Hiro Takahashi was no stranger to the world of virtual reality. As a dedicated gamer, he had spent countless hours immersed in the digital realm of "Hellrim," where he had risen to prominence as the leader of the renowned guild, "Shogun's Katana." Together with his teammates, Hiro had dominated the game's servers, vanquishing formidable bosses and crushing rival guilds with unparalleled skill and strategy.

But as time wore on, the once-thriving world of "Hellrim" began to lose its luster. Player numbers dwindled, and Hiro's once-faithful comrades drifted away, consumed by the demands of real life. Left behind, Hiro struggled to find purpose outside of the game that had defined so much of his existence.

Sitting in his virtual suit, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of "Hellrim," Hiro couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that gnawed at him. At just 22 years old, he was unemployed, unmarried, and increasingly isolated from the world beyond his virtual escapades. With a heavy heart, he pondered his future, grappling with the harsh reality that his once-glorious gaming career was fading into obscurity.

Lost in thought, Hiro's reverie was abruptly shattered by a searing pain in his chest—a heart attack, brought on by the stress and resentment that had consumed him. Gasping for breath, he clutched at his chest as darkness closed in, his final thoughts consumed by regret and despair.

But when Hiro opened his eyes once more, it was not to the comforting glow of his gaming setup, but to the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy of a lush forest. Confusion and disbelief washed over him as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings, his mind reeling from the abrupt shift in reality.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Where am I? What's happening?" he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with panic. His gaze darted around the unfamiliar landscape, searching for some semblance of familiarity amidst the chaos.

As if in response to his silent plea, a snarling demon wolf emerged from the underbrush, its fangs bared in a menacing snarl. Instinct took over as Hiro raised his hand and conjured a fireball, unleashing a torrent of flames that engulfed the creature in an inferno.

But to Hiro's shock and confusion, there were no triumphant messages, no rewards to be claimed—only the eerie silence of a world that defied the rules he knew so well. It was as if he had been transported into a living, breathing version of "Hellrim," where the consequences of his actions were all too real.

"What just happened?" Hiro whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief. The stark departure from the game's mechanics left him reeling, his sense of reality unraveling with each passing moment.

Desperate for answers, Hiro attempted to access the game's server chat, only to be met with silence. Panic clawed at his chest as he realized the truth: he was no longer in the world of "Hellrim" nor the familiar confines of reality. He had been inexplicably transported to a realm beyond both—a world where magic and monsters were not confined to lines of code, but existed as tangible threats.

With a sinking heart, Hiro realized that he was now a stranger in a strange land, his fate uncertain and his journey fraught with peril. But as fear threatened to overwhelm him, a spark of determination ignited within his soul.

Though he may have been lost in this unfamiliar world, Hiro Takahashi refused to surrender to despair. With grit and resolve, he would confront the challenges that lay ahead, drawing upon the skills and knowledge honed within the digital realm to navigate this new and perilous adventure.

And so, with uncertainty as his constant companion, Hiro embarked on a journey into the unknown, his courage tempered by the fire of determination burning within.