Chapter 01: "Player"
Kyushu, Japan Autonomous Region—Tokyo City, Ginza Commercial District.
In the bedroom of a high-end apartment, a beautiful girl with a delicate, lovely face and fair skin sat frowning slightly. Her long, light-brown hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and dressed in neat pajamas, she carried an air of homey laziness as she stared at the lines of text glowing on her phone.
[Congratulations, Yuuki Asuna. You have been selected to become a "Player."]
[You will enter the novice Dungeon in five minutes. Please be prepared.]
"Dungeon? Is this... an ad for some third-rate game?"
Staring at the strange app that had appeared out of nowhere, its icon resembling an eye that radiated an eerie feeling, Asuna couldn't help but frown in doubt.
The time was 4:55 in the morning.
Five minutes ago, she had suddenly woken from a deep sleep. When she checked her phone, she found this bizarre app had appeared without warning, displaying the unsettling message before her.
Her first reaction was to delete it. But every time she uninstalled the icon, it immediately reappeared, no matter how many times she tried.
"Did my phone... get a virus?"
Muttering to herself, Asuna stared at the eye-shaped icon on the screen. The blood-red words Please be prepared glowed faintly in her eyes, stirring an inexplicable sense of dread within her.
Rationally, she didn't believe in any supernatural phenomena. It was likely just a virus or Trojan program. But... what if it wasn't?
Thinking that, Asuna quickly changed clothes, then went to the living room and grabbed a sharp fruit knife from the coffee table. By the time she had finished preparing, the countdown on her phone showed only sixty seconds remaining.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Her breathing grew faster as the numbers ticked down. The fruit knife in her trembling hand glinted faintly under the dim light.
When the countdown reached zero, a line of blood-red text appeared on her screen.
["Player" Yuuki Asuna—entering Dungeon.]
A surge of dark red mist flooded her vision. Asuna tried hard to suppress a scream as the sudden change enveloped her.
The mist twisted and reformed into words.
[Dungeon Location: Unknown Sanatorium]
[Dungeon Time Limit: One Hour]
["Player" Mission Objective: Escape the Sanatorium within the time limit.]
[Hint: When the "Player's" room is closed, it becomes a safe area where no "caregiver" may enter.]
Before Asuna could reread the final line, the mist dispersed, revealing a stained light-yellow wall covered in moss.
"This is..."
Before she could finish speaking, a relaxed male voice came from nearby.
"It really does seem like something out of the Main God Space. Now this is interesting."
Startled, Asuna instinctively tightened her grip on the fruit knife. She was suddenly grateful for her cautious decision to bring it.
But the sight that met her eyes froze her thoughts completely.
In the hospital-like room, she wasn't alone. A man stood nearby—the one who had just spoken.
It wasn't his presence that shocked her, but his appearance.
He wore a heavy black winter coat over a long-sleeved sports shirt, dark pants, and sneakers. A mask and sunglasses concealed his face entirely. His clothes were oddly bulky, as if something were hidden underneath.
And the most alarming detail—
"An electric drill... and an electric saw?"
Seeing the tools in his hands, Asuna's body stiffened.
"You... are you also a 'Player'?"
The man tilted his head slightly and answered in a calm, amused tone.
"Yeah. Nice to meet you. My name's Naruto. And you?"
"I..."
She hesitated, words catching in her throat. Taking a few steps back, she pressed her back to the yellowed wall, her eyes filled with caution.
"Can I not answer?"
"You're pretty cautious. Good."
The man's tone remained light, almost approving. Although he made no threatening movements, the sight of his intimidating tools made Asuna's heart race.
Is this person... also a Player like me?
She looked at the small fruit knife in her hand, then at his power tools, feeling a deep sense of disparity.
She had been proud of her quick thinking in bringing a self-defense weapon—but compared to him, she might as well have been unarmed.
From the moment the strange app appeared to now, only ten minutes had passed.
Where did this guy even get an electric saw and a drill in that time!?
As she pondered, the man pulled out his phone and opened the same eye-icon app.
[Player Name: Utsunomiya Asagiri]
[Physical Fitness Level: Outstanding (Professional Athlete Level)]
[Talent: Not Yet Unlocked]
(Profession: Not Yet Unlocked]
[Player Level: Rookie)