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[Welcome to Fantastical Adventures Online]

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[Customize your character?]

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[Player has selected NO. Game will now give player the appearance of their real body.]

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[Please enter name]

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[Player has entered DEATH. Continue?]

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[Loading, Please do not turn off power.]

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[Game starting. Please enjoy.]

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I'll never forget the day I registered for the waiting list. Since I was one of the "Later Interested", that meant waiting over 50 months for my VR headset and then the game to play on it:

   Fantastical Adventures.

     It was well worth it too.

     The game centers around a giant castle made of rock. With over a thousand floors, and more on the way, the building stretched high into the heavens, awaiting a champion to make it to the top.

     Each floor is a deep, elaborate maze, full of monsters. There's a timer as well, and when the player finds the exit, beating the limit, they're allowed to go to the next floor.

     Go to the next floor, and let the timer end before you find the exit, and you're warped right back outside the building.

     So far, I think, even the veterans only made it to the 100th floor before being wrapped outside again.

     Of course, a guy like me that rarely plays video games, and this being the first VR one for me, never got past floor 5. I never really tried either, so it's not a big loss for me.

After all, my life's motto is "Never try when you're going to fail anyway".

     Instead, this noob focuses on the calm life available within.

     This VR world has cities all around. Cities on different lands. Cities on water. Cities even in the sky.

     Cities full of millions of players able to live in here as if it was the real world. For many, it was just that.

     Because, way before I got to play, the programmers offered the chance to live in here while the government watched their bodies. So basically, this place was created for science.

     When I found out, I was frustrated.

     Of course I'm not the best player here.

     But to be able to live in here all my life? Or even longer then my body can last in the real world. That was a dream come true for a low level Subject like me!

If only the programmers would offer a chance like that again...

     Back in real life, I'm only able to work part time and be a small person. I'm not allowed to become big or important or rich. And I'm not allowed to do anything I'm interested in unless it means staying in my room.

     But here...

     Here with my wings and my sword...

     I could be somebody.

     But for now, I'm just a part time player that goes by the alias Death. Forced to log out after a few hours and go to sleep so I can mop floors for a living.

Oh well, no big deal.

Or at least, that's what I thought...

Until he showed me something that turned my life upside down.