Fishing out his key, he unlocked the pod and stepped inside, feeling a rush of anticipation. With a soft click, he locked the door behind him, sealing himself in his own private gaming space.
As Desmond settled into the lawn chair, he marveled at the sleek VR tech built into the Academy's setup.
He slid the helmet over his head and carefully placed his hands and feet inside the compartments designed to track his movements with precision.
Taking a deep breath, he vocalized the activation phrase, "To glory."
Instantly, a bright light engulfed him, momentarily blinding him.
When the light faded, he found himself standing in an endless, white expanse. The space was empty, not a single object in sight, and yet he felt an unexpected sense of calm.
Desmond flexed his fingers, noticing the familiar sensations in his limbs.
His body felt the same as it had a few moments ago, though he couldn't shake a subtle feeling of weightlessness, as if he were hovering just above the ground.
The sensation was oddly liberating.
"It's like… skydiving," he murmured, trying to pin down the feeling. "Just me and the sky, free to move however I want, without the earth rushing up to greet me."
With that thought lingering in his mind, he turned his attention back to his purpose here.
Swiping his hand through the empty space, he brought up a virtual panel in front of him, a sleek interface listing various servers.
Ignoring the broader options, Desmond zeroed in on the Academy's dedicated server and selected it.
The panel flickered, replaced by a new screen that highlighted his current stats and progress within the Academy's Server.
(Character Panel)
Name: Desmond Quill (Note: Can be changed twice)
Battle Strength: Level One
League: Stone
Gift (Default): Weapon Manifestation
Focusing on the "Name" line, he wondered if it would be worth changing his virtual identity.
Something that could feel separate from the real world and hint at the core of his gift.
After a few moments of thought, he decided.
"Dreamscape it is," he murmured with a satisfied smile, locking in the choice.
As he continued his study of his character panel, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "I didn't notice it the first time I read about Parker's gaming sessions…"
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "But the Academy is clearly pushing students to use their own gifts rather than just picking the most powerful ones from the VR database."
It made sense now.
The Academy's VR platform wasn't just for entertainment; it was a subtle training ground.
But most players came here to build their reputations—to become the best in their nation, continent, or maybe even the world.
And to accomplish that, they'd have to rely on the most powerful gifts in the VR database, rather than their awakened one.
With a quick swipe, he navigated to the "Home" option on the panel.
A selection screen appeared, listing options: Battle Mode, Practice Mode, and Social Mode.
His fingers hovered briefly over the choices, then tapped on Battle Mode, eager to dive in.
Next came the mode selection, and he chose Solo Play—a chance to see just how well he'd hold up on his own.
A virtual panel flashed across the screen after his selection.
(Weapon: Hot or Cold)
Desmond leaned back, weighing his options.
Cold weapons offered him an unlimited supply—a constant stream of blades and melee options to keep him engaged without the worry of running out. But there was a certain appeal to hot weapons.
"If I go with a hot weapon, I'll be limited to seven magazines, each with thirty rounds," he murmured, mentally calculating. "But… with my gift, I could create more bullets mid-battle. That gives me an edge—overwhelm my opponents with way more ammunition that they can take."
Satisfied with his strategy, he selected Hot.
After selecting Hot for his weapon type, a new panel floated in front of Desmond, displaying an array of options:
Pistol: PAIN
Assault Rifle: RAINFALL
Submachine Gun: KISS OF DEATH
Machine Gun: ZENITH
Sniper: HADES
Shotgun: WINTER
Desmond's eyes scanned the familiar weapon names, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I always wondered how these would compare to firearms in reality," he muttered, fingers itching to try each one out.
His gaze lingered on Zenith, the machine gun.
He remembered Crown of Glory's description of it: a beast of a weapon, so heavy that even players with strength below-sixty struggled to lift it.
"If only I could adjust the weight," he mused. It was tempting, but he knew that Zenith would be too bulky to fit the plan he had in mind.
Finally, he settled on the submachine gun, Kiss of Death.
Though an assault rifle might have been a more balanced choice, Desmond grinned, feeling a rush of excitement.
Kiss of Death wasn't about balance or caution—it was designed for rapid, close-range combat, and he was ready to push its limits.
"Reality might tell me to play it safe," he said with a smirk, "but this world isn't bound by reality. The impossible is just a challenge here."
Suddenly, a sleek, black, sci-fi armor materialized over his body, fitting seamlessly as if crafted just for him.
The armor gleamed under the white expanse's soft light, while a rectangular submachine gun materialized in his grip, its surface polished and ready for action.
He felt the weight of Kiss of Death in his hand, slightly heavier than he'd expected but manageable, its matte finish and streamlined design promising speed and precision.
"Alright, let's see what you can do."
(Searching for an opponent… 0%… 10%… 30%… 70%… 85%… 93%… 100%)
(Opponent found: Tidal Wave)
(Your battle begins in… 3… 2… 1… )
The white void around Desmond began to ripple, shimmering like a mirage before transforming into a vast, war-torn battlefield.
It was as if he'd stepped into a memory given form—a virtual cityscape in ruins, suspended in a perpetual twilight.
He found himself standing atop a shattered skyscraper, the rain pounding against his armor in heavy sheets as smoke rose in plumes across the horizon.
Jagged metal beams jutted out from the wreckage around him, and distant fires flickered in the half-light, casting eerie shadows.
"This is too extreme," he muttered, taking in the scene. It was more immersive than he'd expected, almost like a glimpse into a future he hoped never to see.
As Desmond surveyed the devastated cityscape, a new system notification flashed across his view.
[System Notice: The battle zone will shrink every sixty seconds. If no winner emerges within ten minutes, both players will lose league points.]