"KUUU-KA-KIEKUUUU!" At the heart of the open field, brimming with flowers and trees, a deafening crow shattered the fragile tranquility of the morning calm.
Chickens and other creatures alike were awakened from their sleep. Rabbits leapt from their burrows shaking their carrots in indignation, lizards cracked open their eyes, and even the wind paused mid-breeze, stunned by the sheer volume.
At the epicenter of this chaos strutted a rooster. Its feathers shimmered like polished ruby, eyes sharp with authority, chest puffed so arrogantly it seemed capable of tearing the laws of physics or at least the laws of chicken dignity.
He trotted around his territory with the confidence of an emperor, a space overlord, and possibly a caffeinated squirrel combined. Claws raked the dirt, wings flared for emphasis, and triumphant crows punctuated the morning air like war drums. Rocks, leaves, and tufts of grass seemed to bow in acknowledgment as they swayed with the morning breeze. Even the small stream murmured past him, as if whispering, "Yes, yes, we see you, oh Great One"
Then he saw her. Instantly, his chest deflated into a puddle of gooey adoration.
After all, this was the most beautiful hen in the territory. Her feathers gleamed like polished obsidian, her delicate cluck resonated in his chest like a harp chord, eyes sparkling with a charm so powerful it could make a dragon rethink its life choices. She tilted her head at him, acknowledging the faintest hint of his authority, as she quacked a greeting that might as well have said, "I see you, Milord please come here and enjoy"
His body trembled in excitement, finally he had managed to court this hen! With all the grace his awkward chicken legs could muster, he leapt atop her.
It was… a ritual requiring no explanation until the world flickered, paused, and apparently decided to interrogate them both.
A sudden, blinding white light enveloped him, wrapping him in unnatural radiance. Panic bubbled up like lava.
The white void stretched endlessly, infinite in every direction. Then, a surge of knowledge hammered into his tiny chicken brain, forcing a shriek so loud it would've scared the very clouds.
Before comprehension could begin, a flash of brilliance tore across the void, striking with the intensity of a thousand suns. Suddenly, a sense of self sharp, vivid, undeniable exploded into existence.
"…Where… am I?"
The thought flitted feebly through what could barely be called a mind.
Then, in an instant, the world regained its colors. The rooster remained atop the hen, blinking at the restored field as if nothing had happened.
And then a voice not audible, not physical spoke directly into his mind as it echoed through the heavens.
"My Children, heed my words. Do prepare for the otherworlders are soon to descend."
Startled, the rooster shifted, nearly toppling. Wings flailed, legs scrambled, feathers flew, and his dignity nearly evaporated like a morning mist.
"Wha-what just happened?!" he panicked in his mind, flapping uselessly like a child throwing a tantrum when their parents didn't buy the toys they wanted.
...
Gaia's Divine Realm, Year Unknown
Far above the trembling lands, an eternal blue flame screamed.
Shivaya Nyxara Ceruleith, the Phoenix Empress, once ruler of ten skies, felt her ascension failing. With a trembling form, she glanced back her eyes betrayed her confusion and rage as divine blood dripped from the blades lodged in her back.
"Why…." she muttered, but before she could finish, a blinding white light enveloped her. She plummeted through layers of searing light, storms, and twisting corridors of space and time, until her consciousness slammed into something… small and feathery.
"Where…where am I?"
A sudden sense of weakness and powerlessness buzzed through her mind. Invisible chains latching onto her soul like an otaku to their body pillows. Groggy and disoriented, she surveyed the strange scene: lush flower fields, forests on the horizon, and ordinary creatures chickens, lizards, rabbits, and snakes walking and slithering about like nothing unusual was happening.
Slowly, she looked at herself. Gone were her fiery wings burning with divine flame. Gone was her regal form, the presence and beauty that had inspired worship and terror in countless realms.
Now… she was a chicken.
A pathetic, feathered, utterly ordinary chicken.
With a trembling heart, she stared at her status panel. Its contents made her want to scream.
Name: None (True name locked)
Title: Boss Rooster's Most Beloved Hen
Race: Chicken
Tier: Early Stage Common Creature
Body: F-
Mind: E+ (Limited by tiny chicken body)
Soul: E+ (True name locked, existence level mostly erased)
"Wuwuwuwuu," she whimpered in her mind. Before she could process her new status, she froze. An unfamiliar weight shifted and pressed down on her. Slowly, she craned her neck and saw the rooster atop her. Her mind went blank; she knew exactly what had happened and what was coming.
Silence. Rage boiled to a breaking point. Never had she endured such humiliation. She lashed out, attempting to throw the rooster off but he remained rooted like a stubborn tree in feathered armor.
The rooster, blissfully oblivious, tilted his head at a translucent floating screen. The knowledge in his mind unraveled and he finally understood what these letters were saying.
Name: None
Title: Rooster Boss
Race: Chicken
Tier: Middle Stage Common Creature
Body: E
Mind: E-
Soul: E+
"Rooster Boss? Otherworlders descend?" he pondered. A faint fragment of knowledge from another world pulsed in his mind, working overtime as he tries to connect the dots.
A tremor snapped him out of his reverie as he looked down at his beloved hen before hopping off her back satisfied. Finally free the hen lunged, beak and claws flailing at him but her attacks barely left a mark. Noticing this her fury intensified; if fury alone could kill, hers could raze continents, ten heavens, and the world itself. Trapped in a fragile, low-tier body, tiny tears of humiliation pricked her mind as she fought.
"Oh! Haha!" he squawked in amusement, nudging her with his beak, still completely oblivious. He assumed she was impressed by his early performance and this was her way of showing affection.
Hours or maybe minutes passed in this absurd, chaotic "play". He flapped, cooed, and rubbed affectionately. She recoiled, flared, and attempted strategic pecks that were infuriatingly ineffective. Every claw pressed against her feathers caused her to flinch. Every squawk, she interpreted as mockery. Every wing flap, an insult.
Eventually, she lay sprawled, exhausted. The rooster, thinking she had enjoyed their play, leaned in and brushed against her affectionately. She stiffened, trembling, internal rage threatening to boil over, not planning to reciprocate any "affection" of his.
He shrugged or at least tried with a chicken body "Maybe she's just sleepy after all that playing. Oh well, patrol time calls." he thought to himself.
The rooster resumed his rounds. Every blade of grass, stone, and bush received inspection. Even a worm squirming in the dirt earned a proud nod of acknowledgment. He strutted past puddles, pecked suspiciously at rocks, and preened himself in exaggerated self-admiration.
Then, a faint shimmer on the horizon caught his eye. Light bent and flickered; terrain itself seemed to ripple. The regions was changing, reforming, morphing as if someone were editing the world in real time. His newfound consciousness buzzed with the knowledge that this was highly unusual.
Not far from his territory, a strange buildings he instinctively knew it was a village had appeared.
"Is that…?" he pondered, finding words in the sea of knowledge in his mind. "A Novice Village? Am I really some kind of tutorial boss?" The thought troubled him as he reviewed his knowledge of otherworlders, players, and the infamous Fourth Calamities.
Meanwhile, not far away, Shivaya glared in his direction from behind a clump of flowers, feathers ruffling, wings half-spread. "I will… definitely regain my power!" She says with gritted beak "Then I will definitely KILL YOU!" But for now, she was a powerless chicken. An extremely angry chicken. She stomped her tiny feet in frustration, leaving tiny craters in the soil as she puffed and huffed while walking away.
...
Capital of the Univerra Nation, year 800, October 17th.
A man with black hair, slightly tousled from a warm shower, towel loosely wrapped around his waist, stepped out of the bathroom. Steam curled around him, droplets clinging to his sculpted chest and shoulders. Every movement radiated strength, honed by years of fighting.
His name was William Shakerspear. UFC world champion. Five-year reigning champion of Fighter's Arena, the last immersive VR sensation. With a bored expression, he started his holographic console. Notifications,training schedules all familiar. Nothing stirred him. Monotony gnawed at him; only the octagon ever sparked excitement but his next match was still far away.
Then, as he scrolled, he found that the news and all the hot topics were talking about the same thing: a new game called Gaia Online. Curiosity piqued, he clicked the link and a neon-blazing advertisement erupted across the screen.
"EveCorporation Presents: 100% Immersion Openworld MMORPG - Be Among the First to Enter!"
He paused, raising an eyebrow. "100% immersion? That's…impossible."
EveCorporation. Never heard of them. The most sensational VR game, Fighter's Arena had only 70% immersion rate. Their second prominent VR game only 50%. Now this unknown company promised 100% immersion? Absurd beyond measure.
He tapped the teaser video. Impossible landscapes shimmered: living forests, twisting mountains, creatures defying biology, cities buzzing with life. Magical auroras danced across impossible skies.
He leaned back, crossed his arms, and let out a humorless chuckle. "Ridiculous… but I can't lie, top-notch presentation." His thumb hovered over the close button but he didn't press it, he paused.
Well, he thought, smirking, if I'm going to die of boredom anyway… why not?
With a flick, he scrolled down and signed up. Confirmation popped instantly: Beta Access in 9 Days.
Towel draped, hair damp, he chuckled quietly at the absurdity. How ridiculous he willingly fell for an obvious scam.
Yet beneath it all, William stretched, feeling a faint buzz of anticipation and excitement he hadn't felt in weeks as he waited for the release of the Beta Access.
And he was not alone as countless citizens of the Univerra clenched their fist in anticipation and expectation.