My Reality Became a Zombie Game World, but Only I Can Use the Game System

Chapter 1: You Have Been Chosen as a Player

Despite my shitty school life, I was able to survive thanks to the existence of the ultimate game, “Dead Land 4.” I think everyone clings to something to live, and for me, it was “Dead Land 4.”

“Dead Land 4,” also known as “DL4.”

It’s a game where you survive in a modern society overrun by zombies, shooting with firearms, solving mysteries, and defeating bosses.

A first-person shooter game where you move from the character’s perspective, with its meticulous graphics and effects creating an incredible sense of immersion. With its gripping stage gimmicks, diverse weapons and skills, randomly appearing zombies, and well-balanced gameplay for four-player multiplayer, “DL4” boasts over 10 million copies sold worldwide.

In reality, the “Dead Land” series began as an 18+ bishoujo game, but since the second installment, it has been released as a general audience game, so few users nowadays know its erotic origins. At most, one can sense the adult atmosphere from the skill system and various items.

In any case, “DL4,” the fourth installment of the “Dead Land” series, is a masterpiece, and I, Karamine Ritsu, was deeply immersed in this game.

Even on a weekday night, I was playing the multiplayer mode of “DL4” in my room with my best friend, Chihiro-kun. Why were we playing a four-player multiplayer game with just the two of us? Well, we were both bullied at school and didn’t have any other gaming friends. Sad, isn’t it?

“Okay! Great job, Ritsu! Nice!”

I could hear Chihiro-kun’s voice of joy through the voice chat software, Discord.

“Wow! We’re amazing! We’re the first in the world to clear it, right?!”

I could imagine Chihiro’s beaming smile, even through voice chat alone. I was excited too.

After all, we had cleared the highest difficulty level, “No Hope,” in “DL4.” This difficulty level was incredibly challenging, with enemies having extremely high health and attack power, numerous evil events, and weakened player stats. It was rumored that the development staff didn’t intend for users to clear it, as it was just that difficult. The online achievement rate for clearing this level was a staggering 0%, indicating that no one had cleared it yet.

We had cleared “No Hope,” and not just as a fixed four-person team but with only two of us. The sense of accomplishment I felt was unlike anything I had experienced before. I stared blankly at the clear results screen for a while.

I was not in a normal state of mind at that time, and so when I saw it for the first time, I thought it was an illusion.

“Congratulations on clearing the game. You have been chosen as a human player.”

I was confused by the message.

The message was floating in mid-air, not on the display showing “DL4,” but in the empty space beyond it, like a futuristic sci-fi scene.

I closed my eyes, rubbed my eyelids, and then opened them again.

The message window was still there.

… What is this?

Checking the time on my computer, it was already past 5 a.m. After being subjected to the tension of a long, high-difficulty play session, I was close to an all-nighter. I was tired, and it wasn’t unusual to see hallucinations. Thinking about the fact that I had to go to school in a few hours, I told Chihiro that I was going to rest.

“Sorry, Chihiro, I’m tired. I’m seeing hallucinations. I have to go to school today, so I’ll hang up now.”

“Eh! Come on, just a little more debriefing. Why don’t you just skip school?”

“I can’t do that.”

While I went to school every day to be bullied, Chihiro was a hikikomori. His attendance was insufficient, and his promotion was in doubt. From the outside, Chihiro might look like a dropout, but to me, his bold attitude of sticking to his social incompatibility seemed a little dazzling.

After pacifying Chihiro, who was still complaining, I ended the call. I turned off “DL4,” took off my headphones, and early morning silence filled my room.

“This is not an illusion. You have been chosen as a player.”

I was so surprised that I almost spoke out loud.

This time, I heard a girl’s voice.

As new text appeared in the message window, a voice echoed in my head, speaking the exact same words. I might have gone crazy from spending too much time in distress.

“Now I’m hearing hallucinations…”

“This is not a hallucination. You have been chosen as a player.”

“And it’s the type that responds to my words…”

Lonely children are said to heal their anxiety by talking to imaginary friends, but I was no longer a child. I thought about going to the hospital while trying to get some rest on my bed. But the message continued to speak to me, regardless of my desire to rest.

“Soon, the world will be overrun by zombies. As a player, you can use the game system of Dead Land 4 to protect yourself from zombies.”

I sighed deeply.

It felt like I was being told a fantasy I used to imagine during boring classes. Even as a hallucination, it was too much.

I had to admit that I had fantasized about terrorists invading during class and me, with my special powers, defeating them. But if I started seeing hallucinations of even these wish-fulfillment fantasies, it was the end.

The reality became a zombie game world, but only I can use the game system?

I laughed softly at the title that came to mind in my brain, and then I closed my eyes, trying not to listen to the hallucination.

Even after taking a nap, the hallucination didn’t go away.

After stopping the alarm on my smartphone, I lay down and looked up at the ceiling, where a large message window was floating.

“Good morning. The zombie hazard has already occurred. It is recommended that you prepare quickly.”

“That would be nice. If only Kokuso and the others became zombies…”

I uttered the name of the bully and then smiled wryly. After all, it was just my wish.

If only the school went crazy, and the bullies became zombies. And I would have special powers to survive in the zombie world.

I couldn’t tell anyone that I was seeing hallucinations of such a wish. Hoping that the hallucinations would eventually disappear, I decided to ignore the message window.

I left my room and greeted my father in the living room.

“Good morning, Dad.”

“Good morning, Ritsu.”

My father, wearing glasses, returned my greeting with a gentle smile.

My mother had passed away, and I lived alone with my father in a 2LDK apartment.

Although my relationship with my kind-hearted father was excellent, I didn’t want to cause him any more trouble, so I hadn’t consulted him about the bullying.

However, it seemed that my father had seen through my attitude. While we were having breakfast together, he spoke to me with a smile.

“What’s wrong? You don’t seem as cheerful lately. If you have any problems, you can rely on me?”

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

“By the way, would you like to go fishing together sometime? It’ll be a great change of pace.”

“I’ll think about it.”

I was grateful for my father’s encouragement, but I ended up responding coldly, feeling embarrassed. After a while of chatting idly with my father, the doorbell rang.

It was Yume-nee.

Yume, my senior and childhood friend who lived in the same apartment complex as me, had been walking me to school since elementary school. Even now that we had graduated from middle school and started attending the same academy, she still came to pick me up like this.

After finishing my preparations for school, I said goodbye my father as usual.

“I’m off, Dad.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

My father waved cheerfully as usual.

In hindsight, I think I should have taken the message more seriously.

Zombies were about to overrun the world, and I had a way to protect myself from them. If I had known this, I could have made different choices.

In any case, I had never imagined that this would be my last conversation with my family.

Karamine was working in his room as usual after seeing his son Ritsu off.

Karamine, an engineer, worked remotely three times a week.

He couldn’t concentrate on his work lately because he was concerned about his son’s unusual behavior. Karamine, who had raised his son alone, considered him a treasure.

—Ritsu seems a bit down lately. Maybe I should talk to him seriously tonight.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

A middle-aged man with a chubby build appeared on the intercom camera. He was their neighbor.

“Coming! Hold on!”

Karamine was friendly with his neighbors and often had visitors from the same apartment complex.

So, without any suspicion, Karamine opened the door of the entrance.

There was…

“A… Ah… Ahhhhhhh… I… It hurts, it hurts so much…”

A man with strangely pale skin and bite marks on his neck lunged at Karamine.