"Ethan Carter, please go to Human Resources to collect your final paycheck. You won't need to come to work tomorrow."
A middle-aged man with thinning hair and a protruding belly sat comfortably in a large leather chair within the office, addressing the young man standing across from him.
"Why are you firing me?" Ethan demanded, his face flushed with anger.
Deep down, he probably knew what was really going on. It was just yesterday when he was working late and, halfway home, realized he'd forgotten his keys. He had to return to the office to retrieve them and accidentally stumbled upon his boss and the secretary engaging in a sexual encounter. It wasn't a big deal—so why the harsh reaction?
"As the boss, I can fire whoever I want," the middle-aged man replied smugly.
"This guy is probably afraid I'll report him to his wife," Ethan thought to himself. His wife often came to the office to oversee operations, making it easy for her to encounter her husband. By firing him, the boss wouldn't have to worry about any complaints.
Although he wanted to explain that he wasn't one to meddle, he decided it wasn't necessary. Keeping such a boss around could only mean more trouble down the line.
"You can terminate me if you want, but according to labor laws, the company must compensate employees with three months' salary for unilateral dismissal," Ethan stated firmly. If they were going to part ways, he intended to maximize his benefits.
"You must be thinking..." The middle-aged man began to retort dismissively, but then realized that making a big fuss would be detrimental to him. He could only suppress his anger and said, "Do I owe you that much money? Go to HR, collect your paycheck, and get lost."
Soon after, Ethan finished settling his final salary at Human Resources, packed his belongings, and left the company. As he looked out at the bustling streets, he felt lost. Two years since graduation with nothing to show for it, now he'd lost his job. In a city like San Francisco, you need money the moment you wake up. Without income, he wouldn't even dare to buy instant noodles without adding some meat.
"Forget it, I'll keep looking for a job," Ethan thought to himself.
Just then, a poster slapped against his face. He pulled it off to reveal a promotional image for the globally acclaimed game, Oracle. Over the past month, Oracle advertisements had been ubiquitous. Rumor had it that the game's mainframe wasn't based on current civilization but was a cross-era creation. The specifics of the mainframe's origin weren't disclosed, but the game was developed collaboratively by the world's top five online gaming giants. It boasted 100% realism, meaning that the five senses within the game matched those in real life perfectly.
"Truly a groundbreaking game," Ethan mused sadly. Unfortunately, playing it required purchasing a special gaming helmet.
"Damn, a helmet costs ten thousand dollars. I've never saved up five figures in two years of working."
"Wait, that's not right. I just collected three months' salary—exactly $10,500. Maybe..." Ethan felt a spark of hope. This game was unlike traditional ones, offering infinite possibilities. As a seasoned gamer, he could see its potential.
However, while he had confidence in the game, he lacked confidence in himself. Oracle was targeting players worldwide. The top gamers and wealthy enthusiasts would undoubtedly flock to it first. Although he wasn't a bad player, he couldn't compete with them.
"This is a high-stakes gamble," Ethan murmured. Ten thousand dollars would almost drain him completely. With only a few hundred left in a city like San Francisco, he couldn't last long without income. Excluding today's paycheck, he had just $200 left in his account. If he didn't make money in the game, he wouldn't even be able to pay rent by the end of the month.
"Damn it, I'm doing it. At worst, I can sleep under a bridge or find a part-time job. Plus, I've always loved gaming. Now that I have this chance, I can't give up."
Without hesitation, Ethan splurged on a taxi to the nearest helmet vendor. Despite his financial struggles, he took a taxi because Oracle was officially launching at noon, and it was already nearly ten o'clock. He couldn't afford to be late. Once he arrived at the store, he was impressed by the long lines. The gaming helmets had been on sale for a month, and the demand was staggering. With the launch imminent, the crowd was still massive.
Ethan waited in line for over an hour before finally purchasing the gaming helmet. Glancing at his watch—it was 11:25 PM—he quickly hailed another taxi and rushed home, urging the driver to speed up. He arrived home at 11:50 PM.
Suddenly, he felt his stomach grumble. He realized he hadn't eaten breakfast and worried that his body wouldn't hold up if he couldn't exit the game quickly. There was no time to cook or go out to eat, so he rummaged through his house and found a packet of bread under the bed. Seeing the unopened packaging, Ethan didn't hesitate. He tore it open and ate it quickly.
After belching loudly, Ethan leisurely put on the gaming helmet. It was 11:55 PM.
"Hmm, my stomach hurts a bit," he remarked.
Ethan quickly lost consciousness and entered the game. Before him lay a vast battlefield. Countless monstrous beasts obscured the sky, attacking the diminutive humans below. On the ground, more monsters chased fleeing humans, tearing them apart upon capture.
Among the humans were numerous strong warriors defending against the beasts' onslaught. There were mages in elegant robes levitating in the air, wielding elemental magic to launch wide-area attacks against the monsters. Archers were furiously shooting arrows at airborne beasts, shield guards stood firm at the front lines with their shields, warriors brandished battle axes, slicing through monster hordes, and assassins stealthily harvested the blood of wounded creatures. Behind the crowd, priests in white garments, resembling pure angels, continuously healed their teammates.
These were the six main classes in Oracle: Mage, Archer, Shield Guard, Warrior, Assassin, and Priest.
Despite the number of strong human players, they couldn't withstand the overwhelming monster army. Eventually, the entire human force was annihilated. The battlefield echoed with the roars of countless monsters, seemingly celebrating their victory.
Ethan stared in shock at the scene before him. The immersive feeling made every pore on his body stand on end—it was terrifying. It didn't feel like a game at all, more like something happening in real life. Could this just be the opening animation?
As Ethan grappled with his disbelief, the scene abruptly shifted. He found himself in a grand hall. Suddenly, a system notification sounded:
"Scanning brainwaves..."
"Scan complete..."
"Collecting blood samples..."
Ethan felt a sharp pain in his scalp.
"What the hell, does the gaming helmet have sharp parts?" he exclaimed.
After waiting for a while, another system notification appeared:
"Blood sample collection complete. Binding DNA..."
"Binding complete."
"Verifying identity..."
Name: Ethan Carter
ID: 32**********8517
Age: 24
Nationality: United States
Your bank card has been linked. In-game cash transactions are now available.
…
"What the hell is this? Is this part of the game?…" Ethan stared at the space before him in disbelief. The helmet not only scanned his brainwaves but also accessed his bank account in such detail. Is this really just a game?