in his hand. In his apartment, he immediately booted up his PC and installed the game.
Screen lit up, displaying the unreadable title. Below it, however, was a single line of text: [The Cursed Fantasy World].
Game was brutally difficult. There were no tutorials, no hints, and the enemies were unbelievably strong. Even as a seasoned gamer, Shinji died repeatedly.
Every time his character perished, a strange pop-up appeared that read, "You are so stupid, hehe." This only fueled his fury and his resolve.
"Why does this game feel like fantasy horror? Where's the big-chested girl? I thought there'd be lots of pretty women... whatever," Shinji grumbled, his voice thick with frustration.
He continued playing because he had already bought it, and now he had one goal: to beat the game and see if the woman on the cover truly existed.
...
After two full weeks of rage-quitting and sleepless nights, Shinji finally reached the final level.
He faced a terrifying kraken-humanoid monster, the Demon King. It took him over 100 attempts, but finally, Shinji landed a critical blow.
Ding!
A pop-up appeared on screen.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the Demon King. Please check your inbox for your reward.]
Shinji laughed loudly, his fatigue instantly replaced by a wave of euphoria. "Finally! This is it! The reward must be something great!"
Excitedly, he pressed the 'OK' button. Instantly, a blinding white light exploded from his PC screen, like a flashbang in his room.
"Holly shitt!, W-what is this " he yelled, his hands flying to cover his eyes.
The lights in his apartment went out, leaving only a searing white light that pierced his eyelids.
His body felt as though it was being pulled by an invisible force, a whirlpool dragging him far away.
Everything went white, then faded into a deep, profound black.
"What... why does this feel so real?" Shinji mumbled, his own voice a distant echo.
When the darkness dissipated, he realized he was falling from the sky.
Below him was not a dense forest or a futuristic cityscape, but a bustling park.
Children played on slides, parents sat on benches, and a couple was enjoying a picnic.
"Waaaaa..." Shinji screamed, thrashing wildly in the air. A cold, powerful wind whipped across his face, making it hard to breathe.
Cold sweat dripped down his forehead as he plummeted.
He could see every small detail below: the colorful flowers, the green grass, and the shocked expressions on people's faces as they looked up.
The world below looked like something out of a renaissance painting, a mix of old European architecture and vast green spaces.
The roar of the wind in his ears drowned out the faint, muffled screams of children and the gasps of adults.
This must be a dream. Yes, it must be a dream. I can't possibly be falling from the sky... his mind desperately repeated.
Crash!
Shinji hit the ground hard, creating a small crater in the middle of the park.
Dust and clumps of grass flew everywhere. Everyone in the park fell silent, staring at the sight.
Shinji groaned in pain, his head and body throbbing. He slowly pushed himself up, sitting in the crater he had made, and his eyes widened in shock.
Dozens of pairs of eyes were staring at him. Children, parents, and the couple.
All of them looked shocked, confused, and some even disgusted. Their clothing was what really caught his attention.
Men wore simple tunics and trousers held by thick leather belts, while women were dressed in long, flowing linen gowns in earthy tones.
The children's clothes looked handmade and patched. This was not the modern world he knew.
The air, though dusty from his impact, smelled of fresh-cut grass and a hint of woodsmoke, not car exhaust.
Shinji looked down at himself. He let out a shriek, but the sound caught in his throat.
"AAAAARRRGGGGH! WHY AM I NAKED?!" he yelled, his voice cracking from pure shock and humiliation.
Suddenly, an old wooden chest fell from the sky, landing with a thud in the crater right beside him.
Shinji, still in a state of shock, saw it open on its own.
Inside was only a crude, wooden katana sword that looked fragile and utterly ridiculous. After that, the chest vanished.
"What is this?" Shinji mumbled, trying desperately to cover his vital parts with his hands.
His face felt hot, and he wanted nothing more than to disappear. He truly didn't understand what was happening.
At that same moment, a little girl pointed at him. "Look, Mom! A weird naked man fell from the sky! And he has a toy sword!"
The mother quickly covered her daughter's eyes. "Don't look, sweetie, he's a crazy person!"
Shinji felt like the whole world was laughing at him. His shame was far more terrifying than anything he had ever experienced in a game. He didn't know what to do.
In the distance, a city guard in full armor saw what had happened.
His eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of Shinji and the crater.
The guard drew his sword and yelled loudly, his voice echoing through the stunned park.
"Hey! You pervert! Stop causing a ruckus here! We're going to arrest you!"
Shinji looked at the guard, then at the disgusted faces around him.
This was not heaven, this was not a game, and this was real.
The beginning of a hilarious, deeply embarrassing adventure in a fantasy world.
He was completely unprepared.