Outside the barrier—
Countless zombies roamed the forest.
At night, they became more aggressive… stronger… more dangerous.
Thankfully, Johnjay was already inside his territory.
Even though it was only 1 hectare wide, it was safe.
For now.
"If I upgrade it to Version 0.1…"
He muttered while staring at the system interface.
"I can summon players from reality… and expand another hectare."
But there was a cost.
A heavy one.
100 Normal Red Crystals.
Johnjay exhaled slowly.
"…And I only have 200."
He had spent the entire day killing normal zombies just to gather them.
Still—
He didn't hesitate.
"Upgrade."
[Territory Status Window]
Village Name: Wasteland Village
Version: 0.1
Status: Active
Basic Information
Surface Area: 2 Hectares (5 acres)
Exterior: Small wooden house with a thatched roof
Interior: Spatially expanded—far larger than it appears
Barrier: Unbreakable Guarding Field
Blocks all threats. Only authorized users may enter.
Interior Layout
Total Rooms: 6
Each room includes:
Private bedroom (queen-sized bed, desk, wardrobe)
En-suite bathroom (hot/cold water, bathtub, sink, toilet)
Magic lighting
Climate control
Upgrade Info
Next Version: 0.2
Requirement: 200 Normal Red Crystals
Benefits: [LOCKED]
"…Now I can summon five beta testers."
Johnjay leaned back slightly.
"I have 100 crystals left…"
He calculated quickly.
"Sell 100 crystals… that's 100 coins."
"1 coin = 10 copper… so…"
"…10 silver coins."
A small smirk appeared.
"I'll give each tester 1 silver coin."
"That leaves me with five."
Before sleeping, he opened a new account.
Changed his name to:
Unknown.
Then posted.
[RECRUITMENT – CLOSED BETA TESTERS WANTED]
Game Title: Apocalypse Online
Developer: Unknown
WARNING: THIS IS NOT AN ORDINARY GAME!
Experience 100% Reality.
Feel the wind. Taste the blood. Smell the fear.
Every sensation—every pain—every emotion is REAL.
This is not just a game.
It is a new world.
Requirements
Only 5 players will be selected
Must be ready for real danger
No time-wasters
Rewards
Early access
Exclusive Beta Title
Be part of history
Apply Now
"Are you ready to leave your old life behind?"
— TEAM APOCALYPSE
Within ten minutes—
The internet reacted.
Most didn't believe it.
Comments flooded in:
"100% reality? Is this a joke?"
"Unknown? Who even is that?"
"I WANT TO JOIN! PICK ME!!"
REAL WORLD — 6:00 AM
The kitchen was quiet.
Clean.
Empty.
Nigel Vince leaned back on a chair, spinning a knife effortlessly between his fingers.
"Haah…"
"Another boring day…"
In reality—
He was a world-class chef.
Award-winning.
Owner of multiple restaurants.
He had tasted everything.
And yet…
Nothing excited him anymore.
Scrolling through the internet, he searched for something—anything—interesting.
Then—
A popup appeared.
[EXPERIENCE 100% REALITY]
Game: Apocalypse Online
Developer: Unknown
Looking for 5 Beta Testers
Nigel raised an eyebrow.
"Unknown? Never heard of him."
He smirked.
"100% reality? Yeah right. Probably another cheap VR scam."
He moved to close it—
But paused.
"…It's free."
He stared at the screen.
Then at the empty silence of his life.
"…I've got nothing to lose."
"If it's trash, I'll just log out."
He clicked.
[APPLICATION SUBMITTED: Nigel Vince]
"…Let's see if this game has any flavor."
BACK TO JOHNJAY
Morning.
Johnjay stepped out of the bath.
"…Food."
He paused.
Then froze.
Yesterday…
He checked the System Store.
There was no food.
Only equipment.
Weapons.
Items—
None edible.
"…If I don't eat…"
"…I'll die."
Even if he could revive—
Each resurrection cost 10 crystals.
"…That's wasteful."
He frowned.
"I need players."
"To farm. To plant."
"…And a chef."
Scrolling through applications—
He suddenly stopped.
A familiar face.
"…Nigel Vince?"
A famous chef in the real world.
Johnjay smiled faintly.
"Perfect."
He selected him—
And four others.
Then—
He remembered something.
"My sword…"
It was damaged.
Yesterday's sword was only common rank.
Cheap.
Weak.
Easily broken.
He opened the System Store.
Weapon Ranking
Common: 40 Copper – 2 Silver
Uncommon: 5 Silver – 1 Gold
Magic: 5–20 Gold
Epic: 50–200 Gold
Legendary: 500+ Gold
Mythic: Priceless
"…Right."
"I'm the only one who can access this."
Before the players arrived—
He bought something else.
An outfit.
[Newborn Survivor Set]
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Durability: 50/50
Description:
A black leather jacket marked with "AOG," paired with standard survival gear.
Stats:
DEF +3
AGI +2
Set Effects:
HP +20
Damage Reduction (low-tier enemies)
High mobility
Unique Skill: [Safe Return]
Teleport to base (Cooldown: 5 hours)
Johnjay purchased 5 sets.
Sent each to the players.
Along with 1 silver coin each.
"…Now I only have 2 silver left."
He sighed.
"…I'm poor."
Players start with:
10 coins
= 100 copper
= 1 silver
To earn more—
They must complete quests.
ONE DAY LATER
Inside a dark room—
Nigel checked his email.
[SUBJECT: BETA TESTER SELECTION NOTICE]
"Congratulations, Nigel Vince.
You have been selected.
The package has been delivered.
Server opens at 08:00 pm.
Welcome to reality."
— Unknown
Nigel smirked.
"…Finally."
REAL WORLD — 7:58 PM
A package sat on his table.
Inside—
A sleek black helmet with glowing lines.
High-tech.
Futuristic.
"…So this is it."
He lay down.
Put it on.
It fit perfectly.
A soft blue light scanned his face.
[SYSTEM VOICE]
"Neural Link Established.
Connecting to Server…
DNA Verified.
Welcome, Beta Tester No. 003."
Nigel closed his eyes.
"…Alright."
"Show me what you've got… Unknown."
CONNECTION SCENE
[8:00 PM]
BZZZT—!!
A surge of data exploded through the helmets of all five players.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
APOCALYPSE ONLINE — VERSION 0.1
SERVER IS NOW OPEN
"Transferring consciousness…"
"Simulation Rate: 100%"
"Welcome… to the new world."