The wind howled across the digitized battlefield, carrying shimmering particles like shattered pixels. My HP bar had dropped to less than 30%.
"This isn't good…" I tightened my grip on my sword, breathing heavily. The boss before me—Abyss Devourer—let out a deafening roar. Its massive body shook the ground, each step leaving behind glowing cracks like molten lava.
> [Boss Raid – Phase 3 Activated]
[All Cooldowns Reduced by 20%
The notification flashed before my eyes, making my heart race.
"Now or never."
I activated my last remaining skill.
> [Skill: Phantom Acceleration]
The world around me seemed to slow down. Sparks from the boss's attacks hung frozen in midair. I dashed forward, my body light as air, slipping past deadly claws by mere centimeters.
Clang!
My sword struck its black armor—but failed to pierce through.
"Damn it… its defense is too high!"
The Abyss Devourer counterattacked instantly with a sweeping strike.
I couldn't dodge in time.
> [HP -12,450]
[Status: Bleeding]
My body was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground. My HP bar blinked red like a death warning.
"…Is this the end…"
But at that moment—
A small window popped up.
> [Hidden Condition Met]
[Unlock Skill: Limit Break – Eclipse Edge
I froze.
"…A hidden skill?"
The boss lunged at me, its jaws opening wide like a void ready to swallow me whole.
There was no time to think.
"Let's do this."
I stood up and raised my sword. All the energy in my body was drained and gathered into the blade. Light and darkness intertwined, forming a rotating eclipse around my hand.
> [Limit Break Activated]
The world… fell silent.
Then—
Click.
A single slash.
No sound. No flashy effects.
Just an impossibly thin cut, almost invisible.
…
The massive body of the Abyss Devourer stopped midair.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then—
BOOM!!!
It shattered into thousands of data fragments, dispersing like ashes in the wind.
> [Boss Defeated]
[EXP + 1,250,000]
[Legendary Item Dropped
I stood there as my sword slipped from my hand.
"…I won…"
The screen slowly faded to white, leaving only a single line:
> [You have cleared the impossible raid.]
I let out a small laugh.
"This game… is seriously not normal."
Here I am again. It's been 28 years since Zab reincarnated me into this world. I was born into an ordinary family, grew up normally—and not a single damn system has appeared in my entire life. That bastard Zab didn't even give me a system to change my fate.
Now my name is "To-do." This world is similar to Earth, but it's heavily polluted. The air is so toxic that people have to wear oxygen masks whenever they go outside. Society is extremely divided between the rich and the poor, and education is neglected—children often have to work at a young age instead of going to school. Large corporations hold all the power and treat human lives as worthless. It's no different from an apocalypse. Damn it, he sent me to such a terrible world, and the fact that I'm still alive is already a miracle.
I do have a stable office job—well, "stable" is just a nice way to put it. The salary is terribly low. I work like a dog nonstop for those fat office bosses. Damn it, I work overtime until I'm exhausted, yet my salary barely increases. This world really is hell.
But in this world, the gaming industry is extremely advanced—especially virtual reality games (DMMORPGs). They feel incredibly real, like a paradise within hell. And soon, the game YGGDRASIL will be released, with a new beta version available for 1,000 players. I've already sent an email to the developers to get early access. There's only one month left until its release—I hope I get selected.
I can't believe it—I actually got into the early access version of YGGDRASIL. Maybe that's all the luck I've accumulated in this rotten world. I can't wait any longer. I put on the VR headset and connected the device to the back of my neck. Everything lit up, and a screen displaying "YGGDRASIL" appeared. I immediately selected it to enter the game.
A game interface appeared with the words "YGGDRASIL," and below it was "Start Game." From what I learned in the introduction by the developers, the game includes nine vast worlds based on Norse mythology, such as Asgard, Vanaheim, Alfheim, Midgard, and more.
Alright, enough talking—let's start the game.