Chapter 1: The Game That Traps You

The sky burned crimson as Lucas Gray sprinted through the ruined forest, heart hammering in his chest. Behind him, the guttural roars of pursuing monsters tore through the air. His lungs ached, his legs threatened to give out, but he didn't dare stop. In The Infinite Grind, stopping meant death. Permanent, game-over death.

How the hell did it come to this? he thought bitterly. Less than an hour ago, he'd been sitting in his cramped apartment, headset strapped on, logging into the hottest new VRMMORPG on the market. He had expected quests, loot, maybe a bit of casual grinding. What he hadn't expected was to get stuck in the game with no log-out button and a warning message blaring in his face:

[WARNING: DEATH IN THE GAME IS PERMANENT.]

At first, Lucas had laughed, assuming it was just some edgy tutorial scare tactic. But the laughter had died in his throat the moment he realized he couldn't access the log-out menu. Panic set in fast, but before he could process what was happening, the system shoved him straight into the starting zone a cursed forest swarming with low-level beasts. And now here he was, running for his life with a wooden stick as his only weapon.

"Damn it!" he cursed, skidding around a massive tree as a bloodthirsty Shadow Wolf lunged at him from the undergrowth. Its fangs snapped shut just inches from his leg. Lucas swung his stick wildly, smacking the beast across the snout. The wolf growled, eyes glowing red, and circled him like prey.

Lucas's mind raced. His health bar was already down to half, and he didn't have any healing items. He wasn't even Level 1 yet. How the hell was he supposed to survive this?

A chime echoed in his ears, followed by a cold, robotic voice:

[New Quest: First Kill. Objective: Defeat the Shadow Wolf. Reward: +100 XP, Starter Skill Unlocked.]

Lucas clenched his jaw. First kill, huh? Easier said than done. He tightened his grip on the stick and steadied his breathing. This wasn't like other games where he could respawn and try again. If he messed up now, it was over.

The wolf lunged again, claws extended, but this time, Lucas was ready. He sidestepped at the last second and brought the stick crashing down on the back of its head. The beast yelped in pain, staggering slightly. Before it could recover, Lucas swung again, aiming for its legs. The impact sent it sprawling to the ground.

"Come on, come on…" he muttered, adrenaline surging through him. He raised the stick one final time and brought it down with all his strength. The wolf let out a final, pitiful whine before collapsing in a heap.

A notification popped up:

[Congratulations! You have completed the quest: First Kill.]

Reward: +100 XP. You have leveled up to Level 1.]

New Skill Unlocked: Basic Strike.

Lucas collapsed to his knees, breathing hard. His entire body trembled, but a shaky grin spread across his face. He had done it. He had survived.

But the victory was short-lived. As the wolf's corpse disintegrated into pixels, a new notification appeared and this one sent a chill down his spine.

[WARNING: Survival Timer Activated. Next Wave of Monsters Approaching in 10 minutes.]

Lucas stared at the timer, dread pooling in his stomach. This isn't just a game, he realized. It's a death sentence. And if he didn't level up fast enough, he wouldn't last the night.

Lucas sat in the dirt, gasping for breath as the red timer hovered in the corner of his vision. Ten minutes until the next wave. Ten minutes until he had to fight again except this time, it wouldn't be just one Shadow Wolf. The system wasn't that kind.

Shakily, he stood up and glanced at his character sheet, hoping for any edge that might help him survive.

[Character Sheet]

Name: Lucas Gray

Level: 1

Class: None (Unassigned)

Health Points (HP): 50/100

Mana Points (MP): 10/10

Strength: 5

Agility: 6

Endurance: 5

Skill Points: 1

Unlocked Skills: Basic Strike (Active)

He sighed. This is pitiful. In any other game, Level 1 stats were laughable. But here? It felt like a death sentence. If he didn't get stronger fast, the next wave of monsters would rip him apart.

He opened his inventory, but there wasn't much to look at. Just the broken stick in his hand (now labeled [Cracked Wooden Club]), a tattered starter outfit, and a single Healing Shard, which restored 20 HP. He popped the shard immediately, watching as his health bar ticked up slightly.

"Okay," he muttered to himself, trying to stay calm. "Think, Lucas. You've got ten minutes. What can you do in ten minutes?"

His eyes darted around the cursed forest. Most of the trees were gnarled and blackened, their twisted branches reaching out like claws. Thick fog coiled between the trunks, making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. But just beyond the clearing, he spotted something that gave him hope a faint, flickering light.

"A campfire?" His pulse quickened. If there were other players nearby, maybe they could team up. Safety in numbers, right?

Gripping his club tightly, Lucas crept toward the light, keeping his footsteps as quiet as possible. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves made him flinch, but he pushed forward. The timer in the corner of his vision ticked down mercilessly: 8:34… 8:33…

As he got closer, he heard voices a low murmur of conversation, punctuated by the occasional laugh. Relief washed over him. He wasn't alone.

But when he stepped into the clearing, that relief turned to dread.

Three players sat around the campfire, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames. Two of them were men, both heavily armed and already Level 3, judging by the glowing numbers above their heads. The third was a woman with cold, calculating eyes and a dagger strapped to her belt. She was Level 4.

Lucas took a cautious step forward. "Hey," he called out, raising a hand in greeting. "Mind if I join you?"

The three players turned to look at him. For a moment, no one spoke. Then the woman stood up, brushing ash off her leather armor.

"Another noob," she said, her lips curling into a smirk. "What's your level?"

Lucas hesitated. Something about her tone put him on edge. "Level 1," he admitted.

The two men snickered, and the woman's smile widened. "Level 1, huh? That's cute." She took a step closer, her dagger glinting in the firelight. "Here's the thing, newbie. We don't do charity. If you want to stick around, you'll have to pay."

Lucas frowned. "Pay? With what? I just started I don't have anything."

"Oh, you've got something," she said, eyeing his Cracked Wooden Club. "Weapons, items, health shards… whatever you've got, it's ours now."

Lucas's grip tightened on the club. "And if I say no?"

The woman's smile vanished. In an instant, she was in front of him, her dagger pressed against his throat. "Then you die," she whispered.

His heart pounded. This wasn't just a game it was survival of the fittest. And if he didn't figure out how to turn the tables fast, he was about to lose everything.