My head was pounding.
The kind of pounding that felt like someone had thrown me into a washing machine full of rocks and sarcasm. Slowly, I opened my eyes and groaned.
This… wasn't my room.
No posters. No phone. No glowing keyboard. No half-eaten bag of chips on my desk.
Instead, I was lying on a grassy field under a sky that looked too perfect—like someone had photoshopped the clouds and turned the brightness up to 300%. Trees swayed gently, birds chirped, and somewhere in the distance, I heard… background music?
"What the hell," I muttered, sitting up.
I looked down at myself. Still me—same hoodie, same joggers, same slightly bruised ego from yesterday's solo queue. But something felt off. Lighter? Sharper? Like my senses had leveled up without me asking.
Suddenly, a holographic blue screen popped up right in front of my face.
[Welcome, Player Ren Takahashi]
Status: Awake
Role: Unbounded
Tutorial Initiated…
Please wait for system guide.
"...I'm in a tutorial?" I blinked, waving my hand through the screen like a confused cat. "Oh no. No no no. This is not happening. This is one of those isekai anime things, isn't it?"
I stood up quickly, almost stumbling. The air felt way too real. The grass. The wind. The faint smell of… cherry blossoms?
"Okay, deep breath," I whispered to myself. "Either I'm dreaming, dead, or stuck in some glitchy MLBB fever dream."
That's when a little ball of light zoomed toward me and exploded with a pop.
"WAH!"
I jumped back, almost tripping over my own feet. The light faded, and floating in front of me was the weirdest… thing I'd ever seen.
It looked like a chubby, round fairy wearing a headset and tiny sunglasses. Its wings were shaped like phone icons, and it carried what looked like a clipboard made of light.
"Yo," it said, voice smug and high-pitched. "You must be Ren. Took you long enough. Name's Patch. I'm your system guide. Sarcasm settings are set to maximum by default."
I blinked. "...You talk?"
Patch spun in a little circle. "No, I just flap my wings really fast and hope the vibrations sound like words. Of course I talk."
Great. My guide was a flying smartass.
"Okay, Patch. Where exactly am I?"
Patch sighed. "You've been selected, lucky you, to be one of the few chosen players to enter the Mobile Legends Prime System. Basically, you're in the game now. Like, in it."
My jaw dropped. "You're joking."
"I don't joke. I roast and educate. Mostly roast."
"So… I'm stuck here?"
"Not stuck. Let's call it… permanently logged in."
I sat down again, running both hands through my hair. "Unbelievable. I get accepted into a real tournament, and instead of going pro, I get sucked into the damn game."
Patch floated lazily in front of my face. "You should feel honored. Most players just get lag."
I shot him a glare. "And my role? This screen said I'm Unbounded?"
"Ah, yes. Normally, players enter the game system with a preset role—Tank, Fighter, Mage, Assassin, Marksman, Support, blah blah blah. But you... you're a bug."
"A what?"
"A beautiful, rare, unfiltered bug. The system glitched when you came in, and now you're not tied to any one role. You're Unbounded. That means you can acquire skills from any class. But also—surprise!—you start with zero skills. Like a newborn baby. Congrats."
I groaned. "So I'm jobless and skill-less."
"Basically. But hey, at least you have me."
"Fantastic."
Patch pulled up another screen with a flick of his tiny clipboard.
[Player Status: Ren Takahashi]
Class: Unbounded
Level: 1
HP: 100/100
MP: 50/50
Skills: None
Equipment: None
Style: Sarcastic Hothead (locked)
"Wait. What's that last part?"
Patch snickered. "Oh, just your personality tag. The system thought it was funny. Don't worry, it doesn't do anything. Yet."
I stood up again, brushing grass off my pants. "Alright. Fine. I'm here. What now?"
Patch pointed a stubby wing toward a glowing path that had suddenly appeared through the trees.
"Welcome to the Tutorial Zone," he said. "This is where you learn how to move, fight, and not die. It's got everything—dummy enemies, basic missions, and even an emotional breakdown or two if we're lucky."
"Perfect," I muttered, walking forward.
The trees swayed gently as I stepped onto the path. Everything looked like a weird mix between the MLBB maps I knew and a fantasy novel. Stone roads, glowing plants, floating lanterns—it was beautiful and kinda terrifying.
Patch zipped beside me. "First mission is simple. Find the Practice Sword. It's literally stuck in a rock about 20 meters ahead. Try not to trip on it."
I raised an eyebrow. "You mean like some budget Excalibur?"
Patch nodded. "Exactly. Except this one is wooden and sad."
As we walked, I couldn't help but notice how real it all felt. My steps had weight. My breathing synced with my movement. My senses were sharp. It was like living inside the game—but with none of the cheat codes.
I spotted the rock. And yep—there it was. A wooden sword sticking out like it had been dramatically placed by someone with way too much free time.
"Alright," I said, gripping the hilt. "Let's get this over with."
I pulled. The sword slid out with a satisfying shing, and a new screen popped up.
[Item Acquired: Basic Practice Sword]
ATK +3
Durability: Low
Description: "Don't stab yourself."
Patch clapped slowly. "Wow. You pulled a stick from a rock. Truly, a legendary warrior."
I swung it a few times, testing the weight. "Not bad. Still feels like a toy."
"Don't worry. Soon you'll get to swing cooler stuff. If you live long enough."
"Thanks for the motivation."
And so, with a wooden stick, no skills, and a flying sarcastic marshmallow by my side, I took my first steps into the game world.
No role. No class. No plan.
But somehow, I had a feeling this was only the beginning.