X X X X X
Michael POV
One month have been already passed, next week my resignation will be in effect. On this weekend, there will be gathering with my superior and other colleague. We chatting until late night, some topic about my resignation and other about what we have been through so far together. We always help each other in thick and thin situation. You can say, we are brother in arms in this agency. This circle has been already made from long time ago and no one know from when it has been establish. The baton has been relayed from old generation to new one. If you want to uproot it, you will need a revolution.
My successor has been chosen. I hope that he will do a good job. In this field, if you're greed is too large and uncontrollable just to fill your vanity than you're destined to be doom. A lot of my colleague already go to jail for their deeds. In the midnight, i bid my farewell. Some of them invites in second round, but i insisted to reject their offer. We already quite old so we must take care of our fifty years old body. Even with the advent of stem cell therapy that make people still looks younger but a lot still died in their 60 or 70. Some speculate it is the god will and some other said they just reach their expiration date. I believe that it is already written in our genes, so how hard we make our body healthier and younger but it still wouldn't be able defy programming on our genes.
Walking on sidewalk, i feels the wind in summer night touch my skin. I feel a chill and hoping that i wouldn't catch a cold. Quickly, i call a taxi with app and few minutes later a taxi already waiting me. i open the passenger door and lie down there. Access my phones for the destination and the taxi moves smoothly, i don't any bump on the way. I praise many advancement technologies that help our life to lives easier. Arrive at my house then looked at my watch, it already passes midnight. Then decide to sleep right away after brush my teeth.
"Michael..., Michael..., are you home?"
My sister in-law calling me in Sunday morning, is there something happen? Lazily, I try to wake up and try to answer the call.
"Yeah, I am home. is there something wrong?"
I ask with my hoarse voice. Ahem. I was too much drink last night. It makes my throat dry and my stomach quite upset. Later, I must make and eat some hangover soup to ease my throat and stomach.
"Ah nothing wrong, but there is package for you."
Gathering my focus, I stand up and sprint to front door. Open it and I welcomed by the two people from package delivery company. I also see my sister in-Law beside them.
"Hmm, does the package send today?"
"Yes, it does sir. Are you don't get the email notification?"
One of the delivery man answered my question. Taking my phone on the couch then open my personal email. After searching email based on company name, some list shows up. It true that I get the email, but I never get the notification. I am changing some setting in my phone in order to activate the notification of my personal email. I must turn it off at a sometime before.
I let them to set up my capsule and put it on the living room. My house is quite spacious, thanks to the minimum furniture. Yeah, simplicity is the best. After the installation is done the worker explain general usage of my capsule. I ask some question but they too have minimum knowledge about the game. I gave them some tip after the clean installation they done. Not wasting time, I open the lid right away. The Nano bed technology is give modern vibe. I don’t know if the bed is same with the military used. The lighting is dim to not give strain to the eye. What stand out inside is the helmet. It covered our head completely and had a dark visor when it used.
Based on the worker explanation, it was already set up and can boot normally. There is no other anomaly on power supply or the internet connection, so it would connect to the server smoothly. There would be no side effect if it used normally in accordance normal usage listed in the manual. The maximum spartan used is 2 days, if someone abused the usage, they would force to logout and unable to login for 2 days. It has function that left you sleep in deep sleep state. We can set it up while on the game or when we logout, so our brain will get the best rest available. The recommendation for our sleep is 5-8 hour, same as our normal sleep cycle. We can sleep in game but the result may vary from one person to other. And when you died on game, you will unable to login for 2 days too. I think, it was a procedure that set up to counter abused usage. The time dilation is 4 time than normal, it said it speed that our brain can work normally for long used in game. After some consideration to get maximum result, I decide to play from 17-18 hour. I would have had 2 break, to do small exercise and prepare some simple balanced meal before and after the game. Then, i would have sleep for 5-6 hour in deep sleep state function.
Sitting on the edge of capsule then putting the helmet on my head. After lie down on the nano bed, some music playing in background when the lid closed. On my visor play some video like virtual google, don't you said it just like that. Wasn't it, it just like other virtual machines then. The bed adjusts to my body shape then I felt like my body sink deeper into the bed. After that, I hear a woman voice. The tone is pleasant, make a nice feeling when you hear it.
"New user detected. Are you ready to login?"I answer the question quickly.
"Yes."
"Understood. Please wait for moment, for your body to be ready for deep system immersion."
As my consciousness slip away, I close my eyes and then white light come to me. It is really bright that I must used my hand to cover my eyes. But, I quickly realized that I shouldn't be able to use my hand to cover my eyes, because it would hit the visor. Am I on virtual world now? Wow, that quite fast and I grateful not disappoint quickly and take off my helmet.
After the bright light ended, I arrive in some grey room. The shaped is cube and when move around, I always end up in the middle of the room, quite amusing. Suddenly, there are another bright light on my right but not bright as before to covered all of my vision. There stood a man quite young. His looks indicated that his age around 30 years. That on my standard, because with the latest medical advancement, we could look like 20 old years longer and stop at 30 or 40 old years on our final year. Off course those treatments isn't cheap, but many people ready to take those treatments. And, I was one in those million. The government officer gets many benefit and those treatment one of them. Then that guy spoke to me.
"Welcome to ATLAS adventure. My name is Serverius, the governor of virtual world."
"Ahh, Sorry for my late response. My name is Michael."
"Can I ask some question?"
"Off course, you can."
Such a mind blowing when they said that the NPC is looks like to human. Their expression is so vivid and I must agree to them. There is no difference when you converse with other normal people. I don't know if out there had others AI. Probably true, maybe one of government secret project already achieved it but I don't think it would available for the public. because the negative sentiment of AI still strong even for this era. Hmm, maybe I can got some game insight from him.
"So, how the the game works, can you explain it?"
"You must find that by yourself."
I got some answer but not satisfying. What a headache game mechanic.
"Then what the meaning from my question if there is no answer."
"Haa.. ha... Here, there is nothing I can inform you. You must find yourself something you want in ATLAS, either from inhabitant of the world, books, relics or any other means. Is there any more question?"
So it depends on us to unravel the information in this world. Yeah, information is always important for advancement. It is not rare if people will gather and tried to sold that information. But, because there is no way to prove it without tried out, you must find reliable source or you would have got a scam. Hopefully, I would find a dark gamer or stumble upon information where I can find trusted information. There is no benefit in dwelling with more question with him. At best,I would got some general if not dubious answer.
"So what we must to do next?"
"Then we proceed to character creation. On default the character would be representing your actual body and you only have 3 option to change. Off course if you wanted, you can change other with additional package you can buy separately."
What a blasphemy. But, I understand logic behind it. There maybe someone out there that have not confidence in appearance or maybe just want to be more beautiful or just as random as want to create character that unique different from other user. And with the limited option to change it, those people must have bought those optional. In the end booth are happy, both side got what they wanted. But, I don't play the game just for appearance or to became center of attention, but if there are merit on it why not.
"Is there any benefit from those option?"
"There is none, except from height that will give more reach. And each race would have minimum and maximum value on those option. Like example, Human height on default would go from 160 cm - 180 cm. If you want go lower or higher, you must use optional package."
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And what with this sales act, it gives me some irk feeling. I do understand that they must get more sale and why not when you can hire something that you don't need to pay it because it free one of the resource. Hmm, is there any option to give us boost from start. There always people who want to win, even if they must pay for it. I won't do it excessively, but I want just to get head start from other. And I also have limited resource, not some of billionaire to able spare luxury thing.
"Is there any package, to give us boost on our stat from beginning?"
"There won't. The stat would have same value for initial stage, but they would had their own racial trait. For example, I would open character creation to give you some insight"
In front of me, now standing my avatar. It looks like yourself. It just like when you standing in mirror, except right now I see it in 3D. And beside it, there is some graph showing stat distribution. Below it, there is some racial trait and their information. I try slide the screen in front of me to change the race. Basically, there was 5 race, start from human, elves, dwarfs, beast man and lizard man. The stat is strength, agility, dexterity, vitality, endurance, soul defense, soul capacity and soul force. Hmm, after some time I got understanding. Basically the stat divide to two group physical and magical. It interesting that intelligent and wisdom not included. In standard game trove those stat would in magical department. When I think it, it gives me some silly thought. Without my notice, I giggle and small tear form in outer side of my eye.
"Michael, Is there something funny?"
"Oh, not really. I just stumble upon some funny fact."
I can't hold myself and laugh uncontrollable. I fall on my knee then lie down on the floor. I laugh move from left side to right side and rolling and rolling. Then, I share my view with Serverius.
"If magician have intelligence and wisdom stat. When they level up they would put stat on it. When they don't act intelligence or show some wisdom, it would be contradiction with their stat."
"Ha... ha... Yes, indeed. Those are funny fact, indeed."
I try calm myself and think some option to maximum my avatar effect.
"Ah, Sorry. It's okay now. I choose human race, the height is 180 cm. And give my body more muscle slightly. And last one, I want change the hair style."
My height isn't that high. Its only around 170cm and my body is lean. So, I made little improvement to get maximum effect from default option. If my height is too high, it would give us some trouble against some foe that have lower height. Except if you have mastery over melee range weapon like spear or similar, it would give you advantage in range.
I want to add some change to my appearance but after some thought it better to made my avatar average. It would give me easier time to stay low far from people attention. If i were some important person from some renown guild maybe it would give some try. It would give effect to my presence and even our charisma to other player. But i think, i would do more solo than party. if those activities too hard to do myself, I would tag along to some party later. After those resolve, I confidently finish my character creation and ready to plunge to ATLAS.
"I am done, so send me to ATLAS now."
"I am very sorry but the server is not open yet. You must wait for tomorrow morning in 8 o'clock for your country time zone."
It very disappoint unable to login to the straight away. But i have benefit too, i would clean house and prepare some meal and do some light exercise. Then to do some proper preparation for tomorrow.
"So what time is now ?"
"You logging here for around thirty minutes, so in real time it just barely through 8 minute."
"Can we change this room. I think, it too gloomy now."
"Yes we can, but there would be another charge. Don't worry, this charge is one time only. The price is $10 per theme. And there would be charge for complementary package such as interior and other option."
Yes, sure. There would be some more, the capsule and subscription fee is already killing me. And now is must buy other
thing.
"Is there any adult entertainment here?"
"Yes we have. But there are some contract and other requirement that need your inspection and need to be fulfilled."
I am dying here. But after some consideration, it better to fulfill your desire that are impossible to achieve in real world. Yeah, maybe it better that way, but I don't too sure about it. I would just leave that matter.
"I think that I would choose smiting, dojo, sewing, sculpting and outdoor training."
"Please wait for moment your order being processed."
The bright light appears one by one from my left to right. My dull room changed to compound of several productions based job that I have been requested. I don’t think that I would change to master craftsman over one night, but I would do some basic and level up along the way. Then, I make some alteration from the default package like smith is more western oriented. The dojo not only have bamboo sword, wooden sword and katana, I added some saber, short sword, long sword and rapier. The sewing place has manual and simple automatic machine. And the sculpting area have all diverge from older time like carving and modelling but also welding. and I am also order some basic tutorial from all of them.
"The total of your purchase is $150, and the billing will send to your email."
"Okay. Then, first I will try sword fighting."
I set up the alarm to 12 o’clock. Even, if I will immerse in training I wouldn’t skip my lunch. has four times more time to exercise is a really big advantage. After trying learning footwork and tried some slashing, I do some real practice against shadow opponent that I activated in other package. The first match against noob level, I got some fifty-fifty change on winning and losing. After, I chose higher skill then I beaten badly. After 20 minutes’ practice there would be 10 minutes’ recovery and review on the battle I done. It was a nice feature because it will give insight and how to improve. After tried all sword I have, I move to sewing place. Trying many sewing technic and tools, but also different material from cloth, leather and do some simple broidery. Unexpectedly, the sewing activity not to boring like I thinking before. Even the result is unpleasant but because time flew fast before I knew it, it was nice experience.
When the lunch time arrive, I log out and prepare some simple cooking. With the help of automatic appliances all done at least eatable. I am eating and ordering some longsword, rapier and katana for training in real life. I decide not dive straight away but doing some chores and set up order for daily necessities and my sister in laws called me for dinner later in the evening.
I am continuing my activities in virtual after I done preparing my stuff. In smiting, I am trying to make some ingot and trying to recognize the result. After that, I am trying to do some simple knife making, result in many failures. Even when succeed the result is horrible, if not brittle sometime it was some and easily bend after trying to cut or throwing. Then, trying some wood sculpting resulting some prehistoric figurines with dubious representation of human body. Maybe I could have classified in abstract style. Ha.. and maybe some people will buy it in tremendous sum.
After take bath I go to my brother place and have dinner together. My sister in laws cooking is superb. The taste good and the dish she make varied a lot. I can see in my brother face some troubled expression he has.
“Have you must to retire early, Michael?”
“Yeah. I have.”
“Yes, it true. But we don’t something still can happen in future, you know.”
“Don’t worry, I still have some benefit from the pension.”
“Hahh. Then take care for your health.”
“Off course.”
“Uncle, can I borrow it later?”
“Sorry, but I will use it frequently and there would be no break in between if no major happen.”
“Father, see it. I told you to bought it before. Now I can’t play it with my friend.”
“Sorry son. but the queue is unbelievable, I already order it but it was on 4 batch so you must patient at least for month.”
“Haah.. one month.”
With defeated face my nephew lost his appetite. I am sorry, even if it was my son request I would have denied it.
“Is it very that good, Michael?”
“Yes. It is. You can do not only gaming but other thing like gardening many flower from different region in one place. Or do some cooking there without buying real stuff.”
“Hmm. It looks like it would give us nice experience. I think, I would try it later.”
“Yeah. You must.”
After the dinner, I am take shower and to dive in again to my capsule. Trying to do some more practice and set up deep state sleep on game. I set my alarm to 6 am in morning to prepare everything. I am doing faster from before but the result is not much improved. If the theory of 10000 hours’ is correct. With just 4 month of real world time, I will get better result. After many training is done the alarm is ringing and I logout from my personal space and go in to deep state sleep.