Chapter 1: New World

The year is 2053. On a dark, quiet night, a young man in a hoodie walks down the street, his pace full of purpose. He stands around 177 cm tall, and at just 20 years old, he's finally about to achieve his long-awaited dream.

His name? Vorden.

After five months, three weeks, and four days of saving every penny, he finally had enough money to buy the latest model of Uprising, the VR game of his dreams.

"Ha ha! Nothing can stop me from buying this game! Not even the gods! Ha ha!" Vorden grinned, practically skipping down the road.

He didn't have family to spend money on, no responsibilities weighing him down—so why not invest in something that could actually make him money? With enough skill, he could turn gaming into a full-time career.

---

Five minutes later…

"Sorry, but we just sold the last one," the woman at the counter said.

"...What?"

"You heard me."

Vorden blinked. "Could you say that again? I think I misheard you."

"I said it's sold out." The woman sighed, arms crossed. 'Tch. Another one of these unqualified gaming weirdos.'

"...What do you mean it's sold out?"

"It means what it means."

Vorden leaned forward. "Come on, help me out here. I've been saving for five months. Just put in a word with your boss, would you? Here, take this—" He slid $20 onto the counter. "Tell him 'Jack' sent ya."

The woman pocketed the money without missing a beat. "Sorry, but we just sold the last copy."

"...You're joking."

"Nope."

"Alright then," Vorden sighed, face darkening. "Give me my money back."

The cashier tilted her head like a confused puppy. "What money?"

Vorden's eye twitched.

'Shameless. Just shameless!!'

"The twenty bucks I just gave you," he said, pointing at her front pocket.

"Are you okay? You seem a little... mental," she said, feigning concern with an obviously sarcastic smile.

Vorden clenched his fist. 'You will be the one who is mental. Your whole family will be mental.' But he held himself back, not wanting to make a scene.

Before he could retort, an old voice interrupted.

---

"Hey, kid. Over here."

Vorden turned. An old man stood nearby, holding a copy of Uprising.

Vorden's anger vanished in an instant. He rushed over, eyes gleaming. "Old man! Are you selling that? I'll buy it from you for $250,000!"

The old man chuckled. "What's your name, young man?"

"Vorden's the name, and video games are my... well... game," he said, attempting to sound cool.

"Cheesy," the thief—cough, the cashier—muttered behind him.

The old man smiled. "No need to pay me. You can keep it. I'm too old for this stuff anyway."

Vorden's jaw dropped.

"...Really?" he and the cashier said in unison.

"Sure."

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!" Without hesitation, Vorden grabbed the VR set, put it on, and pressed the power button and walked towards the exit.

---

*Please input your name.*

Vorden, still distracted, mumbled to himself. "That reminds me... I need to get my $20 back from that disgrace of a—"

*Name inputted.*

*New name: 20 Dollars*

"...Wait. No, no, no, NO—"

BOOM!

Too caught up in his excitement, Vorden didn't notice the speeding truck until it was too late.

And just like that... his world went dark.