Chapter 4

Two days later, players gathered in the central square of Midgard. It was because of the announcement that was to begin in the morning.

The large three-tiered fountain was surrounded by members of the ranked combat guilds. Lidian and Hern, who had barely made it on time, were able to spot a figure lightly jumping to the top of the fountain.

"Who is that? The armor is incredibly ornate. Is it because of the distance? I can't see the info window. Even if I wanted to get closer, there are so many people here…."

"Judging by the position, it might be the announcer, given the atmosphere."

"Oh, it's the ONE guild master!"

As she nodded, the surroundings became quite noisy. After a while, as Lidian had predicted, the whispers of the guild master of ONE guild, 'Leon,' spread through the crowd like waves.

"Please pay attention!"

With a flash of his hand, the surroundings instantly became quiet. Everyone was tired and tense, but his voice had a commanding presence. It was the effect of the 'Amplifier' skill, a guild master's exclusive ability.

"Hello, everyone. I am Leon, the guild master of ONE guild. Today, we have gathered to share the information each guild member has obtained about the strange phenomena we experienced a month ago, to discuss the direction we should take, and to strengthen the solidarity among players to discuss survival together."

The quiet crowd stirred slightly. However, no one caused a major disturbance. They all looked at Leon at the fountain with serious eyes.

"First, I would like to apologize for being the one to represent everyone."

With a deep bow, people began to nod one by one, as if enchanted.

He was the top-ranked player in the Nord World and the guild master of the top-ranked combat guild, ONE. His ranking alone was enough to influence the Nord World.

It didn't take long for the gathered crowd to recognize Leon as their representative. As the players' focus increased, Leon began to speak.

"As you are aware, this place is the 'Nord World' that we have been playing in virtual reality. Unfortunately, it is far removed from the real world we have lived in and is, in fact, a 'game world.'"

Heavy sighs and sobs could be heard from various places. Some frowned in displeasure.

"There were two opinions: that this is a completely different world or a virtual reality game. However, I speculate that the latter is more likely. In the current situation, the distinction between the two is also ambiguous."

The players' eyes trembled with unease.

As Leon said, it was more convincing that they were trapped in a virtual reality. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to use the game's system. However, there were also many suspicious situations, so no one could be certain about this place.

"It is true that all of you here accepted the pre-reservation event and were transported. The most plausible hypothesis is that a server error occurred during the transfer, causing the players' customization and tactile functions to be disabled. It's the easiest to understand if we think of it as a simple server error."

So, it's highly likely that this is a phenomenon caused by a server error from the game company. Lidian sighed uncomfortably.

If the game company is working hard to resolve this situation, then... what if it's not? If it's the 'former' case that Leon mentioned earlier?

If the players have actually moved to a strange world with their real bodies?

What should we do?

"Guild master, are you okay? Your complexion..."

"Ah... sorry. I'm fine."

With a worried look from Hern, Lidian waved his hand and smiled. Lidian tried to appear calm and turned his gaze back to Leon, who was continuing his explanation of this dire reality.

"There are probably still people who are suffering because they can't accept this reality. But now we must acknowledge it. With the game system window visible and using in-game skills, this is the situation we must immediately accept."

People who had been hoping for a glimmer of hope all slumped to the ground.

Leon, looking at the despondent crowd, continued with a bitter expression.

"Yes, you may want to deny it. You may want to go back. I feel the same way. Unfortunately, we have no immediate way to return to reality. As you all know, the current state is that all functions for communication with the outside world, including the phone linkage system, are cut off."

"Damn it! What the hell are you talking about?! Didn't you gather people to find a solution?!"

Unable to contain his anger at the sudden situation, someone shouted. However, in response, Leon gave a cold stare.

"Then, let me ask you. Can you find a way back?"

Under the sharp gaze, the man who shouted immediately shut his mouth. He couldn't think of a logical response to Leon's question.

He lowered his head and fell silent. The people who had been stirred by the man's outburst were the same. No one could answer or object to Leon's question.

Leon bowed to the anxious crowd.

"I apologize for starting with a disappointing conclusion. However, unfortunately, over the past week, all the top players have gathered to share knowledge and information and explore this place, but we have found no clues. It might be one approach to wait for a mastermind or administrator to appear and explain the situation, as in stories we see in the media."

When will that happen? People's expressions darkened even more.

"However, we must think and act with all possibilities open. If it's not a virtual reality space, we need to prepare for that as well."

Someone raised their hand to ask a question.

"Do you mean that this situation might have nothing to do with technical issues?"

"Yes, that's correct. While it's possible to explain the situation as a simple error, there are still suspicious aspects. One of them is the 'Monster Invasion Event.' You all remember. The moment you accepted the pre-reservation for the festival, you lost consciousness and were trapped in this place, which is hard to define as either reality or a virtual space. If you think this is the reason for the current situation, it becomes quite a headache."

The quiet crowd began to murmur. Lidian and Hern looked at each other and frowned. In the worst-case scenario, this terrible situation could be someone's deliberate mischief.

"However, there was no official announcement of the event's start. The only clue is that it started in winter. Is there anyone who has new information related to this?"

A long silence followed. As time passed, desperate groans and sobs could be heard from various places.

Lidian and Hern's faces also darkened. If things continued like this, they would either have to sit and wait or go out to find clues themselves.

In this dangerous world where they might die.

"Everyone must be feeling pain and despair. But we can't just sit here and give up. Fortunately, we are alive. But we can't just live without doing anything, defenseless. This is a different place from reality, where our lives can be threatened at any time. I want to return to our original world safely, and I believe that's the wish of all the top players gathered here today."

With a voice full of hope, everyone looked up at Leon.

"We must survive. We have reasons to survive. We must return to our original world where our families and friends are waiting. Therefore, we must learn more about this unknown phenomenon and find clues. We must also prepare for the unknown future that may threaten us."

The murmurs spread again. Prepare? Is he talking about the event? What exactly does he mean? As the voices grew louder, Leon raised his voice even more.

"Everyone, we need to understand and get used to the system of this world as much as possible. Some players may already understand the basic system. It's like a game, after all. Except for the lack of logout and the sensation of reality, it's a world that can easily be mistaken for a game. Some players have already experienced combat. Therefore, they must feel the significant problems and the fear of the current situation more acutely than anyone else."

The crowd became solemn.

As he said, countless players had gone to the field out of curiosity and fled after experiencing painful suffering. Most didn't even know how to fight properly.

After a few low-level players foolishly challenged the monsters outside the city and returned covered in blood, people were hesitant to go to the field. Although rumors later spread that the sensation was adjusted by defense, it didn't alleviate the fear of the players.

No one in their right mind would risk pain and danger to engage in combat.

"However, hiding won't solve this situation. We need to get used to and become stronger in this world to prepare for the unknown future."

Leon appealed deeply.

He was right, but it wasn't enough to move the hearts of players who were extremely afraid of the sensation. Moreover, the idea of getting used to this situation was enough to shake the minds of those who found it hard to accept.

Leon frowned as sobs began to spread.

"I, along with the top players of the combat guild, hope to return everyone, without a single person left behind, to our original world. To achieve this, the top players will not hesitate to support you. We will help you get used to this world as efficiently as possible."

Lidian, who had been listening quietly, nodded with a blank expression. Logically, he was right. They couldn't just wallow in despair. It was better to adapt to the system quickly, like Hern.

Most importantly, the help of a high-ranking player was a significant source of hope.

The thoughts of the players gathered in the square quickly changed. Many faces brightened with the reassuring words of the high-level player.

However, not everyone's reaction was positive. Some players were dissatisfied for various reasons. But for now, it was wise to follow Leon's words.

"Then, what happens if we die?"

Someone raised their hand to ask. The square became silent as if doused with cold water. Everyone swallowed hard. It was a question that most people were curious about, but they were too afraid to ask.

Leon paused for a moment. However, since many players had already experienced the field, those who should know already did.

With a light sigh, Leon spoke.

"You will respawn. You will respawn in front of the central gate of Midgard."