The world used to be just a normal place—no magic, no powers, no fantasy nonsense. But everything changed 23 years ago.
It started with a strange notification, right in front of everyone's faces, like something straight out of a video game. It read:
> **"Welcome, Active Humans. We would like to update the world. This will take 24 hours to change the terrain. We are adding new content: new bosses, a world boss, and new dungeons. Thank you for the inconvenience. Good luck, humans."**
At the time, I was just working a shift at the convenience store. I stared at the message, frozen, confused.
"What the hell is this notification?" I muttered. "Is this… a game?"
I hadn't played any games in years—too busy with work. But I could see the shock on everyone's faces around me, like they'd all seen a ghost.
People murmured:
> "What is this?"
> "Wait... you saw that too?"
> "Is this some kind of prank?"
> "Did the Earth just… get updated?"
> "This might actually be fun, right?"
Some were panicking, others laughing nervously. A group of old workaholics nearby mumbled:
> "Updating the world? What does that even mean…?"
One guy joked, "If this is a game, then bring it on!"
His friend grinned, "Can't wait for the 24-hour patch!"
No one realized that this "update" would soon become a nightmare—for those of us who weren't blessed with power.
I rushed out of the store, ignoring a customer yelling, "Hey, what about my food?!"
At home, I dug through my old stuff, a gut feeling nagging at me. Back in school, I used to play a game… and I had a strange feeling it was connected to what was happening now.
I finally found it—an old console RPG no one ever played. Even when it first launched, the multiplayer servers were always empty. I booted it up anyway.
**In-game Character:**
* **Name:** Ai
* **Class:** Summoner
* **Level:** 95
* **Stats:**
STR: 50
INT: 200
VIT: 100
AGI: 300
DEX: 300
LUCK: 0
* **Skills:**
* Call of the Beast
* Dark Ritual Summon
* Hunt of Stench
* Eclipse Summon
* Undead Summon
* King of Beasts Summon
Then it happened—another notification popped up on my game screen.
The *same* one from real life.
> **"Welcome back, player. You have mail. Returnee rewards received."**
I opened it.
**Returnee Player Rewards:**
* **Ghost Fragment** *(Unique Rarity)*
> *Note: Cannot be activated for now. It will evolve later.*
I stared at the screen, unsettled.
Was this just a coincidence? Or was I hallucinating? I shut off the console and tried to focus on something real.
I started gathering supplies—food, water, medicine—anything useful. I wasn't the only one. Grocery stores were chaotic. News channels were going wild. People speculated this was the end of the world.
Then the countdown ended.
**The 24-hour world update finished.**
The world shifted—literally. Landmasses twisted. Ancient terrains and ruins rose from the depths—Atlantis, forgotten kingdoms, ancient temples. Abandoned cities and houses mutated. Monsters started appearing, especially around desolate places.
And they weren't random—they were *from the game I played*. Same design. Same aggression. But they were real now.
Soon, people awakened with powers. Some began to fight back, pushing monsters out of cities. These people became legends over the decades.
I thought I would be one of them too… I had knowledge of the game, right? But no new notifications came. No powers awakened in me.
Now, in the present day, I'm 44 years old. No longer a chosen one. I live like a regular person, working as support for the army that
fights the monsters.
Just another background NPC in this strange, updated world.
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