Artificial Fantasy

Chapter 1: Hayate

[Dream no more!] / [Transport yourself to another world!] / [Live in a fantasy world just like your favorite anime!]

That's what the promotional video for a brand new game said as I watched it through my friend's tablet in confusion. Basically, it was called <Isekai Online> and it seemed to be just another run-of-a-mill fantasy RPG. But it was more than that: it was labeled as the first VRMMO that will have true MMO experience. More specifically, it was for the Advanced Dive Virtual Reality-supported consoles. From what I'd heard, most of the VRMMO was released in other VR consoles with mixed reviews, which is no surprise since the ADVR is very advanced with its sense transference and realistic surroundings and atmosphere. And I can't lie about this since I'd tried it many times during my middle school days.

O-Oh yeah! I haven't introduced myself.

My name's Hayate Palmer, I'm 18-years-old and I'm a senior in Wellington High School located in the good old New York City.

Why the weird name, you may ask? Because I'm actually a Japanese-American. Namely my mom is Japanese and she met and married my dad after she moved here and married after she posted her first big article involving his latest innovations in the New York Times. And while my mom is a journalist, my dad is the head of the AI development of the ADVR, which means he's in charge of creating AIs built for the virtual simulations inside the console. So yeah, I ended up having an advantage of trying these demos during my visits there.

But back to the present, I scratched at the back of my head in uncertainty once the PV finished. The graphics and soundtrack were great, but...

"I don't know about this. Having this in real life sounds kind of cool, but have you ever thought of the repercussions that this game could bring to everyone. I mean, we're talking about a game played on a special VR that can transfer your consciousness and senses into a virtual world. There could be dangerous effects if hackers invade it!"

I didn't want to sound pessimistic, but as I just said, having a first ADVR MMO could mean certain dangers like death, mind control, and other things. No offense, but the MMO anime and novels were enough to convince that these games might very well spell doom for the players.

Unfortunately, my ramblings wound up earning me a few glares from my friends. So much for being the rational guy in class...

"Come on, Palmer! Don't be a downer!" The 17-year-old black-haired boy who said this while he patted my back (really hard) was Zac Osborne. Class clown and all-around joker. His pranks annoy me a little, but deep down, he's a really nice guy. "Don't forget, none of the anime we've watched involve us being trapped in a death game or being put in any dangerous situations by hackers and others."

Just before Zac pat me more painfully, my other friend, an 18-year-old auburn-haired boy adjusting his glasses spoke out. "Considering that there is a highly advanced security system installed into the game, it's highly improbable that we'd have worry about hackers, glitches, and bugs. Even the writer of this article approved it after he played a test session with it."

Damon Jacobs. He's known for his straight A+ grades and a shoo-in for a college scholarship to Harvard. He's a sensible guy, but can often be overly confident when it comes to others. Given, I did give him that said confidence years ago when I protected him from a gang of bullies. Now that I think about it, had I not decided to interfere, we wouldn't have become friends and he would've suffered for the rest of his life.

"Still, there is a chance that something might slip past them and corrupt people's minds. Even if they take every precaution to avoid that, I know that there is a chance that hackers, viruses, bugs, glitches, and other things could still bypass the securities, and take over the game. We're talking about technology that could potentially affect physical and mental states of people."

I sighed in dismay, thinking that they would hate me for saying that. Surprisingly, they are still staring at me while they show confusion in front of me.

"I get your views on ADVR, but there is no harm in trying Isekai. Fiction is fiction and I know the creators will do everything to try avoiding that situation. They may not read light novels and manga, or watch anime as much as we do, but I do believe they will do everything in their power to protect the game's players." Damon smiled as he crossed his arms very casually. "Besides, you'll miss out on so much if you don't let go of your suspicions of the game."

Then as always, Zac jumps in front of Damon and says, "Plus, its name is 'Isekai', which means it's like an anime, and we could be like those anime characters anytime we want! I don't know what it really means, but it sounds so good to play! And think about it. We're like anime characters who are transported into the fantasy world and they do everything just to either settle down and live there or to escape. It's really awesome if you just think about it."

Okay, first off, to make sure you're not confused, the word Zac mentioned means 'another world' in Japanese. So yeah, he is right about one thing, considering most of the Japanese anime about other worlds has that same word on the titles. I don't know if it's best to let him find the meaning by himself, or have Damon just outright tell him if he feels like it.

But after I heard his explanation, I just sighed in dismay. "You guys make a very compelling argument, but personally I have no time to play it. With my studies, biking, and scholarships to worry about, I can't just commit myself to the game like you two do. Plus, the price of the game and the VeilCon is too damn expensive! I don't want to drain my life savings and college fund, or my Mom's bank account because of it."

The Veil Console, which is VeilCon for short, is actually the successor of the first ADVR console released in 2049 this year. My dad actually has one, but he only uses it for test builds and AIs. So I doubted he would say "yes" to letting me borrow it.

"Look, I get that VRMMOs are trending thanks to the Isekai Online's announcement. But I got other worries to deal with." With that, I packed up my books into my bag and closed my locker as I prepare to head to my next destination. "Sorry, guys. But my priorities come first and I need to give my full and undivided attention to them."

Honestly, I felt a little guilty about turning down on their invitation. But priorities are priorities, especially that I have one year left until I graduate high school. My studies come first and recreation comes second. That's what my mom has always said to me whenever I've had doubts. But with my problems, and my 'biggest' worry interfering everything, I feel like a lonely old miser who rejects everyone because of my work.

I was expecting that they would be disappointed, but to my little surprise, Zac and Damon smiled gently at me. It made sense since I known them since my freshman year. "Hey, we understand. We're not gonna force you to play it. We know you have a lot on your plate right now."

"Zac's right. You just focus on your studies for now. Besides, we have to work hard on getting to college next year. Our future doesn't start until we reach that goal."

Right. Zac is aiming for Columbia University while Damon had his eyes on New York University. Great choices if you ask me. "Right, let's do everything to reach them until we're graduate." Still, mentioning about colleges makes me feel a little sad. They already have decided on their futures while I...

"Oh, crud!"

I shouted as soon I checked the time on my watch. Oh man, I was so late!

"I have to go NOW! Man, my mom's gonna kill me!"

I couldn't waste any time now. I ran out of the school building with my backpack with me. As I did, Zac and Damon rush out and I saw them waving at me as the former shouts, "Hey, don't forget to email me notes for History tomorrow! I won't forgive you if you do!"

"Y-Yeah! See you guys tomorrow!"

That's all I could say before I ran out of the school gate to get to a nearby bus stop. I didn't know how long 'he' is waiting for me right now, but all I knew is that he would not happy if I didn't reach 'him' on time.