Chapter 2: Something Feels Off

Morning in Akibahara arrived just like the days before.

The sky was clear, without a single dark cloud. Sunlight fell evenly across the cobblestone streets, reflecting off tall buildings and holographic information boards that floated serenely in the air. Players filled the city once again—some hurrying toward the Guild, some setting up market stalls, and others simply chatting as they strolled along.

Rei stepped out of the Paradise inn, straightening the worn-looking blue-and-white jacket that had now become his daily attire. His body felt in optimal condition. No pain. No fatigue. This world always ensured its players were in their best state—something that felt foreign to him.

A notification popped up in the corner of his vision.

[PRIVATE MESSAGE] Tamato Kirigaya: Morning. There’s a Wild Bull hunting quest near Citra Village, toward Verdant Forest. The reward is decent. Are you in?

Rei slowed his pace while reading the message. Hunting a Wild Bull was nothing special. They were aggressive monsters with high attack power, but their patterns were simple. With two people, the risk was manageable.

Rei: I’m in. Meet at the east gate.

The reply came quickly.

Tamato: Right. Don't be long.

Rei dismissed the message and continued toward the city center. At first, everything seemed normal. However, the further he walked, the more small things felt out of place.

Near the main quest board, two players stood with frustrated expressions. “My attack landed, but the damage showed up late,” one complained. “Yeah. I thought my connection was just bad,” his friend replied with a sigh.

Rei overheard the conversation briefly, then walked past them. Small delays could happen, but in R.I.D.D.W., such things were rarely visible to the naked eye.

A few steps later, an NPC merchant on the roadside opened his mouth to offer a greeting—but stopped mid-sentence. His eyes went blank, his expression freezing for a few seconds before he finally restarted his dialogue from the beginning, in the same tone as always. “...Welcome. Is there anything I can help you with?”

There was no reaction from the other players. The NPC stood neatly, as if nothing had happened.

Rei slowed his pace. R.I.D.D.W. was known for being incredibly stable. Minor visual bugs like that almost never occurred, especially in a neutral zone with strictly controlled data traffic.

In a narrow alley near the market, Rei stopped for a moment. His shadow on the ground stopped a fraction of a second later than his feet. The difference was minuscule—small enough to be ignored, yet noticeable enough for someone accustomed to observing.

He turned around. There was nothing there.

When he reached Akibahara’s east gate, the atmosphere was slightly noisier than usual. Several players gathered, talking in tones that were half-joking, half-confused. “My menu just lagged.” “My system clock skipped back one second.”

Rei glanced at the system clock in the corner of his vision. The numbers flickered. One second backward. Then it returned to normal.

He stopped walking. One or two minor bugs could be considered a coincidence. But too many oddities were appearing in such a short span of time.

Tamato was already waiting near the gate, leaning back casually while waving a hand. “Morning,” he greeted. “Did you see the weirdness today, too?” “I saw it myself,” Rei answered honestly. Tamato gave a short laugh. “A server this big is bound to stutter sometimes. As long as it isn't fatal, just relax.”

They left Akibahara and walked toward Citra Village. The city buildings gradually gave way to open fields. The stone road turned into packed earth. The wind carried the scent of leaves and wet grass. In the distance, Verdant Forest stretched out, vast and still.

They found a Wild Bull near the meadow. The monster stomped its hooves, snorted loudly, and immediately turned aggressive. Tamato moved first, drawing the bull’s attention. Rei moved from the other side, waiting for an opening. The attack went according to plan.

However, when Rei’s sword hit the target, the damage appeared late. The bull managed to take one more step before finally collapsing. “Lag again,” Tamato said with a sigh. “Yeah,” Rei replied briefly.

The quest was completed without issue. Rewards were received. EXP increased. The system was functioning—at least, it appeared so on the surface.

They rested for a while in the meadow, sitting while staring at the calm blue sky. “Sometimes I wonder,” Tamato said, “if the real world could be this relaxed.” Rei didn’t answer immediately. “What’s done is done,” he finally said. “Not everything can be repeated.” Tamato gave a thin smile. “You really are a realist.”

In the afternoon, they returned to Akibahara. But as they approached the city gate, the atmosphere felt different. Voices began to grow louder. “Why isn’t my menu responding?” “I’ve tried logging out three times already!”

Tamato stopped walking. “Anyway, I’m heading out. The real world is waiting.” He opened his system menu and pressed the Log Out button.

Nothing happened.

Tamato frowned. “Strange.” He tried again.

[ERROR] Command not found.

Screams echoed from inside the city. “I can’t get out!” “My menu is gone!” “Is this a bug?!”

Several red notifications flashed in the air—then vanished before they could even be read. Tamato looked at Rei, his face turning serious. “Rei… this isn’t normal.”

Rei unconsciously clenched his fists. Around them, panic began to spread. Players were running. Some were shouting for their parties. NPCs stood still, unresponsive.

There was no system announcement. There was no explanation.

Only one reality began to dawn on everyone— No one could leave this world.