That day was bright and sunny, the sun shining brightly, the sky empty without any annoying white clouds, revealing the beauty of the refreshing blue sky.

Birds chirped, decorating the peaceful morning, fluttering here and there across the blue sky.

People started waking up to begin their activities, and so did Brune.

Brune was a guy not too tall or short, a bit on the bigger side but filled with fat rather than muscle. His hair was dark black, just like his thick eyebrows. Maybe he wasn't the most attractive-looking person in the city, but his brain were definitely worth appreciating.

He was smart, proven by his high level of education and the real impact of his work. He was also someone who could adapt to any environment, calm, and always thinking about the future —a real visionary.

So, his name was well-known among scientists worldwide. Alternate Reality was the technology that made him famous. It's the latest technology that's taking the world to a civilization humans have never touched before. It allows users to experience different reality through all their senses, including sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. With the integration of neurology technology, users can even feel the memories and emotions.

That's super high-tech, and now, as the Project Director of Project Advanced Gaming Alternate Reality or PAGAR, he's going to take it to an even more advanced technological golden age.

###

Like his routine, Brune wakes up in the morning. He then heads straight to the bathroom for a shower while his busy wife prepares breakfast for the family.

Brune is the kind of person who enjoys tranquility. He doesn't like to rush, but that doesn't mean he can't hurry when needed.

While showering, he always plays his favorite song to uplift his mood. Then, he dives into his holobook, filled with tech knowledge from the 21st century to the Third World War, his favorite book. Only after that does he actually shower.

###

"What's for breakfast this morning?" Brune asked after finishing his shower and getting dressed in clothes chosen by his wife.

"Same old, the kids' favorites," replied Brune's wife, still busy arranging food on the dining table.

The table was filled with chocolate bread spread with strawberry jam on four plates for Brune, his wife, and their two children. Additionally, there was a bowl full of sausages cut to look like octopus tentacles, smothered in Bolognese sauce and mayonnaise, placed in the center of the table. Not to forget, a full bottle of orange juice and four glasses were set near each chair. Especially for Brune, some pills and a glass filled with light green water were arranged to maintain his health.

Brune's first son, around nine years old, was busy playing with his smartphone like any other nine-year-old kids.

Brune's second child, a seven-year-old girl, unlike her brother, she seemed to inherit Brune's curiosity for knowledge. This was proved from her being engrossed in reading printed books rather than holobooks or ebooks.

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Brune sat at his chair, grabbed a few pieces of sausage, and poured orange juice into glasses for himself, his wife, and their children.

"Dad, when's the update coming?" Brune's son asked as soon as he realized his father was at the dining table.

"It's still going to take a bit, are you guys bored already?"

"Not really... my friends were just asking. Can we really get into the game?"

"Sure, but you're still not old enough to play it," replied Brune, smiling at his son, who looked a bit annoyed.

"Alright... let's eat first, then go to school. Don't play too much," Brune's wife said after finishing everything.

The four of them enjoyed their peaceful breakfast on this calm morning until Brune received an emergency call.

Brune immediately got up from his chair and moved away from the dining table. He always did this, not because he would receive secret information or anything, but to maintain the peace of his family while they were having breakfast.

###

"Whatever you're gonna do, don't! It's an order, you have no idea how risky that is," Brune told the caller. "Axel, don't! We could be stuck here forever."

Brune kept saying that over and over, but the caller seemed to ignore Brune's orders and warnings.

Being ignored, Brune quickly said goodbye to his family and left, not even grabbing his work bag. Brune took his only car, and even though it was his only car, it had high priority on auto-pilot. This meant other vehicles would yield to Brune's car, except those with higher priority.

The high priority on auto-pilot allowed Brune to access exclusive lanes and have a higher maximum speed.

During the trip, Brune repeatedly called Axel to stop whatever he was up to, but Axel didn't pick up the phone.

In that situation, Brune, looking around, started realizing another car was always following, tailing him. Brune waited a few minutes to confirm. When sure he was being followed, Brune immediately stopped the auto-pilot and began driving manually.

Driving manually wasn't new to Brune. He loved technology but also admired 21st-century technology and enjoyed the tactile sensations of using that technology. So, he enjoyed driving manually, especially during his free time.

So, Brune's driving skills were unquestionable. With those skills, Brune only needed to accelerate, abruptly stop to turn or change lanes, use small or crowded roads, and managed to shake off the tailing car not too long after.

Brune then took his car onto a narrow street, scanning all directions to ensure he'd shaken off his pursuer.

Although Brune could easily adapt to any situation, it didn't mean he didn't feel what most people would. Panicked at first, but Brune slowly managed to calm down.

Brune stepped out of the car to calm himself, breathing in the supposedly fresh but really not-so-fresh and not-healthy city air.

Brune then tried calling Axel again, intending to ask or even plead with him to stop whatever he was will doing. But just like before, no answer.

Brune checked all the apps and networks on his smartphone but didn't find any issues that would prevent him from contacting Axel. However, since he didn't find anything, he began to think that Axel might be intentionally avoiding him. So, Brune called Alice, and the call connected.

"Where are you?" Brune opened the conversation.

Observing the surroundings, Brune listened to Alice's answer.

"Axel... He is about to do his plan, and we need to stop him. But I'm in trouble now, so can you stop it? Also, ask Hector for help," Brune instructed.

Brune, still observing his surroundings, felt uneasy, he thought filled with worry that whoever had been tailing him before might have found his location now.

"Okay... I leave him to you, I'll catch up soon," Brune replied, then ended the call before Alice could say a word.

Brune continued to observe his surroundings. When he was certain that no one was tailing or watching him anymore, he got back into the car.

Unfortunately, as soon as he opened the car door, Brune felt a hand grab his hair and violently push his head against the car several times.

Brune had no chance to fight back or even to defend himself. Blood gushed from his badly injured head, and in just a few seconds, Brune lost consciousness after his blurred vision faded into darkness.

Brune fainted on that narrow street, without a single person watching what was happening.

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