Project Nexus: Beyond Reality
Episode 4 – The First Hunt
Inside Nexus Cloud Gaming HQ
In a towering skyscraper overlooking the city, the Nexus Cloud Gaming HQ was alive with activity. Rows of programmers, engineers, and analysts sat before glowing monitors, keeping the game's servers stable.
The launch of Project Nexus had been a massive success. Millions of players had already logged in, exploring the vast digital world Akane had created. But behind the scenes, the team worked tirelessly—patching bugs, optimizing systems, and ensuring everything ran smoothly.
Until something went wrong.
A sudden glitch appeared on the screen of the lead engineer, Mika Tanaka.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up the error log. "What the…?"
Her screen flickered, and for a split second, she saw text flash across her monitor.
"Find me."
Her heart skipped a beat.
Mika turned to her team. "We've got a problem."
"What is it?" her coworker asked, adjusting his headset.
She pointed at her screen. "It's him. Akane."
Silence fell over the team.
They had been instructed never to speak of Akane's disappearance. The official story was that he had 'retired.'
But they all knew the truth.
And now, his presence was showing up in the game.
The lead director, a stern-looking man in a sleek suit, stepped forward. "Send a debugging team in. Erase the glitch before it affects the players."
A team of developers logged into the game, prepared to erase Akane's presence before anyone noticed.
But deep down, Mika hesitated.
She had a feeling this wasn't just a glitch.
This was Akane's will.
Into the Woods – First Combat
Back in the game, Renji and his team walked through the dense forest near Hamlet, weapons at the ready. Towering trees, golden sunlight filtering through the leaves, and the distant sound of chirping birds made the place seem peaceful.
But Renji knew better.
"Alright," he said, gripping his sword. "We're here to level up."
Kai swung his massive greatsword onto his shoulder. "Hell yeah. Let's hunt some monsters!"
Airi readied her bow. "Stay alert. The enemy could be anywhere."
Eve smirked, twirling a dagger. "Let's hope they put up a fight."
Leon sighed. "Try not to die, speedrunner."
They moved cautiously through the forest, the tension building.
Then—
A rustling sound.
Something was coming.
Out of the underbrush, massive creatures emerged—
A Giant Spider, its legs covered in thick, black hair.
A Sword Bee, its needle-like stinger as sharp as a blade.
A swarm of Red Ants, each the size of a small dog.
Their multiple eyes locked onto the team, mandibles clicking, wings buzzing, legs skittering over leaves.
The monsters charged.
The Battle Begins
Renji dashed forward, raising his sword.
The Giant Spider lunged, fangs bared.
He ducked just in time, rolling under its attack and slashing its leg. The blade cut deep, making the spider screech in pain.
Kai roared, swinging his greatsword at the Sword Bee. The blade clashed with its stinger, sparks flying as metal met chitin.
Airi loosed an arrow, hitting a Red Ant between the eyes. It twitched violently before collapsing.
Eve darted through the battlefield, her daggers flashing as she sliced through enemy after enemy.
Leon focused on precision strikes, his rapier piercing weak points with deadly accuracy.
The fight was brutal.
The team wasn't used to combat yet. Their movements were clumsy, their attacks slower than expected.
The Giant Spider leaped, landing on Renji, its fangs inches from his face.
"Damn it—"
Kai rushed in, slamming his greatsword down, forcing the spider back.
Airi fired a rapid volley of arrows, pinning the monster down.
Renji took his chance—
He lunged forward, driving his sword straight into the spider's head.
The monster collapsed, its body dissolving into data.
Victory.
Leveling Up & Stats
The moment the last monster fell, a golden glow surrounded the team.
Renji blinked. "Huh…?"
A message popped up in front of him:
[LEVEL UP!]
Renji: Level 3
He scrolled through the new stats screen and saw something interesting.
Stats System:
Each level-up granted 4 points to spend on different attributes:
Strength: Increases Attack Power.
Endurance: Increases Defense & HP.
Agility: Increases Speed in Combat.
Intelligence: Increases Mana & Magic Power.
Precision: Increases Critical Rate & Damage.
Renji frowned, thinking.
"So I can shape my fighting style however I want?"
Kai was already grinning. "Hell yeah! I'm putting everything into Strength."
Leon smirked. "That's a terrible idea."
Airi adjusted her bow. "I'll focus on Precision and Agility."
Eve grinned. "I want to be fast. So, Agility it is."
Renji hesitated, then made his choice.
He put 5 points into Agility, making him faster in battle.
The rest, he left in Strength to ensure his attacks were deadly.
With their upgrades set, the team was ready.
They advanced further into the forest, unaware that something—or someone—was watching them.
And deep within the game's code…
Akane's presence flickered once again.
To Be Continued…