"Oh my god... I'm finally done with this."
I let out this long, drawn-out sigh, the kind you take when you've just pulled an all-nighter for a week straight on nothing but coffee.
On my PC monitor, which, by the way, was just reflecting how depressing my apartment was, this giant pop-up with [MISSION COMPLETE] just kinda shimmered there in these glorious, gold letters.
And the victory music? Blasting from my speakers? Nah, it just sounded hollow and annoying, like a cheap ringtone that you can't turn off.
For seven straight days, my diet was a thrilling mix of instant noodles and coffee packs. I seriously don't even remember the last time I showered.
There was this mountain of tangled blankets and pillows on my couch, just chilling there as a silent witness to my total gamer-fueled madness.
And the air? It was thick with the smell of cold noodles and old coffee dregs, just hanging heavy and stagnant.
Perfect tribute to my "glorious" victory... which, let's be real, was just a waste of time.
I'm Shinji, by the way. After I somehow graduated with grades that were, let's just say, "not great," I found my true calling: professional video game streaming.
I totally dominated dozens of ridiculously hard games, but after every win, I just felt this huge void. The fun was just gone, replaced by this soul-crushing boredom.
I wasn't playing for high scores anymore; I was just trying to find that feeling I lost, you know? That spark that just fizzled out a long time ago.
"Guess I need a new challenge," I mumbled, letting out this massive yawn that felt more like a surrender to the universe. This job is seriously getting on my nerves. Damn it.
...
So that night, I dragged myself out to my regular 24-hour convenience store to find a new game. The neon sign above the door was flickering like a tired, old heartbeat.
Inside, the place was super quiet. The only sound was this low hum from the refrigerator. A half-asleep cashier barely even noticed me as the annoying fluorescent lights flickered, casting these long, creepy shadows.
I'm checking out the shelves, my fingers tracing the spines of all these familiar games, but nothing, and I mean nothing, was catching my eye.
Horror games? So cliche. Racing games? Finished 'em all. Fighting games? Pfft, I'm already the undisputed king.
Then, in this weird, dark corner of a shelf that looked like it was meant to be hidden, something caught my eye. This slow, deliberate thud just echoed in my chest. And my feet? They just started moving forward like I was a magnet.
It was this old game box, covered in dust, with a cover that looked like it belonged in a history museum. The title was this strange scribble I couldn't read. But on the cover... there was this super hot woman in a tight dress.
She had long, flowing silver hair, a really, uh, generous chest, and a sword she held like some kind of war goddess. Her shimmering blue eyes were seriously calling to me.
Oh, yeah. This is the one.
I was hooked instantly. I didn't care about the game's mystery, just the girl on the cover. "A perfect woman..." I thought, this familiar smirk just spreading across my face.
I'm just a normal dude with normal, very predictable desires, and I'm always gonna chase 'em.
I grabbed the game without a second thought and went to the cashier. The cashier, rubbing his eyes, just stared at the box with this confused look. "What... is this game?" he mumbled.
I just gave him a glare. "Just ring it up, old man, I'm buying it."
He just stiffly nodded, like he just woke up from a trance.
After I paid, I noticed the cashier staring at my hand, then at the now-empty shelf, his face just a total mask of confusion. "Huh? When did I sell that game? Wasn't that section empty?"
I just shrugged it off as some weird fluke and hurried home. Whatever. Not my problem.
The game box felt weirdly heavy in my hand. Back in my apartment, I immediately fired up my PC and installed the game.
The screen lit up, showing that unreadable title. But underneath it, there was one single line of text: [The Cursed Fantasy World].
And man, the game was brutally difficult. No tutorials, no hints, and the enemies were ridiculously strong. Even as a seasoned gamer, I died over and over.
Every time my character died, this super annoying pop-up would say, "You are so stupid, hehe." And that, of course, just fueled my fury and my resolve.
"Why does this feel like some fantasy horror game? Where's the big-chested girl? I thought there'd be a bunch of hot women... whatever," I grumbled, my voice thick with frustration.
I kept playing because I already bought it, and now I had one goal: beat this stupid game and see if the woman on the cover was actually real.
...
After two solid weeks of rage-quitting and no sleep, I finally reached the final level.
I was up against this terrifying kraken-humanoid monster, the Demon King. Took me over 100 tries, but finally, I landed the critical blow.
Ding!
A pop-up appeared on screen.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the Demon King. Please check your inbox for your reward.]
I laughed out loud, my fatigue instantly gone, replaced by this huge wave of euphoria. "Finally! This is it! The reward has to be something amazing!"
I hit 'OK' all excited. Instantly, this blinding white light just exploded from my PC screen, like a flashbang went off in my room.
"Holy shit! W-what is this?" I yelled, my hands just flying to cover my eyes.
The lights in my apartment went out, leaving only this searing white light that just pierced my eyelids.
My body felt like it was being pulled by some invisible force, this whirlpool dragging me far away.
Everything went white, then faded into a deep, profound black.
"What... why does this feel so real?" I mumbled, my own voice a distant echo.
When the darkness finally disappeared, I realized I was falling from the sky. And I mean really falling.
Below me wasn't a forest or some city, but this super busy park. Kids were running around, parents were on benches, and some couple was having a picnic.
"Waaaaa..." I screamed, just flailing wildly in the air. This cold, powerful wind was just whipping across my face, making it hard to breathe.
Cold sweat was dripping down my forehead as I plummeted.
I could see every tiny detail below: the flowers, the green grass, and the shocked looks on people's faces as they looked up.
The world looked like it was straight out of some Renaissance painting, this weird mix of old European buildings and big green spaces.
The wind roaring in my ears was drowning out the faint, muffled screams from the kids and the gasps from the adults.
This has to be a dream. Yeah, it's gotta be a dream. There's no way I'm actually falling from the sky, right? Please tell me I'm not falling from the sky.
Crash!
I hit the ground hard, creating this small crater right in the middle of the park. Dust and grass flew everywhere. Everyone in the park just went silent, staring at the sight.
I groaned in pain, my head and body just throbbing. I slowly pushed myself up, sitting in this crater I made, and my eyes just went wide in shock. Dozens of pairs of eyes were staring at me. Kids, parents, the couple.
They all looked shocked, confused, and some just looked totally disgusted. But their clothes... that's what really caught my attention.
The guys were wearing these simple tunics and pants with thick leather belts, and the women were in these long, flowing linen gowns.
The kids' clothes looked all handmade and patched up. This was definitely not the modern world I knew.
The air, even with all the dust, smelled like fresh-cut grass and a hint of woodsmoke, not car exhaust.
I looked down at myself. I let out a shriek, but the sound just got caught in my throat.
"AAAAARRRGGGGH! WHY AM I NAKED?!" I yelled, my voice cracking from pure shock and total humiliation.
Suddenly, this old wooden chest just fell from the sky, landing with a loud thud right next to me in the crater.
Still in a state of shock, I watched it open by itself. Inside was this lame, wooden katana sword that looked so fragile and ridiculous. And then the chest just vanished.
"What even is this?" I mumbled, desperately trying to cover my vital parts with my hands.
My face was burning, and I wanted nothing more than to just disappear. I seriously had no idea what was going on.
Right then, some little girl pointed at me. "Look, Mom! A weird naked man fell from the sky! And he has a toy sword!"
The mom quickly covered her daughter's eyes. "Don't look, sweetie, he's a crazy person!"
Oh, great. Even a little kid thinks I'm a weirdo. This is officially the worst day of my life.
I felt like the whole world was just laughing at me. My shame was way more terrifying than anything I ever experienced in a game. I had no clue what to do.
In the distance, a city guard in full armor saw what happened. He squinted at me and the crater.
He drew his sword and yelled out loud, his voice echoing through the stunned park.
"Hey! You pervert! Stop causing a ruckus here! We're going to arrest you!"
I looked at the guard, then at all the disgusted faces around me.
This wasn't heaven, this wasn't a game, and this was real.
This was the start of my most hilarious, deeply embarrassing adventure in some fantasy world.
And I was completely unprepared.