The fluorescent lights of the city hospital cast a sterile, pale glow. A doctor in a white coat looked at the young man on the examination bed with a mixture of professional detachment and genuine pity.
"Mark," the doctor said, his tone gentle but firm. "Your condition—Hereditary Angioedema—is treatable. With medication, you could live a full, normal life. The cost… it's not insignificant, but it's manageable. Around thirty thousand credits a year. Are you truly certain you wish to decline treatment?"
"Yes."
The young man on the bed, Mark, was pale but resolute. He nodded firmly, suppressing the storm of fear and frustration within him. "I voluntarily refuse treatment."
"Son, you can't be serious!" the doctor implored, turning to Mark's parents, who stood by, their faces etched with a pain too deep for words. "How can you stand by and let your…"
"Doctor." Mark's voice was sharp, cutting him off. "This is *my* decision."
In truth, doctors saw life and death daily; such profound compassion was rare. But this case was different. A treatable disease, a lifetime of medication costing a small fortune… For a family like Mark's, choosing treatment would only lead to financial ruin. The world was full of people like him, people who were handed a lifeline only to find it was made of gold they could never afford. He was just one of many.
"A terrible waste," the doctor sighed. After Mark signed the release forms, he left, the energy drained from his steps.
"It's my fault," Mark's father muttered, his shoulders slumped under the weight of his own powerlessness. "Your grandfather… your uncle… they went the same way. Why is fate so cruel to our family?"
"Dad. Mom." Mark looked at his grieving parents and forced a brave smile. "Let me ask you this, as your son. For whatever time I have left, I don't want to spend it in a hospital bed, covered in tubes, torturing myself and everyone I love."
His mother secretly wiped a tear away, struggling to smile back, though her hands trembled. "Mark, is there… is there anything you'd like to do? Anything you'd like to have?"
Mark hesitated. He wanted to say 'no,' to be selfless, but he knew that would only deepen their guilt. His eyes drifted to the window, to the ubiquitous advertisement plastered on a skyscraper across the street.
**ASCENDANT: Realms Unbound.**
It was hailed as the next evolutionary leap in gaming, a true full-immersion virtual experience. Rumor was it even had the backing of global governments. And, in a twist of fate, its global launch was tomorrow.
A game…
A bitter smile touched his lips. In this age of technological marvels and ever-increasing work pressure, who would have thought that he, a former video game addict, had once dreamed of nothing more than his own gaming rig. Now, he had a top-of-the-line neural interface gathering dust on his desk. The desire to play had been crushed by the weight of survival.
But now, with major corporations and professional gamers who earned millions pledging to dive into *Ascendant*, a final, desperate fantasy sparked in his mind. At the very least, this time, he wouldn't have to miss out on a game he was genuinely curious about because of his circumstances.
"Dad, Mom," he said, his voice gaining a sliver of genuine conviction. "Reality has been cruel. For my final chapter, I want to find the person I used to be."
…
At 2:30 PM, shortly after Mark returned home, the installation crew arrived with impressive efficiency. *Ascendant* required a specialized neural-interface pod. Fortunately, thanks to heavy government subsidies, the cost was a manageable 2,888 credits.
On the eve of the launch, Mark scoured the net for any possible beta guides or leaks. He found nothing.
"Tight security," he noted, his anticipation growing. Given his situation, finding a job was out of the question. He would pour all his remaining focus into this game, using it as a shield against the brutality of his reality.
The next morning, at 9:30 AM, Mark eagerly climbed into the pod.
The world went dark for a split second before his eyes opened inside a breathtaking, celestial palace. The floor was shrouded in ethereal mist, giving him the surreal sensation of standing among the clouds.
**`> System Alert: Welcome to Ascendant: Realms Unbound. Proceed with character creation?`**
A crisp, pleasant chime echoed as the notification appeared before him.
**`> Yes.`**
The moment he confirmed, a figure materialized in the center of the hall—a young man with sharp features, a lean but upright frame, and a simple grey tunic. It was a perfect digital replica of himself. Mark saw no reason to alter his appearance.
**`> System Alert: Avatar confirmed. Please assign a character name.`**
**`> Kaelen.`**
*Kaelen.* A new name for what he prayed would be a new beginning. He desperately needed *Ascendant* to be a genesis, not an epitaph.
With the name set, a massive, vertical roulette wheel materialized before him. It was divided into seven colored sections. The smallest segment, a sliver of radiant gold, was almost invisible.
**`> System Alert: Proceed with Trait acquisition? (Note: Traits are influenced by neural patterns, physiology, and psychological profile.)`**
*This is it.*
This was one of the few mechanics the developers had emphasized. Every account got one shot at a Trait; even deleting your character wouldn't reset it. The randomness was absolute, with grades from D to SSS. A higher-grade Trait couldn't guarantee a player's ultimate success, but it was a monumental advantage. And in a globally launched game teeming with opportunity, a high-grade Trait might just be…
It might just be the miracle he needed.
**`> Yes.`**
He poured all his hope, all his will to live, into that single command.
The needle on the wheel began to spin.
"Just give me an A-rank. Please," Kaelen whispered, his eyes locked on the spinning dial. He watched as it slowed, his heart sinking as it came to a stop squarely in the largest, most common section.
D-Rank.
Of course. There were no miracles in real life.
"You son of a—" he started to curse.
But then he saw it. The needle hadn't fully stopped. It crept forward, with agonizing slowness, past the D-rank zone, past C, B, A, S, SS… until it settled perfectly, undeniably, in that impossibly small sliver of gold.
**`> SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Congratulations! You have acquired the [Unique SSS-Rank Trait: Miracle Engine]. Luck +2!`**
"Yes! Thank you!" Kaelen gasped, his breath catching in his throat. He felt a thrill he hadn't experienced in years.
He immediately opened his skill panel. There, shining with a brilliant, exclusive golden light, was his one and only ability.
**`[Miracle Engine]`** `(Unique, SSS-Rank)`
**`Description:`** `You may ignore all external requirements and restrictions. (Note: Does not apply to quest objectives.)`
The Trait didn't directly boost his combat power. Its effect was… peculiar.
"So, aside from quests, I can bypass any requirement for any item or system?" Kaelen mused, his mind racing to grasp the implications. "If a powerful item has a level lock, I can just… use it? If a recipe needs rare materials, I can craft it anyway?"
Then, a single, earth-shattering thought struck him, leaving him frozen.
What about the cash shop?
If the system considered a payment requirement as an "external restriction"…
Did that mean he could…
**`> System Alert: Ascendant: Realms Unbound will open at 10:00. Please stand by.`**
The wait was agony. Kaelen paced the confines of the celestial palace, desperate to log in and test his theory. The moment the clock in his vision hit 9:59, he began mashing the 'Enter World' button.
**`> System Alert: You have entered the map [Humblebrook Village]!`**
**`[Humblebrook Village] (Safe Zone)`**
**`Description:`** `For the weak races of man, the village walls are the only thing standing between them and the jaws of the wilds.`
…
A cascade of white light flashed around him as thousands of players poured into the once-quiet, rustic village, instantly transforming it into a bustling, chaotic hub.
"Whoa, the graphics are insane!"
"Insane? I can smell the ale on that NPC's breath!"
"Hey, buddy, back up! You're crowding me!"
"Damn, I rolled a D-Rank Trait. My career is over before it began!"
Ignoring the cacophony, Kaelen stood his ground. While a tidal wave of players rushed toward the Village Headman and other NPCs, he calmly navigated his menu, his fingers trembling with anticipation as he opened the in-game store.
The first thing that loaded, bright and enticing, was the **Starter Pack Special – Only 6 Credits!**