After entering the gaming pod, Rian felt like he was floating in midair, his body weightless and suspended in an unknown space. About 10 seconds later, his consciousness was pulled into the unknown, and suddenly he found himself standing on a vast, white floor. Looking down, he could see the world beneath him, a distant view of mountains, cities, and endless landscapes.
Moments later, a voice echoed in his mind: "Welcome, Rian Valen, to the world of Everlasting. Please touch the ball in front of you to receive your class, which will be assigned randomly."
As soon as the system finished speaking, the platform beneath him began to crack, and a tall, polished poll emerged from the ground. At the top of the poll, a glowing, mystical ball materialized, hovering slightly before settling into place. The air around it shimmered with energy, waiting for Rian's next move.
Rian nervously approached the glowing ball, feeling the weight of this moment bearing down on him. His entire future in Everlasting would be decided by what happened next. With a deep breath, he touched the ball, and almost instantly, a golden, mythical light erupted, spreading across the white floor in a brilliant display. His heart raced wildly, beating as fast as a gun firing.
Moments later, everything became clear, and before he appeared his system panel:
[Name - Unassigned]
[Class - Merchant]
[Level - 1]
[Stats - Strength - 10
Agility - 10
Mana - 10 ]
[Skills - Merchant Shop]
Rian stared at the panel in disbelief. Merchant. He didn't feel excited or pleased this was not the heroic or combat-focused class he had hoped for. The disappointment hit him hard, but there was nothing he could do. His class had been assigned, and it was out of his hands.
Noticing his name was still unassigned, Rian began to brainstorm a fitting name for himself. Since he had already been assigned the merchant class, he wanted something that reflected his new role. After thinking long and hard, he decided on a simple yet striking name [BlackMerchant]. It carried an air of mystery and authority, a name that he hoped would make an impression in the world of Everlasting.
After assigning his name, the system confirmed its availability and automatically registered it. However, a new message appeared: "Servers are not open. Please come tomorrow at 8 AM when the server will launch."
Rian sighed, feeling a wave of disappointment. He reluctantly chose to log out, even though he desperately wanted to start playing right away. As he exited the gaming pod and opened his eyes to reality, he stretched and stood up, still buzzing with excitement despite the wait.
Moments later, his sister Lila rushed over, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Brother, how was the feeling inside the gaming pod? What's your class, and what name did you choose?" she asked excitedly, bouncing on her heels.
Rian, just having emerged from the gaming pod, said to Lila, "Lila, wait a moment, and I'll tell you what you want to know."
He walked over to the couch and sat down, continuing, "When I got inside and lay down, it felt like I was floating in the air. Then, my consciousness was pulled into a void, and suddenly, I was standing on a white floor. A ball appeared in front of me, and after I touched it, it revealed my class. However, I'm not going to tell you my name or class just yet."
Lila pouted, clearly disappointed. "I asked about your name because many of my friends are going to play the game tomorrow, and they've already picked their character names. I wanted to brag about your name and class to them, but now I can't."
"Let me tell you something, Lily..." Rian started, but before he could finish, the front door creaked open, and their father, Johan, walked in from work. His eyes immediately fell on the massive gaming pod taking up a third of the living room. His brows furrowed as he took in the sight.
"What in the world is this?" Johan asked, his voice tinged with both surprise and concern.
Rian quickly responded, "Father, it's the gaming pod I need to play Everlasting."
Johan crossed his arms, glancing at the large pod, clearly not impressed by its size. "I see... And it takes up a third of our living room," he said, his tone firm. "Are you sure this is worth it, Rian? You've made a big promise to earn $10,000 in six months."
Rian, despite not knowing much about his class, was determined to make good on his promise. He believed that somehow, he would manage, even though his class wasn't what he initially hoped for.
"Yes, Father," Rian said confidently. "I know it seems risky, but I'm sure I can make that money. I may not know much about my class yet, but I'll figure it out."
Johan gave him a long, thoughtful look, unsure whether to admire his son's determination or worry about the challenge ahead. "I hope you know what you're doing, Rian," Johan finally said.
After that, it was time for dinner. The family sat down to a simple vegetable dish and some broth. As they were eating, Father Johan looked at Rian and said, "Rian, I want you to understand something. If you can truly earn money through playing this game, then once you've earned enough to support the household, I'll retire and join you in playing the game."
He smiled slightly, half-serious but showing a hint of encouragement in his words.
The entire family was stunned by Johan's words. Mother Elara looked at him as if he'd just announced his retirement tomorrow. "Dear, you can't be serious about that, right?" she said, her voice filled with disbelief.
Johan chuckled softly. "I'm just saying, Elara. If Rian manages to do the impossible and earns enough from this game, why not? I might as well enjoy some of it too." He winked, though there was a playful glint in his eyes.
Rian saw his father's playful words and his mother's concern, and at that moment, he made up his mind. He would work hard, earn enough money, and ensure that his parents never had to worry about finances again.
With renewed determination, he spoke up, "Yes, Father, just wait half a year. I'll make sure you can quit your job for real, and then we'll play the game together."
His voice was full of confidence, and for the first time, the weight of his promise seemed less like a burden and more like a goal within reach.
Father Johan and Mother Elara exchanged a knowing look of satisfaction, silently acknowledging that their plan to motivate Rian had worked perfectly.
After dinner, Rian quickly got into bed, but excitement kept him wide awake. The thought of playing the game was all he could focus on. Eventually, exhaustion won, and he drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, his sister Lila woke him up at 7:30 AM as she was getting ready to leave for school. "Wake up, sleepyhead!" she teased. "You don't want to miss the game, do you?"
Rian woke up quickly, freshened up, and after about 28 minutes, he opened the gaming pod and climbed in. The black screen displayed a countdown to the server opening, and with every passing second, his excitement grew.
As the timer neared its end, the system spoke, "To all players, this is a message from Eclipse Technologies." A moment later, a man in a suit appeared on the screen. He smiled warmly and said, "Thank you all for purchasing this game. I am proud to say that this is the first VRMMORPG of its kind, and I believe it will remain unmatched for decades. Let me tell you something special there is one monster pet in the game that is so powerful, that whoever becomes its master will be incredibly overpowered. But don't get too excited just yet; this monster won't spawn until the mid-stages of the game. Please, enjoy your time in Everlasting!"
Rian's excitement hit its peak as the server countdown neared zero. He was ready to dive into the world of Everlasting.
As a bright white light spread, Rian instinctively closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself standing in a bustling village. Pedestrians were roaming around, and stalls lined the streets, selling potions and various items.
Curious, Rian opened his system panel to check his stats:
[Name - Unassigned]
[Class - Merchant]
[Level - 1]
[Stats -
Strength - 10
Agility - 10
Mana - 10 ]
[Skills - Merchant Shop]
It was the same as before. Glancing to the side of his view, he noticed the village name displayed: [Village No. 99999] He couldn't help but wonder if it was just a coincidence that he ended up in such an oddly numbered village.
As players began to spawn, the village was filled with chatter and activity. Some players immediately started bickering and even attempted to attack each other, creating a chaotic atmosphere.
Rian wandered through the village and arrived at a stall selling healing and mana potions, each priced at 10 gold coins. He noticed a player standing next to him, purchasing a large number of potions while their team waited a short distance away. The players seemed focused on stocking up, oblivious to the commotion around them.
Rian decided not to make any purchases. With only 10 gold coins from the game's starting package, he felt that the prices for the potions were too high. He also didn't think it was worth spending his initial funds on items that seemed overpriced. Instead, he continued exploring the village, looking for better opportunities to use his limited resources wisely.
As Rian walked through the village, he remembered he had a skill [ Merchant Shop ]. Deciding to give it a try, he activated the skill. Immediately, a system panel appeared in front of him.
The panel displayed categories: [ Potions ], [ Items ], and [ Search ]. Rian's eyes widened in amazement. This was something he hadn't expected and seemed incredibly valuable. It was like having access to an exclusive marketplace within the game, and he realized this could be a game-changer for him.
When Rian clicked on the [Potions] category, a list appeared with names and prices for various options:
Low-Level Healing Potion - 1 gold coin
Mid-Level Healing Potion - 3 gold coins
High-Level Healing Potion - 5 gold coins
Low-Level Mana Potion - 1 gold coin
Mid-Level Mana Potion - 3 gold coins
High-Level Mana Potion - 5 gold coins
He was astonished by the clear and affordable prices compared to the stall outside, which made him realize the potential of his [Merchant Shop] skill was unbelievably high and maybe a game changer.
Rian approached the stall and asked the vendor, "Is this potion a low-level or high-level potion that you're selling for 10 gold coins?"
The stall vendor replied, "Sir, it's a low-level healing potion. The market price is 10 gold coins. I assure you, I'm not scamming anyone."
Rian's heart raced as he realized the potential of his [Merchant Shop] skill. The disparity between the vendor's prices and his own skill's prices was clear. An idea quickly formed in his mind: he could buy potions at the low prices listed in his skill and resell them at a markup to the other players.
Excited by the prospect of earning money, he set out to implement his plan. He began calculating how many potions he could buy and resell to make a substantial profit.
Rian hurried to the village center, where most players were gathered. Once there, he accessed his [Merchant Shop] skill and decided to purchase 5 Low-Level Healing Potions and 5 Low-Level Mana Potions.
After completing the purchase, he prepared to set up his stall to sell these potions at a higher price, ready to take advantage of the demand and earn a profit.
Unable to find an option to rent a stall, Rian decided to take a different approach. He stood in the middle of the crowd and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Selling potions! If you want, you can purchase from me at the same price as the stalls!"
His voice cut through the chatter of the crowd, drawing the attention of nearby players who began to approach him, intrigued by the offer.