Hasako

  Hariko Lee woke up with a groggy sigh, dragging himself out of bed and heading to the bathroom. The familiar sound of running water filled the small space as he stepped into the shower, letting the warm stream wash away the remnants of sleep. His mind wandered, already thinking about the day ahead.

  In two months, the World Tournament for World Under Conflict would begin. The prize? A staggering 500,000—an amount Hariko could barely comprehend. Pyers from across the globe would compete, each vying for the top spot in this highly tactical war game. Hariko had been preparing for months for this moment.

  After his shower, Hariko headed back to his room and booted up his PC. The screen flickered to life, and he navigated to the faction selection screen of World Under Conflict. The options scrolled by: NATO, led by the United States; the Asian Defense Alliance, made up of China, Russia, North Korea, Pakistan, Iran, and Berus; and the Elven Alliance, a coalition of the Elven States and the Chaos States.

  Without hesitation, Hariko selected the Chaos States.

  Faction Selected: Chaos States

  Races: Dark Elves, Elvengoats (elves with goat horns), Elvenhorse (elves with horse ears who could transform their feet into hooves for increased speed), Elvenfox (elves with fox-like ears), and Elvendragons (elves with dragon horns and wings).

  The game loaded, revealing the dark, foreboding world of the Chaos States, their military might unmistakable. Tanks capable of firing from three miles away and jets that could strike targets 700 miles away made them a fearsome faction.

  Loading: The Chaos States don’t recruit civilians; instead, soldiers are grown from a single gene pool, creating a relentless cycle of warriors.

  On-screen, General Shizu appeared, issuing orders: “Rebels, supported by the United States, are cutting off our supply lines. Defend the vilge. Deploy two BT-1 jets, C77 tanks, and three regur Dark Elf infantry units.”

  Hariko got to work, hiring the units from the barracks, tank factory, and airfield. The game mechanics limited him to hiring one unit per turn, so he had to wait three turns until all his forces were ready. The barracks and other facilities could only hold up to 100 units at a time, so he had to be strategic in his selections.

  After three turns, Hariko deployed the BT-1 jets, which reached the vilge in a single turn. The tanks and infantry took two turns to arrive. During that time, the jets bombarded rebel positions, but after each attack, they had to return to base to rearm and refuel, forcing Hariko to juggle his units carefully.

  Finally, his combined forces arrived at the vilge. Intense urban combat ensued, sting four turns. Although he lost one C77 tank, Hariko’s forces triumphed.

  Result: Victory. Units lost: 1 C77 tank.

  Feeling the adrenaline rush of success, Hariko decided to take on the U.S. intervention campaign. Four hours ter, after intense strategizing and combat, he emerged victorious once again—though he hadn’t realized the toll the game had taken on him. In the heat of the moment, he’d forgotten to eat. His body, overwhelmed and weak, suddenly gave out.

  Hariko colpsed, and his world went dark.

  His soul floated through a vast void until an angel appeared, collecting him and bringing him before the Creator, Aros.

  Aros gazed at him with ancient, knowing eyes. “Do you desire a second chance at life?” he asked, his voice a low rumble like distant thunder. “However, I must transfer you to the Goddess Toki, the true creator of the universe you once thought was a fictional game.”

  Still in shock from his sudden death, Hariko nodded slowly. “Alright, but if you could, grant me the ability to create bases like the ones from the game.”

  Aros smiled faintly. “I will grant you a portion of my power. You will be able to summon demons from the Chaos Realm and build bases as you desire, but your power will be limited to those tied to the Chaos States.”

  With that, Hariko was sent to the domain of Goddess Toki. She eyed him with curiosity and amusement before banishing him to a desert region within the Chaos States.

  And so, Hariko’s second life began.