Chapter 1 - Bizarre Games

"Hello, Alvis. Just stop right there. It's an order from your commanding officer, "said a lady commandingly as she ran with two sharp blades.

"Why should I stop? You should be the one to speed. The baby panda, "said a man teasingly, sticking out his tongue and aggravating the baby.

"You know what I mean, Alvis? Leave it alone. It's OK if you don't want to participate in PVP (player against the player). I just wanted to put my new build through its paces." replied the girl, who had a rosy tint to her already puffy cheeks.

"That's why I referred to you as a panda. When you inflate your cheeks in anger, you look like one, "Alvis teasingly stated again.

"Now come, let papa hug his daughter," Alvis stoked the fires of her rage.

"Alvis!... I'm surely going to murder you for this," With that phrase. She flew into the air, her swords twirling down the lengths of her hands.

"Oh, here you go again. Swing your swords whenever the situation becomes out of your control." Alvis was prepared for her attack as he was the one who was aware of her every move and technique.

He took two steps back and raised his hands in the air, not afraid of her swords, stopping blades with his middle and index fingers, boasting about his superiority.

"How did you accomplish that?" Did you halt my double sword speed assault with just two fingers? That was insane. Are you freaking kidding me? " She yelled, frustrated.

"Not at all, my love...you wouldn't want me to perish. Do you?" Said Alvis while shifting her swords away.

*Click*

"Love gesture activated*

"Huh? You activated whattttt?"

7 Months ago*

Sometimes life may seem to be playing bizarre games with us, literally and metaphorically. While both games are just that—frolics—what if they took over your life? What if you become attached to them to the point that you don't want to be asunder from them? Yeol, that's what ensued to her. She was a young woman with a confident demeanor and an introverted disposition. After graduating from high school, she became caught in what we all called a worldwide lockdown. Life games, ugh. In the wake of the lockdown, her life recast forever. Narrating the adventure of her first MMO gaming venture, I'll be your host and ghost. Without further ballyhoo, let's start her portrayal.

You may consider lifting the curse of her life or disconnecting her from her previous monotonous lifestyle. Perhaps Yeol's fate intended her to meet him, or maybe it was the other way around. It was all prompted by the lockdown. It became impossible for Japanese people to overlook the perturbation of the global pandemic 'Covid-19' when the city of Wuhan was closed for months. Cases of covid -19 began to climb slowly and gradually, but by April, the number of cases had skyrocketed, reaching 700 every seven days on average.

It was the 30th of March when Yeol was heading home after her convocation ceremony on her final day of high school. She graduated high school with accolades, scoring 97 percent and finishing second underneath Sato Makato. She was keen to get admission to the City University of Tokyo and initiated preparing for the university entrance exam. Being an exceptional sophomore, she laid the groundwork for university exams but right before the exam, on the 6th of April, Tokyo enforced a total lockdown for about five months concerning the mortality ratio. Yeol was the woman who followed a predetermined course to escape any unfavorable occurrences. However, the lockdown revealed that her neatly planned existence was flawed. Nature demonstrated its strength and showed its worth. Nature, no matter how well you prepare, always conspires against you. The only alternative is to go with the flow and live in the moment without worrying about the future.

On the sixth day of that April, she received the most devastating blow of her life. Because of the covid-19 epidemic and lockdown, the institution postponed admission examinations. She immediately felt vague since she didn't know what to do. She was devoid of excitement and motivation. There were two scenarios about the lockdown, one similar to Yeol's situation and the other wanting to accommodate their habits to spend more time with family and loved ones. She only wanted to enroll at Tokyo's finest institution, but the covid-19 virus prevented her from doing so. She was agitated or presumably confused and wanted anything to occupy her thoughts and fill the void left by the five months of confinement.

Yeol, unable to accept the shift, vents her frustrations in her diary. Talking to her mother was out of the question because her mother was in the intensive care unit and had to remain the entire day. Her mother fulfilled all of her responsibilities as a doctor, but she cannot say the same for her motherly obligations. She met all of her daughter's material requirements. She, on the other hand, could never provide her mental support. Even though her father was a successful businessman in Tokyo, he made time for his only daughter.

"Hey! Dad, would you mind sparing a moment to discuss some difficulties I've been dealing with?" Yeol spoke in a shaky voice.

"Sure thing, little thing. What exactly is it?" Yeol's father expressed some concern. He could see the worry on Yeol's face.

"Dad, the mom, goes to the hospital, and you are constantly occupied in the room running your home office while I have been left alone in the house doing nothing. I'm bored and unsure of what to do. How can I keep myself active? I'm perplexed." She inquired.

"That's normal to a confused kid, little child, I can't dictate your choices, but I can provide a few suggestions on how to combat the isolation that comes with the lockdown. Firstly, you can go for short courses at Coursera. Secondly, you can help me at my office, or at last, you can explore your hobbies to develop new skills." counseled her father.

That night, Yeol planned to extensively evaluate those three alternatives and write down the pros and cons of each option. That's what she used to do when she was bewildered about anything. She discovered that taking Coursera classes, rather than acquiring experience in the business world, was the eminent option for her as a prospective medical student. She enrolled in a ten-week Coursera course on human anatomy and surgical fundamentals. That will eventually help her in the arduous admissions exams. She began learning on Coursera while taking notes. She was eager to enroll in the City University of Tokyo for one reason: she wanted to undertake her two-year internship in the United States, namely in Chicago, and the City University of Tokyo was the only university that offered such an opportunity. Even after starting class, she still felt incomplete. There was something still missing in her life.

A month later, on the 11th of May, she noticed a transition, a change that ignited the fire of her enthusiasm. One fine day with bright sun shining in the blue hues combined with red ones. A notification popped up on her mobile phone. The notif was from the Play store. It reads 'Immortal Destiny - The gaming adventure is available to install. Along with that message, she received a notice from a delivery firm informing her that her shipment had arrived.

"When did I sign up for this game? I don't recognize it, "She enquired about her soul.

The doorbell rang *Ding Dong...*

The doorbell sounded, jolting Yeol awake from her Gaga land. She stepped down to open the door.

"I'll be there in a second," Yeol said with brisk reflex.

*Crack* The door sprang open.

"Hello, Madam. Is your name Yeol?" said the unidentified man.

"I am," she says. - Yeol

"Greza Couriers has sent me here. I received a package for you; could you please sign it here before accepting it? "asked the messenger boy.

Yeol signed on the dotted line and grabbed the parcel, which she recognized was from her brother, who is presently studying in the United States. Just as she was about to open the package, she received another notice congratulating her on obtaining her first VR Headset from Quest2. Also, she got free membership for one year for Immortal Destiny - The Gaming Adventure as a pre-registration gift.

Yeol was flummoxed because she had never subscribed to any new games. She was not a significant gamer. Thus, she never pre-registered for games. She had only played casual games like Candy Crush and Bubble Shooter up to this point. She had never heard of MMORPG gaming before. She had no idea what a VR headset was. When did she get hers? Suddenly, a slew of questions arose in her head, and she must figure out the answers needed. Even though signing up was a comprehensive error at first, it turned out to be the most encouraging fantasy of her life. That game filled a void in her life that had previously existed.

Who registered for that game in advance? If she wasn't the one, who was? Isn't it an intriguing question?