The City VR-Cade 

The game's logo appeared in front of Hitori's eyes.

[Welcome to Mokushiroku no Tenno] 

[You are the ten-millionth player to log in to the game. Your special rewards will be added to your account immediately. Please enjoy your experience playing the game, thank you for playing the game]

'...Something's wrong…' Hitori thought as he continued to tilt his head from left to right. 'What kind of luck is this?' He was sure after he received this message. 'Am I being scammed?' his cold expression changed to a confused and suspicious one.

[Please enter your avatar's name.]

Hitori thought of the very name he uses and has been using for every game he has played till now– Ryu.

[Player Ryu, please choose your class.] 

A list appeared in front of his eyes. The list consisted of Samurai, Archer, Burglar, Enchanter, Magic-user, and Science-user. And at the end were two classes that had only one further evolution possible.

Blue mage and Magus. 

"Blue Mage." He selected.

[Blue Mage- You will have the ability to learn skills despite the class it belongs to. The growth stats of Blue Mage players will be average. At reaching level fifty, you may choose to evolve the class].

The class Blue Mage was somewhat similar to someone with no class, the only difference was that the class Blue Mage was considered the Jack of all Trades. 

The growth stats did not focus on any one attribute and the base stats of this class were average but better than a no-class. 

Hitori would have chosen the Magic-user class but he did not want to let go of other skills that were more than just some funny spells, and weapons that were not eleven inches long pieces of polished and carved wood. 

Hitori leaned back in his chair and waited for his avatar to be generated, the basic skills to be allocated, a normal sword and shield in the name of weapons to be allocated, and… the special rewards to be rewarded. 

[Loading the avatar… please wait a few moments]

[Avatar generated, would you like to change the appearance of your avatar?]

By default, the game chooses the player's current appearance as their avatar's appearance. Of course, players are allowed to change their appearance.

Hitori had chosen the Blue Mage class, his avatar's face was covered in a hood. It was equipped with a normal common-grade chest piece. A navy blue cloak covered its body from top to bottom. It was exactly like a mage's outfit.

"Confirm." Hitori's lips parted as he muttered the word.

[Your Avatar has been created. You will dive into the game in five… four…]

Hitori adjusted himself in his chair, pulled his legs together, shoulders back, arms on the armrest of his chair, and pushed his head back on the headrest.

Hitori could not suppress his excitement anymore. He was going to play the world's top game without spending a yen to buy it. He was going to be one of those million people who had already made their names in this game.

[Three… Two… one–]

Suddenly, Hitori heard a snapping sound, when he opened his eyes, he saw the magic screen fading into black.

The game did not load and the countdown stopped. He turned his eyes to check the surroundings of the room he sat in with the magic screen in front of his eyes….

[You have been forcefully logged out. Please make sure your console and account card are connected properly].

For a second Hitori thought he had really been scammed for good. The magic console's purple light faded slowly.

He sighed. "Kiku-san? Why would you do that?" he lifted his head and saw a gaming card flying above his head. 

"What if all of my progress is lost?" He turned his head towards the door. "Come out now."

A cute woman appeared from the door. "Hehe. Young master~ it is nice that you are finally playing your game with pleasure but… You need to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow at the Academy, do not you?"

She brought her wand down, the game card came down with her wand. She walked inside his room in her nightdress.

"And… I looked at the screen before pulling your card out." She pointed at the magic screen that glowed in front of Hitori.

[You have been forcefully logged out.] At the bottom of the screen, [Auto saved. Your changes are safe] was written in small letters. 

Hitori pushed himself off his chair, the magic circle above his head disappeared, and soon the magic screen too.

"Not really a big day though." He turned around towards his bed.

She walked toward Hitori and said, "Aw come on, do not be like that." She patted his head. "It is fine. What if you were not qualified for the first month's expedition?" Hitori sat on his bed. "You will qualify this time for sure. I know it!"

Hitori held tight his poker face. As if he hid some secret under his blank face. After Kiku left his room, he went to sleep till the next morning.

Hitori, the next morning, was checking his solo cultivation system, he was going through his status screen. He had gained a System last night, and now was just getting its clear view.

<Name: Saibai Hitori< p>

Title: Solo Mana Cultivator /Fire Element user

Profession: Second-year student at the Mage Academy.

Skillset: Mana Shujin [Mana master], Hi no Mahou [Fire magic].

Cultivation Skill Set: Mana usage cultivation, Meditation cultivation, Soul liquefaction.

Mana Usage- Every mana you use, you will cultivate more mana to reach the threshold of a particular Cultivation Domain.

Soul Liquefaction: Liquify other entities' souls to cultivate mana.

Cultivation Mastery Level: Master of the Soul Cultivation Realm.

Cultivated Mana: 00/20,000

Mana: 2750/2750

Money: one million Yen.>

Hitori sighed. He pushed himself out of his bed, he reached the corner of his bed to stand up, but the door of his room banged open.

"Young master! Wake up! It is time for you to go— oh… you are already awake." Kiku was dumbfounded.

He pulled a black jacket from the hanger. "At least knock, Kiku-san." 

"Ah, you are ready too?" She studied Hitori. Black jacket, blue T-shirt inside. Dark black track pants. Perfect school uniform.

He looked up at Kiku who was back in her maid outfit. "Hm. Breakfast?"

"Of course~ It is getting ready~" She went back to the kitchen.

Hitori followed Kiku before he stopped near his table and stretched his hand. He grabbed the gaming card that lay on his table, his hand twitched on contact with the cold metal. 

"Breakfast is ready!"

Hitori hummed. He walked out of his room, firmly closed the door behind him, and… locked it.

"Alright. Let me teleport you to the Academy." Kiku came back from the kitchen after washing the breakfast plates.

"N- no!" Hitori suddenly got up from his chair in panic, his hair flew up in the air as he stepped back, "I- I mean…"

Kiku's happy, cheerful eyes turned into a suspicious glare.

"I mean, it will take a huge load of your mana, right? The academy is not far either, I will just walk to the Academy…" He came back to his normal self. His blue eyes gave Kiku a hint that Hitori was hiding something from her.

She backed off. "Let me see you off."

"Sure." He sighed softly before walking to the main door. "Only if I could teleport myself to the Academy," he complained, out of nowhere. 

"You can not teleport yourself, that is the drawback of this spell," Kiku told him in her cheerful tone, "although you have the talent…" she added as a mutter. 

"Said something, Kiku-san?" Hitori turned around at the door.

"Uh-hm. Have a great day at the academy today. I really hope you qualify for the expedition."

Hitori could not take Kiku's full of hope and encouragement smile out of his mind that he last saw before leaving the house. 

Hitori lifted his head and saw a direction board hanging long and tall in the air without any support.

The direction board read: Left for the Magic Wagon Station, and straight for the city Vr-cade.

Hitori pulled his hand out of his jacket's pocket.

"This card…"

[Registered to the Saibai family] 

What did it really mean? Someone had already registered this card to Hitori's name? Who else would it be except his parents?

Hitori grasped the account card tightly in his hand while looking at the direction board. He dropped his head down and pulled the account card back into his jacket's pocket.

And finally, he made a decision. Hitori started walking towards the city VR cade.