Why are you a cat?

Kit approached the gleaming metal pod and saw his own reflection staring back at him with a rare smile on his face. He hoped this game would bring more moments like this. With his hands at his sides, he examined the gaming capsule without opening it.

Through the glass cover, he could see a soft, inviting white mattress that looked like it would instantly envelop him in comfort. The blue stripes wrapping around the capsule caught his eye, and he noticed small button-sized holes scattered throughout. A gentle blue glow emanated from within, making it seem like a peaceful haven for sleep.

"Kat, I have a good feeling about this game. This time, I will come out victorious." Kit turned to his sister and gave her a tight hug, squeezing a little too hard.

"Ouch, Kit! I'm not made of toothpaste. Can you loosen your grip a bit?" Kat squeaked.

Kit released her and returned to the gaming capsule. "Sorry, I didn't mean to squeeze so hard. I should start now before we encounter any more hiccups."

"Sure thing. Just message me if you need anything. And don't forget to learn some new recipes while you're in there!" Kat said with a smile.

"You know me too well." Kit chuckled and silently thanked his sister for her unwavering support.

He would always be grateful to Kat for dropping out of university to help him finish school, and for providing him with the opportunity to embark on this adventure today.

On his eighteenth birthday, Kat had given him enough money to rent the gaming capsule and purchase three months' worth of nutrients. All he needed to do was save up for the ongoing subscription fee. It was the only gift she had given him that wasn't related to anime.

Kit would always be indebted for the chance to realise one of his dreams, even if it came with a time limit. Not being able to work during those three months put a strain on their finances, so Kit had made a deal with Kat.

If he could earn enough money in-game to cover the subscription and rental fees, as well as contribute to household expenses, he could continue playing CAL. Otherwise, he would have to quit and find a job.

Kit gazed at the entrance of his dream world. He placed his hand flat against the glass dome and heard an old raspy voice say, "Greetings Kit Vintage, would you like to initiate login?"

"Yes please." As soon as he responded, the glass cover lifted.

A sigh could be heard from the device, and a set of stairs emerged from the metal base of the gaming capsule. Kit stepped onto the first step, feeling a rush of excitement and nervousness.

He settled onto the soft white mattress inside the capsule, which seemed to mould perfectly to his body. The material was plush and velvety, making it the most comfortable thing he had ever sat on. He looked back at Kat one more time, smiled, and laid down on the cozy bedding.

The glass covering closed with a soft click, and Kit heard a low humming sound followed by a series of weak puttering noises. It felt as though smooth snakes were wrapping around his arms as three clear tubes moved across them.

The tubes stopped at the bend in his arm, and he felt a slight prick. He remembered that he would receive essential nutrients through intravenous infusions for the next five days.

As Kit watched, a greyish-brown fluid flowed through the tubes and into his system. It was cool and unfamiliar, creeping up his arm in an unusual sensation. His eyes started to feel heavy, so he closed them and all he could see was darkness behind his eyelids.

A few moments later, Kit found himself standing in a room that was the size of his entire house. The all-white decor made it difficult to distinguish between furniture and walls, giving him an unsettling feeling. Even the rug on the floor was white.

From where Kit stood, he could barely make out the furniture in the room - a couch, TV, coffee table, and a bookcase. The only pop of colour came from a small black cat perched on top of the coffee table. Its sleek fur glistened with a shiny sheen.

Kit couldn't help but notice that the cat was wearing an orange shirt with bold blue letters spelling out "CAL". He stared into the cat's forest green eyes as it returned his gaze, unmoving except for the occasional blink.

Uncertain of what to do next, Kit glanced around the room for any clues or prompts. But everything was white and seemingly unremarkable. He turned back to the cat, wondering if he was supposed to interact with it.

"Did you expect me to give you instructions?" a raspy voice suddenly filled the room. Kit spun around, trying to locate its source. To his surprise, it was coming from the black cat.

"Was that you speaking?" Kit asked incredulously.

"Is there anyone else in this room?" retorted the cat.

The sound of a human voice emerging from a cat's mouth sent shivers down Kit's spine. It had a gritty quality to it, with a hint of growl at the end - exactly how he would imagine a talking cat to sound like.

"Hi there, I'm Kit," he introduced himself tentatively. "Are you here to help me log into the game?"

The cat gave him a disdainful look and replied, "Another dimwitted one. Yes, I am CAL - the all-amazing AI system. And yes, it is indeed your privilege to meet me."

Kit's eyes widened as he realised, he was in the presence of the infamous CAL - an AI entity that controlled and oversaw all players in this game called CAL.

"Why are you in the form of a cat?" Kit blurted out, immediately regretting his words. He had just offended the ruler of the game he was about to play!

But CAL seemed unfazed by his question and answered, "I could make my own decisions about gameplay, but the creators wanted a cute and friendly appearance for me. As for this atrocious shirt, they thought it would make me more identifiable to the slow-witted humans."

Kit's heart rate accelerated as he heard CAL speak. He quickly apologised for his comment, not wanting to start off on the wrong foot with this powerful entity.

"Shall we begin?" CAL invited with a flick of its tail.

"Please," Kit replied, bowing slightly in case his apology wasn't enough.

"Choose an in-game name, please," CAL prompted.

Kit's mind went blank as he struggled to come up with a cool and unique name. In the end, all he could think of was his own name - a clear sign of how nervous he was feeling. This was not a good start!

As Kit was becoming fluster CAL spoke. "Is the question not clear to you?"

"N-no, I understand," Kit stuttered. "I-um... is the name 'Kit' available?"

CAL gave a slow blink at Kit. "And I thought this one wasn't unintelligent. The game is called 'Create a Legend.' What kind of epic name is 'Kit'? Luckily, I am a professional and will allow even the brainless ones in." CAL sighed as if talking to someone else in the room.

"The player name is available. 'Kit' is now your confirmed identity in the game," sighed the cat.

"Thank you, I will work hard to become a legend," Kit said with determination, not wanting to leave a poor of impression on CAL.

"At least this one is polite," CAL said with another once-over using his forest green eyes.

The constant change in CAL's opinion was unsettling for Kit. He hoped he could make a good final impression before officially entering the game.

"Do you want to change your appearance? You can alter up to 25%, but keep in mind that you will have to get used to your new physique when starting out," CAL said.

"I apologise, CAL. I'm not sure what you mean by getting used to my new physique," Kit replied.

"I'll give you an example. If you change your height to be taller, you may have difficulty moving around until you adjust. Your balance will be off because your centre of gravity has changed; it's like being a baby learning how to walk." Stated CAL simply.

"Oh, thank you. Then I'll just change my hair and a few things on my face." Kit hoped that changing his appearance would be enough so he wouldn't be recognised in real life.

He had heard stories about the legendary players being recognised outside of the game because they didn't alter their appearances while playing CAL.

Those legends had their names displayed on the leader boards. There were various categories to aim for, each profession and sub-profession had a list of top players. Additionally, there were leaderboards for dungeons, PvP, guilds, treasure hunting, and exploring. Kit could only think of these off the top of his head.

If you were lucky enough to have your name on the list, you received prize money and gifts from CAL - not a small amount either. The leaderboards had created millionaires; it was a cutthroat business. Players spent thousands in the game for a chance at ranking among the legends.

CAL tapped his paw on the surface of the coffee table, as if he knew Kit's mind had wandered, and brought him back to focus. He removed his gaze from Kit and turned to a full-length mirror with a white frame and two legs.

Kit could see his reflection in the mirror - it was the same Kit he saw this morning while brushing his teeth.

"Look in the mirror to make appearance alterations," CAL instructed.

Kit looked at his straight brown hair; he had always wanted to add some colour to it. When he lived with his mother, she never let him, or his sister dye their hair. According to her, that was a sign of being rebellious; Kit could never understand her way of thinking.

After he moved in with his sister, he didn't have the courage to dye his hair. She already had an obsession with colouring her own hair, and he didn't want it to extend to him. As Kit was about to ask CAL how to change the colour of his hair, a palette appeared next to his profile showing various colours.

Kit swiped his finger over the palette and marvelled as his hair transformed from brown to a spectrum of colours - green, red, blue, until he settled on purple. He couldn't believe how much he loved this hue.

Purple shades expanded before him, and Kit searched through them until he found the perfect variation. As he examined himself in the mirror, he realised he resembled one of those anime characters that Kat was always obsessed with!

The thought crossed his mind that her obsession had rubbed off on him. But then he shrugged it off - who cares! He was loving this new look. Kit made some minor adjustments to his features so he would stand out from his usual appearance. Satisfied with the result, he turned back to the cat. "CAL, I'm happy with my appearance."

"Player Kit, 3% change confirmed. Would you like any further modifications?" CAL's voice chimed in.

"No thank you, CAL," Kit replied.

"It's starting to look more like an eggplant than a legendary character." CAL mumbled to someone Kit couldn't see.

He was now certain that these comments were meant for him to hear. Was he supposed to respond? Should he apologise again? For now, Kit decided to just ignore it.

"Player Kit, appearance change confirmed. Please select your class specialty." The green eyes scanned him once more.

A menu materialised in front of Kit, but he could still see the white room behind the writing which made it difficult to focus. "Excuse me CAL, can I open the menu without seeing the background?"

The little cat let out a sigh. "Just say 'open menu'."

Kit followed CAL's instructions and the background disappeared, revealing neatly written black words on the menu. There were several professions to choose from: Swordsman, Shield Warrior, Berserker, Ranger, Holy Knight, Dark Assassin, Cleric, Druid, Shaman, Elementalist, Summoner, and Necromancer.

Kit had already made up his mind to become a swordsman. Aside from opening a restaurant, he also wanted to experience the thrill of sword fights.

Whenever he imagined a hero, it was always a man with a sword. He loved watching sword fighting scenes in movies and secretly enjoyed reading Kat's manga with sword-wielding characters. Though if Kat ever asked, he would deny it.

"CAL, I would like to choose swordsman as my class." Kit stated confidently.

"You seem pretty soft to me, are you sure about that?" CAL gave him a piercing look.

Geez, CAL was being harsh! Should he reconsider? That didn't sound very encouraging. Kit could feel his panic rising, so he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.

As he did so, he felt a rough scratch against his wrist - the bracelet his sister had given him. Seeing it calmed him down a bit. He decided to stick with his original plan. "Yes, CAL, I'm sure I want to be a swordsman." Determination shone in his eyes.

"Maybe you'll do okay... or not. Time will tell." CAL nonchalantly licked his paw as if he didn't care either way. "Let's move on. Player Kit's class specialty is confirmed as Swordsman. Now please choose your starting village."

A small world appeared before Kit - spinning slowly and resembling a miniature version of Earth. It had six continents and thousands of islands covered in tiny dots - most of them grey, but some sparkling like stars.

Kit's attention was drawn to one of the twinkling lights, and as he focused on it, a menu popped up with information displayed. He marvelled at the thought that each light represented a different town.

The sparkling lights must be beginner towns, he surmised, Kit randomly selected a town. 

Glancing at the information in front of him, he noted that his starting village would be Sweet Meadow, located on the continent of Fornax. It was described as a peaceful village surrounded by lush meadows teeming with wildlife.

Before confirming his choice, he involuntarily blurted out, "This one sounds nice CAL, I'll start here."

CAL gave him a sharp look, squinting his eyes in suspicion. "Did you just pick the first one you came across?" CAL snapped.

Kit knew he had made some kind of mistake by CAL's tone, he scrambled to come up with a quick explanation to avoid any trouble.

"No! I chose this one because I trust your judgement to lead me to the best starting point. And of course, CAL will make my experience exceptional no matter where I begin." Kit bowed his head in flattery.

Thankfully, CAL seemed satisfied with his response and commented, "For all your initial clumsiness, you are quite wise for a human. Sweet Meadows is indeed a good place to start if you know how to make the most of it."

The little cat then bid farewell to Kit, wishing him luck on his adventure in Create a Legend.

"Thank you, CAL. It was nice meeting you too," Kit replied gratefully.

As the countdown began for his journey to begin in the virtual world, Kit mentally prepared himself to enter a whole new world.

"Starting in 3, 2, 1..."