“Okay—instead of telling you outright about what

  the GSNC is, let me give you an analogy.” The purple-haired man stood

  up from the sofa, his eyes scanning around the room as if he were

  looking for something specific. “Hold on. Let me try to… Ah. There it

  is.”

  He walked over to a black shoe rack. The rack itself was empty, but

  beneath it sat a container filled with what looked like cards and

  tabletop games. Tesla crouched down and grabbed something that resembled

  a meticulously detailed theatre stage, complete with a thick purple

  fabric curtain, a walled section that mimicked VIP seats, and several

  rows of seating for the audience. He placed the toy setting on the table

  and opened the box. On top of the stage was a box filled with multiple

  handcrafted figures, each one barely the size of a thumb.

  After setting the mini theatre down, he pointed at the stage and started explaining.

  “This entire stage is Phrygia—our world. Now, Phrygia hosts a show by

  the same name that goes on forever! And this guy…” Tesla placed a

  figure wearing a red coat and a black top hat onto the stage. “This guy

  is the GREED System. He is Phrygia’s eternal host. The one who

  orchestrates the acts! And by acts, I mean the EVENTs!”

  Then he grabbed another figure, this one of a boy wearing a straw

  hat, and placed it on the stage beside the one representing the System.

  “This boy is an actor. That’s you, Crocus. All the players who accept

  the invitation into Phrygia—they’re actors like you too! There should

  be a fuck ton of people in straw hats right now, but I don’t have enough

  figures. Ahaha!” Tesla exclaimed, clearly enjoying himself as he

  explained everything.

  He pointed at the rows of purple seats facing the stage. “Now, this

  is the audience. They’re the ones you have to entertain. The thing is,

  only a minority of them wants to see an actual imitation of life. They

  don’t want to watch people repeating the same habit of sleeping,

  working, and pleasuring themselves in their bathroom for twenty years

  straight. The majority of the audience wants to see you actors fight for

  survival. They want blood, they want carnage, they want to see the

  fucking carnal desire of humans when they’re faced with certain death!

  And if they love it, they’ll throw you money or gifts that you can

  utilize at anytime.”

  Tesla leaned forward, his face hovering far too close to the

  miniature audience seats on the theatre stage. In a quieter voice, he

  muttered, “But don’t get me wrong, Crocus. It feels so goddamn good to risk your life for a prize you won’t even know will be useful… Am I right?”

  I lingered on that thought. I was extremely certain that I didn’t

  want to go fight another monster out of my league if it meant risking my

  life again. But when I thought about it in terms of the rewards I would

  receive if I succeeded…

  I didn’t answer him.

  After he got my silence as an answer, he continued.

  “The GREED System, as the host, dangles a prize in front of the faces

  of every participating actor to condition them into killing each other

  to get that prize. And these actors aren’t just going to punch and

  trample each other to death. Some of them are gifted with fuck-ass

  powers that can obliterate a large part of the stage in an instant. The

  host cannot interfere with the show at any cost, so that’s where we come in.”

  Tesla grabbed another figure, this one wearing a gray shirt and an

  open cap with a set of headphones resting across its head. “The

  Neutrality Committee helps keep Phrygia balanced. We eliminate those who

  threaten the fourth wall—or rather, the broadcast. We also moderate the

  audience to keep them from leaking outsider information to the actors

  on stage. But… look closely at where we’re placed, Crocus. Try to guess

  what I mean by this.”

  Tesla pointed at the figure representing the GSNC. Unlike the host and the straw-hat actor on the stage, he placed it behind the stage.

  I nodded and gave him my answer. “Does that mean the audience isn’t aware of your existence?”

  “Ahaha! Yes! Exactly! As expected from the smartest person in this

  EVENT!” Tesla clapped enthusiastically. “The GSNC exists outside the

  broadcast. We simply ensure that the show keeps running forever. We

  check the stability of the stage and repair it if needed. If the

  problem’s something within the spotlight, we disguise ourselves as

  actors. We also check the condition of the actors to see if they need to

  be replaced, and if they do, the host sends out invitations to people

  who meet certain qualifications.”

  “There are qualifications?” I furrowed my brows. “Is that why my invitation was rescinded at the last minute?”

  “Ah–ah–! Not done explaining yet,” Tesla said while rummaging through

  the figures inside the box, clearly searching for another one. As he

  did so, he kept talking. “It looks like the theatre’s pretty packed now,

  right? We have the GREED System as the host, the players or citizens as

  the actors, the Neutrality Committee as the backstage team, and the

  audience as—well, the audience. But we’re missing one key detail…”

  Tesla suddenly broke into a sneering smile. “The host is the

  greediest System in the universe. He always wants to pack the seats in

  the show. Hell, he’ll probably make it so that two people can sit in a

  single chair. But that’s only for general admission. For the die-hard

  fans of Phrygia who are willing to pay ten times—a hundred times more

  than regular, he seats them at the very front row. It’d be a hands-on

  experience where they’ll feel as if they’re part of the show. Which is

  what they can actually do.”

  Then Tesla placed a figure wearing a golden crown and a red cape at

  the very front of the seating rows. The figure was standing so close

  below the stage that it would only take a single step for it to stand

  beside the host and the actors.

  He said, “This king is the VIP.

  They pay a premium to interact with the show. Sometimes, they even

  become best friends with their favorite actor! But, remember the rule of

  immersion. They can only do so through a means that won’t break the

  fourth wall. I’ll have you take another guess as to how they can do

  that, Crocus. Go. Take your time.”

  I focused on the image of the crowned king staring up at the stage.

  My thoughts wandered as I tried to imagine how someone could interact

  with the stage without breaking the immersion for the rest of the

  audience.

  And when it hit me, my answer naturally came out of my mouth.

  “They become part of the story.”

  Tesla erupted into increasingly loud laughter. “YES! You’re exactly

  right! But unlike the actors, they are still part of the audience and

  must be ensured their safety and

  survival at all times. Because of that, their very existence into the

  show influence the story to such a degree that they are practically

  immortal beings who deal with little to no personal consequences. What

  kind of generic character trope speaks all that to you?”

  An immortal dealing with little to no consequences. Someone who’s not of this world and is someone part of the story. Doesn’t that sound far too similar to—

  “A protagonist? Do those VIPs become protagonists of their own arc?” I asked, but Tesla shook his head with his mouth pouted.

  “Well, not quite! It’s true that they become part of the show just to

  self-insert themselves as some important being in this world, but

  they’re able to elevate themselves to a much higher degree.”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Tesla continued explaining, ”In short, they become gods.

  Some gods only appear in the broadcast once, but they are permanently

  cemented as part of Phrygia. Some of them are far more dedicated,

  appearing in multiple scenes across multiple generations, spanning great

  stories and arcs that are considered legendary outside the theatre.

  Now, remember what I said earlier about these gods becoming your

  friend?”

  I nodded.

  Tesla continued, “They do so through divine sponsorships. They will

  exclusively provide you with a service or product that will help you for

  as long as that sponsorship remains active. In return, you have to

  support that god and accomplish certain quests for them. Their Pop-up

  Quests and Elimination Quests triumph over those from the audience, and

  you have to keep doing them for the duration of that sponsorship. In

  most cases, it’s forever—enforced through a Soulbound Contract that is

  generally considered an open secret between you, the audience, and the

  other actors around you. However, there are still cases where some gods

  keep a sponsorship secret for whatever reason. The fact that a god can

  simply order you around to do things through that sponsorship is… a bit

  dangerous, to say the least. That’s why you have to ensure that the god

  you’re dealing with is not a tyrant.”

  To illustrate his point, the purple-haired man placed the king figure directly onto the stage beside the straw-hat actor.

  “The GSNC has no way of knowing who sponsored you. We may exist above

  the broadcast, but we still live under the immutable laws of this

  universe.” I felt the shift in Tesla’s tone the moment he said that. The

  playfulness vanished. When he looked at me with those cold, gray eyes,

  it almost felt like he was about to kill me. “That is why what you said

  earlier was alarming. The Purgatory of Lost Souls is a term used only

  once by the GREED System in Phrygia’s entire existence, and it was

  directed only to the higher-ups within the GSNC. The Purgatory is a

  realm that even the audience cannot traverse through. They don’t even

  know it exists. Do you know what that implies?”

  I blinked. I already knew the answer to his rhetorical question, but

  horror began creeping through my mind before I could form the words. In

  the end, Tesla spoke them for me.

  “If you’re aware about the Purgatory’s existence, it means you

  must’ve made the Soulbound Contract inside it. Whoever your “god” is,

  they weren’t part of the audience.” Tesla crossed his arms, “So who did

  you form a contract with, Crocus? Why did they form a contract with you?

  Do you know what intentions they have?”

  Once again, my thoughts returned to that time in the Purgatory.

  I formed a contract with it because I needed something from it—an

  invitation to Phrygia. My only ticket out of that hell that would have

  driven me insane.

  In return, the Deliverer needed something from me. I never knew what

  it was, nor did I ever learn the four other clauses included in that

  contract.

  I sank deeper into thought, trying to rationalize that the Soulbound

  Contract I signed would ultimately benefit my future. But I was afraid

  that whatever it contained, and if Tesla’s words were true… Then my own

  choice would destroy me in the long run.

  I don’t want to die again, I said to myself. My voice would’ve shivered had I verbalized those thoughts.

  But Tesla must’ve sensed what I was thinking because he suddenly

  started laughing. “Oh, don’t look so scared now, Crocus! You were way

  cooler earlier when you were strategizing how you were going to survive

  something!”

  Then he added, “Even though what I said was true, don’t worry.

  Soulbound Contracts are usually made for the benefit of the actor. Every

  now and then, you might receive something useful from your sponsor that

  will help you get through this EVENT. So relax! If you do well and

  accomplish the tasks your sponsor gives you, they might even consider

  showing up and giving you the answers you’re looking for.”

  He gestured for me to follow him toward the wide frosted windows

  along one side of the room. I followed, though not before giving one

  last glance at the miniature theatre setting he had assembled on the

  table.

  “But for your sponsor to do that… you still have to survive this

  EVENT, and all the other EVENTs you’ll participate in later.” With a

  click from the remote in his hand, the frosted glass turned transparent,

  revealing a wide view of the city beneath the orange glow of the

  setting sun. Three translucent gray domes stood beside each other in the

  distance, and from within them came faint echoes of explosions and the

  high-pitched growls of monsters. My mind snapped back to the Wave

  Tutorial EVENT as the panel reappeared at the edge of my vision.

  I expected to see that the third wave was still ongoing. But once again, my expectations failed me.

  [Congratulations on completing the fourth wave!]

  [To all surviving participants

  within this dome, please take note! All ongoing skills will be

  deactivated and their cooldowns reset. The fifth wave will begin in five

  minutes.]

  “The third and fourth waves are already—?!” I exclaimed. “You have to put me back out there!”

  “No need to hurry, Crocus. Thanks to your efforts, you’ve easily

  passed the third and fourth wave without killing a single thing! Expect

  an achievement or two once you go back out there!”

  “How the hell am I supposed to survive the fifth wave when everyone’s

  already so far ahead of me?!” I shouted. The concern was genuine. I had

  gotten a head start earlier by killing the bosses of the first and

  second waves, but missing out on whatever rewards the third and fourth

  waves offered felt like a serious disadvantage.

  Tesla looked at me like he had just seen a ghost, then he suddenly

  erupted into another nonsensical, elated laughter. This time, he was

  laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach and there were literal

  tears coming out of his eyes. He managed to get these words out in

  between gasping for air and sporadically chuckling, “I can’t believe you

  just said that! This is why you’re my favorite, Devon! Why don’t we

  address each other by our pet names from now on?!”

  Meanwhile, I glared at him with narrowed, disgusted eyes. “I don’t think I said anything weird.”

  “Of course you didn’t,” he replied, still grinning. “But if you

  worked with that girl Yuna and the kid Orion earlier… Isn’t it natural

  for you to be worried about them? If you’re normal, that is.”

  “Wh—I’m not worried about them! They got their rewards from the

  second wave. I’m sure they leveled up as well. They don’t need me.”

  “Ahahaha! You can’t hide anything from me, Crocus!” Tesla laughed

  again. “You’re more worried about missing the rewards than you are about

  them. Actually, that’s not quite right—you don’t really care about them

  at all! You just wanted the rewards. And the way I see it, you even

  used them so you could kill the second boss!”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Oh, but it is. That’s exactly the kind of mindset everyone in the

  audience loves.” Tesla reached behind the white cape and grabbed the

  full-faced mask attached to hip, now placing it over his face.

  Then, in a quieter and more daring tone, he asked, “How far are you

  willing to go to satisfy yourself, Devon? Are you willing to throw away

  your humanity to achieve what you want? Are you willing to take

  someone’s life just to get what they have?”

  “What are you—”

  “You saved a life once and were rewarded for it. The opposite happens

  in this world: the more you kill, the more you take, the more you

  have.” His voice carried a strange calmness now. “I don’t know what you

  did before entering this world, but you must’ve saved that kid and

  received that bangle as a reward. But what if I told you that you could

  get a Z-Tier reward if you killed Orion the next time you meet him?

  That’s quite the irony, don’t you think—”

  I grabbed the hem of his coat. My body moved before I could even think about it, and I found myself ready to fight.

  “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU IMPLYING?!” I bellowed.

  “What will you do in this wave, player?” he asked with a smile hidden

  behind the mask. “Whatever you do, I hope you make the right choice.”

  And just like that, everything went black.

  It all happened too quickly.

  When my vision returned, I found myself exactly where I had been taken from.

  I was sitting inside the same dark room where I was taken. The dim

  orange glow of the setting sun spilled through the windows and stretched

  across the long table in front of me. I was still in the library, but

  Yuna, Orion, and the siblings were nowhere to be seen anymore.

  Well… there was at least something they left behind.

  A single piece of paper sat on the table. Written across it in messy handwriting were the words, “We’ll be waiting for you, mister! – Orion.”

  I took a slow breath and walked to the window. The sun had been

  setting at an unnaturally fast pace. Without the sunlight, the road

  outside had already sunk into darkness, and the lack of lighting inside

  the building turned this already dark room into a pitch-black space. The

  only visible illumination came from the glowing panels that only I

  could see.

  My achievements icon was blinking, just like Tesla said it would.

  However, I didn’t get the chance to open it before the fifth wave began.

  I opened the fifth wave EVENT panel, realizing that this time…

  The wave wouldn’t involve killing monsters.

  [EVENT: Wave Tutorial (5/5)]

  03:00:00 Remaining

  100/100 Monsters Killed

  0/1 Participants Killed

  CLEAR Condition: Satisfy all kill counters and find an exit to CLEAR the EVENT.

  My eyes widened when I saw the condition required to complete the fifth wave.

  Killing someone…?

  And suddenly, Tesla’s words from earlier echoed clearly in my mind.

  Whatever you do, I hope you make the right choice.

  Author’s Note: This

  chapter was actually planned wayyy back then and it’s one of the

  chapters I was looking forward to write! I know it’s a bit info dump-y,

  but I really like the way I framed everything as a stage play, which

  isn’t too far from the actual setting of this world that now has a

  name—Phrygia. That said, I hope you also enjoy this chapter as much as I

  enjoyed writing it :D