After fleeing from the main hall, Chronos re-entered the quiet and empty dorm he had awoken from earlier. As soon as he walked in, he noticed a futuristic metallic box with a big screen on its top most face, on it was the outline of a handprint.
The smooth sleek exterior beckoned Chronos to approach, without hesitation, Chronos extended his right hand and placed it firmly on the out line. And then, with a soft hum, the box began to open, revealing the shining pearl helmet that lay within.
As Chronos gazed at the helmet, he felt a shiver of excitement run through him. It was a thing of beauty, with an iridescent pearl-like surface that seemed to shift and change color with each passing moment. He could see himself reflected in its surface, his features distorted by the curves and angles of the helmet.
Chronos took in a deep breath, thinking back on his life in the Pre-Birth Simulation, the past three years and the events that have just transpired. He ran a hand through the hair on the back of his head and gripped onto a handful of his white hair.
He shut his eyes and relished the moment of peace, embracing the tugging sensation of his clenched fist on his hair. Honestly, he felt exhausted…
The bane that was his photographic memory was weighing heavy upon his consciousness. The scars from his abusive childhood, the hundreds of different vivid nightmares of death was like a tightening noose on the neck of his sanity, threatening to decapitate his suffocating existence.
Exhaling deeply as he arched his head upward, Chronos’s white-purplish eyes shot open with a fiery determination. Over the past three years he had scurried through innumerable records and ancient texts to find a cure for Vorta’s nightmare curse but to no avail.
The only remedy seemed to be getting stronger.
This was the best and only route forward and sitting quietly in front of him in this futuristic box was the key.
With a sense of anticipation, Chronos picked up the Simulation Helmet and placed it on his head. As it settled into place, he felt a rush of energy flow through him, his senses sharpening and his mind clearing. And then, with a soft hiss, the helmet came to life, his consciousness was transported into a new simulated world.
[ Within the Simulated World ]
A cute bald boy in a monks robe said in a monotonous robotic voice,
“Welcome to the World of Legacy, I am your A.I. guide…”
“A.I guide?”
Chronos scrutinized the ultra realistic little monk in front of him as he felt different parts of his body. The muscles on his body felt real to the touch. He proceeded to look down onto his open palm and focused intently, the prints were identical to the finest detail.
This was a perfect replica of his body.
Chronos muttered softly, “ Wow… this is… my body…”
“The Simulation Helmet does a full scan before entry to ensure 100% realism and immersion” The little monk smiled lightly, “ Do not underestimate the prowess of our technology…”
“Chronos Astral, it’s nice to meet you, your ID in the World of Legacy will be locked in as ‘Chronos Astral’ “
“Can I not use a nickname or an alias?”
The little monk replied with a cold shake of his head and proceeded to say, “ There are 3 main sections of the World of Legacy you have access to currently… “
“They are your personal space, the basic training facility and the Tower of Legacy.”
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Chronos asked curiously, “What’s my personal space?”
The little A.I. monk shot Chronos a quick dissatisfied look with an emotive expression that completely juxtaposed his monotone approach so far. It was only for a second before he reverted back to his emotionless facade, but Chronos caught the subtle change.
‘Strange, what was that? I’m sure it wasn’t a hallucination, that look… it was almost as if he despises me? Is this A.I. guide more sentient than he lets on?’ Chronos thought, narrowing his eyes to scrutinize the cute yet stoic little monk levitating before him.
“The current total registered users in this server is 165, please select an uninhibited area within the green section of map as your personal space,” the little A.I. monk pointed to the huge 3D holographic projection which materialized in front of Chronos, a third of which highlighted with a soft green glow.
“The red circles are already inhabited by other registered users…”
‘This brat completely ignored my question?!’ Chronos thought.
With a light opening motion of his thumb and index fingers, Chronos zoomed into a mountainous region of the map.
“What a huge area of space,” Chronos exclaimed, the third of the map highlighted in green looked several times the size of Tertius. He proceeded to pick a scenic area by a beautiful waterfall high up amongst the clouds in a mountainous region within the map.
“Confirm” Chronos said after picking out his desired spot.
“Personal Space region locked in.” The A.I. monk nodded, “ From this moment forth, you will be transported to your personal space every time you log in.”
*Flash*
[Chronos’s Personal Space]
As soon as Chronos’s vision adjusted to his surroundings, he gasped at the beauty of the world around him, it almost took on a surreal quality. He found himself on an open plane close to the tip of a mountain overlooking a sea of clouds.
Just as Chronos got entranced by the beauty of this almost celestial scenery, the thunderous roar of a cascading waterfall caught his attention. He turned to look toward the symphony of crashing waves and tinkling bells which filled the air with a melody that seemed to serenade his soul.
Around the waterfall, the scenery was breathtaking. The mist from the falls rose up into the air like an elegant dance, creating a soft, ethereal atmosphere that seems almost otherworldly. There were wildflowers growing in every direction, their bright colors contrasting sharply with the gray rocks and green foliage. Butterflies flit about, their wings beating in time with the rhythm of the water.
Just then, a stone hunt fell straight out from the sky and landed a comfortable distance away from the waterfall. The little A.I. monk guide materialized right beside Chronos and said,
“This stone hut is your residence, the acre of land on this mountain top is your personal territory, no one is allowed to enter without your permission.”
Chronos nodded and started to explore his territory. After a few moments, he reached a cliff side and what he saw evoked an involuntary gasp - a sea of clouds.
It stretched out before him, an endless expanse of mist and vapor, so thick that it seemed almost solid. It undulated and shifted like a living thing, constantly changing shape and color in response to the wind and the sunlight.
For a moment, Chronos felt the fatigue that had burdened him all these years disappear. He stood there, gazing out at the clouds, comforted by the minuteness of his existence in the face of such vast beauty. There was a sense of peace and serenity that felt more real than he had ever experienced, as if he was exactly where he was meant to be at this moment.
“AHHHHH!!!!!” Chronos let out a guttural roar at the edge of the cliff, tears involuntarily trickled down the sides of his eyes… It was relieving to have a place of privacy all to himself. A relief that he did not know how much he had needed.
The little A.I. monk levitated to Chronos’s line of sight and waved, in an emotionless voice said, “You can explore your territory after I’m done with my basic introductions.”
With a snap of a finger, the two of them teleported into the stone hut by the waterfall. The first thing that struck Chronos was the simplicity of the interior. The walls were made of rough-hewn stone, with no ornaments or decorations to speak of. A small, circular window hung like a beautiful painting of the waterfall outside.
“Is this it…?” Chronos questioned the A.I. guide at his side as he walked out of the empty stone hut.
“You can customize the interior or even replace it entirely with a better residence with Legacy Coins you can earn from the Tower of Legacy or events from this menu…”
A panel of options appeared at the corner of Chronos’s vision, the little A.I. monk pointed his cute finger at the Shop Icon, however it was grayed out like most of the other icons.
“The shop function will be unlocked only after the clearance of level two of the Tower of Legacy, any questions so far?”
“Well, it seems a little cold and while I enjoy the sound of the waterfall I’d imagine that it’d get old after a while…” Chronos said.
“Certain sensory experiences can be altered by the owner of the personal space, select the settings option to change the ambiance in your space” the A.I. monk replied.
“Tai Sui is attempting to establish a connection … … …” Chronos received a notification.
“Grandmama.” Chronos accepted the transmission.
“How are you liking the Simulated World baby boy? Try inviting me to your personal space.”
The A.I. monk started to introduce the friends list,
“ The friends list has been set to automatically connect all 166 registered users as acquaintances. You are able to send chat requests or invite them directly to your personal space. Permission to enter must be given directly by the owner of the personal space each time, but owners can also grant passes to certain people to allow them freedom of access…”
“Grant user Tai Sui an access pass and permit her entry…” Chronos replied.
“I’m not your butler, lesser boy… figure it out yourself in your friends list tab!” the A.i. monk once again showed his displeasure, this time directly dematerializing in front of Chronos.
‘What the hell is his problem? Lesser boy? Me?!!’
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I've made quite significant changes to the first 13 chapters, hope I've been improving and that you enjoy my work cheers! I will be updating Chapter 14 onwards daily as I continue my uploads! Do check it out if you have the time, not saying that its great but it's been improved ALOT imo =)
Thanks for the support
Much Love and Appreciation,
MrBtheNovelist