The towering dark figure had an ominous presence, one that sent a chill down my spine.
Then he spoke—
"Greetings players! Welcome to Aether Odyssey!"
"This is no longer just a game. From this moment on, it is your reality."
The players who heard this were dumbfounded.
Many players raised their voice against the dark figure, demanding answers:
[Is there a way to return to the real world?]
[Why are you doing this?]
[Please tell me this is a joke, I must be dreaming, right?]
[What happens if we die in-game?]
The dark, ominous figure thought to himself, "I must be looking terrifying to them perhaps I should change my appearance."
Then, blinding beams of light engulfed him and when they faded away a human-like figure stepped forward.
However, the players continued their frantic discussions, their voices filled with anxiety.
Then he spoke again.
"I will answer all of your questions, but all of you must shut the fuck up."
At his command, all the players fell silent with their attention fixed on him.
"First, let me make one thing clear, you cannot escape this game through normal means. You must fight through one hundred battles, just like in the original game. However, every battle has been completely changed, and the difficulty is significantly higher."
"You may have noticed that your stats and skills are gone. That was my doing. I have stripped you of all abilities, leaving only your items behind."
A wave of dissatisfaction swept through the players as they realized they had lost their hard-earned skills.
"As for death in this world, you will respawn just like in the original game."
Many players sighed in relief upon hearing this.
"But there's a catch. You can only respawn three times. After that, you will die permanently."
A chilling silence fell over the crowd as fear gripped them. A horror beyond comprehension seized them.
Noah stood amidst the crowd, lost in silent contemplation.
I've learned everything I needed to know for now, Noah thought to himself.
Then, a player from the crowed shouted, "who the fuck are you?"
The human-like figure faintly smiled and replied, "I am the admin of Aether Odyssey"
Then, with a playful tone, the admin added, "Oh! Before I go, I'm going to wipe your inventories clean. You'll all receive beginner items instead!"
In an instant, every player's inventory was emptied, their prized possessions vanishing into thin air, replaced by basic starter gear.
Darkness enveloped the admin, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared into thin air.
The players gathered in the city center stood frozen, shaken to their core by the revelation. But amidst the panic, Noah and a few other remarkable players remained calm.
Noah exhaled and turned to leave, but just then, he caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd.
He knew that player well.
He tried to call out their name, but before he could, the player disappeared into the massive crowd.
"I'll find him later. But first, I need to regain my skills", Noah thought.
His eyes darkened with resolve.
"I'll take you on, Admin. I will put an end to this game."