Darkness.
Then a message appeared in front of him.
[Welcome, Otherworlder, to Gaia Online: Beta Access]
[Please choose a Novice Village.]
Numbers floated before his eyes like drifting constellations.
William Shakerspear watched them without hurry, lips pressed thin.
He scrolled slowly, weighing choices that had no context, then selected the number that simply felt right.
[Novice Village #2 - Confirmed]
[Avatar Initialization in progress.]
[Scanning Body: Complete]
[Scanning Mind: Complete]
[Scanning Soul: Complete]
Light rippled over him, neither warm nor cold.
For a moment, he wondered if this was what heaven might feel like, then the system spoke again.
[Otherworlder Perks: Activated]
[Talent Awakening in progress.]
[Congratulations. Talent "Willpower" has awakened.]
[The Will of the World acknowledges your existence.]
A reflection formed in the white void: a man with tanned skin, lean muscle, and black eyes sharp enough to cut glass. The face was his, but refined, stronger jawline, straighter shoulders, the version of himself he could have been if not for the accumulated bone and skull injuries from the octagon.
He didn't panic, nor marvel. He merely breathed once, acknowledging it.
[Avatar Creation complete.]
[Commencing Descent. Please hold still for a smoother landing.]
The light broke apart. Gravity returned.
He landed softly on warm soil beneath a forest canopy. The world rushed in, the scent of damp moss, rustle of leaves, the bite of sunlight through branches. The linen of his plain robe clung faintly to his skin, brushing like real cloth.
He flexed his fingers, clenching and unclenching, feeling the minute resistance of muscles.
"It feels so real," he murmured under his breath. "So this wasn't a scam after all."
The air shimmered again.
[Welcome to Gaia.]
[Tutorial Quest added to your status panel.]
He focused. The panel unfolded in pale light before him.
Name: William Shakerspear
Title: Otherworlder
Race: Human
Tier: Early Stage Common Creature
Body: F-
Mind: E
Soul: F-
Talent: Willpower
Path: None
Equipment: None
Bloodline: None
Quest: Make your way to Novice Village.
He studied it quietly. Low stats as expected for a new start. But the Talent line drew his eye. To his surprise as he focused on it, it actually expanded.
[Talent: Willpower]
[Description: If there's a will, there's a way.]
He raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean I can do anything if I want it hard enough?"
[Affirmative.]
The sudden reply startled him only slightly before his expression returned to calm. "Interactive guide," he mused. "Convenient."
He dismissed the panel and turned. Through gaps in the trees, faint light hinted at open fields. Voices carried on the wind, laughter, shouts, the sound of someone vomiting, already testing their limits.
He ignored them.
At the horizon shimmered a faint haze, likely the village his quest mentioned. Without another word, he began to jog.
The forest stretched endlessly, lush, serene, indifferent. Each step sank into soft soil, the faint humidity clinging to his skin. In the distance, birds chirped, not looping sound files, but distinct calls, layered and irregular.
William slowed his jog into a steady walk. Sweat ran down his temple, caught the light, and vanished into the folds of his robe. Every muscle ache, every breath that dragged through his throat, it was all too convincing.
He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and chuckled softly.
'This level of Immersion. Fighter's Arena doesn't even come close to this.'
The shimmer of what he assumed was the Novice Village glowed faintly through the trees. His pace quickened.
When his stamina dipped, a soft warning pulsed at the edge of his vision.
[Energy: Low]
[Rest recommended]
He took in the message, scanning his surroundings. Hearing a stream not far away, he followed the sound until he found a narrow creek glistening over smooth stones. He knelt, cupped a handful, and drank. The cold liquid burned down his throat, refreshing, startlingly real.
He exhaled slowly, marveling again at the immersion rate of this game.
Refreshed, he rose, brushing droplets from his chin and continued toward the shimmering village.
Then, without reason, his spine stiffened, a pulse of instinct honed from years in the octagon.
William's body moved before thought caught up. He leapt backward, rolled, and came up crouched.
A cascade of stones smashed into the ground where he'd stood seconds before, dirt erupting into the air.
Ambush.
He looked up. Shadows shifted above him, dozens, no, hundreds of creatures perched in the branches: rabbits with bulging muscles and wild eyes, chickens clutching stones in their talons, snakes coiled and ready to strike.
"Not good."
Rocks rained again. William sprinted forward, weaving between trees. A stone grazed his shoulder; another thudded into his back. Pain bloomed, sharp and realistic. He gritted his teeth and kept moving.
A blur dropped in front of him, a rabbit, stone in paw, teeth bared. It lunged.
William's body reacted on instinct. He pivoted, stance tightening, and his fist shot forward. The rabbit's head snapped sideways as the punch connected. It flew back, stone tumbling from its grip.
William caught it mid-air and slammed the rock down as the creature tried to rise. A soft squeal escaped before it burst into glowing particles.
[You have killed Early Stage Common Creature: Soft-Boned Rabbit ×1]
[Your Life Energy has increased.]
The message hovered before fading.
William straightened, panting softly.
Then pain erupted across his back, another rock, heavier this time. He stumbled forward. Dozens more creatures shrieked furiously in unison.
"Persistent bastards," he hissed, breaking into a sprint once more. The air behind him filled with hisses, clucks, and furious squeals as the mob gave chase.
Then.
"PAPAAAK!"
A cry so loud it froze his blood tore through the forest. Something big was moving behind him. Fast. Too fast.
He turned just enough to see bushes cracking apart in its wake, then he froze.
A rooster. No, a monster in a rooster's shape, it's feathers crimson, eyes burning red. Nearly two meters tall. The ground trembled beneath its strides.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
It moved like a chariot.
Pain exploded across his abdomen as the rooster's claw connected.
William's body lifted from the ground, crashing through roots and branches before slamming into a tree. The impact crushed the air from his lungs. He dropped to one knee, coughing up blood, every muscle screaming.
The world tilted. He tasted iron.
Through the blur of leaves, the thing that hit him rushed forward, massive, feathered, and furious. Its red plumage shimmered like a gemstone, and its crimson eyes blazed with unrestrained rage. Every step made the ground vibrate.
William wiped blood from his mouth, forced himself upright.
'It's just a bird, he told himself. I got this.'
But the pressure radiating from it said otherwise. This wasn't prey. It was a predator disguised as livestock.
He slid one foot back, raising his hands into stance. His breathing evened, eyes fixed.
"Alright then… let's see what you've got."
The monster moved before he could blink.
A blur of motion. Talons flashed like steel. The impact hit before his mind registered it.
CRACK.
Pain tore through his ribs, and his body folded, launched like a ragdoll into the dirt. His vision whitened, the system screamed in warning.
He coughed blood, forcing himself up by sheer will, knuckles digging into the soil. The creature's shadow loomed again, fast, precise, merciless.
Another strike. He twisted, tried to block but it was useless. The claw hit his guard, snapping his left arm in half and flinging him sideways like a child's toy. His body rolled twice before stopping in the mud.
"...shit," he gasped, ribs screaming. The pain wasn't cinematic, it was real. Every nerve shrieked, begging to quit.
His vision swam, but instinct took over. He got up, ducked low, tightening his stance, and drove a clean right straight into the rooster's chest as it closed the distance.
Nothing.
The blow landed perfectly, shoulder rotation, weight transfer, everything but it might as well have hit a wall. The rooster didn't flinch. Didn't stagger. Didn't even seems to notice his punch.
Its talon came down in answer.
This time, he didn't dodge. He couldn't. The world blurred white as claws dug deep into his torso, hurling him backward again. Bones cracked. Something inside him snapped.
He hit the ground and didn't rise again. Blood soaked the dirt beneath him.
A faint system notification flickered at the edge of his fading sight.
[Talent: Willpower - Activated]
[Resisting...]
[Successful]
[Resisting immediate death for 3 seconds.]
He groaned, lips curling in a half-smile even as the light dimmed. "Three seconds, huh… that's generous…"
He tried to move but couldn't, the rooster was already above him, shrieking in pure fury. Its talons rose one last time. He closed his eyes.
"Damn it."
The claws descended.
Pain.
Darkness.
[You have died.]
[Respawn cooldown resets at midnight.]
Light returned, cold and sterile.
The neural pod hissed open. William gasped, air flooding into his lungs.
He sat there for a moment, hand gripping his chest where phantom pain still lingered.
Stepping out slowly, his bare feet touched the cool floor, still half expecting to feel forest dirt beneath them. The pain was gone, but the echo of it lingered.
He glanced at the wall clock. It was already noon. He'd spent nearly a full day inside.
A grin tugged at his lips. "Guess time really does fly when you're getting mauled."
He walked to the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water, and downed it in one go. The contrast between virtual sunlight and sterile white light hit him all at once.
He leaned against the counter, still thinking about that monster.
"The strength difference was absurd. No damage feedback at all. Either that thing's a boss… or this game doesn't hold hands."
He opened his holo-watch and flicked to the news feed.
Immediately the room filled with motion and noise, anchors shouting, headlines flashing, social feeds updating faster than he could read.
GAIA ONLINE: 100% IMMERSION RATE CONFIRMED!
First Batch of Beta Testers Speak Out!
Univerra's Market Skyrockets - Investors Call Gaia 'The Second World'!
Every outlet was running the same story, interview clips of players screaming in phantom pain, crying, laughing. Stock analysts argued while corporate suits desperately tried to contact Evecorporation for partnerships.
He skimmed them without expression. None of it surprised him.
'Of course they'd lose their minds. This is, after all, the world's first 100% immersion game.'
He switched tabs, pulling up Gaia Online's official site.
A new section had appeared: [Community: Beta Access Forum] where only verified players could post or comment there.
Curiosity flickered in his eyes. He tapped it open.
[Access to Beta confirmed. Please select your username.]
A message popped up, and he simply typed his first name. Then the message disappeared as the screen exploded with posts: from complaints about pain sensitivity to praise of realism to the truly absurd posts.
He clicked the thread with the highest number of views and comments. The post was made by a user named [ThisSenpaiDreamsOfBunnyGIrl].
The screen immediately changed.
[ThisSenpaiDreamsOfBunnyGIrl]: Holy shit everyone you won't believe this! Novice Village 1 is run by bunny-eared beastmen!!! The chief's a busty milf bunnygirl! I'm never logging out again!
[JellyNBelly]: Lies!! If that were true you wouldn't be here typing! You'd be licking fur somewhere! My village's run by hippo beastmen! Big scary hippos! They're huge! One sneeze from the village chief and three players fainted! [CryingEmote]
[LoveAndTutorialSpace]: @JellyNBelly Don't bad-mouth my husband! He's not scary at all!
[LaLaMyBeloved]: @JellyNBelly Confirming OP's not lying. I'm from Village 1. Bunnygirls are real...too real... these NPCs… someone send help, I think I'm developing feelings!
[ThisSenpaiDreamsOfBunnyGIrl]: @JellyNBelly Brother, why do you think I'm here? I tried to lick the chief's feet thinking she was in unskippable dialogue, who would've thought the AI was that advanced? She actually stopped mid sentence and kicked me to death! [ProudEmote]
William's eyebrow twitched. He scrolled down.
[ProGamer69]: Wait, you guys reached your villages? I chose Village 2 and got stoned to death! Didn't even see who threw it!
[PleaseFallForIt]: Haha, nice story, loser. Just admit you got slain by tutorial mobs. In Village 5 we've got slimes, easy farming. You guys must just suck.
[Aelius]: @PleaseFallForIt Motherfucker, say that again and I'll send someone to beat you up IRL! Don't think I can't find you! We don't suck, our village clearly has an early event trigger! You're just jealous!
[PleaseFallForIt]: Haha, is that a woof woof I hear? Later, losers. Enjoy doing nothing while waiting for the respawn timer.
[MrObvious]: @PleaseFallForIt How did you know about respawn timer?
The comment section devolved instantly into chaos, half of Village 2 cursing, the rest of the world laughing.
William sat back, eyes narrowing slightly.
'Others from Village 2 also got ambushed by stone-throwing monsters?'
He leaned back, arms crossed, thinking through what he'd seen: the ambush, the creatures, the organized formation, the sheer hostility.
'It can't be random.'
He had thought it might be because he'd stumbled upon boss territory, but he'd clearly taken a different route than the other players. One or two players experiencing the same thing could be coincidence but If they'd all been attacked in separate places, that ruled out coincidence.
"This…" he murmured. "It's a targeted attack. Maybe Village 2 really did trigger some event."
His reflection glimmered faintly against the holographic screen, eyes calm, calculating.
If that was true, trying to reach the Novice Village solo again would be suicide.
He closed the console with a slow, deliberate motion. The digital light faded from the room, leaving only the muted hum of the city beyond his window.
He stared at his hands, flexing his fingers again. The memory of that impact, the helplessness, made his pulse quicken, not from fear but anticipation and excitement.
He hadn't felt this excited since his first year in the octagon.
He smiled faintly to himself.
Outside, the city roared with news.
Inside, William Shakerspear waited quietly for midnight.