Early September.
The economic center of Orasia, Haiven City.
Although night had fallen, Haiven City still shimmered with neon light. The nightlife had only just begun.
In a small youth apartment on the outskirts of the city, Lucas Kane sat on the edge of his bed, phone in hand, speaking softly.
"Hey, Mom. This month's salary just came in — I've transferred 5,000 Creds to you."
A tired yet affectionate voice came through the receiver.
"I've told you so many times, Lucas. Keep your money for yourself. I'll handle things here. This debt was your father's and mine — how can I let you shoulder it?"
Lucas looked out the window at the vibrant cityscape, the neon glow reflecting in his eyes.
"Without you, where would I be? Dad's gone, and now it's on me to take care of us. You've worked hard enough already. I can't just sit by and let you suffer alone."
Silence filled the line for several seconds before his mother finally sighed, voice trembling slightly.
"Alas… it's all our fault for being useless."
"Mom, don't say that. No one could've predicted a pandemic like that. Life's unpredictable — we just have to endure it."
There was another pause. Then her voice softened.
"Just take care of yourself over there, okay? Eat properly, sleep early, and wear something warm when it gets cold…"
Listening to her endless reminders, Lucas didn't interrupt. Warmth spread quietly through his chest.
After a while, she added gently:
"It's getting late, dear. Go rest now — Mom won't bother you anymore."
"Alright. You too, Mom. Try to rest early."
"Mm. I will. Hang up first."
"Okay."
When the call ended, Lucas placed the phone beside his bed and lay back, exhaling slowly.
The last few years had drained him completely — even though he'd technically lived two lives.
Originally, his parents had owned a small but successful company. Their life had been comfortable… until four years ago.
A catastrophic pandemic swept across Metastar, driving their business to bankruptcy and leaving behind tens of millions in debt.
His father couldn't bear the pressure and took his own life, leaving behind Lucas, then just a college freshman, and his grieving mother.
The shock turned her hair white almost overnight. But unlike his father, she endured.
"If your father is gone and I follow him," she once said, "who would take care of you? I can't let that happen."
Since then, she'd been juggling multiple jobs just to chip away at the debt.
Even though Lucas told her to rest early, he knew she'd be heading to another night shift soon.
He hated seeing her work herself to exhaustion… yet he had no choice.
After graduation, he found a job paying 9,000 Creds a month — decent, considering how competitive Haiven City had become.
After setting aside 4,000 Creds for rent and necessities, he sent 5,000 Creds to his mother each month to ease her burden.
Thinking about everything that had happened, Lucas could only smile bitterly.
He was someone who had died once already, transported into this world through unknown means.
So what if he carried debts again?
He'd just pay them off — little by little.
Just then, a majestic, resonant voice echoed across the sky.
"Humans of Metastar, the Universe Server has connected. The first batch of public beta qualifications will now be distributed."
Lucas froze. His eyes darted toward the window.
A prank? A holographic ad, maybe?
"Universe Server…? What's next, you going to summon the Multiverse Core too?"
He tried to laugh it off — until a sudden sharp pain struck his left wrist.
He looked down.
A ring of glowing runes appeared on his skin, rotating rapidly. The white light shimmered like a digital bracelet before fading and sinking into his skin.
It vanished completely — as if it had never been there.
Lucas sat frozen.
"What the hell…?"
He shivered. That voice — could it have been real?
Before he could gather his thoughts, the same voice thundered again.
"A total of 20 million slots for the first public beta have been allocated."
"Beta testers may now enter the game. Please review your personal rules and data."
"Humans of Metastar, may you rise beyond your home planet and defend the universe."
The words echoed through his mind long after the voice faded.
Not a prank. Definitely not.
He looked again at his wrist — and with a single thought, the rune ring reappeared.
"This… is my beta qualification?"
Was this game linked directly to him somehow?
And "defend the universe"? That sounded far beyond a simple game.
Even with Metastar's advanced tech, humanity had barely reached a manned orbital station. Entering the universe was still a distant dream.
Could a game really allow that?
It all sounded absurd… yet deep down, he knew this wasn't ordinary.
When Lucas focused again, a glowing interface panel unfolded before his eyes.
-------------------------------
Name: Lucas Kane
Race: Metastar Human
Occupation: Not selected
Level: 1
Strength: 7
Stamina: 7
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 7
Skills: None
Soul Talent: Drop Item Specification (Error Detected) — Allows you to view a monster's drop list and designate specific items for guaranteed drops.
Rules: Tap to view details
Enter the Game: Yes / No
-------------------------------
At first glance, it looked like any standard MMO character sheet.
But when his eyes fell on the Soul Talent, his pupils dilated.
"Designate drop items…?!"
Was this a cosmic joke?
He'd been a gamer before everything fell apart — and loot drops were his eternal curse.But this? This was admin-level privilege.
To choose what items drop from monsters? That was beyond broken.
"This isn't a talent… this is a cheat."
Still, the glitched code following the description made him pause. He had a guess.
Maybe it was because his soul didn't belong to this universe — a bug created when he was uploaded into the Universe Server.
A bug… that worked in his favor.
His heart raced. If this game really affected reality — if he could earn real rewards — he could pay off his mother's debt, end her suffering, and start over.
"Alright. Calm down. First, check the rules."
He took a deep breath, eyes locked on the glowing panel.
"If it's safe… I'm diving in."