V.R. Labyrinth

<p>Sia sat up from the bed, tired from laying down like a salted fish. After carefully sifting through Si's memories again, Sia found something interesting.<br/><br/>The best thing the jerk has done for Si is to buy her the latest headgear for the popular virtual reality game, Labyrinth.<br/><br/>Sia inspected the gear with interest. Even back to her past world, V.R is just commencing and undeveloped. To think that in this world, it has developed to the point where it can connect a person's mind through the internet is fascinating.<br/><br/>Sia put down the gear and proceeded to tap open the bronze bracelet in her right hand. A holographic screen that only appears in sci-fi movies in the past pops out in front of Sia.<br/><br/>The pain in Sia's heart was abated by her current interest in the technology right in front of her.<br/><br/>Based on Si's memories, this bronze bracelet was a gift from the head director of the orphanage where she came from. The bracelet was like a phone in Sia's past life.<br/><br/>It contains the functions of phones with large storage space. In short, a gamer's dream phone.<br/><br/>Sia opened the media app and surfed through the contacts which are few. While checking through the messages, a sudden notification brought Sia to a greater sense of misery, a bank notice. <br/><br/>Sia read the notice and as expected, it was demanding that she pay her monthly rent and loan. <br/><br/>Sia, a rich second generation, suddenly experienced being in debt. <br/><br/>Sia exited the page and decided not to stare at it any longer, less she stress herself up and die. She closed the network and stared at the ceiling, feeling that everything just sucks after she turned 20. <br/><br/>While drowning herself in the melancholy and bitterness of life, the still bronze bracelet of hers vibrated. Sia tapped the bracelet and an event notification appeared.<br/><br/>'Labyrinth's second server is opening up this July 06 30XX at exactly 8:00! Come and join the climb of power! Start a new and discover unexplored places, dungeons, and treasures ready to be scoured!' <br/><br/>Sia then remembered, 'I have a headgear for this, ain't I?' <br/><br/>Sia looked at her side and saw the headgear, lying alone like a pitiful dog. 'Should I waste my time in playing a V.R game I haven't experienced before or think about my life and how to find a job as a drop-out student?' <br/>'Let's do the former.' Sia connected the gear to the near power outlet and put the headgear on. <br/>'Might as well forget my problems by playing instead of wasting it on pondering the philosophical meaning of life and why should I continue it.' <br/>Sia lay on the bed and found a comfortable position. <br/>"Labyrinth's lore, ID-000-XXX-101," Sia said the activation code and ID and as expected, a floating sensation overcame her senses as she arrive at a huge white platform.<br/>"Player Joy and Pain, welcome back to Labyrinth!" A small avatar appeared in front of Sia's dumbfounded face.<br/>'Damn. This is virtual reality?! It looks too... real!' To Si who already experienced this feeling twice, it was nothing, but to Sia who has just arrived here, it was a novel experience. <br/>"Player Joy and Pain, your partner, Player Viridiscent has asked to break the 'union' with you. Will you agree?" The avatar, whom Sia will call Ava for convenience sake, asked. <br/>Sia then remembered that silly pure Si played this game twice with a bastard before and even married in the game.<br/>Sia refuse to be even 'married' to a scum and immediately agreed to Ava's question. <br/> "I agree." <br/>"Player Viridiscent paid the fee of the broken union as the one who initiated it. You have received 100 gold coins as compensation. Would you like to turn it into real money or remain as gold coins?"<br/>Sia, who is admiring Ava's design and vibrant color, was distracted.<br/>"Real money?!"<br/>"Yes. The current conversation rate for Labyrinth's gold coins and the federation's money is 1:2."<br/>"...Covert half to real cash."<br/>"As you wish." Ava bowed and swiped her little hands. Sia was sent a notice that her 50 gc was turned into 10,000 cash and was sent to her bank account.<br/>'It was f*cking real.' Did she just solve her monthly rent and money crisis by just opening this game?<br/>"Player Joy and Pain, the 2nd server is now up and functioning. Would you like to stay in this first server or start anew?" Ava asked.<br/> "What does starting anew mean?" <br/>"Throwing away all your current level, equipment, and your stats. You can even change your player name if you wanted." <br/>Sia thought of something. Which is better? To play in the new server and be in the same starting line with the others who joined it, or be a climber in the first server where there's already an established high-players around?<br/>If she wanted to earn money and convert it into real cash, Sia need to choose between the two and she didn't hesitate to choose the former.<br/>'F*ck all my current problems and heartache! Money comes first!'</p>