Ray awoke with a pounding headache. His vision was still blurry, and the sound of a notification kept echoing in his ears.
"Welcome to Ragnarok Online. There is no way for you to leave this place."
His heart pounded faster than usual. He still thought this must be a nightmare after falling asleep at his computer. But when he tried to move his body, the cold sensation of the ground beneath his feet felt far too real. He looked at his hands—his skin looked the same, yet something was off: a transparent screen floated in front of his eyes, displaying his character status:
Name: Ray
Level: 1
Class: Swordsman
HP: 100/100 | MP: 50/50
"This can't be happening ... this is insane," he muttered, shaking his head. He tried to close the screen in front of him, but each time he blinked, it reappeared. His breath grew heavier, like something was weighing him down. He stood up and looked around. Dense forest with towering trees, and unfamiliar birds chirping in the distance—clearly, this wasn't the real world.
"Just a game," he whispered. "I must've fallen asleep at my desk and now I'm dreaming," he added.
Suddenly, he heard something rustling in the bushes nearby. Ray stepped back, his hand instinctively reaching for the sword strapped to his waist. Before he could think further, a large wolf leapt out, its eyes glowing red.
[Wolf LVL 3]
"Shit!" Ray shouted.
The wolf lunged at him, claws swiping toward his face, ready to tear him apart. Without hesitation, Ray raised his sword and struck back. A loud clash rang out as claw met blade. Ray was pushed back, nearly losing balance. This wasn't like a typical game; he could feel the weight of the sword and the force of the wolf's attack.
The beast attacked again with blinding speed. Its fangs sank deep into Ray's shoulder, making him cry out in pain.
-20 HP
Ray screamed louder. The pain coursed through him like an electric shock. This was real. This was very real. With no other choice, he swung his sword toward the wolf's neck in one quick motion.
-30 HP
The wolf released its bite and staggered back, blood pouring from its wound, though it wasn't dead yet. Ray held his breath, readying for the next strike. Then, a voice called from behind him.
"Don't just stand there! Finish it off!"
A man clad in leather, holding a spear, emerged from behind a tree. Without waiting for a response, he lunged at the wolf and struck it through the heart.
+50 EXP
The wolf collapsed instantly, its body dissolving into shimmering light and leaving behind a small pouch of loot. Ray stood frozen, still trying to process what had just happened.
"You're new here, huh?" the man said with a smirk. "Name's Lance. Welcome to hell, rookie."
Ray swallowed hard. This wasn't just a game. This was a prison with no way out.
Lance grabbed Ray's arm and pulled him behind a tree. "We can't stay here long. Monsters in this zone are aggressive—they could strike anytime."
Still trying to wrap his head around everything, Ray followed Lance's sharp-eyed lead. They dashed through the trees until they reached a small settlement. Wooden buildings neatly aligned, reminding Ray of villages in his favorite RPG games. Other players walked by—some in full armor, others dressed as simply as he was.
"Listen, Ray. This isn't just a game. If you die, you'll respawn, but… you'll lose something," Lance said.
"Lose what?" Ray asked, breathing heavily.
Lance sighed. "Memories."
Ray froze. "What do you mean?"
"You'll forget who you are, how you got here, even who your friends are. The more you die, the more memories you lose. Until eventually… you become like an NPC."
Ray wanted to laugh it off, but when he saw the seriousness in Lance's eyes, he knew this wasn't a joke. It was his new reality.
"Wait," Ray said, frowning, "if I really forget everything, how would I even know I'm human and not part of the game?"
Lance looked at him with a complicated expression. "That's the problem. Some people here have died too many times. They've forgotten they were ever players. Worse—they *don't want* us to escape."
Ray felt a chill crawl up his spine. "So, there are people who believe this world is real?"
Lance nodded. "They call themselves *The Trueborn.* And they hunt people like us, trying to turn us into one of them."
Ray's head spun. Not only was he trapped in a game world, but now he had to fight to keep his identity. If he died too many times, he could lose himself forever—and that would mean never returning to the real world.
He clenched his jaw. "Then we have to get out of here before I forget everything."
Lance chuckled at his resolve. "Sounds great, but… nobody knows how."
"That can't be. Every game has a way out. There has to be hope," Ray argued.
"Everyone thought that at first," Lance replied flatly. "Until they experienced their first death."
Ray was silent, imagining what it would be like to lose his first memory. But then, a booming voice echoed across the village, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
"ATTENTION ALL PLAYERS! RAID BOSS 'NYX THE ETERNAL' HAS APPEARED IN THE BLACK TOWER! REWARD: THE EXIT."
Ray stood frozen. A massive announcement board above the town square flashed bright red text:
---
RAID BOSS: NYX THE ETERNAL
REWARD: THE EXIT
STATUS: NO WINNER YET
---
Players gathered beneath it, whispering anxiously. Raid bosses were common in games, but Nyx… she was different.
Lance stood beside Ray, staring at the screen grimly. "So, it's come to this."
Ray turned to him. "You know something, don't you?"
Lance didn't answer right away. He spun his glowing blue spear. "I've seen Nyx before. She's not just AI. She can... *think.*"
A voice chimed in from nearby. Aiden, leaning against a wall, laughed. "Of course she can. She's the game's defense system. Whenever someone gets close to finding a way out, *she* shows up."
Ray clenched his fists. His memories were still cloudy, but one thing was clear: he had to get out of here.
"Then we have to beat her."
Lance sighed, as if expecting Ray to say that. "You don't even know how to fight her. Ray… over a hundred players have tried. None of them made it back to the real world."
Ray's blood ran cold. If this was the only way out, was he strong enough to risk it?
Aiden smirked. "Well, I've got the info you need."
Ray narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"
Aiden shrugged. "Simple. I want in. Without me, you'll never even *find* Nyx's location."
Ray looked at Lance, searching for any sign of protest. Lance sighed, but nodded in the end.
"Alright," Ray said. "Let's find Nyx. And let's end this."