Sip...
A few days have passed since I had beaten up the human trafficker and freed the billionaire's captive son.
The story was already making headlines, spreading like wildfire through various news outlets and social media platforms.
Of course, since my face was hidden by a hood, the kid couldn't identify me as the person who had saved him.
It was the perfect execution of the plan.
Save the child.
Hide your identity.
Gain a favor from a billionaire.
"Everything is going according to my plan..."
Looking out at the city skyline from my apartment's balcony, I smiled while sipping coffee from a mug.
Today was finally the day, the day I had been waiting for an entire month.
"Realm of Legends should be launched in an hour."
Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, I tried to contain my excitement.
My hands were trembling slightly from anticipation, eager to dive into the virtual world.
"Relax..."
I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart.
I had a few goals to reach in the game...
Become a top ranker.
Abuse my knowledge of the future to gain an advantage.
Get a lot of gold coins in the game, exchange them for money and retire in luxury.
"I should probably begin..."
Going back inside my apartment, I placed my empty mug on the table and quickly turned toward my gaming pod.
I walked towards my black gaming pod, my heart pounding with excitement. I could almost taste the virtual world on the tip of my tongue.
As I reached the pod, I reached out and gently stroked its smooth surface. It felt cool to the touch, and I could feel the latent energy coursing through its circuits.
I took a deep breath and slowly climbed into the pod. The chair was incredibly comfortable, and I felt like I was sinking into a cloud. I adjusted the headwear to fit snugly over my head, and then I pressed the button on the side of the pod.
The pod whirred to life, and I felt a gentle sensation of weightlessness wash over me. The screen in front of me flickered to life, and a list of games appeared.
I scanned the list quickly, looking for Realm of Legends. I spotted it immediately, and I selected it with a thought.
[ Download < Realm of Legends > ]
Raising my trembling hands to hover before me, I pressed the download button.
The progress bar appeared on the screen, slowly filling up as the game was being downloaded into the gaming pod.
[ Do you want to launch < Realm of Legends > ? ]
[ < Yes > / < No > ]
Pressing the Yes button I felt my consciousness slip before everything around me turned dark.
After a few moments, I was conscious again.
Looking around, I found myself levitating in an endless void, surrounded by nothingness.
It was basically complete immersion as if I had been transported to another world entirely.
The only thing I could see in this absolute darkness was an azure hologram floating in front of my face.
< Choose your Race! >
~ Human
~ Elf
~ Undead
~ Demons
~ Orc
~ Dwarf
~ Fairy
~~~~
A list of options appeared before me on the hologram, each race offering unique abilities and advantages in the game.
Choosing the right race in Realm of Legends can greatly impact your gameplay experience and strategy. In Realm of Legends, once you choose your race, there is no going back. If you wish to change your race, you will have to delete your account and start over.
A lot of players choose their race without fully understanding the implications and just went with what they thought sounded cool or visually appealing.
Each race also has different starting points and quests.
In my past life, the most popular race was Elves since they had high agility and magical abilities. Their starting point was a lush forest kingdom where they had access to unique quests and storylines specific to the Elven race.
Demons, on the other hand, were one of the least played races due to their difficult starting point and the negative reputation associated with them.
However, not even Demons could compare to the least popular race in Realm of Legends, the Undead.
It was the most cruel and agonizing race to play as.
Not only were your physical abilities severely impacted but your appearance would be grotesque, and you would constantly be shunned by other players in the game.
There was also a significant gameplay disadvantage for Undead players, as they were unable to interact with certain NPCs and factions due to their undead status.
Imagine trying to talk with an NPC without vocal cords or trying to enter a human city while being met with fear and hostility.
It was by far the most challenging and isolating race to choose.
"I'm picking Undead."
Without hesitation, I selected it.
Of course, I didn't choose it because of an impulse decision or desire to make the game harder for myself.
No!
Every race has subclasses and it just happens that Undead has a unique subclass that only a single player can unlock.
A Shadow Necromancer!
"Let the fun begin..."
A smile flashed across my face as the dark void around me began to disappear and I lost consciousness once again.