Chapter 4: A new World

Looking around, I became restless. It was at 5 am.

How long am I staying here this time? The ground I stood on was like a small spotlight shining on the abyssal surface beneath me.

"Is this meeting adjourned yet?" My tone of voice indicated pure boredom.

The check-up started at 3:30 am GMT +1, "Just another five minutes," Cambell's static-like voice echoed throughout the Medicuboid VR lobby.

A loud, exasperated groan exited my throat while catching my physio's attention.

"You seem tired."

"No... I'm practicing my vocal cords for a musical," I said sarcastically. "Of course, I'm tired!"

Covering my mouth, I looked up at the floating monitor and watched Cambell raise an eyebrow.

He briefly glared at my body, sleeping in the Medicuboid bay then hastily looked back on the computer one of the tech staff was typing on.

"About the two other games," Cambell mentioned, "Tech says you're free to explore Full-Dive however you want but while I'm observing the Medicuboid."

My adult boredom quickly changed to childish excitement.

I immediately pressed the "Downloads" tab of the open VR menu in front of me, but upon seeing an empty screen, my gleeful grin transformed into a gloomy frown.

My questions were soon answered for why there wasn't anything new on the VR menu, Cambell explained that in the five extra minutes was for the tech staff to download two VRMMORPGs onto the Medicuboid software.

I closed the window and opened it again, to see two Full-Dive games installing on screen.

"Yes! Finally!" I released a triumphant yell, causing the sound to reverberate inside the VR cave.

Regretting my recent action, I covered my ears until the repeated noise of 'Yes! Finally!' began to fade.

I shouldn't have done that! I mentally jabbed myself.

After another eternal five minutes, a loud *beep* noise caught my attention and notified me that installation was complete.

I positioned myself in a leaping stance then stopped, quickly learning that the lobby bounced back sounds that hit the walls... well, my in conscience anyway.

I checked the VR menu once again and directed my index finger to the "Downloads" tab, only to find that one of two games were available.

The one named "Asuka Empire" had a 100% sign on the top right of the "Launch" button above the game, while the other was called "Still In Development" without any label.

Eh? Aren't there supposed to be two games?

I swiftly spun my head, facing the monitor. Surprisingly... there was no one on the other side of the screen.

Heh, Cam must be on a date right now, I thought while laughing to myself.

All joking aside, I knew by looking at the clock in the bottom left of the floating screen; Cambell was on break for 30 minutes.

I took the chance to direct the game Asuka Empire to the "Games" tab of the VR menu.

It took a moment to extract the files while reading the info about the game, which I chose to read from an encyclopedia describing Asuka Empire.

Asuka Empire is a free-to-play Japanese-style Virtual Reality, Massive Multiplayer Online, Role Playing Game (VRMMORPG), based around a local Korean empire named Silla Empire but modified to create an ancient Silla dynasty.

It contains in-game purchases for special items, That shouldn't be a problem, I grew a sly grin while glancing at the holographic screen.

Cambell was reclining at his designated desk, keeping watch over me, sipping a double-shot espresso.

"Hiya, Cam!" I yelled through the monitor, "Enjoy your blind date?"

Cambell chuckled to himself while raising his left arm, waving hello.

With a quick sigh mixed with a smile, I resumed my info gathering.

I've never played a Full-Dive game that focussed around close combat, the only hand-to-hand combat experience I had was self-defense training from my uncle a few years ago. Still, I knew a lot of swordsmanship by watching and copying sword stances from samurai movies, games, and Olympic fencers.

I looked for a category titled "Combat" and came across "Ground Circle," apparently activating the game's combat system requires two steps... literally.

I practiced stomping on the ground while assuming a katana stance from an MMO I played recently, before being admitted to the hospital.

The stance is formed when leaning backward by placing your right leg slightly behind your waist, making an obtuse angle from your under-thigh to your ankle, then positioning your left leg in front of your waistline with your left foot pointing ahead of you now direct all your weight onto your right.

Typically, lunging backward while facing forwards.

Now imagine you're holding a katana in your right hand with the blade in front covering your left shoulder and your left-hand crossing under your right arm wielding a wakizashi with the blade facing the floor and the edge pointed towards your opponent. Tried it yet?

Very descriptive, I know, yet I still fall flat on my face when pushing off the ground to make a forward strike.

My performance went on for a couple of hours.

Today is May the 12th, 2024 07:45 am GMT +1.

After the self-driven two-hour swordplay session, I was able to perform deft slashes and precisely executed sweeps with my imaginary daisho sword stance, style, and combo.

I felt ready to tackle the world of close-quartered combat; with the new skill I taught myself, there was more than enough confidence coursing through my veins.

I hit "Launch game" on the VR menu showing Asuka Empire..... There's an update ready to install?

Awwh, Dude!

All my goofing around and swinging my fists was for me to sit and watch a new version of Asuka Empire unfold right before my eyes.

Meaning I sulked in a corner and stared at a lame, lousy loading bar.

I guess I'll think up a name for my newly made sword style, which I named after my sister's element and paired it with the name of my most adored animal.

Another tiring five minutes passed, this time there was no alarm saying the update finished as I made it my life mission to press the "Launch Game" button as soon as the update was done, skipped some edit section of the game by selecting random features and thus entered Asuka Empire.

A sudden flash of white engulfed my entire body again and dropped me in a village plaza. I looked down, raised my hands to my lower body, and close them in a fist.

Once I looked up, countless people were carrying sheathed edged weapons on their backs, waists, and other limbs.

My eyes glittered, I'm finally here, a dream come true! Everyone around me noticed me fangirling.

I cleared my throat to look a bit more professional and quickly noticed a girl and boy whose faces seemed familiar, "Oh! LOONA! HARDT!" I yelled while jogging towards them. They turned while pulling a confused stare.

Halting just 5 yards from them, I felt a slight bit of deja vu, 'Who're you?' Hardt enquired.

Huh? "What are you on about?" I reflected their baffled expressions, "It's me, Damai."

Both of them quickly switched their concerned look to a welcoming smile, "Oh! Hi! Damai-san," Loona's eyes lit up when she glanced above my head, "I didn't know you played Asuka Empire as well!"

Could you stop with the high pitched yelling, and stop calling me Damai-san, please?

These two aren't a bright pair, but they're adorable, even Brytehardt with his passionate orange eyes, I met them in the village of Roite of the Serene Garden... but failed to help them out by forgetting to grab a rare beetle, yet they still like hanging out with me.

The honorable Brytehardt, who had a naginata mounted across his back from his right shoulder to his left thigh, almost looked like he had a monkey tail.

He was wearing his signature deep-sea tunic coated with a combination of orange metal-plated shoulder-pads, a black leather collar, brown scale arm bindings, and a metallic orange chest plate covering his upper body.

His legs were covered in yellow leather padding guarding his shins with light steel.

His hair had no dreadlocks this time but had bright yellow highlights painted along the back of his silver-spiky hairstyle.

The innocent Loona wore a tight light-purple blouse, combined with dark brown leather pads that covered her elbows, knee caps, and either side of her waist with deep black skinny leather trousers that revealed how thick her legs were and a dark leather breastplate covering the chest area.

A double-edged Tantō was strapped and sheathed on her left thigh while on her right was a small leather purse, possibly containing shurikens or kunai.

Her hair was like the clear night sky and had silver glitter speckled around her twin tornados, making them shimmer like the stars.

"So yer a newbie," Hardt uttered, "That means is our job to show yer the ropes!" He made a cheesy smile while scruffing Lonna's glistening hair.