Chapter 2: Player Zero Gets a Warning—and a Target on His Back
My roommate was still unconscious.The blue flames had vanished like they were never there, leaving nothing but a scorched circle on the linoleum floor and a burning smell in the air.
I stood there, shaking, watching my palm flicker with glowing code. The rune—∆—was fading now, but my body still buzzed, like I'd licked a live wire and liked it.
"Explain," I whispered to no one.
The voice returned. The same sarcastic tone, like a tech support rep who hated their job."Long version or short?"
"Short."
"You're Player Zero. You glitched into the prototype layer of the System. You now have access to a magic protocol banned by… well, basically everyone."
"I didn't ask for this," I muttered, opening my laptop to Google "how to undo reality hacks."
The AI laughed. "Neither did Prometheus."
[New Title Gained: Player Zero – The First Breach]System Integration: 3.7%
More text began flowing across my field of vision, like an AR overlay only I could see.
Status WindowName: Ren IshikawaClass: [Undefined]Title: Player ZeroProtocol Access: Chaos (Locked - Partial Access)Skill Acquired:
Chaos Bolt Lv.1 — Fires a volatile projectile of chaotic energy. Unstable.System Trust Level: 0%Warning: You are in violation of baseline reality code.
"What the hell is baseline reality code?"
"You're doing magic," the AI said flatly. "In the real world. That's illegal in about fifty-six galaxies."
I laughed. I couldn't help it. "Galaxies?"
"Look, you want the full truth? The System isn't a game. It's a containment test. Designed by something… not human. You weren't supposed to see it. Let alone touch it."
"So what happens now?"
"You've triggered the Awakening Protocol. Expect anomalies. Reality degradation. Maybe monsters."
"Monsters?"
[ALERT: Level 1 Rapture Detected – Local Reality Breach]Location: Midtown, ManhattanThreat Level: MinimalREWARD: System Access Upgrade (1%)
I stared at the notification as if it might go away. It didn't.
"I'm not going," I said.
"You will," the AI replied. "Because if you don't, someone dies. And the System doesn't tolerate unused assets. You're on the clock now."
A countdown started.Time Remaining: 00:14:59
I stared at my hoodie on the bed. My student ID. My life. All normal things.
Then I looked at my scorched palm, the rune still faintly pulsing, and the digital quest window hovering midair like a challenge.
And I realized something horrible:I wanted to know what would happen if I said yes.
So I grabbed my jacket, ran out the door—
—and straight into the end of the world.