FullDive, a fully emersive VR system that was developed for games, professional training and physical examinations. Today, on September 20th 2060 everyone from the Special Technologies department and the Special Coding and educational department will be taking their yearly physical.
∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆§§¢¢×¢×¢÷¢÷¢π£££¢^^¢¢°€€^^¢¥££∆£∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆ As the terrain generated before everyone's eyes, they were all standing amongst each other in a beautiful grassy field. The morning due, the smell, and the feel fully replicated to feel as realistic as the real world. Zen looked around, then sighed. "This will never get old. Even though it's my 6th year here." Then a lady was heard from the sky, drawing everyone's attention immediately including Zen
"Attention everyone! This year's exam will be different from before. This exam will be player versus monster in an open world space, which will be the only common thing to most of you here! The difference will be that this will be a weak long and with every passing day the monsters will be getting stronger! You can hide, fight or run as long as you last till the weekend in FullDive time you will pass!" As everyone listened carefully, people who couldn't fight silently cheered but the only person that didn't cheer at all was Zen... actually right then and there he was deciding if he should even stay for the first day. He then began to mumble to himself
"A-a week...so I won't be able to experience the first days of fall...my car will probably be fixed by then, but I have rent this week. Not just rent but also I told my sister I'd come over this week." Criss then approached him patting his head, understanding exactly what he's going through.
"Don't worry man, it's in game days not actually an irl full week. Chill out and just hide in a hole, okay?" Zen then sighed with relief, sitting on the ground. "That's a relief, I think I will do that actually."
Criss kneeled to him, continuing to pay his head. "You got this buddy!" Zen then looked at him slightly annoyed. "Please stop patting me dude-." Criss sparkled, continuing to pat him and while this happened Quetzal and Vei watched from afar, Vei nudging Quetzal with a smirk streamed across her face.
"I think he's gonna steal your man~." Quetzal then smiled, responding to her remark. "I doubt that." Vei sighed, "if you say so." Conversations between groups of players continued as some were messing around and some taking the physical extremely serious, making up plans to defeat the potential monsters and the formations to use. While these conversations continued, they were all interrupted by a voice they didn't expect to hear, especially in the physical exam as the announcer.
"Hai everyone! Your time is now up! So good luck!!"
They all looked up at the sky baffled as blue glitch surrounded every person in batches, teleporting them. Criss then remarked confused. "Isn't that the CEO?"
∆∆∆°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆°°°°°°∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆∆ ||You have been teleported to Crystalized Forest||
Zen looked upon the area, stepping onto the crystal grass hearing and feeling the crunch of it. Though this wasn't the real world, the physical meter for transferred touch, smell, taste, hunger, thirst and pain were all 50% of the real world. So naturally, the first thing Zen thought of would be. "I need to find water and food, and then build a peaceful little home in the crystal countryside!!" A rainbowish rabbit then ran across his feet, quickly hopping from the ground to tree trunk to tree trunk and quickly disappearing. This was the moment where it officially sunk in for him...if teleported to a normal forest this wouldn't be hard at all even for him, but here was a entirely different story.
"A rabbit that can move like that is far beyond me, but if there's rabbits then there's gotta be something else more heavy and less fast. I could also find a way to leave this Crystalized forest." He then began to roam through the forest, not running into anything besides massive crystalized trees and extremely fast rainbow colored rabbits. Which for him was a good thing and brought relief to him to know that this place were a lot more empty than any other place he could be in. Though there was a slight feeling of uneasiness every now and then, the more he roamed the more quiet it would be which alarmed him.
"When nature goes quiet, run the other direction. But this isn't real life and irl we don't have crystal anything." He continued to look around until he noticed something, every time he'd touch the trees he'd see something moving inside them. Not just something but it looked like liquid and the closer he'd look the more he noticed it until the one tree was looking at seemed to have a little hole with liquid dripping from it. He was even more curious from this so he picked up a hollow tree stick and chipped away at the hole. More and more liquid spilled from it and when he stabbed the tree as hard as he could liquid splashed all over him, soaking him.
"... I think, I found water." He cupped his hand taking a hand full. "It's so clear, I don't think it's poison but why is there water in crystal trees, it's not like crystals need water to survive." He took a sip, it seemingly taste like water and as refreshing as well. He then drank the handful, looking around to realize that every single crystalized tree had this and even more. The tree that he did break into then began to reform itself, the crystal patching up the shattered area. Zen analyzed it as the tree began to re fill up with the water it lost. "These trees, in the name they're crystalized meaning that these were normal trees before. That would also mean that this forest was just a normal forest as well, then there's most likely in this forest that made this place crystalized. Trees and plants need water but since there now hollow on the inside it seems the roots most likely still gather up water to keep the tree technically alive. Well I'm guessing that's how it's coded."
"I'm pretty sure the rabbits I keep seeing aren't actually crystalized tho since if they were, they'd most likely carve up the trees and ground which they don't...honestly that's so interesting! A forest becoming crystalized but the animals staying semi the same! Its an interesting idea and would be terrifying in the real world."
Zen then began to think of a official way to catch the rabbits so that he could eat them when he becomes hungry. Though there was a problem, the sun was setting and night was coming. Meaning that the true nature of this crystalized forest will show itself soon which could easily end Zen's run and make him fail. This wasn't much of a big deal since he failed every physical examination since he's been in TSC but this time he actually wanted to pass. Though the reason for him passing was incredibly shallow it gave him enough drive to actually think about passing instead of quitting right away. Zen looked around quickly but nothing was around, he then began to run, making sure he didn't trip since tripping in a place that even the smallest blade of grass was...a blade, he swiftly analyzed the area around him hoping to find a safe place. But he was unlucky, there were no caves, no holes in the ground, it was all just crystalized forest and grass. It was like no matter where he looked the place was perfectly maintained and as the sun set the ground began to rumble and shake. He leaned against the tree behind him and what he saw was something he's never seen in his entire life, right before his eyes the roots of the crystalized tree ripped themselves out from the ground, standing and walking to his left. The tree he leaned on began to rumble as well, ripping itself out the crystalized ground and Zen slowly backing from the tree. The roots were also crystalized, but some were still in its normal tree root state the tree used 3 roots from each side to keep its balance and began to slowly walk to the same direction the others headed to.
"I didn't die? peaceful walking crystalized trees but where are they.... actually, I don't care! I just want peace so instead of following them I'm going to go the opposite direction!" As the trees passed him by, walking the opposite direction from him, he stayed out of their way. Since they didn't attack, he was actually not as freaked out from before and as he went about his day, he reached the very end of the crystalized forest. Far beyond it seeing a lush green forest, with beautiful flowers and normal sized trees. He took a deep breath, sighing at the close call he had, he may have no gotten attacked but from his perspective, almost getting smooshed by multiple trees walking the opposite direction from his was as terrifying. All he wanted is to survive all the way till the weekends, even all the way till the end and the way he'd do it would be living a peaceful everyday life in a FullDive system!
"Normal trees...I wonder if the animals here are normal to"