Chapter 12: This Game is Absolutely Legendary

Ethan Carter slowly opened his eyes, staring at his completely familiar bedroom surroundings, feeling as if a lifetime had passed.

Was he not dreaming?

He took off the helmet. The gaming experience in his mind felt incredibly real, without any of the hazy qualities of a dream.

After repeatedly confirming it wasn't a dream, Ethan burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, I never thought I'd get to play a virtual reality game in my lifetime. I could die without regrets now."

As he laughed, tears began glistening in his eyes.

Ethan loved games. Some people said that if you wanted to stop liking something, you should make it your job.

But he didn't agree. Even though he now made a living from games, his passion for them never faded.

That's why he criticized those trash games. Sure, it was for content, but it also came from frustration at their wasted potential.

"Wait! Didn't I trash this game earlier?"

Ethan suddenly remembered his review on Steam. He quickly turned on his computer. Instead of deleting the original comment, he added a new one below:

"Guys, announcement: I'm an idiot. I was ignorant to diss a masterpiece like this, but I won't delete my earlier comments. Consider it punishment for my arrogance."

"This is 100% a true virtual reality game, just like those old online gaming novels described—except even more realistic. Those novels only dared claim 70-80% realism, but this game? No exaggeration, it's 100%."

"Whether it's lighting effects or sensory experiences, everything perfectly mimics reality. Sometimes you can't tell if it's the game or real life. I don't know how they did it, but that doesn't stop me from praising this game to the skies!"

"The freedom in this game is insane. There are barely any restrictions. You can interact with every object and NPC. Real-world physics apply too—like burning wood into charcoal. Sandbox players will lose their minds!"

"As for gameplay, while it's technically an MMORPG, you don't fight directly. No swords or magic either. Instead, you use various Pokémon. Players command them in battle, sort of like pets in other games."

"But these amazing Pokémon aren't dumb like regular pets. They have their own thoughts, emotions, and moods. They're smarter than real-life cats or dogs, with crazy abilities too—breathing fire, shooting lightning, you name it. Completely adorable."

"Since I've only played one day, there's still a lot I don't know. That's all for now. Bottom line: this game is the GOAT. It'll blow up and become the world's #1 game, guaranteed!"

"PS: To avoid accusations of being a shill, I'll out myself. I'm C Platform creator [SilentTongue]. I'm cross-posting this review there too. If anything I said is false, I'll quit the internet forever. Hold me accountable."

After this rapid-fire typing session, Ethan nodded approvingly at his comment.

Not bad. Despite pulling an all-nighter, his mind was still sharp.

Wait... He'd played all night, so why did he feel so refreshed? Like he'd just woken up from proper sleep.

Did playing this game count as actual sleep? Did that mean he effectively gained twice as much time as everyone else?

In other words... twice as much lifespan!

"Damn, this game is really..."

Ethan couldn't even find words to praise it anymore.

Just then, his phone rang.

The moment he answered, Dylan's excited voice exploded through the speaker:

"Yo Ethan! We met in the game last night, right? I wasn't dreaming? No way two people would have the same dream."

"You weren't dreaming. The game's real."

Ethan found this amusing. They'd both worried it was a dream—some serious mind-meld going on.

"Hahahaha! Knew it! Thank you so much, man. Wouldn't have gotten to play without you."

"Oh yeah, before logging off, all us players exchanged contacts. I'm making a game group chat to add everyone. Easier to discuss stuff."

"A group sounds useful. Just add me once it's made."

"No problem. Gotta go. Chat there."

After hanging up, Ethan soon received Dylan's invite:

[Wind invited you to join "Pokémon Supremacy" group. Accept?]

This group name... Perfect! Pokémon were the best! He accepted immediately.

Wind: "Ethan's in. All five players are here now. Game discussions go here from now on."

Bell: "Why are YOU the admin? Seems sketchy. Shouldn't it be me—the first one to catch a Pokémon?"

Wind: "Ugh, stop bragging! I'm already salty enough. Keep it up and I'll mute you!"

Leaf: "@SilentTongue, you're really that C Platform gaming creator? I've watched your videos."

Bell: "Whoa, seriously? How'd you know it's him?"

Leaf: "This creator reviewed our game and posted screenshots on C Platform. Plus the name 'SilentTongue'? Obviously him."

Wind: "Ethan, you're really going public with this? Your fans must be freaking out."

Checking his notifications, Ethan smiled wryly.

SilentTongue: "They are. Lots calling me a sellout too. Saying I'll shill anything for money."

Wind: "What's your plan then?"

SilentTongue: "Nothing. Truth speaks for itself. Once they play, they'll see I was right."

Luna: "The game has an official website now. Link's below the registration page. Copied it here for you all."

Luna's sudden message dropped important news. Everyone clicked the link.

The site looked just as barebones as the registration page.

They all thought the same thing: You developed revolutionary VR tech but couldn't make a decent website?

Currently, the site only had three sections: Player Forum, Game Announcements, and Pokédex.

The forum was for player discussions... which kinda made their group redundant.

The Pokédex listed Pokémon names—just text, no images—from their first night. A note said players could contribute entries.

The announcements only had one post: a patch note.

"An update already? Day one? Guess they found lots of bugs during testing."

"Though I didn't notice any. What did they add?"

Curious, Ethan opened the update notes.

(Chapter end)