The current date was 30th January, 2030. Earth no longer existed in space, i.e., the normal reality as we know it. Earth had been pulled into an open-world reality game known as the Torn Indigo.
Originally, the Torn Indigo was developed as a reality-based defence system to fight against alien invasion. This weapon was developed by the United Nations Defence Committee after the world learnt that they were not alone in the universe. Also, the world learnt that its "neighbours" were not friendly.
The intended mechanism of action for the Torn Indigo in a case where Earth was being invaded was that it would pull Earth and invaders into the game and rig the system to be one hundred per cent against the foreigners. The game would annihilate the foreigners while keeping Earth dwellers safe from harm. Whatever harm an Earth dweller suffered in the game wouldn't transfer to real life when everything returned to normal. But the aliens and their gear would really take the same amount of damage as they did in the game.
The idea for the torn indigo was perfect if it was developed to meet the potential of the idea.
Earth suffered an invasion on 9th April, 2025, at the hands of the alien species that called themselves the Unds.
The Unds were a race of beings who had four upper limbs and four lower limbs. They had a humanoid build with a goblin-like face. They could walk on their four lower limbs, but most of the time, they were octopedal (they walked on eight limbs). The Unds averaged eight feet in height when standing on their four lower limbs.
An average Und was bulkier than an average human male, and their average flexibility, agility and dexterity were on par with the abilities of a peak Olympic athlete. Their physique meant that humanity could not match them in combat. Even when it came to weapons and computer power, humanity was no match.
On the 9th of April, 2025, the Torn Indigo programming was still incomplete. But there were no other options for humanity to use and level the battlefield. The programme had to be launched in its incomplete state.
The computer systems on board the Unds mothership had sensed and identified the existence of the Torn Indigo as a threat to them. It tried to hack into the game and stop it from launching. The effort to stop the game's launch was futile, but it had managed to tamper with the rigged system that was against foreigners.
The degree of tampering was yet to be known, and currently, both humanity and aliens were unaware that the Torn Indigo had been tampered with.
Currently, the Unds had a strong hold on the game and were oppressing humanity. And just like humanity, they were also searching for clues to the heart of the game's algorithm so that they could alter the coding, free themselves and annihilate humanity.
The Known World in the game is divided into three sections: Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3. Section 1 is in the southern part of the Known World and also encompasses the entire western area. Section 2 is located to the east.
Section 3 was an area located in the north of the Known World. The whole section was under the Unds' control. The people living in this section resided in secret underground bunkers. Only bold adventurers dared to walk on the ground in section 3. Section 3 was one of the few areas that looked like the fallout of an apocalyptic event. The rest of the Known World resembled modern cities and countrysides.
The UND's central base in Section 3 was in turmoil. Merlin_13 had done an excellent job of blowing up facilities and equipment, even annihilating a few S-rank alien characters in the base. He had also liberated blocks of game coding that the Unds had harvested and manifested as a river.
The river now liberated, flowed down towards the east into Section 2. Merlin_13, who was now a phantom with little time left to exist in the world, had used the powers he obtained from the glitch to restrain the river from transforming back to code.
In Section 2.5, the people who lived here went about their daily life like how they would back on Earth. Streets were bustling with activity; people walked in different directions heading to different destinations, cars went up and down the street, shops were open and doing business, etc.
Suddenly, without warning, a torrent of water came rushing into the area and flooded the streets to knee level. Panic ensued as people abandoned their vehicles and sought refuge on elevated platforms.
Merlin_13's captivating presence drew all eyes; his aura was compelling and irresistible. With a voice that resonated like a deep, magnetic melody, Merlin_13 proclaimed, "People of Earth! We have been trapped in this game longer than it was intended. We are being oppressed in what was supposed to be our sanctuary. Worry no more, for I have brought an opportunity to level the battlefield for everyone. It is left for you to make the best out of this opportunity.
"Dip your hands into the river. Test your fortune. The game has always been in our favour. If you are lucky enough, you could ascend to the pinnacle of power in no time."
Among those that were entranced by Merlin_13's aura were Ivan, a taxi driver, and his female passenger, a lady in her late twenties. They had forgotten that the woman's 2-year-old child was seated and strapped in with a seatbelt. The poor kid had moved the wrong way and submerged himself in the water. The kid desperately fought to save himself from drowning, but his efforts were not yielding.
The kid's mother, who stood on the roof of Ivan's taxi, jumped into the water to try her fortune like the throng of others. Ivan was about to do the same but stopped when he remembered there was a kid in the car. He hastily jumped down into the water. He peered through the window. He could only see the kid's back, the little one having fainted from the struggle.