Starting The Game

Ding...

A message notification appeared moments after Ryo entered the game.

"Who's this? Is it Fajar?" Ryo wondered because this wasn't his account; it was an account created by Fajar. "Maybe it's a message from Fajar. Open the message."

The system displayed message history with categories: Friends, Local, and Global. Ryo clicked on the "Friend Chat" section, and there was only one conversation from someone named "Sweet Potato" with a potato picture as their profile. Ryo opened the message.

[Ryo, it's me, Fajar. Where are you right now? Check your profile!]

"As I suspected, it's Fajar... Let's first check which planet I'm on as per his instructions," Ryo said, checking by saying "Open Profile" to view his profile information.

[Profile]

Name: SpeedX

Rank: Celestial Scout

Number of Matches: 20

Wins: 20

Losses: 0

Win Rate: 100%

Favorite: Void Reaper

Currently on Planet Marish

"Oh, this information is very detailed... Wow, the character's appearance is so similar to mine; he must have prepared this specifically for me." He really liked the character's appearance, which was remarkably similar to his own, and the impressive win rate amazed him, showing Fajar's dedication and skill. "Planet Marish, huh? Let's inform Fajar first."

[I'm on Planet Marish, Fajar. What should I do?] Ryo replied to Fajar's message.

"Just wait there; I'll come with other friends."

[Okay.]

Not long after, Fajar and the other members teleported and appeared in the same place, Planet Marish.

Four people instantly respawned together there, wearing the same futuristic black costumes as Ryo, seemingly beginner outfits.

"Yo, Ryo, how do you like this place?" said Sweet Potato or Fajar, whose character looked exactly like Fajar, except for the orange hair.

"Yeah, this place is unique and amazing."

"Of course, that's why this game is now the number one. Besides challenging matches, you can also just stroll around and enjoy the views here." As usual, Fajar was still very enthusiastic. "Oh yeah, do you recognize us? Of course you do, except for that one person."

Fajar and the others looked at a character, a tall and muscular man with a very handsome face.

"Haha... what do you think, am I cool or what?" Yes, this man seemed to be Andi, as the others had a similar appearance to their real selves with slight changes, and the unseen one was Andi.

"Hehe... Yes, you're cool." Those were Ryo's words, although deep down, he was crying because of the peculiarity— a large, muscular body with a very pretty face; wasn't that strange?

The others chuckled, knowing exactly what Ryo was feeling.

"Alright, now that we're all here, shall we start?" Fajar opened his system menu and formed a team.

[Player "Sweet Potato" Invites you to his team] [Accept/Decline]

Ryo accepted, and the system displayed everyone who was on the team.

[Team List]

Sweet Potato - Celestial Scout (Fajar)

Dinda - Celestial Scout (Dinda)

Delicious Food - Celestial Scout (Bonbon)

Darkness - Celestial Scout (Andi)

SpeedX - Celestial Scout (Ryo)

[Start] [Exit]

"Okay, let's start right away." Fajar pressed the start button on the team menu and waited for the other members to approve.

[Match initiated by the team leader] [Agree/Cancel]

"Wait, Captain, aren't you a bit too hasty?" Dinda pressed the cancel button, and the search was canceled. "Captain, shouldn't you explain some basics to Ryo, even though we're playing as celestial scouts, Ryo is playing for the first time today."

"Ah, you're right, my bad." Fajar smiled and lowered his head, feeling guilty for being too enthusiastic.

"Alright, I'll explain a bit here. It's easy, Ryo; you just need to rush to the mine post as quickly as possible to capture it so that we get a stable gold income. And when it's the fifth minute, head straight to the mid nebula; Bonbon will send you the location since the nebula isn't visible. That's all you need to do for now; I'll explain the rest later. Got it?"

"I got it!"

"Okay, can we start now?"

"Ready, Captain!"

Fajar initiated the match search, and the others agreed.

[Opponent Found, Switching in 3 Seconds]

When the countdown reached zero, they were all transferred to a massive base, and the system screen appeared to choose their ships, with a one-minute countdown.

[Please Choose Your Ship]

"Ryo, this is the preparation room, the starting point, and the respawn point when your ship is destroyed or defeated. You have to choose your ship at the beginning of this preparation phase."

"But which ship should I choose? There are so many options, and moreover, there are many ship types, each with different abilities." Ryo was quite confused; he could only flip through the ship selection pages on the system.

"Alright, let me explain briefly. There are five ship types here: Maneuver, Bomber, Support, Tank, and Shooter." Fajar explained their details briefly.

Maneuver - High-speed ships.

Bomber - Wide-area attack ships.

Support - Ships with support and repair abilities.

Tank - Ships with strong durability.

Shooter - Ships with deadly single-target attacks.

"How about it? Do you understand?"

"I understand," Ryo understood he wanted to choose a maneuver-type ship, but the options were still overwhelming. "I'll choose a maneuver-type; do you have any recommendations?"

"Haha... I knew it." Fajar laughed proudly; everything went as he had imagined.

"Captain, you should quickly give him a recommendation because there are only 15 seconds left for his selection." Dinda said impatiently.

"You can use the Quantum Striker, in the maneuver type, row 3, column 2."

Ryo immediately found it and clicked okay, a ship with a sleek and aerodynamic body, with a futuristic metal protective layer that gave a sturdy yet light impression. It had metallic colors with touches of neon blue and purple, creating a striking and futuristic appearance.

"Ah..." Ryo was very impressed with the ships in front of him; his and the ones chosen by the others had many unique models that truly delighted the eyes.

After the countdown, all members were teleported into the cockpit of their ships.

After Ryo entered his ship, he was surprised by its interior. "There are so many controls, aren't there? Well, not as many as the real thing, but it's enough for a game setup."

There was a 15-second return time, a time to prepare and learn the controls inside the ship.

Ryo looked around at the devices, and various information appeared.

[Button: Wing Blade Energy]

Description: Pressing this button will wrap the wings with energy, protecting the wings and providing them with sword-like attacking power. Consumes 5 energy per second.

[Lever: Quantum Dash]

Description: Moving this lever allows the ship to dash in the direction it is aimed, consuming 50 energy.

[Button: Stealth Mode]

Description: The ship will become invisible when the button is pressed, consuming 10 energy per second.

[Button: Speed Up]

Description: Increases the current speed twofold in 10 Second . Consumes 20 energy.

There were also basic control levers and accelerator pedals to control the ship and other basic tools.

Ryo tried to understand everything; luckily, he always focused on controls, so he wasn't too confused at the moment.

"Hello, everyone, can you hear me?" Fajar spoke using the ship's speakers, and his voice sounded very large. "Use your communication helmets right away so we can communicate as a team."

"Hello... hello..." Fajar continuously spoke over the communication helmet, waiting for a response. If there was an answer, it meant they were using their helmets.

"Dinda is present, Captain," Dinda responded first, followed by the others.

"Bonbon is ready."

"This handsome and very talented Andi is here."

"Ryo is here."

"Alright, let's get ready because the countdown is almost over. Ryo, have you understood the controls?"

"Yes, I already know how to control it," Ryo replied confidently.

"Alright then, oh yes, here you can draw a 'U' in the air with your finger to open the upgrade menu and 'S' to open the shop."

"Okay, got it, thanks."

"Alright, I think you're all ready."

"Yes, we're ready."

Everyone focused on the front, gripping their main control devices tightly. Silence began to settle as the time dwindled to almost zero.

3... 2... 1... 0

"Let's go, everyone!" Fajar shouted, breaking the silence and boosting everyone's spirits. "Ryo, show us what you've got."

"Okay."

Takeoff...

Ryo felt a jolt as his ship took off from the team's base. He firmly pressed the ship's acceleration pedal, and his ship quickly soared into space. Both his hands were on the control levers, ready to respond to every movement.

Sailing through space... He navigated through asteroids with incredibly skillful movements, maintaining his speed. He used the steering lever to make sharp maneuvers, passing through narrow gaps between asteroids without touching them.

"Speed Up button, Ryo! We need more speed!" Fajar shouted through the communication helmet.

Ryo found the Speed Up button and pressed it. His ship instantly increased its speed, swiftly passing through the asteroids. The outer space wind sounded around him, creating an extraordinary sensation of the speed he achieved.

"Wow..." were the words uttered by the others watching Ryo, smoothly navigating at such a speed.

The others were extremely impressed seeing that. The Quantum Charge ship was challenging to use because of its tremendous speed; if it collided with an asteroid, it would incur damage corresponding to its current speed. If the Quantum Charge ship ran at its full speed and hit an asteroid, it meant destruction or death.

"HAHA... How was that? Isn't he amazing?" Fajar smiled proudly, seeing that his expectation of inviting Ryo was spot on. "He's sure to become the number one explorer," that's what Fajar thought.