I really wanted to leave this world.
Not just running away from my problems—it wasn't that simple. I wanted something on a completely different level. I wanted to reach another world, an RPG world like the ones I'd been playing. And I'd do whatever it took to make that happen... no matter the cost.
So when the glowing interface appeared before me, I wasn't surprised. Terrified? Absolutely. But not surprised. It felt like I'd been waiting for this my entire life. Like destiny had simply been biding its time.
Two options floated before me, gleaming like a screen of fate suspended in the darkness:
[Clear the Game]
[Get Killed Now]
"Is this... really happening?" I whispered, my voice trembling as I stared at the words.
My heart felt like it would explode. The space around me seemed to collapse as the dark red UI pulsed and flickered, like a malfunctioning monitor on the verge of destruction, or a computer flashing its final warning before permanent shutdown.
> Player 143, you must choose. Failure to comply will result in termination.
"Termination?" I repeated, barely audible. Fear choked my throat. "So... I die if I don't choose?"
My knees weakened. I felt like I was falling even though I had nothing beneath me, just emptiness, pure darkness.
"N-no... this can't be real! This can't be happening!" I shouted into the void, hoping someone would answer, that someone would tell me this was just a joke.
But it returned, larger, brighter than before:
[Clear the Game]
[Get Killed Now]
That's when I realized, this was it. The escape I'd been craving. Not in the way I'd expected... but here it was... the door. The opportunity I'd been waiting for ever since I learned there were other worlds beyond this ordinary existence.
I held my breath for a moment, forced myself to focus, and screamed into the silence of the darkness, "Fine! I'll do it! I'll clear the game! I don't care if I fail! As long as I get to the other world! Take me!"
Immediately, [Clear the Game] flashed. Light exploded all around me. Blinding, overwhelming, and in an instant---
The air changed. When I opened my eyes... I stood in the middle of a town.
Vendors shouted about their wares, children ran through the streets, people who looked like adventurers wore armor and robes, carrying swords and staffs. Chaotic, but vibrantly alive.
I walked forward, taking in every detail. Stone buildings, cobblestone streets, torches burning bright despite the daylight.
"Uh... where's the NPC tutorial? Shouldn't there be a welcome guide explaining loot and XP and how to equip weapons? How does this work?"
DING!
> Every being you encounter in this world is real. There are no NPCs in this world.
I blinked, reading it again. "Wait, no NPCs?! How am I supposed to learn anything?! How do I even start without guidance?!"
I approached a portly man in a leather apron, carrying a crate of shimmering purple crystals.
"Excuse me, uh... could I ask a question? I'm new here and---"
"If you're not buying, move along. I'm busy," he said coldly, not even looking up.
"Right... thanks for nothing," I muttered, quickly stepping away before I could embarrass myself further.
Unbelievable. No NPCs, no tutorial, no one who cared. But I wanted this, another world, real, dangerous. And it was up to me to figure out how to become the strongest player in this world.
Before I could get too overwhelmed, memories flooded back. Memories of how I got here.
It all started in Manila. A normal day, a normal life. But the sky seemed to glitch. Clouds swirled like a loading screen, electricity crackling through the air, as if some massive machine operated in the heavens.
"I don't belong in the human world anymore. If there's any way to reach another world... take me." I'd whispered those words while staring out my bedroom window.
And something answered. As I slept, I felt like I was falling through an endless abyss. Night after night, over and over. Like I was being summoned. Like something was calling me from the other side.
And now, here I was. Taken, brought to this world.
Returning my focus to the fantasy town, I tried approaching a group of adventurers near the fountain. They looked high-level. Beautiful gear, glowing swords, enchanted armor, magic accessories. Maybe they could help.
"Hi, uh... I'm new here. Any tips? Even just the basics?" I asked, forcing a smile.
An elf who looked like he'd stepped out of an MMORPG poster, handsome, tall, silver-haired—glanced at me. "Tips? Sure. Don't approach us."
"We're not babysitters, kid. Figure things out yourself," a dwarf added with a smirk.
They left, abandoning me in the middle of the town square.
"Okay, noted," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "New world. Same people. Nothing's changed."
DING!
> First Quest: Hunt 10 Devourer Slimes
> Reward: 100 Pesos, 50 XP
I froze. Pesos? Here? "So... this is how it starts? No guidance? Just me and the system?"
But then I remembered... the minimap.
I closed my eyes briefly, focusing inward. A faint glowing icon appeared in my peripheral vision like a floating HUD. I mentally clicked it, and it expanded. A quest marker pointed toward the Eastern Forest.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "This is it. This is the first step. The beginning of my journey to become strong."
I left the town, crossing a stone bridge arched over a crystal-clear river. The air smelled of wood, earth, and danger. Quiet, but watchful. Tension hung in the atmosphere.
Entering the forest, my minimap blinked. I was close to the objective.
I crouched low, feeling every movement around me. Every breath, every rustle of leaves, and then I saw them---
Crawling across the ground, transparent but drooling, teeth visible inside their gelatinous bodies, like jelly with souls and hunger—
The Devourer Slimes.
And I smiled, not from confidence, but because I was actually here... in the game world.
"No matter what I have to do... no matter what I have to sacrifice... I need to survive and become strong in this world. I'm not going back. I'm never going back to the human world."
Because this was my choice.... clear the game, or die trying.