---{ A year later... }---
( Announcement: Congratulations Zero! You have won the tournament! You are now the 23rd champion of the game! ) the announcement appeared on the right corner of the screen.
( Please wait for the reward to arrive at your address. )
Any person who had received the message would surely jump in joy. They have won the game; out of all the contestants, they were the most to survive; they have defeated them all.
But that was not the case for Zero.
*Click
He just casually removed the message from his notification and turned the game off.
[ Haah...! ]
Zero moved his chair away from his desk and stretched his limbs, releasing a relaxing sigh as he did so.
[ The 23rd champion... It doesn't sound bad... But I won so many titles already that I don't feel the same feeling I got from the first time I received one anymore... ] he spins his chair and looks at the trophies sitting on the wooden cabinet on the side of his room.
7th, 8th, 9th, 12th,13th, 16th, 17th,18th, 20th, 21th, were written in the middle of the exact same trophies. There are almost only three other ones that are not the same.
[ The God, huh...? I guess since I got 1/2 of their trophies, it would be fitting... No... I'm just like any other... I just want to play the game... ]
Zero was only a kid when the game was first released, and now, he's an adult.
Playing the game AAO had changed his life completely, he couldn't wish for more. Because of his popularity, one invitation of his name to any program, interviews, streams, etc, he can get a lot of money. And that was not all - the amount of money he gets from people that donate to his character can also easily live him off a good life.
The truth was, everything that he had bought, was because of the money he got from the game.
[ Hmm... ] as he was put into deep thought, his eyes accidentally stumble on the headgear that was placed on his bed, just beside his PC.
( Now that I think about it... I've never actually played with a headgear before... ) with that thought inside his head, he pushed his chair towards the bed and took hold of the headgear.
Its appearance was almost the same as a motor helmet, the only differences the two has was that the headgear has a lot of wires attached to it. His eyes outlined the wires, looking to where it connects, and as it should, it was connected to his PC.
( People say that there's been a lot of accidents that occurred on its first release... I hope it was just a myth... )
Although he says that, the real reason why Zero had never used a headgear before was that he never had one. His family was in the middle-class, but they were still not in the state where they can buy him a headgear, especially in its first-year where its price was at its peak.
Needless to say, he was a person who had grown using PCs to play games, which is now a rarity to the population of the youth.
[ Well... It's not like that's going to happen... ]
And so he decided to try it out.
He first re-open the game inside the PC, and then he lied on the bed and presses a button on the headgear.
***
( Launching... )
>>> ...
>>> ...
>>> ...
( Welcome! )
( Read instructions: Since this is the first time this particular headgear is being used, we would like you to have the patience and read the instructions: )
( The NHGT(Neuro Head Gear Transit) uses your conscious mind to operate. Spots installed in the NHGT will allow your mind to manipulate the data inside the PC without using any keys or buttons. Your mind will be your tool. Note: The gear will need your brain to have specific temperature and stress to work, in which you would gain when you are asleep. )
( Warning: As you have most of the control with your NHGT, it will also have control over your brain. The NHGT will have to implant two data inside your head as you use it: Data1 will allow you to stay asleep, and Data2 will only activate when you logout. These data would be untrackable and unhackable to anyone, so you shouldn't worry about it getting out of control. )
( You can deactivate the NHGT by using the word Logout - and Confirm. )
( Loading... )
>>> ...
>>> ...
>>> ...
( Welcome! )
( Current Activated Game: Altair Adventure Online(AAO) )
( Please confirm login... )
( Login complete! )
( Loading... )
>>> ...
>>> ...
***
( Welcome to Altair Adventure Online! )
[ Ohho~! So this is what it feels like, huh? Everything looks real...! ]
Almost immediately, Zero was able to get inside the game. And as though he was still outside, everything looked real.
Zero's character was launched in the same spot where he had left - at the top of a tall mountain.
[ Amazing... ] as he gasps in amazement, he looks at the horizon.
There - he saw the sky which has a mix of orange and purple. The twilight never looked so real. In fact, for as long as he knows, this was the first time he had seen one. The only thing that it seems to be lacking was the non-existing coldness and flow of the wind, which should appear if it was real and was not a game.
( Instructions: Please use the word "Stats" to view your character. ) the message appeared on the bottom-right corner of his eyes. And as it instructed, he said the word.
[ Stats... ]
( Showing Stats >>> ... )
Name: Zero
Race: Bahamut(Humanoid)
Level: 1000 - Maxed
Health:140958 +200000
Stamina:150956 +200000
Strength: 150059 +150000
Magic: 205968 + 250000
Physical Defense: 220987 +100000
Magic Resist: 213485 +100000
The words appeared on a window, in front of him.
[ Hmm... Still as broken as ever... ] he murmurs as he pinches his chin.
[ But now that I think about it... I almost forgot that my race is Bahamut... and that I also have some other form... I never used it for almost a year but If I remember correctly... it was some kind of a dragon... I played for years I forgot what it was... Hehe... ] he made an empty laugh as he was reminiscent of those times when he devastated an entire army of players.
[ Now... This is the first time I played with an headgear, so I should try to have as much fun as I can... ]
Looking around, he realized that he won't be able to have many things to do in this location, so he decided to move to another one.
[ Umu... The words for it should be... Right. Teleport: Kura Dragon Palace! ] he tried the words, and as he had expected, the view in front of him radiated and changed.
[ ...! ]
( Error...! Error...! Error...! )
But as soon as he arrived in the place he intended to teleport to, a message suddenly appeared in front of him. And the view in front of him that was just about to change itself disappeared and completely turned white.
[ Umm... What should I do here...? Did I do something wrong...? ]
He turns to all directions, looking around.
And there - he saw nothing but an empty void of white.
( Error...! Error...! Error...! ) the message on a window in front of him was the only thing that was there.
It's blinking in red and an irritating and eerie sound was coming from it.
( Error...! Error...! Error...! )
( System: Error... Data and System would be reloaded... Please wait for a while... )
[ What the hell should I do with this...? Is the headgear not working properly...? ]
For as long as he knows, the word 'error' was never a good thing. And so he stood there in anxiousness, preparing for the next window to pop out.
( Loading >>> ... )
( .... )
( ... )
( Notification(1)! )
That was then, a new window came out. The red blinking and the eerie sound had finally disappeared and was replaced with a normal pop-up window.
[ A notification...? ]
Its Icon was the same one that appears when a company messages him. It was not the first time he had seen it, and he felt relieved as it appears.
With nothing to click on, Zero clicked on it, and as it should be, it disappeared and was replaced by another.
( Would you like to start a new adventurer? ) and as soon as it appeared, another one came below it and says:
( You have reached the peak, and now you're the strongest. There is no fun in a game where you're the strongest, right? )
[ What are these...? ] Zero could only mutter.
The messages that he were expecting to see were messages from people and companies, not a question nor a statement.
*Pop! *Pop! *Pop!
The windows just then soon appeared one after another...
( Would you like a new adventure? )
( Would you like to start over? )
( Would you like to conquer a world? )
( Would you like to live a new life...? )
Those were only a few to the numerous ones that appeared, and then at the last second, the last two windows shown themselves, which simply has the words...
( YES/N0 )
( - Sign by a real God - Zereal )
Both messages were in front of Zero.
[ This can't be a troll, right...? Who's Zereal...? Is he the creator and he finally got pissed off of my title...? Or perhaps this is just a new update... ]
Those were the only conclusion he can come out with.
He looked at the two words Yes and No in front of him. Thinking deeply about what he should click.
For all he knows, the system might've have gotten hacked and this is a scam.
But thinking about it, that case was impossible. The system of AAO is known for its unhackable system, so there's almost no way that would happen.
Then - if that was not the case, this could only be a new update or something like an error to the system.
[ Hmm... ]
A new part of the game - is what he thinks the message might lead him to. And if that was the case, he's more than happy to experience it.
Having courage and confidence in the game, he pointed a finger to the word 'Yes'.
*Click
And clicked it...
( You've made the right choice. Ejoy your new adventure! Strongest one! )