It is around 10:00 pm and the weather is warm.
Within the small isolated Sharingla's Motel, Manhattan, stood Room 667.
The lights lit up in a dim brightness, one of them already burned out. Despite this, Blue can still see the black box in front of him.
The box is rather big, large as the size of a head, and has golden texts in digital styled fonts on its top cover.
Virtual Game Helmet: Golden Edition.
He thought he read it wrong so he have to adjust his glasses to see the words right. Then he wastes his time pinching himself, or bang his head on the wall just to get himself awake. But the box is still there, perfectly laid on the matress and untouched.
VMMORPGs are the biggest hits in the gaming franchise, and they cost a lot of money. Even a single Virtual Reality set ( or VR set for short) like this one costs at least $10, 000, surpassing the price of popular gaming consoles like Nitendo and PlayStation. But this game helmet is a Golden Edition. What's more, it is a better version of normal VR sets with a price of more than $100, 000!
It's a disgusting $1 billion dollars!
Even a professional player like him won't be able to afford such a price.
He looked down to the letter he is holding. He received the box this evening from a mail man along with this envelope. To his suprise, the sender is his former club member Chang Bai.
On the letter, he reads, "Master, I bought this VR set just for you, in case you're bored. I bet 100 bucks that you'll definitely gonna love Gloria Online! You can thank me later the next time we meet.
"PS: This Golden Edition is also usable for disabled people so enjoy to your heart's content!"
And that was just it. There is no explanation on how he got it. He just simply "bought" it, making Blue somewhat doubtful.
That fat bastard, is he trying to frame him for stealing?
He never knew much about Chang Bai. They just met by chance in Honor Online while they were noobs. But Blue is more than just a noob. He is a genius prodigy with a gifted talent in Chang Bai's eyes. When he saw him perform while battling a dungeon boss together, those movements and that skill casting speed were godlike! This is a man worthy to be followed, he thought. Chang Bai not only became his "big fan", he became his loyal follower afterwards.
Blue didn't think much about it at first. He just found Chang Bai really annoying, both in game and real life. The fat guy always followed him around wherever he goes, he even pops out of nowhere in either the Chat System, or whenever Blue fought a boss he would come out on the wrong time. He even snuck into his bathroom window while he was taking a shower. How he knew where he lived? Blue doesn't have the answer. It just drived him crazy.
But he did took note of his persistence. Chang Bai is an optimistic person, who works harder as him. He is also a fast learner and has quickly adapted the gaming environment after Blue irritatingly taught him with a few pointers. It was then that Blue finally acknowledged him as a worthy player, and a trusting ally.
Come to think of it, with that attitude, Chang Bai should at least have a job with a decent salary. Moreover, he may have spent most of it along with his life earnings to buy this game helmet. And it was a Golden Edition for disabled people.
To spend an amount of $1 billion to buy this for him...
Blue can't describe how he felt right now. No one has ever treated him this way before. Even if someone admired him before, they weren't too stupid to spend all of their money to buy a luxurious thing for him. This is simply too alien, yet his heart is deeply touched.
Is this what people call gratefulness? Gratitude?
Either way, Blue knows that he owes something to Chang Bai. He isn't stingy with money, and the fact that this follower of his has gone through stakes to buy this set for him, he won't hesitate to repay him even if it's just a $1, 000, 000, 000. If Lady luck is on his side, then perhaps he'll try to win a lottery some time.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Chang Bai also made a point, but only a partial of it.
Ever since that freak accident, he couldn't feel his hands anymore after he woke up. Even if he can still lift a finger, the damage he received is too severed, enough to prevent him from touching his keyboard and mouse.
Since Chang Bai gave him this opportunity, his desire to play again has grown deeper.
He puts away the letter, and started opening the box. The contents inside are only a black game console, a CD of Gloria Online and a headgear that looks like a motorcycle helmet. There is also a booklet in there.
He took out the set, and immediately reads the booklet. This is just a normal routine whenever he tries out a new game console to play a game. Although he have been a famous figure in the E-Sports world, he used to play other game consoles besides PC. He would try to understand the lore of the new game first, then see how the console works. He would also skip the tutorial guides because he dislikes doing it step by step. That's just old school!
But since this console can be played by disabled players, he wants to learn how he can use these useless hands in this game.
After reading for at least 15 minutes, he puts down the booklet. A look of surprise plastered on his face.
He couldn't find any tutorial guides, speculating that he will have to take them if he plays the game.
According to the booklet, the game's theme takes place in Middle Earth but the survivors of the Shadow War entered into a new era which is called Gloria. Like the game Honor, things such as Health points and Mana bars still exists in this virtual realm. He couldn't get the details about choosing classes and races though, nor did he find anything relevant to whether there is a main story quest. And there is this thing that keeps bothering him...
the contents said that the game is developed with 100% realism. So whatever he will feel inside the game, they will be 100% real.
Does this mean he can feel pain in the game?
That is likely possible, but the question is how real exactly?
Twenty years ago, the company Netmarble made their first Virtual Reality games with 3D graphics. Although they were just minigames, people have been throwing their money into the stockpile to buy the company's VR sets, and the pile continued to grow until it overflooded their house yard. Netmarble grew unimaginably bigger and wider as the White House.
The fact that this game is said to be 100% real is a taboo. But Netmarble have became one of the largest companies in the gaming industry, with an even richer amount of money in their bank. Gloria Online is also created by this very company.
How much money did they spend to make this work? How far did their efforts reach?
This line of thinking makes Blue piqued his curiosity.
"Then it's a worth to try!"
---
After an hour, it is already 11:00 pm
Blue have prepared his gear. Turning the console on, he wears the black helmet before lying himself down on the bed.
"Log in Gloria Online." He activated the command.
A monotonic voice rang through his ears.
[Progressing... Logging into Gloria Online...]
[You have now logged into Gloria Online. Please give your character a name.]
"Perseus."
[Confirming... Confirming name completed.]
Within five seconds, he feels a slight shock through his head. It is a little painful but it felt like a needle had numb his brain.
[System Announcement: Based on system check, your heartbeat is 100% stabled as a normal person's standard!]
[System Announcement: Based on system check, your body temperature is 70% lower than a normal person's standard!]
[System Announcement: Based on system check, your blood concentration level is normally stabled!]
[System Announcement: Based on system check, your brain activity is 120% above a normal person's standard!]
[System Announcement: Based on system check, your sexual activity is stabled as a normal person's standard!]
---
Hearing these notifications, Blue frowned. Is this a counterfeit?
Then a system interface popped into his view. On it shows a picture of a person's body, his body. It looks more detailed, and he can see those big and small bones with veins all over them, even his inner organs are there. Here, his body glows in light green, except for certain parts.
His hands are glowing in dim red.
[System Announcement: An illness is found.]
[Automatically analyzing illness... Analysis confirmed. Your nerves are severely damaged. Would you like to commence Phantom?]
Phantom?
Can this command really support a disabled person? Even someone who is severely injured? Blue thought back to Chang Bei's letter and remembered that this equipment can be used by disabled people as well.
Then, "Yes."
[Commenced Phantom...]
Before he knew it, he feels shocked again. But this time, it is even more painful.
"Ah!"
The intense pain slowly pierces through his head as if something drilled its way to his brain. Then it travels to all of the nerves in his body, then into his bones and his organs, his heart is affected as well. He feels like being drugged with toxic.
"Fu***!"
In about three minutes, the shock travels to his hands. Then the pain gradually subsides in seconds, leaving Blue gasping.
*Ding!*
[Commencing completed. You are now linked to Phantom.]
"That fu***ing hurts!"
He never read anything from the booklet about Phantom, nor how painful it is. Those Netmarble people should've at least put up a warning, unless one of their ill customers die from a heart attack before they even play the game!
That sensational pain has truly convinced him that this game may really be under 100% realism.
Before he can even take a break, the screen in front of him flashes in pure white instantly.
"Fu***!"
The next second, he feels his conscience leaving his body as if he is drifted into a new world.
Then his vision is becoming to clear.
What he first glimpsed are numerous meteors, raining down behind a castle wall.
"Fu***!"