The world around Liam wasn't the same anymore.
The battle had ended, yet everything felt wrong—too real. His breathing was heavy, the weight of his armor pressing against him like an actual burden. The sensation of his heartbeat pounding in his chest wasn't something a game was supposed to simulate.
He lifted his hand, staring at his fingers—they weren't pixels. They were his real hands.
System Message:
[ERROR… ERROR... LOGOUT FUNCTION DISABLED.]
[WELCOME TO YOUR NEW REALITY.]
The glowing red text flickered in front of him before vanishing. Panic crept in. This wasn't a simple bug. Something far worse had happened.
The Ravager Army—Tamed or Freed?Liam turned his gaze back toward the battlefield, where the Ravagers—massive cybernetic beasts with glowing red eyes—stood motionless. His last skill before the system broke had forced them into submission, but… did it work completely?
One of the larger Ravagers let out a deep, guttural growl and lowered its head toward him. Submission.
Liam clenched his fist. So it wasn't a dream. His tamer ability had overridden the system. Every Ravager on the field now recognized him as their leader.
But what about the other players?
Other Players Caught in the ChaosScreams erupted from beyond the battlefield—players and NPCs running for their lives. Some were crying out for a game master, others were desperately trying to log out. None of it worked.
Liam spotted a group of lower-level players near a ruined city gate, cornered by corrupted NPC guards. The NPCs shouldn't be attacking players outside of events. But they were—blades drawn, intent to kill.
"HELP US!" a player yelled.
Liam didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, commanding one of the Ravagers with just a thought. The beast lunged at the NPCs, tearing through them in seconds. The players stared in shock, eyes wide.
"T-That thing listens to you?" one asked.
"Yeah," Liam said, scanning the chaos. "And we're stuck here."
The First Signs of a Larger ThreatIn the distance, strange distortions flickered in the air—glitches warping reality, turning objects into a mix of code and solid matter. Entire sections of the game world were breaking apart.
A voice crackled through a nearby player's communication device.
"If anyone is receiving this, get out of the major cities! Something is hijacking the AI… people are dying for real!"
Liam's grip on his sword tightened. This wasn't just a game takeover. This was something else—something planned.
End of Chapter 2