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Games.
A simple escape when boredom strikes, or just a way to pass the time.
But what if a game starts consuming your every moment?
What if it takes your time... forever?
These days, games aren't just entertainment—they're a source of income.
Strange? Maybe. But it's real.
In-game items can be sold for pennies or a fortune, depending on how hard they are to obtain.
But there was one game that rejected all of that—
Break the Limit.
It sounded insane, like the developers didn't care about profit.
Or maybe... they were after something else?
Since its first reveal, the game became the talk of the world.
While other games relied on stats and numbers, this one took a different route:
training—just like in real life.
"Want to get stronger? Then train like you would in the real world," declared the developer.
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"Ughhh... can I just escape this cruel reality?"
A groan escaped the lips of a young man in a cramped room—
a thin mattress, a plastic cabinet, scattered trash.
His name wasn't worth remembering. Not yet.
Just another tired player wasting away in real life.
"If only I could live as the main character in a video game," he muttered, slamming his foot against the floor.
Then pain struck.
Deep, real, and terrifying.
"Ugh... why does it hurt so much...?"
He looked down.
A knife. Piercing his chest. Blood spreading across his shirt.
"HAHAHA! FINALLY, I'M DEAD, DAMMIT...!"
Thud.
His body collapsed, lifeless.
"Maybe this is the only way you'll ever truly live..."
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"AAAAAAAAAH!"
He woke up screaming, his back still burning from the phantom stab.
But he was alive. Breathing.
"Why... why does it feel like I'm still breathing? And this place... it feels like it's near a volcano?"
He sat up fast, scrambled to the window—
and froze.
"NO WAY!? ISN'T THIS—TERRA IGNIS!?"
Shock painted his face, then slowly faded into a twisted smile.
"Tch. Looks like the gods granted my wish after all."
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"Thank you, uncle, for taking care of me!"
He waved cheerfully, full of energy he never had before.
"Ohoho, of course, young man," the old man replied kindly.
"What's your name!?" he called out as the boy walked away.
"Eh? My name...? Umm... it's Aven!"
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To be continued.