Virtual Ascension

Year 2199, Earth.

A young man named Venix had just woken up from his long sleep in his dorm room.

His eyes slowly opened, and he could feel the heavy fatigue weighing down his body.

Reaching for his phone beside him, Venix glanced at the screen, which showed it was already 5 PM.

"Did I really sleep almost the entire day?" Venix mumbled, disbelief creeping into his voice.

If he remembered correctly, he had fallen asleep around 9 PM the previous night. But for some reason, his sleep this time had been ridiculously long. Even someone who loved sleeping would be surprised by how long Venix had slept.

Venix tried to sit up on his bed, but his body felt heavy, as though a massive rock was holding him down.

The memory of the dream from last night still lingered in his mind. He had fought a horde of monsters with no weapons, taking them down one by one with his bare hands.

The dream had felt so real that even the exhaustion seemed to linger as he awoke.

"This is the first time I've slept more than eight hours, and it's honestly a bit terrifying!" Venix sighed.

Something felt off about this long sleep. Since Venix rarely slept for more than eight hours, how had he ended up sleeping for twenty?

Before he could ponder it further, the door to his dorm room swung open, and two guys around his age walked in.

They were Venix's roommates: Ronan and Rael.

Ronan had brown hair and a constantly energetic demeanor, while Rael, on the other hand, was more relaxed and always wore glasses—a true bookworm.

As soon as Ronan saw Venix, he excitedly spoke up.

"Look at you, Venix! The exams are over, and now we just wait for graduation. We've gotta make the most of our youth! You don't want to waste it, right? Dude, have you even tried getting a girlfriend before graduation?" Ronan asked, his face radiating excitement.

Venix glanced at Ronan, noticing his excited expression. From what he knew of Ronan, it seemed like Ronan had received some good news that day.

Rael, standing beside Ronan, adjusted his glasses slightly.

"You should really reconsider your life choices, Ronan. You've decided to spend your youth chasing after women. A few years from now, you won't even have enough money to treat your girlfriend," Rael said calmly, his words laced with a bit of mockery but also offering what seemed like a wise piece of advice.

Ronan turned, his face twisting into an expression of annoyance. "Oh, come on, Rael! Save your advice for someone who cares. I've already prepped my stomach to drain your wallet dry!"

Venix smiled at their banter. "In that case, I'm in. I'm starving after sleeping all day."

Rael nodded. "Good, because we were planning to take you out to eat."

"Hm, so are we celebrating our graduation?" Venix asked, slightly intrigued.

"Kind of," Ronan replied. "But more specifically, Rael just got his paycheck from his internship at a company. I'm a bit jealous that he confidently invited us both out to eat. How much did he even earn from that company?"

Rael, hearing this, calmly explained, "The money's just a bonus. I'm working because it helps me apply what I've learned faster in the real world."

Venix looked at Rael with admiration. Of course, Rael was the type to have thought wisely about his future. Unlike Venix and Ronan, who were still stumbling around, trying to figure out their paths like blind men, Rael had already made significant progress and left them both behind.

Eventually, the three of them headed to a nearby restaurant for a meal.

Though Venix felt exhausted, he pushed himself to walk, even though his body grew more tired with each step.

As his energy began to drain, Venix grabbed some snacks along the way to keep him going until they reached the restaurant.

Once at the restaurant, they all ordered their food.

This time, Rael didn't limit how much Venix and Ronan could eat. Venix ordered more food than usual, not at all concerned about how much money Rael had on him.

Half an hour later, Rael and Ronan stared at Venix with a mix of horror and disbelief.

Venix had polished off all his food in no time—like someone starving and not having eaten in days.

Ronan stared in awe, while Rael just sighed, trying to keep his smile in check.

Rael didn't mind, even though the bill was much larger than he'd expected.

"This is the first time in my life I've eaten this much," Venix said with a wide grin. "Thanks, Rael. If it weren't for you, I might've gone bankrupt today."

Rael gave a small smile. "Glad you enjoyed it."

However, as they continued chatting, something unusual happened to Venix.

His eyes suddenly caught sight of a mysterious interface that appeared in front of him—something Ronan and Rael couldn't see.

[ The Virtual Ascension System has been successfully linked ]

"Huh? What is this?" Venix muttered softly, startled.

Ronan and Rael continued their conversation, their voices drowned out by the clatter of plates, laughter, and the soft music playing in the background. They didn't glance at Venix, as though they didn't hear anything at all.

The glowing letters floated in front of his eyes, showing no signs of fading away.

Venix blinked rapidly, trying to confirm if this was real or just a hallucination caused by his long sleep.

He glanced at Ronan and Rael, but neither of them seemed the least bit surprised.

They were still chatting, as if the screen in front of him could only be seen by him.

Venix took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair, which felt uncomfortably hard against his back.

His eyes remained fixed on the transparent screen floating in front of him, still glowing as before.

"It's not disappearing, huh?" Venix thought, half confused, half anxious.

[ Host has been detected ]

Venix furrowed his brows, squinting at the changes taking place.

[ Name: Vain Venix ]

[ Level: Mortal ]

[ Origin Power: N/A ]

[ Virtual World: Numan World ]

[ Resource Point: 0 ]

"Hm???" Venix was stunned by the changes in the system interface.

His surprised mutter was drowned out by the noise in the restaurant, so Ronan and Rael didn't hear him.

His eyes remained fixed on the transparent screen hovering in front of him.

The letters seemed carved in the air, revealing information that made his head spin. His full name was clearly displayed, with no mistakes.

"Am I hallucinating or something?" Venix thought, confusion creeping into his mind.

Venix tried pinching his arm, hoping the pain would make the transparent screen disappear.

But nothing changed. The screen remained floating in front of him.

At that moment, a mysterious message suddenly surged into the depths of his mind.

Venix froze, his body stiffening, his thoughts empty—unable to move or think.

A full minute passed in silence before the strange effect slowly faded.

When his body became mobile again, Venix realized something incredible: he now instinctively understood the basics of how to use this system.

"Is this a new Virtual Reality game that's been secretly developed? How did I get early access to their project?" Venix wondered, his confusion deepening.

However, the strange experience—the sudden knowledge that had filled his mind—made him feel that this wasn't just some ordinary Virtual Game.

The Virtual Ascension System, as it was called, allowed its owner to enter and explore a Virtual World.

In that world, the Host could gain power, evolve, and perhaps achieve even more.

At least, that was what Venix understood from the flood of information that had been implanted in his mind.

To control the system, Venix only needed to use his thoughts.

With a single command in his mind, the system interface hovering before his eyes disappeared, vanishing like an illusion that had never existed.

Venix tested the system repeatedly, opening the interface, checking his profile, and exploring each menu available.

Everything worked smoothly, following his will without any obstacles.

Venix's expression grew serious, a strange unease creeping into his heart—a subtle warning of danger that seemed to accompany the system's presence.

For five whole minutes, Venix examined every corner of the system with his mind. There were no errors, no glitches. Everything worked perfectly. And that perfection was precisely what made Venix uneasy.

When he opened the [Virtual World] menu, a single name stood out on the screen:

[Numan World]

"So, this is the access to a Virtual World called Numan World?" Venix thought, his gaze fixed on the screen. "Once I enter, my body in the real world will fall asleep, and my consciousness will transfer to the Virtual World to explore it?"

Curiosity bubbled within Venix. He wanted to jump right in and confirm the truth.

But logic held him back. If this was real, his body would fall asleep here in the restaurant—a sight that would undoubtedly draw everyone's attention.

Reluctantly, Venix closed the system and sighed deeply.

"Later," he thought.

He decided to wait until he was back in the safety of his dorm room to test the system further.

Once his meal had digested and the sluggishness in his body began to fade, Venix finally joined the conversation with his two friends.

Most of their talk revolved around plans for the future, exchanging advice, and occasionally cracking lighthearted jokes to liven up the mood.

Time passed quickly. Within an hour, night had fallen.

The three decided to head back to the dormitory before 9 PM, as the school gates would be locked after that time.

---

When they arrived at the dorm, Ronan and Rael immediately collapsed onto their beds. Their long sighs and limp movements made it clear they had no energy left to do anything else.

Venix, on the other hand, was still brimming with energy.

Though his body lay on the bed, his eyes stayed wide open, clearly showing that something was occupying his thoughts.

Without hesitation, Venix reopened the system.

The system interface appeared once more, almost teasing him to delve deeper into its mysteries.

Venix's thoughts turned toward the [Virtual World] menu.

With a single mental command, Venix selected [Numan World] from the list displayed on the screen.

[Please ensure that the Host is in a safe location, away from any danger, before entering the Virtual World.]

[Would you like to proceed?]

"Proceed," Venix answered in his mind.

In an instant, he felt a powerful force pulling at his consciousness. The sensation was so sudden, like being sucked into a vortex, leaving him no chance to resist. Everything plunged into darkness.

His awareness froze, his body unresponsive, as if erased from existence.

But it lasted only a few seconds before the sensation vanished, replaced by a gradual return of his senses—his consciousness reigniting as quickly as it had been extinguished.

Everything was pitch black. Venix realized his eyes were closed, but his body was slowly regaining its responsiveness.

One by one, his senses reactivated: the coolness of the ground beneath his feet, the chill of the air brushing against his skin, and the faint sound of wind whispering past.

A few moments passed, and finally, he felt fully in control of his body. Slowly, Venix opened his eyes.

The sight before him immediately captivated him: a radiant moon hung high in a dark sky, casting a silvery glow over a world that felt utterly alien.

"Did I make it to the Virtual World?" Venix wondered, his eyes fixed on the breathtaking sky above.

Cautiously, Venix attempted to move his body, then sat up to get a better view of his surroundings.

However, the moment he sat up, a foul stench hit his nose like a punch.

"Huh? What's that smell?" Venix muttered, frowning.

His gaze darted around, scanning his surroundings. Venix quickly realized he was in a place filled with piles of scrap metal stacked high like mountains.

The towering piles of rusted, filthy scrap metal were unmistakably the source of the stench assaulting Venix's nose.

Instinctively, Venix pinched his nose with his right hand and muttered, "This game is way too realistic. When did Virtual Games start hitting this level of immersion?"

After steadying himself, he began looking around, scanning his unfamiliar surroundings for an exit.

His eyes swept across the area, but before he could decide on a course of action, hurried footsteps echoed in the distance, steadily growing louder.

A group of young men and women, dressed in ragged clothing and looking utterly exhausted, came rushing toward him from afar.

Their faces were painted with panic, and they sprinted directly toward Venix without slowing down.

"Run! They're coming!" one of them shouted desperately, his voice hoarse from exertion.

Venix froze, utterly bewildered.

Two things puzzled him.

First, though he didn't understand the words the man had spoken, somehow he comprehended their meaning perfectly.

Second, he had no idea who or what "they" referred to—or the danger that was apparently closing in.

Seeing Venix standing there like a statue, the man who had shouted at him ignored his inaction and kept running, rushing past him without a second glance.

At least he'd given a warning—whether Venix heeded it or not was no longer his concern. The man had no intention of being a hero.

Still rooted in place, Venix's gaze followed the group as they hurried past him.

Then, suddenly, the threat they had feared emerged from the shadows.

Three cylindrical robots hovered in the air, each equipped with two long, mechanical arms that radiated an aura of cold precision and raw power.

The machines moved swiftly, chasing after the fleeing group.

"A robot?" Venix murmured, his muscles tensing in anticipation. "Are robots the main enemies in this world?"

His instincts screamed at him to run, to follow the group and escape.

But before he could act, one of the robots aimed a weapon embedded in its cylindrical body and fired a shot at him with blinding speed.

"Damn it!" Venix cursed under his breath, frustration and fear lacing his voice.

With his current lack of strength and experience, there was no way he could dodge an attack that fast.

Bang!

The shot exploded just before hitting him, but instead of shrapnel or fire, it transformed into a sturdy, glowing net that wrapped around Venix, binding him tightly.

"The lost sheep has been captured. Remaining sheep are fleeing north," one of the robots announced coldly, its voice devoid of emotion.

Two of the machines immediately resumed their chase, while the remaining robot approached Venix, effortlessly lifting his net-bound body.

"Prepare to meet the truth of the God," the robot intoned, its tone unchanging, mechanical.

Venix, ensnared in the glowing net, could only manage a wry smile.

"A Robot God?" he mused, confusion swirling in his mind. "Did the robot race invade this world and force the natives to worship their so-called God?"

Before he could ponder the situation further, the robot holding him moved forward, dragging his body into deeper shadows.

"Prepare yourself, sheep," the machine said ominously. "The God is waiting."

As the robot carried him away, the familiar chaos of the scrap-laden wasteland receded into the distance.

Venix's mind raced, but his body remained restrained, unable to resist or even struggle.

The world grew darker with every step, the clanking and whirring of the robot's mechanisms echoing ominously.

Whatever awaited him beyond the looming shadows was a mystery—a future Venix couldn't predict, one he could only face head-on.