The day had come—Mythwrath, the newest and most advanced full-dive VRMMORPG, was finally launching.

  Full-dive MMOs weren’t new, but this one promised something no other game could: a truly adaptive AI. Mythwrath’s Game Master AI offered players total freedom. Abilities could be created through action and intent. No fixed classes. No skill trees. Just experimentation, creativity, and consequence.

  Even better, the developers at Myth had sweetened the deal: a global launch challenge. The first party to defeat the unannounced final boss would split a million-dollar prize. Real money. Real stakes.

  Knox, a veteran VRMMO pro, leaned back in his chair. His full-dive gear hummed quietly as the countdown ticked below sixty seconds. In less than a minute, he’d be back in Mythralis, the game’s living, breathing world—racing through the early zones to claim rare loot before anyone else got the chance.

  He inhaled slowly and reviewed his plan.

  Character creation. Race choices don’t give passives, so stick with Human. Appearance? Not important—just randomize until it doesn’t look like a goblin with scurvy.

  Class... Cultist Fire Mage was fun in beta, but the power curve didn’t kick in until late. Risky. Too slow.

  Archers and hunters? Boring. Tank’s bad for solo play. Nah... Sanguine Berserker. Still the best opener—fast, brutal, and lethal at low health. Which I’ll be sitting at constantly while punching above my level.

  Starting zone... Valeborne has that rare axe drop, but Skarholt’s closer to the Thazir Wastes—definitely where I need to be. Plus, it was quiet during beta. Fewer players means more chances to grab unique quests.

  Plan locked.

  The timer’s ticking grew louder. Epic orchestral music swelled in his headset, building toward a crescendo. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

  A blinding flash consumed everything.

  Knox felt the familiar pull of weightlessness as his senses detached from reality. His body was gone. His consciousness drifted in the void of space.

  He saw without eyes. Felt without skin.

  The stars glowed in every direction, nebulae blooming like fireworks. In front of him hovered a planet wrapped in gas and light. Two moons circled it—one a pale gray, the other tinged with violet, lit by nearby stellar clouds.

  Time accelerated. The moons spun faster. Continents shifted. Oceans rose and fell in reverse. Mountains erupted, eroded, reformed—until the chaos halted. The planet solidified into the familiar shape of Mythralis.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  A translucent blue window appeared.

  Knox typed his name and hit confirm. Fast character creation was the key to getting ahead.

  Random. Random. Random. Good enough.

  Skarholt.

  This was Mythwrath’s crown jewel. The World AI allowed complete freedom of class creation. As long as it made sense, it would work.

  Knox already knew his build. He quickly typed: Beerserker.

  Another flash of light. His avatar shot downward, hurtling toward the snow-capped mountains of Skarholt. The wind howled in his ears as the world expanded beneath him. Real textures. Real cold.

  He landed in the snow with a soft crunch, his boots sinking slightly. The scent of pine filled his nose. Birds chirped in the distance.

  It was flawless. This was true full-dive immersion.

  A new window appeared in his vision.

  Knox didn’t hesitate. Yes.

  Lucky number.

  Fine. Nothing unexpected.

  Knox blinked.

  "...Shit."

  He stared at the message. That couldn’t be right. Myth never said anything about perma-death. This was a hardcore competition in a game no one fully understood yet.

  “Are they trying to make sure no one wins?”

  His stomach turned. Sanguine Berserker thrived on low health. Every encounter was risky by design. During beta, he’d died hundreds of times learning how to pilot it.

  He ran a hand through his hair, jaw clenched.

  Too late now. I’m committed.

  He hit next.

  His vision cleared. He could move. For real.

  “First things first... it’s bloody cold.”

  He pulled up his inventory. Starter gear should have auto-generated based on his character build.

  A thick leather coat. Fur-lined boots. A heavy cloak. Cold resistance—check.

  No weapons

  "...Really?" He frowned. “Guess they wanted to shake things up for launch.”

  There were a few health potions—surprisingly rare, given they could only be crafted by alchemists. Some rations. A flint kit. Rope. A small survival pack.

  And one final item.

  A frothy mug of beer.

  Knox blinked.

  “...What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?”