In the year 2034, the tenth World Championship of the most popular game of the last 11 years, Runes and Worlds, was being held. Although the game had been released in 2023, no organized tournaments took place during its first year, so this year marked the tenth world tournament instead of the eleventh. To commemorate the tenth tournament, the prize for first place was enormous compared to previous tournaments, attracting the attention of former champions and retired players who returned to participate.
It wasn't as if absolutely all the players were coming back, of course, since the game had become quite different from what it was in its early years. It would be very difficult for any of the old champions from years 1 through 4 to return to the level they once had in order to compete with today's top players. However, it was never ruled out that among these individuals there might be some capable of achieving such a feat; after all, the world champions still had the characters with which they had won.
One could say that Runes and Worlds—a game that comprised a dungeon system and guild battles—would have a tournament based on several-player modes typical of MMOs with team battles. Although those game modes were available, the main theme of the tournament was centered more on one-on-one fights, which might seem a bit odd since the other game modes hadn't lost their popularity. However, much investigation went into this selection; in the end, the only ones who could know the exact reason for it were the marketing team or the data analysts from the company that developed Runes and Worlds.
The tournament was based on 1vs1 battles, where each player had to give it their all in a best-of-five series, using characters they had created and customized since they started playing. This style of play was in itself very fast-paced, so the battles included a system of runes, and the map changed every round. Players had to adapt their playstyle and decipher their opponents' strategies as the match progressed.
This year, the favorite, as always, was Japan's four-time champion, Takato Kiyoshi. Having already won four world tournaments, he was a veteran player who had been there since the early days of the game. Although many considered him practically invincible, he had been defeated twice during his career—in the fourth and sixth tournaments. Due to having to celebrate important events, he did not participate in the eighth tournament, which caused Runes and Worlds to lose a bit of popularity that year; he then made a triumphant comeback during the ninth tournament and was preparing to participate in the highly acclaimed tenth tournament.
Due to the coincidental numbers, a joke had spread within the Runes and Worlds community that Kiyoshi simply had no luck with even numbers, and since this year was an even number, some were already predicting his defeat.
At this moment, Kiyoshi was in the lobby of the hotel where the players of Runes and Worlds and the staff were staying. It was almost a general rule that eSports players, at least those from the same region, knew each other well. Of course, it was also possible that he might run into some of his former rivals who had defeated him.
However, the person standing in front of him at that moment was not one of them.
Arata: "Hey, it's been a while, idiot."
With a look that expressed anger and eyes radiating hostility, standing at 180 cm tall and dressed in an elegant suit, the speaker was Kobayashi Arata—the former champion of the first two Runes and Worlds tournaments. After a conflict with the developers, he decided to retire undefeated, becoming something of a legend within the game, although some simply saw him as an unpleasant person. Moreover, he did not enjoy the best reputation among the other professional players due to his personality.
Kiyoshi and Arata had known each other since childhood and were close friends. Recently, Kiyoshi had married Arata's sister, making them brothers-in-law. Both were exceptional players, although Arata retired the very year Kiyoshi qualified for his first tournament, so they had never faced each other. This year would be no different, as Arata hadn't even attempted to participate.
Kiyoshi: "Arata, long time no see! You don't even bother to answer Sbeam's messages. Your sister was really worried, you know?"
Arata: "I'm sure she wouldn't really worry about me or anything at all. Not everything has been easy since I left Japan."
Although both were from Japan, after retiring, Arata had decided to travel to Dubai to earn more money than he had from the first two tournaments. Coincidentally, Dubai was also home to the largest Runes and Worlds server, which seemed strange: who would put a server in the desert? Arata wasn't an expert on servers, but he knew that the cost of keeping a server cooled was not something to be taken lightly, and with Dubai's hot climate, it didn't seem like an ideal place, besides its geographical position. Even stranger was the decision to hold the tournament final live there for the first time this year.
Unknown Character: "Ah, well, it looks like the 'princess' is going to complain that her life hasn't been easy since she retired."
"Princess" was Arata's nickname, a reminder that his character in Runes and Worlds was a woman. During the game's first year, before tournaments existed, Arata was already famous for topping the PvP leaderboards and streaming his matches. In an attempt to gain popularity, he decided to pretend to be a girl on his streams, taking advantage of the fact that his character was female and conspiring with his sister, who spoke during the sessions as if she were him. It wasn't completely a lie, since his sister was also an excellent player—they took turns playing on the same account and only turned off the stream during the most difficult duels. The farce fell apart during the first in-person tournament, when Arata had to show his true face and apologize. Although he wasn't expelled, he lost favor with many, who in revenge nicknamed him "Princess," a label that haunted him until his retirement.
Tanaka, another professional player with no notable titles, seized the opportunity to remind him about his nickname.
Arata: "Well, if it isn't Tanaka, the famous benchwarmer. You say that retiring is bad, but if I had to keep losing without winning anything for nine years, I think I'd feel relieved."
Tanaka: "What?! Don't talk nonsense..."
Arata: "Isn't that right? If I'm not mistaken, you're already disqualified for this year as well. Good luck next time, I suppose. I hope you ever get to experience the thrill of winning so that you can finally retire. HAHAHAHA."
Playing the villain was one of Arata's favorite roles—after all, drawing out emotions in others was one of the few pleasures he had left after retiring.
Unknown Character: "Well, in fact, it seems that winning is something marvelous after all, since the prize manages to keep this good-for-nothing going even after nine years of retirement."
The one who spoke was Onodera, the Runes and Worlds interviewer, who had known Arata since his early days and had always had a tense relationship with him.
Arata: "Well, long time no see, Onodera. You're younger and thinner than the last time we met."
His tone left no doubt; it was a cutting remark, designed to make her uncomfortable. With 27 years of experience being an unpleasant person, Arata also knew exactly how to hit women's sensitive spots—he enjoyed the game of hiding different meanings within compliments that were usually used among women to insult each other. Eight years had passed since they last saw each other; Onodera wouldn't think that he would say she looked younger and thinner, so she would know he said it to mock her.
Onodera: "I see you haven't changed a bit in eight years."
Arata: "Well, if you think about it, eight years isn't much time to work on your personality to please people you barely remember. Maybe I'll improve in another 16 years."
Kiyoshi: "Arata, that's enough."
Arata: "Oh, come on, don't be hard on me. After all, I only came to give you some words of encouragement before the final. Besides, they started it."
At this moment, Kiyoshi and Arata had gathered to have a chat among friends just before the tournament final; after all, the final would be held in Dubai, where Arata currently resided.
Approaching the table where the dishes were, Arata picked up a croissant from Kiyoshi's plate and took a bite.
Arata: "Bleh. It's bad."
It wasn't that the hotel's croissant was really bad; it was simply that Arata tended to set his expectations too high for everything he tried, even though he knew that nothing would really surprise him. Over the years, the flavors of everything seemed to become almost similar, so that even a new dish was insufficient to leave a memorable impression, unlike what happened in childhood.
Kiyoshi: "Are you sure it's not your sense of taste that's been ruined?"
Although their personalities were at opposite ends, Arata valued Kiyoshi's friendship more than he often showed—after all, Kiyoshi was his only childhood friend with whom he still kept in touch. Kiyoshi, despite being kinder and more sociable, did not share such deep bonds with most of his friends; in fact, his relationship with Arata was one of the few with a truly strong, long-standing connection.
Kiyoshi: "Hey Arata, you really aren't thinking of going back to Japan?"
Arata: "Is there really anything I need to do there? After all, my work is here, and you're already married and still spend all day playing. Besides, it's not as if I'm going to play that shitty game if I go back to Japan."
Kiyoshi: "I see... well, you know, you could come visit your sister and me once in a while."
In this world, even if both people wanted something as simple as meeting again, they couldn't do it without some specific reason. Even if they had the time and financial freedom, taking action without a specific purpose made the desire vanish, as it was considered a waste of time in a society where everything was a race and such an action could be deemed unproductive.
It was like an invisible barrier behind which all people lived.
Arata: "I'll keep that in mind maybe ill visit you in holidays."
Kiyoshi: "By the way, right now I have to prepare for the final in a few hours. Even at the last minute, I think I could get you some front-row seats if you want to watch."
Arata: "It's not necessary, anyway I was about to leave. There are too many people I don't want to see there, after all."
Onodera: "Wow what words of encouragement, you've come to leave him, huh?"
Arata: "By the way, Kiyoshi, catch this."
Kiyoshi: "Wow, what...!"
Arata: "A little gift from me. You can consider it a consolation prize once you lose tonight. Good luck, Mr. Odd."
Kiyoshi: "Wait, how did you just call me?"
After tossing something at Kiyoshi, Arata left the room with an arrogant smile, enjoying the confusion he had left in his leave. As he walked away, he imagined Kiyoshi apologizing for his behavior on his behalf—something typical of his friend, who was too kind. In reality, Arata didn't want to cause him any trouble; Arata did that only for his own amusement.
Upon leaving the building, Arata recalled how he and Kiyoshi had agreed to meet at a hotel before the final to catch up. Arata had been looking forward to seeing his old friend again after so long and, after winning, going out for a drink. But, as always, Kiyoshi was surrounded by people Arata couldn't stand, although it could be said that there were very few people in the world whom Arata could actually tolerate.
The gift he had given Kiyoshi was the keys of a sports car that he had parked on the second level of the building's parking lot. He had planned to show it to him, but now it was up to Kiyoshi to find where it was. Expensive gifts were one of the things Arata used to give to his friends—who were quite few—but he did so with intentions different from altruism. One could say that by making other people see how he treated his friends, they would want to get close to him and do him free favors; after all, it wasn't as if he ultimately decided to become friends with those people—he only wanted the free favors they would do in an attempt to get close to him. However, the gift to Kiyoshi this time was not for that reason.
As he had promised himself after leaving Japan, Arata focused on making money—enough to afford luxury items. The car Arata drove was also a sports car, which he bought at half price because the seller needed to cover up a money laundering case, something not uncommon in this city. However, the car he bought for Kiyoshi was completely legal because Arata knew that Kiyoshi wouldn't have accepted it otherwise.
Arata: "Well, anyway, I didn't want to stick around to watch you lose tonight."
Arata muttered as he drove back to his "home."
Arata: "I'm here."
He knew that no one would answer him, but he still said that typical phrase. The strange thing was that he hadn't even gotten out of the car yet. That was because, in reality, Arata lived alone in a warehouse.
Arata worked as a supplier for local shops in the city, mainly selling electronic products. It was like a small business, except that Arata was the only boss and employee, handling the administration, management, and accounting by himself. He even took care of the warehouse security.
This business model worked because Arata was very skilled at navigating market prices and knew when, where, and to whom to sell his products. In other words, he was dedicated to the most hated profession of the decade that caused market prices to rise, known as "scalping."
He generated a decent amount of money since he was his own boss and rarely had to pay external companies to help distribute his products on busy days.
When he reached the back of the warehouse, Arata parked his sports car next to a delivery truck. Right beside where he parked, there was a desk with a computer, a bed, and a sofa—an improvised living space. It also had gym equipment and a refrigerator. The only thing missing was a bathroom, which was located outside the warehouse for hygiene reasons, and there was no kitchen since the smoke could damage the merchandise; anyway, he always ate out.
Anyone who saw Arata's lifestyle could easily point out that he was lacking in several aspects. The real reason Arata argued with the developers and eventually retired was that, after the second tournament, the creators of the game wanted to completely restart the world of Runes and Worlds and introduce a new one, with new items and mechanics.
This infuriated Arata, who tried to make them reconsider, but no one listened—even though he was the reigning champion. Over time, he realized how immature his reaction had been. Of course, the developers were not going to undo months of work just because of one player's opinion, no matter how successful he was. However, Arata had always been proud and egocentric; he wanted everything to go his way.
He promised himself that he would make a fortune and found his own video game company, where he would have absolute control. However, he soon discovered how difficult it was to run a business. When he finally managed to establish his company, he didn't even have time to define the content of his own game; he was forced to cut features to meet the schedule, and in the end, its launch passed without much fanfare.
It wasn't that the game was really bad, but it was evident that it didn't reach the level of Runes and Worlds. Moreover, Arata himself got bored playing his own creation. After all, he had to add paid features, cosmetic items, and additional content to keep the game "alive." Although he enjoyed unlimited access to all these tools, it broke the competitive immersion of the other players. Every time he played, the only thought that crossed his mind was: "I could have done it another way, maybe like this or differently, and perhaps it would be more fun." However, the weight of reality crushed him, and he no longer enjoyed his own game like he did in the early days with Runes and Worlds.
Finally, after selling his shares and completely severing ties with his company, he decided to adopt that lifestyle, as he had lost sight of his goal and no longer had a clear direction.
At some point, he stopped worrying about what was happening with Runes and Worlds. Then he remembered why he had started playing the role-playing games he loved so much in the first place: he found the real world boring, full of limits. But eventually, even games hit the walls of reality, repeating the same frustrating cycle.
It is said that a man can hit rock bottom in three ways: through love, money, or a lack of purpose. Arata suffered from the latter... If only he could control everything in the world, he wondered—if he had enough power so that freedom and time were no longer limitations, could he enjoy life again?
Lost in his thoughts, he realized the time. It was late, and Kiyoshi's tournament final was probably about to end. If he couldn't see it in person, at least he could watch it online.
He sat in the chair at his desktop computer, which was also located inside the warehouse, and opened the usual streaming page where the tournament was being broadcast live. The first thing he heard was:
Interviewer: "Welcome back, viewers! Today we have witnessed an incredible final at the 10th World Championship of Runes and Worlds. I'm here with the new champion, a name we will surely remember for a long time. Congratulations on your victory! You managed to defeat Kiyoshi, the so-called best player of all time, with a 3-1 win."
Unknown Player: "Thank you! I still can't believe I defeated Kiyoshi. He has been an incredible player throughout his career."
Interviewer: "Indeed, Kiyoshi is a true icon of the game. What do you think was the key to your victory in such an intense series?"
Unknown Player: "I think the key was strategy. I knew that Kiyoshi relied on his experience and aggressive playstyle, so I decided to play defensively and wait for him to make a mistake."
Interviewer: "That's impressive. Tell us about the character that inspired you to develop that playstyle."
Unknown Player: "Well, although I'm a relatively new player, I was inspired by the playstyle of the former champion, Runa. I thought that strategy would work against Kiyoshi."
Interviewer: "Runa? Ah, do you mean the Princess?"
Runa was Arata's nickname in the game. Although some people knew him as Runa, most called him "The Princess," and after his eight-year retirement, very few remembered the name.
Unknown Player: "That's right..."
The new champion gave an awkward smile as the sound of the audience's laughter could be heard.
Interviewer: "Speaking of the Princess, with this victory, you have become the first Korean champion and the youngest champion in the history of Runes and Worlds, at 16 years old, breaking the old record that the Princess held at 17. I'm sure he is somewhere watching you with a smile right now."
Arata: "Damn it... How did you lose to that useless guy, Kiyoshi?"
Arata muttered as he watched the broadcast and opened a can of beer. He felt somewhat frustrated, as he had also lost his title of the youngest champion, making it seem as though both he and Kiyoshi had been defeated that night.
Interviewer: "We also have some bad news tonight..."
Upon hearing this, Arata already knew what was coming, because he had predicted that eventually Kiyoshi would retire. He knew Kiyoshi well enough to expect this. Probably, Kiyoshi had long since decided to step aside at a certain age, leaving room for younger players. He was a generous person. Now that a younger player had defeated him, Kiyoshi would allow the new champion to take the fame of having beaten the best and become the next icon for future generations, giving them something exciting to look forward to and keeping the game alive. This contrasted greatly with Arata, who had retired undefeated, thus avoiding handing over his fame to someone else.
Somehow, Arata was glad that his friend had retired, as that meant he could invite him to start together on another game from scratch. However...
Arata: "Well, it's also time to say goodbye to this game once and for all."
Arata logged into Runes and Worlds for what he thought would be the last time. There, he saw his old character, "Runa" – an elven maiden with skin as pale as moonlight, her hair flowing like liquid silver, and her eyes glowing with a deep crimson hue reminiscent of blood-red sunsets that stained the horizon. Originally, he had created the character as a joke with Kiyoshi, but later he regretted it.
Arata: "And delete..."
He tried to delete his character as a final farewell to the game, but instead a dialog box appeared that said: "You cannot delete a character with a World Rune."
A World Rune was an object he had received after winning the first and second tournaments, so he had two. This object was purely decorative, and after Kiyoshi won his first tournament, he confirmed that he too had received one, so Arata could infer that all players who won the finals received one 24 hours after the tournament ended. He had already tried to sell the object for money, but he was not allowed to remove it from his inventory.
Seeing this, Arata could only laugh at the irony of not being able to make any decisions in this stupid game, not even about his own character.
He decided to close the game and open his browser. He typed in the usual keywords he had grown accustomed to: "New MMORPG 2034." His search history showed similar searches from previous years: "New MMORPG 2033," "New MMORPG 2032," and so on. He always tried to find a new game that would captivate him, but none managed to catch his interest. He thought that maybe there were no good games coming out anymore, because everything now revolved around the commercial aspect of the industry. After several hours of searching, he didn't find anything worthwhile.
Arata: "Well, in any case, Kiyoshi just retired. It will probably be a while before he feels like playing another game, so I have time to find something new. I'll do it later."
After that, Arata collapsed onto his bed, which was inside his warehouse. The bed was quite large since the warehouse had plenty of space, and underneath it he kept a knife and a firearm. Arata had bought them in case someone tried to break into the warehouse and steal his products. He wasn't an expert with either, but at least he knew the basics in case the worst ever happened. He had also placed his belongings and his bed at the back of the warehouse so that, if someone entered while he was sleeping, he could hear their footsteps before they reached him. That's why he also acted as his own security guard. It might be considered a bit excessive, but as they say, a person who sleeps with a weapon in hand is a clown every night—except one.
Lying in his bed, Arata relaxed his mind and stopped thinking. His day had finally ended, and he fell asleep quickly.
Suddenly, he felt something rough and had to wake up. When he realized what it was, he calmed down, thinking that he must have been sleeping on his knife or something. Wait... Grass? Why would there be grass inside his warehouse? Once that thought clicked, he quickly got up and looked around. What he saw was something he had never seen before. He was sitting in a vast plain, and in the distance, he could see an enormous forest with colossal trees that looked like they belonged in a fantasy world. For some reason, his body felt lighter, and when he looked at his hands, they appeared smaller and paler than he remembered. He frowned immediately and decided to ignore that line of thought because he had a bad feeling. He had seen these kinds of sequences of events in novels and anime, but he knew it could very well be a dream.
He tried to pinch himself and hold his breath; everything felt real. He had had nightmares before where he felt pain, so he didn't yet rule out the possibility that he was simply having trouble waking up. But after an hour of trying to wake up and sit up, he resigned himself to the idea. His breathing, his pain, his senses, and the passage of time... everything felt real.
He murmured to himself, "This really can't be a new MMORPG, can it?"
End of Prologue