Ohritro

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.  

At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.  

When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.  

As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?

I Got a Notification on my Laptop and Got Legendary Powers

Arjun stepped further into the chamber, his boots echoing against the metal flooring. His expression was unreadable, but his presence alone sent a ripple of tension through the air.

Eli folded his arms. "You have a habit of showing up at the weirdest times."

Arjun's gaze flicked toward the collapsed Guardian. "I see you've been busy."

Yumi took a step forward, still gripping the data crystal. "Where the hell have you been?"

Arjun exhaled. "Following the trail you couldn't."

Yumi narrowed her eyes. "Meaning?"

He held up a small device—sleek, compact, and covered in intricate circuitry. "I found something. Something Azrael doesn't want anyone to see."

Eli shot him a skeptical look. "Yeah? So did we. The problem is, the moment you start peeling back layers, everything tries to kill you."

Arjun gave a dry chuckle. "Then you're finally seeing the full picture." He turned toward Yumi. "That data crystal you're holding—it's incomplete."

Yumi's heart skipped a beat. "What?"

"The Echo isn't just a program or a system," Arjun continued. "It's alive. And what you just decrypted? It's only a fragment of its memory."

Eli swore under his breath. "Of course it is."

Yumi's grip on the crystal tightened. "If it's alive, what is it? An AI?"

Something about the way he said it sent a chill down her spine.

"I've been inside places even the Nexus won't touch," Arjun said. "I've seen abandoned facilities where machines still whisper Azrael's name. I've found logs, half-corrupted, talking about the Echo in ways that don't make sense."

Arjun took a breath. "It wasn't built. It was discovered."

Yumi stared at him. "That's not possible."

"I thought so too," Arjun admitted. "But I've seen the records. The Echo existed before Azrael. Before the Nexus. Maybe before everything we know. The first architects didn't design it. They unearthed it."

Eli ran a hand through his hair. "Great. So we're dealing with an ancient, probably malevolent, reality-warping ghost code?"

"Not just code," Arjun said grimly. "The Echo is sentient. And it's waking up."

Yumi felt the weight of the crystal in her palm. Everything she had believed—about the system, the war, even Azrael—was crumbling.

"If that's true," she murmured, "then why does Azrael want us to break it?"

Arjun locked eyes with her. "Because he's not trying to stop the Echo." His voice was quiet, but the words hit like a bomb.

"He's trying to merge with it."

Eli was the first to break it. "Okay. Nope. That's way above my existential crisis threshold."

Yumi's mind raced. If Azrael's goal wasn't control but integration—what did that mean for the world? For reality itself?

Arjun stepped forward. "We don't have much time. I have a location—one of the last sites tied to the Echo's origin. If we're going to stop Azrael, we need to get there first."

Yumi swallowed hard, then nodded. "Where?"

Eli groaned. "I already hate this plan."

Arjun turned toward the exit. "Then let's get moving."

The Forsaken Truth