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 - Tension Before the Boundary Gate — A Step into the Unknown
The events from last night on the ice plain were still catching somewhere in the back of my mind.
Rin had caused a magical overload that trapped us in an ice wall, Kai had screamed "This is amazing!!" and when Hiro and Hayase came to rescue us, they got blown away instead. That night the four of us spent huddled together under the starry sky had a strange warmth to it.
A few days passed, and today had arrived.
Floor 2: "Azure Mist Lakeside (Azura Misty)" — a place half a day's walk south from the city of Kalmvassa, where the mist of the Silent Lake drifts. That's where the "Boundary Gate" stands.
The door to the next floor.
The gate was an arched stone structure, about ten meters tall. Ancient patterns were carved into its surface, emitting a faint blue-white glow. Nothing could be seen beyond it through the mist, but a cold wind kept blowing out. A low sound could be heard too. An eerie resonance that could be taken as either a groaning or the sound of wind.
" Equipment check one more time,"
Hiro called out to everyone.
The three who had spread their belongings on the ground began their inspection. Hiro checked his sword's sheath while keeping an eye on his companions' conditions with his gaze.
Hayase was — as always.
Folding his 178-centimeter frame down to crouch on the ground, he had spread out a hand-drawn tactical map. Black hair fell smoothly, sharp gray eyes tracing the map. A small piercing in his left ear caught the boundary gate's blue light and glimmered faintly. His fingertip traced along a line while he muttered something under his breath.
"...The initial pattern of the Floor 2 Boss, Whirlpool Princess Ilmira, begins with water flow deployment. There's a three-second window of vulnerability during incantation — we strike there. The problem is reduced mobility in underwater combat. The data Kai recorded—"
"Hayase, you said that yesterday too~"
"The day before that too,"
" I'm refining the accuracy. Repetition is necessary,"
"...You really do love that map, don't you,"
Hayase didn't answer. Without taking his eyes off the map, he pushed up his glasses — an item that overlaid the UI for checking status in-game. The gesture was almost like he was hiding embarrassment.
Rin, for her part, was quietly chanting something a little ways before the boundary gate.
Her pale purple wavy hair swayed in the cold air blowing from the gate. Her amber eyes were half-closed, and the light pattern on her forehead flickered faintly. Every time her fingertips moved through the air, small sparks scattered with little pops.
Hiro froze for a moment.
(Wait, isn't that incantation practice? Don't do that here...)
"Rin,"
"Hm?"
"What are you doing right now,"
"Um, well, I was just practicing a new flame-type rune spell~ I thought it would be spacious in front of the boundary gate,"
" Of course not!!"
Hayase reacted while still holding the map spread out. He was yelling without even turning around.
" If you cause an overload, the boundary gate itself might blow away. What happens if we can't go to the next floor,"
"It's not that big~ It's just a small flame,"
" Your 'small' can't be trusted. Did you forget what happened on the ice plain,"
"That was... the blizzard distorted the pattern...!"
" There's wind blowing now. The conditions are the same,"
"...Ugh,"
Rin stopped her incantation. The sparks at her fingertips faded.
" Please, Rin. Save it for after we go in,"
"Okay...~ But I really wanted to try it a little bit~"
"Don't try it even a little,"
"Yay~"
She waved her hands and returned to checking her equipment. Her profile looked a bit disappointed, but she was easygoing about it. She wasn't angry. She simply and straightforwardly accepted it with a "I see~" kind of expression.
Hiro placed a hand on his forehead and let out a small sigh. Hayase was folding up his map and looking over at him.
" ...Isn't half your leadership duties spent stopping Rin,"
"The other half is spent keeping my sanity,"
"Sorry about that,"
"You don't need to apologize,"
Really, she didn't need to apologize. But an overload in front of the boundary gate was something he really wanted to avoid.
The air had lightened a bit.
With the three of them ready, they stood before the gate again. The cold air leaking from beyond was a step colder than the mist of Floor 2. The low groaning sound continued. According to rumors heard in the city of Kalmvassa, Floor 3 was "the extreme ice plain." They weren't heading to Floor 3 from Floor 2 right now, but this cold air somehow suggested the harshness ahead.
Hiro looked up at the gate.
His gaze fell to the origin mark — a bracelet-type item all players possessed, used for menus and communication. The logout button's location remained grayed out in pale gray.
There was still no way back to reality.
He remembered this fact at unexpected moments.
That's when Rin spoke up.
"...Hey,"
It wasn't her usual way of speaking with drawn-out endings.
"Do you think we'll really be able to go home,"
It was a quiet statement.
The wind blew. Three people's silence spread before the boundary gate.
Rin's amber eyes were looking at the mist beyond the gate. Rather than anxiety, it seemed like she was simply voicing the thought honestly — that kind of expression. Rin, who moved on intuition and natural instinct, had thrown the simplest question at them here.
Hayase crossed his arms and paused for a moment.
" ...Thinking about it won't help. We just have to do it,"
It was short. But that was Hayase's true feelings. When a logical person says "there's no choice," it's not resignation — it's resolve. Hiro understood.
Hiro turned toward Rin.
" We'll all go home together. That's my job,"
Not grandiose words. Not embellished. Just saying what he thought, as it was.
Rin looked at Hiro's profile.
(…Something)
Something that couldn't quite be put into words spread through her chest. It was warm, and a little unsettling. This happened sometimes when she looked at Hiro. She wondered why, but didn't think too deeply about it. It felt like thinking about it would be losing — or maybe not. Just that his expression was so serious.
Before Rin realized it, her cheeks had warmed slightly.
" ...Yeah. I believe in you,"
Hayase caught sight of this from the corner of his eye and smiled — small, really small.
" ...Well. If Hiro says so, I'll believe it,"
"That's rare, Hayase being straightforward,"
" Just this once. Make it a memorial day,"
"Rin, you should record this~ and tell Kai like that,"
"That guy's not here today,"
"Too bad~"
— Kai was supporting a different party's records today. Another unit of the conquest guild "Frontline" was moving at this timing. Hiro had assigned it that way.
A bit of laughter mixed in, then it settled again.
"Let's go,"
Hiro called out. The three naturally gathered and formed a circle.
They placed their hands together. Rin's hand on top of Hiro's, then Hayase's on top of hers. In their joined palms, each person's warmth existed. Rin's hand was colder than expected, and she said quietly, "I was cold~." Hayase was silent but placed his hand firmly.
"Move according to the tactics,"
"I'll do my best with magic! I'll control it properly!"
" Everyone, we're coming back alive,"
They exchanged words and released their hands.
The boundary gate began to glow blue-white. The patterns carved in the stone took on light in sequence, spreading toward the center of the arch. The mist grew slightly thicker. The low groaning sound grew slightly louder.
Hiro took the lead and walked toward the gate.
One step, two steps.
Cold air enveloped his entire body. It was cold to his core, and his breath turned white without thinking.
【Area Transition: Boundary Gate to Floor 2 "Azure Mist Lakeside (Azura Misty)" — Passage Confirmation in Progress】
"...Wow, it really is cold,"
" According to records, there are areas on Floor 2 with lower temperatures than Kalmvassa. We should have prioritized cold-weather equipment,"
"Don't say that now,"
" It's better to say it than not,"
The three passed through the gate.
In the moment they were enveloped in blue light, their vision turned white for an instant.
And then — a wide water surface spread out beyond the mist. The south shore of the Silent Lake. The cityscape of Kalmvassa could be seen in the distance. But the direction was different. A new area. The mist was thicker, and a wooden stilt-house settlement floating on the lake was vaguely visible in the white haze.
Hiro stopped and confirmed his surroundings. There was no sign of monsters. A narrow path continued right there, and a small stone marker stood at its end.
"...It's quieter than I thought,"
" Quiet is the scariest,"
"Which one is better then,"
"With noise, you can tell where enemies are,"
"...Yeah, I guess,"
Rin was staring intently at the lake.
" The lake is so huge...! It's completely different from the grassland on Floor 1~"
Indeed. The air was completely different from the Verdant Wind Plain's grassland. The smell of damp mist. Thin light reflecting off the water's surface. The stone pavement beneath their feet was slightly moss-covered, and with each step came the sensation of slipping slightly.
" Don't let your guard down. The Floor 2 Boss — the Whirlpool Princess Ilmira demands underwater combat. The preparation period is short,"
"I know,"
"I know too~! I want to practice incantation even in the water,"
" If you attempt incantation in water, the pattern will collapse. More than that, water pressure will affect your breathing—"
"I'm joking~ Hayase, laugh, laugh,"
"I can't laugh,"
Hiro walked slightly ahead while listening to the two of them banter.
Somewhere in the mist should be the "Altar of the Depths (Aqua Sanctum)" — a half-submerged ancient ruin at the bottom of the Silent Lake. The dungeon of Floor 2. There were still more unknowns than knowns about how many enemies awaited them before reaching it, what traps were set.
But.
When he looked back, Rin was walking through the mist looking around curiously, and Hayase was telling her quietly to "look ahead."
(We'll manage somehow.)
The basis was thin. But that's what he thought.
The footsteps of the three continued along the misty lakeside. The exploration of Floor 2 had now begun.
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