That day was no different from any other.

Repetitive office work from morning to night, a routine of grabbing a quick meal after work and throwing myself onto the bed. Things that felt as important as the end of the world back in my student days had now become faint memories.

In that tedious life, there was one memory that occasionally surfaced.

《Ether Chronicle》.

The RPG I once dedicated all my time to.

Exploring vast continents, fighting against the Demon Lord's army with numerous companions, and finally reaching the true ending after countless total party wipes.

I still vividly remember staring at the screen for a long time even after the credits had finished rolling.

'It's really over.'

The emptiness I felt then had remained in a corner of my heart for a long time.

As time passed, the game's service ended, and the official website disappeared. All that remained on the internet were a few posts sharing guides and memories.

I, too, naturally forgot about 《Ether Chronicle》 as I became a member of society.

...At least, that's what I thought.

It was a particularly tiring day.

As soon as I lay down on the bed, my consciousness sank into the darkness in an instant.

And then.

"...Huh?"

"You're awake, I see."

An unfamiliar scent brushed the tip of my nose.

The texture was strange, too.

Instead of a plush mattress, I felt the touch of a rough yet soft fabric.

As I slowly opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was an unfamiliar wooden ceiling.

"...Where am I?"

I hurriedly sat up.

Warm sunlight streamed through a small window, and a sword and bow hung on the wall. In the corner, a travel backpack and old leather boots were neatly placed.

This definitely wasn't my studio apartment.

In an instant, my mind went blank.

'Kidnapped...? Is this a dream...?'

But the wind brushing against the window and the texture of the wooden floor against my fingertips were all too vivid.

Clatter.

With the sound of a door opening, someone shouted from downstairs.

"Hey, rookie adventurer! Aren't you coming down? You said you were registering at the guild today!"

Familiar words struck my ears.

Adventurer.

Guild.

My heart began to pound loudly.

No way...

There's no way.

I rushed to the window and looked down, and my breath hitched.

Paved stone streets.

Knights in plate armor.

Mages holding staves.

And a pure white goddess statue standing tall in the middle of the plaza.

It was a landscape I had never once forgotten.

The starting city I had visited every day while playing for hundreds of hours.

Lumina.

The first town of 《Ether Chronicle》.

"...This is impossible."

A trembling voice escaped my lips.

But the scenery before my eyes did not change.

The game I believed I knew best.

The world whose story I thought I had mastered after seeing the ending countless times.

Right now, I...

Had entered the world of 《Ether Chronicle》.