As the sun dipped below the horizon, a man in his mid-twenties sat on the subway bench along with other people. Just like the other people around him, he dressed in a neat black suit and polished leather shoes. He looked every bit the weary office worker, waiting for the train. At a glance, there was nothing remarkable about him. If anything set him apart, it was his tall yet skinny body.
"Hahhh..." The man let out a sigh of exhaustion as he loosened up his tie. 'Wake, work, sleep, and repeat. Is this all life has to offer?' he thought with a smile as he stretched his body.
With a flick of his fingers, the man pulled out a sleek black phone from his pocket and turned it on. He put on a black earphone as he swiped through the screen and clicked on a streaming video. As soon as he clicked on the streaming video, a figure of an animated talkative woman with wavy brown hair and golden eyes in a yellow dress appeared on the screen.
"So, as you guys already know..." She chirped, "In early 2044, human technology had greatly advanced to the point that virtual reality games began trending on a worldwide scale. Thus..., more than 13 virtual reality games have been released by the end of 2065. But in the end, only one game made it big. The rest? Gone."
She leaned closer to the screen with a playful smirk. "And guess what? In the next streaming video, I will be streaming in the world of that last standing VR game. Yep, that's right! I will be streaming in the world of Ordeal Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing hardcore game!" She said excitedly as she showed a video preview of the game in her hands. "I will try to challenge myself by playing Ordeal Online! See you guys in the next stream! Bye bye...!" She continued as she waved to the screen.
The screen turned black, and the man turned off his phone. "Missed the stream, huh? Well..., at least I caught the outro," he muttered as he pocketed his phone. "I wonder how she will perform within the game with that personality of hers," he mumbled as the train he waited for arrived.
The train doors whooshed open, and the man stepped inside. The man took a seat near the door as his eyelids grew heavy out of exhaustion, which forcefully pulled him to take a little nap on the train.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
"The next stop is the AAA-445 district. Passengers for the AAA-444 district, please drop off before the doors are closed."
The chime jolted the man awake. Blinking, he hurried off the train. "I shouldn't have dozed off on such a short ride..."
A crisp breeze swept through the dimly lit streets as the man walked through, the soft glow of street lamps casting long shadows on the cold pavements was his only companion across the blocks. As he walked, he encountered countless ads for Ordeal Online. From the plastered posters on the walls, the eye-catching billboards above the streets, to the expensive holographic ads in the air. Not stopping there, massive screens flashing promotional clips, even a looping commercial on a storefront TV, the ad can be found everywhere.
"That game is already popular worldwide, yet still pushing ads everywhere. I wonder how much revenue they make to do that... billions, maybe?" the man mused as he paused in front of a VR Café next to his rented apartment. He glanced at the neon sign glowing in the dark.
"Should I try?" the man muttered to himself as he stepped closer to the glass door. He peered inside, his gaze landed on the row of Ordeal Nexus Capsules that were mentioned countless times within the advertisement he saw across the blocks. "One of those could buy a cozy little house," he mumbled as he stepped back.
"Hey."
A woman's voice that was accompanied with a tap on his shoulder immediately startled the man. He turned around and found a beautiful young woman in a gray hoodie. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, just like him. She has long, light-brown hair cascading past her shoulders, framing her emerald-green eyes.
"Thinking about going in?" the woman asked the man with a little smile on her face.
The man let out a small chuckle. "That's a nice offer, Priscilla, but I've got work tomorrow," the man answered gently as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. "Here. This month's rent," he continued as he handed it to Priscilla.
Priscilla sighed as she took the wad of cash, flipping through it absentmindedly. "You always pay on time, Ray...," Priscilla uttered as she tucked the bills into her pocket and crossed her arms. "But seriously, don't you have anything else to spend your money on? A date? A night out with friends? A hobby?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow.
Ray exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned back towards the apartment and waved at Priscilla with the back of his hand. "You already know my schedule. Up at five, work until five, then straight home."
"Ray, wait!" Just as Ray was about to push open the apartment door, Priscilla's voice rang out.
Ray stopped and looked at Priscilla with a dumbfounded face. "Did I miscount the rent?"
Priscilla chuckled, shaking her head. "No, you got it right." She then pointed a finger straight at him. "But isn't that boring?"
Ray blinked. "What's boring? Counting rent money?" Ray asked as he came back to Priscilla and pulled out his wallet. "How much more do I owe?"
Priscilla burst out laughing as she gave a playful shove on Ray's shoulder. "No, you dummy! I'm talking about your life. Don't you want to do something fun? Maybe even earn a huge chunk of cash while you're at it?"
Ray narrowed his eyes. "You're not suggesting gambling, are you?"
Priscilla groaned. "Seriously? No!" She grabbed Ray's shoulder and spun him around. "I mean that!" She pointed at the massive Ordeal Online billboard glowing above the street. "Let's play it! Ordeal online!"
"Oh... Sorry, Priscilla, but I'm not interested," Ray said as he grabbed Priscilla's arm, attempting to pry it off his shoulder. However, no matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge. Her thin arm is as strong as steel. 'How the hell is she this strong?!'
"Uhh... Priscilla? Mind letting go?"
"Nope," Priscilla said as she tightened her grip. "I'm dragging you into my VR Café."
Ray gasped, his hands clawing at her arm. "W-what?! P-Priscilla, wait! I can't breathe!" Ray struggled as Priscilla practically locked his neck in a hold and started dragging him forward. "I can't play a game, I have work tomorrow!"
"Don't worry about work!" Priscilla said cheerfully. "I'll tell my dad that you're busy with helping me to move some stuff from the apartment."
Ring!
The café door swung open as Priscilla marched inside while dragging Ray along before she tossed him onto the floor.
Thud!
Ray groaned as the door shut. "Jeez, were you a wrestler in your past life?"
Ignoring him, Priscilla headed straight to the counter. She rummaged through a cupboard behind the register and pulled out a sleek, form-fitting black latex suit. Turning back to Ray, she tossed it at him. "Put it on."
Ray caught the suit, staring at it in disbelief. "Here?"
She rolled her eyes. "No, dummy. Over there." She pointed to a sleek-looking changing device against the wall. "Just toss the suit in the box, step inside, and let the machine do the rest."
"Hahh…" Ray sighed. "I can't believe this is happening..."
Priscilla smirked as she grabbed a suit for herself. "Oh, and by the way? I'm playing too!"
Ray stood up and then moved towards the changing device. "Yeah, whatever," His voice carried the tone of someone who had long since given up resisting.
He tossed the suit into the box and muttered, "Just make sure my salary doesn't get cut because of this. Actually, while you're at it, maybe ask your dad to give me a raise… Oh.., some time off? Working five to five every single day is exhausting, you know?"
Priscilla huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Why didn't you ask me that sooner? It's not like we're strangers! You and I have been together since elementary school. Then secondary school. Then high school. Even university!"
She moved to the changing device next to Ray's, tossing her white suit into the box. "If my dad's putting too much work on you, just say so. I'll stop him." She paused, then added casually, "Actually, he was thinking of promoting you soon. He's also planning to hire more workers so the company can finally have proper days off."
Ray glanced at her, surprised. "Huh… Thanks."
Priscilla smiled and patted Ray's shoulder. "Don't think too much about it, we've been like a family ever since that terrorist incident… we've been looking after you, and we always will."
Ray gave a small nod as he take off his shoes. "Yeah… You and your father were the only ones who took care of me after I lost my family."
Priscilla grinned. "Exactly. So don't overthink it, okay? Once family, forever family."
Ray smirked as he put his shoes on the shoe rack next to the changing device. "Speaking of family… shouldn't you be thinking about starting one? I've never seen you date anyone—"
Before he could finish, Priscilla shoved Ray into the changing device.
"Hey—!"
The door sealed shut behind him.
Outside, Priscilla exhaled, her voice barely above a whisper.
"...It's better this way anyway."
================================
| Biometric Data Scan |
================================
| S | Name | Arrayus |
| C | Age | 26 |
| A | Gender | Male |
| N | Height | 6'4" |
| N | Weight | 155 lbs |
| I | ==============================
| N | Current | Uniform|
| G | Box | NLS |
================================
| Special Treatment: NeuroSync Latex Suit |
================================
| Commencing Change |
================================
A faint hiss accompanied the changing device that slowly opened, which was followed by thin smoke that drifted out of it as Ray stepped forward. He's fully encased in the neurosync latex suit (NLS), which is a form-fitting second skin that covers him from head to toe. Even his face was concealed, leaving only his mouth exposed.
'I know this suit is necessary for full immersion, but... I can't see or hear a damn thing!' he muttered in frustration as he stretched out his arms. He waved his hands in front of him, trying to feel his surroundings, but to his growing frustration, even his sense of touch was disabled.
Behind him, Priscilla emerged from the other changing device. The moment she saw Ray blindly fumbling around like a lost child, she chuckled. Without hesitation, she reached over and pressed a button on his chest.
Click
With a soft hiss, the suit retracted, gradually restoring Ray's senses. "I was this close to losing my mind!" He turned toward Priscilla but instantly spun around as his face burned red. "D-Do we really have to wear these?!" he asked with a slightly unsteady voice.
Priscilla smirked. "Yep." She folded her arms, completely unfazed. "This is a neurosync latex suit, or NLS for short. It's embedded with biofeedback neurofiber technology, meaning it syncs in-game sensations directly to your nervous system. But don't worry, it ensures no actual harm comes to you."
Ray frowned. "Right… but isn't that exactly why most people avoid wearing it? I've heard my coworkers say they'd rather just play in their normal clothes."
Priscilla shrugged. "That's because they're not really playing the game." She pointed toward a nearby Ordeal Nexus Capsule (ONC). "If you want true immersion, you need both the NLS suit and a steady supply of SynthaGel-X."
Ray raised an eyebrow. "SynthaGel-X?"
"You'll see." She gestured toward the capsule. "Go on, take that empty ONC. I'll be right next to you."
Ray exhaled sharply. 'What the hell am I getting myself into?' Even though he was sceptical, he stepped into the ONC and lay down.
"I'll wait for you at the exit of the starting village," Priscilla said cheerfully as she flashed a grin. "Make sure to choose your ordeal wisely," she continued as she closed Ray's ONC.