Gentle rays of sunlight pierced the light blue holographic clear wall of my room.
It was a one-way mirror. I can see what's outside. But the outside cannot see me or my room.
Stretching. I recalled the dream that I kept on having for the past few days.
It was Grandfather's words. Echoing loud and clear within different dreams.
My Grandfather once told me a few words to live by. A string of words carrying wisdom so great that I followed his ideology till the end.
"Life is shit. So do not expect to always be on top. Use your brain to overcome everything. And if all else fails, beat the shit out of everyone. Do not be afraid to burn the house if you can't take it anymore."
My name is Dominic. Dominic Remington. A twenty-one-year-old man living a peaceful life.
I live in one of the high-class apartments. Inside glory city.
Glory City. Was a bustling city. It was like the new york of the ancient past. A place most wanted to see.
Likewise... The cost of living was pretty high. But I'm not bothered in the slightest.
I'm rich after all.
Large, white buildings towered into the sky. Piercing the clouds. From the floor, the buildings looked like marble pillars piercing the heavens.
And these buildings had roots. Long, brown roots growing from the top. Sprouting branches and verdant leaves.
To conserve earth lands' atmosphere. Buildings were dictated to grow a large tree at the very top. Large genetically modified trees capable of exuding Twenty times more oxygen and was able to absorb more carbon dioxide. Or waste gases.
Yeahp... These towers of blue, white, green and brown themes really shook me to the core at first step into this... Eden.
Decades had already passed. And humans now usher in a new age of technological prosperity.
After a round of morning exercise routines. Breakfast and a nice morning bath. I tapped the wristwatch on my left arm. Raised my arm above me.
Dominic is Online.
I glanced at a little group chat. There was o ly four people in it.
Me.
Elric. Dars and Aotian.
The wristwatch parted. And revealed a large bluish screen.
Three holograms popped up.
"Morning."
"Good morning."
"Good Evening"
"Morning"
Three holograms. A tall burly bald guy. A small, lithe teenage boy wearing long jeans. Rubber shoes and a hoodie. As for the last guy.
He looked like a cheeky fox. His eyes were lines. Telling of his Chinese descent.
It was Dars. Elric and Aotian respectively.
Good. Since we're all here then it is time to get straight to business.
"I'm going to delve deeper into that forest dungeon."
The three holograms buzzed.
Aotian smiled with a confused frown. Dars' expression was surprised. His mouth hanging agape.
And Elric seemed to be lost in thought. Looking down and holding his chin.
Aotian laughed helplessly. His quivering voice earning our attention.
"I can't log in for another three days. I got sucked to death by a succubus."
Pfft!
All of us started laughing. Aotian scratched the back of his head.
What a lucky and unlucky way to go.
Dying from a virtual blowjob in a VRMMO... I don't know what you did Aotian... But surely.
It's your fault.
You are a horny bard afterall.
"I'm not able to come too. I have to walk my ten dogs. And buy a new husky." Dars apologetically uttered. His hologram shook and a few dogs were shown yipping around him. All held by leashes.
Taken aback. Aotian's loud voice boomed."No way! Hey Dars! You have a lot of dogs already! How come you don't give me one?"
"No way. These are my dogs man. Go buy your own or adopt one."
"How stingy. I'm hurt. Well that's it for now... I'll go see what my fans are rumbling about so late at night. I get pinged every second and it's insane." Aotian waved. We all bade him goodbye.
Long Aotian has Disconnected.
"Yeah. I have to go too. These cute doggies wouldn't just pet themselves without me." Dars bowed.
Dars has Disconnected
I sighed... Playing without us complete was kinda sad.
Enough to sour down my mood a little.
"What about you Elric?"
"I'm free right now. I'll meet you in game."
Elric has Disconnected.
The holograms all vanished.
My wristwatch returned to normal and I rushed to my gaming room.
Let's see let's see. What loot will I get today? How much exp can I amass?
My gaming room was... Just a plain white room. But a metal capsule laid at the middle. Circuits ran through it and through the ground. Painting the world white and blue.
It was as if a white world had cracked. And blue veins leading to other dimensions littered the room.
The capsule opened. Splitting open in half and welcoming me into its interior.
I sank into fluffy bedding. Vr capsules were designed to make the bodies inside not grow sore from all that laying down.
Clack! Clack!
Nodes jutted out from the capsule walls as it enclosed me. The nodes all stuck to my naked body and I closed my eyes.
A gentle onee sama's voice tickled my ears.
[Welcome Back To Reverie! Swordguy123 !]
Damn... I forgot that was my IGN. And I can't change it.
Fuck...
My vision swam. Reality seemed to twist into spiraling rainbow lights as I stood there. Clad in metal armor. Holding onto my sword's hilt as it lay sleeping inside the scabbard attached to the side of my waist.
The surroundings finally set in. And I found myself in a forest with large trees towering into the clouds.
"Yo!" Someone called out from behind me. Their tone was happy and a bit excited.
I turned around. And saw an elf sitting at a tall ass tree branch.
He wore a set of light black robes. Hiding all skin and even covering his face. Only revealing eyes. A weird black turban hat adorned his head. And a longbow was strapped to his back.
Chestnut eyes stared at me. Twinkling.
It was Elric.
"Dominic. Shouldn't you change your address from Glory City's number one penthouse to Reverie? You grind so much that it's like you live in this game now."
"Shut up weakling. You're just jealous I can deal ridiculous amounts of damage and tank hits."
"Yeah yeah whatever..." Elric rolled his eyes. And glanced to the side.
"Stupid hacker."
"Hey, I heard that!"
"Hehe!"
We bantered. And Elric finally jumped down from the tree branch and pulled his bow.
Twung!
Shooting a bow at me. I tilted my head to the side.
"Agh!" Pained cries echoed behind me.
I turned around. And saw an ugly goblin pinned to a tree by an arrow piercing his skull.
"Goblin band incoming!" Elric warned.
"I know I know." I pulled out my sword and walked towards the goblins.
And started chopping them up with no effort.
I was too high level for these little mobs.
Literally.
Moments later. We killed thousands of goblins.
Elric was panting. Catching his breath and I stood there unaffected.
Then the man started laughing his ass off.
"What's wrong?"
Elric waved at me. One arm clutching his stomach. "Nothing. Nothing!
He wiped his tears. And I smiled.
"It's because everything feel to real right? The pain. The hunger. All senses. And fatigue. I can only imagine how good Aotian felt getting succ from a succubus. That dickhead."
I shook my head a little.
Long Aotian was a cheeky and perverted bard. He's good at supporting but most of the time it is him getting our group of four into trouble.
Elric took a deep breath. "You got that right. I can't believe that only a few dozen players. Only a few dozen of us beta testers are playing this wonderful game."
It all came back to me. To the first day I played this game.
I was a nobody back then. Just a dude who posts somewhat good content online.
It was that everything changed when a weird black box came to my doorstep. A box containing a message.
All of us who beta tested reverie were apparently handpicked. And I do not get why I was included.
Chckling. I answered my best friend.
"Well... We're the only one who took the risk to sign a death certificate thingy. And it paid off."
"More like we're the only popular ones who was selected to stream Reverie worldwide."
I cracked a smug smile. The four of us. Were professional players turned beta testers of the most hyped up game.
Dars was a wonderful tank. Any game he played or streamed. He was always able to exploit things and become overpowered enough to face tank everything.
Elric. I met him at a bar. Getting drunk and wasted on a lot of alchohol a few years back.
As for Aotian...
He was an awkward dude at first. Having moved into this country. A foteigner.
I found and saved him.
The poor guy was being chased and harrassed in a park by milfs. Femboys and thirsty hoes.
The most hyped up game. Reverie.
Was a full dive VRMMO.
An ambitious game many called out. And criticized.
Full Dive VR games were banned worldwide. Up until a few weeks later after all our beta testing streams and promotions.
Because the capsules were too deadly.
It wasn't easy to make humans feel things.
Some capsules ended up killing the players with their strange mechanisms.
And some electrocuted their owners to death.
Causing the global full dive VR game ban. Turning it into softcore VR.
Softcore VR where only sight. And sound was the only things a player could feel.
"I can't believe how much of a scam this Reverie looked like at first glance. Now... We get to play inside a real virtual reality." Elric sighed. Melancholy overtaking him as we walked through the dungeon with ease.
"A scam. A risk... Atleast it changed me. Made me rich and gave me the life I wanted." I shrugged with a small smile.
Living in Glory City. A place where millionaires chill around.
Being able to eat three times a day fully.
Waking up without worries.
Everything was achieved through taking that risk. Signing that death certificate and testing this game. All the while launching streams.
Fulldive VR was banned. But that did not mean you couldn't stream it.
The developers of Reverie also made sure to cover my back.
And many were slowly but surely enticed into watching my streams. And all the beta testing streams.
It was a brand new virtual world. As if an isekai but witgout the need of dying.
In Reverie...
If you eat you feel full. If you fuck in the game you feel like you're actually fucking someone.
And about that particular potential plothole.
The capsule injects a nutritious solution into your bloodstream. Silencing the angry critics saying that Reverie's gaming capsule would cause starvation.
"Since things are like this then I don't have to wait for a truck to run me over to live in a different world. Hey Dominic. If you were to die and reincarnate as a protagonist. Would you accept it?"
Elric laughed carefreely.
Mounting his two arms on the back of his head. He whistled a little on our walk through a forest.
I shook my head.
"Absolutely not."
I'm satisfied with my life so far. The first parts were dark and bumpy. But aren't I rich and famous now?
Don't I have cute fans now?
In today's age... Famous pro gamers are the equivalent of a Korean pop girl group or boy group.
As long as you're good enough or entertaining enough. People would like you.
This is the future. Everyone has access to technology that can make them handsome.
Elric stopped.
Panicking. His eyes shrank into dots.
He looked around. Tapped the air a few times and a message box appeared. I couldn't read it.
Yet judging from his look of horror. It was bad news.
"Ah, shit... I forgot to do a limited sidequest. I gotta go!"
"Goodluck!" I waved my friend goodbye.
I turned to the forest path. And pressed forward.
Reincarnation huh? I'm not interested.
This glory City... This peace...
What a beautiful Duwang indeed. Lucky I had no hand fetish.
-----
Right before me stood one hell of a beast. Towering over me at three meters tall with muscles thicker than an adult's thigh. Green fleshly ripped muscles struck a deep sense of overwhelming strength radiating from its frame. On its right hand was a crude bone mace probably taken from a large monster's carcass.
I looked down on the monster's lower half. The only thing concealing its honor was a rough, unfashionable animal skin loincloth.
----------
{Forest's Menace!}
l Green Ogre l lvl 19 Monster (Roaming Elite)
HP: 336/4500
MP: 70/70
Stamina: 1222/14000 (Exhausted)
-----
Variable Attributes
-----
Str: 225
Ten: 477
Dex: 188
Agi: 122
MI: 13
Spirit: 45
-----
Non-Variable Attributes
-----
Charm: 3/10 (Below Average) [It's an ogre! It's bound to be ugly! Ugly but muscular!]
Intelligence: 4/10 (Poor)
Will: 6 /10 (Above Average)
Luck: 5/10 (Average)
-----
Skills
-----
[ lvl 3 No Pain no Gain! ](Uncommon) [ lvl 2 Mace Proficiency ](Common) [lvl 1 Tough Hide](Uncommon)
----------
UOOOOOOO!!! The green monster screamed. It's bellows shaking the leaves quietly adorning the tall healthy trees surrounding us. Looking at this monster before me, it was kind of reassuring that it would die soon. I'm just a lvl 20 swordsman after all and the fight against this wandering mini-boss took quite a lot of time. A few tens of minutes to be a little more specific.
As deafening as the roar of the Green Ogre was, it was just a fruitless final effort coming from a near-death monster. It was exhausted, weakened as multiple gashes piled up across the creature's chest.
"It's all ogre now! I have the high ground!" I couldn't help but laugh merrily.
This was it. After killing this stupid thing (quite literally) I would be able to finally catch a break!
Now, what should I do after this? Ah right, going to the grocery store is a must. I'm in dire need of a quick snack.
Wooosh!
Woah!
Hurriedly ducking under a large airborne bone mace projectile, a sigh of relief left my chest. It was too close! I nearly got one-shotted. And that was a low blow too! I was busy with my internal monologue you half-witted green muscle man!
Ooooo... The green ogre kneeled down. Head hanging low as its chest rose up and down rhythmically. That position coupled by grievous wounds it sustained from our little scuffle cut the ogre a sorry figure.
I'm sorry ogre... If you just didn't aggro onto me at first glance then I wouldn't have tried killing you. I am just a player. A man. And you are just a randomly generated mob. A monster.
I glanced at my aching slightly swelling hand. It was red and pained from gripping the sword too tightly. My armor didn't help relieve some of my burdens too. I could feel myself like akin to a tin can sunbathing on the beaches of Miami.
It was damn hot mind you! This stuff is too hyper-realistic. If you get stabbed well sh1t you will really feel as if you got stabbed. The pain settings can be lowered down to 40 percent but that was still painful!
Weather conditions also come into play. Along with strict carrying capacities. Carry too much things and man your body would scream at you due to being encumbered. Stay too much underneath the sun in a desert and congratulations! Everything would turn black as your avatar just suffered a heatstroke. And if you don't get back up, the character would die and you would get logged out of the simulation.
"But I have to admit though. The developers of this game really put quality in mind when they made this." I couldn't help but nod at the visuals and the immersion I felt in playing this VRMMO.
Yes... At the end of the day, this ogre before me was just a string of codes while I was just a man strapped inside a VR capsule. My body reclined on one of the comfiest chairs I had ever sat upon and numerous nodes strapped onto my body.
It was the year XX90. In the past humans may have launched petty wars but luckily, some proper world leaders finally took the helm. Carried their nations to a brighter and more secure future. Not only that but they also finally found a much more fun way to settle their differences.
The future was now old man! Flying cars were not possible. Yet but hovering ones are fun! Losing the need for tires and as for energy/ fuel sources? Dyson swarms man! I'm telling you. Eilon Stonks, the man behind the machine revolution had managed to create a semi-functional prototype Dyson swarm revolving around the sun. There are other methods such as nuclear power plants but we don't talk about that here.
For the matter of settling international strife. Simulated battlefields were a thing for that. First-person shooters got upgraded and became more realistic. Soldiers would only have one life and military armaments are generated by computers depending on the real-life financial status of a nation. Some nations are less richer than most but nothing a few good strategies could solve.
And sometimes. Pro gamers are hired to represent the country in much more simplified virtual playgrounds. It was great. You get to represent the country and be actually respected by a fair bit and you get paid.
Just like my job. A beta tester. I play games. Have fun and get paid. This was life.
I scratched my chin... Surely this carefree life would last forever no?
Nuooooo! The ogre roared again. Having rested a tiny bit, it stood up and wanted to attack me again. I sighed. About time I finally killed you.
Sorry I got sidetracked ogre man.
'Power thrust...' Tightly gripping my sword. I waited until the ogre managed to get within striking uh noo uh thrusting! Thrusting distance and I. Well... I thrust my trusty blade!
The sword exited the ogre's back. Eyes turning dull and lifeless and I jumped back. Evading the tumbling three-meter tall muscular frame toppling over like felled wood.
Ah right... Monsters do not just POOF! Into dust or get Thanos snapped upon dying. Their bodies actually stay behind. And they would continue sitting there unless it was eaten up by another monster, decomposed into bones or disposed of by their killers.
As for looting mechanics? Erm... One does not simply scream "loot all!" and get thirty pieces of ogre's teeth or one meter of ogre hide.
I glanced at the ogre and winced.
If you want to loot the body, you can take the easy to take off stuff like weapons armors and such but for this particular matter. You have to skin the monster by yourself. Or store it away in the inventory after hacking it into parts. Then get a professional NPC to do the dirty job for you.
[You've slain {Forest's Menace} l Green Ogre l !]
[You've received 2000 exp!]
Sweet sweet exp! Now we're talking!
I glanced at my level bar and it moves slightly by 3 percent. Well, that was something alright.
I shrugged. Dismantling the ogre's corpse was of no interest to me. Might as well logged out. I've played for 12 hours straight now after breakfast. I was hungry.
[ATTENTION!] The System lady's voice rattled my eardrums.
Jesus christ lady! No need to rob me of my wonderful hearing ability!
[Server is shutting down in preparation for the grand release one month later. Please finish your things and log off before est: 10 minutes.]
[Thank you beta testers for testing the game continuously for the past six months. Your in-game characters shall automatically be deleted but one could also save the profile under the restriction of being leveled down back to one.]
[As a gift. Beta testers would receive a major boon upon re-entering "Reverie" post-Grand Release.]
[Again... Thank You, Everyone...]
The System lady's voice quieted down. A sigh escaped my lips. The system's voice was not a robotic one. It was actually the voice of a woman. Pleasant to the ears and such.
I snickered. "At least that's the voice settings I set for mine!"
The system's voice actually varies depending on user preferences. It could be a deep masculine voice to tickle the heartstrings of female gamers or it could even be a woman's just like mine.
As a boy having watched too much animation and that is a gamer. This is just right for me.
The gentle voice of an onee-sama reminding me of notifications or system alerts. Make's it more comfortable feeling like some gentle figure was looming over me and watching me from heaven.
Ba-dump! A message notification rattled through the air.
I swiped the air. Opening up a huge semi-transparent blue screen and clicked on my messages.
NumeroUnoUnderZeHeavens: Bro have you heard of the system alert?
I rolled my eyes at my friend's redundant question.
Swordguy123: Yes I did. And I'm kinda stoked to return after the one month period. This sword of mine is kinda getting a little old and I want to test drive another class.
Builds and classes were very important in an MMORPG. Much less this VRMMO with hyper-realistic features. Resetting and re statting was not easy at all. I'm just joking at that remark. I have zero plans on changing classes. Sword waving is the way to go!
NumeroUnoUnderZeHeavens: That's so you Dominic! Ever so violent and shit!
Swordguy123: Shut up Elric! You know me! Nothing's better than the rush of hacking and stabbing things while duking it out with them in a physical confrontation!
NumeroUnoUnderZeHeavens: Alright sword saint. If you're like that then just change class into a berserker already! Dumb brute!
Swordguy123: Back off chuuni! I know your deepest darkest secrets! You've even left your precious one terra byte of research material USB at my place! I won't give it back if you keep dissing me like this!
I laughed. Elric quieted down with his response being a long string of dots. Knowing him, he would've already started panicking by now while looking all over the place. And of course. Me having his USB was just an empty threat.
All I did was give it to Elric's mom. I was no thief. And I was a man of upright morals. Surrendering incriminating devices to the proper authorities was the right thing to do...
Ah... I'm such a role model. Kids should be more like me!
DUdunt~ The blue panel spasmed before becoming a live hologram of Elric's avatar. A tall elven male archer dressed in black robes. Covering all skin and even having a turban-like hat sitting at his head.
"Dominic I swear to god... Where did you place my research!" Elric screamed at me in a panicky quivering voice. Sh1t man... This stuff is too good. I couldn't help but grin at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about..." I smiled grimly. Elric shuddered.
Anytime now...
"ELRIC YOU GET YO ASS DOWN HERE AT THIS INSTANT! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT RUBBING ONE OFF TO ANIME GIRLS WAS NEVER A GOOD THING!" It was sassy!
A voice so loud and domineering yet full of spunk! Elric's avatar seemed to have gotten considerably paler. Giving me quite a laugh before he disconnected.
"Ahahaha I'm such an ass of a friend! Elric, you're my friend and all but I had to get back at you for eating my last slice of pizza at the last visit!" I laughed, rolled on the ground, and started to smack it. God this game was too real! Even laughing too much hurts my stomach!
"That's enough of that..." I sighed. Opening up the settings and soon logging off...
Kerchunk! The metallic pod around me shifted. I pried my body out of it and stretched. Causing all my bones to issue satisfying popping sounds. Ah right... Playing games inside the capsule was like sleeping.
One would feel relaxed and energetic upon exiting the capsule. Food... I was hungry...
I rand down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen. A quick survey of the contents instantly earned a no from me. It was all vegetables. I need meat!
Man need meat!
Dressed in my pajamas, I didn't give a single care in the world as I strutted out of my own house. I walked down the alley and bought meat stuff at the local meat store. Checking the plastic bag which melts in water in the span of three hours earned a crack of a grin from me.
Lamb chops. Pork Chops. Bacon. Eggs. Delish!
In glee, I opened my eyes. Walked down the busy sidewalk en route to my house and looked at the somewhat busy road. Hovering cars and bikes filled the area. I looked at my digital wristwatch and it was just 7 pm...
"7 Pm... The mad man should be passing soon." That guy...
There was one crazy guy in town who drove a truck. A truck for transporting goods. This truck was not like any other vehicle as it was a relic of the past. With wheels and such. I talked to the man driving it a few months ago and all I got was even more confusion.
"This truck can change lives ya know? You wouldn't understand now... Yet!"
What a mad man. I shook my head.
Sounds like a death flag. Best to avoid truck guy for now.
My eyes caught the figure of a little girl playing soccer on the road. She was skilled for an eight-year-old. Managing to suspend the ball up in the air using her head. Her smile was brilliant and pure as the morning sun.
Oh! It's Beatrice! My neighbor's daughter!
Flashing a warm smile! I waved at Beatrice who waved back at me. The ball bounced off her head at an angle and went rolling into the streets. She chased frantically after it.
At that moment. Time seemed to slow down...
Shit...
Throwing my biodegradable plastic bag. I rushed forth with all my strength towards Beatrice. After reaching her halfway through the road, I pushed her back. Her body recoiling back into the safe sidewalk.
The world seemed to darken. I looked to my side in horror.
The world had become dark. Sans the light emanating out of a truck's front lights.
This is going to hurt. A lot. But I need to save Beatrice. To save a life while risking my own.
This is stupid. But...
I'll take that offer any day as long as it was someone close to me.
And besides.
It's the future anyway. I can be saved as long as my heart does not stop beating.
BEEP!
BOOM!
CRASH!
It was painful... I felt the world spin around me.
I saw that Beatrice had managed to be saved. Unfortunately... She's a little uncoscious. But uninjured.
Pain wracked my chest.
Cough! Cough!
And I started coughing. Gagging on my own vomit of blood as I looked down.
The world spun. This ringing sensation in my ears were horrendous. I managed to make out an image.
My lower half, starting from my stomach was missing. Crushed by heavy tires.
My guts spilled into the road.
"Ah... No..." No...
This can't be happening.
I jumped in. Calculated that even if I get run over only my legs would be the ones getting crushed.
It shouldn't be like this.
It wasn't meant to be like this!
I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die!
My heart beat faster. And felt heavier. Each second I could feel my body growing colder.
No... I can't die... I finally did it!
I finally found my happiness!
I found my peace goddamnit!
No no...
I reached forward. Clawing at my entrails.
The fresh splatter of crimson corrupted my hands into it's own shade.
"Ahahaha..." I laughed... Laughed in fear.
If I scoop my organs close to my chest... I can still be saved right?
Right?
Right?
This is the future... Medical technology can save me.
Please... Please...
"I can still be saved right?" I uttered.
Desperately clawing at my entrails and collecting them...
In the middle of a road. A circle of shouting and panicking passerbys looked at me with fear.
I can still be saved right?
But no one answered my question.
I felt... Chill... The coldness seeping into my bones.
My body felt heavy. And I felt... Tired...
Thud!
And then there was only darkness...