VRMMO - Breach
Chapter I
Simon logged into his freshly made account once again and put the headgear on his head. By pressing the button on the headgear itself, the lenses suddenly lit up. His sight altered rapidly and the noise of the club became concealed. Something was isolating his ears.
{Welcome player, to the brand new VRMMO game, Breach! Want to have fun with your friends? Or do you want to have fun by yourself in an open world? Maybe you want to compete with others and win cool prizes! This game is just for you!}
A female voice told him in an excited but clear voice. He knew that the sound didn't come from headphones. The full dive technology allowed the player to directly simulate the surroundings and sounds in their head. But even though he knew it before, it still surprised him how it felt like there was a real person talking to him.
The white screen changed as Simon now had a view over a vast open world. At first sight, he immediately realized that the city of Axis was copied into the game perfectly, but unlike in real life, the city was clean without the trash in the Neon District that was piled up on every street. He would love to take a walk through the virtual city, as it brought the same sense of amazement that it was supposed to have since the initial planning phase.
{To proceed further, we must check if your headgear works properly. In case it doesn't, the game will automatically disconnect you.
Please try to move your head.}
Simon did as he was told by the female voice, which was now calmer than in the initial welcoming. His head naturally moved along, just like in the real world. As he could feel the character's body entirely, Simon checked every limb before giving further instructions.
The taskbar, which tracked his progress, changed instantaneously as the system was sure about the status of the headset. It was working well.
{The headset is working well. Now please choose the game mode you want to play.}
{Arcade} {Open World} {Connect to Playland Lobby}
{Arcade - is a set of mini-games where the player is required to give their absolute best in order to reach the top. These games require a great skill set in order to defeat other real players.}
{Open World - A place where you can roam freely and do whatever you desire. You will not only encounter real players but also intelligent NPCs. In this world, dedication matters. (Note: The character statistics raised in this mode only apply to it; they won't apply to arcade mode.)}
There was a third option that Simon could pick. Even though it wasn't explained, he already knew, so there was no need for explanations. He came here just for this.
On the floating screen, Simon tried to press the third option, but before he could do so, the NPC started talking again.
{Would you like to pass the tutorial before you hop into the actual game?}
{Yes} {No, skip it, let me play the game}
Simon was amused by the second option. He thought it was exactly the same thing, and probably not just that he felt this way. The developers sure knew how to joke around and create fun content.
*Click*
Simon dismissed the tutorial panel, he decided to skip it despite not knowing anything about the game. 'Tutorial? Hell no. I'll figure this game out in five minutes.’ was what he thought. Let's be honest, we all had the same experience as Simon.
With another click, he selected the third option and entered the private lobby for the Playland Club. His avatar dispersed in blue pixels, and in a second, Simon opened his eyes to a brand new environment.
He had no idea if those lobbies could be customized or not, but the fact was that this was the same Playland Club he was in before. There were just no computers or a larger hall for players to gather. Speaking of players, there are hundreds.
Now he had to establish first contact and learn how to play the game. Also, how do the tournaments work and figure out who is at the top? Otherwise, since it was all about money and drugs are quite expensive, only those at the top would be able to purchase them.
It would've been nice to have Alice in the game. He considered asking her to join later, but for now, he'll try to adapt. In the lower-left corner of his vision, Simon could see a small button. He clicked on it and opened a menu with his status page.
{Profile}
{Username: Deadropper
Level: 0 - (100 exp left to advance to Lvl 1)
Arcade Stage: #7 (Last)
Time Played: 0 Hours}
{Status Window - Locked}
The status window was unfortunately unavailable. It's a shame because he just wanted to check it out. 'I guess, I'll do that later.' Aside from those windows, there was an inventory, contacts, and settings page. They were all accessible, but there was nothing to see in them.
It was time to find someone who could help him out with this. The lobbies were made to find the teammates faster, so why not use the benefit it provided? Simon could quite literally see some people holding signs that said, "Looking for a partner/party."
"Well... here goes nothing."
Simon, in the end, approached quite a few people and groups, but every single one of them said no. Unfortunately, each of them had higher-level quests or higher stages, meaning the character Deadropper, who was just level zero, couldn't participate.
He sighed in disappointment. Couldn't there be at least someone else? At that moment, someone came to his back and tapped him on the shoulders. Simon turned back,
"Hey there, bro! Are you looking for a partner?"
"Yes, I am."
"That's great. I'm looking for someone to join me to clear a low-level quest. I promise to take care of everything."
Upon closer inspection of this person's character, Simon found him to be quite a high level. The avatar with the nickname 'PyroFendler', clad in full black militaristic armor, had an icon floating over the helmet. Level 56 it said.
"I'm still level zero. I don't have anything to offer either."
"It's all good. It's just a low-level quest that needs two people to activate. I'll give you some stuff that can help you."
Simon already liked this guy, he was straight to the point. If only everyone was just like him. He saw an invitation window pop up in front of him.
{Do you want to accept the party invite from the player "PyroFendler"?}
{Yes} {No}
"Is there anything else other than that? I wanted to learn how to play the game first."
"I'll explain everything on the way and give you some tips. It's pretty simple and enjoyable if you don't get too much into the mechanics. which I did…"
"Then, it's all good."
{You've accepted PyroFendler's party invitation.}
{Username: PyroFendler
Level: 57 (3123 exp left to advance to Lvl 58)
Arcade Stage: #7
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Time Played: 99 Hours}
Simon was confused as to why the Arcade Stage of this guy was the same as his. He should've been quite an experienced player at that level.
"I want to ask beforehand, in which Playland Club are you at the moment? I'm in the Neon District."
"Why would you be interested?"
"It might be a huge coincidence, but I think I saw someone like you irl a few minutes ago. I was having a break and my eyes were a little blurry, but the person really looked like your avatar. This isn't a skin, is it?"
For a moment, Simon thought this person was also an abductor or something, perhaps with a voice changer. His tone was childish of sorts. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.
"Oh yeah, I am there."
"That's great. Maybe I can treat you to a meal later.” he grinned. Even his facial expressions were perfectly simulated in the game. “I selected the game mode. We will teleport soon."
{3}
{2}
{1}
The countdown finished and again Simon disintegrated in blue pixels along with his teammate. The open world took some time to load, but eventually, it fully formed. There were absolutely no bugs, and that was the fascinating part about this technology. You can enjoy the view and experience the best gameplay without the typical lags. It didn't matter how big the map was or how many objects it contained.
So the developers went ahead and created this masterpiece. It was a city, but it was made in a style similar to the Neon District. A lot of glowing lights, rain that reflected the light, and mirrors took eighty percent of the buildings.
"We are lucky to have spawned in this city. It's filled with a lot of mobs, and our quest is located here. I'll transfer some stuff to your inventory. It's just the basics, nothing much. But it should help you."
Pyro scrolled for some time in his inventory, and after selecting some of the items, he sent them as a gift to Simon.
{You have received a gift from the player "PyroFendler". Do you want to accept?}
Simon, of course, accepted the gift, and soon he heard a lot of notification noises invading his ears.
{The "Night Stalker" kit was added to your inventory.}
{The assault rifle "HK416" was added to your inventory.}
{The "Gunsmith" and "Medic" kits were added to your inventory.}
"That's just basic stuff. Don't be surprised. That's the best stuff you could probably get at this stage. Check them out."
When Simon opened his inventory, there were only those few items he had just been given. After clicking on the "Night Stalker", a few usage options appeared next to it.
{Do you want to wear the entire "Night Stalker" kit?}
PyroFendler smiled to himself, seeing the fresh appearance Deadropper just undertook. Now, this! He actually looked like a badass character from a video game. The desert camo uniform with all the equipment a soldier would have looked especially cool. This was aesthetic and Pyro liked it.
"You know, people usually hide the equipment under their skin, but you look cool even without it."
Simon accepted the compliment, "Thank you. Do I equip the gun from the inventory as well?"
"Yeah, set it as primary so that you don't have the issues later."
Simon nodded and set the gun in his inventory as primary. At first, it didn't appear in his hands, but Pyro told him just to try and grab it as if it was attached to the side of his backpack with magnets.
*Grab*
He felt the usual metallic feel from the gun. Simon tightened his grip over the handle and pulled the gun up. It was a regular old HK and it seemed unused.
*Click*
With that sound, the magazine separated from the gun and fell into Simon's left hand. He showed it to Pyro.
"The mag is empty."
"Damn, you also know how to handle those old guns! But yeah, don't worry, we'll fix that later. The NPCs drop a lot of goods, especially the old guns. My class is also a Commando, so I can spawn the ammunition in the battle."
"Class?"
Pyro nodded, "You get the classification when you reach level twenty-five. The game gives you the class based on what type of weapon you prefer the most. Of course, statistics also play a role in it. For now, you are level zero. You'll see the status window soon."
The status window apparently opens when you get the points to invest in certain attributes. Simon currently has none.
"You'll gain a lot of experience from the quest. You might reach level ten just from that. So let's go."
…
*Splash*
Through the narrow lanes of the giant city, the two figures run without the worry of getting wet by stepping into the puddles. With all their might, they stomped into those ponds and only increased their speed. They were armed. Both had the weapons strapped to their backpacks.
It was raining, and if not for the neon lights, the path would've been harder to see.
"How's your stamina? Is it annoying, Dropper?" Pyro, in this very short period of time since meeting Deadropper, began to call him in a short manner.
Dropper himself, on the other hand, clicked his tongue, "It is pretty annoying." His level of 0 stamina was absolutely disgraceful. He had much more endurance in real life than in the game. He was falling behind his partner.
"You can give yourself another adrenaline shot, it doesn't have consequences here."
While they were running, he opened the inventory and applied the medic kit to his vest. "Breach" had very detailed physics, so Dropper felt the weight on him increase.
He grabbed the special syringe. *Pierce* The needle slid into the skin and, by pressing the button on the top, the adrenaline, or what it's called in professional terms, Epinephrine, immediately started working.
Suddenly, it became easier to run, and his pace increased steadily. He was no longer falling behind Pyro.
"Alright, this quest is pretty intense. But it's easy if you follow the instructions. It activates immediately when we enter a certain area, and every enemy knows that you are there. It's inside the building, so just be wary, because the enemy can be behind every corner."
Dropper nodded at Pyro's warning, "Roger."
"Hah, milsim. I like it. Let's blow some sh*t up then bro." Pyro smirked at his partner.
In front of them, there was a staircase to the underground, but they didn't stop, and with their asses, they slid down on the wet metal barrier. *Swish* Here they were, in a building where their quest was located. A casino.
{The quest "Hit the Jackpot" has started. Difficulty Level: Easy}
{Time allocated for the quest: 20 Minutes.}
{Enemies to be killed: 30}
{19:59}
The timer went off, meaning it was time to start the act. Dropper had no idea about the structure of the building, thus he just followed his partner. He walked through another narrow lane to reach the emergency exit door of the casino.
"We will go from here, but we'll be met with the juggernaut. There might be a few of them. Don't forget to use the attachments I gave you for the weapon."
*Grab*
Dropper brought his weapon to his chest and opened the menu. In his inventory, the weapon had customization options, and with the gunsmith kit already in there, he could customize it as he wished.
His choices were simple with this gun; a vertical grip under and the silencer to the front so that his eardrums wouldn't burst, EoTech on the top, and a laser on the side.
"Ready or not?"
"Ready."
Pyro and Dropper positioned themselves opposite of each other with the emergency door in between them. *Stick* The dark-clad soldier stuck the device to the door and began counting.
"3, 2, 1…"
*Boom*
"Go."
The door exploded and opened up a path for two players. Even through the smoke, Pyro, due to his high attributes, could see, so he burst inside. He was followed by Dropper right behind.
They walked in the corridor with quick steps so they wouldn't crash into each other. Dropper placed his hand over Pyro's shoulder to feel the changes in his pace.
The alarm was brewing for a long time and made loud noises, alerting everyone. That one change of pace soon occurred, and the two stopped moving. They were in front of a door that led to a different room, and they couldn't leave it unchecked.
"I'll breach and you control the corridor."
"Don't waste time, this is just a restroom. Throw a flashbang for me inside."
Pyro was skeptical at first, but from his partner's previous actions, he realized he was not a rookie in this field. He nodded and waited for Dropper’s signal.
The door to the restroom was opened slightly, Dropper's eyes inspected if there were any traps laid for them. After ensuring that there wasn't any, Pyro threw the flashbang inside and went off to the rear.
*Bang*
The Flashbang exploded and lit up the restroom with blinding light and ear-wrecking noise. Dropper moved inside in a very practiced manner. From the right wall, he crossed to the left inside the restroom. His vision covered the entirety of the bathroom.
"Aghhh!"
There was a man in the bathroom, and his scream gave away his position. But it was still to be confirmed if the person was armed. He was occupying one of the slots with toilets and was covered all around with walls. This made it tougher to identify.
Shoot or not?
*Dut!* *Dut!* *Dut!*
Three shots rang out in the restroom. Those bullets melted through the walls around the toilet and hit the man inside them. Instantly, the man fell to the ground and blood streamed onto the white floor. It was lucky to have the mirrors in front of the slot and the man have the door open.
{You have wounded a security guard.}
*Dut!*
{You have successfully killed your first enemy. Congratulations!}
{Achievement Unlocked: First Blood}