Shaun's chest heaved, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. His eyes were locked on the system window that refused to close, no matter how many times he tried.
[Log-out Attempt — FAILED]
[Please try again later...]
"Try again later?!" Shaun roared, slamming his fists against the interface like a man possessed. But the window remained. Still. Cold. Maddening in its silence.
He forced himself to stop. He squeezed his eyes shut, dragging in a shuddering breath.
'Calm down, Shaun... just calm down...'
He could hear his own pulse hammering in his ears like war drums. Every fiber of his being screamed in denial. He stumbled back and sank to the floor of the village hall.
He tried to think rationally.
If it was a virus or a system bug, there had to be a logical, technical explanation. Maybe the log-out function had crashed after that "Hollow Council" update? Or perhaps the connection between the US server and the central hub in Tokyo had been severed?
But a cold, heavy dread settled in his gut. He couldn't believe those simple excuses. This felt... different. It felt as if the game was no longer just a game.
He pulled up the "Memories" interface. It was a secondary feature that let players upload mementos or photos from their real lives to their account—a system designed to motivate them to strive for the real-world rewards.
But when he clicked it, the window was utterly blank.
[No personal data is linked to this account.]
"...What?!"
He clicked again, opening his profile log.
[Family Name: N/A]
[Home Address: N/A]
[Saved Memories: 0]
His blood ran cold. He tried to remember. He tried.
His mother's face? His little brother's smile? Any detail from his past?
Nothing.
It was like trying to look at a photograph that had been half-burnt. The harder he tried to piece it together, the more smoke filled his mind.
"No... no, it can't be..." he whispered, his trembling fingers pressing into his temples. "I was... I was playing for them... Yes, I was grinding to pay the hospital bills..."
[Player Support System — Emergency Update Activated]
[Reminder: All digital earnings remain linked to your real-world financial account.]
[Automatic transfers to the registered hospital account are available.]
His chest tightened, and then he let out a choked, broken laugh—a sound of both profound relief and utter despair. "So... it wasn't all for nothing."
The next instant, the window updated.
[Beneficiary Set: General Hospital – Emergency Wing]
[Total Transferable Funds: 126 E-Grade Magical Crystals, 3 D-Grade Magical Crystals]
[Total Amount Required for Treatment: 1,000,000,000 S-Grade Magical Crystals]
"I can still save her..." Shaun said, his voice raw, tears blurring his vision. He couldn't remember her face, but he felt the aching purpose deep in his heart—he was doing this for someone waiting for him, somewhere far beyond this place.
Then, in the silence of his city, a small orb of violet light materialized before him, flickering like a dancing flame.
[Hello, User!]
A soft, feminine voice filled his ears, its tone calm and distinctly inhuman. This was the "Support Sprite," the new guidance system the Hollow Council had recently activated for every trapped player. It took the form of a small, winged girl dressed in shimmering light.
"You...?"
She smiled, fluttering her luminescent wings. [My name is Iona. I have been assigned to help you maintain mental stability within the game.]
[Please do not worry. The system is in a temporary isolation phase due to external interference. Until further notice, users are required to continue their virtual lives as normal.]
"Temporary isolation?! Is that what you're calling this? I've lost my family, my memories... and my way out!"
Iona tilted her head, a programmed approximation of guilt. [Some real-world memories have been partitioned for neuro-safety reasons.]
[Human data-storage is directly linked to cognitive brain function. Any attempt at a forced exit in your current state may cause catastrophic psychological collapse... or brain death.]
Shaun's breath hitched. A cold deeper than any fear he'd ever known stabbed into his heart. "Brain death...? Are you saying our bodies... our real bodies... are still connected?!"
[Correct. All users on Global Server 3 remain linked via the neural-feed system.]
[The Hollow Council is currently attempting to re-establish control over the network.]
"Damn you... and damn this 'Hollow Council'!" Shaun sank back down, staring at the stronghold he had built. All of this... it wasn't a game anymore.
It was his world now.
And his prison.
[Your mission, User Shaun Evander, is to survive and accumulate wealth.]
[A new tab, "Family," will be opened. Any magic crystals you collect and designate to this fund will be automatically transferred to the beneficiary.]
[When you reach the designated target, you will be granted one chance at "Liberation."]
"A chance... at Liberation?"
[Yes. A single opportunity to reconnect with the real world and speak to your family.]
[Be warned: The survival rate for Hollow Council missions is 0.4%.]
He swallowed hard, a leaden weight settling in his gut. He had only one path forward: to fight. He had to keep grinding for magic crystals, keep building his city, keep upgrading his soldiers, and survive until he found a way home.
He slowly raised his head to Iona, who hovered above him like a fragile wisp of hope.
"Iona."
[Yes?]
"I want you to register a new objective in the database."
[What is it?]
"User Shaun Evander's primary goal: Liberation. And saving the one who is waiting for me beyond this wall."
The sprite went still for a beat, and then her violet eyes flashed.
[Objective Recorded.]
[Special Quest Activated: The Path to Liberation.]
At that very instant, a deep, mournful horn blast echoed across the city sky, followed by a server-wide broadcast:
[Warning to all Users: Atypical activity has been detected within the Hollow Council.]
[The log-out protocol is now suspended indefinitely.]
[Please remain calm... and continue playing.]
The regional chat exploded. Screams, desperate questions, and rising hysteria flooded in from the neighboring villages.
But Shaun... said nothing.
He stood before the shadow effigy in the center of his city, his fists clenching tight.
"If this game has decided to imprison me..." A cold, thin smile twisted his lips. "...then I am going to make it regret the day it was ever created."
This was the beginning of the "Age of Shadows."
The dawn of the rising Ashborne Empire.