Chapter 8: Players

Inside the room, the air was filled with girlish charm. Shelves lined every wall, packed with anime figurines, soft plush toys, and stacks of game merchandise.

Posters of popular games and series hung above the desk, completing the look of a true gamer's sanctuary.

In the middle of the room, Maria paced back and forth.

Every few seconds, her eyes would dart toward the bed, where a sleek, futuristic black helmet rested. It looked far more advanced than any VR device she had ever seen on the market, smooth curves, a matte finish, and a visor that seemed to absorb light instead of reflecting it.

"Should I do it or not?" she muttered, torn between fear and burning curiosity.

Maria was in her early twenties, with plenty of free time.

She loved watching anime, reading novels, and above all else, playing video games.

But in her social circle, gaming was often dismissed as a childish hobby. No one shared her passion, and playing alone eventually felt empty.

Even online matches lacked the warmth of real interaction.

Then she discovered live streaming, and realized she could turn her hobby into something fun and social. That was how she started her channel, slowly building a following of people who enjoyed her relaxed style and honest gameplay.

Now, she faced the most mysterious "game" she had ever encountered.

It had only been yesterday that the helmet arrived.

She quickly made up an excuse, telling Grandpa Ian that she must have ordered it and forgotten. But deep down, she knew it didn't make sense.

The estate was heavily guarded, with motion sensors, cameras, and security personnel everywhere, yet no one saw who brought the box. It was as if it had materialized out of thin air.

"This is too strange," sitting on the edge of the bed and picking it up carefully.

When she opened the package, she found only a simple instruction sheet, Lie down comfortably, wear the helmet, and enter a relaxed state. Your consciousness will be transported to another world. Your body remains safe and undisturbed.

She tried putting it on right away, but the visor only showed a large countdown timer: 18:15:59.

There were no buttons, no switches, no touch controls. It refused to activate early.

Now the waiting was finally over.

"What if I never wake up? What if it steals my identity?" But after a moment, she calmed down.

"If they wanted to hurt me, they could have done it already. Why go through all this trouble? Worst case, I'll just demand compensation!"

With her mind made up, she climbed into bed, adjusted her pillows, and placed the helmet over her head.

It fit perfectly, light, secure, and lined with soft padding that felt like silk.

On the visor, the numbers flashed bright: 00:00:11.

"Once it hits zero, just say 'START,' right?" she whispered.

10… 9… 8…

When it reached zero, the visor flared with blinding white light, then turned pitch black.

"Did it break?" Maria let out a breath, feeling both disappointed and relieved.

But before she could raise her hands to take it off, her vision blurred again. A heavy wave of drowsiness washed over her, stronger than any tiredness she had ever felt, and she drifted away like floating down a calm river.

When her sight cleared, a symbol appeared.

Two circles, one large, one small, overlapping slightly. Below it, a glowing panel floated in empty darkness.

SPACE WARS

Choose your starting class!

"Where am I?" Maria looked around.

She stood in a vast, empty void, nothing but darkness surrounding her. Strangely, she couldn't feel her own body, only a sense of being, like a wisp of consciousness floating in place.

"Is this just the loading screen?" she thought.

Three holographic figures rotated in front of her, each with its own description.

Space Knight — High defense, frontline fighter. Passive: Riot Shield.

Space Ranger — Precision, long-range combat. Passive: Steady Breath.

Space Commando — Speed, reflexes, close-quarters. Passive: Athletic Stride.

"Knight is too slow, I always mess up defense roles. Commando needs fast reactions, way too stressful. Ranger is perfect~ just aim and shoot!"

She tapped the Space Ranger icon.

To her surprise, there was no character customization~ no face, height, or hairstyle options.

Her appearance was thesame as she had in reality.

"What? Not even basic editing? That's a huge flaw!"

She only typed her usual username:

MariaMagdalena5555, then pressed BEGIN ADVENTURE.

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"Whoa!"

Her vision shifted instantly. She opened her eyes and found herself sitting in a chair inside a large, futuristic room.

The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of smooth, gray alloy, glowing with soft blue lighting.

"It looks like a space station straight out of a movie, even better!" she gasped.

She pinched her arm lightly and felt a clear, real sensation.

"This isn't just graphics, it feels like reality!"

Looking down, she saw her clothes had changed. She wore a tight-fitting white bodysuit made of an unknown fabric.

It was light, flexible, and comfortable, but clung closely to her figure, highlighting every curve. Her face turned red instantly.

"Why does it have to be this tight? So embarrassing!"

Suddenly, excited voices erupted from around her.

"Look at this place!"

"This is insane!"

Maria turned and saw four other people, three young men and two women including herself, also sitting in chairs, wearing the same white suits and looking around with wide, shocked eyes.

"Other players! So this isn't single-player!" she felt relieved. Playing with others was always more fun.

"Hey, look over there!" one man shouted, pointing toward the far wall.

They all turned.

There was a large transparent viewport, and beyond it stretched the endless blackness of deep space. Stars twinkled like scattered diamonds, and massive chunks of asteroids drifted slowly past, glowing faintly in the starlight.

"It's so beautiful~ even if it's just space, it feels breathtaking!" one girl whispered.

"No lag, no delay, no rubber-banding!" another man said, jumping up and down.

"When I move, it feels exactly like my real body!"

A third man was gently slapping his own cheek. Slap! Slap!

"What are you doing?" someone asked.

"Testing pain settings," he replied, eyes wide.

"It only feels like a light sting, but the sensation is 100% accurate."

Soon, all five were running, jumping, touching every surface, and shouting in amazement.

"This isn't next-gen tech, it's a whole new era!" one said, spinning with arms open.

"Must be a closed alpha test," another replied, though he sounded unsure.

"But even alpha tests never feel this perfect."

Outside the room, Luis stood watching through the security feed. He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"Thank goodness I locked them in first. Otherwise, these guys would be running around touching everything and 'looting' before I even start explaining."

He took a deep breath, nodded to the System, and the heavy door slid open.

Luis stepped inside, wearing a majestic, futuristic commander's uniform, dark blue with silver trim, badges glowing softly on his chest and shoulders.

"Welcome, Pioneers, to the colony ship Behemoth," he said in a clear, steady voice.

"You are the chosen elite of this vessel, drifting on the edge of the unknown."

"An NPC!" someone whispered.

"Is the game starting now?"

"Even NPCs look this real? How much money did they spend making this?"

Luis ignored their comments and continued.

"Before we begin, focus your thoughts and say: Open Status Panel."

A soft chime echoed, and floating windows appeared in front of each player.

Maria read hers:

MariaMagdalena5555

Class: Space Ranger

Level: 1

HP: 50 / 50

Shield: 50 / 50

Passive Skill: Steady Breath — Eliminates scope sway for 4 seconds, granting perfect accuracy.

Equipment: Beginner Suit

"Good," Luis said.

"What you see is your soul's imprint. In this universe, your potential is limitless. Right now, you stand on this ship, but beyond that window lies an unmapped galaxy waiting to be claimed. Survive, grow stronger, and you will explore planets, harvest star cores, and conquer civilizations humanity has never seen."

He paused, his voice rising with power.

"I promise you, the strongest among you will not just rule sectors, you will become living gods of war, commanding fleets that make the universe tremble."

"Sounds like the HR speech at my old job," one man muttered, making others chuckle.

Luis ignored them and continued. "But great empires cannot be built on crumbling foundations."

Suddenly, the lights turned red and began to flash rapidly. A sharp alarm blared through the speakers.

"System alert! Hull breach detected! Lower decks have been overrun by Space Beetles!" the System's voice announced.

Luis's expression turned serious.

"These are not Earth insects. They are flesh-eating predators that hunt in swarms. If they reach the upper decks and the Command Center, your journey ends before it even begins."

"Everyone, listen closely! We have a crisis!"

The wall beside him slid open, revealing five sleek kinetic rifles and packs of ammunition neatly arranged.

"Pick up your weapons and ammo.

Main Mission: Clear the infestation, secure the lower decks, and protect the ship's core. Lock and load, Pioneers! Let's move!"

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