The world of Altera Earth was no stranger to chaos, but that day it shook differently.
At exactly 03:00 A.M. Greenwich Meridian Time, every Outer across all regions whether asleep, fighting, studying, or merely breathing, heard the feminine voice of the Masquerade System for the very first time.
"The First Act of the University Arc, The Azure Sword Shining in Moonlight, has been completed."
The first message came like a proclamation from heaven.
[SYSTEM UPDATE 1: INTERFACE UPGRADE]
[All Outers will now receive Masquerade Tablets. They can be summoned. They are indestructible, and soul-bound devices. They can be called forth at any time. Upon the Outer's death, the tablet will vanish.]
[New Feature Added: Outerchat.]
[All Outers can now communicate globally. Channels include: [Global], [Regional], [Faction], [Group], and [Private]. For more information, enter the Outerchat App in your Masquerade Tablet.]
Instantly, across every city, Outers began to test the feature. Tablets of glowing crystalline metal appeared in their palms, floating slightly above them. Some Outers screamed in awe. Others laughed in disbelief. And some who had grown cold by the strange, deadly months since transmigration, just exhaled with dry amusement.
"About time they gave us something we can actually use," one Outer in Paris muttered, scrolling through his new tablet.
"Finally, I don't have to stare at ghost text in the air like an idiot," another laughed in Rio de Janeiro.
Within seconds, Outerchat exploded. Millions of messages flooded the global feed. The chat was a storm of languages, curses, jokes, and cheers. Some were crying about finally feeling connected. Others mocked the game's developers-whoever they had once been-for turning real life into a mobile fantasy MMO.
And buried in the chaos were a few silent names who simply typed:
"Something's coming. This isn't just an update."
Then came the next message, the golden text appearing in their tablets.
[SYSTEM UPDATE 2: THE GOLD SHOP HAS OPENED]
[All Gold obtained is now usable. The Gold Shop will officially open with the commencement of the Open World Quest: The Duel of Champions on July 3rd.
Prepare accordingly.]
The idea of the Gold Shop was fantasized by most but it was now real. Screenshots of balances flooded Outerchat. Hundreds were bragging about having millions of Gold and others groaning about being poorer than others. Outers got 500,000 Gold as a reward for the premiere of the Gold Shop.
The Duel of Champions was known by all Outers. Those who didn't know cake to learn about them in the Global Chat. On July 3rd, the Duel of Champions will happen in the Roman Empire.
Outerchat trends began to form that day:
#GoldShopGate, #DuelofChampions and #WeAreNotInABeta were the main ones.
The third message appeared and this time, the Outers were extremely happy.
[SYSTEM UPDATE 3: DAILIES INTRODUCED]
[Every Outer can now claim 100 Pearlesia daily.]
[Complete three System Objectives to earn an additional 1,000 Pearlesia.]
[Dailies reset at 00:00 Greenwich Meridian Time.]
If the first updates brought laughter and panic, this one brought addiction.
Players who had grown used to risking their lives to earn meager Pearlesia through combat or scavenging now had something. The more pragmatic Outers immediately began organizing Daily Objective teams, forming squads of efficiency and rotating through objectives to maximize Pearlesia gain.
Someone even made a meme that went viral within five minutes:
"We died to gods, monsters, and moral decay, but we'll never miss a daily check-in."
The Outers worldwide went to a collective silence when the next message appeared:
[SYSTEM UPDATE 4: PEARLESIA PURCHASE ENABLED]
[Real-world currency is now linked to System channels. You may purchase Pearlesia using your native world's currency conversion.]
[Warning: Pearlesia transactions are irreversible.]
And immediately after:
[SYSTEM UPDATE 5: PEARLESIA BANNER REVISION]
[Single pull: 200 Pearlesia (previously 50)]
[Ten pull: 2,000 Pearlesia]
[Guarantee: 5 Star item at 50 pulls.]
It was as if every Outer's heart sank.
Within moments, Outerchat imploded. Protests erupted across the network. Some cursed and others despaired. The inflation felt cruel.
"WHAT?! 200?! That's four times the price!"
"Oh my God, they turned the apocalypse into a gacha economy."
"We're literally stuck here forever and they're still milking us for money."
But not everyone complained. A few wealthy Outers grinned, realizing their advantage had just quadrupled. The "whales" of the old world-those who once dominated mobile games through sheer wealth-were back in power.
The next revelation ignited a new kind of excitement:
[SYSTEM UPDATE 6: ENCHANTMENT BANNER UNLOCKED]
[Outers can now obtain Enchantments, which are unique buffs exclusive to their soul.]
[Maximum equipped: 5]
[Extra Enchantments may be traded, sold, or gifted to others.]
[Enchantments cannot be removed once equipped.]
This one sent shockwaves through the guilds. Some already envisioned Enchantments as status symbols.
"Imagine stacking five Enchantments that boost your Xana regeneration. I would be unstoppable."
"I just want one that lets me sleep without nightmares."
Rumors began spreading of a hidden "Divine Enchantment" tier, something only those who had surpassed the first Act could access.
Finally, the last announcement came that made them all excited.
[SYSTEM UPDATE 7: EVENTS INTRODUCED]
[Each month will feature two Events where Outers can earn Gold, Pearlesia, and rare items. At month's end, a Survey of Needs will be distributed. Outers may request system-wide adjustments.]
[Note: Return to original world is permanently disabled.]
The words hit like cold iron. There were no more illusions of waking up on Earth or dreams of a "temporary game." The silence that followed this announcement was suffocating.
Across, Altera Earth, some Outers fell to their knees in disbelief.
"So this is it," a young girl whispered in Moscow. "We really live here now."
Others tried to find comfort in humor:
"Well... at least the system added Events."
But everyone felt the weight.
And then, as if to mark the end of all argument, one last message materialized across every sky. Letters of blinding gold shimmered like divine starlight:
[Current number of registered Outers: 43,837.]
[Number will be updated on the first day of every month.]
[Glory to those who survived.]
For a few minutes, the world just... watched.
Some Outers realized that meant more than half of them were dead since the beginning of MoDS on February 14th. Others wondered what would happen when that number hit zero. All of them, every single one of the 43,837 surviving Outers, knew the same thing.
The game had finally become reality and they had to adjust to it.
Then, the System Voice returned with the final announcements.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: FIRST ACT REWARD BRIEFING]
[The First Act of the University Arc, The Azure Sword Shining In Moonlight, has been concluded.]
[Evaluation complete. Narrative deviation detected.]
[FOUR OUTERS have altered the Primary Storyline of the Dominia Quest.]
[Identified IDs:
[Outer _110,635]
[Outer _40,001]
[Outer_3,007]
[Outer _7]
[Their choices have rewritten main events and reshaped the world's progression.]
For a moment, the entire Outerchat froze. Then, all at once, the chat exploded.
"Wait, WHAT do they mean altered the storyline?!"
"You can DO that?!"
"Those numbers... 7? Who the hell is Outer Seven?! Don't tell me is that famous MoDS content creator?"
"Plot alteration means they literally changed the canon of MoDS. Holy crap."
"Bro, 110,635?? How many Outers even EXIST?"
Streams of messages poured in from every continent and region. The Global Chat became a storm of speculation and hysteria. Conspiracy threads spawned within seconds.
Some claimed the four were developers masquerading as players. Others believed they were gods in disguise.
A growing number insisted these Outers were the ones who had taken over the main leads' bodies, who are the central characters of the original story.
"If they changed the Dominia Quest, that means they're inside the main cast. They're literally living the canon!"
"Then they're not just Outers. They're the Authors now."
Every message was followed by another faster than the last. In some regions, group leaders started organizing "search groups," promising Pearlesia bounties for anyone who could uncover the true identities behind those four ID numbers but none succeeded.
They did not respond.
Then, another system message unfurled like a blessing from the heavens:
[REWARD DISTRIBUTION COMMENCED]
[The following Outers-110,635, 40,001, 3,007, and 7-have received 10,000 Pearlesia for altering the Main Storyline of Dominia.]
[Their actions have permanently shifted the world's fate.]
[SYSTEM GIFT]
[In honor of the completion of the First Act, all Outers are granted 2,000 Pearlesia.]
[May you enjoy your continued existence in Altera Earth.]
[Live well.]
Across the globe, countless Outers gasped as their Pearlesia balances skyrocketed. But the excitement of the bonus couldn't drown out the chaos that came next.
Outerchat had become a living wildfire:
[Global] [Jaxthir]: WHO ARE THEY?! WHO'S OUTER 7?!
[Global] [KinaSol]: They have to be the protagonists. Nobody else could alter canon.
[Global] [Rynvolt]: If Outer 7 changed the ending of the Dominia Quest... does that mean the Azure Sword quest went differently?
[Global] [Heis]: I'm telling you, Outer 40,001 is that streamer who vanished during the beta tests.
[Global] [Vireya]: Imagine being one of the four who literally rewrote the story. They're basically gods now.
Within hours, fan theories emerged like cults. Digital headlines run by Outers published wild exposés with titles like:
"The Four Rewrite Gods: Who Changed the Fate of Dominia?"
"Outer 7 and the Azure Sword Connection, Coincidence or Destiny?"
"How the First Act's Ending Was Not in the Script."
-----
Meanwhile, in hidden corners of Altera Earth...
One of the four Outers stood beneath a full moon, her hand brushing against a bloody blade. She had killed a few assassins sent out after her. She looked at her tablet and the ten thousand Pearlesia she obtained.
"It was definitely a good idea to make Phasnovterich my ally. He really is something else. I should stay close to him if want to survive."
Outer_7 jumped off a building in Paris, landed smoothly and activated Faceless Identify. Her face changed to that of an ordinary French citizen, her sword vanishing in her system inventory.
"What should I buy today to celebrate my win and the coming of summer?"
---
The notification still lingered faintly on their screens.
[The Azure Sword Shining In Moonlight has been Completed.]
[The Second Act of the University Arc, The Flux University Sports Competition, Commences on October 3rd, 2040.]
[The Next System Update will be Revealed after the Second Act Ends.]
[May the Flux Goddesses Be With You All.]
-----
And hence the first part of Volume One: The Outer Transmigration, is done.
Volume Two: The Roman Summer Vacation, will be available on February 21st. Sorry for the short hiatus. I am writing two novels after all and it is kind of draining. But I did ask for this so...
See you then!