Lassen was comfortably sprawled in his favorite armchair, a half-open book resting on his lap. His fingers drummed idly on the armrest as he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. He let out a deep sigh and tossed the book onto the coffee table. Adrian, standing quietly in the corner, observed his master with a mix of amusement and respect.
"Are you feeling anxious, Master?" Adrian asked in his usual calm tone.
"Me? Anxious? Never," Lassen replied with a wry smile. "But I'll admit, I'm expecting some chaos today. The servers are ready, right?"
Adrian gave a small nod.
"Alex has everything under control. You know he leaves nothing to chance."
"Good," Lassen murmured. "I want to see how people react. This should be fun."
---
Elsewhere in the villa, Alex was meticulously overseeing the final preparations. Before him, a dozen screens displayed real-time server stats, player connection data, and streams of excited comments from online forums. He spoke to a virtual team fully managed by the system.
"Are the servers stable? No chance of overload?" he asked in a crisp, professional tone.
[The servers are beyond stable] the system replied with its characteristic sarcasm.
[If anything fails today, it'll be your self-confidence.]
Alex rolled his eyes.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he muttered, double-checking the data. "Alright, open the servers. It's time."
A countdown appeared on the screens: 10, 9, 8...
---
Across the globe, millions of players eagerly awaited the launch. Social media exploded with hashtags like #PhantomRealms and #MonsieurX. Gaming forums buzzed with predictions and speculation.
"Will this game really redefine the industry?" one tweet read.
"My bet is the servers crash in five minutes," another joked.
Top streamers readied their live broadcasts, drawing hundreds of thousands of viewers even before the game went live. Meanwhile, Lassen quietly observed everything through an interface the system had prepared for him.
"Look at all this hype," Lassen said with a satisfied grin.
"Everyone's waiting. For once, they won't be disappointed."
[It's rare to see you this confident] the system remarked.
"When you're right, there's no need to doubt," Lassen replied.
---
The servers finally opened. Thousands, then millions of players logged in, stepping into the vast and intricate world of Phantom Realms. The initial reactions were unanimous: awe, surprise, and an unprecedented level of immersion.
One popular streamer, ZeroVibes, began his live broadcast to an enormous audience.
"Okay, check this out!" he exclaimed, pointing to his character interacting with an NPC.
"This guy insulted me because I refused his quest. That's insane!"
The live chat exploded with comments.
"An NPC with attitude?!"
"This game is on a whole other level."
"I'm buying this right now."
---
Back in his study, Lassen observed players through the interface. Dozens of screens displayed real-time footage of players exploring the game world for the first time.
[Does this meet your expectations, Host?] the system asked.
"Hmm... yes and no," Lassen replied, frowning slightly. "It's impressive, but… something's missing."
[Missing? Elaborate. You wanted a massive open world, intelligent NPCs, dynamic quests—what more could you want?]
Lassen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"What I want is… more immersion. Look at them" he said, gesturing to a screen showing a player clumsily interacting with their keyboard and mouse.
"They're just clicking and typing. It's like watching a black-and-white movie. Not alive enough."
[Ah, I see where this is going] the system replied, its tone calculating. [You want a fully immersive virtual reality device. Something far beyond anything currently on the market.]
"Exactly," Lassen said, crossing his arms. "Imagine this: players don't look at the screen. They enter the game. They feel, see, and touch everything as if it's real."
Adrian, who had been quietly listening, chimed in.
"A fully immersive VR headset? That would be revolutionary, Master. But is it even possible?"
Lassen burst out laughing.
"You underestimate me, Adrian. If we can create a game like this, we can create the headset. System, start working on it now."
[As always, your ambition matches your laziness. Very well, project initiated.]
"And call it… hmm, Phantom Nexus," Lassen said with a self-satisfied grin.
[Original, but effective] the system replied. [Prototype in progress. Would you like an immediate delivery?]
"Of course. I want to test it before anyone else."
---
Minutes later, a sleek black package materialized on Lassen's desk. Inside was a futuristic headset with a matte black finish, minimalist design, and a translucent visor.
"Well, let's see what you can do" Lassen murmured, putting on the headset.
The system guided him through the process.
[Connecting to Phantom Realms. Prepare for full immersion.]
Lassen felt a slight vibration, followed by an odd sensation, as if his consciousness were being drawn into another dimension.
When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the game world. But this time, it wasn't a screen. Everything felt real. The wind brushed against his face, the grass beneath his feet was tangible, and the sounds around him were vivid.
"Incredible" he whispered, visibly impressed.
[Don't be too amazed. This is just the beginning] the system remarked.
Adrian, watching from the real world, observed Lassen with curiosity and amusement.
"Well, Master? What do you think?" he asked.
Lassen grinned.
"I think we've just revolutionized the industry for the second time."