He weighed his decision carefully before finally letting out a long breath.
[My God, I almost forgot!] The text message on his screen was glaring.
[Forgot what?] he typed back, a flicker of irritation, then immediately regretted it. The response was instantaneous, already building a knot in his stomach.
[You've got no choice now. Check your Tweeter to see why.]
He immediately grabbed his phone. His heart began to race. A DM from an unfamiliar, unidentifiable account glowed on the screen.
Oh no…
A moment later, a picture of Midnight's ID card filled the monitor.
[You know the consequences, right? There's no other way, Mid. If you refuse, your identity will be exposed, hahahahaha.]
From the start, Midnight had intended to join. But learning his identity was at stake… that was exactly what cemented his determination.
[Sure, who's scared?] he shot back, a thin veneer of bravado over genuine concern.
[Good. There's a package for you tomorrow morning. Details? Nope, just wait for it.]
No reply. Only silence.
[rei_x.0 has left the game lobby.]
The next morning, Sunday, his apartment doorbell rang. He hurried out. In front of the door lay a large, nameless package.
"Hm… no address either," he muttered flatly, a practiced nonchalance he didn't quite feel. "So, this is… the VR game, huh?" He lifted the package, shaking it lightly. Without another thought, he slammed the door shut with his left foot and walked leisurely to his bed.
There, he tore open the package. When he saw the contents, his eyes widened slightly, though his face remained expressionless. A sleek, metallic device pulsed softly, labeled: F-NEURO SYSTEM VIRTUAL REALITY. His hands instinctively inspected the luxurious item.
"Wait a minute. This… this is the latest VR release, isn't it? This is ridiculously expensive. Is this really free just for me?" His mind raced, dwelling on the sheer insanity of such a huge giveaway. "Why do I need a separate device? A regular VR should be enough, right?" He hadn't touched luxury items since leaving the game company. A strange feeling—a mix of nostalgia and unease—crept over him, like a forgotten melody suddenly returning.
In the box, he found additional equipment: haptic gloves, rubber shoes, tight-fitting clothes, and a large headgear with a full head cover. "What are all these for?" he murmured suspiciously, picking up the instruction sheet.
BEFORE USING, PLEASE REMOVE ALL CLOTHING.
"Ah… damn," he hissed under his breath. There was no way his mind—or any neuron in his body—would agree to being completely naked just for a damn VR game. But… curiosity outweighed everything. With a blank expression and a deep sense of reluctant surrender, Midnight stripped off his hoodie, shorts, and even his underwear.
Carefully, he donned the full gear, one piece at a time. The tight-fitting clothes molded to his form, followed by the haptic gloves and rubber shoes. Finally, he secured the large headgear with its complete head cover, feeling oddly encapsulated. He read the next instruction:
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
1. Press the center button of the headgear. Aim it at a mirror or full-body photo.
He pressed the button and stood in front of his mirror, posing casually. Once everything was in place, he glanced at his reflection. It was magical. The VR equipment pulsed, adjusting with uncanny precision to the contours of his body, adhering perfectly like a second skin.
Midnight's outward expression remained flat, almost bored. But in his mind: "Damn, damn, damn, this is so cool!" He barely smiled, just a twitch at the corner of his lips. He ended up sighing quietly, as if this were nothing special. "Wow, interesting. Neural adaptive network, huh?" he muttered under his breath, deadpan. In his head, he mocked: If I were to die like this, people would think it's a suicide. But the curiosity was too strong. He couldn't stop marveling at the advanced technology. After everything was on, he idly bounced a little, testing the flexibility of the device.
With relaxed movements, he read the next step:
2. After body-fitting, lie flat. Do not tilt or lie face down.
3. Are you ready? Enjoy and have fun!
"Seriously? That's it?" he muttered, a hint of confusion in his tone.
Whatever. Midnight casually lay back on the bed. The soft mattress cradled his body perfectly. The advanced technology of the device immediately calibrated, ensuring his body was symmetrically aligned.
"Oh… so there's gravity calibration," he murmured, genuinely impressed despite himself. The system adjusted his gravitational center, automatically positioning him in an ideal, balanced resting posture.
Then…
[SENSOR ACTIVATED. SCANNING BODY ORGANS.]
Suddenly, a large, unsettling text appeared in his view.
"…Wait, organs?" Midnight's brows furrowed. "Isn't this just VR?"
But he couldn't move. A subtle sensation, like an electric current, flowed through his body, making his mind drift, pulling him into a strange, detached awareness.
[Scan complete. Player will enter the F-NEURO SYSTEM network. Enjoy.]
Instantly, his body seemed to vibrate softly, as though it shattered into tiny particles, dissolving into pure energy. Then, a strange pull—as if his particles were accelerating, spinning into nothingness. The sensation was odd—like a mix of REM sleep and full, conscious awareness, a paradox that defied logic. Midnight smiled slightly, a fleeting, almost ecstatic expression, enjoying the strange euphoria that washed over him. Soon, he saw an endless tunnel ahead. His body shot forward, turning into a blur of light.
A sharp, sustained whistle tore through his perception, the speed so fast it felt as though his very essence was being deconstructed and reborn in an instant. The velocity was unimaginable. His body seemed to melt and explode into fragments of light, a kaleidoscopic explosion of pure sensation. The air shrieked around him, a cacophony of SHINGGGGGGG…SHOOOOOTTTT…PYUUUUHHHH…
Then—silence.
He found himself in an empty white space, vast and boundless. When the sound faded, he realized he was floating in this infinite room. No walls. No floor. No sky. In front of him, a digital menu shimmered: [F-NEURO SYSTEM AVATAR]. Name, gender, clothing—all could be customized.
But when he glanced at his reflection…
Nothing.
There was nothing. No body. No shadow. Just a pair of eyes, shapeless, floating in the void. Only consciousness. Consciousness that floated aimlessly within the network. He was no longer human, physically speaking. Rather, he was merely a fragment of consciousness, a disembodied mind. His perspective was like a camera, moving without any entity resembling a body.
Midnight's thoughts drifted, trying to understand. Why can't I see my body? Is this part of the game too? He looked around—if it could even be called that—only to find absolute nothingness. There was no weight. No gravity. Everything felt light, unbound. There was no sense of "up" or "down," just endless, ethereal expanse.
A notification slowly appeared, floating in the void:
[PERSONALITY SYNCHRONIZATION BEGINS.]
[MAPPING MIND STRUCTURE.]
[VALIDATING ID AND EGO INTENSITY.]
Midnight held his breath—or rather, tried to. But he no longer had lungs to hold a breath. Panic began to gnaw at the edges of his consciousness, a cold dread seeping in. Okay. Calm down. Relax. This is probably just part of the system.
But then, glitch-like sounds began buzzing in his ears. Like whispers. Fragments of foreign voices. Small ripples could be heard too, distant and eerie. Midnight tried to ignore it, focusing on the menu before his eyes.
[YOUR ID AND EGO HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY IDENTIFIED.]
[WELCOME, USER MIDNIGHT!]
"Good thing it's not just 'Mid'," he thought, a fleeting, almost detached sense of relief. However, there was one thing that deeply disturbed him.
Wait…
"ID"? "EGO"?" he thought quickly, the words echoing in the vast emptiness. Why is Freudian psychology coming up in a VR game? Isn't this theory outdated?
Okay, wait… this is just a regular VR, right?
