◇ Day One: At the Elder Frontier Start Screen ◇
[You Cannot Log Out. That Function Has Been Deleted!! Yay!!]
“……………Huh?”
[To the 1,000 ultra-popular Vtubers gathered here today and to the general pre-release players joining as fillers, I want you all to enjoy the amazing, happy adventures and lives I’ve prepared for you in this perfect world. Chase your dreams and have fun!]
“……………What?”
November 26, 2032
I participated in the pre-release of the world’s first fully immersive full-sensory dive game.
But the moment I logged into the game, a voice announced the kind of worst-case scenario I’d only heard of in stories within a blank white space.
Three years ago, I quit my job to pursue my dream of becoming a novelist.
After spending three years crafting and writing a massive epic, my work was rejected in the second round of the selection process.
The feedback?
“Your protagonist lacks appeal, and your self-indulgent narrative and world-building aren’t something people want to read.”
That was it. Just one cruel sentence.
But where one god discards, another picks up.
I entered a scenario writing contest open to amateurs and professionals and won an honorable mention!
One of the prizes was a chance to participate in the pre-release of this game.
[The world you’ll be heading into now is not the “full-dive game Elder Frontier,” but rather a real-world modeled after it—an actual alternate dimension!!]
“………”
[Oh, and of course, if you die, you die for real! Please be careful!!]
Looks like this isn’t just some death game. I’ve been dragged into an actual otherworld transfer scenario. Seriously?
In the blank white space, a crowd of people had gathered.
Among them were those with vividly colorful hair like candy from a dagashi shop and flashy avatars—probably the global stars, the virtual YouTubers.
These virtual streamers were the main attraction of this pre-release.
A carefully selected group of 1,000 top-tier talents from various agencies—modern-day superstars.
At first, they all played along with the situation, assuming it was some kind of elaborate prank or event for their streams.
But then—
[…Hmm? Are you joking with me?]
PICHUN!!
A beam shot out from a finger.
“““““““Huh???”””””””
In that instant, the beam turned a corner of the gathered players into chunks of flesh.
The atmosphere shifted completely.
[Oh dear… How tragic. Top-ranking Vtubers Akashima-san, Aomi-san, and Midoriyama-san! Three of the most beloved lives in the world, along with 200 general players nearby, have been wiped out instantly… How sad…!!]
The air was thick with the smell of burnt blood and flesh.
The scene, too gruesome even for broadcast, left everyone stunned.
Screams, shouts, panic—chaos erupted.
Even the Vtubers, who had been playing along, realized the gravity of the situation.
The man in the tuxedo smiled brightly.
[Oh, how wonderful. Now, everyone seems to be taking this very seriously! Ah, the beauty of giving it your all. Truly inspiring!]
You’ve got to be kidding me.
My hands trembled, my knees weak, and I laughed nervously.
Cold sweat poured down my back.
This was almost as shocking as when I saw my rejection notice for the second selection round.
While others were crying, screaming, or shouting angrily, I froze in place.
And then, the worst happened—the man in the tuxedo made eye contact with me.
[Oh? You seem unusually calm compared to the others.]
Oh no. I was just frozen, but it seems he’s misunderstood.
The man in the tuxedo began approaching me with an intrigued expression.
[Could it be… are you what they call an “interesting guy”? Hmm, I’m curious about you.]
Don’t be curious about me.
But my silent wish was ignored, and he came right up to me.
Up close, I realized something.
—This wasn’t human.
A perfectly balanced physique, a face like a doll, and eyes like rainbow-colored jewels that couldn’t exist in this world.
[What is the meaning of this? Do you dislike the idea of going to my world? Or perhaps you lack motivation?]
The tuxedoed man looked a little displeased.
This situation… it’s like something straight out of a novel, where the protagonist faces mortal danger.
Maybe my novels weren’t interesting because they lacked the realism of moments like this…
[…Um? Are you even listening to me?]
If that’s the case, then isn’t this just like the dire straits a protagonist would find themselves in?
Could this be a chance to learn how to create a more compelling main character?
[Hellooo… Can’t hear me? Oh well. Anyone who isn’t serious about this will just drag everyone else down, so let’s go ahead and kill them!]
What would a protagonist do in a moment like this?
“‘Set us free!’”? No, that sounds like something a mob character would yell right before dying.
“‘Sounds interesting.’”? No, that would lack ethics if actual lives are at stake.
What’s a line that’s both realistic and protagonist-worthy? Something constructive and resolute…
“――Is there a tutorial?”
[――!! What did you just say?]
The tuxedoed man’s face lit up with joy as he suddenly closed the distance between us.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward me.
“…I mean, being told we’re suddenly in another world… it’s confusing without some kind of explanation or guide…”
[――]
The tuxedoed man’s rainbow-colored eyes stared directly at me.
If I upset him even slightly, I’ll die. The tension is intense.
If only I could capture this kind of feeling in a novel…
[How rude of me! From here on, you’ll all be living splendid otherworldly lives, each assigned a unique role! Don’t worry; all the basic knowledge needed to survive in this world will be uploaded directly to your minds during the transfer!]
“Oh… thank you.”
[No, no, no! On the contrary, I misunderstood you! I thought you weren’t taking this seriously, but your earlier silence was just extreme focus, wasn’t it?]
The tuxedoed man grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously.
Please stop—it looks like we’re best friends or something.
[Players as proactive and constructive as you are most welcome… Oh? Oh, oh, oh, oh… Ah!! Could it be? Are you Sensei!? Tomomura Tomohito-sensei, the Scenario Writer for Elder Frontier!? What an honor to have you participate! Your world-building and rigid class settings were truly inspiring—oh, but I mustn’t spoil anything!]
This is bad.
His overly friendly attitude is drawing way too much attention.
Now it looks like I’m some kind of accomplice…
[Oh dear, look at the time! And so, the world’s first globally broadcast otherworldly life begins now! Details on the game’s mechanics and your objectives have been included in the tutorial! Bon voyage! Have a great journey! ――Your friendly host, the Creator, signing off!!]
The world turned blindingly white.
The light burned my eyes, forcing me to close them.
The whiteness enveloped everything, and only the Creator’s voice echoed in my ears.
[Wishing you all the best in fulfilling your dreams! Have fun!]
◇ Day One: Tomomura Tomohito, at the Seven Great Mystical Realms – World Tree Forest ◇
Green. A primeval forest. An incredible jungle.
Everywhere I looked, there was overwhelming greenery.
Massive trees towered above me, their trunks enclosing the sky. A carpet of moss stretched out at ground level, with a sparkling stream nearby.
It’s… a forest.
No sign of civilization. No people. Just a forest.
It’s undeniably, absolutely a forest.
Piyo, piyo, piyo.
I could hear birds singing…
GYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
A massive winged lizard swooped down and swallowed an entire flock of birds whole.
Survival of the fittest.
“…The air is so… fresh…”
[Ping! Tutorial commencing.]
“Huh?”
[You have been assigned the role of “Apothecary,” a class persecuted by the dominant religion, Ichiji Shinkyo. Your adventure and life will begin here, in one of the Seven Great Mystical Realms, the World Tree Forest.]
A voice echoed in my head.
Must be the tutorial the Creator mentioned.
World Tree Forest… Apothecary…?
Those words sound oddly familiar.
“Wait, don’t tell me…”
[Ping! Just between you and me, there are eleven other writers like you who also transferred to this world. Each of them has been assigned a unique class they designed themselves!]
A sense of dread washed over me.
[The Apothecary class isn’t suited for combat or solo play! It specializes in creating medicine, a long-lost art in this world, making it ideal for party-based gameplay. We highly recommend finding allies as soon as possible! Good luck!!]
I already know that…
The “Apothecary” class is—
・No direct combat abilities.
・Low HP, fragile durability, no aptitude for magic.
・No combat skills.
・Starting location is near the final dungeon in a scenic area.
・No faction affiliation.
・Universally persecuted according to the lore.
Who the hell came up with such a garbage class…!?
“――It’s me…”
The “Apothecary” was one of the classes I created for Elder Frontier.
It was meant specifically for hardcore challenge playthroughs!