Ren woke up to someone laughing.
At him.
He opened his eyes.
Everything was white in every direction. But there was something else—pillars in the distance, marble or crystal, stretching up into nothing. They looked solid, but their edges kept shifting.
Wind chimes rang somewhere.
And standing over him was—
"The fuck."
She looked almost human.
Silver hair that moved wrong. Like it was underwater. Eyes that caught light from impossible angles. Her dress was nice, looked expensive, but it kept shifting. Different style every time he blinked. Victorian ballgown. Modern sundress. Ancient robes.
Like she couldn't decide what to wear, so she wore everything at once.
A small crown of golden leaves floated above her head, rotating slowly.
"Welcome to Genesis Online, Ren Yuto," she said, still smiling.
Her teeth were too white.
"You're Goddess Fortuna," he said.
Information he couldn't understand filled his head.
"Oh, good, you're not completely stupid." She tilted her head. "That'll make this easier."
[GODDESS FORTUNA]
[OVERSEER OF GENESIS ONLINE]
[LEVEL: ∞]
"Where am I?" Ren stood up slowly. His legs moved before he meant to. He stumbled, catching himself.
"I told you. Genesis Online."
"Yeah, I know, but where am I actually?" He looked at his hands. Flexed his fingers. They responded instantly. "Is this VR? Because I don't own one and I definitely didn't put one on before—"
"You're not in VR, Ren."
"You're in Genesis Online. The whole package." She said it casually. "Congratulations! You're experiencing true immersion."
Ren stared at her.
Then he laughed.
"Sure... full immersion."
Fortuna's smile didn't change. "This isn't a
prank."
"I never said it was. Is this some type of Dev testing or—"
He stopped.
"Send me back," he said quietly.
"No."
"Fuck do you mean no? I only wanted to get my character back! Not to get kidnapped into the actual game!" Ren looked around wildly. "Send me back! Right now!"
"Still no."
"I didn't agree to this!"
"Transfer agreement. All sales are final. No refunds."
"Can you hear yourself?"
Fortuna held up one finger. "You did. Remember? The [YES] button was very clear. Any situation you find yourself in, it's technically your fault."
"IT SAID, RESTORE CHARACTER!"
"You can restore your character." She examined her nails. They were a different color each time she moved her hand. "You just have to do it from inside the game now. It's not my fault you didn't read the fine print."
Ren's eyes twitched.
"So now goddesses troll people?" Ren replied. "There was no fucking fine print!"
"Exactly. That should have been your first
clue."
"You fucking piece of sh—"
Ren's mouth was gone.
"Temper, temper." Fortuna circled him like a shark. "You should be grateful, you know. Most people would kill for this opportunity. Experience real magic! Fight monsters!"
Then she moved close to his ear. "Romance options that can be loyal and serve just like the real world."
She waved her hands, and he could speak again.
Ren froze. "…Romance options?"
Ren started smiling. "No, no, no, that doesn't change the fact that I got kidnapped."
"Yes," Fortuna's smile widened. "Everything possible in the game is possible here. Including the... relationship mechanics. Although I suppose it's a bit more authentic now, don't you want a lot of women flocking to you?"
Ren could see his life. Two. Four. Maybe ten ladies.
"Yes," Goddess Fortuna replied. "All you can imagine."
"Silence, wench, I shall not be tempted by such cheap exploits."
Fortuna blinked. Then laughed.
"Oh, I like you."
"If I'm stuck here," Ren said, "how do I get back to the real world?"
Ren looked around.
Fortuna's expression turned serious.
"Simple. Reach level 500, acquire a Mythic-class item, and defeat one of the Twelve Demon Lords in single combat. Do that, and I'll send you home."
Ren stared at her.
She smiled.
"Why don't you just say it? That I'm never going home."
"Then I suppose you'll be here for a very long time." Her smile had an edge now.
"Yeah, no shit."
"Good luck, Ren Yuto. You're going to need it."
"Wait, just like that? Don't I get something special, like a blessing or a mythic pet? What do you even want me to do?"
She snapped her fingers.
"WAIT—"
The world exploded into light.
---
When Ren's vision cleared, he was standing in the white void again. Just emptiness.
And floating in front of him was a blue screen.
[WELCOME TO GENESIS ONLINE]
[CREATE YOUR CHARACTER]
"That goddess bitch..."
He took a deep breath.
"Okay. Okay. Let's think about this logically."
He was trapped in Genesis Online. To get out, he needed to beat a Demon Lord, reach level 500, and obtain a mythic item.
Ren held his head. "That fucking con artist, she didn't even explain what she actually wants."
"Tempting me with something cheap like romance and riches."
His hands were shaking as he reached for
the screen.
[BEGIN CHARACTER CREATION]
A spinning wheel appeared, filled with hundreds of class names in different colors. Common classes were grey, Uncommon were green, Rare were blue, Epic were purple, Legendary were gold, and Mythic were prismatic.
"Okay, at least she might've increased my chances of winning."
"She wouldn't screw me completely," he said, more to himself than the system. "Not after all that talk. There has to be a catch. A gimmick. Something in my favor."
His fingers hovered over the screen.
They wouldn't stay still.
He pressed his thumb into his palm, released it, then did it again.
"One roll. Just one."
He pressed [ROLL].
The wheel spun, colors blurring together. His heart pounded as it slowed, clicking past Epic, past Legendary…
Click.
"Come on."
Ren leaned forward without realizing it.
"Slow down… slow down…"
Each click grew louder.
Click.
It stopped on grey.
[CONGRATULATIONS]
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED: GARDENER]
[RANK: COMMON]
[DESCRIPTION: Skilled in growing crops and maintaining gardens. +2 to Plant Growth, +1 to Soil Quality.]
Two options appeared: [REROLL] or [ACCEPT].
Ren stared at the screen.
"Gardener."
His voice was flat.
In three years of playing, Ren had never seen such bullshit.
"A FUCKING GARDENER."
He looked around the empty white space, searching for something to throw.
"WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH GARDENER?!"
He took a deep breath.
He jabbed the [REROLL] button so hard his finger hurt.
"One bad roll. That's fine. I shouldn't be worried."
"Simple. Reach level 500, acquire a Mythic-class item, and defeat one of the Twelve Demon Lords in single combat. Do that, and I'll send you home."
Ren mimicked her. "What a fucking troll."
"Let's go again."
[ROLL]
The wheel spun again. This time, Ren watched it with laser focus, willing it to land on gold or purple.
It slowed.
His breathing went shallow.
Click.
He didn't blink.
Click.
His knee bounced once. Then again.
Click.
"Not grey," he muttered. "Anything but grey."
Click.
Grey again.
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED: POSTMAN]
[RANK: COMMON]
[DESCRIPTION: Delivers mail and packages efficiently. +3 to Running Speed, +2 to Navigation, +1 to Customer Service.]
Ren stood there for a solid ten seconds.
Then a message popped up.
[LOL]
Ren stared at the message.
Ren laughed.
A short sound.
Then another.
"Even the system is trolling me now."
He dragged a hand down his face.
"Of course."
He punched the ground. It didn't hurt.
Ren fell to his knees, pressing his forehead to the non-existent floor.
"Goddess Fortuna." His voice cracked. "I know I called you a bitch like thirty seconds ago, but I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. If you give me something decent, anything, just give me something I can work with, I will build you a shrine. I will praise you every single day. I will tell everyone how amazing and beautiful and merciful you are."
Silence.
"Goddess pleaaaaaase, I need thisssss, I don't want to be homeless."
More silence.
"I believe you have accepted my plea."
[ROLL]
The wheel started spinning.
Ren looked up, tears still wet on his face.
Click.
Click.
Click.
It landed on a color Ren had never seen before, pure prismatic light that shifted through every color imaginable.
It was like a thousand diamonds catching the sun at once. The void itself seemed to crack, prismatic fractals spreading through the emptiness like lightning frozen in glass.
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED: DISCIPLE OF FORTUNE]
[RANK: SSS (MYTHIC)]
[DROP RATE: 0.00006%]
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE RECEIVED A MYTHIC-TIER CLASS!]
—
To be continued in CHAPTER THREE…