When Techno reaches for the bedside table, his hand overshoots and he knocks a can of energy drink he opened during the night onto the floor.
Thankfully, it's empty, so that saves him from having to scrub the stain out of the carpet. All the more important because he lives in a rented apartment, and the landlord is a real vulture. He'd totally get on Techno's case for the tiniest thing and deduct it from his refundable deposit. Money Techno will need because going to online college has left him with considerable student loans hovering ominously over his future.
He grabs a different can instead, only to find it empty as well. Techno squints, turning his head so his cheek presses into the pillow. Three more cans are left on the nightstand, but they're all opened. Techno has finished them all.
And that was his last pack.
Reluctantly, he sits up and rubs his face, allowing his phone to fall into his lap as the screen goes dark. A slight amount of sunlight is falling in through the closed curtains, and a quick peek at his alarm clock betrays it to be seven in the morning. Techno stayed up through the night again, too absorbed in his favorite mobile game to notice. His first class won't start until the afternoon, though, so it's fine. He can just have some breakfast and take a nap before that.
Techno grabs his phone again as he stands up. As soon as he swipes his thumb over the screen, the familiar music of Assault Darkness Myths fills the room once more. The main menu's brightness makes Techno's eyes hurt from this close, and he quickly exits out of the app.
But not before catching a glimpse of the fact that the new update is only forty-eight hours away.
That means the release will fall on a Friday. Nice, Techno won't have to worry about his classes while he grinds away at the fresh content over the weekend.
He grabs a hoodie from his desk chair and throws it on, looking in the mirror quickly before heading out the door. Techno isn't the type of person to be very concerned with his physical appearance, but the last time he went outside, somebody almost called an ambulance because he looked too much like a zombie - or like a guy with chronic anemia, were their exact words. Techno doesn't think it's that bad. He's pale because he locks himself in his apartment constantly and takes all his classes online. He has bags under his pale blue eyes because he barely sleeps between studying enough to keep his GPA up and devoting all of his free time to the mobile game. His brown hair is short and messy because Techno cuts it himself, trying to save money by not going to a professional hairdresser anymore. His glasses are duct taped together because he didn't want to get them fixed.
Okay, so he looks a little rough. Big deal! Techno has more important stuff to worry about anyway, like that jerk 'potatokid' who keeps editing the ADM Wikipedia page with inaccurate information.
Setting up his notifications so he could get an email each time an edit was made to any of the articles, Techno has been overseeing the official fan wiki for Assault Darkness Myths for the past three and a half years, about six months after the game came out and Techno became entranced with it. He's open to other people adding information, as long as they keep away from conjecture or subjective opinions. Somehow, a user by the name 'potatokid' has not gotten the memo despite how often Techno undos their work.
Ugh, just thinking about it is giving him a headache - either annoyance or dehydration making his temples pound. Possibly both. Techno slips into his shoes and checks that his keys are in his pocket before he leaves.
The store down the road is pretty calm this early in the morning. Techno walks through the aisles slowly, carefully picking out stuff. Since he tries not to leave his apartment more often than is strictly necessary, he has perfected the art of shopping for everything he needs throughout a week in one go. It helps that Techno isn't a picky eater. He has instant ramen, microwave meals, and jarred marinara sauce stashed away for days. He also uses the university meal program he has applied to for delivery sometimes. Turns out that if you're an off-campus student, they're still legally obligated to give you your financial aid for food. So Techno can splurge about twice a week on pizza or Chinese takeout. He has stocked up on pretty much anything else in bulk, leaving energy drinks as the only other thing he regularly has to buy.
Techno easily works his way through a six-pack in a day.
Mostly it depends on what else he has going on. As part of his New Year's resolutions a couple of weeks ago, Techno is trying to cut down on the all-nighters. But he hasn't been too successful. And this new update for ADM isn't going to help matters.
They've been dropping secret hints about the lore of the Antarctic Empire ever since the game's alpha build.
Theories have circulated online - Techno might have even written a few himself - most of them centered around how these hints point towards the shadowy empire and its mysterious leader's ties to the Big Bad of the game. Of course, almost nobody plays Assault Darkness Myths for the story. Except for Techno, who is mighty curious about the source of The Blight that canonically causes most of the monsters you fight in the game.
After this long playing, sue him if he got a little invested. And he's been waiting for the Antarctic Empire faction to be added to the game since he first made his character.
So with his weekend activities in mind, Techno ends up picking out four six-packs to start with and vows to pop by the store again on Saturday since he'll have to drop by the post office to send a gift anyway. Techno's uncle, Billiam, is having his birthday next week.
Their relationship has been… frigid, for lack of better words to describe it. The man never had any interest in raising Techno, but didn't completely mess up at it either. He basically just did the bare minimum to make sure Techno didn't die, whilst also constantly complaining when Techno did anything that was normal for a boy his age. No teenage rebellion allowed under Billiam's roof. Techno's mother died when he was twelve, his father had never been in the picture. So it was just him and Uncle Billiam, whose house looked like a museum and who still thought instilling kids with manners was the most valuable thing a parent could do.
At eighteen, Techno moved out, and he hadn't looked back since. But a simple card for the holidays keeps him in Billiam's will, and Techno does very much want to cash in on that massive inheritance. Techno is the only living relative, the sole next of kin. If he can't get the money, it'll probably be donated to a charity of Billiam's choice - presumably one that makes a sport out of laughing at poor people.
That's something he'll worry about on Saturday, though. For now, Techno is buying his drinks, getting home, and continuing the grind. He's very close to leveling up.
"That'll be $24.50," the cashier says, expression betraying an incredible inner boredom at being forced to do their job.
Techno hands them a twenty and a five dollar bill, already turning to leave before getting his change or his receipt. But their voice stops him in his tracks.
"Oh, you're wearing an Assault Darkness Myths hoodie. Cool man, I love that game."
Clenching his fist around the crappy little plastic bag that is bound to break long before he gets home, Techno offers them a half smile. "Thanks, me too."
He's not lying. Techno does love Assault Darkness Myths.
He wouldn't have dedicated over five thousand hours of his life to it if he didn't.
Well, that and the fact that it's a very obvious pay-to-win cash grab formula. When it first came out, everybody online was talking about how this game lured you in by pretending to be free-to-play, only to hit you over the head with special equipment and secret quests you can only unlock with premium currency. Buying said currency is by far the easiest and quickest way to progress, though Techno figured out pretty quickly that the way the game mechanics are set up means you technically can unlock all the same items if you're willing to invest time and effort instead. So that's what he has been doing. First, out of curiosity to see if he could break the intended system by grinding hard enough that he could skip ever paying for premium currency. Then, because he already had put too many hours into it to really back down, and his account was getting kind of valuable in terms of the stuff he'd unlocked.
And eventually, Techno also genuinely started to enjoy the game.
This is rather embarrassing, because Assault Darkness Myths is not a good game. Subjectively, there are barely any people who actually like to play it - both Techno himself and the cashier are outliers and should not be counted - nor is it any good in the purely technical sense. The graphics are designed to fit a mobile screen and make the game look cheap, the gameplay is mostly repetitive turn-based combat and online gambling disguised as unlockable companion characters, the open-world is riddled with load screens around every corner, and the worldbuilding is basically an upturned mash of dark fantasy clichés doused in poor storytelling and an abundance of plot holes.
All of that can be true, and it can also be a game that Techno loves with his entire heart. Nuance and all that.
Most people know the game solely because the ads for it are extremely aggressive and pervasive on pretty much every social media platform. If Techno were the type of person who cared about what other people think of him, he'd probably be self-conscious about the inherent cringiness of his devotion to ADM.
But Techno doesn't have much else going for him in the world. No friends, no family (except Uncle Billiam, who still hasn't kicked the bucket, regrettably), no money, and no ambitions outside of getting his online degree and then probably becoming a starving artist or something. Techno probably should have thought of that before majoring in English literature and creative writing, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
Depressing as it may sound to other people, Techno is quite satisfied and wouldn't want it any other way.
Changing the baggie from his right hand to his left, Techno hisses at how the straps cut into his palm. He should get a reusable canvas bag or something, that would make his groceries easier to carry. He waits for the traffic light to turn green, signalling pedestrians can use the crosswalk. As Techno starts crossing the street, he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and he pulls it out.
Potatokid made another edit to the Wiki.
Techno stops to open the email and check on what exactly was messed up this time. If it's not anything important, he can just ignore it until he's home. But Techno hates leaving misinformation up for more than ten minutes if he can help it, idiots always end up spreading it onto Reddit and stuff.
Oh, it's bad. It's very bad.
That amateur really amended the article so people will think the Blood God's Acolytes are a common enemy in level ten dungeons? That's completely false.
With an agitated sigh, Techno shifts the bag to hang off his elbow instead so he can use both hands to type faster, opening the editor's page to make the needed readjustment. As he does this, the traffic light flashes a few times before flipping back to red. However, this is not something Techno notices.
Not until he looks up to be blinded by the glare of a pair of headlights, the shrill honk of a truck barely affords him any warning before the vehicle hits him.
The sharp, unfettered pain Techno feels lasts for only a second, before there's nothing left.
Techno wakes up in a bed, feeling like he has just been hit by a truck.
He supposes that's more or less exactly what happened. Curious that he still has his memories of that happening, he thought massive brain trauma would have taken care of that. But Techno does remember trying to cross the road, and pulling out his phone, and even the brief agony of the collision.
His body echoes with the pain, but every slow blink of his eyes makes it seep out of him and into the mattress, until a few minutes pass and Techno doesn't hurt at all anymore aside from a light headache. He cracks his lids open gradually, trying to clear the blurriness that has settled over his vision.
The room is quiet and doesn't smell like a hospital.
In fact, as Techno blinks some more until he can look around properly, he quickly realizes he isn't in a hospital at all. Not a reputable one, anyway. The bed he's lying on is more a cot than anything. The roof is made out of wood, and so are the walls. Techno pushes away the blanket so he can get up, swinging his legs over and almost immediately falling onto his knees.
There is something weird going on with his body.
Techno can't describe it, but as his fingers curl against the floor, he can tell something is very concerningly off. He manages to keep his balance despite the strange tickling at the back of his neck. He brushes against it, pulling at the long hair that has settled there, and then grunting in surprise when it yanks the rest of his head back.
What the-
Stumbling, Techno looks down at himself and instantly notices two things.
He's not wearing the clothes he was wearing to the store. He's in some sort of medieval tunic and cloth pants, with bare feet. So not only is this hospital bad at its job, it also enjoys dressing its patients up in historical clothing for no reason at all except to confuse them should they wake up from their medically induced coma without a nurse present.
He also has shrunk.
Techno should not be this close to the ground. And his hands shouldn't be this small.
He looks around the room again, getting more convinced by the minute that this is not a hospital at all. He got hit by a truck, every bone in his body should be broken right now. This doesn't make any sense. He notices there's a floor-length mirror next to the door and hurries over, determined to get some answers.
But all that's waiting for him is more nonsense.
Because the person who is staring back at him in the reflection is a complete stranger. A boy of about seven or eight years old, with long pink hair that reaches his elbows. The only similarity this child has to Techno is the blue eyes, and the fact that if Techno raises his hand, so does the boy. And when the boy's expression morphs into one of pure shock, Techno knows it's because that's the face he should be making.
Oh, he's dreaming. That's what's happening, right? He got hit by a truck, and he's in that medically induced coma he mentioned, and they're giving him the good sedatives because he's having a dream so realistic it almost feels like it's actually happening.
With shaking fingers, Techno touches the mirror's cold surface. Even that sensation is eerily real. He brushes through his long hair, feeling the thickness of it and how knotted it is. Morphine-induced hallucination aside, it's a little odd that he's dreaming of being a child.
Next to the door, somebody left a pair of soft leather shoes. They look as archaic as all the rest of this place, but Techno pulls them on anyway so he can leave the room and peek down the hallway. There are a bunch of doors identical to the one he just came from, and then a staircase at the very end. Brushing himself off, regaining some of his confidence with the assurance that all of this is very much not actually happening, Techno trudges downstairs.
Only to then be grabbed by the elbow as soon as he leaves the final step, the harsh pinch of it not waking him up despite expectations.
"There you are. It's already noon, you're wasting precious time." The woman who has taken hold of him speaks with venom, spittle flying off her lips as she drags him towards the front door. "The other kids are already out earning their keep."
Techno struggles a bit against the manhandling, but he's a literal child now. He's no match against an adult. Time to fall back on his amazing communication skills.
"Bruh, what are you talking about?" he asks.
She shakes him around a bit, almost enough that Techno's afraid he'll have a concussion by the end of it. "You think I run an orphanage out of charity? Go make yourself useful." She drops him outside on the street and pushes a small wooden bowl in his hand before throwing the door shut in his face. Scowling, Techno turns around. Only for his eyes to widen at the sight before him.
He's in a medieval city. Yeah, sure, that might as well be what's happening.
People walk around in the same historical clothes Techno has found himself dressed up in, some with weapons like swords, axes, and crossbows strung along their backs, or long capes draped over their shoulders. A cart makes its way down the cobblestone, the horse's hooves clattering heavily with every trod. Techno starts walking forward without thinking, mesmerized by the clarity of everything around him.
He's had dreams before. Techno usually barely remembers them. He's never been hit by a truck before but Techno is fairly certain it's not meant to feel like this either.
If this is not a dream, however, Techno doesn't know what's going on.
As he walks, nobody so much as looks at him, unconcerned with another orphan beggar on the streets. Other children already sit against the walls of the cozy row houses, holding out their bowls in the hopes that somebody will take pity on them and spare some coins. Techno ignores them as he follows the flow of foot traffic, almost in a daze. When Techno arrives at the market, a huge statue forms the centerpiece of the square. About the size of a building, the king's image is constructed in gold and iron, a striking visage meant to project power and control onto the people.
Techno recognizes it.
He recognizes it, because this exact market square with this exact statue situated in the capital city of Hypixelia is one of the main hubs you visit in Assault Darkness Myths.
Somehow, Techno has found himself inside the game.
"Are you okay?" a voice asks, accompanied by a gentle hand touching his shoulder. Techno jolts and turns around, hating that he has to crane his neck up to look into the face of the man who approached him.
"Simon?!" Techno asks, flabbergasted.
The man looks equally confused at being called by name. He pulls back and shifts beneath his heavy armor. "Yes? Sorry, if we've spoken before, I do not recall."
"You're Simon!" Techno says. "You're- Simon! Holy fu-" Before he can finish the sentence, a pumpkin falls off a cart, the thud drowning out Techno's exclamation.
Ah, right, due to the game's rating, the children in ADM can't curse.
But Techno is pretty much rendered speechless anyway. Simon Hypixel - Hypixelia's head guard, and secretly its long lost heir ,though that's not something you find out until you've completed his story quest - is standing before him. In the game, this character functions as a friendly guide and quest giver, somebody who takes the player under his wing near the start and delivers all the tutorials.
And here he is staring at Techno with some apprehension, attempting a sheepish smile.
"Are your parents around?" Simon asks slowly, looking at the crowd surrounding them.
"I think I'm an orphan," Techno says, a little bitter over it. Because with the growing realization that he has somehow been transported into his favorite game also comes the acknowledgement he hasn't even been reincarnated as anybody cool. He's literally just a random orphan. Scam!
"My condolences," Simon says, giving him a polite nod. "There are many reputable orphanages in the capital. If you want, I could help you settle in. Did you come from the countryside? You traveled here all alone?"
Techno waves away the guard's programmed empathy - though, is it programmed if he's actually physically in the game's reality? Is Simon just as much a person here as Techno is? Techno ignores that thought for now - and looks at him.
"What month is it?" Techno asks.
"What month?"
"On the Hypixelia calendar, what month is it?"
Simon only needs a second to think about it. "The year is 572, we are in the second month of autumn." Techno nods. That's pretty late-game. Actually, not at all too different from what the in-universe date was when he played the game in the real world.
Which means the Antarctic Empire could be invading in as little as a month from now.