*Munch *Munch *Munch

Oh my god, oh my god, OH MY G!

*Gulp*

Swallowing that big chunk of cheeseburger without worrying about leftover money is a total bliss for someone like me.

*Sluuuuuuuuuurp*

“Pwah.”

Thicc juice. Love me that refreshing strawberry flavor.

Anyway, I went to the bank and managed to get a new card because I forgot to take the old one when I was still in the main house.

*Slurp *Slurp

“Ahh… should be able to buy the console now.” Though, only limited to the first-gen since that is the only one that I can afford right now.

Currently on the upper floors of the main Micro Center, Metro City at the 3rd island. Yes, I had to take a long ride to get that stupidly overpriced console since the Black company is not opening any store beyond the 3rd due to the safety issue and all that.

How the fuck did I get myself to be thrown out there with all those freaks, you ask?

*Pfft, how should I know.

Ah, Black is the name of the company behind the Virtual Network Center, it manages and distributes all of the Virtual Reality game in existence.

I heard their main HQ is in the Capital.

“Haa… if only I’m still in Sky Sect. I wouldn’t need to worry about stepping outside since everything can be delivered to me in just one quick phone call.”

*Sluuuuuuurp*

So, after finishing my meal. I went straight down to the lower floors and get to a shop that I’m familiar with. I spent days here just to get that RGB kit back then.

A large store, spacious. Most edges around this place are lit up in neon lights. Walking up to the counter, “Excuse me, an order please.”

The handsome boy notices me here, but instead of coming here and swooning all over me because of this hot beautiful face and body of mine, he instead went to the back.

Only to return with a 6ft black man with a look that could kill.

‘That suit is gonna rip soon… uwu, those biceps.’

Scary!

“What can I do for you?”

Ugh, it’s hard to talk to him now that I’m supposed to not know him. That fierce-looking eyes belong to none other than Galliano Mantre. What he’s packing is much more impactful than he looks, especially down there.

*gulp*

“Was looking to buy a Black console, anything around 90k or so.”

Auntie only gave me a hundred thousand dollars, I need to start saving up just in case I’m dying out of hunger.

“Hmm…”

It’s odd though, he used to be so talkative and the overall vibe is so different now. Then again, it’s 2 years early to be talking to him in the first place, and we met in Ekolia when I was about to raid a dungeon when he suddenly popped out by falling off the sky.

Smoothly tapping the screen on the desk, he filtered out what I need and said, “Here is what we have available. For playing Ekolia, I assume?”

I nodded enthusiastically, “Yes.”

His eyes light up, “Ooh, I play that game too. What’s your level?”

Already asking my level instead of whether I have played it or not, that’s to be expected. Ekolia is massive, it’s the most popular game in Desolated Sector since, along with the risk, there’s a higher chance for someone to make some big cash in the game.

“Hehe, I was actually going to make a new character because the last one was an Anonymous so… can’t tell you that, sorry.”

“Oh, no problem…” leaning on the desk, “Tell you what, I’m gonna give you a discount on this but on a condition that you’ll help me out of the tutorial. Been stuck in that place for three weeks now.”

“Eh, you want my help getting out of the… tutorial?”

“Ridiculous I know. It’s because a certain someone in my team pissed off this one guardian holding the gate and she been hunting us down whenever we logged in. They’re gonna make a new character, but the broke me won’t just casually spend a hundred freaking thousands of dollars just to get out of that situation.”

A guardian holding a gate, he said. There’s a lot of Guardian in the starting area, but the infamous ones are the undead demons in the West Gate.

There’s a rumor that behind that gate is a shortcut to the surface, but no one actually managed to get through them. Some even wonder and question why in the world the devs decided to put such high-level enemies in that place.

“Okay… How much is this discount? Said that you’re broke.”

He chuckled, after updating the filter on the desk, he gestures the numbers he’s going to give me a discount with using his fingers, “5 percent.”

My eyes widened, “Hah, think you can just sway me with a measly 5% discount?” mocking him. My fingers move steadfastly to choose the console, “Well, you can!”

“Bwahahaha!”

We burst into laughter.

He and his partner act swiftly in taking my order. “Tell you what, girl. If you can really get me out of there, I’ll throw in another bonus when we got out. The name is Galliano, got the same ign.”

Extending his hand, I received it, “Siola, be the same too.”

A slight chuckle and a smile on our face.

“See you in there, Siola. Just circle around the entry, I’ll find you myself, and don’t take too long now.”

Giving him that O in my hand, we partway not long after. I got a ride from them and their androids help me fix up the new console to fit into my house.

They put it in the corner of the room just by the window or should I say, the counter because my house was actually a diner, “Thanks.”

The android nodded, “It’s a pleasure, Ma’am.”

They left with their automobile and I got me that sweet RGB CONSOLE, baby!

“Look at em, look at those bleeding colors, oomph!”

I started dancing around the lights after that light hits me in the eye, “Mm, oh yeah, yea ye…” and then finishing it with a kiss on top of the lid.

*Chu*

*Fwoosh*

A cold wind brushes through my feet, “Ohhh…” I feel like I just had an orgasm.

Once the console has done pumping, the lid opens up and I waste no time lingering around. No, I just slap that bad boy and hop in like a boss.

“Ahhhh…”

The lid closes in automatically and the inside of the console light up

“Alright, this is it… time to turn my life around.”

The first-gen console, while there are many varieties, the core part of experience still the same and it would only allow me to play up to 48 hours per charge. A full charge only, if it’s not 100%, then I can’t use it at all.

*Fwoosh*

Another sound of air pumping out, “Ooh yeah, that sound hits me real good, baby… what was the word again?”

“Ahh yes, Nostalgic."

“Hahaa, I feel like I'm at home.”

! {Caution: Please ensure that you are in a stable 80% condition before logging in, please check—}

“Baby, I'm at 200% right now!”

! {Would you like to view the Basic Manual?}

“Hehe, let's skip the foreplay and LES GO!!”

! {Connecting to the System…}

*Z-i-i-i-n-g*

! {Checking Account Status…}

! {Game: Network Eye Online, Ekolia: Broken World ~ Installed}

! {Device: 1st Gen Firmware ~ Supported}

! {User: Siola Mithra ~ Registered}

! {Account Number: ### - ### - #### ~ Verified}

! {Syncing…}

“Oh, a bonus game? Okay, that’s great. Gonna play that one after I finish this one… which will never be!! Ahahaha.”

The console is now verifying to make sure if it's me who is currently using it, and not anyone else. Unlike those Capsules in the hospital, normal ones like this one can only register one person and that person alone can use the device. Not only that, it will synchronize me fully with the rest of my personal accounts, including my bank accounts.

This is used to prevent exploitation and make the experience more smoothly, but I feel like I no longer have some privacy anymore.

! {Synchronization Complete}

! {Would you like to launch the game now?}

Just by thinking about what I can do in the game now that I have all this knowledge and memories in my head thanks to my past experience, my mouth just can’t stop smiling.

I swallowed my cold saliva and spoke in high octane spirit, “Yes, YES, YES! PLEASE!”

! {Logging in…}

The login usually finished instantaneously, well that was my high-end rig so. Haha, why is this so funny!?

The smile still cracked on my face as my eyes widened, anticipating the moment that is about to come, and savoring every moment that I have right now.

A tear just shed, "Ehe, Ekolia... I'm home."

Then, A few minutes later…

Everything went dark.