Unknown's Deep Sea Escape
A video had been uploaded to YggTube, the largest streaming platform in existence.
The uploader was [Ryu7017].
There was no record of any previous uploads. This was the channel's very first video.
The title of the uploaded video was...
Unknown's Deep Sea Escape 1 — Hunting the Chaos Dark Knight in World of Phantasm.
The most popular content in the modern world was, naturally, anything related to game labyrinths. Labyrinths were the beating heart of this era — society itself stood on their foundation. And the gamers fighting on that front line enjoyed more fame than any celebrity or idol. Plenty of them even leveraged that popularity into careers in entertainment.
As a result, everyone and their mother was churning out content about Yggdrasil and the game labyrinths, and the net was drowning in videos with absolutely no nutritional value.
So when the first person to stumble across Unknown's Deep Sea Escape 1 saw it, he assumed it was just another weird upload that wasn't even funny.
"There's no way an Unknown has a game account."
An account was mandatory to connect to Yggdrasil. To obtain one, you had to pass a qualification exam — and to even sit that exam, you needed Silver rank or higher, or a recommendation from a top-tier guild.
An Account Creation Ticket could occasionally be pulled from a Random Box, but actual documented cases could be counted on one hand. It was certainly not something a rank-stripped Unknown could get his hands on.
And as if that weren't enough — hunting the Chaos Dark Knight?
The Chaos Dark Knight, which spawned in the tutorial zone of the game labyrinth World of Phantasm, was famously notorious. A boss monster with mid-to-late-game specs had, for whatever reason, been planted in the opening tutorial area. Even the celebrated gamers of World of Phantasm hadn't been spared the Dark Knight's baptism.
Figuring he'd kill some time, the man pressed play.
The video showed a gamer standing in the Forest of Beginning, World of Phantasm's tutorial zone.
A gamer he'd never seen before.
Was some newcomer pushing an 'Unknown' gimmick to get famous? Every concept under the sun existed out there, so it wasn't particularly strange.
What is that weapon? He's carrying something weird.
Before long, the gamer in the video came face to face with the tutorial's infamous boss — the Dark Knight.
If the video devolves into a glorious trainwreck, that'd be entertaining at least. He watched without any real expectation, and then—
"Huh?"
He felt a jolt run down his spine.
After watching the video to the very end, he couldn't contain his excitement and immediately posted about it on the community boards. Someone else saw his post, watched the video, and made a new post of their own.
In less than half a day, the video blew past 300,000 views.
The view count showed no sign of slowing down.
Every related community was on fire with talk of the video.
Modern technology could fake footage a hundred ways over, and since the whole situation defied common sense, plenty of people were crying forgery.
But on Yggdrasil's side, the record of the Dark Knight's defeat stood unmistakably.
Exploiting holes in the system — in a word, bugs.
In an ordinary game, a gamer abusing bugs would of course be subject to sanctions. Labyrinths were built on the framework of games too, but they weren't spaces meant for enjoyment — survival came first. So anything that could be exploited, had to be. Every gamer operated that way.
A gamer who had accomplished the impossible.
Everyone who watched the video, without exception, turned their attention to Ryu7017.
Chaos had broken out at Linzea Guild as well.
The cause, of course, was the video of the Chaos Dark Knight being hunted down. With World of Phantasm as the guild's main game, there was no way they could fail to react sharply to this topic.
"This is incredible."
Ragna, now in his second year at Linzea Guild, kept exclaiming in admiration as he watched the video. He had spent those two years working as a Linzea analyst, gathering every scrap of information related to World of Phantasm.
The gamers actually active in World of Phantasm would scoff at the claim, but Ragna prided himself on having expert-level knowledge of the game.
Yet even Ragna's knowledge couldn't make sense of Unknown's Deep Sea Escape 1 — Hunting the Chaos Dark Knight in World of Phantasm.
"I can't figure out what he did, or how, to fight like that. And what on earth is that weapon? Was there ever a weapon like that in World of Phantasm? The best thing you can get in the tutorial zone is an old rusty sword, isn't it?"
Not long ago, a gamer who'd made his name in a different labyrinth had transferred to Linzea — because the labyrinth he played in had been 'closed'. He converted his account's avatar into World of Phantasm and confidently challenged the Chaos Dark Knight.
The result was a defeat so total it was pitiful. Perhaps because he'd originally worked in the 'action genre', he simply couldn't grasp how unreasonably powerful level scaling was in an RPG.
Having witnessed that firsthand, Ragna understood the video even less.
"Only two of his attacks actually landed. Even a top-tier gamer would need considerable time to bring down a boss monster of that caliber."
Boss monsters were, naturally, given enormous HP pools. And Ryu7017 had brought one down in just two strikes.
There was no doubt about it — the man was using a 'bug' that deviated from all proper technique.
"Senior, shouldn't we try to recruit this gamer into our guild? Senior?"
Ragna's senior was staring at the video with a look of pure dread.
"No... that can't be..."
"Senior?"
"Right. It's impossible. There's no way an Unknown could have account creation privileges... I must be seeing things..."
The senior kept muttering to himself, eyes glued to the video.
Ragna watched him for a moment, then glanced around the office.
Come to think of it, the mood in the guild has been off all day. Is it because the Dark Knight everyone assumed was unbeatable got taken down?
Ragna couldn't figure out why the atmosphere at Linzea Guild had turned so strange. He didn't much care, either, so he went back to watching the video.
An Unknown, huh... It's a gimmick, obviously.
It was impossible for an Unknown to obtain a game account. Unless, quite literally, heaven's luck smiled on them.
But what if — what if the protagonist of this video really is an Unknown?
Something very interesting was bound to happen. Ragna could feel it in his bones.
"Ryu Hwi?"
Linpel, ace of Linzea Guild, scowled.
This was a luxurious facility only Gold rank could enjoy — a place built for nothing but indulgence and pleasure — and Linpel was in the middle of savoring his drink when the name came up.
"No idea. Who's that?"
He took another swig, radiating total indifference.
Linpel's older brother, Gabriel Darius, glared at him. Beyond the lenses of his glasses, his snake-cold eyes glinted.
"A man who worked as an analyst at Linzea a few years back. He was always submitting strategy proposals."
"Hmm... was there such a guy?"
This wasn't an act.
Linpel had forgotten the very existence of a man he had personally buried. Come to think of it, the humans who'd met their end at Linpel's hands were hardly few enough to count on one hand. Remembering each of them would have been a chore.
"Then why bring him up?"
"He uploaded a new video today. The Chaos Dark Knight was defeated."
"Hmph."
For any gamer in World of Phantasm, that was headline news they couldn't afford to miss. But Linpel couldn't have cared less.
"I skimmed it — the guy's using some kind of bug, right? What's so impressive about using an exploit just to kill some Dark Knight?"
The only reason the Chaos Dark Knight was considered special was that it spawned in the tutorial zone. Beyond that, it had no value at all. That was how Linpel saw it.
"Have you really forgotten? You're the one who drove him out of Linzea. I was the one who cleaned up after you."
Gabriel remembered the man called 'Ryu Hwi' very well. The strategy proposals he'd submitted had been remarkably polished — too good to waste on a mere analyst. Though before that talent could ever truly bloom, Linpel had trampled it into the dirt.
"Dunno. Sorry you got stuck with the hassle, brother, but why the hell should I keep track of trash like that?"
"I see."
Gabriel fell silent.
When he'd watched Ryu Hwi facing down the mutated Dark Knight in that video, chills had run down his spine. It wasn't a matter of swordsmanship, or of system mechanics. There was something there — an obsession so fierce it bordered on terrifying. Rage and grudge, hatred, countless emotions fused together and condensed into a single burning fixation.
And toward whom was that fixation aimed?
It hardly needed saying.
"Don't let him trip you at the ankles."
"Yeah, yeah."
Linpel took another drink.
Video upload complete.
Ryu Hwi gave a light nod at YggON's report.
You intend to broadcast your exploits far and wide? Are you an idiot, Master? Does it not occur to you that your enemies might come after you because of this?
"I'm well aware of the risk. But those guys are famous in this world — they can't just move recklessly."
There were plenty of gamers who slandered Linzea or spread malicious rumors about it. Linzea never bothered dealing with each and every one of them.
"Besides, every gamer uploads footage of their own play. It raises my profile, and high view counts bring in money. Two birds with one stone."
The Chaos Dark Knight had never once been defeated before. If the video spread, it would earn him a respectable degree of recognition.
"There's no downside to raising my profile. I'll need it eventually — it's absolutely essential for breaking out of Unknown status someday."
To escape Unknown status, one had to participate in major state-run projects and works to accumulate social contribution points, or otherwise leave proof of having contributed to society.
This video would become that proof.
So humans drag themselves into their own graves for money and glory? Truly foolish lifeforms. That UR System YggON was chosen by a Master like this is nothing short of tragic.
"So even a UR isn't all that special, huh? That's just a side benefit anyway. A bonus. I've got a real objective."
Disrespecting the UR designation constitutes an act of WAR. WAR!
As YggON raged, the surface of the vacuum cleaner flushed red.
Some kind of automatic color-shift function? Ryu Hwi eyed the machine with mild interest, then spoke.
"My real objective is to slowly tighten the noose around the necks of the bastards who buried me. The more famous I become, the more I'll grate on their nerves."
Then won't your enemies move against you as well?
"Right. In the end, they won't have any choice. Consider this a warning letter, addressed to them."
The man you buried has come back.
This time, it's your turn.
You intend to provoke them without even concealing your identity?
"Hiding my face would only make things more dangerous. Recognition is my bare minimum line of defense — and it'll make one hell of a loudspeaker, too."
A loudspeaker, you say? I genuinely cannot follow your reasoning, Master. Your schemes are far too vulgar.
"Their dear ace has quite the temper. He doesn't tolerate anyone who defies him."
Ryu Hwi's target was Linpel Darius.
He'd already secured the means to end Linpel Darius once and for all. But to reel Linpel in for certain, Ryu Hwi's existence needed to grate on the man beyond all tolerance.
"Some of them have forgotten me. Some haven't. Either way — I'm taking back the name they stole."
The frail existence that had fallen into the deep sea bared those two eyes, glinting sharp and bright.
Ready to tear into its prey.
Once he left the tutorial zone — the Forest of Beginning — a vast grassland stretched out to greet him.
An open plain extending as far as the eye could see. Beyond it: an enormous lake, a village, a majestic mountain range embracing the horizon — and at the very center of it all, a colossal tower.
Even the people who trashed Latia's games as garbage sang the praises, with one unanimous voice, of the breathtaking worlds her art directors created.
"Ahh..."
He had seen this place countless times through the simulator. But it was completely different from what he'd watched through a screen.
Even if this place had been built on the framework of a game, it was a real world. The fact struck him all over again.
A breeze drifted in from somewhere — crisp and refreshing. Watching the grass ripple in the wind, Ryu Hwi drew in a breath.
Now, let's spin the Random Box! The Random Box! Your tickets and points have piled up astronomically. It's huge. HUGE.
✦ Sudden Mission cleared, Boss hunt successful, Achievements earned ✦
YggON Tickets ×20, SR-Guaranteed Tickets ×2, Random Box Points 15,000 RP.
Let's pull. Pulling RIGHT NOW. Random Box! RANDOM BOX!
He didn't even get a moment to feel moved by the scenery before—
[Sudden Mission cleared! Boss hunt successful! Achievements earned! Twenty YggON tickets, two SR-guaranteed tickets, fifteen thousand Random Box points! Let's spin it. Spinning it immediately. Random Box! Random Box!]
The flying robot vacuum was shrieking at the top of its lungs.
[RANDOM! BOX! RANDOM! BOX! RAAN! DOM! BOOOX!]
You'd have suspected the thing was a ghost who'd died without ever pulling a single gacha in its life.
"Shut up. First we cross the plains and reach the village. Ten days of connection time from now, I'd have to log out of the labyrinth for my body's safety, remember?"
The maximum connection time to Yggdrasil was around fifty days in game time, but logout every ten days was officially recommended for the sake of one's physical well-being. On day ten, a warning would pop up urging you to log out.
"So first, a safe village—"
What on earth are you talking about? That applies to low-grade, avatar-tier systems like theirs.
"Huh?"
Their actual bodies are elsewhere, so extended sessions carry serious risk. But you, Master, were converted into this labyrinth body-and-all — your true flesh is already here inside the Yggdrasil game labyrinth. No problem whatsoever.
Ryu Hwi took stock of his own body. Not an 'avatar' like the other gamers — his real, physical self.
Ah, but I do still recommend exiting Yggdrasil once in the near future. The Conversion was executed forcibly in an emergency, so your condition should be checked.
It was calm to the point that he doubted this was the same machine that had been screaming 'RANDOM BOX' like a lunatic seconds ago.
It lasted, of course, all of a moment.
ANYWAY. Let's spin the Random Box. Chop chop, Random Box time. Random Box. RANDOM BOX.
"Shut it! I told you — first the village! There's plenty we need to prepare first."
Prepare? No preparation is required to spin the Random Box. All that's needed are points and tickets!
Ryu Hwi ignored YggON and set off, calmly mapping out his strategy for World of Phantasm inside his head.
The game's structure was relatively simple.
A world built around the Tower of the Demon God — much the same shape as the real world, centered on the World Tree, Yggdrasil. The tower was World of Phantasm's main content, its very core.
But a gamer could not head straight for the tower.
Numerous 'dungeons' were scattered around it, and gamers first had to prove their strength within them.
Ryu Hwi, naturally, intended to aim for the tower as well. But that alone wouldn't be any fun.
His goal was the summit.
Not just World of Phantasm — the apex of every game labyrinth in existence. To reach it, he would need to leave behind records no one could ignore.
And...
I'll drag you down from the heavens, Linpel. Linzea Guild.
And drop you trash straight to the very bottom.
Master, you are making a truly magnificent expression right now. Magnificent enough to make children burst into tears on sight.
"Whoops."
Ryu Hwi covered his mouth.
No need to rush. He had already waited three years.
Suppressing the dark emotions writhing in his chest, he set his steps in motion once more.