Unholy Player Chapter 5: Choose Your Path

Adyr went back to his quarters after eating and washing the dishes. His room was a cramped area, barely large enough to fit a wardrobe, a simple desk, and a twin bed.

Resting on the desk was a worn-out laptop provided by his university, a pair of half-burned candles, and the VR helmet Selina had sent, which he had neatly boxed up again to be sent back.

The room was exceptionally tidy and organized, possessing a level of cleanliness rarely seen in the living space of a teenage boy.

Sitting on the edge of his mattress, Adyr held the other helmet—the gift from Victor—and checked the clock.

“Ten minutes until the power goes out... and the game goes live,” he whispered.

In these impoverished districts, rolling blackouts were a standard occurrence, a city-mandated policy for energy conservation. Even so, the timing felt strange—the launch of the most hyped game in decades happening exactly when his power was scheduled to cut out.

He grabbed the user manual from the bed and started flipping through the pages. It contained no information regarding the game’s content, focusing entirely on safety protocols and technical specifications.

Following the listed steps, he toggled the power switch on the device.

A tiny digital screen near the rim of the helmet glowed, showing: 100%. The manual indicated the internal battery was at full capacity, providing roughly three hours of runtime.

This meant that once those three hours passed, he would have to wait for the morning electricity to return just to charge the device and continue his session.

It was simply one of the many burdens of being poor in an era where the world was still picking up the pieces after the apocalypse.

After lighting the candles, Adyr pulled the game helmet over his head and waited.

His vision was consumed by total darkness, save for a neon green countdown timer flickering in the center of his field of view.

He remained still as the digits ticked toward zero.

3...

2...

1...

As soon as the timer finished, a violent tug pulled at his very soul. Darkness swallowed everything, and for a few heartbeats, his senses were completely extinguished.

This was more than just a screen going black; he felt his entire physical form being moved, as if the fabric of space had warped around him.

For a fleeting moment, he considered tearing the helmet off to see what was happening, but his senses suddenly returned with a rush of clarity.

“This is...” Adyr gasped, stunned by the sight.

He was suspended high above the ground, still wearing the pajamas he used for sleep, drifting weightlessly while observing the magnificent, sprawling world below.

It wasn't just the graphics that were impressive—the realism extended to every sense.

A cold, soft breeze brushed against his face, and he could smell the crisp, pure air that felt untainted by the world he knew.

The sensation was disturbingly real.

While he was still processing the experience—absorbing the sights and feeling the surreal atmosphere—shimmering green text materialized in the air.

[Choose your path.]

Shortly after, more words began to glow and take shape, resembling fireflies gathering toward a bright light.

[Astra]

- One of the four primary Paths, formed by the God.

- He crafted the first solid matter from chaos, providing a framework for the formless.

- It embodies all things physical.

[Aether]

- One of the four primary Paths, formed by the Goddess.

- She provided internal depth to existence, molding the hidden essence within the visible.

- It embodies all things spiritual.

[Ignis]

- One of the four primary Paths, formed by the God.

- He ignited the initial movement in creation, waking both the body and the soul.

- It embodies every motion.

[Nether]

- One of the four primary Paths, formed by the Goddess.

- Acting as the opposing force to creation, she initiated the cycle of entropy—dissolving forms so that new life could start.

- It embodies all destruction and rebirth.

“Well... this is quite fascinating,” Adyr remarked, his eyes sparking with interest.

In his past life, he had been an avid gamer, with a particular fondness for MMORPGs. Based on that background, he had anticipated choosing a starting class. This system, however, was a genuine surprise.

For the first time ever—in either of his lives—he was being asked to define his own journey. Consequently, he decided to linger in the sky, carefully weighing which path truly aligned with his nature and desires.

As Adyr hung there in deep thought, an unforeseen event began to take place.

A sudden shadow rose from the void, staining the horizon and obscuring the world beneath him.

Then a sound followed—a deep, vibrating drone that echoed in his ears, sounding like a thousand different instruments crashing together into a single, alien chord.

Then came the sound of breaking.

He looked upward to see the firmament itself fracturing, a jagged hole tearing open with a sound like grinding bone.

Adyr’s first instinct was to run, but he quickly realized he had no mobility. He was trapped in place, his body held by an invisible grip.

Frozen in place, he watched the spectacle.

Dozens of brilliant orbs of light poured out from the growing rift, bathing the world and the sky in a blinding, celestial radiance.

As the lights drew closer, he realized they were letters—shining, sharp symbols that pulsed with a power far beyond human understanding.

The letters drifted down and settled above the four existing paths, claiming the highest position.

While the four original options remained below, glowing with a grand green light, this new entry was different.

It was composed of pure, colorless light, radiating a quality that wasn't just beautiful, but absolute and supreme.

[Primora]

In that moment, the fifth path descended upon the world.