Tap, tap.
In a dimly lit room, a man sat hunched over his keyboard, aggressively tapping away at the keys.
It was so dark, you could barely make out his face.
His posture screamed "veteran gamer," and the glowing screen in front of him looked like it had survived one rage-quit too many.
"Augh…"
He groaned.
"I don't even like this game, but I keep coming back... Not because it's fun, but because of—"
His eyes landed on a female character.
Long ocean-blue hair. Deep sapphire eyes.
A stupid grin slowly spread across his face.
---
War of Dungeons — a wildly popular game with millions of active players.
A simple dungeon-builder, but beloved for its endless variety.
From vampire castles to dragon lairs, every dungeon theme imaginable was available.
Kinito — yes, the same idiot grinning at his screen — had chosen the beach-themed dungeon.
But he wasn't here for dungeon-building.
He was here for her. His hero. His waifu. Aqua.
"I've spent all my in-game resources on Aqua. Made her insanely powerful."
Like a true simp, he had dumped all his currency, gear, and upgrades into Aqua.
His dungeon, meanwhile, was a total joke.
No mobs. No defenses.
It was basically a house of cards, barely held together by hope and a cardboard sign that read:
"Please don't enter."
He looked at Aqua, standing proudly in her idle animation.
A smile tugged at his lips.
"Totally worth it."
He opened the shop and hovered over a new beach costume (This one had sunglasses).
"This'll look great on her," he said under his breath.
---
Flash.
The screen went dark.
"What the hell are they doing with the electricity?" he growled.
He stood up, stretching out his stiff back.
**"That lazy landlord uncle probably forgot to pay the bills again."
Just as he started to walk away, his leg got caught in a nest of wires on the floor.
"F*ck."
He slipped, falling hard.
Thuck.
His head smacked against the edge of the desk.
A sharp burst of pain—
—and everything went black.
*****
Blink.
He opened his eyes.
Something was wrong.
This wasn't his cramped, wire-infested apartment that looked like a fire hazard waiting to happen.
It was… bright.
Warm sunlight. Sand underfoot. Starfish and seashells sprinkled around like someone had rage-installed a beach mod in real life.
The walls? Smooth, polished stone — like some luxury beach resort built by someone with too much time and a dungeon aesthetic.
He shifted slightly.
There was something hard beneath him.
A chair?
A stone throne, actually. Slightly cracked. Slightly hot from the sun.
And right in front of him stood her.
Aqua.
Ocean-blue hair. Sparkling sapphire eyes. Tilted head. Confused expression.
He blinked again.
His brain fully booted up.
"Am I dreaming?"
He groaned, stretching his back like a pensioner.
Aqua just stared at him. No blinking. No expression.
"This is the best dream ever."
Without hesitation, he cupped her cheeks in both hands and gave the softest pinch imaginable.
A stupid grin stretched across his face.
"So soft…"
He looked like he'd died and gone to waifu heaven.
Then—
THUCK.
His head was planted into the sand like a sad turnip.
"Oh—! I'm sorry," Aqua said sweetly.
"I thought my lord had lost his mind."
He rolled over, groaning, hand on his head.
"Ouch. That hurt…"
Wait.
"Ouch… that… hurt."
His eyes widened.
This… isn't a dream.
"I actually got isekai'd into the game!?
He scrambled toward the nearest polished wall and stared at his reflection.
Brown hair. Long bangs. Brown eyes. Slightly pale skin.
It was his real body. Not some buffed-up anime chad with abs that could slice fruit.
"Bruh, I thought I'd at least get a glow-up. What is this?!"
And then—
Ding!
A translucent blue screen popped up in front of him.
[ALERT: DUNGEON IS BEING RAIDED]
[DIFFICULTY: LOW]
[OBJECTIVE: PROTECT THE DUNGEON]
"YO! A system too? Let's gooo!"
He yawned, lazily slumping back onto his throne and cracking his knuckles.
"No worries. The mobs'll handle it."
Aqua tilted her head again, deadpan.
"My lord… we don't have any mobs."
...
"Wait what."
He was dumbfounded.
A beat of silence.
The air was warm. The sunlight pleasant. But none of that mattered.
Because Kinito's mind was imploding.
"What do you mean... we don't have any mobs?"
Aqua smiled nervously and tapped her fingers together like a kindergarten student caught coloring on the walls.
"You spent all our resources on my upgrades and beach furniture."