The world saw tremendous growth during the years post the global technology revolution. The evolution was too sudden for the general public to keep up. The way foods were produced changed. The way children were taught changed. The way people communicated changed. The way people travelled changed. Every industry from food to entertainment evolved over mere months.

Education became impractical as it couldn't keep up with the evolutionary cycles. People rarely worked as the basic needs were completely satisfied. Monopolies were broken down. The information was available to all who wanted to achieve greatness. From growing potatoes to launching rockets, anything was possible for any Dick, Harry and Joe.

With the vast improvement in the quality of life, humans started following their passion. With more than abundant free time, the audience grew. Those who chased the dreams looked for a much bigger platform. A global stage. A place where they could communicate without any interference. A place where anything was possible. A place where dreams could spread wings and soar through the sky. 

And this need created the world's most powerful artificial intelligence 'Wings'. The innovation that brought the world the first and only Virtual Reality space. That space was slowly moulded by two kids, in their parent's basement, to become the best online game humanity had seen. This was the birth of 'Chaos Realm(CR)' that took the world by storm. A place where anyone could vent out their frustration. A place to build friendships. A place to slaughter and conquer the world. With Wings in control, it became impossible to manipulate the VR Space.

But of course, where there is greed, there are always loopholes. Slowly, the game became colonized and the very freedom that it sought to create was lost. The game became the place to show off the wealth and bully the weak. But the prospects it provides was too much of an allure attracting the young and old like moths to the flame.

*****

Gene, who will be sixteen in a few days, was excited. Her lifelong dream was about to come true. The permit to enter the virtual space was about to be within her grasp. Her days were busy getting everything ready. She was flowing with energy and excitement, so much that she reached the sales counters at five in the morning.

Sadly the shops only opened at ten!

That didn't stop her, no. Gene was an expert when it came to Chaos Realm(CR). She knew what was the best profession. She knew what paths to take to level up the fastest. She knew how to gain fame the fastest. She knew every mission that was available in the beginner town. She was a walking encyclopedia of CR and she constantly kept herself updated on the latest trends and strategies in the game. After all, Streaming and tutorial guides were available to all.

By ten, a long queue formed at the sales counter. This was an integral part of the registration for the permit. Each person's console was individually tailored to fit them. And the calibration was carried out at the time of registration. Once the registration was done, it was possible to use any console to enter the virtual world through the console centres. The device had nanobots that adjusted itself to fit for the person's use. But these consoles were a temporary solution and didn't offer the same realism as the personally tailored ones.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

After a full-body scan and two more hours of waiting later, Gene received her permit to finally enter the virtual space. It was time to go shopping. Buy a personal console, all the necessary accessories and nutrition kits. Everything necessary to play CR without any restraint. The consoles were designed as headbands and could keep the user's body comatose for up to eight hours. It wasn't suitable to extend this beyond the limiting time since it causes physical regress. As such eight hours per day was the limit.

Shopping was done and everything was perfect for Gene's debut in the world of Chaos Realm. She just had to wait for her new console.

*****

It was finally here. The console. Plugged into the most powerful neural network that supported the world functions. Her dream sat right there on the bedside stand. She kept glaring at the small digital clock on the wall waiting for it to strike eight. Three more minutes. She extended her hand to grab the headband, pulled it over her head and positioned herself comfortably on the bed slowly drifting to sleep.

Welcome to Chaos Realm

Registered User recognised: Gene

Please wait...

While Gene waited for the world to load, a little fairy Tinkerbell floated towards her from a distance. The white ground slowly transformed into a well-trimmed grassland that stretched as far as the eyes could see.

"Hello, I'm Lizy." It said dramatically and waited for her to give a reply.

"Gene." She was already ready. She knew the drill. She had seen it countless times. Discussed it with her classmates infinite times.

"Hello, Gene. Welcome to our world." As the fairy said, a couple more fairy's popped out of thin air filling the space. She could see a few monsters at the distance far off slowly populating the world. "There are countless paths for each one to…"

"Path of the Dragon god."

"Dragon God? Yes." The fairy stopped. "The trial is about to start. Would you like to request any aid?"

The Dragon Gods faith was one of the hardest to follow and as a result, it provided one of the best overall stats. It wasn't all or nothing. Gene had thought up a strategy. There was nothing wrong with trying since there was no penalty.

"No. I should complete the trial on my own." Gene's reply made Lizy smile. She waved her hand and a trial quest appeared on a translucent screen only she could see.

Path of The Dragon God

Do not die.

Countdown: 19:57

Gene saw what she expected. A horde of monsters formed at the horizon. The terrain shook as the horde approached her at a rapid speed. It was time for her, the marathon champion, to use her strategy. Run!

Without a second thought, she turned around and ran as if her ass was on fire. She knew it wasn't realistic. There wasn't the tiniest hope of her surviving if she kept running. The horde was approaching her that fast. There wasn't a weapon in her hand. She wasn't a martial artist to fight barehanded. But there was one thing that she had. The knowledge.

Gene knew every nook and cranny of this tutorial map. She knew how to outrun the horde approaching her. She ran towards the only building in the grassland. The abandoned fort. It was used for training those that took the path of a soldier. There was not a soul inside. Gene ran through the courtyard and soon found what she was looking for. The well!

Without a second thought, she jumped in.