Chapter 1: The Quiet Topper and the Hidden Game
Zihad had always been a quiet boy.
In a school full of noise, chatter, and chaos, he was the calm eye of the storm. He sat in the middle row of his class at a renowned school in Dhaka, Bangladesh, head bent low over his books, never missing a single question in any exam. At eighteen, he held the title of school topper effortlessly. No one had ever beaten his perfect academic streak. Yet, despite his academic brilliance, few truly knew him.
He didn't speak unless spoken to.
He didn't brag, didn't show off, and didn't have many friends. Not because he couldn't—but because he didn't want to.
Most of his classmates thought he was just a quiet genius who went straight home after school. Some even whispered that he had no hobbies at all. If only they knew the truth—that their school's top student was actually the anonymous developer of the most anticipated VR game in the world.
And today, that game was going live.
Zihad watched the classroom clock tick.
11:59 a.m.
The whispers around him grew louder as students took out their phones under desks and whispered excitedly.
"Dream Land Fantasy is dropping any second now."
"It's gonna change everything! Did you see the trailer yesterday? It looked so real."
"They said you can even feel pain and taste inside the game. This ain't like any other VR."
"Dude, what class are you gonna pick? I want to be a Dark Knight."
Zihad remained still.
He didn't join the conversations. But he listened.
Because the game they were all talking about—the game that would change their lives—was his.
He had started designing games when he was just ten years old. Inspired by the many isekai anime he had grown up watching, he wanted to build a world where fantasy wasn't just imagined—it was lived.
At ten, he created a simple 2D RPG called Fated World, using free online tools and his father's outdated laptop. It wasn't flashy, but it had heart. The mechanics were unique, the story gripping. It started getting downloads from local forums. Then came donations. A trickle at first. Then hundreds. Then thousands.
By the time he was twelve, he had upgraded to a custom PC bought with money he earned himself.
By fifteen, he had launched two more games, started learning VR coding, and had already begun building the foundation of Dream Land Fantasy—his ultimate vision. All while attending school and getting full marks in every subject.
He had been planning how to approach Google for support—drafting emails, working on prototypes. Then, before he could act, an unexpected email arrived.
He thought it was a prank.
But the email was real. It invited him to a meeting in Dhaka with the regional head of Google Asia.
He was skeptical—until the black car stopped next to him on his way to school.
A man in a crisp suit stepped out, eyes scanning the sidewalk until they landed on Zihad.
"You're Zihad, right?"
Zihad stared, unsure whether to answer.
"Don't worry, we won't expose anything. But we need to talk."
He was escorted into the car. Inside, it was silent—no chatter, no noise. Just the hum of a powerful engine and the tension of a secret meeting.
"I'm one of the senior execs at Google Asia," the man said. "We were researching potential developers for a VR initiative. We were going to propose the idea... but then we found you."
He paused, eyeing the boy beside him.
"Not only were you working on the same concept, you were already years ahead. You've been developing a full-dive VR game on your own for three years. That's... incredible."
Zihad didn't blink. "I'll accept help. But I want to keep my identity hidden. The world doesn't need to know who I am."
The man chuckled, impressed. "We were going to suggest full disclosure for credibility. But if you insist... we'll back your vision. Anonymously."
Thus began the partnership.
Google provided the hardware, servers, and full-dive tech testing. Zihad handled everything else.
And now, three years later, the launch day had come.
But Zihad wouldn't log in at launch.
He stayed in class until 4:00 p.m., took a math test, scored full marks, and walked home.
His younger brother, Zidan—more energetic and outspoken—was already in a frenzy.
"You still haven't logged in? Everyone's already at level 4 or 5!"
"I'll log in at 6:30," Zihad replied calmly.
In his room, the door locked, he entered the full-dive pod.
The machine powered up.
Dream Land Fantasy – System Booting
Identity: Masked
Player Verified
Welcome, Player Kairo Yuma
He felt his body dissolve, replaced by a rush of light.
Crystalline trees. A twilight sky. The scent of magic.
Hidden Class Activated: Phantom Reaper
You are the first and only to awaken this path.
A world built by his own hands now surrounded him.
And Zihad, or rather Kairo Yuma, smirked for the first time in years.
"Let's begin."
End of Chapter 1