[ Dimensional Rift ]
[ 10 min : 0 sec ]
The notice spread across Japan— flashing across sky scraper's windows, hijacking civilian devices.
Everyone was dumbfounded, but it didn't take long for the shock to turn to chaos. Everyone panicked, the media, the civilians, the wealthy business owners. Some preached it was the upcoming rupture while others argued it was a terrorist attack.
Though, Akuma Kenzo, was just playing his favourite game — [ SSS Rank: Unlimited ]
[ 5 min : 0 sec ]
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"Arghh! Fuck! The hell is that defence?" Akuma shouted from the top of his lungs. "High speed, long range, and tanky as fuck. How the hell am I supposed to beat this?" He ranted.
His room was littered with cup noodles and bottles of sprite. It reeked like something died and a community of cockroaches lived under his mattress.
[ You've Fallen ]
The screen turned red. Akuma's teeth gritted, "Piece of- " he stopped himself from hurling his controller at his TV. He was too broke for that.
He took a sharp exhale to calm his nerves, "Calm down, Akuma. It's just a game. A game you've spent hours and microtransactions on. Ok... Just calm down"
Even though he had the best possible build and weapons the game had to offer, he still continuously loses. To the piece of shit of a boss the developers recently added.
[King Lagan] — the boss of the 99th floor.
Akuma unplugged his controller, closed his eyes, then, exhaled deeply. But before he could go in his focus mode, his phone suddenly buzzed. But he ignored it, fully immersing himself in the game's map. Every nook and corner.
Then — Click.
His finger swiftly turning the joystick like a madman. Imagining the boss's moves and possible what if's and counters. While his other fingers rapidly pressed combos. He fully visualized approximately 100 fights against the boss. And out of that 100, he won 50 percent of the time. He smirked, plugging his controller back in and started up the game.
"Finally, I'm going to fucking destroy this boss"
He leaned forward, staring deeply into the screen.
His posture curled up like a shrimp and his breathes heavy.
"Locked in" he whispered, with determination in his eyes. After 30 humiliating deaths and god knows how many hours. He surely will win this time, right?
----
[You've Fallen ]
"Fuck this game!!!"
Akuma collapsed to his bed. His fingers numb, His brain thumping, his stomach growling, and his controller barely functioning after all of that.
"Fuck..." his words dragged. He took a sharp exhale as he was too fried to continue on playing. 'I'll just play later, I don't got anything better to do'
His eyes were heavy but he couldn't sleep. So, he just laid there in silence. The only sound was his ceiling fan buzzing while his thoughts wandered.
'Am I going to eat later? I think I've spent it all'
He turned his head to see his room, damp, dark, and cold. He'd think back on the past. His mother's warm broth, his sister's nagging. He smiled bittersweet.
He looked at his bookshelf that was stacked with manhwas, manga, and games. He'd drop out of college and took a cashier job because of a crazy dream. Now because of that, he just to spends all his money on this junk even with crippling debt.
A shiver ran through his body as he felt goosebumps. He curled up into a ball, feeling his insides being hollow.
"mom..." he whispered, his voice shaking. A drop traced down his cheek. But he wiped it off fast.
'Pathetic' He had no right to feel this way.
He chuckled, gripping his pillow close, he muttering, "I'm a fucking loser"
Buzz.
He looked over and saw his phone laying face down. A shaky exhale escapes his lips as he muttered, "Annoying"
He opened his phone only to be greeted with a strange message that filled his entire screen, that read:
[Dimensional Rift]
[ 0 min : 5 sec ]
He froze, staring blankly his phone.
[ 0 min : 3 sec ]
'What type of prank is this shit?' He thought, maybe it was some bored student who hacked his phone. It was an IT infested building, after all. He tried swipe on his screen or turn it off, but nothing worked.
The timer ran out, but, nothing happened.
"Stupid-ass prank," he thought, throwing his phone aside thinking nothing of it. Even laughing at himself.
Though, suddenly— VRAAKKK.
The phone split open, oozing darkness like a bleeding wound in space.
He instinctively stumbled back — heart thudding.
"No fucking way," Akuma whispered.
Then in an instant. The world turned black. Instinctively, Akuma squeezed his eyes shut. His thoughts panicked, shouting over and over, "What the fuck! What the fuck!"
Everything plunged into silence.
Akuma felt nothing — he couldn't even feel the floor beneath him, he floated in dark space.
A cold hum sang through his bones as it called out for him. Akuma opened his eyes. But not to his home, but in a empty void.
And in front of him, hovered a translucent window, tainted in red, that said:
[ Welcome to the new era, player 001 ]
[ The dimensional Rift has been opened ]
[ Transmission connected ]
[ The Soulstream has begun ]