Avalon

In a near-future society, Avalon dominates as a VR shooter where players raid AI-filled levels for XP and cash. Winners can cash out the in-game money, turning skill into a living. The brain-computer interface places real mental strain, sometimes rendering players catatonic.

Ash remains a famous player who keeps competing solo since her party disbanded. Her fame masks a relentless drive to win at any cost, with little room for alliance-building. She relies on individual prowess to stay ahead.

After completing a Class A mission, the GM warns that the next level will be more dangerous and urges Ash to join a party. The warning implies that teamwork may be essential for surviving higher-stakes play. Ash is left to weigh risk versus independence.

A Bishop-class rival breaks Ash's record on the same mission, and she cannot identify who or what avatar he uses. From the periphery, the rival observes her progress, adding a constant undercurrent of stalking. The mystery of this player looms large.

Ash learns that Murphy, their former leader, pursued a hidden NPC called the 'ghost' and ended up comatose. The ghost is linked to rumors of Special A, a mission where players cannot reset. The tragedy deepens the lore around Avalon’s most dangerous level.

Back home, Ash searches for information about Avalon and the ghost, leading her to Nine Sisters, an Arthurian reference tied to Special A. The Nine Sisters are presented as possible gatekeepers of deeper access to the secret mission. The search sets her on a path toward entering Special A.

Inside Avalon, Ash is lured to a meeting only to be ambushed by griefers who rob her equipment. The griefers' leader claims that the real Nine Sisters—Avalon's creators—know how to access Special A. The confrontation reveals the creators’ hidden role in the mystery.

An attack helicopter interrupts the ambush as missiles teleport in due to lag. Ash escapes the onslaught by resetting and leaving Avalon with her avatar intact. The escape marks a dramatic departure from the in-game peril.

Returning to the real world, people around Ash become immobile while she remains mobile. A helicopter flies overhead and her dog suddenly vanishes, amplifying the sense that Avalon is leaking into the real world. The boundary between game and life grows dangerously thin.

Stunner tells Ash about a high-level Bishop who can conjure the ghost and pull parties into Special A. He also notes that Murphy was a Bishop before becoming Unreturned. The revelation deepens the web of loyalties and betrayals around Avalon.

The Bishop visits Ash and proposes forming a party to pursue Special A. She accepts, signaling a shift from solo play to a strategic alliance. The partnership aims to unlock the secrets of Special A together.

Ash enters Avalon with her new allies to confront the Citadel, a formidable boss. While two summoned auxiliaries distract the Citadel, Ash targets its weak point and destroys the boss. The victory marks a significant step toward uncovering the Special A route.

During the raid, Stunner spots the Ghost but is fatally shot by enemies. Before being forced out of Avalon, he hints that killing the Ghost might be the only way to end the loop. His death underscores the high stakes of Special A.

Ash defeats the Ghost, turning it into a gateway. She steps through the gateway and disappears from Avalon, effectively exiting the level through the gateway rather than a conventional logout.

Ash wakes in her apartment in civilian clothes and learns from the Bishop that she is in Class Real. The only path to exit Avalon is to defeat the Unreturned still present there, and she heads toward an Avalon-themed concert that promises major revelations. In the climactic finale, she confronts Murphy and the Ghost at the concert, mortally wounding Murphy while the Ghost looms on stage.

Inside the concert setting, Murphy urges Ash to stay in Avalon reality; she kills him, and the Ghost appears on stage with a sly smile. Ash points her gun toward the Ghost as the curtain closes, leaving the ultimate fate of Avalon’s gateway unresolved. The ending blends triumph with a haunting ambiguity about what reality truly is.