1 The Tutorial

2 AM

John woke up and immediately opened up his computer. He had slept with it on his lap, closing it just as he fell asleep. He checked all of his websites, a new MMO was coming out. All of the sites were talking about it, even sites that normally wouldn't.

"Might as well try it," he said under his breath. He got out of bed and pulled some trousers off the floor. He slipped in his phone and his wallet and left the small apartment. Steveopolis wasn't much of a city, it had a grocery store, it had a mall, and it had a games store.

He fumbled for his phone and placed a call. His friend, Steve, picked up.

"What fucker, I'm in the middle of a game."

"At 2 AM? Jesus there's a new MMO out wanna try it?"

"Oh yeah like some VRMMORPG right."

"Yeah yeah, that, new technology and all. Wanna buy it with me?"

"Sure meet me there."

15 Minutes later.

John and Steve both walked together to the game store. The stores in Steveopolis had a habit of not closing late because of the gamer population in the town. The store was empty save for the giant fat man tending the counter, even at 2 AM most people were asleep.

Ten minutes later they came out with their small headset, gloves, and the game. On their small college budget all they could get was the cheapest ones but still, even these were revolutionary technology.

"So now what?" Steve said.

"We fucking play this game."

He checked his headset, it was safely secured on his ruddy brown hair, he checked his gloves, they were on too. Finally, he was ready to play the game. He sat on the bed, waited for a second searching for the ON button.

"Where is it shit!"

He found it and turned on the game.

"Welcome, to the Quest for Immortality," A voice said in his head, no longer could he see the outside world, he was in the game, full immersion. The game scanned his body every nook and cranny, and finally appeared a virtual version of him.

"Umm do I get to change anything?" He asked.

The voice appeared again, "No Player #4352357 but you can change your name!"

"Ok set it as Oedipus," he said.

"Ok Oedipus, would you like a brief tutorial on the game?"

"Yeah sure." It was not a brief tutorial.

Two hours later he had gotten accustomed to swinging his sword, punching, virtual singing, virtual cooking, and voice chat. He was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"So that's how the contract system works, the most important part of the game is cultivation!"

"Cultivation? Like with plants? I am not getting cultivated today, not this sexy man." John said.

"Cultivation is an internal training method. It increases the spiritual power or Qi in your body and all it requires you to do is put in the time! Qi makes your attacks stronger and lets you do magical attacks!"

The tutorial lady droned on and on for what seemed like hours but was probably minutes. John found it quite strange that there was no way to close the tutorial. Finally, it was done he was ready to enter the game. A light had opened in the great blank room he was in. It was the exit, the tutorial was over he could finally leave.

"No don't leave me too please," The tutorial voice shouted out.

"No please no, not more tutorial, please for the love of God," John said. From behind John appeared an adult woman. She had brown hair, brown eyes, she wasn't fat and she wasn't thin. She was completely average.

"Can you just talk to me? I'll tell you some secrets about the game." John looked back at the sad looking girl and sighed inwardly. Soon she brought out a tea set and they drank tea. It actually tasted like tea to John which made him surprised, they really put their everything into the game.

"So what did you want to tell me." She took a sip of her tea. Tapped her foot on the ground, ate one of the biscuits on the table.

"Oh just welcome to the game and of course, don't trust anyone." His character started to choke, it felt like he was choking, gasping for air. He coughed spittle hit her cheek and she brushed it off. Finally, he collapsed on the floor and his screen turned black. Two words in the center of his screen, game starting in 3.. 2.. 1..