Fifteen years.
It was a long enough time for a single drop of water to bore a hole through a great rock.
I had invested all of that long time into a game.
It wasn't as if I was short on money, nor did I have any particular goals I wanted to achieve in life.
That's not to say I was a famous ranker or incredibly well-known for some unique playstyle.
Although I had been playing the game since it was first released, I had only ever played the tutorial.
I had no complaints.
It was the choice I made, and I had fun.
In any case, after fifteen years of playing the tutorial, I was confident that I had enjoyed everything there was to enjoy here.
In other words, I had run out of things to do.
So, I spoke to the system, intending to finally move on to the main game.
-Impossible.
This thing that looked like a lightbulb told me it was impossible.
Dumbfounded, I asked why it wasn't possible.
The system answered my question as if I had asked something obvious.
-Because as of today, Pantheon is terminating its service.
Even more dumbfounded, I stared blankly at the system.
But contrary to my feelings, my mind quickly raced to a conclusion.
'No matter what I do here, nothing will change.'
Still, I was curious about the reason, so I asked.
I felt like I wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully at night if I didn't hear why.
But the answer that came back was truly something else.
To be precise, it was too much like a fantasy.
-Because Pantheon has fulfilled its role.
"What role?"
-The role of preparing you for the reality to come.
"The reality to come?"
-Yes. From now on, you all must enter dungeons that will appear in reality and fight monsters.
After hearing that, I gave a single nod and calmly opened my mouth.
"......This is so absurd that I'm actually becoming calm."
(End of Chapter)