Ethan's system locked up the moment the figure stepped forward.
> [ERROR: ENTITY RECOGNIZED]
[UNKNOWN CLASS: PLAYER_0001]
[Accessing Restricted Data… ERROR: FILE CORRUPTED]
Ethan clenched his fists. **His system knew who this was—**but it was hiding the truth from him.
The cloaked figure stood tall, his black armor scratched and battle-worn, but his presence alone radiated power. His face was obscured by a dark mask, the only visible feature a pair of glowing blue eyes—like they had seen everything the System had to offer.
Aya's hand hovered over her knife. "This guy's giving me bad vibes, Ethan."
The stranger finally spoke.
"You shouldn't be here." His voice was calm, yet heavy, like it carried the weight of countless battles.
Ethan exhaled, steadying himself. "And who exactly are you?"
The man's gaze pierced through him.
"You already know the answer."
> [SYSTEM ALERT: WARNING—MENTAL INTERFERENCE DETECTED]
Ethan staggered back as his vision blurred. A flood of fragmented images rushed through his mind—flashes of a war-torn world, of players rising and falling, of an endless battle against something unseen.
And at the center of it all—
Player_0001 standing alone.
Ethan's heart pounded. This man wasn't just a survivor.
He was the first.
---
The Weight of the Past
Aya stepped in front of Ethan. "Okay, listen, mystery man—either tell us what's going on, or I start throwing knives."
Player_0001 tilted his head slightly, almost amused. "You wouldn't land a hit."
Aya's eye twitched. "Try me."
Ethan raised a hand. "Aya, wait."
He took a deep breath and faced the cloaked figure. "If you're the first player, then you know what's happening. You know why the System is hunting us."
A long silence.
Then—Player_0001 did something unexpected.
He turned away.
"I don't have time to explain," he said, walking toward the ruins. "But if you want to live, follow me."
Ethan hesitated.
Aya crossed her arms. "And why should we trust you?"
Player_0001 stopped. Didn't turn back.
"The System didn't erase me," he said. "Because I erased myself first."
Ethan's chest tightened.
What the hell did that mean?
Aya sighed. "I hate this. But fine."
With no other choice, they followed.
---
Buried Truths
Player_0001 led them deep into the ruins. Unlike the rest of the wasteland, this area had survived the war. Crumbling skyscrapers still stood, their windows shattered but their foundations intact.
Eventually, they reached a massive underground structure hidden beneath the wreckage. A massive steel door stood in their way, rusted but still intact.
Player_0001 placed his hand on it.
> [BIOMETRIC SCAN ACCEPTED]
[WELCOME BACK, FIRST PLAYER.]
With a deep groan, the door slowly slid open.
What lay inside was not what Ethan expected.
A massive underground chamber, filled with ancient System terminals, broken weapons, and countless monitors displaying fragments of a world long gone.
But the most shocking part?
Lined up against the far wall were dozens of cryo-chambers.
Each one held a person inside.
Aya took a step forward. "What the hell is this?"
Player_0001 finally turned to face them.
"This," he said, "is the last memory of the world before the System took over."
Ethan's blood ran cold.
This wasn't just a hideout.
It was a graveyard of forgotten players.
And his own name was flashing on one of the terminals.
> [PLAYER: ETHAN STRYKER – STATUS: REINSTATED]
[ORIGINAL FILE: ERROR – DATA CORRUPTED]
Ethan's heart pounded.
His original file?
Aya stepped closer. "Ethan… what does this mean?"
Player_0001 exhaled. "It means you were never supposed to exist."
Ethan staggered back.
What the hell did that mean?!
---
A Ghost in the System
Ethan's mind raced.
> [PLAYER: ETHAN STRYKER – STATUS: REINSTATED]
[ORIGINAL FILE: ERROR – DATA CORRUPTED]
He couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen. Something wasn't right.
Aya nudged him. "Ethan… what does it mean?"
He swallowed hard. "I don't know."
But Player_0001 did.
The masked man stepped forward, his blue eyes cold behind the visor. "You're an anomaly."
Ethan clenched his fists. "Explain."
Player_0001 sighed. "You don't belong in this world." He gestured toward the screen. "Your original file was erased. The only reason you're here is because someone—or something—brought you back."
Aya scoffed. "That makes no sense. I've known Ethan for years. He's always been here."
Player_0001's gaze flicked to her. "Are you sure?"
Aya's breath hitched.
Ethan felt his stomach turn. A memory surfaced—faint, distorted.
A moment that didn't belong.
Flashes of a different world. A life before the System.
> A city untouched by ruin.
People living, laughing.
And then—darkness.
A voice echoed in his head.
> "Rewriting player data… success."
Ethan staggered back.
Aya grabbed his arm. "Ethan! What's wrong?"
He gasped for breath. "I—I think he's right."
Aya shook her head. "No. That's insane. You're real. You're—"
She stopped.
Because for a brief second, Ethan's name flickered on the terminal.
For just an instant, it wasn't Ethan Stryker.
It was UNKNOWN.
And then, the screen glitched back.
Ethan felt a chill run down his spine.
> Had he really been erased?
---
The System's Prisoners
The cryo-chambers hummed softly in the background. Ethan turned to them, scanning the frozen faces inside.
Aya frowned. "Who are they?"
Player_0001 gestured at the pods. "Players. The ones who tried to fight back."
Ethan felt a pit in his stomach. "And the System just… put them on ice?"
Player_0001 nodded. "Not all players die when they lose." He placed a hand on one of the chambers. "Some are erased."
Aya narrowed her eyes. "And why aren't you?"
A long silence.
Then, Player_0001 did something unexpected.
He lifted his hand—and the System glitched.
For a split second, the entire chamber flickered like a broken simulation.
Aya cursed. "The hell was that?!"
Player_0001's voice was quiet.
"I left the System before it could erase me."
Ethan's heart pounded. "You mean—"
"Yes." Player_0001 turned to him. "I don't exist anymore."
Aya crossed her arms. "That's impossible."
Player_0001's lips curled slightly. "And yet, here I am."
The weight of his words settled over them.
He wasn't just a survivor.
He was a ghost in the System.
---
A Dangerous Choice
Ethan stepped forward. "If the System erased my past, can I get it back?"
Player_0001 studied him. "You can try."
Aya tensed. "And what happens if he does?"
The masked man exhaled. "If Ethan restores his original data, the System will see him as a threat."
Ethan's jaw clenched. "It already does."
Player_0001 shook his head. "Not like this."
He turned to the console and tapped a few keys. A new command appeared.
> [SYSTEM RECOVERY: PARTIAL FILE RESTORATION AVAILABLE]
[WARNING: UNSTABLE DATA—OUTCOME UNKNOWN]
Aya crossed her arms. "So we either leave Ethan as a corrupted file… or risk waking up something worse?"
Player_0001 nodded.
Ethan took a deep breath.
Then he reached for the console.
Aya grabbed his wrist. "Wait."
Ethan met her eyes.
"You don't have to do this," she whispered. "You're real. Right now. No matter what happened before."
Ethan's chest tightened. "I need to know."
Aya hesitated. Then, reluctantly, she let go.
Ethan pressed the command.
The room shook.
> [SYSTEM RECOVERY INITIATED]
[ERROR—CORRUPTED DATA DETECTED]
[OVERRIDE ENGAGED]
The cryogenic pods flickered.
One of them suddenly unlocked.
A loud hiss filled the air as the pod's glass slid open—revealing a figure inside.
Ethan's breath caught.
Because he recognized the person in the pod.
And they looked exactly like him.
---
📚📚
Did you enjoy this chapter? If yes, drop a comment, or I'll send my villain after you! (Just kidding... maybe). Also, don't forget to vote and add the novel to your library—your support fuels my writing energy!📚📚.