Chapter 18: Kuroko no MMO (1/2)
[Warning! V-Haven Alert: You have consumed three bottles of Nutrient Solution. Final bottle has entered circulation. Nutri-Peak delivery system has been notified. Would you like to decrease neural activity speed to preserve final bottle until delivery?]
”No!”
Gods, no. That idea is worlds more horrifying than a horde of black-eyed children. Purposefully handicapping myself in-game is literally the last thing I'd ever do.
My left hand unconsciously rises to grip my upper arm where my real body has a jagged scar.
I flex my right fist, closed and open, and closed again.
[Understood. Neural activity speed will remain at Peak levels. Warning: If final bottle is depleted, player will be forcefully expelled from Viren's Refuge and will remain unable to log in until new nutrient shipment is inserted into V-Haven. Do you still wish to continue?]
”Yes, yes. Let's get this show on the road!”
A new notification sound rings out, gentler than the strident alarm of the System Warning, but also distinct from the chipper quest alert chime.
If Sunlight had a sound, it would be this.
{Aether Alert: Player Erebus has met Nova Special Protocol #6729. Would you like to maintain current delivery system or enter the trial upgrade system?}
I have a rule in my life. I never realized I had this rule until this moment, but it's a hard and fast rule, all the same:
Never ”maintain” when you can ”upgrade.”
Sure, I have no idea what an Aether Alert is, or what a Nova Special Protocol might be, or even how the hell I managed to use up 3 bottles of A-grade Nutrient Solution in only three real-time hours. But ”trial” or no, the answer is upgrade.
Because duh.
The answer is always upgrade.
I hate in those sci-fi novels when the MC gets the option to ”gamble” on the chance to upgrade sweet gear, and he's all like, ”I don't know, seems risky, oh no, I'm a pansy ass wuss and I'm scared of ruining what I got...” But then he eventually gives in to the ”gamble” and BAM, he ends up with super rad overpowered shit.
Then he's so *relieved* afterwards, like he's actually such a flaming moron he didn't realize it was OBVIOUSLY going to be loads better.
Ugh.
Anyway, none of that shame in my game. ”Trial upgrade system!” I cheerfully shout.
Do I know what I just signed up for?
No, no I do not.
Do I give a flying fart?
No, no I do not.
Whatever it is, it's going to be cool. Probably. Most likely.
Even if it's not cool, better to know for sure than to be plagued with uncertainty, regret, and ”I wonder...” for all eternity.
As the system accepts my response, I'm released from the blackness. A blinking message explains that my neural activity went into overdrive and to protect my brain, the V-Haven put me to sleep. I'm going to need to work on that so I don't pass out mid-combat.
I'll have to practice overloading my brain and reaching that amazing brain-body perfect sync until I get used to it.
I've seen sports anime. I know what that was.
I was in the fucking Zone.
If I were playing basketball, I'd have sparks shooting out of my eyes.
Next step is to figure out how to enter the Zone at will, so I can learn to sustain it without passing out or other adverse effects.
Wow, Nutri-Peak is going to regret that subscription deal SO MUCH by the time I'm through. *laughs maniacally*
---
The meadow is thankfully creepy child-free when I wake up. Clock on my status screen says 08:30, so we're coming up on Nightfall. I Sprint back to the village, annoyed I've wasted almost two hours sleeping. That rando Polemos who scored the first clear of his Foundation Village will only be further ahead.
This vexes me.
The Viren's Refuge server is only up 12 hours a day real-life time, but that equals 36 hours of in-game time. The VR program runs in a similar way to dreams; you know how you feel like hours or days pass in a dream, but when you wake up, you've only been asleep for a few minutes? Somehow, Vir-Tech's harnessed a way to imitate that, though currently it's only a 3-to-1 ratio.
That's still amazing! In one 24-hour period, a person playing the full 12 hours of allotted VR time will experience 48 hours of life. And since the VR experience simulates sleep (unless you overtax your brain like an idgit and it ACTUALLY puts you to sleep), you can be active all 48 hours a day.
This is literally life-changing. Most people haven't caught on to the true amazingness of the potential, but once they do, Vir-Tech stock is going to skyrocket right out of the NASDAQ's orbit.
Throughout history, people have looked to prolong their lives with pills and fad diets, pilates and cybernetics, and all along, Zhao Jianyu was holding onto the real secret to a longer life.
Talk about a great big ”Fuck You” to all those people who said video games are a ”waste of time.”
Hehe.
Anyway, all this means I've been playing for about 3 hours IRL, but almost 9 hours have passed here.
Since it's almost 09:00, I decide I may as well wait until Nightfall for that Quest of Daring. I love me some double EXP and extra-spicy monsters.