Loreth Online, a new breed of game. The advertisement board blared out over the line of individuals waiting to pick up their copy. A practically supernaturally beautiful woman spoke while showing footage of the game. The first of its kind, a full dive VRMMO. It boasts a wide variety of content and an ever-changing living world. The largest playable area ever featured in a game. With state-of-the-art software, servers, and interface, it’s like nothing else before it. With a world populated by millions of NPCs, all of which are controlled by a sophisticated system of AI. There are no rigid classes, defined story, or recommended play styles. The ‘gods’ of Loreth online craft the world according to the players' whims. 

     Boasting complete player freedom, from being bold adventurers seeking thrills and danger, to humble shopkeepers toiling to improve their craft, and everything in between. With simulated economy, politics, theism, seasons, and NPC’s daily lives, the world comes alive, resulting in a world that changes according to the player's actions. 

     Loreth online boasts the highest level of player freedom and noninterference from the devs. The promise of ultimate freedom is what drew players to it. The beta players fanned the flames of passion in the community. Preorders alone outsold the highest-selling MMO before it.

     Sam stood in line with his sister. She had worked on the QA team responsible for testing it. When she told him about, he eagerly waited for the release. And finally, when preorders became available, he reserved a copy immediately. Even taking up a summer job, so he could help with the cost. The game was released at midnight, the official servers going online at ten am the next day. 

     “Excited?” Kat asked.

     “Course I am. I've been waiting for this since you told me about it.” 

     “I was, too, when the beta kits came in. we were disbelieving at first. This company came out of nowhere with unheard-of tech. The boss thought it was just a scam, and some easy money. But we were all surprised. Character creation is pretty interesting, and the world is insanely immersive. It's almost like magic. ”

     “How so? Like, is it limited?”

     “No, the character bases are fixed. Your character will look like you. The device uses your DNA to make your character. There was an outcry when they first announced that. But it died down when they said it’ll only be used for character creation and won't be stored on their servers.”

     “That's pretty cool, but can you still customize your character?” He was always smaller, being roughly a hundred and fifty centimeters tall. Doubled with the fact he has a slimmer, more delicate frame lead to him being frequently mistaken for a girl. Although he liked his small stature and delicate frame, he wasn’t interested in being some big, burly guy.

     This resulted in him rarely invited to hang out with other guys. Which worked in his favor, as he enjoyed hanging out with girls more, anyway. There were rumors about him, but they were mainly harmless. Bullying wasn’t much of a thing where he lived anymore. After the great collapse, people who would have been bullies went somewhere they could be harass anyone they wanted. 

     The line had started moving, and people were beginning to walk past with their devices in hand. His sister had come along to make sure nothing happened to him. She had this Amazon warrior thing going on. She stood tall at a hundred and eighty centimeters, with flaming red hair tied in a high ponytail, with a perpetual smile on her face. 

     Her well-defined muscles and martial arts training meant she was strong. Much stronger than he was. While that might make some people feel inadequate, he liked having a stronger older sister. It wasn’t long before they got to the front of the line.

     “Are you two ladies together?” the employee at the door asked.

     “Yes, we are,” Sam beamed mischievously. He always enjoyed confusing people. Normally dressing fairly androgynously. Even his name was gender-neutral. During puberty, when the other boys changed, his really didn’t. There were minor changes, but nothing about him marked him definitively as a boy or girl. He also preferred girls clothes over male ones. Currently, he was rocking a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt from a popular anime. His black hair reached just past his shoulders. 

     “You’re so mean, Sis,” Kat teased and winked.

     “I can't help it if I'm cute,” he giggled. After a momentary lull in the conversation, he said, “I’m worried about my in-game character. I don't want it to be too manly.”

     “It’s pretty accurate to your actual appearance. You can go plus and minus a few centimeters in height. Other than that, you can change everything but your gender.”

     “How does character creation work?”

     “Well, you pick your race first. There are basic ones and special ones. Then you select your class, which can be unique to your race. One of my friends got a Dragonoid. He was able to use the unique class dragon monk. It's a martial arts class that uses their limited natural flight in combat.”

     “Huh, that sounds neat.”

     “Ladies, you may go in,” an employee announced, opening the door for them.

     When they went inside, there was a cute girl behind the counter. “Welcome to GamePlace name on the reservation.” 

     “Sam,” he answered, handing over his ID. She looked at it for a second before handing it back. A male employee came from behind the store holding Sam’s game system. He set it down on the counter and stood next to his colleague. She gave him the total and rang him up after asking if he wanted the warranty and membership in a dry, uninterested tone. He left the store a few minutes later with it in hand. 

     “That's it?” he asked, looking at the relatively small box. 

     “Yea that's all, like I said revolutionary,” Kat commented.

     Sam had gotten the premium model, which was supposed to perfectly replicate all of his senses in the game. It came with the game, a Brain Interface, and the deck which featured their new personal AI assistant. The big reason he picked it at midnight was the fact the connection port needed time to be installed. Since he wanted to play it first thing, in the morning. 

     He was slightly hesitant, brain interfaces weren’t entirely new, but they still weren't fully mainstream either. People were initially worried about them, but strict regulation shifted opinions in its favor.

     “I’d be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.”

     “I was too, but I got mine from VesTech. It’s the same way,” she explained with a smile. “You should be done just in time to get on and play the tutorial before the server launch.”

     “Are you gonna have some secret beta skills, like in Blade Art online?” he teased, nudging her side. 

     “No, they are doing character wipes. We were given a small storage bag to keep some things. They also gave us some exclusive beta skins. But we will be starting like everyone else, mostly. There will be a bunch of content we haven't seen yet.”

     They climbed into the car she rented for the occasion and drove b back to their apartment. It was located downtown, fairly close to Kat’s work. The rent was reasonable, with the inheritance their parents had left them they had a fairly steady life. Kat worked for her pleasure, using her wages mostly to augment their savings. Sam had enrolled in an online school after the end of the year a month ago. They're adding a digital classroom this year, so he looked forward to using it. 

     They arrived home shortly after two am. The installation would take just over six hours, leaving him an hour and a half to create his character and play the tutorial. Kat went right to bed with a yawn and a hug. He returned to his room and took out the box's contents. There was the deck with the game preinstalled on it. If someone already had a deck, it would have come with a small data card to act as an upgrade and instillation. The only other thing in the box was a small device. It looked like some video game hypo syringe. After reading the instructions twice and watching the video, he placed it behind his left ear, using the included position guide. He hesitated for a moment before he pressed the button.

     It released a loud hissing noise followed by what felt like a pinch. When he removed it, there was a small port left behind. The guide said the included nanomachines would complete the installation. He felt weird knowing that microscopic machines were now floating around his brain. Deciding not to think about it too much, he brushed his hair aside and examined the spot in a mirror on his desk. There was no blood, which surprised him. The small port was not even that noticeable. A round silver disk with several smaller golden discs adorning its surface.

     “Nothing to do now but wait,” he mumbled aloud before going to the bathroom to get ready for bed. By the time he finished brushing his teeth and changing into his pajamas, he had gotten drowsy. Probably the machines doing their work.

 

*****

 

     The alarm on his phone blared from the desk. He was still groggy from last night. After turning off his alarm, he went to the bathroom. He felt a little sore, though he was still well rested. In the bathroom mirror, he checked the port. The surrounding hairs were removed, leaving a bare patch of skin, his hair covered the port, leaving it mostly unnoticeable. He went to the kitchen, but his sister had already finished her food. Meaning she was probably logged in already. She left him a plate of eggs and bacon, which he happily ate, then returned to his room and picked up the deck. It somehow ran off his body's natural energy, so it didn't need to be plugged in or charged. 

     "How does this thing even work?" he asked aloud, putting it around his neck he took the tiny connector, and attached it. A magnet held it in place against the pads, a safety procedure to prevent damage to the connector or the user's head should the wire be snagged. After connecting the device, a small HUD appeared in his vision.

     “Welcome, to your VesTech Communication and Interface device. The CID will now begin diagnostics. While they run, I will assist you in setting me up. First, do you have a preferred name?” asked a female voice in his head in a respectful tone. 

     “Sam is fine.” 

     “Understood, Sam, next I am your Human Assistance and Neural Networking Application or H.A.N.N.A. Do you wish to change my designation?”

     “No, Hanna is fine.”

     “Understood,” Hanna continued. “Lastly, I am able to connect to any internet-enabled device. Would you like me to interface with any other devices?”

     “Uh, sure, my phone and computer, I guess?” 

     “Understood. Please ensure your devices are connected to your local network,” a small window appeared in his vision. “If you focus on the window, you can pick your network.”

     They spend the next half hour setting up everything. It was incredible that Hanna could display his phone while it was locked. He could navigate any app and even make calls through his CID. His computer could be used in a virtual space if he felt like it. It would also allow him to look up things while playing dive games. 

     “If you need any assistance, you may call my name, and I’ll be able to reply. Even if you are in a game, would you like me to enable bodily alerts?”

     “What are those?” 

     “While you are diving, you cannot feel your real body. The alerts would allow me to notify you when you need to eat, use the restroom, or someone is nearby.”

     “Ah yea, better enable those then.”

     “Very well, I will notify you. Enjoy your game. I will be keeping a log of anything that might be important while you are diving.”

     With that statement, his vision went entirely white. He looked around and then down. Thankfully, he still had some kind of body. A digitized version of his room appeared. 

     “Hanna, what's this?” he inquired.

     “It is your CID digital home. It was taken from a scan of your vision. You can change your space any way you wish. There are nearly limitless possibilities.” 

     “How do I play?”

     “You can set up shortcuts any way you want, for example, games on a shelf, or you can say ‘play” and the name of the game.”

     “Thank you, Hanna. Play Loreth Online.”

     “You're welcome, Sam,” she replied as his vision darkened. 

     After a moment, a splash screen appeared. Then an intro cinematic began to play. He skipped it, preferring to learn about the game in the game. He found himself standing in a temple. A statue with a beautiful fountain stood before him.

     “Welcome, wanderer. Thank you for accepting the divine goddess’s request. Being chosen gives you advantages normal mortals don't receive. Now select your race,” a woman's voice called out to him. He assumed the ‘goddess’ as there was no one present. He heard a whooshing noise and turned around.

     Remembering what his sister said about the DNA, he hesitantly looked at the avatars. He hoped this wasn't a waste of money. When he did, he saw seven figures standing before him. There was a human, a wood elf, a high elf, a dwarf, a cat person, a fox person, and a powerfully built reptile person.

     “A unique variant has been detected from your pattern,” the voice announced, and another person appeared before him. A small girl with pale skin, she was much shorter than he was. Her hair was a long aqua color with flowers growing out of it. She had amber-colored eyes that looked like honey. Her petite body was delicate, yet she radiated power. He felt strangely attached to her. Although she looked like she was ten, he decided to pick her. 

     “Please, step into your new body,” she entreated. 

     He touched the small girl's skin. It was as soft as silk and very warm. He felt her heart beat rhythmically. He stepped forward, literally walking into her. His vision went fuzzy, and he found himself looking from her eyes. The change in height made him feel weird, for a moment. She had to be around a hundred and ten centimeters, a far cry from his normal height.

     “Welcome to the world of Loreth,” the goddess greeted, and he found himself in a forest. Was this a bug? Wasn't he supposed to be able to customize his character, and he wasn't able to pick his class, either? He was dressed in an adorable dress. It was colorful, with flower and vine patterns playing across the fabric. It was light and comfortable and let the warm breeze and sunlight through.

     “Um, goddess? What am I supposed to do?” he inquired, his voice delicate and soft, giving him a fluttering feeling in his stomach.

     “I apologize for your sudden appearance here. I am Moria, the goddess of plants and nature. It's not often that I receive a wanderer's soul. So please bear with me,” she explained, reaching into a small, dark space. She retrieved a small book from inside it. “I do this so rarely that I forget how.” She smiled and began reading. 

     While she read, he took stock of his surroundings. They were standing in the middle of a forest clearing. On one side was a massive tree. Which was as tall as a skyscraper. Amongst its branches flitted fairies, sprites, and uncountable insects. Around the roots sat dryads and nymphs. Small animals were everywhere. A red fox cub approached him and looked up, eager for pets. He crouched down and began to pet the animal, which jumped on him and made noises of excitement as he continued to rub the animal’s head, a massive smile on his face. 

     “Ah, yes. I apologize,” she said with a smile. “I'm happy to see you getting along well already. Your sisters will be able to teach you properly. Until then, I shall instruct you in the ways of a wanderer. You can see your abilities by saying ‘status.’ This is magic unique to wanderers. You also have the inventory skill. While it's not unique to wanderers, it's rare for others to have.”

     “Status,” he called. A familiar-looking window appeared in his vision. Something about it sent a shiver down his spine.

 

     He had some unique-looking skills, a few of which had to be glitched because they made no sense to him. Although his status listed his gender as female, it didn't bother him.  He'd rather be a girl that some big burly hairy dude anyway. The game was not supposed to let this happen however, probably another bug, not that he was going to complain. 

     “Now, Daughter of mine, let’s teach you how to survive,” she said, lifting Sam into a hug before carrying him over to the tree. The small fox jumping off with a surprised yelp.