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Chapter 2 - ArcadiaX!

Chapter 2

"Let's check this game out!"

Zen quickly sat in his gaming chair. This time, instead of his usual headset, he wore a virtual gaming headset that completely covered his face.

The VR headset featured a sleek, futuristic design with a comfortable fit and adjustable straps that hugged his head just right.

The device boasted high-resolution displays, delivering crisp and vibrant visuals that fully immersed players into the game world. Every texture, every color, every movement came alive with stunning clarity.

Advanced optics and specialized lenses worked in tandem to create a wide field of view, further enhancing the sense of presence and realism.

The headset was equipped with cutting-edge tracking technology that allowed for smooth, fluid, and highly responsive motion tracking.

Built-in spatial audio systems added another level of depth to the immersion, simulating realistic 3D sound that made it feel like the game's environment was right around him.

Controllers or hand-tracking sensors allowed players to engage with the virtual world naturally, increasing the sensation of control and involvement.

It even came with advanced features like eye-tracking, facial recognition, and subtle haptic feedback that buzzed faintly across the hands or face, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds.

Overall, the VR headset offered an engaging and interactive gaming experience that was second to none, transporting players into new dimensions and entirely new realities.

And that was exactly what Zen had strapped to his head as he reclined comfortably in his chair, a pair of controllers firmly in hand. He took a deep breath, settling in and preparing to get fully sunken into the new game world.

{Welcome to ArcadiaX}

A bright notification flashed across Zen's view.

{Do you want to play as a guest or register as a regular player?}

"Huh?" Zen blinked and frowned slightly. 'For now, I think I'll play as a guest. I don't want to sign up just yet. What if the game ends up being trash? Then I'd have to live with the shame of being a registered player in a failed game.' He sighed inwardly, gripping his controllers tighter as he navigated the selection menu and clicked the guest option.

{User has chosen to play as a guest}

{User will now be transported to the game room}

'Just get things over and done with already. I don't have all day,' Zen groaned in his mind as his consciousness slowly began to materialize into the game space.

He arrived in a room that stretched into a sea of white. There were no teammates, no NPCs, no decorations. Just endless whiteness and silence. Still, Zen didn't complain as another notification flashed before him.

{To play, you need to create a temporary UID}

Zen let out a sigh and stared at the message hovering in his view for several seconds. He rubbed the back of his head, pondering on a new name. His head ached slightly as he thought long and hard.

"I can't use my regular gamer ID. I need something fresh. Something mysterious. Something that feels right," Zen muttered as he began pacing the empty white space, eyes narrowed in thought. Then, suddenly, a name clicked in his mind.

"Right, this will have to do." He clicked his tongue with satisfaction and quickly input the name.

{Welcome Player Zenixx}

"That's perfect," Zen muttered with a small pout of pride as another notification appeared.

{Select gaming mode!}

{Solo player} / {Team player}

"What the hell? Isn't this game brand new? So what's the point of having a team player option already?" Zen sighed and facepalmed, annoyed at the design. Without wasting more time, he selected one.

{Solo player chosen}

"There's no need for team play right now. This game is extremely new. I'll probably get teamed with bots or weird noobs anyway. I wonder though," Zen murmured, his eyes scanning the screen as yet another notification appeared.

{Player Zenixx will be transported to the game in 10 seconds}

"What if people have already heard about this game? I mean, I'm not the only pro player in the world that this corporation must have contacted."

{10…}

{9…}

{8…}

{7…}

{6…}

{5…}

{4…}

{3…}

The time was slowly counting down, and Zen couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. He was excited to try this game and couldn't wait to boast that he was the first to drop a review.

That is, if the game wasn't mid or low-tier. He kept his eyes glued to the countdown until a bright red light suddenly began flashing in front of his face, followed by a new notification.

{Error loading!}

"Huh? Error?" Zen muttered, startled by the unexpected message in front of his face.

As quickly as the notification had appeared, it vanished, replaced with another message.

{Error fixed. Countdown will now continue from where it stopped.}

{3…}

{2…}

{1…}

{0…}

{Map found. Player Zenixx will now be transported}

"What was that just now?" Zen asked himself. Suddenly, an euphoric sensation washed over him. It felt like he was soaring through the sky, weightless and completely unbound.

No! It was more like being on a thrilling joyride. That was how it felt. The rush of air, the tingling of excitement—it all hit him at once, and he could feel his heart racing. The sensation slowly died down as Zen kept his eyes shut tightly.

{Transportation successful}

Another notification flashed before Zen's face, prompting him to slowly open his eyes.

He wasn't in the familiar white room anymore. This place was different.

He now stood in a forest area—dense and mysterious. The forest was alive with sound, yet a strange silence clung to it, sending shivers across Zen's skin.

Towering trees stretched toward the overcast sky, their massive trunks cloaked in moss and bark that looked like it had weathered centuries of storms.

Gnarled roots twisted out from the earth like skeletal fingers, making Zen step carefully as he tried to get his bearings.

The air was cool and damp, rich with the scent of wet leaves, pine, and damp soil. Tiny droplets clung to the underbrush, and each step triggered a quiet rustle or the faint crack of twigs under his boots.

Beams of pale light filtered through the dense canopy above, casting dappled patches across the forest floor. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, bringing with it the hum of insects and the distant cries of birds.

Thick ferns brushed against his legs as he walked cautiously. Every so often, he caught movement—a squirrel darting up a tree, glowing eyes vanishing into a bush, or wings fluttering high in the branches.

Deeper in the woods, a low growl rumbled through the air, then faded into silence.

It felt real. Too real. The kind of place where beauty and danger walked hand in hand. This didn't feel like a tutorial area—it felt like a survival test.

"Not bad… It is quite realistic. Definitely a five-star for the map," Zen muttered, just as another notification appeared before him.

{Player Zenixx! Choose your weapon.}

As soon as that message showed up, it was replaced with another that displayed rows and rows of different weapons. Swords, Katana swords, short swords, spears, gauntlets, bows and arrows—virtually every melee option imaginable was available.

"Huh? No guns or anything?" Zen raised an eyebrow. Before he could process the thought, the growl from earlier returned—louder, more menacing. He tensed instantly.

"AWOOOOH!"

A deafening howl tore through the forest, causing Zen's heart to skip a beat. The sound of something charging toward him echoed through the trees. Branches snapped. Leaves rustled. Paws hit the earth with a terrifying rhythm.

"Shit," Zen muttered, and without another thought, he selected the Katana sword. Instantly, another notification appeared.

{The game has started. Rules? There are no rules. Why? Because in the jungle, you must do everything in your power to survive.

And hence, the player has to survive an onslaught of beasts for ten minutes in order to clear this level.

Of course, the option to quit the game is open. But be warned: once selected, your points and rankings will be affected. Good luck, our cherished player.}

"What the hell?!" Zen gasped, his voice rising in panic. The sound of something monstrous barreling toward him was growing louder and louder with each second.

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