"The bread in the supermarket is rising in price again. Eggs are becoming a luxury I can barely afford," muttered a 6'0" (1.81m) black-haired young man with a rugged, handsome edge, frowning at the price tag.
His name was Allen, a 23-year-old ordinary citizen of Eagle Kingdom's Florida state (this world was not Earth—call it Azure Star). His dark hair, according to his father, traced back to Roman ancestry, but Allen couldn't care less about such trivialities.
Just then, his phone pinged with a message from his girlfriend, Alice—a 5'5" (1.65m) girl with a stunning figure, though her face was only moderately pretty.
"Dear Allen, I've been diagnosed with a terminal illness. To not drag you down, I think we should break up. Goodbye."
Allen froze, staring at the screen. Before he could reply, he realized he'd been blocked. With a sigh, he carried his groceries to the checkout. Heartbreak? If there was any, he wouldn't show it in public—he prided himself on being a stoic man.
As he stepped out of the supermarket, he saw a couple exiting the luxury store across the street. The woman clinging to the burly, bearded man? That was ex-girlfriend Alice.
Gone was the spoiled, demanding attitude she'd worn with Allen. Now she purred like a docile canary, draped over the man's arm in a way that screamed new money. Alice had met Allen in a college speech contest, drawn by his quiet charm. But over time, her vanity had become suffocating—she'd bombarded him with demands for designer bags, jewelry, and tirades about how "real men spoil their women," parroting toxic social media mantras.
"Allen!?" Alice's eyes widened, panic flickering across her face.
"So this is the loser, huh?" the bearded man sneered, squeezing Alice's hip possessively. "Your girl's a real treat, buddy."
"Idiot," Allen spat, turning to leave. But the man wouldn't let it go.
Alice joined in, venomous: "Meet my new boyfriend, Daku. His family's rolling in cash, unlike you—can't even afford a $10,000 necklace. Pathetic pauper."
That was the last straw. Allen spun around, closing the distance in a heartbeat. His fist slammed into Daku's nose like a meteor strike, spraying blood across Alice's face. She shrieked, but Allen didn't stop.
"Shut up, you brainless bimbo," he snapped, backhanding her twice so hard she staggered, stars dancing in her vision. Daku tried to retaliate, but Allen kicked him to the ground, stomping mercilessly until the man curled into a whimpering ball.
"Heard you're swimming in money," Allen panted, delivering a final kick. "Go ahead—try to get revenge. But remember: I'm a broke nobody who can still afford a gun. Wanna gamble with your life?"
Daku, bleeding and terrified, didn't dare move. Alice reached for him, but he shoved her away with a snarl: "You're cursed, woman! Never come near me again!"
By the time Allen got home, the adrenaline had worn off, leaving only exhaustion—and a strange calm. Beating those two had felt… good. Now, he faced a more pressing issue: his college loan deadline. Paying it would leave him with two weeks' worth of living expenses. No job, no savings—his only hope was Divine Realm, the VRMMO everyone was talking about. Its in-game currency traded 1:1 with real dollars—a godsend for desperate souls like him.
He hooked up the gaming helmet, grumbling about the mandatory PC authentication (apparently, advertisers had weaseled into the login screen). As he clicked "Confirm," the screen flickered black.
"Shit, did my PC crash?"
When it rebooted, the Warcraft III icon he'd had since childhood was gone. Odd, but he didn't dwell on it. Time to log in—he was already a day late.
Lying down, he fastened the helmet.
"Welcome to Divine Realm."
The world materialized as a grand hall, five stone statues representing the base classes: Warrior, Archer, Mage, Priest, Assassin. Allen knew the odds: 1/10,000 chance of a hidden class.
As he approached the statues, a chill swept over him. A sixth figure emerged from the shadows—an ice-encased throne, crowned with the iconic Lich King helm from Warcraft III.
Before he could react, a chime echoed:
"Warcraft Lich King Plugin Activated. Congratulations! You have unlocked the unique hidden class—Lich King."