[Japanese National University of Games and Technology, Tokyo]
[Year: 2030]
3rd Year Class..
At the back of the classroom, a boy with curly black hair and a fragile frame sat quietly. His pearly-black eyes peeked over the rim of his gloomy glasses as he crouched slightly—just enough to stay hidden from the professor. In his hands, the glow of a PSP-R console flickered. He was playing Legends of War—right in the middle of a lecture.
"Ugh! Not again... How did I lose to this boss again?" he muttered under his breath.
A girl sitting in front of him turned slightly. She had snow-white hair and eyes as blue as the ocean, her oversized clothes gently brushing the seat.
"Han... the professor's coming." She whispered.
Startled, Han shoved the console into his bag and pulled out a thick book on machine learning, flipping it open with a fake air of concentration.
The professor walked over, raising an eyebrow but saying nothing as he inspected the book.
"Hmm... Looks like you're studying," he said, moving on.
Han exhaled in relief, sweat soaking through his white shirt.
"Phew… Thanks again, Scarlet."
"It's okay," she replied with a soft smile. Her eyes lingered a little longer on him, but Han was already back to fidgeting with his console.
Suddenly, a hand snatched the device from him. Han looked up to see a boy in luxury streetwear grinning down at him.
"Still stuck on this boss? Man, it's easy."
"Don't say that like you didn't buy your way through the game!" Han snapped.
"I only bought the premium set."
"That's 300,000 yen!"
"Enough! Quiet down—class is still in session!" a sharp voice cut through the room.
It was Kazuki Yamato, heir to the prestigious Yamato family and president of the 3rd-Year Game Development Club.
"Jay! Jay!"
Another voice called out. A stylish girl with confident strides approached. All eyes in the room shifted to her. Martha Smith—campus model and vice president of the club.
"When are you telling them about the party?" she asked, nudging Jay.
"Oh right!" Jay reached into his bag and pulled out a gaming magazine. The front page read:
"Farlands: The New World — A Massive Open-World MMORPG Set in the Post-Apocalyptic Magic Realm of Upiter. Created by the mysterious developer group: ReSoRex."
"What's this?" Scarlet asked, curious.
"A new game that dropped just last week. It already hit over a million purchases."
"A million!?" Han and Scarlet echoed in shock.
"But that's not even the craziest part—look." Jay flipped the magazine to a photo of a collector's box.
"Only three limited-edition sets exist."
Han slumped.
"No way we'll ever get one of those..."
"Heheh." Jay pulled out a sleek, sealed game case from his bag.
"Wha—HOW!? You rich bastard!" Han gawked.
"That's why I wanted us to play it together. It supports up to six players."
"But there are only five of us," Scarlet noted, looking around.
Jay smirked as he turned toward Kazuki.
"I was thinking… we could invite Nana too. She's in 2nd year now and totally into MMORPGs."
Kazuki didn't look up from the manga he was sneakily reading behind his textbook.
"I don't mind."
Later That Evening at Jay's Mansion
The party had begun. One by one, the group arrived at Jay's luxurious home.
Martha was the first to show up, carrying bags filled with food and drinks. Shortly after, Kazuki and his younger sister, Nana, arrived together. True to their roots, they brought along a variety of traditional Japanese dishes.
Ten minutes later, Scarlet and Han arrived. Scarlet had baked cookies and handmade sweets for everyone, while Han brought… a thick manual.
"You seriously brought a monster manual for a game night, you idiot!" Jay groaned, throwing him a look.
"It's better to be prepared, isn't it?" Han replied, clutching the book defensively.
Jay chuckled and waved everyone inside.
His mansion was enormous. At the front, a grand fountain gushed in the center of a circular driveway. Flower gardens bloomed on either side of the iron gate, which stood tall and heavy like something out of a noble's estate. Inside, the main hall was massive—easily large enough to fit a full-size football field.
Without wasting much time, Jay set up the projector and plugged in the console. Carefully, he unwrapped the plastic seal from the Farlands: Limited Edition Set and placed the game disc into the console. The others took their places on the long couch, each holding a controller in their hands.
The screen lit up.
Welcome, Players!
A cinematic cutscene began to play.
**"Upiter — the 4th planet of the X-6 Solar System, deep within the Koreda Galaxy.
A world like many others… until 70,000 years ago, when a group of scientists created a virus that wiped out 97% of the global population.
As the extinction loomed, some humans developed resistance. Rare and unpredictable, these survivors began awakening powers beyond comprehension.
With only a little over a million people remaining, a new civilization began to rise.
But humans weren't the only ones who adapted—animals, too, evolved into monstrous beings.
To survive in this world, one must awaken their abilities... and become strong."
"Hmm… the story is pretty fascinating," Kazuki said, his normally stern face lit with interest.
"Yeah! I can't wait to play through it!" Nana grinned, glancing up at her brother.
"Looks like it's asking us to choose our powers," Jay read aloud.
"Let's make it random!" Scarlet suggested, excited.
"I agree. Sounds more fun that way," Han nodded.
Jay selected the "Randomize" option for everyone.
Skill selection: Randomized
Skills have been assigned.
Click 'YES' to begin.
The moment they all clicked YES, the lights in the hall began to flicker and then shut off completely. The ground trembled.
Fear rushed in.
"What the hell—?" Jay stood up, looking around.
A faint purple glow seeped in through the windows. The hue lit up the darkened room in an eerie twilight.
Kazuki dashed toward the window and flung it open. What he saw made his blood run cold.
"EVERYONE, HIDE!!" Han shouted, diving behind a couch with the others.
Kazuki's voice trembled.
"Time... it's frozen. People outside—completely still. Even the birds in the sky aren't moving. And the sky… it's—" he paused, eyes wide, "it's gone!"
The entire sky had vanished—replaced by an endless stretch of violet void, where a red sun hung unnaturally still.
Then, the ground cracked.
The mansion groaned.
And with a deafening rumble—it collapsed.
. . .
Somewhere Unknown — A Grassy Plain
Han gasped and opened his eyes. He lay on soft, blue-green grass surrounded by towering mountains.
"Ahh... what just happened? Was it a dream?"
He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the strange brightness. Above him, a purple sky stretched endlessly, with a giant red sun blazing overhead. Strangely, stars shimmered—in broad daylight.
"Wha— Where am I...?"