*beep* *beep* *beep*
Markos' eyes suddenly opened wide. His breathing was heavy and his face was drenched in sweat. After falling asleep the day before, Markos' night was plagued by nightmares.
He could not help but relive the moment when the doctor told him that his younger sister had died and the days that followed. He could still feel the smell of the hospital and the alcohol burning his throat before he died. Trying to make sure that yesterday was not a dream, Markos abruptly got up from his bed and grabbed his cell phone, which was ringing with a notification.
When he saw the message, Markos' body went completely stiff. Elena had sent him a message. With shaky hands, Markos unlocked his phone and read the message from his sister.
[Hello brother, how is your day going? Today, the doctor visited me and gave the nurse permission to wheel me out into the hospital yard. Although it was good to get some fresh air, the courtyard was quite boring. There were just a few elderly people playing chess and drinking tea. There were not even any birds singing.
Well, brother, never mind all that, when are you coming to see me? I know you came just a few days ago, but I miss you so much already :) ]
Reading his sister's words, Markos began to sob. In the last part of her illness, Elena had lost any kind of independence and she could not use her cell phone. The only way the two of them communicated was through faint whispers and glances. Getting messages from his sister asking him to visit her was something he never imagined he would miss so much.
Calming himself from doing something impulsively that he would later regret, Markos wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt and replied to Elena.
[I am sorry Elena, but I am very busy with work these days. I promise to visit you next week, so stay well so we can go to the courtyard. I will bring some bird food so you can watch them sing.]
Markos pressed the send button decisively. He needed to stabilize his own emotions before he could visit Elena. He had always been the strong older brother in her eyes, so he would never allow her to see his weaknesses.
*bang* *bang*
Still shaken by Elena's message, Markos was startled to hear someone knocking on his door. He finished wiping away his tears and rushed to open it.
To his surprise, on the other side of the door was not Old Robert coming to ask for his rent again, but a middle-aged man wearing the uniform of Scarlet Corporation's delivery department. Completely confused, Markos turned on the screen of his phone to check the time.
17:32. Markos' eyebrows twitched from the lack of awareness he felt. He had slept for over 24 hours!
"Hi. Is this Markos Emmett's address? I have a package with a VR headset ordered yesterday." The middle-aged man said with a tone of exhaustion from the large number of deliveries he had made during the day. The launch of Exodia Quest was at midnight today, so many people decided to order their VR Headset at the last minute, attracted by the fervent advertising.
Scarlet Corporation had a great reputation and unlimited resources. It was easy to imagine how strong their advertising had been in the past few days. In addition, the cheaper VR Headsets were quite affordable for the vast majority of the population. Many experts questioned whether this game would bankrupt the company if it failed, but Markos knew that they would be richer than ever. Scarlet Corporation took a 0.5% commission on every transaction made within the game, which would eventually amount to billions per day.
"Yes, I am Markos, where do I have to sign to get it?" Markos answered somewhat absently. He was still having a hard time accepting the fact that he had been able to come back to life, so his interactions with other people were awkward.
"Please sign on the line at the bottom of the page and also put your fingerprint on the company logo." The delivery man handed Markos a tablet and placed the box containing the VR Headset in his small apartment. The service that included installation had a price tag that Markos was unwilling to pay. In his past life in 2090, he had installed the most advanced VR headsets on the market himself, so installing this kind of archaic technology was child's play for him.
"Thank you, enjoy your package." After signing and handing the tablet to the delivery man, he quickly said goodbye.
Markos could see the displeasure in his eyes. He probably thought he was just another teenager willing to go broke just to play video games. Only addicts were willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on video games while living in a place like this. But Markos did not think much of it. Such thoughts were normal before the revolution brought about by the release of Exodia Quest.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Markos quickly took the VR Headset out of its box. At first glance, it looked no different than a simple black motorcycle helmet. However, anyone who saw the distinctive phoenix covered in scarlet flames would know it was something more. The Scarlet Corporation logo was just too flashy.
Looking at the VR Headset, Markos could only sigh. Compared to the VR Chips of the future that would allow you to play anywhere, this nearly two-kilogram VR Headset was indeed technology from another era. Seeing that it was almost six o'clock in the evening, Markos skillfully connected the VR Headset components as quickly as possible.
Although the servers would not open until midnight, players were able to log in to create their characters six hours before launch. Exodia Quest allowed for an impressive amount of character customization. However, only casual players were willing to make major changes to their appearance.
Players who wanted to dedicate themselves to Exodia Quest professionally and reach the highest level knew that this was taboo, as it drastically affected the level of synchronization. This was a lesson learned from the first large-scale VR games in the 2050s.
After making sure Exodia Quest was set up correctly, Markos put the VR headset on his head and laid down on his bed before putting the visor down.
There he did nothing but watch the time tick by.
17:58
17:59
18:00
Without wasting a second, Markos activated the VR mode and entered the character creation tab of Exodia Quest.
[Dear player, welcome to Exodia Quest. Before continuing, please accept our Terms of Use.]
"I accept," Markos said immediately without bothering to read the endless contract. Everyone talked about the hidden dangers in the game's terms and conditions, but no one bothered to do anything about it. What was the solution? Watch others play while you had to entertain yourself with bricks?
[Dear player, we have detected that your gender is male. Please confirm.]
"That is right."
[Dear player, before we continue with the character creation process, we need to know what to call your character. Please choose a name.]
Hearing these words, an enigmatic smile appeared on Markos' face. The name of the assassin whose talent was the envy of many would once again appear in Exodia Quest. Only this time, it would not be the most talented assassin, but the best.
"My name is OneKill."