The sun showed no mercy.
Its blazing rays poured down upon the earth, scorching rooftops and pavement alike, spreading heat that clung to the air like wildfire. The ground shimmered beneath its relentless assault, as though the world itself were being tempered in flame.
Beneath that burning sky, Alan moved with steady purpose. His steps were deliberate, controlled—yet there was urgency beneath them.
He was on his way to Heaven's Arena.
And though he tried to maintain his composure, the faint quickening of his pace betrayed him.
Today marked the twenty-first anniversary of the grand release of the world's most anticipated VRMMORPG, and Alan had no intention of missing it.
This wasn't just another game launch. It was an event—one that happened only once each year, drawing players from every corner of the country.
At Heaven's Arena, thousands would gather beneath towering screens and roaring lights. There, contestants would step into specialized VR pods and be transported into a fully immersive virtual world—an unforgiving battlefield where strategy, strength, and survival determined victory.
It wasn't merely entertainment.
It was a contest of legends.
Alan had turned eighteen just yesterday—the minimum age required to enter Heaven's Arena.
For years, he had watched from the sidelines, counting down the days until he would finally qualify. Now, the wait was over. The excitement coursing through him was almost unbearable.
He would have to skip school to make it in time. But today, that hardly felt like a crime. This was bigger than attendance sheets and classroom lectures.
And he wasn't alone.
The streets were alive with anticipation. Young adults who had just reached eligibility walked with shining eyes, while older veterans returned with determined expressions, eager to test themselves once more. The crowd moved as one—fast-paced, driven, electric with shared purpose.
Everyone was heading toward the same destination.
Heaven's Arena awaited.
Moments later, Alan stood before the colossal gates, his eyes widening at the spectacle beyond.
Inside, a brilliant light flooded the space, bouncing off smooth, gleaming surfaces until the entire environment shimmered like a dream. It was magnificent—immense, pristine, almost otherworldly—like stepping into a vast, endless white chamber that seemed to stretch farther than the eye could see.
For a moment, he simply stared, caught between awe and disbelief.
In an instant, their bodies were pulled from the real world, dissolved into streams of light, and reformed within a vast white void. The space stretched endlessly around them, sterile yet alive, like walking inside a cloud of pure energy.
Before Alan, a translucent screen flickered into existence, hovering in midair. Its glow was soft but commanding, every line of text sharp and precise.
DING!
The words appeared one by one:
[ Welcome to Heaven's Arena ]
[ 21st Annual Global Tournament ]
[ Initializing System... ]
[ Checking Player Eligibility… ]
[ Age Requirement: 18+ ]
[ Neural Sync Verification… ]
[ Connection Stable ]
Finally, a single prompt blinked expectantly:
[ Input Character's Name: … ]
Alan's heart skipped. This was it—the moment the game truly began.
Alan's fingers flew across the interface, entering his name with a thrill he could hardly contain.
"This is it… I can finally play! How long have I waited for this?" he muttered, a wide grin spreading across his face.
The screen pulsed in response.
[ Welcome, Alan. Get your weapons ready ⚔ ]
A surge of anticipation ran through him, electrifying every nerve. The game wasn't just starting—it was calling him into its world.
When Alan opened his eyes, the real world was gone.
He stood on a vast field of vibrant green grass, stretching endlessly in every direction. Around him, dozens of other players had just materialized, each blinking in awe, taking in the new reality.
He looked down at himself—and froze. He wasn't just in a game. He was in a fantasy avatar, sleek and powerful, every detail sharp, every feature enhanced. It felt… incredible.
Before he could even turn to admire the breathtaking landscape, the translucent screen blinked into existence again, appearing without warning, demanding his attention.
The screen flickered again, crisp and commanding:
[ WELCOME, PLAYER ]
[ Please Select Your Combat Weapon: ]
[ One-Handed Sword ]
[ Rapier ]
[ Two-Handed Sword ]
[ One-Handed Curved Sword / Scimitar ]
[ Dagger ]
[ Two-Handed Axe / Battle Axe ]
[ Polearm / Spear ]
[ Mace / Hammer ]
[ Martial Arts (Extra Skill) ]
[ Note: No Magic Abilities. No External Skills. Weapons Only ]
Alan's hand hovered over the familiar One-Handed Sword, instinctively ready to select it. But something caught his eye—a faint, almost hidden option buried in the list:
[ Dual-Blades ]
Without hesitation, he tapped it.
In an instant, two crimson swords materialized before him, spinning once in the air before landing perfectly across his lap. The metal was warm to the touch, humming softly as if alive. Alan's grin widened. This… this was going to be fun.
[ Weapon Selected: Dual-Blade ]
[ Loading Combat Environment… ]
The world shifted around him in an instant. The grassy plains dissolved into a swirling vortex of light and energy, pulling every player toward a colossal gateway hovering in the distance. Alan's heart raced as the scene snapped into focus.
Before him stretched a metallic landscape suspended in the sky, jagged platforms and floating arenas stacked like monuments. Boss-level creatures patrolled the edges, massive and imposing, their shadows casting fear across the clouds below.
A holographic readout blinked in front of him:
[ Total Number of Players: 1M+ ]
[ ERROR… Rewriting Protocol… ]
The others barely noticed Rewrite the flashing error, too caught up in their own excitement to care. Players cheered, laughed, and rushed forward, eager to dive into the battle.
But Alan didn't move.
An error in a game wasn't just a glitch—it was a warning. Something wasn't right.
He stayed perfectly still, eyes scanning the shifting environment, muscles tense but controlled. Calmly, he prepared himself, anticipating whatever the system might throw at him next.
DING!
[WELCOME TO HEAVEN'S ARENA ]
[ Corrections… ]
[ WELCOME TO DEATH GAME ]
Silence fell over the players, broken only by a ripple of uneasy murmurs.
"Death Game? What's that about?" someone whispered.
Alan stared at the screen in disbelief.
Maybe it was just a rebrand… maybe they had changed the name from Heaven's Arena to Death Game. But that didn't make sense. The title had remained the same for over twenty years.
DING!
<< RULES >>
[ Rule 1: Logging Out Is DISABLED ]
[ Rule 2: Player Elimination Is Permanent ]
[ Rule 3: Guild Creation Is Permitted ]
[ Rule 4: Clear All Stages To Return ]
[ Survival Rate: Updating… ]
[ Current Survival Rate: 0.03% ]
This wasn't a rebrand.
It was a trap.
Chaos exploded across the floating arena.Players screamed. Some ran blindly toward the edges, searching for an exit that didn't exist. Others collapsed where they stood, hands clutching their heads, tears streaming down their faces. Panic spread like wildfire.
"If we die here… it's… final?" Alan whispered. His voice trembled, matching the violent shake in his hands and legs.
This wasn't the game advertised on billboards. This wasn't the tournament he had watched on television.
This was real.
Heart pounding, he opened his system menu.
<< MENU >>
[ Player Name: Alan Smith ]
[ Age: 18 ]
[ Weapon: Dual-Blade ]
[ EXP: 0 ]
[ Rank: F ]
[ Level: 0 ]
[ LP: 100 ]
[ Mode: Beginner ]
He scrolled down.
His breath stopped.
The Log Out button was there... but completely frozen.
"No… no, no… this can't be happening…" he muttered, covering his mouth as dread tightened around his chest.
Around him, cries turned into shouts. Some players lashed out in anger. Others dropped to their knees in despair. Regret painted every face.
Then—
Silence.
The sky darkened.
A massive face materialized above the arena, projected across the clouds. It belonged to a hooded man, his features distorted like a cracked screen glitching with static.
Everyone looked up, hope flickering in their eyes. Maybe a developer. Maybe the CEO. Maybe someone's here to fix this.
The figure spoke.
"Welcome, players of the so-called Heaven's Arena… to my new world."
A pause.
"DEATH GAME."