Chapter one - I want to play games
Year 43xx.
Atharva woke up gasping. His mind still in the nightmare he had. As the automated lights in his room/loft slowly calibrated to reach enough luminescence, his heart stopped galloping and merely trotted. The haziness in his mind cleared enough.
He went into ensuite bathroom to wash his face and shocked himself again after seeing his reflection. The mirror was showing a shaggy haired, lanky adult who was paler than a ghost. His dark eyes were still hazy instead of being the usual clear and bright. He decided to indulge himself and decided to have a long bath to remove the cobwebs. His brain was still lingering on the relastic nightmare he just had.
He cranked up temperature and pressure of the shower and just soaked himself, trying to empty his brain which was turning out to be a difficult endeavour.
Before his mind cleared, the shower stopped. Any further usage required credits. And that reminder pulled him instantly into the present.
The lack of credits and a huge education loan were his current reality. That reminder stilled his brain and calmed his mind completely. Atharva had become normal again. He had turned into his usual self, a learning maniac. It was time to learn.
'Saint Augustine centre for excellence has only few merit seats every year. Atharva had enrolled himself through that way and he is still in college for three years, this is the best proof of his learning abilities.' - This note was from one of the professors in accountancy department. This recommendation letter had saved Atharva a lot of hassle. Still it has to be noted that, his score in accountancy was one of the least among other subjects. Yes, this centre of excellence was so humongous and vast that Commerce department could not accomodate other minor subjects under it and created multiple departments to tackle the subjects.
Professor Ren was one of the oddities who still liked to teach in the classroom, facing real students and guiding them. He was one of the remnants of the old era of classroom teaching and mentoring students. His class never had more than 100 students per class. In the era of recorded classes and VR classrooms, such dedication towards teaching was commendable.Thus, every recommendation from him was worth the gold.
His way of teaching was completely opposite of usual classes. The mandatory classes were just 2 -3 per week and took place in huge lecture halls, catering to thousands of students together. More often, these classes were taken by newly joined teachers or teaching assistants with lecturers watching the teacher and student alike as judge.
When majority of teaching happened through recorded class, this sort of mandatory physical attendance requiring classes sort of become a necessity. Initially, many students had opposed such classes. However, when such classes were made just minimum, these turned out to be place to gossip, time to make connections and students embraced this culture wholeheartedly.
Not students like Atharva, of course. The recorded classes consumed Academic points but this classes just handed out such points as candies merely for attending. These academic points were also needed to give exams. They acted more like a deposit though. If you pass, you get your points back. If you fail, please gather enough points to give exam again. So academically oriented kids, learning maniacs went through academic points like water and needed classes like these to get through their semester.
Atharva, like other merit kids depending on scholarship and education loans, didn't have option of paying credits for a portion of academic points needed. Moreover, deeper the subject, more the points consumed.
In such brutal competitive method of college survival, it was no wonder that many would decide to cut short their learning time. When a bachelor degree from this college was considered equivalent to masters degree from others, even just getting a diploma certificate was enough to be considered a graduate and start the career.
So when Professor Ren mentioned Atharva has completed three years and yet still studying, it was definitely a compliment. But a look at timetable chart of next 2 months of Atharva would show that Professor Ren had seriously underestimated him.
The semester was winding up. The mandatory classes would end this week to give time for 'study break'. So, all the students started gathering very early. Last time to gossip face -to-face, last time to show off in front of your crush, last time to bootlick... cancel the last one. Bootlickers don't need any premise or a reason, they can do that IRL, online or in VR.
Majority were discussing the trailers released for the game
It was touted as the 'best of the hyper realistic virtual reality game ever'. And the trailers seemed to prove it. Even if a noob and gaming averse like Atharva would feel like 'I want to play this game'.
Though premise was basic sword and sorcery, the tried and tested type of RPG, the feel...the immersion....it was out of the world. One could just think how much better it would be while playing it through VR gaming pod.