Chapter 1: Welcome t0 V-Net Apokalypse

*Whirrr~~*

The game made the noise as I spawned in a grassy field with what seemed to be a tutorial stage in front of me. I couldn't move my feet from the spot I spawned from and this pop up window appeared in front of me telling me to create my character, I didn't want to go through this process as this account would quickly just be rid of soon enough so I opened up the Free options and picked out the Free items I could buy from the in game shop and put them on. The character display I wrote read as follows:

Username: Marla

Player number: NG-836579

Age: 16

Clothes: Blue Jacket, grey shorts, Knee high boots, Omori Collab shirt (Black)

Accessories: Grey Backpack, White gloves

Skills: None

I quickly just wrote what I could write in a short amount of time as possible to get the tutorial over with. Within the tutorial itself it taught me a few basic things like high jumps, Skills, Booster packs for items etc. I didn't pay much attention and skipped it as much as possible. However, what I couldn't skip was the game FORCING ME to do all those tasks to complete it. I wasn't challenged as much as I was annoyed by it because I myself didn't do much physical activities in the real world.

•

After I learned to climb and reached the top of a massive rock, I finally reached the end of the Tutorial and was met by a floating hand which introduced itself through readable dialougue "I am Navia, your Personal Travel Companion through the wonderful world of the V-Net" It brought a slight smile on my face which quickly disappeared as soon as it asked me "Are you a NeoGen player: Yes or No" I pressed Yes and it added a distance feature to my "User Interface" indicating I was 4000 kilometers away from the V-01D which appaled me so much and took me a while to process...

"!WHAT THE FU-!"

•

Accepting that it was going to be a long road ahead for me I decided to hit up a nearby City from the tutorial stage, a usual hangout for newbie players but is completely empty. I walked through the streets and with every footstep I could hear them aplified by the echoes of the empty streets. From the entrance sign this was called "Newbie City" An appropriately named if not typical name for a place where Noobs gather.

I couldn't help but wander around seeing sights where players would fill the streets and skies with skills unimaginable to the normal world but instead seeing nothing but a desolate wasteland. Not gonna lie, I felt a bit crazy because I started talking and Venting to Navia about my problems back in the real world.

Talking about my school life which never prospered and that even though I had great grades I could never succeed in the modern adult world as I had nothing to offer to it because I was a talentless waste of air. As well telling it that I didn't have dreams or at least never thought I could dream back there, the negativity was flowing out with every word I said. I've also begun telling it that I came to this game to escape the harsh reality outside that I could never face. Rejection of my peers, Inaction of my parents to my problems, My dreams beig non-existent, I told this random Navigation A.I. all of it-

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!-" A voice screamed from a distance as it got closer to me. I looked ahead wondering what it was that made the noise. From the distance I could see a massive dust storm heading towards me at a quick pace. Naturally, I was scared of it and ran away like any sane person would because if a player was running away from it why shouldn't I?

•

Running from it turned out to be useless because as soon as I turned around, the dust storm was right behind me and Yes of course I was screaming like satan was after my sorry ass.

I kept running and running and running and running and-Trip "Ah shi-" I mumbled as I slowly felt myself and the ground getting close to my face. I braced myself expecting the concrete to graze my face until suddenly

Swoop "Almost hit the ground there HAHA" This player grabbed me as I was falling, they held me in their arms the way you would a princess. They had white hair, a yellow sweater with an Orange stripe running through it horizontally also wearing a headband of a similar color, with thigh length black shorts and Brown thigh high boots.

Not long after the said "Hey~ uhh what's your name?" . "Marla" I responded, "Can you run by yourself cuz I can't support you for much longer". I apologized as they made a sharp turn into an alley and threw me into the air and continued running with me following along.

I asked them who they were but they shushed me immediately and told me to run faster because "They" were catching up. I looked behind us and suddenly 2 Very tall floating Robots who looked like cops were chasing us at a rapid pace and were the ones kicking ip dust earlier.

My mind froze a bit wondering why they were being chased as my body was still running until one of the two bots focused its eyes on me.

"Wonder how she's doing back there"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

"Oh there she is wait for mee!!!"

We ran faster than how I felt playing Sonic games with the boost mechanic. The player told me they had a plan as we were running and told me to follow them. They went towards a building under construction and began high jumping all the way to the top. I told them to get down from there immediately until !BAM! "Stay where you are" the bots said in a monotonous voice. I noped out of there as quickly as we entered and followed the player to the top.

•

As we continued to jump higher and higher the bots opened up their arms and revealed grenade launchers and I was flabbergasted, not the other player though as they jumped 3 more times and punched open an loot block which gave them a Laser-Saber. The bots launched a grenade towards me to which the other player roll jumped in and slashed it into two pieces.

"Keep it comin' Boys!!!" They said as they jumped some more all over the building slashing grenades as the bots rapidly fire them. "Hiyaa, Whoopaaahh, Powaahhh, WHOAAAAHHHH!!! HAA!-" *Glass Break*.

It seemed their sword broke and we screamed in Unison. Soon we started jumping once again and punching open as many Loot Blocks along the way

•

It wasn't long until they got us cornered at the top of the construction site and we had no where to go. They both slowly backed us up onto a plank which would cause us massive fall damage both in game and physically. I didn't know what to do but seemingly this player behind me who was closest to the edge was oddly enough smiling. I couldn't understand why but with how much fearlessness they had to slice open a barrage of grenades heading towards them, this confidence was not gonna be a good experience.

"Hey Marla! Do you trust me?"

"No"

"Welp, you have no choice but to anyways"

"Wait wha- AHHHHH!!!"

They jumped back and launched me into the air meanwhile they jumped off of a wall towards the building opposite to the construction site we were just on. They screamed at me to pull out a "Nade" weapon from those Items we collected from the Loot Blocks and pull the trigger immediately. I didn't want to do it but as soon as one of the bots pointed their launcher at me I just did it as soon as possible.

"Throw it upwards on the count of 3!!!"

1

•

2

•

3!!!!!

As they said that I noticed that both bots were aiming their launchers at us directly from the top and I understood what their plan was immediately. I threw the Nade at the barrel of the launcher and as soon as it entered the Bot's arm it exploded causing both it and its partner to crash into each other and fall to the ground below.

The other player meanwhile grabbed the side of the edge of the building with one hand and caught my hand with their other. As we looked down in unison the Robots hit the ground and explode once more creating an updraft so strong it launched us both a bit upwards and onto the building we were hanging on.

*HEAVY BREATHS FROM BOTH PLAYERS*

"WHOOO!!!! LET'S DO THAT AGAIN HAHAHAHAHA~!!!" They said with me retorting with

"We almost died you crazy sunnova- mmmhh *sigh* what's the point I'm too tired to argue"

"I may die but screw it that was fun!"

"Wait, don't go!" I say as I grabbed their hands. Clearly this player had no respect for their life and sure while only the V-01D could permanently kill players, I wasn't about to let this person risk their safety.

"Stay here for now those bots might still be looking for you"

"It's fine, I like being chased by those guys, its really fun you know!"

"Running for your life is not fun you dummy" BONK!

"OW okay fine I'll stay and Rest"

•

It had been quiet for a few minutes now and just to break the tension I ask "Hey I never got your name back there can you tell me your name?"

"My name?" They acted so confused

"Ahh it's fine if you want to be anonymous, just give me your username"

"Hmmmm" they stared at me for so long until they said "Call me Her-0"

"Her-0?"

"Yep" they responded with such enthusiasm

"I'll just call you Her0" (Pronounced: Hero)

"Hmmm sure Her0 has a nice ring to it"

I stared towards the sky with confusion as to what is next for my 4000 kilometer journey and what I should do to prepare for it until PLAP Her0 layed their head down on my shoulder, asleep, with a smile on their face which caused me to feel the tiredness that built up within me and made me fall asleep as well.

•

BEEP* (Robotic voice)

NeoGen database new entry:

Username: Marla

Distance: 3999Km

Virus assignation: ILY

Expected time of arrival: 7 weeks