"This game is as boring as ever..." I yawned.
Well, it is!
I'm Arnel, just another average Joe. No? Of course, I am—nothing special, just a normal gamer. I've been playing this boring game for two years, yet I've never achieved anything significant. Honestly, anyone can get stronger as a free-to-play player, but if you're rich and willing to throw money at the screen, you can buy their scammy paid stuff.
I found this game while scrolling through the app store. It looked promising—underrated, good reviews, decent graphics. At first, it was fun. I met some players who were helpful, kind, and… also incredibly weird. They're mature yet somehow immature at the same time.
This game? It can be anything—a dating sim, a backstabbing things, a trash-talking warzone, a cosplay convention, a roleplay hub, a trading or merchant. Or, if you enjoy suffering, you can grind endlessly until you pass out from blood loss.
The bosses? Insane. The content? Mostly lame. The story and dungeons? Probably the only saving grace.
Also, they stopped adding voice acting. Damn, man, I miss my Socius voice. Oh yeah, Socius—it's the partner system in the game. You can customize your Socius just like your character, and some people go nuts with it. I've seen players turn their Socius into almost naked models, lolis, grandpas, monsters—you name it.
So, what's the game?
Ternal
A game where you can do anything. (Well, not anything actually, but close enough.)
But yeah, it gets boring if you play too long—unless you're a hardcore grinder, then it's still enjoyable.
So why am I still playing?
Good question.
First of all, I don't know. Second, it feels like a waste to quit. I mean, it's free, but I've grinded hard to achieve what I have now, even if my progress is just average compared to others.
Anyway, even though my character isn't that strong, I can still join some boss fights. So, I'm not weak—just average.
The good thing is, the game is playable on mobile, so even when I'm outside, I keep grinding. But at some point, I started losing interest. The game is alright, so…
Error. Error. Error. Error. Error.
The game suddenly froze. Then a message popped up.
"Sorry for the interruption. The game has entered maintenance. Time: 18:40 JST. Thank you for your cooperation."
"…What?"
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! WHAT THE HELL?! THEY DIDN'T EVEN ANNOUNCE A MAINTENANCE!"
"AND THIS ISN'T EVEN HOW THEY USUALLY ANNOUNCE IT! THERE'S NO PROPER FORMAT! DID THEY GET HACKED OR WHAT?!"
"ALSO, IT'S NOT WEDNESDAY! MAINTENANCE ALWAYS STARTS AT 14:00 JST! SO WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"
"…Okay, calm down, John. Let me check Discord—"
"Wait."
"Why can't I back out?!"
The game is still frozen… and now—
The screen just went completely black.
"What the hell?! Why the fuck can't I back out?!"
"Is the game hacking my phone?!"
"Oh, come on! Shit! I needed to clear a dungeon today!"
"What's going to happen next?! Is my phone going to explode, or am I about to get sucked through the scre—"
WHOOSH!
Before I could finish my thought, I felt something pull me—
I got sucked through my phone screen.
I was falling.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?!"
"OH GOD, LORD, I KNOW I'M A SINNER, BUT PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I'LL EVEN ACCEPT IT IF YOU SEND ME STRAIGHT TO HELL—"
"…Wait. I'm still falling."
"How deep is this free trial of blindness?!"
"No, no, no. This has to be a dream. A joke. A glitch. There's no way I just got sucked into my phone."
"Wait…"
"Did I say something cursed earlier?"
My mind raced back.
"Oh, shit."
"No way."
"NO FUCKING WAY."
"This can't be happening! Stuff like this only happens in manga! But now—now it's happening to me?!"
"Detecting presence… Player has been detected. The player has been chosen."
"What was that?!"
"That voice… I've heard it somewhere before! But where?!"
"Hey! Can you hear me?! Hello?!"
No response.
The voice suddenly stopped, but I was still—
"GAHHHHGGGGGG!!!"
"MY FUCKING BUTT!!!"
"IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO DAMN MUCH!!!"
"Aghhh, why am I so goddamn unlucky?! Of all the ways to land, did it really have to be ass-first?!"
Before I could even process the pain, another voice cut through the silence.
"Can you close your eyes?"
"…Huh?"
"Wh-Who the hell are you?! Where am I?! Hello?! Answer me, dammit!"
"Can you close your eyes?"
"What the—?! No, hold on! Answer me first—"
For a few seconds… I was blind.
"AGHHHH!! WHAT THE F—?! My eyes! It hurts like hell!"
"What was that light just now?!"
"I told you to close your eyes, but you seem like a stubborn person."
A voice. That same voice from earlier.
"But you can open your eyes now… player."
As I slowly opened my eyes, my vision adjusted—and then I saw something that made my brain short-circuit.
A face. A very familiar face.
One that every Ternal player would recognize.
"Als?!"
"But never mind that—"
"WHERE THE HELL AM I?!"
"Can you calm down? I'll explain everything—just relax."
"Relax? RELAX?! How the hell am I supposed to calm down when I have no idea where I am?!"
I glared at the figure in front of me. Als…
"Fine. Then tell me—where the hell am I, Als?!"
"Makes sense that you're panicking, but there's no need to worry."
"No need to worry, my ass!"
"Anyway, you are in the Emptiness. A place where things have never experienced light. I think you know this place, right?"
My stomach dropped.
"No way…"
"The Emptiness?"
"SO THE GOD ACTUALLY ENDED ME?!"
"IS THIS MY PUNISHMENT?!"
"WHY THE HELL AM I IN THE WORLD OF EMPTINESS?!"
"WHAT DID I EVEN DO?!"
(Author's Note: Time for some lore!)
The World of Emptiness is where players are sent when they're banned or receive a penalty in the game.
It's not just a void—it's a prison.
Players can walk, but they can't see.
Everything around them is just… pitch black.
(Back to John…)
"Wait."
"No way."
"Did… did I get banned?! FOR WHAT?!"
"Answe—Mmph?!"
Before I could even finish my sentence, Als casually flicked his fingers.
Something weird happened.
"I… CAN'T TALK?!"
My mouth moved, but no sound came out.
"Okay, that's enough."
Als sighed
"I hate loud people, and I know you know that."
I glared at him, but he ignored me.
"Now, since you finally shut up, I'll use this opportunity to explain and hopefully calm you down."
(Yeah, sure—by force, apparently!)
"Greetings, John. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Als, the Guardian of Ternal and the Deity of Time. I am the first creation of Termius, the Creator of Gods."
I blinked
(Okay, that was… a lot)
"I understand that you're panicking, but there's no need to worry."
His voice was calm, almost reassuring.
"Before we go any further, let me tell you one thing—
"The Ternal World… is not just a game."
(What?! Not just a game?!)
Als smirked slightly.
"Judging by your face, you're either confused or completely shocked. But yes, you heard me right—
"The game was never just a game."
I raised my hand instinctively, signaling that I had a question.
With a flick of his fingers, Als lifted whatever was stopping me from talking.
"Speak."
I didn't hesitate.
"If it's not just a game, then— how?! How does an entire dimension turn into a game that you can just download from the App Store?! How is that even possible?!"
"And if you have that kind of power, why not just teleport every player to Ternal? Why not bring all of Earth's people here or just open a portal?!"
Als let out a small sigh, as if expecting that question.
"I wasn't the one who turned this world into a game app. That was the work of Termius, the Creator of Gods."
His tone was calm, but there was a hint of something else—uncertainty?
"As for how my creator did it? I don't know. We simply follow commands."
"But one thing I do know—my creator has a reason for doing things this way."
He crossed his arms.
"Did that answer your question, or do you have more?"
(That answered my question… but it's not the only thing I'm curious about… Why… why me? There are millions of players out there, so why…?)
I clenched my fists.
"Why me? There are so many other players you could've chosen…"
Als raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable.
"Did I ever say you were the only one?"
"Huh?"
"Millions of players have been transferred, and some of them are already in Ternal."
He crossed his arms. My pop
"You're not the only one, John."
My eyes widened.
"Millions?"
"So… I wasn't the only one who got sucked in?!"
"There are a lot of them, but of course, I can't meet and greet everyone at the same time."
Als shrugged.
"So, I used my power a little bit… Yeah, just a little bit. Anyway, you should feel honored—this is my original body, after all."
I scoffed
"Oh wow, i feel honored. Also thank you for making me experience one of the most traumatizing moments of my life. Really appreciate it. I hope you get to experience falling on your ass, so you know how much it hurts."
Als tilted his head slightly, completely unfazed.
"It's not my fault you're a weak being. Anyone can land on that with ease."
I blinked.
"Ease?"
"Fucking EASE?!"
"Are you crazy?! Are you a god or a damn psycho?! How the hell was I supposed to land safely when I'm just a normal human?! There's no damn fall damage immunity in real life! And how was I even supposed to brace for impact when everything around me was pitch black?!"
"I swear, this guy was either a god or a sadist."
Als studied me for a moment before speaking
"But you are very special compared to the other players. I would say…"
He paused, as if something just clicked in his mind.
"To think of it… So that's the reason…"
I frowned.
"Reason? For what?! Also, what do you mean I'm special compared to the others?"
Als waved a hand dismissively.
"Nah, forget it…"
"Forget it?! You can't just drop something like that and move on!"
He smirked.
"I mean, you're special because…"
"You are average."
…
…
"WHAT THE FUCK IS SPECIAL ABOUT BEING AVERAGE?! ARE YOU MOCKING ME OR WHAT?!"
Als let out a sigh, his expression deadpan.
"Okay, okay, my bad. So can you shut up now, or else I'll use force."
I scowled.
"Force? For wha—"
His fingers twitched.
"I shut up."
Satisfied, he nodded.
"Good. Now, let's get to it… Time for a tutorial, conditions to follow, and the rules."
"Tutorial? For what?!"
Als raised a hand, ready to flick his fingers again.
I took the hint.
"...Okay, I'll shut up."
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Good, Mr. Player. Now, allow me to show you a familiar place."
Then, with a single clap of his hands—
The darkness around us shattered.
Als spread his arms dramatically.
"Welcome, player, to the Field of Beginning! As you know, this is—"
"Yeah, yeah, the tutorial area."
I crossed my arms.
"The place where your adventure begins with the most special content of the game—character creation. I remember this spot well. "
"This is where you make your permanent character… unless you're one of those special players willing to drop ten bucks just to rewind this moment and tweak their avatar."
Als blinked, then smirked.
"Wow! Not bad for an average Joe!"
I frowned.
"That better be a compliment."
I let out a slow clap.
"Yeah, very free-to-play game. I love it so much. Congrats on scamming people into buying useless game passes and newbie packs that aren't even worth it."
Als rolled his eyes.
"Don't be like that… They spend money because they love the game. That's why they want access to more stuff."
"Yeah, sure, love the game so much they're willing to pay for an overpriced recolored sword. Totally not a scam."
Als ignored me.
"Anyway, why do I even need a tutorial? Are the mechanics the same as the app? Or am I wrong?"
"Let me ask you this—does combat in real life work in turns?"
I paused.
"...No?"
"Then you need a tutorial."
His voice turned serious.
"This isn't a game anymore, John. This is more than real life."
"Okay, okay, I get it… Now tell me one thing."
Als nodded.
"Good. As you know, the combat system in Ternal is turn-based, but since this is real life… that doesn't work here. If you die…"
He paused for a moment, then shrugged.
"Well, you die permanently."
…
"What?"
…
"WHAT?! WHAT THE FUCK?! ARE YOU JOKING?! IF I DIE, I DIE PERMANENTLY?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! EXPLAIN. RIGHT. NOW!""
Als sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Chill, you're loud as hell. Yeah, you die—no revives this time. It's pretty simple, really. Your original body is here. That's it. That's all. Oh, and uh… sorry for not telling you sooner, but there's no turning back."
I froze.
"Oh god…"
"I'm fucked."
"My whole life just did a speedrun to the final chapter, and I'm not even past the climax."
"Ah, jeez…"
"Worrying? Death is much better than being immortal, you know?" "
Als stretched his arms, looking as relaxed as ever.
"I mean, if you had a duty to protect something forever, then sure, immortality might be the better choice. But if you just want a simple life, being mortal is the best thing."
He took a step closer, his eyes gleaming.
"You can start a new chapter here… no, not just a chapter, but a whole book. Every adventure, every experience—it's all real. Nothing here will feel like a game."
I scoffed.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But if you don't mind, I already know everything about this world. I've explored every map, talked to every NPC, unlocked some secret. I don't think I'll enjoy being here—I'll just be surviving."
Als chuckled.
"That's where you're wrong."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Wrong? What do you mean, wrong?"
"Okay, better to show you. Let me enlighten you."
Als flicked his hand, and suddenly, the space around us shimmered.
"The content in Ternal—the one you knew from the game—is just 10% of the actual world. Ternal isn't just one planet where your journey orbits around; there are infinite maps waiting to be explored."
I frowned.
"Infinite…? But that's not—"
"The creator designed a generator powerful enough to create entire worlds, shaped by your style, your choices, and your desires. And guess what? You can teleport between them just by remembering their coordinates and names. Everything you can fantasize about? It exists in Ternal."
The space around me warped again, showing glimpses of landscapes I had never seen before—towering golden cities, endless oceans, floating islands with castles built on waterfalls.
"This time, there are no restrictions. No bans. No artificial limits."
Als smirked.
"And the NPCs you met in the game? They're not NPCs anymore. They're real people."
I swallowed hard.
"Wait… so everything I knew about Ternal is...."
"Just the beginning."
He spread his arms.
"And we've added even more content. I could explain it all, but honestly? It's better if you experience it for yourself."
"So, are you willing to give it a try?"
"Ahhhhhh… Well, hahahahahaha, I don't know anymore. I think my age is too early to give up. Maybe you're damn right…"
"So, are you willing to learn the basics?"
"What else can I do but go through another tutorial? You guys put more effort into this than the actual game."
"Of course. No phone or computer in your world could handle that with your modern technology. So, it's better to implement it in the actual world."
(Wait, only 10% of the actual world was in the game? Then does that mean the stuff we experienced in the game was actually just a fraction of what exists here?)
"I have a question. If the game's content is only 10% of the actual world… doesn't that mean what we experienced was still huge?"
"Great question. Actually, in the game, there were only two worlds—the World of Demons and the World of Humans. If we put it into perspective, that was just about 4% of the real thing. 2% was storyline, 1% was items and mechanics, 1% was NPCs, and another 2% was paid content."
"So… if I convert that… the game itself was basically 0% of the full experience?"
"If you say so… but for me, the creator has a huge imagination. So, I'd say there's way more to be added in the future. I can't even describe it all."
"Anyway, i should teach you all the basic thing, are you ready to learn again?."
"Well, do I even have a choice? Hahahahahaha. Well then—game on."
And just like that, the tutorial took hoursto finish. There was so much new information that might be useful later.
But one thing was crystal clear.
Once I land in the world of Ternal, there will be no safe zones.
Even in the game, if a player killed you in a public place, they'd either get banned or flee before getting caught. But here? There's no one enforcing rules. No second chances.
And most importantly—
There is no revival. If I die, I die for good.
So starting now, there's one rule I'll live by—
Never fully trust anyone.
"John, are you ready? It's time for you to enter the world of Ternal."
I clenched my fists, took a deep breath, and nodded.
"I'm ready… I've made up my mind. I will never back down."
"That's the spirit I want to see! I hope you keep that fire instead of panicking next time."
Als smirked.
"Remember, your actions and decisions will affect Ternal. You're not the creator of this world, but you are the creator of your destiny and life. Keep that in mind, John."
A swirling portal appeared before me.
"Looks like it's time. Any last words?"
I smirked.
"Next time I see you, I'm kicking your ass for what you put me through."
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I'd love to see you try!"
I stared at the portal. Once I step through, there's no turning back.
But I've made my decision.
Screw fear. Screw my old life.
If this world of Ternal offers freedom beyond imagination, then I'll make my own path.
Even if I fail, I'll rise again.
Again. And again.
This is where my new life begins.