Chapter 1: A Nobody’s Life

The day-to-day monotony of Dreki’s life was a rhythm he couldn’t break. Wake up late, stumble to his soul-sucking job at the call center, spend 10 hours fielding complaints from strangers who didn’t care about his name, and then shuffle home to his dimly lit apartment to lose himself in the only thing that made him feel alive: games.

His coworkers didn’t notice him—why would they? Dreki wasn’t the kind of guy who stood out. He didn’t grab drinks after work or share memes in the company. He clocked in, did his job, and left without a trace. “Efficient” was the word his manager had used during his last review. Efficient, but invisible.

Dreki’s apartment wasn’t much better than his office. The walls were the same dull gray, scuffed from years of neglect. The single window above the kitchen sink let in just enough light during the day to remind him he was still alive, but by night, the space became a cave lit only by the glow of his monitor.

He glanced at the framed photo on his bookshelf, the only thing in the room that wasn’t utilitarian. It was a picture of his gaming group, taken during their last meetup. Ryan had insisted they take it before heading home, dragging Dreki into the frame despite his protests. Everyone else was laughing—Jess with her arm slung around Malik’s neck, Ryan holding up a victory sign—but Dreki looked stiff, out of place. He hated that picture, but he couldn’t bring himself to take it down.

Ryan, Jess, and Malik were more than just gaming buddies. They were the only people who had stuck with him when the rest of the world seemed determined to forget he existed. They’d been there during high school, when Dreki was just the quiet kid nobody talked to, and they’d been there through college, when he was too broke to afford a decent gaming setup but somehow still made it work.

Ryan was the heart of the group, always pushing them to try harder, to go for one more run, one more raid. He was the kind of guy who made you believe you were capable of more than you thought. Jess was the chaos—sarcastic, loud, and unapologetically herself. She had a knack for making Dreki laugh, even when he didn’t want to. Malik, the calm strategist, was the glue that held them all together. He had this way of breaking down even the most complex challenges into simple steps, and he never let anyone feel like they were falling behind.

Dreki owed them more than they knew. They’d been his lifeline during the darkest moments of his life, the only reason he kept going some days. But even with them, he sometimes felt like an outsider looking in.

And then there was Emma.

Dreki’s fingers hovered over his phone, scrolling through the messages they’d exchanged during the first few months of their relationship. Back then, she’d been his brightest light, her energy and optimism cutting through the fog that seemed to follow him everywhere.

He remembered the first time they’d met, during that philosophy lecture neither of them cared about. She’d been the one to start the conversation, teasing him about how serious he looked while taking notes. For the first time in years, someone had seen him—not the quiet kid in the back of the room, but him. And somehow, she’d stuck around.

For a while, Emma made Dreki believe he could be something more. She pushed him to try new things, to step outside his comfort zone. She dragged him to parties he didn’t want to attend, introduced him to her friends, and made him laugh in a way he hadn’t thought possible. She believed in him, even when he couldn’t believe in himself.

But belief only went so far.

Two weeks ago, standing in the park where they used to meet after class, Emma had finally had enough.

“You’re a good man. You really are. But you don’t fight for anything—not for yourself, not for me, not for us.”

The words hit him like a blow, but she didn’t stop. “I thought I could help you, but you’re stuck, Dreki. You let life happen to you instead of living it. I can’t be the one rowing the boat for both of us. I’ve tried, but... I can’t anymore.”

He’d stood there in silence, unable to argue. She was right. He was stuck. Stuck in a dead-end job. Stuck in a cycle of loneliness and self-doubt. Stuck in a world where he felt invisible. And now, even the one person who had seen him was walking away.

“Find your strength, Dreki,” she’d said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I hope one day you do. I hope you figure it out someday,” Emma said, stepping closer. For a moment, he thought she might hug him, but she stopped short. “You’re worth more than this. You just have to see it.”

And then she was gone, walking away down the tree-lined path without looking back. He’d stood there for what felt like hours, staring after her, the ache in his chest growing heavier with every passing second.

Her words echoed in his mind now as he stared at the glowing screen of his computer. He couldn’t bring himself to delete her last text message: “You need to find your own strength. I hope one day you do.” It was the kind of thing she would say, always trying to push him forward, even when she wasn’t there anymore.

He tossed the phone onto the desk and buried his face in his hands. “She’s right,” he muttered. “I don’t fight for anything.”

The faint hum of his computer filled the silence, a reminder of the only thing that had ever made him feel alive. But even gaming had lost its spark. Lately, it felt more like an obligation than an escape.

His phone buzzed again, pulling him out of his thoughts. A message from the group chat popped up on the screen:

* Ryan: “Yo, Dreki. You good, man?”

* Jess: “Probably crying over his DPS parse from last time. 😜”

* Malik: “Cut it out, Jess. Dreki, we’re pulling in 10. Black King tonight.”

Dreki smirked despite himself, shaking his head. Jess’s humor wasn’t for everyone, but she had a way of lightening the mood that he appreciated. Ryan and Malik kept her in check, balancing out the group dynamic. Together, they made everything feel just a little less heavy.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

He typed a quick reply:

* Dreki: “On my way. Just finishing something up.”

The truth was, he didn’t know if he wanted to log in tonight. The game had always been his escape, but lately, even that felt hollow.

The silence of the room pressed in around Dreki as he stared at the glowing screen of his phone. Emma’s name sat at the top of the last conversation they’d had. He didn’t dare open it; the preview alone was enough to twist the knife. Her last message was burned into his memory, anyway: “You need to find your own strength. I hope one day you do.”

His fingers hovered over the screen, torn between swiping away the conversation and typing something—anything—that might make her respond. But what was there to say? “I’m sorry” wouldn’t fix what was broken. “I’ll change” would be a lie, and he knew it. The truth was, Emma had been right about him. She always was.

Emma had a way of pulling him out of his shell, coaxing out smiles and laughter he hadn’t realized he was capable of. For a while, he’d believed he could be more with her—more than the quiet kid who faded into the background, more than a nobody. She made him feel like he mattered.

But even Emma’s warmth had its limits.

Now, sitting alone in his apartment, Dreki replayed that moment over and over in his mind. He couldn’t stop hearing her voice, couldn’t stop picturing the way her shoulders had slumped as she walked away. She hadn’t wanted to leave—he knew that much. But she’d felt like she had no choice, and that was somehow worse.

His phone buzzed in his hand, breaking him out of the spiral. It was another message from Ryan in the group chat:

* Ryan: “Yo, Dreki. You alive? Raid starts in 5.”

He stared at the notification for a long moment before swiping it away. Normally, he’d jump at the chance to log in and escape for a few hours, but tonight, the thought of gaming felt like a chore. He was too tired, too drained, too... everything.

It started small. Dreki didn’t notice the signs at first: the faint flickering of his apartment lights, the subtle vibration in the floor that rattled his chair legs. He was too busy staring at his phone, reading and rereading Emma’s last message.

The room seemed unnaturally quiet. The steady hum of his computer, a sound so constant he barely noticed it anymore, had stopped. Frowning, he glanced at the monitor. The screen flickered, distorted static rippling across it.

“What the hell?” he muttered, leaning forward to tap the power button. Nothing happened.

And then the first vibration hit. It was faint, a low rumble that he felt in his chest more than he heard. It passed quickly, leaving only silence in its wake. Dreki frowned, glancing at the ceiling. Was it an earthquake? That didn’t make sense—not here.

The second vibration hit harder. The floor beneath him seemed to shift, and the overhead light flickered more violently, buzzing like a dying insect. He stood, his pulse quickening.

A faint hum filled the air, growing louder by the second. It wasn’t coming from his computer. It was coming from everywhere. The walls, the floor, the very air itself seemed to vibrate, a deep, resonant sound that made his teeth ache.

And then the notification appeared.

A translucent blue box materialized in front of Dreki’s eyes, hovering midair. The text was sharp and crisp, glowing faintly against the dim light of the room.

SYSTEM ALERT:

"Tutorial preparation complete. Commencing transfer."

He froze, his breath catching in his throat. “What the...?” He swiped at the air instinctively, but the notification didn’t budge. Wherever he turned his head, it stayed perfectly centered in his vision.

Another notification appeared below it, the words making even less sense.

SYSTEM ALERT:

"Mana calibration: 12% complete."

The hum in the air grew louder, a deep vibration that set his nerves on edge. The light flickered one last time, then cut out completely, plunging the room into darkness.

Dreki stumbled back, his chest tightening. This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t a glitch. Something was happening.

A faint blue glow spilled through the blinds, casting shifting patterns across the walls. Dreki moved to the window, his hands trembling as he yanked the blinds open.

The sight outside made his stomach drop.

The sky was broken.

Jagged cracks of light stretched across the heavens, glowing faintly with an otherworldly energy. Mist seeped from the fissures, curling and twisting as if alive. The buildings below seemed warped, their sharp outlines distorted by the shimmering glow. The air itself seemed heavier, pressing against his chest like an invisible weight.

The streets were chaos. Cars screeched to a halt, their drivers throwing open doors to gawk at the sky. People ran in all directions, shouting and pointing at the glowing fissures. Some stood frozen, their faces lit by the eerie blue light.

Another notification appeared, cutting through Dreki’s growing panic.

SYSTEM ALERT:

"Commencing global transfer. All eligible entities will now be relocated to the tutorial world."

The words blurred together as Dreki’s head spun. He didn’t understand what was happening, but a growing sense of dread coiled in his gut. He reached for his phone, his fingers trembling as he opened the group chat.

* Ryan: “WTF IS THIS??”

* Jess: “The SKY IS CRACKED. What the hell is going on??”

* Malik: “It’s not just the sky. There’s something... happening. Check your notifications.”

Dreki’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, his thoughts racing. What could he even say? He finally managed to type:

* Dreki: “You guys seeing this??”

Ryan’s reply came almost instantly.

* Ryan: “Yeah. Dude. This is insane. Are you okay?”

Before Dreki could respond, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. He answered immediately, Ryan’s voice cutting through the chaos.

“Dreki, listen. We need to stick together. Meet us at the park, okay? Usual spot.”

“What’s going on?” Dreki asked, his voice cracking. “Is this some kind of attack?”

“I don’t know,” Ryan admitted, his voice tight with fear. “But it’s not just here. It’s everywhere. Just—”

Ryan’s voice cut off abruptly, replaced by a strange, high-pitched tone. Dreki pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at the screen in confusion. The call had disconnected.

The hum in the air reached a deafening pitch. Dreki clutched his head, his knees buckling as the vibration seemed to resonate through his entire body. Outside, the world was bathed in blue light, the cracks in the sky widening with every pulse.

And then it happened.

Beams of light shot down from the sky, engulfing the people on the streets below. One by one, they vanished, their bodies dissolving into particles of light that spiraled upward into the cracks. The screams and shouts were cut off abruptly as more and more people were taken.

Dreki staggered back from the window, his heart pounding. He turned toward the door, thinking he should run—somewhere, anywhere—but his legs felt like lead.

The light found him next.

It was blinding, wrapping around his body like a cocoon. He felt a strange pulling sensation, as if the very air was trying to lift him off the ground. For a brief moment, he thought he was about to vanish like everyone else.

And then it stopped.

The light faded, leaving Dreki standing alone in his darkened apartment. His vision swam with new notifications.

SYSTEM ERROR:

"User classification failed. Unclassified mana signature detected."

"transfer aborted."

Dreki stumbled to the window again, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The streets below were empty now, the chaos replaced by an eerie stillness. The glowing tendrils still snaked across the ground, but there were no cars, no people, no sounds except the faint hum of the fractured sky.

His phone buzzed again, but this time there was no message. Just static.

The final notification appeared, the words etched into his mind:

SYSTEM ALERT:

"Integration complete. Welcome to the New World."

For the first time in his life, Dreki was truly alone.