Earth.
Zhao Xiaotian took the cardboard box from the delivery guy, carried it inside, and expertly sliced it open with a box cutter to reveal the contents.
"Holy crap? That was fast."
He stared at the object nestled in the packing foam. It looked like a sleek, white motorcycle helmet with a futuristic sci-fi vibe—the so-called "virtual reality helmet."
Zhao Xiaotian nodded in approval. He had to admit, just based on looks, he'd give it a solid 7 out of 10.
Tucking the helmet under his arm, he flipped open the instruction manual with one hand and shuffled back to his bedroom in his slippers.
Lying on his bed, he followed the instructions and put on the helmet.
"Once ready, pull down the visor interface..."
Zhao Xiaotian pulled down what he assumed was the visor, and his entire face was instantly enclosed by the helmet.
At this moment, a little spark of genuine anticipation ignited in his chest.
---
"Shit, is this actually real?"
"Holy SHIT!"
Inside the helmet, a sudden burst of light blinded him, and Zhao Xiaotian, caught completely off guard, let out a curse.
> [ Since Aegon the Conqueror crossed the Narrow Sea and forged the Seven Kingdoms beneath the Iron Throne, the dragon banner of House Targaryen has protected Westeros for over three hundred years... ]
> [ The Seven Gods turned their gaze away, and our Prince Rhaegar fell... The Usurper Baratheon stole my throne and enslaved my people... ]
> [ Loyalists are few, the path of kingship is faint... ]
> [ Blood and Fire are one... ]
> [ Brave warrior, loyal to the King! You don your armor and wield your weapon. You raise high the dragon banner of House Targaryen. You have traveled thousands of leagues, crossing the sea with courage and duty, all to pledge your loyalty to the great "Restoration King," Viserys III, and to fight for the glory of House Targaryen... ]
In the sky, a massive dragon dove down, its breath of fire effortlessly obliterating an entire legion. A knight, wielded a greatsword known as Dawn, fighting five men at once with unstoppable grace. Another fearless knight charged single-handedly into enemy lines.
Red priests blessed by the Lord of Light cast fire magic, while messengers of the true gods brought the dead back to life.
Scene after scene of cinematic cutscenes pulled Zhao Xiaotian deeper into the experience.
This game... actually seems kinda lit?
As a storm swept over a fleet of ships, the cutscene faded. Another familiar flash of light struck, forcing Zhao Xiaotian to squeeze his eyes shut.
"Hssss—ah!"
Zhao Xiaotian slowly opened his eyes. He found himself standing on an ancient altar, surrounded by an endless, space-like void. He was stunned speechless.
"Mother of God... they weren't kidding!"
[ Respected Player, please enter your Character Name. ]
Zhao Xiaotian tentatively reached out to touch the ancient altar in front of him. The cold, tactile sensation on his fingertips shocked him, but the large text floating above the altar quickly drew his attention.
"Serious_Bush_Camper." As someone who was terrible at coming up with names, Zhao Xiaotian didn't bother overthinking it. He just used the same handle he'd used for years.
[ Please select a Class ]
Warrior: Grants +2 Bonus Strength. Upgrade paths: Soldier, Sellsword.
Scout: Grants +2 Bonus Agility. Upgrade paths: Night's Watch Ranger, Recon.
Blacksmith: Grants +2 Bonus Constitution. Upgrade paths: Weaponsmith, Toolsmtih, Engineer.
Assassin: Grants +2 Bonus Insight. Upgrade paths: Rogue, Archer.
Alchemist: Grants +2 Bonus Perception. Upgrade paths: Pyromancer, Hydromancer...
Lord: Grants +2 Bonus Willpower. Upgrade paths: King's Vassal, Legion Commander.
Beastmaster...
Bard...
Healer...
There were no fewer than thirty classes to choose from. But for a player like Zhao Xiaotian, whose playstyle was purely "kill first, ask questions later," anything that wasn't combat-focused was irrelevant.
"I choose Warrior!" Knowing he had zero tactical finesse, Zhao Xiaotian skimmed the list and decisively picked the "unga bunga" option.
[ Class selected. Please customize your appearance. ]
Thirty minutes later...
"Damn it! Zero stars! What the hell? I spent thirty minutes painstakingly sculpting a high-quality female goblin, and you tell me 'Invalid Model' and make me start over?!"
Twenty minutes later...
Still salty about the character creator, Zhao Xiaotian settled for a generic medieval white dude and clicked 'Next'.
> Player: Serious_Bush_Camper
> Level: 1
> Strength: 10 + (2)
> Constitution: 7
> Agility: 7
> Perception: 6
> Insight: 5
> Willpower: 5
> Combat Rating: 24
After allocating his bonus points to Strength, Zhao Xiaotian was ready. Once again, a blinding light filled his vision.
"Damn! If the game is this realistic, do you really need to flashbang me every time? Can't I just load in peacefully?"
And so, cursing under his breath, Serious_Bush_Camper was transported to another world.
---
"Ho... Holy sht! HOLY SHT!"
This was the first thing Zhao Xiaotian said upon opening his eyes as Serious_Bush_Camper.
"Whoa, chill out, bro! I know you're excited, but keep it down. You screamed so loud I almost logged out IRL!"
Still dazed by the hyper-realistic blue sky and white clouds, Zhao Xiaotian dumbly turned his head toward the voice.
Standing there was another player with black hair, wearing ragged clothes and holding a basic shortsword. Above his head floated the ID: F_Around_Find_Out.
"Uh... I thought I was the only one playing this," Bush_Camper said, still in shock. Wait, other people are actually playing this?
"Bro, seriously? But I've never seen your ID before. Did someone in the group change their name? Or are you actually a random who got baited by that trash website?"
FaFo looked at the player holding the same starter sword as him and patted him on the shoulder.
"You picked Warrior too? Good taste. In a medieval game, you gotta go Warrior. Real men don't hide, we rush B!"
"Oh, my friend is an Ops Manager for the game. He recommended it to me." Zhao Xiaotian rubbed his head, marveling at the realistic sensation of his own hair, while looking around with wide eyes.
"Ops Manager? No way, is your friend Tank_Rearview? We're in the same discord group! He got me in too!"
"Ha, small world."
"HOLY CRAP! This ground is so... ground-y! This sky is so blue! This dog is so... dog!"
While the two were chatting, another earth-shattering scream erupted behind them.
They turned to look. A short guy in black clothes was currently crouching on the ground, licking the dirt.
"Lemon! Get away from him!"
Although the house Viserys rented was relatively secluded, it wasn't a deserted island. The bizarre behavior of the "Fourth Scourge" naturally terrified the passing locals, who quickly hurried away.
"Damn, the NPCs are smart!"
"Pffft! Pleh!"
The short guy stood up, spitting dirt, revealing a shiny dagger at his waist.
"Mouse_Is_Duck! Bro, seriously? Why are you being such a rat?" FaFo recognized the ID above the player's head and walked over.
"What rat? This is the Assassin build, do you even understand the meta?" Mouse_Is_Duck, sporting a exceptionally (sleazy/wily) face, greeted them.
"Yooo!"
"It's not a Rickroll? Where are my Teletubbies?"
Two more gasps rang out. Bun_Immortal (Blacksmith) and Step_Sis_Im_Stuck (Scout) appeared, clutching their starter swords. They looked like country bumpkins visiting the big city for the first time, breathing in the air greedily.
"Urgh—"
"Why does it smell so bad?!"
"Smells like a slum, goddammit!"
The two players, who had just been admiring the sky, suddenly gagged, their eyes rolling back as the stench—rivaling the Ganges River—hit them full force.
Ahem.
"It seems you have all begun to adapt to the game environment."