August 31st, 2022 ★11:55 p.m.
When I was younger, I often wondered if heroes truly existed. Adults would tell me that heroes are those who go out of their way to help others, even at great personal risk, like police officers, firefighters, or doctors. But in my mind, heroes were more like the superheroes I read about—those who could fly, shoot lasers, or break through walls. If that's the definition of a hero, then I suppose I still think like a child.
Since I can remember, I've always wanted to be a hero, but not just any hero. I dream of having incredible powers, like climbing walls, jumping high, or being strong enough to crush rocks with my bare hands. I know those abilities aren't real; they belong to a fantasy world. That's the reality I face, and sometimes I wish I could escape to a place where those powers are possible.
The main reason I love playing MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) games is that they offer an escape from my daily life. In those virtual worlds, I can become a hero, saving lives, gaining strength, completing quests, and maybe even finding romance with a leading female character. In contrast, my real life is that of an ordinary 14-year-old boy living with my mom, going to school, and playing video games. I don't belong to any clubs, I don't have close friends, and my shyness means I don't have a girlfriend either. But I'm happy as long as my mom is content; her happiness is my priority. Ever since my dad left us years ago, I've made it my mission to keep a smile on her face, and on my 14th birthday, she decided to show her appreciation for everything I do.
I came home after Mom sent me on a strange errand to pick up some flour and sugar from the supermarket. After I set the bags down on the counter, I went to my room and found something waiting for me on my bed.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted one of the hottest gadgets out there, the Nervegear, lying on my bed—something that had sold out everywhere just two days after its launch. Out of nowhere, my mom burst from the closet, setting off a confetti cannon that nearly gave me a heart attack while joyfully exclaiming, "Happy Birthday!" When I asked her how she managed to get it, she told me that while cleaning my room a month ago, she had found magazines and tabloids on my desk talking about the Nervegear, its price, and how it worked. Inspired by what she read, she decided to preorder it, not realizing it would come with a beta version of a new game called My Hero Online.
Toshinori Yagi was the development director for Argus's first VRMMORPG, My Hero Online, designed specifically for the NerveGear. The game is set in a massive floating tower called Musutafu, which boasts 100 floors. Players adore it because it feels like stepping right into a comic book. Each character has a unique ability known as a quirk, and similar to medieval games on the Gameboy or N64, you can complete quests to level up and acquire new gear. Every floor has its own distinct theme and landscape, creating a sense of belonging in a completely different world. To play, all you need to do is lie down or sit comfortably, put on the NerveGear, power it up, and say, "Link Start."
It's been almost two hours since I said those words and entered the virtual world. Today was the last chance for Beta Version players like me to enjoy the final five minutes of the game before it shuts down at midnight. Knowing it would be a while before I could dive into the full game, I made sure to finish all my tasks to avoid any interruptions. With just two minutes left on my HUD clock, I raced through the dungeon of Floor 10, completely absorbed in my custom avatar. Each step I took ticked away precious seconds, so I was determined not to waste a single moment. Suddenly, the sounds of explosions and combat erupted around me.
"I must be getting close to the boss," I thought to myself as I sprinted down the tunnel.
As I neared the end, I caught sight of a group of players locked in a fierce battle with a massive creature dressed in a traditional samurai outfit, complete with a sword at its side. Even though time was running out, I ducked behind a pillar to watch the fight, glancing up to read the boss's name: «Kagachi the Samurai Lord». Its health bar was almost empty, making me consider sneaking around and waiting for the others to finish it off. But just then, Kagachi's sword glowed a menacing red, and with a sweeping slash, the monster froze all players in its path.
"A paralyzing attack," I murmured, noticing a thunderbolt icon next to the players' HP bars.
"Thirty seconds remaining," I heard the female announcer's voice echo in the game, signaling that the Beta Test was about to end and we would all be logged out instantly.
Part of me didn't want this to end when we were so close to finishing this floor. So, with my mind made up, I dashed out of my hiding spot, ran past the stunned players, and charged straight for the boss. As soon as it noticed me, it swung its enormous sword in my direction. Fortunately, I managed to slide under it and clenched my fist, activating one of my skills. As it charged, red lines crept up my arm like veins.
"This might be the last time I can use this skill, so I better give it everything I've got," I said before leaping up toward the boss's chin and executing a skill I had unlocked from my skill tree after gaining enough XP in previous levels, a «Detroit Smash». Once activated, I delivered a powerful uppercut to the boss's chin, sending it soaring into the air and reducing its HP to zero. When that happened, the boss exploded and shattered into fragments of polygons.
I landed on my feet after that uppercut and sprinted down the next hallway, which began to glow with torches.
"Ten seconds remaining," the female announcer said again which caused me to run even faster. The door in front of me grew larger as I got closer.
"Eight... Seven... Six..." the announcer said. I stretched out my hand trying to reach it. "Four... Three... Two..."
I used whatever strength I had left. I leaped off the ground with my hands stretched out as if I was about to lose something. Once I finally felt my fingers touch the surface, the announcer made an announcement.
"One... This concludes the beta test," the announcer said as the door in front of me and the walls, torches and everything around me vanished leaving me in a white open void. I took a sigh before letting myself fall backward causing me to land hard on my butt.
"The official start of service will be at 1:00 PM on November 6th. We appreciate the assistance of our beta testers," the announcer said before a digital menu popped up in front of me with two buttons saying «Accept» or «Decline». "Do you wish to preorder the physical game?"
Once I saw that screen, I remembered how I saved up money for the game and deposited it into my checking account. Using my finger, I pressed the «Accept» button and a confirmation screen showed up in front of me indicating the day I purchased it and when it would be shipped. As I smiled in accomplishment, I closed my eyes for a few seconds and then opened them back up. Only this time, the white void I was in was gone and I wasn't sitting on my butt. In fact, I was actually lying down feeling the cold air of the A/C brush against my skin. I was back in the real world, in my real room, on my real bed.
Slowly, I lifted myself off my pillow, feeling a big weight on my head. Using both hands, I placed them on my head and lifted the Nervegear, allowing my black bushy hair to fall. I then looked at the clock and realized that it was currently 12:02 a.m. Taking a sigh, I placed the Nervegear on the dresser beside my bed and lay back down. Raising my hand, I clenched it and smiled while staring at the ceiling.
"I can't wait to go back," I whispered to myself allowing sleep to take me over.