There was no pain.
No cold.
No breath.
Just nothing.
Misaki floated—or maybe he fell—in a vast, endless emptiness. A space without up or down, without sound or touch. It felt like being suspended inside the universe's memory, somewhere between existence and deletion.
Then a single chime echoed through the void.
DING.
A bright point of light blinked into view above him. Then another. And another. Soon the darkness around him was dotted with faint, pixel-like stars—except they didn't glow softly like constellations. They flickered like glitching data.
Misaki opened his eyes fully.
"Wh… where am I?"
His voice didn't echo. It simply dissolved.
Another chime.
A translucent blue window rippled into existence above him, text forming like handwriting on water.
YOU HAVE DIED.
Misaki's pulse spiked—even though he wasn't sure he still had a pulse.
"What… what do you mean… died? I—"
More text appeared beneath it.
Death Registered.
Welcome Reward: 100 XP
Item Awarded: Rusted Sword
Below the text, a small object materialized, almost embarrassed to exist—a chipped, dull blade that looked like it had lost a fight with time itself. It hovered beside him, rotating slowly.
Misaki reached out.
His fingers passed through it like mist.
He jerked back. "What is this? What's happening to me?"
Another window opened. This one much larger—like a giant selection screen.
CHOOSE RESPAWN POINT
A map unfolded. Not a huge one. Just a simple tiered panel with darkened locations. Only one icon pulsed faintly at the center.
A tiny settlement.
Crude huts.
Fog surrounding it like a sick halo.
Name displayed below it:
Village: Mlod
Status: Unrated
Tier: Beginner Area
Misaki stared. "This… this looks like a game. A very bad VR RPG."
He swallowed hard.
"But it's not VR. And I… actually died."
His fingers trembled as he touched the glowing icon. This time the screen reacted to him. His hand didn't pass through—it clicked, like selecting an option on a holographic menu.
The map folded inward.
A new cascade of text streamed in front of him:
Respawn Point Selected: Mlod
Initializing Physical Reconstruction…
Rebuilding Neural Shell…
Misaki shivered. "Rebuilding? What does that even—"
Syncing Cognitive Memory…
Restoring Motor Functions…
"Stop—wait—hold on!" Misaki yelled. But the screen ignored him.
Light wrapped around him like liquid. He felt weight suddenly. Gravity pulling. Air filling his lungs.
Then more text began to appear—like a rulebook being downloaded directly into his consciousness.
WORLD RULES
1. Death is not permanent. Respawns are allowed as long as HP > 0 at trigger.
2. Stats are locked to progression. Earn XP to increase level.
3. Items lost on death unless Bound.
4. Undead roam at dusk and nightfall. Avoid until properly equipped.
5. Respawn points can be upgraded.
6. This world is not Earth.
7. Survive. Adapt. Progress.
The last line blinked several times, as if trying to drill itself into his skull.
Then the world snapped.
Like someone hit the load button.
Darkness folded itself away, peeling back like curtains—
And Misaki fell.
Not through space.
Not through void.
Through air.
He hit ground with a soft thump, dirt puffing around him like brown smoke. He gasped and pushed himself up, dizzy.
He was lying in a small clearing.
Stone huts dotted the area, old and lopsided. Wooden fences leaned sideways. The smell of damp wood and cold soil hung in the air.
Tiny lanterns flickered in the fog, casting weak halos of light.
This was the village.
Mlod.
It felt lonely.
Forgotten.
Abandoned.
Misaki stood shakily. His suit was gone. His injuries gone. His body… new? Reconstructed? He didn't want to think too deeply about that part.
He looked at his empty hands. "Where's the sword—?"
DING.
A small inventory panel flicked into existence before him.
[Rusted Sword – Bound]
[XP: 100]
[Level: 0]
[HP: 100]
[Stamina: 50]
The sword materialized at his hip, hanging from a brittle strap. Misaki grabbed the handle. It felt real. Heavy. Cold.
He exhaled slowly.
"Okay… no helmet glitch. No simulation. No dream."
He looked at the hut-lined village.
"This place… is my respawn point."
Misaki took a step forward.
The fog shifted.
Something whispered from deeper inside the village.
Not undead.
Not human.
Something else.
The rules had brought him back to life.
But they hadn't guaranteed that staying alive would be easy.
He swallowed hard. "Alright… Misaki… you need to move. Figure this out. Survive."
He stepped deeper into Village Mlod.
And whatever lurked in the mist began to stir.