Chapter 19: New World Online
'New World Online', abbreviated as New World, is a 'VRMMORPG' game. Through the game helmet, players can control their sensory nerves or manipulate sensory organs, allowing for a fully immersive experience with realistic virtual gameplay.
This game was something Rei had played even before he regained his memories. However, the character he had used before was quite lackluster. After his memories resurfaced, Rei promptly decided to delete that character and start anew.
"Senior, have you played this before?" Little Umaru asked as she retrieved a brand new game cartridge from under the TV. The box depicted several characters with swords and staffs, and in the middle, brightly colored letters spelled out 'NewWorldOnline'.
Little Umaru, pulling a fully charged game helmet emitting a green light from beneath the bed, inserted the game cartridge. A blue light slowly illuminated the helmet.
Observing Umaru's excited expression, Taihei sighed. He knew all too well what it was like to have a gaming enthusiast for a sister.
"In that case, I'll head back now. What's your in-game name? I'll invite you to join when I'm online." Rei got up from the floor, dusted off his pants, and continued, "It's getting late. It's not a problem for Little Umaru, but Taihei has work tomorrow. I shouldn't overstay my welcome."
Rei couldn't fathom why Taihei, who clearly owned a diamond mine, still lived in a small rented apartment of his own. Additionally, he worked tirelessly for his family's company, adhering to a grueling 9-9-6 schedule.
It could only be said that wealthy people wanted to experience life.
"Well then, my in-game-name is Little Umaru."
"Alright, Mr. Taihei, I'll take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality."
Closing the door, turning the key, unlocking the door, and entering.
In less than ten seconds, Rei was back in his own home.
He brought his helmet, laid flat on the bed, and connected it to the game.
A kaleidoscopic entry effect appeared before him.
Once the special effects concluded, Rei was met with a breathtaking landscape of mountains, rivers, and an endless sea of clouds. Behind him stood a weathered log cabin, which Rei had purchased in the game. In New World, nearly anything was possible.
Activities such as woodcutting, cooking, and fishing could be done freely. And if you found a programming job in the main city's specific areas, you could even enjoy the blessings of a 9-9-6 lifestyle within the game.
The only drawback was that proficiency in these skills could only be gained in-game. Cutting trees in the game, for example, wouldn't enhance your real-world woodcutting abilities. Cooking didn't mean tossing all ingredients into a fire to create delicious meals.
Rei brought up the game panel. He navigated to the nearby players' section. "Let me see... Found it."
There was a player with an orange hamster avatar. Even without knowing the name of Little Umaru's character, Rei could guess it after seeing the avatar. He sent a friend request and followed up with an invitation to form a team.
Before long, a female warrior with long orange hair appeared before Rei.
"Are you Senior Rei? I'm Umaru." The game character resembling Umaru was about fifty percent similar to her real appearance. Like Rei, she had likely scanned her face and made some adjustments.
"Yes, that's me." Rei checked Little Burial's status.
[Umaru lv5] [HP: 35/35—MP: 30/30]
In the team state, Rei could see Umaru's health and mana values, but other stats like attribute points were hidden. This game didn't rely on improving stats through leveling up; it was more about acquiring attribute points through upgrades, tasks, and activities to become stronger. With skillful play, even lower-level players could defeat higher-level ones with clever tactics.
"Wow, Senior, you're already level fifty!" Umaru checked Rei's status as well, then looked around. "Senior, did you already buy a house?"
Rei nodded. "I just bought it yesterday. I didn't have any specific plans, but the main advantage is that after logging off, I'll automatically return to my home and restore my state. Plus, I can store some rare items there, so I don't have to worry about losing them while fighting monsters outside."
Umaru nodded and inspected Rei's log cabin.
"Senior, please take me to level up!" Rei had no choice; he had maxed out his gaming skills, so he didn't need to engage in extensive gaming sessions to level up. "You're at level five. Let's head to the first floor to gain experience. With your current level, you can't access the other areas yet."
"Alright, Senior." Clicking on the minimap, a blue portal appeared at their feet. After a quick turn, the two vanished.
The first floor of the main city was bustling with players of various levels.
"Senior, what profession did you choose?" Umaru asked Rei.
In the new world, there were hundreds of classes to select from. Players who enjoyed combat could choose battle classes, while those who preferred exploration could opt for classes like forger, alchemist, or pharmacist.
"I'm a Dragon Knight," Rei disclosed. Dragon Knight! Hearing Rei's profession, Umaru's face immediately lit up with curiosity. "Dragon Knight! What a dashing profession! Senior, can I see your dragon?"
Rei scratched his nose with some embarrassment. "I'll need to go to Dragon Island to capture one after reaching level seventy."
"Huh?" Umaru paused. This class was obtained by Rei after completing hidden tasks at level twenty. Additionally, in addition to capturing one dragon on Dragon Island after reaching level seventy, spending 100,000 yen would grant you a purple-quality baby dragon for free. This made it an exclusive class for players with wealth.
Many of the dragon knight's skills were performed in conjunction with the dragon, so without it, Rei couldn't learn those skills. Fortunately, this game operated through neural connections. In a way, as long as Rei's reflexes were sharp enough, he'd be stronger in the game. With attributes that far exceeded normal limits, Rei was practically superhuman in-game.
"Don't be too disappointed by my profession. It's still easy for me to help you level up." Rei waved it off and took out a black low-level golden-quality armor from his backpack. "This is the equipment I used for combat. Warriors can use it too. It's sufficient for you to use until level twenty."
"It's all golden! It's incredibly high-quality! Thank you, Senior!" The two conversed as they walked, soon arriving at a forest outside the main city.
As soon as they stepped into the forest, a rabbit with sharp horns on its head leaped from the grass, hurtling towards the warrior character Umaru at a surprisingly fast speed. Without Rei's intervention, Umaru drew the golden warrior short sword from her waist. "Take this!"
In one swift motion, the short sword cleaved the rabbit in two, turning it into a harvestable loot.
"Hehe, I've played plenty of similar games. It's just an Armored Rabbit." Umaru placed one hand on her hip and used the other to rub the tip of her nose, speaking with pride.
"Huh! Wow!" Before Umaru could venture further, a girl's voice rang out from another small clearing in the forest.
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