Q_Yuumo

As years went by and Earth evolved into a foreseen futuristic, sci-fi world, everything went through changes; the buildings, vehicles, weapons even the vegetation and animals didn't remain unscathed. Yet one thing stayed the same throughout all history, something indispensable for the human race, something no one could ever think of leaving out in their daily lives and yet being the very cause of human demise, work.
During the whole change process not even once was the human work ethic thought of as a problem causing a rise in the demand for entertainment and distraction from the daily routines. Those a new game system called Virtual Reality was created, giving everyone the possibility to fully immerse in other worlds and escaping the trials of life.

Bao, threw himself in such a world but without thinking of the consequences of such a deed, for nobody asked themselves, what if life in this virtual world is better than reality and even worse what if the boundaries between the two become indistinct?

Copyright 2021 All rights reserved to the author under the pen name Q_Yuumo.

Changing my life with a level system

Bao was laying on his bed, his stomach feeling as if someone had put concrete blocks in it. Years had passed since he last read a book from his noteworthy collection, which rotted away on the shelf near his PC. His fingers slid over the hardcovers in all kinds of colours and thickness until the index finger stopped on a book, where the title on the spine was already unreadable. A whole cloud of dust came down when he pulled out the book, making him cough and sneeze so loud that even his neighbour could have heard it.


Bao smiled when he saw the worn-out cover with a blue, nearly silver, shining dragon flying through the night sky on it. When he slightly moved the book it looked like the dragon flew right towards him, out of the book and into his face.


Parts of the story started to appear again inside his head nevertheless, he lied down on his bed and began to read. Slowly the black symbols on the white paper changed their form into trees, streets, houses and even other people, they started surrounding him and pulled him into another world. A world created by the author, by his pen and his creativity. He felt like diving into a deep, wide ocean without boundaries when suddenly, two knocks on his door, stripped him from the book.


"Do you have a minute, well maybe five, son?" It was his father's voice on the other side of the door.


"Yes, the door should be open," Bao answered, irritated by the fact that he was harshly interrupted whilst reading.


The door opened without any sounds, soft and gentle but much to Bao's surprise entered not only his father but also his mother, both with their eyes pointed towards the ground and already wearing their pyjamas.


"I... I see you started reading again, I'm happy to... to see that you don't sit in front of the computer all... all day long." A miserable attempt to break the ice from part of his father who pointed his finger towards the book in Bao's hand.


"So, what is it this time?" He asked harshly, ignoring his father's endeavour.


"Son, we...," they both exchanged glances with each other before continuing the sentence. "We would like to apologize for what we have done to you a year ago. You know maybe... maybe it would have been better to talk things out with you like we initially planned to do, but we... we couldn't. You didn't talk with us at all. It was already a wonder that you came down from your room to eat so... so we thought that it was the only way to we could possibly save you. That it was the right choice."


"Sigh," with one hand he closed the book the sound of which let his parents flinch. "Maybe. But. You had already convinced me to talk with you about the whole situation and yet you chose to betray my trust. The whole family gathered in front of my door and I agreed to talk."


"No, I will talk now and you'll let me finish what I have to say." -Bao interrupted his father- "MAYBE if you had talked to me like you originally planned I MAY have stopped doing what I did. Instead, you chose to throw me into that hell. And your BUT is nothing but an argument for your limitation and if you argue about them, you'll get to keep them." -He took a deep breath- "I did many things wrong and I'm fully aware of that. I'm also aware that I caused you a lot of problems with my behaviour and I'm trying to solve the chaos that I left behind. Yet just now, I think I'm not able to forgive the both of you."


Bao looked in the surprised faces of his parents, their mouths wide open, not one tone coming out of them. They probably had never seen him talking back at them like this.


"If that's all you wanted to discuss, you can leave now."


Without any more words they left and closed the door behind them. Bao exhaled all his stress, relief and anxiety, it was indeed the first time ever he dared to argue against them. And it felt good.


Immersive Lecture