In a spacious room designed with green leaves, almost empty of anything else—except for a gaming chair occupied by a woman wearing a gaming helmet.
After a while, the woman suddenly removed the helmet and stretched her body. Once satisfied, she rubbed her eyes and walked toward the side where different kinds of sea creatures could be seen swimming. The room looked like an aquarium.
She stared at the water, entertaining herself with the view under the ocean. This had become her habit after finishing her games. It was her eye medication whenever she stayed too long in front of the screen.
When she grew tired of staring outside, she walked toward a wall.
She placed her finger on the fingerprint button, and immediately, a robotic voice spoke:
[Access Granted]
A drawer-like compartment popped out, and she took her wrist phone from it. She pressed something on the device and checked the battery percentage.
That machine was called the Device Charging Machine. It looked like a simple drawer, but any device placed inside could recharge—faster than the wired chargers of the 21st century.
[Lervian has contacted you]
[Will you accept?]
She accepted the video call, and a man appeared on the screen, his background an abstract wallpaper. She smiled at the boy in front of her on the screen.
"Why did you call me, Lervian? What do you need?"
She asked. She knew he needed something from her. He rarely called, especially since he was as busy with games as she was.
"Chim, I need your help."
"Whatever it is, as long as I can, I'll help you, Lerv." She smiled softly.
Chimirie missed Lervian, but he was busy with his career as a gamer, eager to prove himself.
The man sighed, his expression still like someone who just lost a dog.
"I wouldn't ask for help, but in our situation, Chim, it's getting hard for us to win the National E-games." He let out another sigh before continuing, "The pro players from the Top 2 and Top 3 leagues have joined forces to defeat us." He looked up and exhaled again.
Silence filled the space as his worried eyes stayed fixed on Chimirie. She knew why Lervian wanted to win the National E-games. He had chosen a career as a pro gamer—a decision his family strongly opposed.
Winning the National E-games in the Pet Master's League category meant he would represent the Philippines in the Olympic E-games.
Ever since his team only made it to the Top 10 in the Olympic E-games, his parents never stopped throwing it in his face—how he failed to win a "useless" game. They said if he had chosen a different path, he would've been more successful.
An awkward silence lingered as the two stared at each other. Neither wanted to speak. Chimirie didn't know how to respond. There was a reason why she wasn't part of her friend's league, even though she was overqualified.
After a few moments of silence, the man spoke again.
"Chim, I know you don't want exposure, but our team really needs you to win." He clasped his hands again, his voice gentle and low.
It wasn't that she didn't want to—it was that she truly didn't want anyone to know her identity in the game. She preferred to remain anonymous. But still, she wanted to help her friend. She had a special place for him in her heart, but he was either too busy or too insensitive to notice.
Eventually, her legs ached from standing. She walked a few steps and stepped on a button on the floor. The ground opened up, and a bed slowly rose to the surface.
She immediately sat down, then lay on the bed and looked back at the holographic screen.
Then she asked, "So, when exactly is the Olympics E-game, Lerv?"
Excitement flickered in Lervian's eyes as his clasped hands tightened. He knew she was weighing things carefully—it wasn't an easy decision for her. He understood that Chimirie didn't want exposure, but she was considering their friendship.
"May 27, 2235. Just six months before the Olympics, and three months before the National E-games."
Chimirie nodded and smiled at him.
"We're friends, and I've never forgotten how you stood up for me before, so I'll help."
"But Chim, please don't think I'm asking you to repay me. Yes, I badly need your help, but I never expected anything in return when I protected you from those bullies. You can say no if you really don't want to—I'm not forcing you. I'll just find another way, or we'll train harder."
Chimirie shook her head. She realized what she said made it sound like she was paying a debt. But that wasn't the real reason—it was simply what her heart wanted.
She wanted to say, I'll help because I care for you. But instead, she chose the reason tied to that moment when he defended her from her classmates' bullying.
"No, I'm not being forced, Lerv. I want to help—not to repay you, but because we're friends, right? And a true friend helps when they can. Maybe…it's time I step out of my comfort zone."
Lervian finally breathed in relief. His kissable lips curved into a smile, revealing teeth like a close-up shot.
"Thank you, Chim—and sorry if I seemed to have forgotten you lately because of the game." The man gave a half-smile, guilt visible in his sharp eyes.
"It's okay. Now you won't forget me—I mean, about our friendship—since we'll have time together because we're playing together, right?"
The man nodded slightly and smiled.
"Thanks again, Chim. I need to update the team. But Chim, let's keep this a secret for now—to surprise the enemy."
Chimirie nodded.
"Okay. I also need to update my novel."
The man scratched his head, as if realizing something.
"Oh right, I promised to read your book and support you, but I haven't done it yet."
"You can still make up for it." Chimirie laughed like she was on cloud nine. She didn't know why her heart was beating so fast while they talked. There were no cheesy moments, and the guy wasn't even trying to make her swoon. Their conversation was all about the game.
"Okay, looks like I've got a lot to catch up on." He scratched his head again and chuckled.
"Pretty much, Lerv. But hey, shouldn't you be talking to your team—oops, I mean our team now? I'll hang up before we end up talking all night." She laughed.
"Fine, fine, it sounds like you don't want to talk to me anymore." He pouted.
"Pfft! Don't act cute, Lerv—it doesn't suit you. You look more like a professor when you're all serious." She laughed again.
"I'm not acting cute! Maybe just handsome, yeah. The cute one should be you."
Chimirie shook her head, trying to suppress a smile. But traitor—she smiled anyway.
Who wouldn't smile at that charming grin on the screen?
"Whatever, Lerv. I'm hanging up now before my readers complain that I haven't updated today."
She pressed end call, and his face disappeared from the hologram.
She let out a deep breath, like her chest had just been filled with too much oxygen. She would've died if the call went on any longer. She'd been holding back the whole time, afraid she might slip and say something.
She stood from the bed and stepped down—when she suddenly remembered. She needed to download an app recommended to help her with plotting.
She opened her Aces App Store. A flood of apps greeted her, but then an annoying ad popped up:
[Pet Master's League hiring a new Shop Manager]
That's what the ad said, with the Pet Master's League logo featuring a paw print.
She was never interested in jobs like this. She was satisfied with her earnings as a writer on the pay-to-read Criddle Pen app.
She pressed the X on the ad, but it suddenly opened. It started loading—still at 1%. She tried to cancel it, but couldn't find a button. She turned off her wrist holograph phone, but no matter what she did, it didn't work.
What the f**.* She muttered in her mind.
She glared at the screen, tempted to punch it. She wondered how to rate the app store. If she could, she'd give it one star because of ads like this—even after pressing X, she still ended up here.
A cat appeared on the screen, scratching itself, while a loading circle spun.
It was already at 89% and still loading fast.
I'll just wait. It's almost done anyway.
But sweat trickled down her forehead in worry that this might be a virus. It was weird—no matter what she did, she couldn't exit.
Please don't be a virus, she thought.
A virus was dangerous, especially if it could phish her information. Her identity could get leaked—and she didn't want that to happen.
[Completed. The transcendence initiated.]
A robotic voice echoed in her mind, startling her.
What? Transcendence? Like what? Is this real?
Stories like this were popular in Chinese novels, but she never believed they were real. Yet that voice—it sounded like it was inside her head. She could hear it.
[Be prepared, host. You will transcend to the other world in 3 seconds.]
What? To another world? Her eyes widened. Is this a joke? she asked.
But suddenly, her body became transparent, and beneath her feet, a spiral began to spin. A force sucked her in. She tried to resist, but for some reason, she couldn't move.