Three Realms Online, the new Hyper Dive VRMMORPG game everyone was dying to get, or HDVRMMORPG. Lines of people flooded the streets to score a hard copy of it, setting up camp a week before the release date. They called it "the game of the decade" due to the unprecedented anticipation and excitement surrounding it.
Not a single game that has ever existed has come close to its sheer scale. Everyone was excited, except for one teenager, Akio, who sat in his bedroom finishing his favorite show.
A knock is heard on the door, and Akio turns his head.
"Come in."
Upon entering, his father looks around the room. It's dark, cold, and depressive. In the corner, where his L desk is situated, only the light from the computer screen is visible. A figure turns from the chair wrapped in a blanket with his knees close to his head.
"Akio? What are you doing? Why are you sitting in the dark?"
"My favorite drama came to an end, and now I've fallen victim to the real world crushing down on me."
"You know it's a big day, right? Haha, look..." his father says before walking over to the window. He grips the dark curtains and slides them open with a bright smile on his face. "Today is a big day for the company! Our game is a week away from its release date!"
The father is clearly the opposite of Akio, radiating joy and brightness, loving to spend time with his kids. Akio, on the other hand, is more rebellious and a shut-in who values his privacy.
Akio typed on his keyboard and surfed through the web with ease, ignoring his father. He pulled up information on the game.
"This game looks like garbage, Dad. I can't believe you guys over at that company are wasting your time."
His father replies in silence, frowning and looking down.
"That's not very nice, Akio!" His father shouts.
Akio slurps some more of his ramen and types some more.
"Just imagine a world the size... no bigger than Japan! Can you imagine that?"
"Pointless."
"Every single character's creation is unique! No two characters can be alike!"
"Sounds like it will be very unbalanced."
"You know, Akio... you're probably our biggest critic! Haha," his father chuckles at that fact.
Akio merely states what he believes to be true. The game his father has been a part of for many years, Three Realms, showcases many amazing features. For example, there's the difference between the three realms. Each realm is unique in its own right. Within the realm of Kaynon lies the 'middle earth,' similar to our world, filled with forests, jungles, mountains, swamps, deserts, and so on. Daymon, "the ruthless underworld" as it's called, contains a harsher environment with volcanic ruins, rock jungles, and demonic plains. The third realm is yet to be announced, so really "the difference between two realms."
The leveling and skill system is something Akio had interest in because it would've been something that tipped the scales for him slightly liking the game. However, Akio hacked his father's computer and realized it was entirely garbage.
"The game is all hype... after a month, it will disappear and leave my father jobless," Akio thought to himself.
"Tell you what... since I know you probably don't have faith in our game, I'm willing to let you keep my tester copy. It should work just like the copies being sold."
"I don't want your stupid game."
"Did you know we designed a complete AI engine that updates the world all on its own? The moment the game goes live, it has a mind of its own. It's its very own world capable of altering weather, creating events, and even creating a new map."
"That sounds creepy and dangerous as hell. Isn't that like illegal or something? It sounds sentient."
His father turns around and gives him a thumbs up. "Sounds out of this world, right? Almost like we created a brand new universe!"