Computer screen on the table that shone brightly, becoming the only source of light in the small room that messy. Browser tabs stacked without order. Game forums, news articles, and reaction videos filled the screen, all talking about one thing that same: a new game that called-called as breakthrough most crazy from GUF Development. The title appeared clearly everywhere: Sorrowbound.
Outside there, entire world internet was noisy. The gamers from various communities discussed one feature that considered impossible but truly realized. A VR system that could make its user feel entire sensations from inside game to real world. Pain, pleasure, even love and surprise that usually only numbers statistic, now claimed could be felt completely through additional device that provided.
Most people considered it dangerous, some others considered it revolutionary. Debate heated, game market chaotic, and curiosity exploded in entire world.
Inside small room in corner city, a man sat in front of screen while spooning instant noodles from paper cup. His shirt crumpled, hair messy, and computer table filled packaging snack that not had time thrown away. However his eyes sparkling looking at every info that appeared.
"Sorrowbound, huh?" he muttered while sliding mouse. "Game that could bring entire feelings to real world? Pain, love, joy… this is god game."
He chuckled alone, although part sound his laugh blocked by noodles that still filled his mouth. His fingers kept scrolling page, reading every detail, watching clips-short, until finally a button big attracted his attention: Order Now.
Without hesitation, he pressed button that. Not there consideration long, not there calculation money savings. Only spontaneity a gamer that felt finding ticket gold toward new world.
Name man that was Machel. In real world, his life simple and slightly sad. However in world game RPG, he was king. Player legendary that never known identity, only known from reputation and his name in ranking board.
Several days later, a notification delivery arrived. That day, house bell rang. Machel stopped game that he was playing and rushed out of room.
Package big waiting in front door. Its height almost half his body. He stared at it with widened eyes.
"Seriously this big? This VR or refrigerator?" he complained while trying to lift it. Weight package that made his body tilt. He dragged, pulled, pushed, and tried hard inserting it into room.
After almost five minutes fighting, package that finally entered. Machel panting, sat on floor while wiping sweat.
"Okay… if its contents as advanced as they said, maybe deserves weight like this."
He opened box that with breath pounding. Layers foam protector revealed slowly, until finally appeared a capsule shiny colored black silvery. Its shape futuristic, enough big for one person enter comfortably. Beside capsule also there panel additional device with sensors-complicated.
"Shape capsule? And there additional device also?" Machel approached, touching surface capsule that carefully. "Damn… this really cool."
His hand trembled slightly when touching its details. Smile slowly appeared on his face, more wide every second. All fatigue dragging package that disappeared instantly. What remained only excitement unbearable.
He read instruction short that attached on panel screen, then opened door capsule that. Interior comfortable and coated soft material. Without long thought, he immediately entered into it.
With grin wide, eyes sparkling, and breath that slowly holding enthusiasm, he whispered softly to himself.
"Alright, Sorrowbound. Show your world."
Capsule door closed slowly. Indicator lights turned on. And everything started.
Surroundings suddenly darkened, as if all colors sucked out from world. Machel felt sensation floating, like his body was falling slowly into darkness that endless. Not there sound. Not there light. Only space silent that surrounded him. In split second, a flash soft touched eyelids his, and he reflexively opened them.
At that moment also world new immediately welcomed him.
He stood in a place that difficult defined by logic human. Sky above head looked like mirror giant that reflected light blue silvery. Under his feet, surface water clear stretched wide, but felt solid when he stepped. Every movement his steps caused ripples that reflected back shape his body. Sky and water merged into one, creating space illusion that made him feel standing between two worlds.
Machel turned his body slowly, observing every direction. He looked up to sky, looked down to water, then looked far to horizon without limits.
"Crazy…" he whispered softly.
Not there game whatever that ever he played able equal quality visual this. Even game AAA that famous with graphics realistic never made him astonished until level like this. Texture clouds smooth, reflection light perfect, and feeling wind gentle that truly touched his skin, made him forget that he was inside capsule VR.
He lifted his hands. Wind that passed him felt real, as if being in nature open. Temperature light, aroma fresh, even vibration small in air when he moved fingers, all felt natural and consistent.
"This not merely VR… this real…"
However amazement that immediately cut by appearance a screen blue transparent in front him. Screen that floated steady without support, emitting light soft and writings that slowly appeared like ink spreading in water.
Welcome come to world the warriors.
Sorrowbound.
Please player inserting identity below this.
Name:
Race:
Machel approached slightly, squinting eyes and reading again text that while rubbing his chin.
"Name, yes? Maybe I will use name usual. Rhaen." He smiled thin. "Name that always I use for all characters heroes."
A keyboard holographic appeared in front his hands. Its shape slim and glowing. Every time he touched one of letters, there vibration soft at tip his finger, as if he typed on keyboard real. He inserted name that quickly, then moved to column next.
In column race, list seven races appeared stacked with icons each.
Angel, Demon, Ajin, Elf, Human, Dwarf, Orc. Every race moved slightly, as if showing uniqueness their. Angel with wings glowing, Demon with aura red dark, Ajin with body abstract that changed shape, Elf with ears pointed and glow green, Human with appearance standard, Dwarf with body small and hammer big, and Orc with size big and muscles abundant.
Machel nodded small. He already knew all this. He followed development Sorrowbound since leak its appeared several months that then. All races had advantages and weaknesses. Angel often chosen because status high and skill healing that strong. Demon chosen because power attack that brutal. Ajin interesting because flexibility body its. While Dwarf, unfortunately, most rarely chosen.
"Dwarf, yes?" muttered Machel while staring icon small that. "Clearly not popular. Who wants become creature short full beard?"
However smile cunning appeared on his lips.
"And because that I will use it."
He tapped icon Dwarf without hesitation.
For him, becoming strong with race weakest was challenge itself. He always enjoyed proving that theory players other not always right.
Blue screen displayed writings new.
SYSTEM: Are you already sure with biodata you?
Yes / No
Machel nodded and pressed "Yes".
Only in count seconds, his body felt pulled backward by force not visible. Blue screen shattered into pieces small like glass that fell to surface water, then disappeared completely. Sensation floating again controlled his body, but this time with wind that strong and lights that rotating surrounding him.
SYSTEM: Happy rejoicing, player new. Hopefully you can return with safe.
Machel not had time reading entire sentence that. Wind digital that sweeping his body too dazzling, and in moment later everything exploded into light white bright.
When his sight recovered, he already stood in middle city.
Buildings stone stood aligned neat. Roads coated stones big that arranged, passed by humans and races other. Shouts merchants, sound wheels carts that rolling, and footsteps layered-layered heard clearly. Smell bread roasted, aroma wood burned, and fragrance herbal from store medicine mixed in air.
"WOW!" Machel froze moment. "This… amazing."
He looked at sky. Birds flying across tower clock. Clouds small moved slowly. Light sun pierced gaps buildings, reflecting on windows and causing glare effect very realistic.
He closed eyes several seconds, letting wind touch his skin. Feeling warm, soft, and slightly scented dust made him almost forget that all this merely simulation. Once he opened eyes, he felt heartbeat increasing because enthusiasm.
"I truly can feel everything… way looking at world this… its wind… even feeling excitement inside me like ikut triggered."
He looked at his hands that now more short than usual. Fingers his Dwarf thick and strong. Arm muscles felt more powerful, though his body far more small. He clutched his hand, feeling vibration muscles and joints that felt real.
"Crazy… sensation body only could different."
Some NPC passed near him. A merchant big stopped and stared Machel.
"Hey, dwarf small. You look new. Want buy equipment basic or need guide road?" voice deep merchant that sounded alive, full character.
Machel blinked surprised. He did not expect NPC could interactive like this.
"Uh, not yet. I want looking-around city," he answered spontaneous.
Merchant that laughed. "Alright, but careful. City this friendly, but forest around its not."
He continued his steps, while Machel turned his body, absorbing every detail that existed.
"The inhabitants here also dwarf, huh? Interesting also," muttered Rhaen while walking following road stone that filled busyness inhabitants.
Sorrowbound indeed not kidding in building world. Its system divided into three worlds big that truly separated but still related.
Upper Land, world that inhabited Angels and sub-races their known as Flugel.
Main Land, place gathering humans, elves, dwarves, and orcs.Lower Land, region dark belonging races demons and creatures Ajin.
These three worlds explained as ecosystem balanced. Not there race that absolutely superior in all stats. Angel could defeated by human, demon could toppled by elf, and dwarf could destroy orc. All dependent to intelligence player, not merely numbers.
At this moment, Rhaen placed in Main Land, precisely in Veldon City, city early for race dwarf. City that located in region most east continent, surrounded valleys big and cliffs stone towering. That fact made existence Dwarf difficult reached world outside, something that perhaps explained why they rarely appear in civilization general in game.
Rhaen walked casually through the townspeople. They all looked like dwarves, but not the way he imagined. Not too short, no super thick beards like the classic depiction in many games. Every dwarf here stood around 167 cm tall, almost the same as an average human.
"Hey, aren't the dwarves in this game way too tall?" he whispered as he approached a shop window with a large glass display.
He stared at his reflection. The face behind his character looked like his real-world self. Black hair, brown eyes, an ideal build just a bit more muscular. His body felt heavier and denser, fitting the dwarf concept, but not overly bulky.
"Looks like me…" he muttered softly.
Even though he was impressed, he knew appearance was only a small detail. The most important thing was the combat system. Was Sorrowbound's combat truly realistic? Or just a gimmick? Curious, he called up the status menu.
"Status."
A blue window popped up.
Status
Player: Rhaen
Health: 150
Strength: 10
Mana: 8
Agility: 6
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 7
Dexterity: 5
"Hm, not bad. Pretty balanced, though still weak. But yeah… that's how early game usually is."
He opened his inventory and saw one standard weapon: a simple iron axe. Medium weight, not very stylish, but effective enough for a beginner character.
"Alright, let's try fighting the first monster."
With light steps, he followed the holographic map appearing at the edge of his vision. His breathing felt real, his footsteps had rhythm, and his heartbeat changed with his movement. He couldn't stop being amazed by the physical detail.
After passing through the town gate, he entered the forest. The trees were unique. Their leaves were broad and umbrella-like, overlapping so the sunlight only slipped through in scattered patches.
"So beautiful…"
But the sound of rustling bushes snapped him out of it. A greenish-brown creature leaped out from beneath the tree roots. Its body was long, covered in coarse scales, with yellow eyes and rows of sharp teeth.
"Bad Snake," Rhaen said with a laugh. "The goblin equivalent for dwarf zones. Are you my starter enemy?"
The monster slithered quickly, its tongue flicking out with a hiss. The poison was known to be troublesome for beginners. But Rhaen wasn't a beginner. He'd spent years playing games with similar systems.
Bad Snake lunged. Rhaen dodged to the side, spun his body, and struck its head with his axe. Digital blood splashed, though the color was muted to avoid being too gory. The strike was enough to kill it instantly.
"Hah. Easy."
For the next few minutes, he kept hunting Bad Snakes. His movements flowed naturally, as if he were actually in a real battlefield. Each swing of the axe felt heavy. Each dodge made his virtual muscles tense. He managed to kill seven and finally leveled up to level two.
"Finally… not a bad reward," he said while checking the increased stats.
But that excitement made him careless. From behind the trees, a much larger snake appeared. Its scales were thicker, darker, and its eyes glowed a faint red.
"Superior Bad Snake… the stronger version, huh? So classic."
Without warning, the monster shot forward and lunged at his right side. Rhaen reacted quickly, jumping back, but the creature's thick tail swept the ground and hit his left leg.
"Aww—!" Rhaen winced. The pain felt real. Not unbearable, but very annoying. He shuddered. "Seriously… the pain is this real? And this is just a small monster…"
He moved fast, spinning his axe and striking the creature's belly. But this time, it wasn't enough to kill it. Its skin was tougher. The monster's next attacks forced Rhaen to keep his distance while waiting for an opening.
The fight lasted quite a while. His breathing grew heavy. His hands ached from holding the axe. But finally, after a perfectly aimed swing to the creature's neck, the Superior Bad Snake collapsed.
Rhaen panted, but he was satisfied. His level rose to four.
"Finally…" he said while looking at the sky. The light had turned orange late afternoon already. "This is just the tutorial. But it already feels like a dungeon boss…"
He walked back toward town, enjoying the sound of the wind and the feel of the ground beneath his feet. Everything felt real. Maybe too real. But that only made him more excited.
That excitement disappeared instantly when night came and he tried to do something that should've been the simplest action.
"Log out," he said.
No response.
"Log out." He tried again.
Still nothing.
Then a red window appeared, replacing the logout button. The white text on it made his chest tighten.
Defeat an astral creature to unlock the logout button.
Rhaen's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me."
But the window didn't go away.
None of the other buttons worked.