Chapter 1: A Struggle for Survival
Chapter 1: A Struggle for Survival
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Reality
The buzzing of a single fluorescent light flickered in the small bedroom, its dull glow barely pushing back the darkness. The space was cramped, barely enough for a bed, a desk cluttered with papers, and a cheap plastic chair that groaned under any movement.
Amir Zainal sat there, hunched over his laptop, the screen's cold light reflecting in his tired eyes. His unkempt black hair fell over his forehead, slightly damp from sweat, and dark circles under his eyes spoke of sleepless nights spent worrying about things far beyond his control.
His hands trembled slightly as he clicked open his online banking app.
The numbers on the screen stared back at him like a cruel joke.
RM2.47.
It wasn't just low. It was nothing. Not enough for a meal, not enough to take the train, not even enough to buy a single cup of cheap convenience store coffee.
His stomach growled, but he ignored it.
The gnawing emptiness in his belly was nothing compared to the weight on his chest.
Rent was due in four days.
The thought made his fingers tighten into a fist.
He had pushed it back for weeks, hoping something—anything—would change. But the truth was, no miracle was coming. He was broke, unemployed, and completely out of options.
His gaze flickered to a stack of unopened letters on the desk, each one marked with the same dreaded logos—utility companies, internet providers, and worst of all, the bank. Bills upon bills, each demanding money he didn't have.
His mind raced through his options. He could ask his mother for help—but she was already working herself to the bone, taking extra shifts at the hospital just to keep the household running. His father? No. The last thing he wanted was another disappointed sigh, another reminder that he was nothing but a failure.
A sharp knock on the door made his spine stiffen.
"Amir."
His father's voice. Low, tired, but firm.
He swallowed hard before responding. "Yeah?"
"Have you sent out any job applications today?"
His throat felt dry. "Yeah, Baba. Still waiting for responses."
Silence. A long, heavy silence that pressed down on Amir's chest.
Then came the words he had heard a thousand times before.
"You need to stop wasting time. You're not a child anymore."
A lump formed in Amir's throat, but he didn't speak.
His father's voice was quiet, but the disappointment in it cut deeper than any shouting ever could.
"This isn't a game, Amir. You need to have a real plan."
The words stung.
A real plan.
If only it were that simple.
He heard his father sigh, then footsteps retreating down the hallway.
The door never opened. It never needed to.
The disappointment seeped through the walls.
Amir slumped back into his chair, exhaling shakily.
His father wasn't wrong.
But that didn't make the weight on his shoulders any easier to bear.
He turned back to his laptop, opening his email inbox out of habit.
Job applications. Rejections. More rejections.
"We regret to inform you..."
"Thank you for your application, but..."
"Due to high competition, we have selected another candidate."
He had applied to over a hundred positions in the past three months. And not one had even called him for an interview.
His diploma in engineering felt like a worthless piece of paper.
He rubbed his temples, trying to fight off the exhaustion clawing at him.
He needed money. Fast.
His fingers moved on autopilot, opening the gaming forum he usually browsed when he needed a distraction.
Not that gaming helped anymore. Even his favorite MMORPGs felt hollow when reality pressed down so hard.
But then, something caught his eye.
A thread titled:
"VirtuaGenesis Beta: The Game That Pays to Play?"
His eyebrows furrowed. He had heard of VirtuaGenesis—a next-gen VRMMORPG that people were calling the future of gaming. Hyper-realistic environments, a massive open world, and an economy that mimicked real life.
But what stood out wasn't the hype.
It was the subheading.
"Testers Wanted – Earn Real Cash While Playing!"
His breath caught.
He clicked the thread, skimming the details. The post claimed that VirtuaGenesis had an experimental in-game economy that allowed players to convert in-game wealth into real-world currency.
At first, it sounded like a scam.
But then he saw the screenshots.
Players showing their earnings—some making thousands of ringgit a month.
His heart pounded.
Was this real?
He hesitated, scrolling through the comments. Some people dismissed it as fake. Others swore it was legitimate, claiming they had been paid directly.
If this was true...
It could be his way out.
His hands shook as he clicked the sign-up link. A registration form appeared.
Name: Amir Zainal
Age: 22
Experience with VR Games: Moderate
Reason for Applying: Need money.
His finger hovered over the submit button.
This could be a scam.
Or it could be the one chance he had left.
His chest tightened. He thought of his empty bank account. The unopened bills. The quiet disappointment in his father's voice.
He clicked Submit.
Seconds later, his phone vibrated.
[Congratulations, Amir Zainal. You have been selected for the beta test of VirtuaGenesis.]
His breath hitched.
Then another message:
[VR rig delivery scheduled: Tomorrow, 10:00 AM. Please confirm your address.]
Amir's pulse pounded.
This was real.
He typed in his address and pressed Confirm.
For the first time in months, he felt something other than hopelessness.
He felt a spark of something he had almost forgotten.
Hope.
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