I'm not trying to get emotional, but my eyes are stinging on their own. My heart's pounding.
Am I really witnessing history unfold before me?
Players were spawning rapidly at the starting town. The place quickly filled with chatter and laughter—so much that it felt like a festival.
I've been waiting for a game that I can play for the rest of my life.
I think... this is it.
Ahh...
I'm so happy that even my sparkling tears have smiley faces on them.
I just hope no one I know sees me right now.
---
"Are you crying, Yor?"
A yellow-haired guy walked toward him.
Yor couldn't make out the face—his eyes were too blurry with tears—but the voice gave it away. He quickly wiped his tears and cleared his throat.
"I was," Yor replied, his face expressionless and his tone dry.
Damn. This guy always shows up at the most awkward times.
"Wait—why are you even here, Ludwig? You said you weren't playing," Yor asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I mean, this is the first-ever VMMORPG to exist—with graphics so realistic you can't even tell if we're on Earth. Nobody wants to miss out on this. This game is being live-streamed on social media. It's even on the news right now.
I even saw you—I swear I saw you on TV before I logged in. You were crying while looking at the sky, like —"
"Don't," Yor said firmly, cutting off Ludwig's blabbering.
"I know you're the kind of player who skips cutscenes, doesn't read quests, and skips tutorials just to get ahead of others quickly."
Yor gently turned Ludwig's head with both hands, guiding it to look around.
Ludwig blinked, slowly taking in the scene around him. His eyes wandered over the crowd—some people were crying while staring at their hands and bodies in disbelief.
They might be thinking: "I can't believe this! Is this real?"
Honestly, the game actually looks like real life—except that it's fantasy and stuff. I heard it was created using a newly developed game engine called Rtech.
Cool.
They scan your entire body when you log in, and then—voila! I wonder if they included the mole on my groin.
"This isn't just another MMORPG you play," Yor said. "This is another reality—another life. You've gotta enjoy it, man."
He noticed a grin slowly forming on Ludwig's face.
Yor let out a deep sigh. Ludwig was already zoning out, probably imagining leveling up or getting ahead of everyone. He wasn't listening. Of course he wasn't.
I should've known better. Ludwig always likes to compete. That's how he enjoys the game.
Then, suddenly—an uproar.
Yor and Ludwig snapped to attention.
"What's happening?" Ludwig asked.
Players were pointing their fingers at the ripples forming in the sky.
The center of the ripple gradually opened, revealing a void. From that void, a star emerged.
It fell toward the town, and as it descended, cracks formed across its surface.
Rays of light peeked through the cracks.
The crowd erupted in excitement—some players stood frozen in awe, others shouted and cheered.
Just before the star hit the ground, it cracked open—
Revealing a very charming girl, mounted gracefully on a floating broom.
She had shoulder-length, pin-straight cyan hair and starry eyes that shimmered like actual constellations. Her entire appearance sparkled—whimsical and radiant.
She wore a flowy black witch costume, accessorized with gold earrings and bracelets.
"I'm literally star-struck," Ludwig muttered, wide-eyed. He immediately rushed closer to get a better look.
"Hey, hey! We can still see her from here!" Yor tried stopping him.
"I'm gonna take a closer look."
Ludwig pushed through the crowd.
Disgusting.
He just positioned himself below her to see her panties.
Yor scoffed.
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed across the town, silencing the crowd.
"Fwaa! Good day, ladies and gentlemen! I am Winter—one of the humble team that developed this game!"
She raised a hand with flair. "I'm here to break down some bad news: we're shutting down the game..."
She paused for dramatic effect.
"Just kidding! Actually, you're still in the customization screen—if that makes sense. Because there's no screen."
Ludwig went back to Yor with a sullen face.
He must've seen something... besides panties.
Yor smirked.
Winter continued. "The real reason I'm here is because you'll pick your starting region—at random."
Gasps and murmurs spread across the area.
"The region you get influences the difficulty of your quests. Each region is ranked from one to seven stars.
Seven stars means very hard, but your growth will be faster. One star means easier quests, but slower progression."
She snapped her fingers.
A flying slot machine appeared in front of every player, humming and blinking.
The crowd fell into silence. Tension thickened the air.
Winter, leaned forward with a teasing smile. "By the way—your lives don't depend on this. Why do you guys look so troubled?"
A guy in the crowd raised his hand, catching Winter's attention.
"Yes? The guy with the ginger beard!"
"Why don't we get to choose? Why does it have to be random?"
Winter tilted her head slightly, smile still intact.
"Before I answer... what did you feel about it?"
People began mumbling. Yor overheard two girls nearby.
"What a waste of time," one of them said, rolling her eyes.
"The majority voted for it, in case that ginger guy didn't know," the other muttered, clearly annoyed.
The ginger-bearded player held up his trembling hands, palms soaked with sweat.
"Nervous. My palms are sweating right now. I really want something easy to medium... So, can I please be an exception?" His voice wavered. His expression pleaded.
Winter's smile faded. Her glittering eyes dimmed slightly.
"Fuu... The unknown is what keeps us awake. Don't you agree? It's thrilling, exciting, nerve-wracking. That's what the majority of players wanted—based on the survey."
She crossed her legs.
"Think about it. If everyone chose a seven-star region, the player population wouldn't be evenly distributed. Some areas would have little to no income. NPCs might migrate, maybe even commit crimes. Poor NPCs…"
"T-That's reasonable, but I—"
"Ahh! Bro, she already answered your question! Can we just get on with this? I want to start already, man!" Ludwig snapped, scratching his head in frustration.
Yor lowered his head and sighed.
"No! It's my right—"
"Dude, shut up!"
Everyone around the ginger guy became angry. No one wanted to wait. Their hands were itching for the adventure ahead.
Ignoring the racket in the bacground, Winter calmly rummaged through her pocket.
She pulled out a pendant watch.
The second hand ticked steadily—
Twenty seconds left before she automatically turned to ash.
"Alright, everybody! Eyes this way, please!"
Winter snapped her fingers, and upbeat music filled the air. In the blink of an eye, the quiet town transformed into a dazzling casino. Neon lights flashed in sync with the beat, while flying slot machines twinkled and chimed in perfect harmony.
Winter was twirling around on her broom as she glittered like a disco ball.
"Ayee! The moment you've been waiting for is here, ladies and gentlemen! You only have 10 seconds to pull the lever. Everybody! PULL!"
Her last word—"Pull"—echoed loudly, evoking a sense of urgency among the players.
Some didn't hesitate and pulled the lever right after Winter told them to. Others held on to the belief that if they held hands while pulling the lever, they would be teleported to the same region.
Yor stroked his chin, deep in thought.
So, the stars represent the difficulty of a region. If that's the case, I'd prefer 2–3 stars. I don't mind if my progress is slow—after all, I'm here to have fun. With that in mind, I think the advantage of being in a low-starred region is that progress is steady, unlike in high-starred regions where it might be faster but less consistent.
He stared blankly at the slot machine in front of him as its reels spun wildly.
---
"Hah!"
Ludwig grinned like he was ready to take on the world. He slowly pulled the lever, and the machine clicked and whirred. After a few seconds, the reels slowed one by one. Everyone held their breath as each reel clattered into place.
The first two stars appeared... then three more... and finally, the last two glowing stars clicked in.
"Jackpot!" Ludwig shouted, fists clenched tightly at his sides. He burst into a triumphant laugh as the slot machine blared music and flickered lights.
"I win!" he added, turning his eyes to Yor.
Ludwig's jaw dropped when he realized Yor also got seven stars. They looked at each other in shock—so did everyone nearby.
"...Oh shit."