It's the second day since Aaron had woken up as Aaron Heath, and the weight of his new life was slowly becoming less overwhelming. The memories of the original Aaron—his family, his friends, and his quiet, comforting routine—settled into his mind like a second skin. While the world around him was radically different from the chaos of his past life, Aaron found it easier to adapt than he expected.

This new world, though unfamiliar, was stable. There was no constant danger, no survival at the edge of his wits. The rhythm of daily life here was mundane yet strangely comforting.

His second day in this new life was spent adjusting the most immediate things. His hair, once untamed and long, had grown to a ridiculous length, and his beard was thick enough to make him look far older than his 19 years self.

“I’m looking like a wild man,” he muttered to himself, wincing as he ran a hand through the unkempt mess of hair.

So, he’d decided to head to a salon. After spending most of the day getting his hair trimmed and beard shaved, he felt like a new person. The stylist had been kind but puzzled at his awkward demeanor. It wasn’t often that clients walked in with such a serious expression, as though something monumental were about to happen, but it worked out in the end.

Once his appearance was sorted, he had ventured to buy the latest piece of technology that had been buzzing in the world’s news: the Ethereal Divine Online gaming helmet.

Aaron had get the knowledge about the game from the memories of Aaron Heath, but there was still much he didn’t understand about this world’s technology. The concept of full-dive virtual reality was mind-boggling to him, and though he knew the game was revolutionary, it all felt very foreign.

In his original world, technology like this was a foreign concept. The idea of video games—much less fully immersive ones—was something completely out of reach. His world was magical, yes, but it was also backward in many ways. The people there still relied on simple tools, using carriages to travel from place to place, and magic was a fundamental part of everyday life.

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There were no vehicles like cars or buses. No advanced technology. It was a world that was deeply connected to nature, where everything was balanced with the land and the elements.

Polluting the earth, defiling the forests, or abusing the natural world was not just frowned upon—it was a death sentence. The druids of the elves, protectors of the forest and its creatures, would descend upon anyone who dared to harm the environment. They would bring swift and unforgiving justice, usually by the blade, to those who polluted the sacred lands.

Aaron, or rather, Aaron Bright, had grown up knowing these strict laws. His world had been shaped by them, where everything from transportation to resource use was dictated by nature’s balance.

It was beautiful, but it had its limits—limits that kept the world in a constant state of stagnation. The advancements of technology that were commonplace in this world—things like video games, modern vehicles, and even the concept of the "United Government"—were things Aaron had never even dreamed of.

Now, in this new world, everything was foreign to him. Video games like Ethereal Divine Online were marvels of technology he couldn't even begin to fully comprehend. Vehicles that ran on engines were common, and the city he had visited for the game helmet was filled with people zipping by in shiny cars and big buses.

The people here lived in a way he couldn't have imagined back in his world, where magic and nature were everything and technology like this was nowhere to be seen.

Despite all the uncertainty surrounding the technology and the game itself, Aaron knew one thing: money was something he could always use, and this was his best shot at getting a steady income while figuring out his place in this world.

Aaron had the savings and insurance money from his parents’ accounts to fall back on, but he understood that relying on that was not the best way to live long-term. Plus, he was still uncertain about the bigger picture—his role in this world.

He figured that this game, even if it was unfamiliar to him, would offer something to latch onto. If there was a way to earn a living in this virtual world, why not try?

After all, The announcement from the United Government had been clear: Ethereal Divine Online was offering a new form of exchange between the virtual and the physical world. For someone like Aaron, who still hadn’t fully grasped the ins and outs of this strange new world, that promise alone was enough to dive headfirst into the game.

With the helmet in his hands, Aaron made his way back to his newly cleaned home. He wasn’t sure what exactly to expect when he plugged into the game. But he could at least begin carving a path forward in a world that was no longer his own.