Dying In Real Life Is Another Way To Play

Looking at the shiny red VR capsule being installed in his room, Zhang Shan had been looking forward to play the newest VRMMORPG made by HIVE NEURAL TECH, one of the leading gaming companies in the world to date.

"How much longer do I have to wait for you guys to finish up the installation?" Zhang Shan excitedly asked.

"Mr. Zhang, just be patient, even if you pay us extra, it doesn't get any faster than this. We have to make sure everything is in order to avoid possible accidents" the middle-aged head technician of the installation team grumpily replied.

The VR Capsule's red color is strikingly out of contrast in comparison to all the other colors in Zhang Shan's room. His studio type room which only contains few furnitures within has been his home for the past three years that includes a messy white mattress and a wooden computer table with the latest tri-monitor black Alienmare Computer system.

"Do you mind if I smoke?" asked a younger looking technician

"Just make sure to open the windows, even as a smoker, I rarely smoke inside this room" Zhang Shan lazily replied...

"Thanks, I hope you don't get offended with my question though... How could a young guy like you, purchased a high end gaming capsule worth 229,800 yuan?"

"It's nothing much really, when I was sixteen, I started to Buy and Sell Online game items and stuff. I've been doing it for six years now, and you could actually do it as well as long as you know which games have the highest number of players, which players have money to spend but don't really have much time to play. I also make sure to identify which items are low in supply but high in demand in their respective markets."

"Can you teach me how to do that as well? I'm interested in getting another source of income aside from this job" the young tecnician whispered.

"Sure, just make sure that everything works well afterwards."

The game that Zhang Shan has been dying to play is called "Alternate Realm Chronicles", which has been running for over a year after its initial eight-month beta testing period. Unlike other VRMMORPG, the game itself is run by multiple quantum servers and has been initially advertised and proclaimed by both beta-testers and players as the first immobile full dive VR experience or IFDVR.

The unique gameplay experience offered by the game has been both criticized and praised. Unlike other games, the customization option for your in-game character is extremely limited. Races cannot be selected initially and needs to be unlocked as you progress along the game.

Your avatar features are randomized at the beginning and at the very most you can select your gender and everything else is gained through playing. Also, should you die in game, you would have to create a new avatar. Any items that you have can either be lost or looted by others, however, if you can get back to your corpse and pick up your items then you're all set, that is if no one finds it first.

Player killing is allowed although frowned upon by players, and if it is done inside safe zones, either NPC's or Game masters would apprehend or kill you. Another unique characteristic of the game is the pain and p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e system or PNP system as it could mimic those 100%. Although it wouldn't affect you physically but it can affect you mentally. Any illegal or immoral acts without consent can and will be automatically identified by the system's AI and this information will be sent over to the Game Masters for appropriate disciplinary measures.

...

At the headquarters of HIVE NEURAL TECH in Hong Kong, a middle aged scientist along with 12 others are reporting to an old man sitting behind his desk.

"Chairman Guo, after the prelimenary testing of the beta players and the influx of the new players, the quantum computers seems to be perfectly stable up to the present day."

"Professor Xuan Ye, just make sure that all information and findings by the players are detailed and well doc.u.mented. This way we can continue our research and present all the information to the board and increase our investors."

"I have also instructed the Game Masters to ensure that players that stray to far from the released patches are to be disconnected immediately"

"Good, I wouldn't want the military to be involved in this as much as possible. We wouldn't want them to meddle this early... How about the newest ch.i.p.s that we developed?"

"All of the twenty-one prototype GAIA ch.i.p.s have been installed discreetly to the latest shipment of IFD capsules. We will be informed as soon as their users are online,"

"Great,make sure to keep me updated for anything. You may all go, that is all."

"Thank you Chairman" Professor Xuan Ye bowed together with the other scientists before they left the room.

...

After 4 hours..

"Mr. Zhang, it seems everything is complete with the installation process and all system check has been completed. Congratulations on your new IFD VR Capsule!" said the middle-aged head technician.

"It's about time! I've been itching to play for quite some time now, after a year learning all that I can, I can now dive-in!" Zhang shan said while smiling from ear to ear.

The young technician was also smiling as he said "Mr. Zhang, just call us if you have any technical issues. You can also call customer service inside the game for emergencies. Just make sure to keep an eye out for your waste-liquid meter and nutrition levels. It can serve as a reminder as to when to pause and rest from the game."

"I will, thanks again and off you guys go!" Zhang Shan impatiently said.

"Just remember to send me an email on how to make money playing games, okay?" the young technician whispered.

"I will, thanks again"

The head technician together with his six-man team hurriedly left the Zhang Shans' studio-type unit. As they exit the building, the Head technician sent a message to their Service Department HQ indicating that the twenty first GAIA module has been installed.

....

As soon as the technicans are outside the room, Zhang Shan started to undress and laid himself down inside the capsule. The capsule itself has an airconditioning unit and waste liquid management system. Afterwards the system will do a full body laser scan and initiate the game. As soon as the game starts, the user will be induced to sleep via electromagnetic waves and the user will enter a REM dream-like state.

After a while...

Zhang Shan's conciousness came back and everything was black except for the green floating alphanumeric characters in the vision of the player.

....fetching user data... 100% Complete

...locating user... 100% Complete

....life form reconstruction... 100%complete

....racial selection option... (Please select)

.... (Human) Yes/No... (Yes)

....Gender... (Please select)

.... (Male) Yes/ No... (Yes)

.... Initializing....

....Spawning User...

....Spawn point (Kingdom of Sylvannas - the City of Magic)

Zhang Shan started to hear noise and later on slowly opened his eyes. From a lying position he found himself in a temple that resembles a dome like infrastucture. A capsule similarly shaped to the one he has at home was where he was lying at. Slowly he started to move his body and found it quite a new experience as if he has never moved his body before.

He found out that for some reason it felt like he was a new born child. A floating interface appeared before his vision showing a calibration status...

.... Calibrating 0%... 25%.... 84%... 100% complete

.... Language translation initiated....

System: Welcome... would you like to start the basic movement tutorial? (Yes)

System: move your head to the left... to the right... complete... raise your left hand... your right... complete...

Zhang Shan thought to himself "Wow, the game guides sure weren't kidding when they said that first time users may experience a boring calibration sequence."

The whole movement tutorial itself took an hour to complete until Zhang Shan was able to move freely like how he does in the real world. Afterwards the system prompted him to touch a floating holographic box in front to pull up his User interface.

User: Zhang Shan

Race: Human

Level:1

Resonance: 10%

Strength: 10

Vitality: 10

Intelligence: 10

Dexterity: 10

Agility: 10

Wisdom: 10

Constitution:10

Skills: None

Abilities: None

Genes: Terran

Nutrition: 84%

Waste: 0%

"Okay, everything seems in order, I should go ahead and start to explore and level up. I have a lot to catch up on if I want to fill the gap that the beta players and other users have on me."

Zhang Shan walked over to the teleportation platform pointed by the interface. The teleportation platform looks like a half circle made of brown stone with a viscous mercury colored looking liquid, flowing like a waterfall but at the same time it doesn't seem to spill out of its area. The outer rim looks like it was inscribed with what seems to resemble runic words which he knew is the Sylvannic Language used in this world.

The guide mentioned that first time teleportation users may feel uneasy and may feel like they need to vomit as soon as they pass through the teleporter. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Shan readied himself as he stepped in.

*Shuah*

A bright sunny light greeted him as soon as he came out on the other side.

"Watch out!!!" someone shouted

As soon as he came into senses, Zhang Shan noticed that a person was about to plunge a sword in between his eyes.

Zhang Shan smiled and moved.

With unbelivable precision, as the sword was about an inch from hitting its target. Zhang Shan reflexively moved his head back a bit and twisted his neck and body in an unbelivable angle as he turned to the left.

As he moved, towards the end of his spin, using the back of his right palm, he slapped the blade of the sword while delivering a left punch towards the attackers right kidney and a sweeping kick with the heel of his right foot to the opponents right leg.

*THUD*

It connected!