A dim light from the monitor filled the small dark room. A young man lay on his bed, a VR helmet still on his head. He slowly pulled it off and placed it beside him. His tired eyes stared at the glowing computer screen as he reached for a cup of noodles on the desk.
He ate in silence, the steam rising in front of his face. After a moment he spoke to himself.
"Is my life really this pathetic? I'm already twenty-two and I still don't have a proper job."
His reflection on the screen showed the dark circles under his eyes. He gave a small laugh.
"Well… I might as well enjoy my last year."
His mind drifted back to when the doctor told him the truth.
"You only have five years left. Your illness is too serious. Surviving longer would be impossible."
That was four years ago.
He forced himself back to reality. "Ha… ha… at least I'm good at games."
He put the VR helmet back on. The world of World of Dreams opened before him. It was a huge fantasy game, bigger than Earth itself. Millions of players filled its kingdoms, dungeons, and continents. The strongest battled for rankings, but his name was never on the list. Still, among hidden players he was the sole class owner of Unranked Champion, someone who beat even the best without ever showing his face on the leaderboards.
His character appeared: an elf with black hair, one ear half cut. He wore black robes with grey armor, a rapier at his side, two daggers on his back, and a staff tipped with black angel wings. He looked more like a villain than a hero.
"This is my paradise," he whispered. He closed his eyes for a moment.
Suddenly a sharp sound echoed in his head. He tried to pull the helmet off but couldn't move. His vision went black.
When he opened his eyes again, he was still in the same forest he last logged out from. But this time, the wind felt real, the heat of the sun touched his skin, and the smell of grass filled his nose.
"What… this feels too real."
A glowing message appeared in front of him.
[Welcome to the World of your Dreams. The chosen players may now live their lives to the fullest. Hero or villain, the choice is yours. Good luck.]
The message faded. He stood there in shock.
"I'm… inside the game? I can't believe it."
He paused, thinking about the words.
"Wait. It said players. That means… I'm not the only one here?"
He laughed bitterly. "Hahaha… players will kill each other for items and power. Now I'm stuck here? Forced to live in this world?"
He tried calling out commands. "Status!" Nothing happened. He tried again and again, but no menu appeared. His hope started to fade.
Then he remembered. "...Space of Treasury."
A white cube appeared in front of him. He reached inside, thinking of one thing. A familiar staff appeared in his hands—the Staff of Fallen Angel. The black wings at its tip spread with a faint light.
Relief filled him. His items and skills were still here.
"Good. I'm not powerless."
He looked at the dense forest ahead. His grip tightened around the staff. A small smile formed on his face.
"....What a fucked up life."
He took his first step forward.
Current Stats:
[Name: Immortal Noir
Race: Elf
Primordial Monster
Level: 100
Class: Unranked Champion
Ultimate Caster
Grand Summoner
Grand Swordmaster
Weapon Master
Skills: Space of Treasury,...
ATK: 96
HP: 100
MP: 100
INT: 90
AGI: 95
CHA: 70
LDS: 90 ]