Introduction

    In the year 20xx, the pace of scientific advancement for human convenience had slowed. The focus of science shifted towards something far more marvelous—human physiology. The most enigmatic part of this exploration was undoubtedly the large organ known as the brain. Due to the relentless dedication of scientists, neurological research made rapid strides, leading to the creation of a computational device born from integrating biological material like sponge with computers. This resulted in the development of a self-evolving computational device.

    In other words, it was a biocomputer capable of mimicking human brain functions, leading to a new form of entertainment that enable people to tap into simulated brainwaves and enter a virtual world—a place where imagination knows no bounds. In this world, many people could meet each other through brainwave receivers shaped like headbands, using the internet as a medium. The oldest of these virtual worlds was governed by the most advanced and just system controlled by a bio-computer known as “Justice.”

    “If a bio-computer can simulate human brainwaves, could it also heal a human brain with them?”

    The answer to this question lies only with a young man who suffered a traumatic brain injury leading to a coma. He was the first experimental subject to potentially have his brain healed by the powerful bio-computer. However, miracles come with challenges, as the most advanced bio-computer, Justice, only aids those it deems worthy.

    Therefore, this young man must win a war in this simulated world before his brain suffers irreparable damage to be deemed worthy of a chance to return to normalcy. In a virtual world called Real Dream Online, which has been running for over 15 years.

    However, the stakes of his life are inevitable due to the accident not only putting him in a sleep-like state but also causing amnesia. This compels his forced participation in this virtual realm, where his life hangs in the balance.

    Chapter 1 Part I

    The Beginning of the Endless

    "Argh...!!!"

    A young man lay weakly on the sidewalk, clutching his head in pain, driven by instinct. As he touched a warm, wet liquid on his hand, he brought it before his eyes. What he saw was a vivid liquid coating his hand in red.

    (What… What happened? Right, that car from earlier ran a red light and hit me.)

    After recalling the cause of his injuries, he tried to identify the offending vehicle, only to realize it had already vanished into the city's chaotic traffic. He then remembered he had an important duty to attend to.

    (Yes! It's almost time for the young master's event. This is no time to be lying down.)

    The young man tried to lift himself up with his hands, but his body refused to cooperate with his mind. Even his hand, raised to his eyesight level, uncontrollably dropped to the ground. His consciousness quickly faded.

    (…But why am I so sleepy? Just a moment to rest my eyes, then.)

    His eyes gradually closed, along with the fading images of the street and the people rushing to assist him. The last thing he heard was the faint sound of an ambulance navigating through congested traffic.

    When the young man regained consciousness, he was lying on a bed being wheeled through a brightly lit, narrow corridor. Everyone around him seemed in a hurry; among them, a very important woman to him, his mother, was crying incessantly while calling his name.

    (Where am I? That's mom, why are you crying? Why…why?)

    He tried to reach out to his mother, but the same drowsiness overtook him, this time accompanied by immense pain that surged through him, engulfing him in waves of agony.

    "The patient has a brain hemorrhage. We need to operate immediately to remove the clot before further damage occurs."

    A foreign voice jolted the young man awake again. He slowly shook his head in confusion. Surrounded by many people in green scrubs, their faces hidden behind white masks, the lights above were so bright that they dazzled his eyes. Then, one of them placed a mask over his nose. The sweet scent was intoxicating, making his eyelids heavy, unable to keep open any longer, as he surrendered to the inviting fragrance.

    He couldn't tell how much time had passed before he became conscious again. Now, he lay on a bed in a large, white room, his body connected to several tubes and some devices he had never seen before.

    "Unfortunately, the treatment was too delayed. The accumulated blood has caused more damage to his brain than we anticipated. Although it's still functioning, it can no longer connect to his body. His body is not yet dead, thanks to these devices that have kept him alive."

    The voice of a man in a long white coat, which he had never heard before, spoke up before a familiar scent tickled his nose. It was the smell of the shampoo his mother liked, which he often bought for her reluctantly. This told him that his mother was right by his side, her hand gripping his, wet with tears, prompting him to try and comfort her.

    (Mom, why are you crying?)

    However, no one reacted to his voice, making him realize that those sounds were only echoing inside his head.

    "Is there any way to help my son?"

    The voice of another man arose, one usually stern and critical whenever he did something wrong. It was the voice of his father, always strong and never giving up. But why did his once firm voice now sound so frail?

    (Dad, what’s wrong?)

    Once again, he couldn't make a sound or even turn to see his father’s condition, making him aware that something was terribly wrong with him.

    "There is a way, but it's only theoretical and hasn't been tested on any living being. It's the only option left for your son."

    (Why? I’m not feeling that bad. Why do they talk as if I'm going to die?)

    His voice rose again, but only in his thoughts.

    (Mom, tell them I'm fine. Just give me some medicine and let me rest for a bit, and I’ll be up to hug you.)

    "Which way, Doctor? How can you help my son?"

    He felt his mother's voice closer, but why did her hair scent seem to drift farther away, as if she wasn’t there with him anymore? Yet, the touch of the hand gripping his reassured him she was near.

    "We need to get him into a simulated world called Real Dream first."

    This virtual world, also known as the game Real Dream Online, was familiar to him. It had been running for over 15 years, and someone important to him had always wanted him to join her in playing it. But due to its high cost, he never had the chance to experience it. And why now? Why did he have to enter that game?

    "What does this have to do with my son?"

    The father's voice asked, hitting right at the heart of the matter. Aside from his mother, perhaps the person who understood him best was indeed his father.

    (Dad, can I see your face, please? Can you lean in this way?)

    The young man tried to speak, but no sound came from his mouth.

    "Right now, your son's brain waves are gradually weakening. If these brain waves stop, it means the life of their owner is at risk as well. Connecting the patient to the virtual world will help maintain his brain waves, thus giving us enough time to allow his brain to recover."

    "It sounds promising then, doesn't it? If his brain heals, he'll wake up, right, Doctor?"

    The mother's voice immediately sounded hopeful but quickly turned somber upon seeing the slow, explaining expression of the man in the white coat.

    "We still have many problems and conditions to consider. The most critical one... is time. Even though we've had cases where players have had the sleeping beauty syndrome, your son's condition is much more severe due to a complete disconnection between his brain and body, despite using the most advanced technology. We only have one month to keep him going."

    "So... You mean to say my son will die after a month? What good is that!!!"

    The father stuttered before raising his voice at the doctor standing in front of him. The young man was equally shocked, hearing that he had only one month to live.

    Suddenly, the touch of his mother holding his hand seemed to fade, not because she was letting go, but rather the feeling of him was slowly faded away, reinforcing the terrifying words just spoken, making him scream in anguish, yet tragically, no one could hear his words.

    (No, please no, Mom, don't go, I'm so scared, I'm so scared.)

    "Please, calm down. We still have hope. That hope is the Justice, the biocomputer that manages the brain waves of everyone who enters the simulated world. If the patient requests Justice to send specific brain waves... well… in simple terms, it's like doing physical therapy for the brain to reconnect with the body again. If that's the case, not only will your son be out of danger, but there's also a high chance that he will recover."

    The man in the white coat explained that currently, the young man's condition was as if the pathway from his brain to his body was rapidly deteriorating. However, if the human body is still alive, it can repair itself. This makes the one month they have been given enough time for the damaged pathways to be repaired.

    Despite this, both the body and the brain change over time. Even if it is a short period, this causes the brain and body to need time to adjust to each other. But for this young man, waiting for both to synchronize seems far too long a wait. However, with assistance from Justice in adjusting, his brain and body should be able to synchronize immediately.

    "If that's the case, then okay, Doctor. Anything, just anything to keep my son alive."

    "Agreed, Doctor. Take whatever you need, just make sure my son recovers."

    Both parents responded almost immediately upon hearing that there was still hope, causing the young man to be so deeply moved that he cried, like a miracle, with tears streaming from his eyes, prompting his parents to rush to look at their beloved son, who still lay motionless. Yet, both believed he must be aware, leading the mother to slowly say,

    "My son... love... the… most."

    Sadly, even the voice he heard seemed to gradually fade away until it was gone. Now, all he could hear was silence. No matter how much the young man gathered his strength to say, "I love you too, Mom," he could not even move his tongue.

    Now, the scene before him was also gradually darkening. He thought it wouldn't be long before he couldn't see anything at all. The last thing he saw was the image of his father holding his mother, while his mother slowly bent down to kiss his forehead. Then everything went dark...

    Now he had nothing left: no smell, no taste, no hearing, no touch, no sight.

    Amidst the darkness, the silence, and the emptiness that seemed eternal, consuming everything he had left until even the last bits of his identity were gone, only one question lingered in his mind:

    ‘Who is he?’

    Inside the special room of the same hospital, the couple slowly let the body of their only son lie down again, giving the doctor waiting there a chance to continue explaining.

    "But I need you to prepare yourselves because apart from the time constraint, there are many challenges waiting for him. First and foremost, for him to meet with Justice, it's crucial that he first wins the monthly war. And right now... the situation in the game is quite complex."

    The doctor explained slowly before elaborating that although Justice is a computer, it possesses its own thinking. It always considers whether the commands entered are appropriate and rational. Naturally, the decision to save the life of a man who was supposed to die in an accident requires careful analysis to determine if it should not assist.

    The exception that will allow it to accept the command is if he wins the monthly war in the game it manages, which would grant him direct access to the thoughts of Justice and make it accept a command that might seem selfish.

    "Isn't just one month too short…? How is my son supposed to beat others…?"

    The young man's mother began crying again, having never played such games herself and wondering how her son, new to the game, could possibly defeat those who have played much longer in such a short time.

    "Time in the simulated world runs faster than normal. Though it's called the monthly war, in the virtual world, it's referred to as the annual war, because time there runs 12 times faster than here."

    "...My son is smart. He should be able to accomplish something in that one year. I'm confident about that."

    Hearing that his son had one year, the father felt relieved. He had watched his son grow up and, despite the difficulties ahead, he believed that the young man lying there could definitely do it. However, the doctor, swallowing hard, continued slowly,

    "The problems... don't end there... After he goes online into the simulated world, there are several other concerns. I will explain them one by one."

    A soft light appeared amidst the darkness, as if someone had lit a small candle in front of him. Slowly, the light expanded and brightened, enveloping him until his surroundings were engulfed in a bright white.

    As the light gradually faded, the scene in front of him became clearer. It felt as though he was waking from a long slumber. Before him stood an intricately carved ancient wooden door set amidst the empty white space. With nothing else around, he slowly reached out to open the door, revealing a lavishly decorated grand hall of a mansion. A woman in a white strapless dress stood smiling at him before speaking in a sweet voice,

    "Welcome to the Real Dream Online game."

    "Am I... in an online game?"

    The young man looked at the beautiful woman with soft pink hair, deep blue eyes, and perfect-sized white wings, resembling a European fairy tale angel. His face was filled with curiosity about what she had told him.

    "Yes, you are currently in Real Dream Online."

    The beautiful angel snapped her fingers lightly in the air, and a large globe with the letter 'R' appeared behind her as a backdrop. The young man stared in awe at the new image that appeared.

    "Real Dream Online has been around for over 15 years but continues to captivate gamers worldwide. The system will now ask for some initial information to register you for the game."

    The angel cheerfully said, as the player in front of her listened attentively. Without waiting for the young man to answer, she asked first,

    "What would you like your in-game name to be?"

    The angel took out a clipboard and pen from thin air, ready to jot down in the system's player registry, while the other party tried to think of something.

    "My name is..."

    "The problems are still not over, Doctor?"

    The young man's mother said with a shocked tone, glaring at the man in front of her as if demanding an answer from him.

    "Yes... we have also found that the part of his brain that stores memories has been damaged, which highly suggests your son might also suffer from memory loss..."

    The doctor spoke sadly, looking towards the young man who appeared to be asleep on the bed in front of him. The challenges that awaited this man were indeed severe. Though hope still existed, the shadow of despair was more pronounced this time. Even the father looked distressed, thinking the same before suggesting something,

    "I heard that someone I know is playing this game. Can we ask him to help?"

    He looked up at the man in white with hope, even though his son hardly had any friends. One of his few special friends happened to be playing this game, which was why his son had worked an extra job to afford this expensive console.

    "That would be excellent, but please have the person who will help talk to me first, as revealing the truth directly might affect the patient's mental state. Also, prepare yourselves that he might not remember the person who comes to help due to his amnesia."

    The young man standing in front of the angel was lost in thought for a long time before realizing he couldn't remember anything at all. No matter how hard he tried to recall who he was, his name, or why he was playing this game, nothing emerged from the depths of his mind to answer his questions. It was as if his mind was filled only with a blank whiteness, and finally, he gave up.

    "Um... I don't know," the young man responded after a long silence.

    "If that's the case, let's do it this way: we'll have the system generate a random name for you. I guarantee that the name you get will be unique."

    Many players didn't know what name to use, so the system had a function to randomly generate names for this group of players. He nodded to her, signaling his agreement. Then the angel snapped her fingers again, and a vertical wheel with letters along its edge appeared, forming a long row.

    The wheel spun quickly, making a "tick, tick" sound, reminiscent of some device he couldn't quite place. Soon, the wheel began to stop from left to right, each letter that appeared would be part of the new name he was about to receive.

    M…ö…B…I…U…S