You’ve Gotta Be Kidding Me

(Tokyo, Japan)

"The match is close!"

"Too damn close! Both sides are using every little augment and potion they have! It's a close battle!"

"Ya know, it's surprising Jenn is able to keep up with this battle! With his entire team eliminated, he's really holding down for them!"

"Right! It's a 4 v 1 matchup! And it's this close!"

Jenn, an 18 year old boy with wavy orange hair, glasses, and blue eyes, was sitting at the computer, his hands moving quickly, his forehead rushing with sweat.

His team was watching from the side, yelling:

"You got this, Jenn!"

"Kick their ass!"

Jenn was going up against Team Kyung, a team notorious for winning multiple gaming champions in the MMORPG, "Murim Gate." Jenn and his team, called Bladed Valhalla, rose up the ranks quickly, and then made it to the Murim Gate PVP championship. Jenn had met his 3 team members in high school in a video game club.

They were playing on the computer, with their characters blasting each other over and over on a large terrain.

Jenn thought, 'They're too strong…I thought I was ready! Everyone's counting on me, if I lose, then It'll be stuck with me forever!'

Team Kyung was saying to each other:

"How hard is it to kill ONE NERD??"

"Use all your healing and health augments!"

"Who needs an MP augment?!"

"Give it to me!"

Jenn said to himself with a grin, "Haha! Look at them trying this hard against me…does that mean I'm like, the best? I hope so."

Jenn controlled his player, which was a falcon human hybrid surrounded by a black aura. He made his character flank to the left behind a mountain on the terrain, and he saw the entire Kyung team.

Jenn thought, 'I have only 21 hp left, one blow from them would easily beat my ass to oblivion. I used up all my potions and augments to survive this long, but it's now or never this time. Can't stall…my stamina is at 3% as well..if I hit a shot, I have to do it from this distance, if I run up towards them, my stamina will run out and I'll slow down like a damn snail in the middle of the field, and I'll be a sitting duck.'

Jenn made his character stretch his hands forward, and back large feathers surrounded him in a swarm of shadows.

His teammates screamed:

"He's-!"

"Shh!"

"Go, Jenn!"

His character said, "Shadow feather…"

A large black bean of feathers and dark energy shot from the hands, and the beam blasted forward fast.

Jenn smiled, "It's..I'm gonna win! I'm gonna win!"

All of a sudden, one of the Kyung teammates threw themselves in front of the beam, and sacrificed himself, eliminating them from the game.

The crowd went wild:

"He sacrificed himself!"

"What a play!"

"Jenn's gonna lose…!"

Jenn's girlfriend, Yuna, was standing in the crowd, with her arms folded like she was disappointed. She had dark pink hair and blue eyes with freckles.

Jenn poured, "I'm…I'm gonna lose.."

He began thinking about his years of playing video games, even playing video games as an infant, joining a video game club in high school, and playing in multiple video game fighting tournaments.

The announcers yelled:

"Jenn is a sitting duck! What's he gonna do?!"

The crowd went even more wild.

Team Kyung said together, "Die! Nerd!"

The entire team made their characters blast towards Jenn's character with their weapons, and kill his character as blood flew all over the place.

The announcers yelled:

"GAME OVER!"

The crowd cheered, chanting:

"Team Kyung!"

"Team Kyung!"

"Team Kyung!"

Jenn sat there, saddened as he clenched his fists, shaking, "I worked so hard….I worked so hard…I did so much..I thought I had it.."

Jenn turned to look, and he saw his teammates standing with team Kyung, including his girlfriend.

Jenn said, "Huh?"

The leader of team Kyung, Kage, had white short wavy hair, yellowish red eyes, and always wore a backwards white hat. He said arrogantly, "Haha! What do you say? Wanna join the team of winners? We always win, you can't win with a loser like that."

Jenn smiled softly, "Of course they won't leave me to be with your team-."

His team nodded.

And Jenn gasped, "NO WAY."

His teammates:

Kaoru has a tall, lean figure, standing at about 6 feet tall. He has a sharp, angular face with piercing emerald-green eyes that sparkle with intellect and curiosity. His hair is jet black, spiky, and usually unkempt, giving him an edgy, rebellious look. He prefers to dress in dark colors, often seen in a black turtleneck and matching pants. The only splash of color in his outfit is the silver pendant he always wears, a family heirloom.

Hiroshi is shorter and has a more muscular build, standing at about 5'7". He has a round face, warm brown eyes that mirror his kindhearted nature, and short, neat brown hair. Hiroshi is often seen in vibrant colors, favoring bright blue and orange shirts paired with jeans. His trademark accessory is a pair of red glasses, which he wears not just for vision correction, but as a fashion statement as well.

Yumi is petite with a delicate frame, standing at about 5'2". She has a heart-shaped face with large, almond-shaped violet eyes that are often seen sparkling with mischief. She has long, chestnut brown hair that cascades down to her waist, usually styled in two loose braids. Yumi has a penchant for pastel colors, often seen wearing pink or lavender dresses with lace and frills. She loves accessorizing with a collection of cute hair clips and wears a moon-shaped

pendant around her neck, a gift from her grandmother.

Jenn stood up, "You guys are really doing this…on LIVE TV?!"

Kaoru replied, "We wanna win, Jenn. That rhymed. But no, we can't win with you. We never won a championship, only some tournaments. With team Kyung, we can win some good money.."

The crowd laughed:

"DAMNNN!"

"His team left him for team Kyung!"

Hiroshi added, "Y-Yeah, sorry."

Yumi didn't really talk, but she nodded really fast with her cheeks red.

Jenn sighed, "Guys..we can just try harder..!"

Kage laughed, "There is no trying harder. You either suck, or you don't suck."

"Shut the hell up, I wasn't talking to you."

Kage and his team mocked, "Ooooh! Scaryyyy!"

The crowd laughed, as Jenn got even angrier.

The staff had brought Kage and his team a large trophy and a check with money on it worth 400 million yen (About 3.63 million dollars).

Kage put his arm around Jenn's girlfriend, Yuna.

Kage said to her, "I've been wanting to say this for a long time. In front of Live TV."

The crowd said:

"OHHH!"

"What's he gonna do?!"

Billions of viewers all over the world were on all sorts of live streams online watching, commentating:

"He's gonna propose??"

"To his rival's girlfriend?!"

"This is unbelievable!"

"Someone clip this!"

"I am! I am!"

"I'm hungry."

"This is cruel, guys."

"At least Jenn tried his best. He was outnumbered!"

"Stop trying to be different by taking that loser's side. He lost."

Back at the championships, Kage got down on one knee in front of Yuna, and held out flowers to her, saying, "Ya know, I don't know HOW you ended up dating that loser nerd with no money. But I've come to save you from the chains. I will protect you, buy you whatever you want, give you the entire world. Will you…be my girlfriend?"

The entire crowd yelled:

"AWWWWWW!"

Yuna sobbed, "I-I will!"

Kage smiled, and he grabbed Yuna, picking her up and hugging her.

Kage looked at Jenn with a smirk, and gave him the middle finger.

Jenn was speechless. He wanted to attack them all, but he refrained. He was already embarrassed. He didn't wanna do anything that'll mess him up even more. As the crowd and live viewers and streams were going crazy, Jenn started walking slowly. A tear ran down his eye, and he was getting made fun of for crying, but there were some people who felt bad.

Jenn walked outside, with his hands In his pockets, the crowds of people on the sidewalk had fan signs of Kage everywhere, he was even showing up on electronic billboards.

"CONGRATULATIONS, KAGE!"

Jenn sighed, hiding his face from the gossiping crowd who pointed and talked about him.

Jenn said, "Damn this..damn it all…I'm done with gaming. It isn't for me…and damn my girlfriend and teammates! Snakes!"

It was appearing all over national TV, everything that happened, it was the most talked about event in the world.

…

Jenn opened the door to his one bedroom apartment, and the door swung open. The emptiness and loneliness was loud. Jenn remembered when he, his girlfriend, and his friends used to sit in the apartment to study, train, or just hang out and have fun.

Jenn thought, 'All of it gone..in the blink of an eye…sorry mom..dad. I didn't win, again. Damn it all. I'm done this time.'

Jenn closed his door, locked it, and easily walked to his bed, and laid down on it.

"I'm done.."

Jenn fell asleep.

…

(Morning time)

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

Jenn woke up out of bed, stretching and yawning as the knock was loud. Jenn squinted, yawning and saying at the same time, "Ugh..who could it be this damn early?"

Jenn reached for his glasses, and put them on, walking to his front door. He opened it, and it was a white box.

Words on the box read: "Murim Gate. VRMMORPG."

Jenn gasped, "Huh..? VR? Isn't Murim Gate just a MMORPG?"

He looked left and right, then quickly picked up the box and went inside.

He ran to the table, sat the box down, and immediately ripped it open.

'Did I get stronger..?' He thought, shrugging it off.

As he opened it, it was a custom Murim Gate game console, and a VR headset.

Jenn picked it up, saying, "Who sent this? There's like, no note or anything."

'Maybe if I look at the news, maybe someone else has it.'

Jenn reached for his remote, and turned on the TV In his living room, and it was on the news.

It was showing the Murim Gate VR console, with billions of people around the world having videos of them recording themselves unboxing and playing the VR version of Murim Gate.

"This game is way different than the original version!"

"Everything is different!"

"I'm hooked to it already! It feels so real, like the world is alive!"

Jenn was intrigued, and he sat down on the couch.

The creator of Murim Gate, and old man with black hair and square glasses named Nanazaki Takahashi, was on the news saying:

"If you or anyone else got the VRMMORPG Murim Gate, please do NOT panic, haha. You were gifted it by me, Nanazaki. A gift from me to you for breaking records by playing our game. The VR version has already been shipped to 3 billion people. And already 2 billion logins."

Jenn sighed, "Damn I thought I was special."

"Murim Gate: VRMMORPG, Is a way different game than the classic original!"

Nanazaki Takahashi, the creative mind behind Murim Gate, reflects on the journey:

"Creating Murim Gate was both a labor of love and a monumental challenge. We wanted to design a game that was more than a collection of quests and battles—we aimed to create an immersive narrative experience, a living, breathing world that players could truly inhabit. The biggest challenge was integrating the storyline seamlessly with gameplay. Ensuring that every quest, every NPC, every location was not just a standalone element, but a piece of the greater narrative puzzle. This required an immense amount of coordination between our narrative designers, game designers, and programmers. Building the world was another major hurdle. We wanted Murim Gate to be a spectacle of magic and mystery, but also a place that felt real, a place that players could connect with. Balancing these two aspects—fantastical and realistic—was a complex task. The team spent countless hours perfecting the game's aesthetics, from the towering arcane structures to the cobblestone streets. The result is a city that's both eerily beautiful and hauntingly alive. Despite these challenges, the game's success has been overwhelming. The players' reception to the deep, interconnected narrative has exceeded our expectations. To see players engage with the lore, theorize about the secrets of Murim Gate, and form a profound connection with the characters and the world—this is our greatest success. The most rewarding part is seeing the community that has formed around Murim Gate. Players across the globe banding together to face the horrors of the void, sharing their experiences, their victories, and their theories—it's a sight to behold. It's humbling to realize that our game has been able to touch so many lives, to provide an adventure that transcends the game itself. Looking back, every challenge, every late night, every setback was a stepping stone towards creating something truly special. Murim Gate is not just a game—it's an experience we share with millions of players around the world. And for that, every challenge was worth overcoming. And for that, we thank you. So, if you have a VR console for Murim Gate, hurry up and login!"

Jenn stood up, saying, "…I don't wanna do it. What if I run into my enemies? Tch. I'm not playing."

Jenn walked out of the room, and left. But then he came back a second later, and slightly kicked the box, then left the room again. But then he came back, and stared at the box.

"A new world, huh? Basically a new game..a new life."

He reached into the box, and saw an ad for Murim Gate, a guide of some sort.

Murim Gate is a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG) that seamlessly blends grimdark fantasy elements with the tantalizing promise of real-world rewards. Set in a sprawling, richly detailed world populated by myriad mythic races and creatures, players are tasked with completing high-stakes missions and events that ranksd players participate in, that not only advance their in-game character but can also yield tangible rewards in the real world.

"This is definitely different from the original version..we didn't have any of this. Everyone just competed to rack up rank points just to participate in tourneys. There will be a story this time?"

The world of Murim Gate is a meticulously crafted universe that draws inspiration from a variety of mythologies, creating an intriguing blend of familiar and wholly original elements. The game world is grimdark, meaning it's a place where hope and morality are often overshadowed by desperation and survival. It's a world where the struggle for power continually shapes the landscape, and where the line between hero and villain is often blurred.

From the treacherous, dragon-infested peaks of the Cragspine Mountains to the mysterious, seemingly endless expanse of the Eldertree Forest, Murim Gate offers players an endless array of stunning and deadly locales to explore. Each location is not only a backdrop for the game's action but also a living, breathing part of the world's lore and ecosystem.

Upon entering Murim Gate, players are given the opportunity to create and customize their character, choosing from a range of races, each with its unique abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Races include the human-like Eidolons, the shape-shifting Chimera, the ethereal Wraiths, the draconic Drakul, the celestial Seraphs, among others. Each race also has a rich backstory and culture that players can immerse themselves in, further adding to the depth of the game. The core of Murim Gate's gameplay revolves around undertaking and completing quests. These quests range from simple fetch tasks to complex, multi-part missions that can span across different regions and require cooperative play. The highest-ranked quests often involve epic battles against formidable bosses or intricate puzzles that require both skill and strategy to solve.

Jenn walked back and forth, saying, "New race choices? New backstories and places..? This is definitely an upgrade.."

Completing these high-stakes quests rewards players with in-game currency, unique items, and experience points that can be used to upgrade their characters. More importantly, completing these quests also earns players Fame, a unique currency that can be converted into real-world money, adding a tangible, real-world incentive to the game's challenges.

Jenn exclaimed, "WHAAAT?! This IS BIG! No way this is real..if this is real, then I can prove my old team, my ex girlfriend, and Kage wrong..and the entire world. I just need to get rich for a start. Kage is rich, but he'll definitely get richer.."

Fame is not just a measure of a player's prowess in the game; it's also a convertible currency that can be traded for real-world money. The formula for conversion and the rate of exchange are determined by the game's developers and can fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including in-game events and the overall economy of the game.

Fame can be earned by completing high-ranking quests, but also by gaining renown within the game's community. This could be through feats of bravery, cunning strategies, or creating popular in-game content. This offers players multiple avenues for earning Fame, ensuring that Murim Gate is accessible to a wide variety of play styles.

Beyond the PvE quests, Murim Gate also offers PvP combat where players can test their skills against each other. This could be in the form of organized duels, arena battles, or even large-scale wars between opposing guilds. PvP combat not only provides an alternative avenue for gaining Fame and rewards but also allows for dynamic player-driven narratives to unfold within the game world.

"PvP..not really new, but there's probably new skills."

The game world of Murim Gate is not static. Dynamic world events frequently occur that can drastically alter the game environment, introduce new quests, or even spawn powerful bosses. These events often require the collective effort of many players to overcome and offer substantial rewards. Such events not only keep the gameplay fresh and unexpected but also create memorable shared experiences for players.

With its vast, diverse landscapes, Murim Gate encourages exploration and discovery. Hidden throughout the game world are ancient ruins, secret dungeons, and hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. Finding these secrets can yield valuable rewards and uncover bits of lore that can shed light on the history and mysteries of the game world.

In Murim Gate, character progression is a central element of gameplay. As players complete quests, defeat enemies, and achieve various in-game milestones, they gain experience points (XP). Accumulating a certain amount of XP allows the character to level up, which provides opportunities for enhancing base attributes and unlocking new abilities.

Murim Gate encourages player interaction and cooperation through the formation of guilds. Guilds allow players to unite under a common banner, pooling resources, and coordinating efforts to tackle quests that may be too difficult for a single player. Guilds can establish their own internal hierarchies, codes of conduct, and even compete with other guilds for control of territories or resources, adding another layer of depth to the gameplay.

Murim Gate represents a bold new direction for VRMMORPGs, blending rich, immersive gameplay with the promise of real-world rewards. Its grimdark setting, mythic races, and high-stakes quests offer players an exciting and challenging experience, while the opportunity to earn real-world money provides an additional layer of engagement. Whether you're an experienced gamer or new to the world of VR, Murim Gate promises a unique, unforgettable journey.

Have fun!

Jenn sat in silence, and took a deep breath.

"..Sounds fun. But I'll get caught up in this game and try to play competitive again..tch. Damn it all. I'll play for fun. No competitive shit. But that doesn't mean, I'll let what happened yesterday slide."