- Jin Takeda POV -
I exhaled sharply as I stepped through the door, shutting it behind me with a tired sigh. The faint scent of sweat and blood still clung to my gear, a reminder of the endless dungeon raids that had consumed my week. My body ached, and my mind was running on fumes, but none of that mattered.
I tossed my coat onto the table and collapsed into my gaming chair, cracking my neck as I booted up my PC. The soft glow of the monitor illuminated my dim apartment, the only real comfort I had after days of battling monsters.
I opened the game store and started scrolling...
Garbage...
Boring...
More garbage...
Cheap, low-effort games flooded the front page. The kind of low-quality, barely-functioning shovelware made by developers who didn't care about anything but profit.
What happened to the real ones?
The developers who actually gave a damn? The ones who made games that pulled you in, challenged you, made you forget the real world even existed?
[Eternal Knight's Saga] A blatant rip-off of ten other RPGs, with stiff animations and a combat system that looked like it was thrown together in an afternoon. Pass.
[Dungeon Lords Online] – Supposedly an MMORPG, but it was more like an empty lobby with assets reused from a decade-old engine. The AI was dumb, the controls were clunky, and calling the graphics "dated" would be an insult to classic pixel art. Hard pass.
[Mecha Royale] – A battle royale game with mechs? Sounded cool in theory, but one glance at the screenshots told me everything I needed to know.
Game after game, it was all soulless, uninspired trash. That's why I kept raiding dungeons. At least the thrill of battle in real life was still there.
Then, something caught my eye.
Hunter Auto Chess (HAC)
Auto Chess… where have I heard that before?
Wait... isn't that like those games I used to play back then?
Dota Auto Chess, TFT…
Those games were legends. Strategy, adaptation, excitement, every match was a battle of wits, not just reflexes. But those were years ago. Nobody made games like that anymore, not with how bad the industry had gotten.
Yet here it was [Hunter Auto Chess].
Did someone actually manage to create a game like this with today's level of game technology?
I'll be damned...
I clicked on the store page.
➤ Released today.
➤ No reviews.
➤ Player limit: 100,000.
A hard player cap?
Then I noticed a promotional video below the game's description. Curious, I clicked on it.
The screen faded to black, then burst to life with vibrant, high-quality animations. A battlefield suspended in the void. Hunters clashing in fast-paced, strategic combat. Little Legends hopped excitedly as their teams fought to the last unit.
Is this some promotion for a movie or something? It looked too real, far beyond anything the so-called "AAA" game company had ever put out.
Then my eyes landed on the small text below the video.
"Actual Gameplay Footage."
I blinked. Once. Twice.
No way.
Once the download finished, I wasted no time and clicked Play.
The moment I did, a strange sensation washed over me for a split second, it felt like I was floating through space.
Then.
I appeared inside a massive arena.
I frowned and instinctively tried activating my abilities but nothing happened. No mana flow. No skill activation.
My heart pounded. Was I teleported somewhere?
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm.
Then, in the corner of my vision, I noticed a glowing Logout button on the right side of my interface.
Before I could even think, a translucent screen flashed before me.
⟪ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⟫
Do you want to log out?
[ YES | NO ]
Is this actually inside the game?
I had seen enough anime and read enough novels about games that trapped their players. There was no way I was taking any chances.
Without hesitation, I pressed YES.
⟪ Logging out... ⟫
The world blurred. I felt weightless again. Then, in an instant, I was back in my room, staring at my screen. I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I had been holding.
"…Holy shit."
I immediately checked my body, running my hands over my arms and legs. Everything felt normal. Next I focused for a moment, concentrating on my real-life ability. My pulse quickened as I called on it, and there it was. The familiar sensation, like a pulse of energy flowing through my body.
Okay, I was fine. My body was good.
...
The excitement started to kick in, a surge of adrenaline coursing through me. Something was off, but in a way that sparked curiosity rather than fear.
I turned back to the screen, my gaze landing on the game's details. And that's when I noticed the developer name [SandBox Entertainment].
I furrowed my brow. SandBox Entertainment?
Should I report this? A new game, no information, weird immersion? Something felt wrong. But then again… I could just check it out first. Gather some information. See if there was anything suspicious going on. Yes, definitely just for research purposes.
Not because I wanted to play the game, of course.
I smirked, already clicking Play.
The game loaded, and I found myself back in the massive arena. The surroundings felt… real. Too real for something that was supposed to be a game.
I glanced around, taking in the environment, when something caught my eye. A notification appeared in my vision, hovering just to the left of my sight. It was small but impossible to ignore. Curious, I focused on it, and the notification expanded, sliding open like a page from a book.
⟪ GAME INFO ⟫
[Hunter Auto Chess (HAC)]
A real-time strategy game where players control "Hunters" with unique abilities and stats, battling on a dynamic, chessboard-like battlefield. Position your Hunters strategically to win, with each Hunter having distinct strengths and abilities.
[Main Control Table]
The central table features a chessboard that controls the battlefield. Players can select, position, and upgrade Hunters here. The chessboard also serves as the hub for game functions, with floating panels around the arena providing access to the store, Hunter upgrades, and battle results.
[Virtual Reality Environment]
HAC is fully immersive, designed with a high-quality VR environment that feels as real as it gets. The arena, with its forest-themed chessboard and interactive controls, is designed to simulate a lifelike experience, making players feel like they're in reality.
Having read the notification about the game info, I focused on the Virtual Reality Environment. So, that's why this feels so real and why I can't use my ability since were only inside a Virtual Reality. It wasn't just a game on a screen. The way the arena stretched out in front of me, and the textures.
I looked around, my gaze landing on the table at the center of the arena. As I got closer, I saw it. A chessboard. It looked more like a miniature version of a gladiator arena, with each tile carved out of stone, and around the edges, the tiles formed a natural border a thick, lush forest that blended seamlessly with the environment.
As I came closer to the chessboard and sat down, I noticed something new. An interface was floating above the chessboard. The options were laid out neatly each one glowing faintly as if waiting for my command.
⟪ GAME MENU ⟫
Hunters | Items | Little Legends | Quick Match | Casual Match | Ranked Match
Shop (Coming Soon)
I clicked on Hunters, and the menu instantly expanded, displaying a full roster of 50 Hunters. Each Hunter had their own abilities, stats, and gold cost required to recruit them into a match. My eyes scanned through the list until one caught my attention.
A samurai.
Something about the design drew me in immediately. As a Hunter who's main weapon is a samurai myself, it was only natural. Once I clicked on the Hunter, a bright flash filled my vision. When it faded, a figure stood before me.
Raiken, the Burning Blade.
Draped in dark red and black armor, his presence radiated an intense, controlled heat. His blade, wreathed in flickering embers, pulsed with restrained power.
I couldn't help but smirk. A samurai. My kind of fighter.
I navigated through the rest of the menu, curiosity driving my every move.
Items: Weapons, armor, and upgrades that enhance Hunters.
Little Legends: Unique companions with no direct battle effects, collect loot from battles.
Match Types:
Quick Match: A fast-paced 1v1 game.
Casual Match: A standard 8-player free-for-all, available when 100 players are online.
Ranked Match: A competitive 8-player free-for-all mode where victories determine rank, accessible after 1000 players are online and completing 10 Casual Matches.
Having done my due diligence and investigated the game functions, I was ready to dive in.
Time to start with Quick Match.
I clicked it, expecting a wait. But to my surprise, I got into a match instantly.
The interface flashed, prompting me to pick a Little Legend.
Knowing little about the game, I picked the one that looked the coolest to me. Emberwing – The Fiery Hatchling.
The table began to expand slowly, the chessboard-like surface stretching outward, transforming the space into a full-fledged arena. The tiles beneath me shifted, the forest theme now blending seamlessly with the battlefield. I was pushed to the edge of the arena, and across from me, I saw my opponent.
A boy, maybe in his teens, with messy brown hair and sharp brown eyes. He smiled and gave a casual wave.
I nodded back, barely acknowledging the wave. My mind was focused. The countdown on the screen began ticking down.
3... 2... 1...