We stood in a vast plain with a giant ass screen hanging above in the sky, welcoming us in NORDLANDS.

A robotic voice explained the world, but I wasn't listening. I was shocked, stunned to be transported in a place like the one I saw on those 3D screens and billboards –– a world like in a game.

If I knew this would happen. I should have bought that one thousand dollar console and played those games like I always wanted. But since I was poor, I could barely save ten bucks in a day.

The pleasant voice of a female boomed in the sky. It was coming from the screen above.

Huh? Menu what? Everyone was wiping their hands in the air, and a hologram screen appeared before them. But I couldn't read it. It must be set for only them to see their screens.

. . .

. . .

At this point, I was sure that I was dreaming.

I pinched myself, and the pain registered in my nerve endings. I had never been devastated to know that I was alive until this point in my life.

I was already contented with my life in the real world, but someone or some higher entity decided that my life wasn't hard enough and wanted me to fight beasts and monsters too?

Was this a part of an experiment of a new world? Or a beta test of some new VRMMORPG that was rumored to happen?

If so, was everyone here the same as me? Poor losers who labored for scraps of money day in and day out? That our deaths wouldn't even cause a ripple in the daily lives of men?

Oh . . . is that . . .

My eyes widened when I spotted a famillar face!

Without thinking, I turned the other way and hid my face with my hood.

Whoa . . . I never expected to see Amara Goldstein amidst this sea of people. How long had it been?

More than ten years? Since grade school?

Her face matured nicely, and her flocks of waves of golden hair were tied in a high ponytail. Her breasts were huge to boot paired with ample hips and long sets of snow-white legs.

I heard that she's taking her master's in medicine, unlike me, who was doing odd jobs for a living.

. . . Wait . . . Amara came from an influential family . . . I remember she even had a chauffeur when we were young. She was riding the latest car in and out of school, and her things were brand new and in season. She was the most popular girl in our grade school.

If she's here then . . .

Could it be that everyone here was not losers like me after all?

And judging from the sheer amount of people in different colors, sizes, and appearances, I assumed that we were randomly selected to play this twisted game?

I didn't know if I should be happy that the universe was fair for once.

I took a peek at Amara. She was checking her status screen or menu or whatever it was called, and her face was serious like always.

She had always been unapproachable. And now, her success was woven nicely on her face, and she had this intimidating aura around her that repelled everyone away.

I wonder if she still recognized me? The one who saved money to buy her magic pencils in promised that she would go out with me but ended up going out with my best friend instead?

I was a looker in grade school, but the constant work under the sun and heat caused me to age prematurely.

I shook my head. That was not important. My girlfriend, Soarsie, or anyone from my family could be here, and this was no time to stand around and recall distant memories.

I checked my status screen and swiped my fingers in the air. I felt like an idiot, but at least I was not the only one doing it.

A screen appeared in front of me, transparent, but I still saw each menu and letter displayed. It'll take time to get used to it. But for now, I pressed the only available buttons glowing in a pale blue light.

I guess I couldn't access the other buttons for now.

‖ S Y S T E M

D O W N L O A D I N G . . . 70% ‖

Egh?

I was pretty sure that I pressed the status menu just now. However, the menus on my screen disappeared and were replaced by these bold words that occupied my whole screen.

Is this a bug?

I peeked at the others, but I couldn't see anything on their screen.

‖ S Y S T E M

D O W N L O A D I N G . . . 90% ‖

Is this normal?

‖ S Y S T E M

D O W N L O A D I N G . . . 100% ‖

‖ I N T E G R A T I N G

E V I L S Y S T E M

C O M P L E T E D ‖

Huh?

‖ S T A TU S ‖

Name: Cross

Age: 24

Race: Human

Class: Evil Apprentice

Eye Color: Silver

Hair Color: Black

‖ E N D ‖

. . . Evil Apprentice?

What's that?