A massive net of electrified chains erupted from the sky above, crackling violently.
The final scene of the promotional video showed the protagonist being brutally dragged away in shackles, then hurled mercilessly behind bars...
There were simply too many jaw-dropping elements packed into those precious few minutes.
Boshita sat in stunned silence, utterly speechless.
The sleek motorcycles, the breathtaking fantastical city, and especially that final dramatic appearance of the rabbit police officer, his eyes were sparkling with childlike wonder.
What exactly was that incredible thing she was riding? It looked exponentially cooler than any flying machinery he'd ever seen. If he were the one piloting it, just imagining the experience sent shivers of excitement down his spine. Absolutely badass didn't even begin to cover it.
The motorcycles racing aggressively along the neon-lit streets were equally mesmerizing. Aerodynamic bodies, explosive acceleration capabilities, this completely otherworldly aesthetic instantly conquered Boshita's heart.
And he certainly wasn't alone in his enthusiasm.
Every single netizen who watched the promotional video completely lost their mind.
[Holy shit, nobody stop me, I'm buying this no matter what it costs!]
[What even IS this?! This looks insanely fun!]
[The fuck you talkin? you haven't even played it yet!]
[There's too much insanne shit goin on, I don't even know where to start being shocked.]
[Those bikes on the ground and the ones flying through the air, what evennn ARE they?! Way too cool.]
[Judging by the setting, it looks like a metropolitan city where multiple races coexist more or less peacefully. In reality, doesn't that only exist in remote border regions?]
[And the architecture is super strange and foreign, there's so much stuff I've literally never seen before.]
[I'm devastated. Why didn't I get selected?! I can't wait anymore, this is torture.]
[Anyone with a slot, I'm willing to pay an absurdly high price. DM me immediately if interested!]
[Sorry everyone, I actually got picked hehe. But terrible news, the official notice explicitly says test slots can't be traded or transferred, or they'll be permanently voided.]
[I'm personally fighting every single one of you lucky bastards…]
Seeing how explosively lively the forum discussion had become, Boshita eagerly joined in, posting casually like this wasn't his first time posting anything.
Turns out this mysterious designer really did have something genuinely special to offer. He felt incredibly fortunate. He'd signed up purely on an impulsive whim and somehow actually got selected against all odds.
His anticipation grew without halt.
Three days later, at the experience center, all players who'd been selected for the "beta test" arrived ridiculously early, buzzing nervously.
Under the efficient guidance of the staff, everyone found their assigned seats without much trouble.
Alto didn't appear in person this time. Instead, Sophia hosted the event professionally and collected.
She was no longer the shy, self-doubting girl she'd once been when she first started working at the shop. After months of constant training and real-world experience, she could now fully hold her own in any situation, commanding respect naturally.
This disappointed many dedicated fans who'd desperately hoped to see Alto himself in the flesh. Aside from early followers who'd been around since the beginning, many newcomers had never actually met him face-to-face.
There was no helping it, really. Alto absolutely hated unnecessary trouble, especially being surrounded by enthusiastic crowds every single time he ventured out in public. It was better to simply avoid all unwanted attention entirely.
Sophia first announced the official rules and protocols for the testing period, her voice clear and authoritative.
Since this was a closed beta test, she explained exactly what this means, and that detailed player feedback would be absolutely crucial, especially for identifying any critical bugs or game-breaking issues before the public release. Each participant would be assigned specific targeted tasks to stress-test different systems. Everyone was required to sign a comprehensive confidentiality agreement on the spot; test content and discoveries could not be shared outside the program under any circumstances.
The testing period would last exactly one month, after which the game would be officially released to the general public.
Rowan had already claimed his seat, with Carter coincidentally sitting right beside him.
Rowan didn't recognize Carter at all, having never seen him before.
At that moment, a female elf staff member gracefully walked over in their direction. She had delicate, refined features with charming freckles across her nose and cheeks, looking sharp and very capable in her crisp uniform.
She stopped directly beside the skinny elf sitting next to Rowan's other side.
The two exchanged several meaningful, flirtatious glances that spoke volumes.
Then she brought the lucky skinny elf a generous pile of complimentary snacks and premium drinks, setting them down with a warm smile.
The shop was providing free refreshments to all beta testers, with a well-stocked station set up conveniently near the main counter.
When the considerably bigger Rowan witnessed this preferential treatment with his own eyes, his face lit up.
He immediately tried shamelessly copying the skinny elf's technique, winking exaggeratedly and repeatedly at the female staff member with all the subtlety of a brick thrown through a window.
What he received in return was an ice-cold glare of pure contempt.
"Does this guy have brain damage...?" she muttered under her breath, loud enough for him to hear.
Rowan's spirit shattered into a thousand pieces. His heart crumbled to dust.
Why?! This was blatant, outrageous discrimination! How was he worse than that scrawny guy?!
EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!!
With so many eager testers crowding the venue, the staff were clearly stretched thin and somewhat overwhelmed. Everyone was frantically busy guiding the constant stream of players to their properly assigned seats.
Boshita, meanwhile, was curiously observing every detail of the venue's impressive layout with keen interest.
The experience center was absolutely massive in scale. Even with well over a hundred people packed inside, it somehow didn't feel cramped at all. The space had been brilliantly designed for maximum comfort.
He settled down comfortably at his designated seat, adjusting the cushion slightly.
A sleek head-mounted login device rested on the table before him, looking far more advanced than the standard Dreamscape equipment.
Once all final preparations were complete across the entire venue, the moment they'd all been waiting for had finally arrived.
His consciousness began slowly sinking, like descending into warm water...
Entering the game…
A fully immersive cinematic opening sequence began playing immediately, far more detailed than anything Boshita had experienced before.
From a sweeping god's-eye perspective high above, it showcased Liberty City's dramatic development and evolution over three entire centuries, efficiently explaining the game world's foundational lore and complex history.
Then came the familiar, beloved setup that every gamer on Earth recognized instantly.
Character creation.
Alto hadn't locked players into fixed character types or mandatory genders as the original Grand Theft Auto had done. After all, there were plenty of female players in this world, too, and forcing them into male avatars would severely damage immersion.
Dreamscape's first-person full-immersion technology was fundamentally different from traditional PC gaming experiences. The sense of physical presence and embodiment was exponentially stronger and more visceral.
So player comfort across different demographic groups absolutely had to be carefully considered during design.
There were numerous fantastical races available to choose from:
Moon Elves, Wood Elves, Dark Elves, Marine Elves...
Along with baseline humans, green-skinned orcs, catfolk, rabbitfolk, lizardfolk, lionfolk, and many more exotic options.
Next came gender selection with full freedom.
Then, comprehensive customization: height, body build, and facial structure adjustments with incredible granular detail.
Of course, players could also simply choose to enter the game using their actual real-world appearance if they preferred authenticity over fantasy.
Boshita didn't take that boring route.
He enthusiastically selected a Marine Elf avatar, curious about the experience.
Touching his avatar's smooth, almost luminescent skin and slightly unfamiliar facial bone structure, he found the sensation surprisingly interesting. The haptic feedback was remarkably realistic.
Not all elven races resembled baseline humans, after all.
For example, Marine Elves looked remarkably similar to the Na'vi species from the "Avatar" films that had been popular on Earth.
Gray Elves, on the other hand, were widely considered the ugliest elven subrace, heir faces resembled cracked, ashen tree bark, with unsettling blood-red eyes that glowed faintly in the dark.
Gray Elves were dramatically different from other elven racial branches in many ways. Their lifespan was comparable to humans rather than the extended centuries most elves enjoyed, but their reproductive rate was paradoxically the highest among all elven variants.
As a direct result, they were by far the most numerous and widespread elf race across the continent.
But that was completely beside the point right now.
After finishing his Marine Elf customization with satisfaction, Boshita clicked the glowing confirm button.
Another elaborate cinematic story sequence played seamlessly, explaining the protagonist's tragic background and motivations.
Tommy had been cruelly abandoned as a helpless infant, left to die in Liberty City's unforgiving streets.
He was eventually discovered and taken in by a ruthless underground crime organization operating in the city's darkest shadows, raised within their violent world from infancy.
Over the course of several brutal decades, he was systematically trained and molded into an absolutely top-tier enforcer and assassin.
He personally assassinated numerous rival gang leaders and handled countless dangerous black-market transactions that would make ordinary citizens sick.
With his invaluable contributions and ruthless efficiency, the initially small and insignificant Forelli crime family steadily rose to become one of the most powerful and feared criminal factions controlling Liberty City's entire western district.
As his contributions multiplied and his legend grew, so did his hard-earned reputation throughout the underworld.
This rising fame eventually made the family's paranoid leader, the cunning werewolf Sonny, deeply wary and suspicious of Tommy's growing influence and power.
A carefully orchestrated betrayal followed inevitably.
During what should have been a routine deal, Tommy was viciously ambushed by supposed allies.
Though he fought his way out through sheer overwhelming strength and combat experience, leaving numerous bodies in his wake, he was ultimately cornered, arrested by authorities, and imprisoned for his crimes.
Fifteen long, agonizing years passed behind bars.
When Tommy was finally released back into Liberty City's neon-lit streets, Sonny's position as the undisputed crime lord was firmly, unshakably established, but his deep-seated fear of Tommy's potential revenge had never faded even slightly over all these years.