THE CHOSEN ONE

"Freeze!" A voice echoed through the air with an urgency that sent chills down the spines of those nearby. In an instant, the world around them transformed dramatically as a colossal wall of ice surged forth, enveloping eight unsuspecting individuals in a freezing embrace. The icy barrier glimmered in the light, reflecting the shock and bewilderment of the onlookers, now frozen in place. "What happened?! What's that thing? Hey! Are you okay?" A young woman shouted amidst the chaos, her fear palpable as she rushed towards the frozen figures, desperately checking for signs of life. "They're not moving!!" cried another voice, laced with panic. The reality of the situation began to sink in. The bandits, once poised and ready to confront their foes, found themselves gripped by confusion and disbelief. Each of them was searching for answers, trying to comprehend the sheer power that had just been unleashed. "Where are you?! Show yourself! What did you do to my subordinates?!" a defiant leader bellowed, his voice trembling slightly as he demanded to know the identity of their unseen assailant. Fear twisted with anger as he took in the scene of his immobilized companions, encased in a frigid tomb. From the depths of a foreboding forest, a figure emerged, shrouded in mystery. The man sauntered into view, nonchalantly picking his way through the remnants of the shattered silence. "Don’t worry about them; they’re not dead…at least not yet," he said, a sly smile playing on his lips. "I just arrived, but honestly, this is what I’m witnessing already. Such is isekai, I suppose." The reference to 'isekai' was a nod to the fact that he found himself in another world altogether, a reality devoid of the normal rules he once knew. This enigmatic individual was unlike anyone the bandits had encountered. With striking white hair that seemed to shimmer in the light, he carried an air of confidence that both intrigued and unsettled them. FIVE HOURS EARLIER "So, this is my new body, huh?" Vin mused to himself. Examining his reflection, he noticed the lean muscles that complemented his teenage frame, and he couldn't help but admire the definition of his abs. "I’ve even got that perfect six-pack! I look just like that character I used to play! Looks like I can really trust that guy." He paused, his excitement tempered by confusion. "But where am I right now? This doesn’t look like any place from the game." Enter Vin Zero, a regular human thrust into extraordinary circumstances. And I, Cassiel, am God's apprentice, tasked with guiding him through this adventure and telling you the tale of how he would one day save this world. "Hey, Cassiel, answer me! I know you're here! Where the hell am I right now?!" His impatience was palpable. The young man’s excitement bubbled over, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for anyone who had to deal with his relentless enthusiasm. Why are you always so impatient? I responded mentally, striving to keep my thoughts steady despite the whirlpool of emotions surrounding his chaotic energy. I already analyzed our situation when we were transferred here. We are currently in the territory of monsters—the Monster Continent—and specifically inside the Monster Forest, the nearest territory to human land. Vin's eyes widened with realization. "So this really is that game's real world, huh? Aaaahhh, I’m so excited!" Are you curious about what this dork is talking about? Let me take you back in time a little bit. TEN YEARS AGO In the year 2050, Earth achieved a miraculous technological breakthrough: the creation of a fully immersive virtual reality. Just a year later, a full dive MMORPG was released, sending waves of excitement cascading through the gaming community. Gamers had finally realized their dream of stepping into online worlds, and the anticipation was palpable. Exactly four years after the advent of this breakthrough, another game launched that captured the attention of gamers worldwide. 'New World' was unlike any other; it offered an experience that blurred the lines between reality and the digital realm. Upon its release, it flew off the virtual shelves, with over ten million game cards sold within the first week. The community was ecstatic, celebrating the promising new adventure that lay ahead. Yet, this joy was short-lived. Within a week of its launch, complaints began to surface—frustration echoed throughout forums and in voice chats. "Why is the game so hard, even for hardcore gamers?" players cried. "Why don’t they have a tutorial?!" These grievances began to overshadow the initial excitement, casting a shadow on what was supposed to be a revolutionary experience. The adventure that awaited Vin and countless others was just beginning, but already, the reality of their situation weighed heavily on them. The Controversial Concept of Memory Loss in Gaming Why do players have to forget everything they do within the game? This question has sparked a myriad of complaints from gamers outside the virtual realms. The game in question, NEW WORLD, was ingeniously designed to retain all players' memories during gameplay through a unique feature dubbed the Box of Memories. Upon entering the game and registering a unique identifier, each player is assigned their own Box of Memories, a storage space dedicated to preserving every moment they experienced in the game. This innovative concept meant that upon logging out, players would instantly lose all recollection of their actions, adventures, and interactions. However, these memories would be readily accessible when they logged back in. This design choice, while novel, led to a divisive response within the gaming community. NEW WORLD garnered both intense adoration and substantial criticism, quickly becoming a hot topic of discussion for an entire year. Yet, the excitement was short-lived. The Box of Memories feature prompted numerous players to voice their discontent, with many choosing to abandon the game altogether. Content creators and streamers found themselves unable to conduct live streams, as the game erased their progress each time they logged out. These issues contributed to a steady decline in player base and satisfaction. After three years of operation, the game's developers were largely unresponsive to the flood of grievances from the gaming community, which only added fuel to the already growing fire of dissatisfaction. Amidst this chorus of critique, players expressed vastly differing opinions on the game’s mechanics. Some labeled it a failure, arguing that the forced memory loss was indicative of poor design—essentially a sign that the game itself was lacking in quality. Others claimed that the game was unbeatable because many skilled, professional gamers had thrown in the towel due to the memory constraints imposed by the Box of Memories feature. To make matters worse, this peculiar mechanic hampered players’ ability to strategize before entering the game or to share insights with others outside the virtual world. Fast-forward five years since the game's initial release, and a monumental event occurred—a single player managed to conquer the game. What had once been regarded as a nearly impossible feat, with user counts struggling and reviews turning increasingly negative, was suddenly overshadowed by this groundbreaking achievement? Players were left buzzing with curiosity: How did this individual manage to beat the game? How long did their journey last, and what rewards awaited them for this remarkable accomplishment? Ten Minutes Before the Game's Conclusion: VIN ZERO's Perspective As the moment of triumph approached, VIN ZERO, the player who would soon shatter the game's unbeatable reputation, reflected deeply on the impending battle. "I didn't realize that a human could possess such power, especially within the limited lifespan of your kind," the Demon King, Dael, taunted. Despite the overwhelming odds, he scoffed, belittling VIN ZERO’s efforts, "But don’t grow too proud; there are countless more powerful beings out there than you." In an intense face-off where both combatants teetered on the edge of defeat, Dael, the Demon King of Destruction, delivered a chilling declaration that he never anticipated voicing. The battle raged on, a fierce contest between the destruction incarnate and an audacious representative of the human race. "This is the end, Dael!" VIN ZERO declared emphatically as they channeled a tremendous surge of mana, manifesting a colossal sword of ice suspended in the air, ready to strike. Dael erupted into frantic laughter, "Haha! This is not the end, Zero! We will meet again, and when that day comes, let us battle once more. I’ll be waiting—" His taunting was abruptly cut off. Suddenly, a moment of triumph reverberated through the air: [ CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON TO CLEAR THIS GAME ON THIS SERVER!!! ] The seemingly insurmountable Demon King of Destruction, Dael, was finally vanquished. The game that had been marked as unbeatable had been conquered at last, signaling a new chapter for the gamers who once felt confined by its restrictive mechanics.