The mortal world is changing
* John Smith Jr's POV *
Since moving to Kuoh Town in Japan because of my father's work life had been bleak. All my friends were still in the US and I had been all alone for 3 months now since I could barely speak Japanese.
Dad tried to convince me I would learn fast amongst the locals, but for that I needed people to talk to first. And for some reason the only boys my age in the surrounding were a creepy bunch of perverted losers led by Issei Hyoudou.
So I was alone most of my time at school, trying my best to understand the lessons. At least after school dad would let me play with the new games in his shop. Because dad was the manager of a video game shop now. A weird game shop, but one nonetheless.
A game company had been making waves for two years now. Red Troll's Dream was becoming a name linked to quality and success. It was apparently an old game company that was bough and renamed. Each of their new games where hits, but no one knew anything about the true owner aside for his surname "Red Troll", and the fact he was the designer, script writer and team leader of ALL their games. I said true owner because according to rumours, the woman officially registered as such was working for him, and did so only to keep his anonymity.
Red Troll was considered a genius in the game making industry, there was no rebuking on that. But his latest move was making a lot of people talk and wonder about the company future.
He started purchasing game shop aggressively everywhere IN THE WORLD ! From the know it all of the web, he had apparently spend all his past profit and was even heavily in debts for that move.
Despite that, during the press conference led by the spokesman of Red Troll's Dream three weeks ago he looked confident and said that a new era would soon come for video gamers, and they would be leading it.
I new a bit more since my father explained to me what was this about. In all red Troll Dream shop, there was a "scanning area". Once inside, you would need to get in your underwear (or naked for future 18-rated content) and then there would be a little light show. After that you where given a special memory card linked to an account created on the spot. Of course, you needed to pay for this.
What was the point ? The card would go inside a virtual reality helmet and would allow your IRL form to take shape in the virtual world. That's right, VIRTUAL REALITY ! It was now a thing.
Red Troll's Dream found a way to create a virtual reality helmet, and it worked incredibly well. I know because every shop owner was gifted one, and each could create three accounts for free. So father gave me one, and another was for the worker in the shop.
Because of that I was able to test the helmet and it was incredible. For now there was just a Roman arena to fight other people, and an obstacle course in a post apocalyptic city filled with zombies. The realism was incredible. You could even FEEL things. I was shocked the first time I was hit in the arena that I FELT the blow.
At least the pain receptors were defaulted on a low setting, but you could change it and from some rumours my father told me, it would be mandatory to be at the full setting for some special rewards.
I also learned that the company would only release a single game for virtual reality, it would be called "Hidden World" and the game was getting released next week... Unless you were one of the 1000 lucky account, for them the game would start tonight. And I was one !
I didn't tell anyone but father. And I just couldn't wait anymore. The best thing is that you can put the helmet before sleeping and it would allow you to "dream" the game. I hope that function works well.
As for the game scenario ? The company was adamant that they will not help the players aside the tutorial. But it was guessed that it would be a fiction world hidden in a modern world.
* A few hours later *
Alright, 10 more minutes, let's just connect.
~ Welcome to hidden world ~
Physical template loaded,
Race set to human,
Pain receptors set to maximum,
R-18 mode disabled since you haven't met the requirement yet,
Alcohol and drug effect are disabled depending on the law of your current country,
~ Red Troll wish you good luck puny human, you'll need it ~
~ Since this is your first connexion, all tools and function disabled until you finish or skip the tutorial. warning : the tutorial will depict scene of violence ~
~ Do you wish to skip the tutorial ? YES - NO ~
Of course Not !
Wow ! Once again I am shocked by the realism, everything looks so real. I can't imagine the time the developers used on this. And if I'm not wrong I should be inside a church ?
I was with some guys in priest clothes (?) and we were surrounding some civilians (?) restrained on a pyre.
All the clothes and tool indicated outdated stuff. Was this game in the medieval area ?
Random priest : "Quick, the demons are coming, burn their brethren before they escape !"
And just like that the bonfire was lit, that was quick. I have yet to take my mark here. Wait are they transforming ? Oh... So they are demons. So I guess we're going to be some kind of hero against demons or something ? Still... The developers were a bit excessive, it's bad taste to see a little girl burning like that, even if she's a demon.
And suddenly their was some big noises, the church door were getting smashed.
Random priest : "Quick take your swords and let me bless you, they are coming !"
Well, I guess there's nothing else to do here. And it looks like I have some equipment, at least I've got a basic sword.
*BOOM*
Attacker : "NO !!! SERA, MY DAUGHTER !!!
Sera : "DADDY ! IT HURTS !"
OK, I'm starting to already hate the developers here. Who the hell make the first bad guy a father trying to save his daughter... I'm already feeling bad here.
Oh well, I guess she will survive, escape and become a future foe ?
*Splash*
Or not. Not now that the priest pierced her in the head with a sword...
Attacker : "DIE !!!!"
Well, let's fight and not think about the clearly uneasy feeling the priest is giving me with that smile of his... *Shiver*