Earth's population reaches an all-time high. Resources begin to run thin. Tension quietly builds between nations.
The program [Red Earth] is established to terraform Mars for human settlement.
A new drug—Pill of Life—is developed. It doubles the human lifespan.
War breaks out over the drug's formula. It lasts for months—until the formula leaks to the public. The war stops.
Earth's population skyrockets. The program [Earth's Space] launches. Selected people are sent into giant orbital ships.
With technological advancement, [Red Earth] succeeds. Ninety percent of humanity is scheduled for migration.
Despite Mars, resources continue to diminish. Estimated collapse: fifty years.
Everyone prepares for war.
[World War 3 probability: Imminent].
To prevent extinction, humanity unites.
And that's when we find it.
A miracle.
A god-given grace.
A brand-new world overflowing with untapped resources.
We call it:
[Virtual World].
My name is Emanuel.
I was born in 2080—the same year the Pill of Life was created.
My father was one of its developers.
According to my older brother, he was an idealist. A philanthropist. A man who wanted to make the world better.
I barely remember him.
What I do remember is this:
When war broke out over something he helped create, he chose strangers over his family.
He leaked the formula to stop the fighting.
His colleagues discovered his plan.
They ordered his assassination.
My brothers and I barely escaped.
My parents didn't.
We spent years running. Jumping from place to place, always afraid someone would find us.
That only stopped after [Earth's Space].
Now we live on Asgard, one of the massive orbital ships circling Earth.
My brother always tells me what our father did was noble.
I disagree.
He wasn't a hero.
He was stupid.
An idiot who left his family to die for everyone else.
It's now the year 2101.
One year since the discovery of the Virtual World.
Information about it is completely locked down. Only society's upper echelon knows anything.
For the rest of us, there's only one rumor:
It's humanity's last hope.
No one questions it.
Everyone is too busy surviving.
Then emergency protocol [Last Stand] activates.
"Cadets! Line up!"
"Attention!"
"Sir—yes, sir!"
My voice cracks as I straighten my back, copying the people in front of me.
None of this feels real.
Just minutes ago, I was washing dishes, trying to get through another ordinary day, when Asgard suddenly flashed red.
I tried to find my brothers.
We were separated almost immediately.
Military officers herded us into a massive field packed with millions of people.
Now I'm standing among them.
A million forced "cadets."
In front of us stands a man with a yellow mustache, a scar carved across his face, and a body built like reinforced steel.
On his uniform, I spot five stars.
Five-star general.
Second only to Asgard's president.
"Listen up," he says. "First, I apologize. Due to dire circumstances, you are all now forced into military service."
Military service?
My stomach tightens.
Are we already at war?
I glance around.
No one panics.
Something about the general's presence suppresses us—an invisible pressure that forces attention.
"As of today," he continues, "all of you are soldiers."
"You are bound to a soldier's duty."
"I want you all to swear."
"To support and defend the human race against all enemies—foreign and domestic."
"To sacrifice your life and well-being for the good of the people."
"Do you all swear?!"
"Sir—yes, sir!"
The words tear out of my throat before I even realize I'm shouting.
"I know you're scared and confused," the general says.
"You're untrained. Unfit. Some of you have never been in a fight."
"But we have no choice."
"We are at war for survival."
"If we fail—humanity ends."
A chill crawls down my spine.
Then someone speaks up.
"Permission to speak, sir!"
"Granted."
"Sir—what kind of threat are we facing? And where is the battle taking place?"
The general exhales.
"You won't believe me even if I tell you."
"The battlefield is the Virtual World."
A ripple of murmurs spreads through the crowd.
My heart skips.
The Virtual World.
Humanity's greatest secret.
"I don't have time to explain," he continues. "Every second we waste here, soldiers die on the other side."
Silence slams down.
"Your mission: enter the Virtual World."
"Protect humanity's base."
"And bring those bastards hell."
"All you have to do is follow orders."
"Understood?!"
"Sir—yes, sir!"
My pulse pounds in my ears.
This isn't training.
This is war.
I might never see my brothers again.
"You'll be grouped in teams of ten. Each squad will have a veteran leader."
"Remember—you are not alone."
"Stay alive."
"And may God help us all."
"Dismissed!"
I immediately try to search for my brothers—but squad leaders block our movement.
I'm pulled into a group of ten.
A woman steps forward.
"My name is Sergeant Rina. I'm your squad leader."
She's beautiful—black hair, black eyes.
In any other situation, half the squad would already be trying to impress her.
Right now?
Survival is the only thing on anyone's mind.
"We don't have time for introductions," she says. "I'll assign numbers."
I become Number Four.
My chest feels tight.
"Put on your Scouters."
I slide the device over my eye. My hands are shaking.
"In my command, press the button."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
"Go."
I press.
The world vanishes.
Everything turns black.
A translucent panel appears before my eyes.
Welcome to the [Virtual World].