There was a game I liked. Its name was Rise of Altera.
In a world called Altera, there was a Chosen One named Arthur Gunwood. He was rather stupid. But I liked his character development.
Even though the game never gained much popularity, there was a secret website called "Aetherion." When I searched for its meaning, it referred to a place where gods gathered to discuss matters. Strange, but that was the internet for you.
Most of our discussions revolved around Rise of Altera. Even though the game looked ordinary on the surface, we constantly theorized about the backgrounds of every character, from the protagonist to his companions, even the maids and butlers who served other characters.
That was because every character in Rise of Altera felt alive. Their dialogue constantly changed and felt incredibly real. That day, we were discussing the final stage of the game's development.
[G0D_SEA: You can't wait, can you? After 1200 years, Rise of Altera has finally reached its final stage.]
They were always like this. Sometimes I felt like I was talking to a group of chuunibyou. But it was interesting, so I went along with them. My name in Aetherion was Lord_P3N171.
[Lord_P3N171: Of course. My dark soul can't stop boiling every time I think about today.]
[ThunderG0D94: Whoa, calm down, Lord_P3N171. I don't want to see Ragnarok happen again.]
Talking to them was genuinely fun. Today was special because the final release of Rise of Altera was finally coming out, and since I was a VIP, I didn't have to pay to play it.
Exactly at midnight, a link was sent into the chat, and the chat exploded. That was how eager we were.
[ThunderG0D94: Hey, this isn't just the final version. It's the perfect version. You can choose any character you want to play.]
Seriously? Shouldn't a game like that cost an absurd amount of money to make? It was such a shame that this game never became famous despite how much effort the developers put into it.
I clicked the link and a file began downloading. When I opened it, the main screen appeared, simple, with a dominant white tone. When I pressed start, the screen changed and displayed all the characters available for selection.
[Lord_P3N171: Hey, what did you all pick? There are so many, I'm getting confused.]
[ThunderG0D94: Obviously Arthur. He's the main character.]
[Queen_Spear: Boring. I've always seen Flarea as a powerful and devoted character. With my guidance, she'll become a queen on the battlefield.]
Flarea was one of the strongest characters in Rise of Altera, so it made sense that Queen_Spear, who loved strong characters, chose her. While everyone else had already made their choices, I was still hesitating.
"Who should I play?"
[G0D_SEA: Just choose Quri. He looks weak with that heavy armor, but you'll be surprised once you play through his quests.]
Quri was one of the main characters who accompanied the protagonist and was considered his loyal companion. He looked ordinary at first because of his bulky armor, but he possessed an incredible hidden ability.
[Lord_P3N171: What about Leon?]
The chat instantly filled with laughter.
[ThunderG0D94: Haha! Are you joking, Lord_P3N171? He dies halfway through the story. Choosing him would be pointless.]
Leon Moriet. The dumb villain of Rise of Altera. Not only was he stupid, he was also weak. Despite being born into the wealthy Moriet family, he had absolutely no talent.
[Lord_P3N171: I mean, is it really wrong to try? Every character deserves to be judged first.]
[Queen_Spear: I believe that too. But I heard that in the final version, character selection is permanent. You should choose carefully.]
Queen_Spear was right. But I had memorized every character in Rise of Altera except Leon Moriet. A dumb, talentless villain. Just how difficult could it be if I played him?
Without thinking further, I clicked on Leon Moriet. The screen began loading, and I couldn't wait to start.
[G0D_SEA: What a shame we have to share an avatar. Hopefully that mortal listens to us, or this world will repeat endlessly.]
[Queen_Spear: You all better play properly. I don't want to repeat this over and over again.]
[ThunderG0D94: I'm not sure. They say each character can choose their own goal. We only guide them.]
[SolarClaw_9: If only we could enter those mortal bodies and control them however we wanted.]
Sometimes they said disturbing things. About destroying worlds or killing weak mortals. As if they were truly gods.
While I was still waiting for the loading screen, my eyes suddenly grew heavy. My breathing slowed, and my body felt light. When I looked back at the screen, it became blindingly bright.
My body felt as if it was being pulled toward the screen.
[$&%^#_Entering Game: Rise of Altera^%&$$]
A glitching sound rang in my ears, growing louder. I couldn't cover my ears. My body fell into darkness. At the same time, I heard a siren from outside. Was there a disaster?
It felt like something was injected into me.
I woke up gasping for air, coughing as if I had just been pulled from a bottomless river.
"What happened?"
Without realizing it, my voice sounded different. As if someone else had spoken. But when I looked around, no one was there.
Around me were luxurious furnishings I had only ever seen in movies or medieval paintings. Was I in a castle, or was this just a dream?
"Maybe staying up all night wasn't a good idea."
Was this a lucid dream? It felt more real than anything I had ever experienced. I had always wondered what I looked like in my dreams.
I walked toward a mirror at the end of the bed. Each step felt heavy, like I was learning to walk for the first time. My head continued to spin.
"Huh?"
I touched my face. My skin and hair felt real. I looked behind me several times. There was only me. Every movement matched my own.
Red hair. Sea-blue irises. Tall, with a weak physique, like someone who barely ate. Pale skin. Medieval-style clothing.
"What? Who is this?"
I stepped back slowly. This was impossible. This was just a dream. I wasn't Leon Moriet.
As I backed away, I bumped into a bookshelf. Thick books fell onto my body. Even though they were just books, it felt like being hit by heavy bricks.
"AHHH!"
I was buried beneath them. With this weak body, I couldn't move, until I heard footsteps.
"Young Master!"
Through the pile of books, I saw a man with long black hair. His muscular build showed years of training. Though rarely highlighted, he was a character from Rise of Altera.
Sebastian.
"Sebastian? You're real?"
With a puzzled expression, Sebastian returned the books to the shelf.
"Are you all right? Your body is weak, so please be careful, Young Master Leon."
He helped me up.
Everything felt real. The pain. The cold air against my skin. The light entering my eyes. Rise of Altera had become reality.
But how?
"Sebastian, hit me."
I still couldn't believe it.
"Apologies. You seem dizzy. You should sit down first."
"Hit me."
I said it seriously.
Sebastian sighed, stood before me, and raised his fist slightly. I closed my eyes, hoping to wake up from this nightmare.
Pak!