"This is Evolution Online, a new and exciting game. Would you like to be an adventurer in our world?" Eleana flapped her wings and asked with a cute smile that revealed her dimples.
"Ughh, okay," Ethan replied, very confused about what was happening.
He was pretty sure he had logged into Blood Battle and he somehow ended up in a new game. Was this a new advertising strategy? He hadn't seen or heard anything about this game before today, actually before this second.
Not that Ethan was complaining. He took a deep breath, the crisp air filling his lungs as he floated weightlessly above an endless expanse of clouds. The sky stretched infinitely in every direction, painted with hues of pink and gold. Below him, the world unfolded like a priceless painting of mountains, forests, and rivers.
The game was so damn fucking realistic. The other games had tried but it had never been like this before.
"Wait a second," he muttered, glancing down at his feet suspended in mid-air. "I'm floating?"
Eleana giggled softly, her iridescent wings fluttering as she hovered beside him. "Don't worry," she said with a reassuring smile. "This is the character creation realm of Evolution Online. As long as you are here, you are my responsibility." She added with a wink.
Ethan nodded, still trying to process the surreal experience. "This game is unbelievably realistic," he marveled. "I've never seen graphics—or felt sensations—like this before."
"That's because Evolution Online is more than just a game," Eleana replied enigmatically. "Shall we begin your adventure?"
The next second a translucent menu materialized before him, displaying various options. It was interesting that he couldn't change his appearance for the character creation. His character would apparently look exactly like him.
Ethan did not care too much about it.
The fairy briefly explained about various classes and how to go about receiving quests and gaining experience points.
She also mentioned assessment centers that would help him pick the right class for him. There were also professions one could choose inside the game like alchemy and smithing.
Ending with the game economics, the fairy once again giggled as she finished her first round of introduction. From the looks of it, there was more but Ethan reluctantly spoke up. "Can I skip all of this?"
The fairy paused for a moment before responding with a pleasant smile. "Sure!"
While he would have loved to stand here and chat with this warm and welcoming fairy, he only had an hour to relax before his multiple shifts started. He wanted to explore and experience more of this game world before logging out. So in the end he decided to skip the introduction.
"I will now be doing a complete scan of your body, player Ethan and your character will be finalized shortly after the scan."
Ethan nodded as he felt a wave of energy pass through his body. He suddenly felt naked, as if he couldn't hide anything from the woman in front of him, as if she was peering through his very soul.
After scanning him from top to bottom, the fairy frowned for a moment as if something was wrong.
"Huh?" Ethan looked at her in puzzlement. Did the game freeze or something?
The next second, the fairy regained her composure. She spun around and beamed in excitement. "Congratulations. You are now ready to enter our amazing and wonderful world, Xion. I wish you the best of luck, player Ethan."
Before Ethan could react to anything, the space around him distorted once again. He blinked as the world around him came into focus.
He stood in the middle of a bustling dirt road, surrounded by small buildings and shops. The air was filled with the sounds of lively chatter, the clatter of horse-drawn carts, and the distant melody of a street musician playing a lute.
All around him, other players were materializing—each appearing as disoriented as he felt.
Some were dressed in ornate armor, others in simple robes or rugged leather attire. The variety of characters was astounding, and the realism of their appearances was uncanny.
However, the one common denomination was confusion and chaos.
The game had launched unexpectedly on their VR devices, leaving everyone baffled. What made it even more extraordinary was its unparalleled realism; players couldn't alter their identities, and every sensation felt as genuine as real life. The level of detail and immersion far surpassed any existing game on the market.
With no information about its developers or any promotional material, many wondered if it was some kind of dramatic stunt designed to generate buzz through intrigue and word of mouth.
The commotion lasted for a while but little by little players started trickling away and accepting quests and exploring the game.
Ethan did not stand around too much. He did not have a lot of time left so he immediately started walking to the village outskirts to fight some monsters and get a feel for the game.
Everyone else around him was busy talking to the villagers but Ethan did not plan on doing this. He probably wouldn't play this game again anytime soon. So what was the point in accepting quests and such?
On the way, he summoned his status screen to take a look.
______________
Name: Ethan Gray
Species: Human being
Gender: Male
Level: 1 [0/200]
Title: N/A
Class: N/A
Bloodline: ??? (Unawakened)
Health: 12/12
Mana: 8/8
______________
Stamina: 3
Intellect: 4
Strength: 3
Defense: 5
Vitality: 3
Agility: 4
Luck: ???
______________
Ethan's face changed as he went through his pathetic stats. From what he had heard in the passing by, most people's stats were between 5 and 10. Having stats like 2 and 3 was probably a bad start. Not that it mattered to him.
He was just about to casually close the screen when he suddenly stopped in his tracks looking at the last line.
Luck: ???
What the hell did that mean?