Hiro Aoi, a 24-year-old leader of a VR game strategy team, participates in the closed beta test of a new full-dive VR title 'Abyss Eternal.' But minutes after starting, all players find themselves unable to log out. The game has become a prison where 'you can't return to reality until you clear it.' In despair, Hiro discovers his teammates are trapped too: Hayase, a brilliant strategist; Rine, a chaotic magic user who laughs at crisis; and Kai, a famous streamer trying to turn the situation into
Trapped in the Virtual Abyss - An Encounter with a Calm Tactician
The next morning, Aoi Hiro woke up.
The guest room at the Akari Pavilion was bathed in pale morning light streaming through the window. Lying on a wooden bed, he stared at the ceiling for a moment. He recalled the conversation with Rine from last night. That airheaded nature of hers. She seemed to have no sense of crisis whatsoever. And yet, somehow, he found himself charmed by her. Aoi Hiro shook his head slightly.
(I can't lose focus.)
Getting everyone back to the real world—that was his vow. This wasn't the time to be swayed by emotion.
After preparing himself, Aoi Hiro headed toward the departure point for Rendvaal that he'd promised to meet Rine at. As he stepped out of the inn's entrance, a grassland dyed in the colors of dawn stretched before him. The air was cold, and the dew-wet grass crunched beneath his feet.
Rine hadn't arrived yet.
Aoi Hiro sat down on the stone steps of the plaza and waited for her. A few other players were moving about in the area. Probably the settlement faction. They'd established bases within the safe confines of Rendvaal and were waiting for the logout function to be restored. Aoi Hiro thought vaguely that such an option existed. But he couldn't do that. Not all 216 people thrown into panic would think the same way. Some would surely be thinking about clearing this world. And he would stand at the front—that was his only form of resistance against those who created this chaos.
"Good morning!"
A bright voice rang out.
When Aoi Hiro turned around, Rine came running toward him. She wore the same white robe as yesterday. Her semi-long, pale purple hair brushed her shoulders, swaying in the morning breeze. Her amber eyes were alive and sparkling, filled with the kind of excitement you'd have on the first day of an adventure.
"Morning. You ready?"
"Yes!"
Rine nodded innocently.
The two of them left Rendvaal's city walls behind and stepped out into the Verdant Grasslands.
The prairie was wider than he'd imagined. A sea of green stretching to the horizon. Colorful wildflowers bloomed here and there. When Rine saw them, she immediately stopped in her tracks.
"Wow, these flowers are so pretty."
She crouched down and brought her face close to a small blue-purple flower. Her expression held no wariness whatsoever. Only pure joy.
Aoi Hiro watched her and sighed quietly in his heart. This girl's defenselessness could be fatal in this world. However—
(I still need to bring her along.)
Because she could use magic. If her purity was dangerous, then the firepower that came hand-in-hand with that danger was what the team needed. That's what Aoi Hiro concluded.
"Come on. If you space out, monsters will attack."
"Okay."
Rine stood up with a smile. She didn't pick the flower. Aoi Hiro liked that about her too. She didn't cling to things. She enjoyed each moment as it came. That quality might become the greatest weapon in this world.
About thirty minutes of walking through the grassland had passed.
Suddenly, a small brown-furred animal burst from the grass. A horned rabbit.
Aoi Hiro reflexively reached for his sword. But the rabbit wasn't coming toward them—it was fleeing. Its neck was completely turned away from Aoi Hiro.
"Oh, a bunny. How cute..."
Rine said innocently.
In that instant, a voice rang out.
"Those things travel in groups. If one appears alone, it means there are companions nearby."
It was a man's voice—calm, matter-of-fact, yet carrying the weight of knowledge.
Aoi Hiro and Rine turned around.
Standing in the grassland about twenty meters away was a young man.
Black hair lay tousled on his head, and gray eyes gleamed sharply. He was a full head taller than Aoi Hiro. His body was lean and muscular, and his movements carried a dangerous atmosphere. A single small piercing in his left ear. A faint old scar on the back of his right hand.
He wore a purple robe, and a slender sword hung at his waist. A Strategist class.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Aoi Hiro."
Aoi Hiro greeted him politely. First impressions mattered. The network he built in this world would greatly influence their survival odds.
"Hayase Shinichi."
The young man introduced himself concisely.
(This player has collected data on over ten monsters. The horned rabbit's ecology, behavior patterns, weaknesses—all of it.) Aoi Hiro formed a hypothesis. Based on this young man's knowledge and the depth of his monster information, he'd probably been aiming to clear dungeons solo.
"Want to form a team? Why don't you join us and try clearing dungeons together?"
Hayase Shinichi stared at Aoi Hiro without expression. Something flickered in his eyes. But it vanished quickly.
"Solo is more efficient."
He answered coldly.
(High pride. Low trust in others.) Aoi Hiro read him. However, this refusal wasn't final. There might still be room for persuasion.
"Hey, hey, that bunny was really cute, wasn't it?"
Just then, Rine murmured out of nowhere. While Aoi Hiro had been explaining in detail, she'd apparently been thinking about something completely different.
Hayase Shinichi's eyebrow twitched slightly. An expression of exasperation.
"You're—an Arcanist."
But that exasperation transformed into something else in the next moment. Interest. Hayase Shinichi stared intently at Rine's equipment.
"You can use rune magic. That's rare."
"Oh, yes. I'm studying rune magic."
Rine nodded innocently.
"Which element?"
"Oh, fire. But I keep having misfires..."
When he heard "misfires," Hayase Shinichi's face showed a slight twitch. But he quickly composed himself.
(Rine's magic does have the potential to misfire. But the power is real. If Hayase Shinichi understands that—)
Just as Aoi Hiro was thinking that far, the situation suddenly changed.
Abruptly, five horned rabbits burst from the grass all at once.
"Here they come. Form up before we're surrounded."
Hayase Shinichi issued orders immediately. His judgment speed and clarity of command—he was certainly skilled.
Aoi Hiro reflexively drew his sword. "Got it. Rine, stay calm and use your rune magic!"
"Yes!"
Rine responded with determination.
Rine began drawing patterns in the air. Her fingertips glowed, and purple lines of magical power floated into being. But—
"Fiare Lux!"
The fireball activated.
However, the pattern she'd drawn was slightly warped. As a result, the fireball shot off at a forty-five-degree angle to the right, scorching the empty sky. An explosion echoed, leaving a small charred mark on the grassland.
"...Wait a second."
The shockwave from that fireball caused one of the five horned rabbits to flinch.
Aoi Hiro seized the opening.
"Hah!"
His sword pierced the rabbit's belly. The first monster fell.
The remaining four lunged at Aoi Hiro. Claws extended. Fangs bared. Their speed was faster than the individual he'd seen yesterday. Pack hunting instinct had increased their coordination and velocity.
Hayase Shinichi acted.
"Slow Field."
A Strategist's support magic. It dulled the enemies' movements and supported Aoi Hiro's attacks.
That's when Aoi Hiro realized it.
(Hayase Shinichi is—reading my movements.)
As Aoi Hiro swung his sword, Hayase Shinichi's magic overlapped perfectly with it. The coordination between the two felt natural, as if they'd fought together countless times before.
Aoi Hiro defeated the second monster. Then the third.
One remained.
Rine took her stance for rune magic once more. This time, more carefully. Her fingertips glowed as she slowly drew the pattern.
"Fiare Lux."
This fireball headed straight for the enemy. A direct hit.
The last horned rabbit fell.
The smoke cleared, and silence descended.
Aoi Hiro caught his breath. Rine whispered softly, "We did it..."
Hayase Shinichi stared intently at Aoi Hiro.
"You. You have combat sense."
It was an evaluation.
"You too. Your support precision is high. You read my movements perfectly."
Aoi Hiro replied politely.
Hayase Shinichi fell silent. Something wavered in the depths of his eyes. Conflict. His attachment to solo action and the compatibility of his coordination with Aoi Hiro clashed within him.
"I'm sorry... I was just dead weight."
Rine murmured quietly. She was blaming herself for her misfires.
"No. Your firepower is real."
Aoi Hiro said gently. "If we analyze the pattern of misfires, we can incorporate it into our tactics. Actually, unpredictability becomes a threat to enemies."
It was Aoi Hiro's sincere analysis.
A small smile appeared on Hayase Shinichi's face. An ironic smile. But warmth lay beneath it.
"Interesting. Let's try it. With you two."
It was his decision.
The road back to Rendvaal was bathed in morning light. The three of them walked side by side. Aoi Hiro and Hayase Shinichi discussed tactics. Rine listened to their conversation while her cheeks flushed softly in the grassland breeze.
(Aoi Hiro... he's really reliable.)
She didn't voice this thought aloud. But deep in her heart, something was definitely beginning to bloom. Though she herself didn't yet understand what it was.
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