When I opened my eyes, once again, I was greeted with the same view. A ceiling stained with spots. There was no sunlight coming through the window that was only covered by a thin curtain, which meant it was still morning. Well, not that I cared if it was already noon. After all, I didn't have any job.
I got out of bed. With sluggish steps, I walked toward the small table in the room, grabbed the kettle on the table, and poured water into an empty plastic cup.
By drinking the water, my dry mouth and throat felt relief. However, the weakness still lingered. Maybe because I was still sleepy or perhaps because I skipped dinner last night.
I returned to the bed to sit on its edge. I stared at the wall. Thinking about my fate, my future. I couldn't keep relying on my family. My family's economy wasn't in a good state, and there were still my younger siblings to be taken care of. But, as someone who only graduated from high school, I found it really hard to get a job. Competing with university graduates was extremely difficult. Not only that, job requirements were often unreasonable.
Well, there really was nothing to hope for when living in a developing country.
Not that I hate my own country, okay? Most people here are friendly, and the food is delicious. It's just that, it feels hard to even live decently in this country— Well, I don't dare talk about the corrupt government.
Anyway, my name is Aditya Putra. I'm 18 and almost 19 years old. Months ago I graduated from high school, but even now I still haven't gotten a job. As you know. Then, if you ask why I didn't continue to college, the answer is clear: I'm not smart enough. I failed to enter my dream university which means I have to try again in the next entrance exam.
After being rejected by my dream university, I became who I am now. An unemployed person. How I wished to work, but… that job just wouldn't come to me. Should I really become a laborer or an online ride-hailing driver? Yeah, I've thought about that over and over.
I stood up from the bed, I thought it would be better to go down and help my mom make breakfast for the family. At the very least, I wouldn't feel too much of a burden in this house. Then, suddenly, the smartphone on the table rang, signaling a message had arrived. I immediately took the smartphone. I hoped it was a notification from one of the companies I had sent my CV to. Not just a notification from some app or from friends inviting me to play.
When I opened the messaging app, there was a message from an unknown number. Not only that, the number sent a job offer. It felt really strange. There had been a lot of scam news on TV lately. Don't tell me I'm becoming a scam target now?
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Congratulations! You have been selected for an exclusive job offer from OtherWorld Inc. Tired of slaving away for a mediocre salary? We offer you a once-in-a-lifetime experience! No resume needed. No interview. Just reply "Yes", and we'll come pick you up!
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That's what was written on my smartphone screen. Like, hey, who would believe a message like that? A message too good to be true, and that weird company name too…
Anyway, I definitely wasn't going to be fooled!
So, what was my response? Of course, I blocked their number. Better to block it so they wouldn't try to send more messages or worse, start calling me.
Only… after that, I felt something else strange.
That number couldn't be blocked, and even sent the same message again. Not only that, there were other messages coming in, but they were sent to various social media accounts of mine.
Hey, how could you find them?! This— this could be called cybercrime, right?
How did I feel? Of course I panicked! There was also a feeling of anger. Why were they so determined just to scam me? Dude, come on, between me and them, I'm definitely the poorer one here! Go find another victim!
Then, of course, I replied to their message.
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You think I'm that stupid?! Reply "Yes"? Are you serious I would reply like that?!
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Plop!
Something. The sound of something breaking. Then, in an instant, the view of the wall of my house changed into a vast grass field.
It took a while, a while to process what had just happened. Besides, hey, was I sick or did the wall of my house just disappear? Or could it be I wasn't awake from a dream?
… I must be dreaming, right?
My body felt weak. I could stand, but both my legs were trembling along with the rest of me. The grass beneath my feet felt all too real. The air I breathed was cool and crisp, unlike the polluted city air I was used to. I wanted to scream, but my mouth felt numb.
Not long after, a holographic screen appeared before me. It was an unreal experience—perhaps it wasn't supposed to be real in the first place.
「Synchronization complete. Welcome, Chandra Aditya. Your new adventure lies ahead」
Adventure? Hey, who said anything about going on an adventure, huh?! No, I refuse! I refuse with every fiber of my being! I never agreed to any of this!
[System: Initializing Dimensional Streaming Program…]
[Installing core modules… 12%... 55%... 99%... Complete.]
[Welcome, Streamer. The "DimensiLIVE" system has been successfully installed.]
[Connecting to multidimensional network…]
[Activating user interface (UI)…]
[Live broadcast has begun.]
[Streaming Status: ACTIVE | Current Viewers: 0]
Lines of text I couldn't understand kept appearing. There was also a small floating screen in the upper-left corner of my vision that moved wherever I looked, making me feel even more uneasy.
Seriously, what the hell is all this?!