2 002
After waking up, Alex took a shower before he could do anything else. As he looked at himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but admire his handsome features - midnight black hair and beautiful amethyst eyes. His smooth skin was free of facial hair and acne. Sighing, he tore his gaze away from the mirror and began preparing for the day. He put on the same clothes he had worn before: a simple black long-sleeve shirt and jeans, paired with basic black shoes. After placing the apartment keys and his smartphone in his pocket, he locked the door and headed towards the Blue Moon Corporation branch, where VR pods were sold.
Upon entering the building, Alex approached the counter, but he was met with long queues, causing him to wait for almost half an hour. Finally, it was his turn, and he posed a crucial question to the attendant.
"Alright, I would like to buy a VR pod. Is it possible to choose the one I want and try it out? I don't mind paying upfront; I just want to ensure I get the perfect one."
"Hmm, I don't see why not, as long as you pay in advance. However, I'll have to check with my manager first," the attendant responded.
"That's alright. I'll wait here," Alex replied.
"Alright, I'll be right back, sir," the receptionist said before leaving. She returned with a large man wearing a suit, who was bald and had brown eyes.
Glancing at Alex, the man shook his head. 'He's just a kid, a poor one at that,' he thought. He then turned to the receptionist and informed her that he would handle the situation.
"Hello, sir. So, you would like to try out VR pods to find the perfect one, correct?" the manager addressed Alex.
"Yes, that's correct. And I'm willing to pay upfront," Alex confirmed.
"Well, if you're able to pay upfront, I can arrange that for you, sir."
"Alright, here you go," Alex said, tapping his phone on the mounted scanner at the counter. Once the transaction went through, the manager smiled brightly and gestured for Alex to follow him.
"Follow me, sir. I'll lead you to our storage area."
Together, Alex and the manager made their way to the storage room where the VR pods were kept. The pods were smooth, white structures with a glass lid, designed to provide comfort while lying down and using them. They were suitable for extended usage and even allowed for use while sleeping. Alex began inspecting the VR pods, searching for the special one marked with a purple sticker, while the regular ones had blue stickers. He spent a good five to six hours in the storage area, examining various VR pods. As time went on, the manager, who had initially been smiling, grew increasingly annoyed. Just as he was about to shout at Alex to leave, Alex found the one he wanted.
"Alright, I'll take this one," Alex declared.
"Huh! Finally, sir. It's been six and a half hours. So, where would you like the pod to be delivered?" the manager asked.
"Here's the address and apartment number," Alex replied, handing over the details.
"Alright, sir. I'll have it installed later today," the manager confirmed.
"Great. Have a good day," Alex said.
"You too, sir," the manager responded.
Leaving the Blue Moon Corporation building with a wide smile, Alex had acquired what he wanted, and now all he had to do was wait for the game to launch.
As Alex contemplated his next steps, he thought, 'Hmm, I just need to wait for the installation and the game launch, which should happen in aroundtwo days. In the meantime, let's address some of the debt between my girlfriend and me.'
Alex started pondering how to hurt Jessica the most, settling on the idea of making her life miserable. On his way home, he devised a plan to achieve that goal while treating her as if nothing were amiss. Alex didn't want to merely make her life miserable; he wanted her to suffer, to feel the same despair and hatred he had experienced. Not only had she cheated on him, but she had also ruined his life.
In the following days, Alex maintained a façade of normalcy with Jessica. Meanwhile, his VR pod had been installed, and he had already downloaded the game "New Beginning." The game was set to launch in half an hour. Alex had purchased groceries the day before, ensuring he had enough food for the month and to replenish his energy. He settled into the VR pod, ready to immerse himself in the game.
[Please wait a moment while we perform a full body scan.]
[...]
[...]
[Scan complete.]
[How can I assist you, sir?]
"I would like to log into New Beginning."
[Very well, sir. Logging you into New Beginning.]
Inside the pod, Alex drifted off to sleep, and when he woke up, he found himself alone in the vastness of space, seemingly unaffected by the surroundings. Before him loomed a magnificent planet with two continents and vibrant oceans. The planet's size was easily five times that of Earth, if not larger. Then, a blue screen materialized in front of Alex.
[Game Servers open in 30 minutes.]
[Would you like to create your character in the meantime?]
Alex nodded, and he vanished from the space setting. Now, he stood in a dimension engulfed in complete darkness, with only a single ball of light ahead. In the next instant, numerous blue screens appeared before him.
[What will be your name in this new world?]
"Lucifer."
[Character Creation]
[Name: Lucifer
Age: 16
Eye Color: Amethyst (Unable to be changed)
Hair Color: Black (Would you like to change?)
Height: 6'0 feet (Would you like to change?)
Weight: 100 pounds (Unable to be changed)
(Value reflects real-life attributes)
Skin Tone: White (Would you like to change?)
Facial Hair: None (Would you like to change?)
Physical Body: Malnourished (Unable to be changed)
(Varies depending on real-life physical attributes)
Mental State: Calm (Unable to be changed)
(Varies depending on mental state)
"Hmm, I'll keep everything the same, but add white streaks to my hair."
[Character Created]
[Would you like to view your character sheet?]
"Yes."
[General:
Name: Lucifer
Age: 16
Level: 0
Tier: 0
Class: None
Race: Human
Mana: 100
Affiliates: None
Titles: None
Appearance:
Eye Color: Amethyst
Hair Color: Black with white streaks
Height: 6'2
Weight: 100 pounds
Skin Tone: White
Facial Hair: None
Physical Body: Malnourished
(Decrease in all physical attributes by 2)
Mental State: Calm
Status:
Physical -
Agility: (10) 8 (Determines speed and acceleration)
Strength: (10) 8 (Determines force generation and control)
Constitution: (10) 8 (Determines natural protection against threats)
Sense: (10) 8 (Determines sharpness of sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing)
Magical -
Intelligence: 10 (Affects total mana pool)
Wisdom: 10 (Affects magical damage)
Purity: 0% (Determines purity of mana and ability to absorb pure mana)
Hidden Attributes:
Unknown (These attributes cannot be increased with status points and must be discovered)
Skills:
None]
[Would you like a basic tutorial?]
"Yes."
[The game does not have a health system; instead, it utilizes a realistic combat system. A well-placed blow can be fatal, both for your character and opponents. Assess the condition of your foes to determine their vulnerability. Most stats are self-explanatory, such as Agility for speed and flexibility, Strength for force exertion, and Senses for sensory sharpness. Constitution determines the toughness of your skin and immunity to external threats. Breaking through an opponent's skin requires matching or surpassing their Constitution with your Strength. Weapons don't have specific damage value however you can enable health and damage estimations in the settings. I do advise you to check the setting once in game to configure the most comfortable options. Certain skills can bypass or nullify Constitution. Stay vigilant and cautious. Intelligence governs your mana pool, and Wisdom enhances magical prowess, including breaking through magical resistance. Keep in mind that even if you are weaker than a level 200 beast, a well-placed strike can still be lethal if their magical resistance is low and your Wisdom is high.]
[The game servers are about to open. Would you like to conclude the tutorial and enter the world of New Beginning?]
"Yes, please start the game."
[Understood. The game will commence when the servers open.]
[Would you like to configure your pain sensors?]
"Yes."
[Value cant be lower than 50% and this setting will affect your game in multiple ways. Please procced with caution. Value cant be changed again, unless through the use of an item.]
"Please set the value to 100%"
[Value set to 100%, do you confirm your choice?]
"Yes, confirm."
[Pain sensors value set to 100%]
[Please take note that we are not responsible for any harm or damage.]
[Servers open in 3.]
[2]
[1]
A/N:
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have any questions or need clarification on any aspect, feel free to ask. I might consider creating an auxiliary chapter that provides more detailed explanations. Until then, I'm here to answer any inquiries you may have.
If you like this book so far you should check out my other work, A Last Wish!
