Jake exited a metaverse arena, then holo-call his girlfriend, Sally.

“Wow, that was tough, but I won!”

“Oh, what happened?”

“So I encountered a nanite swarm that coalesces into giant robots. Anyways I kept dying and respawning.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Oh right. I heard that level’s bugged.”

“Wrong … I beat it!

“But how?”

“Well, the game offered me a super laser.”

“That worked?”

“Almost, but not really. Even after I purchased that, the game offered me the vaporizer attachment. It cost a lot more credits. My parents are gonna be pissed. But I’m ranked #1!”

“Uh, Jake, where’s the challenge in that?”