Zia tried to hide her reddened face as she stood beside Levi in the elavator, being an all women Guild, they of course still had the security team with them which made it even worse.
She bit her lips trying her best not to cringe at her display earlier. She froze and trembled. Being a veteran guild member and the manager of the guild, she of course was aware of people of the precense of players who went through several adaptation.
Adaptation mode, has been a popular term that correlated with VR ever since it's release. A state where in the vr system helps you open certain channels in your brain that wasn't accessible before.
It occurred often when handling new features that doee not have a direct equivalent in reality. Like controlling auras, extra wings, limbs, and other stuff in game.
And for all the studies made on that topic, results showed that the changes made to ones brain after undergoing adaptation barely brought positive results if not any.
But that all changed when people start to realize that the miniscule increase in brain capacity not only adds up but multiples by several degrees after undergoing adaptations more and more.
Articles of its dark history will popup regarding this every now and. Often retelling that back when this was all fresh and new, hundreds if not thousands of Underground and military projects attempted various ways to force conditions in the brain causing billions of dollars of wealth and millions of militants, mercenaries and alike dead or got twisted into a comma and none of them, not even one got close to a single single adaptation.
Eventually scientific results of the experiments piled up, and law was eventually enforced against future 'voluntary' and 'evolutionary' trials of similar methodology, and law makers of the large vr conglomerates had to fight tooth and nail just to properly secure the dividing line between safe and unethical vr, use.
And thankfully they won.
Back then everyone unrelated just sighed in relief thankful that the supersoldier madness result in the banning of VR games and applications for ever becoming a tech for public use.
...
It was later on that World VR League was formed and explained that the adaptation phase a user undergoes through requires hundreds if not thousands of organic coincidences.
Requiring brain activity to be in a realistic/virtual realistic-trance like state at the level that pushes the user to use certain thought processes and brain activity that a normal person would normally not experience. And whether they could enter that supposed mythical state is entirely dependent on the player itself.
In conclusion the 'adaptation' process merely helps the player to 'stabilize' himself and 'rest' in a sleeping state, gracefully exiting an overdose of enlightenment instead of having to brood factual changes that may or may not have an enough significance in the player's daily life. Transforming days if not weeks on gruesome adaptation into a few hours of nap.
In fact such situations have been reported without the Influence of VR. Martial arts, meditative poses, neck deep self immersion...
In the end it is the willpower of the person that unlocks the state of the mind.
...
Zia was actually one of them. The guilds security team as well. Yet she... all of them felt like a lost lamb for slaughter as soon as they met the gaze of the tall man.
If she hadn't known better she would've thought that he was a monster in disguise.
Her thoughts shuffled back at the 'fake glasses'. They were initially designed for VR Leauge Players to hide peculiarities in their eyes. Though they were deemed too 'effective' as soon as they came out as it erased too much details from the pupils of players and it also looked weird as the WVRL didn't want their priced top players all wearing glasses.
With just days after, the WVRL released a tinted version of the prototype or shades. Which looked far more natural given the amount of camera flashes and stolen pictures players go through each day.
Then weeks later, contact with the same purpose were released. They muted just the right amount detail in the pupils for players to be able to interact with fans and to directly look at cameras.
If the mutation hiding glasses were given by Anri then... She must've known this all along. Given that the glasses and lenses version came out at most the very same year if not the very same month, Anri had likely sent her mutation hiding lenses back then but didn't work.
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Recalling the appearance of Levi's pupils, it made sense that It didn't work. She could tell that he was an aberrant even among all of them, and unless he decides to become a pro player by any chance, there's no way he'll get a customize.
Heck she doesn't even know if lenses would ever be enough to hide mutations that advanced.
...
... ...
After reaching the main area of the head quarters, and then bring asked to wait. Levi asked if it ways okay to look around while waiting for the guild master.
As it was the usual procedure for when having visitors, the security team happily complied. Having Levi visit the various training facilities, in house kitchen, and leisure places where members chill and do whatever.
Levi's appearance, sparked back a long standing rumor between the girls. It was rumored that Anri before astablished the guild, has met a tall and handsome young master, the young master who've taken fancy to her appearance, donated large sums of money to setup the guild during it's early days. A mysterious informant even shared that the young master eventually left after getting bored... Leaving the owner to cry for 69 days and 69 nights before swearing to the skies that she would one day establish the guild enough to be worthy of attention.
Chatter Chatter
Zia's eyes twitched as she heard she very well knew that if her enhanced senses could pick up, there was no way this monster beside her haven't. Sneaking up to take a look, only to find Levi with his brows slightly creased.
"Is Stella, Marie, and Hel still here?"
She blinked, instantly recalling the three, but wait how does she know their nicknames. Is he a fan?... Zia answered before her thoughts wandered out.
"They left earlier for interviews and some takings for the Opening Tournament of Avalesk: Eternal. actually they were supposed to have returned a few minutes ago..."
Zia didn't had the time to finish her thoughts as three figures bolted past her. The three seemed fresh. As they just came out of the shower. The perfumes their wearing intoxicating the whole ground.
The three greeted the man with a deliberate hug. It was weird for Zia to see the three witches act so cuddly. Each of the three trying their best to catch the guy's attention and even started asking basic VR questions far below from what you'd expect from the three high rankers in the WVRL.
Eventually the situation escalated as the initial crowd who was slightly intimidated by Levi's muted presence started outright oogling. Only noticing now how well asthethically pleasing the middle aged man was.
The rumors was regarding the return of the 'young master' solidified but Zia was just done for the day to even care.
...
Soon enough the guild master finally arrived. Sending the onlookers, including the now three clingy witches a raised eye brow. Causing unintended gasps of shock as they saw the guild master held the visitors arm.
The majority of them mulling the young master has returned before scampering away back to their respective trainings.
...
Anri just laughed with Levi as she led him to her office. They both knew that the 'Young master' didn't really donate much.
In fact Levi hadn't spent a single penny back then, he only helped Anri establish a far more comprehensive 'training' and reward system that compromises the gullds low salary rates. Some of them didn't even got paid till a year later. Like an internship exploitation program.
As their Usual, the two caught up, Levi sharing how he 'finally' retired, which made Anri cry in tears without reservation saying that she was so glad she didn't have to worry about him anymore.
Eith the situation calming down.
They started with something light hearted.
Movies, anime, books, watching Levi's recordings of soloing endgame bosses back in haven, his fight against the Boss of the Shallows then Anri sharing how they fought bosses as raid groups.
Anri then excitedly shared updates on the WVRLs latests, including a tournament that she suggests he join for fun.
Eventually they moved on to more intimate topics like how Anri started taking cooking classes yesterday, and Levi looking to start something for himself as well since he had the time may be sculpting, drawing, woodworking...
Sure enough they were hugging each other by the end. With Anri finally being the one to break the long drawn stalemate.
Levi recalled a certain fight they had years ago, where Anri said that 'She would never accept him as long as he's in that type of insanity...'
He had thought that they would have a long shouting and ignoring match back then only for Anri to speak to him like nothing happened the next day.
So that was she meant...
Levi realized kissing Anri in the cheek as he hugged Anri from the back saying how stubborn she was. Only to get an eye roll from his beloved.
Minutes later, just when Anri thought she had to return to work, Levi kneeled in front of her.
Various emotions played in Anri's face making her cry for the second time that day. Before she laughed as she let Levi wear the ring.
It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. He must have had decided a very long time ago, but circumstances just kept piling and piling, and even more complicated as she got more famous and influencial.
They sure made up a lot of excuses.
But even then, there was only him and her. It was a long and vague dance, and they didn't passed that certain point.
But the both of them knew that even as the years went on, they only continued to love and care for each other.
Even more so as the years went by.
Levi laughed softly, tears flowing down as he held her now taken arms.
This day had led from one thing but Levi was glad it came up to here. He had bought the ring a long time ago fearing each that that he would be too late when the chance comes.
And would have prepared for it as they progressed, but the hundreds and thousands of signals from both his brain and heart told him that this was the perfect chance.
And sure enough,
She said yes.
...
... ...
The two got married the next morning.
...
To be continued.