章 3: Entering the game
The virtual gaming helmets for New World Online came in four types, each with different benefits and prices.
Bronze Helmet: Priced at $10,000 USD, this entry-level helmet offered a synchronization rate of 50%. This meant that only half of the player's movements and sensations would be accurately reflected in the game. With a lower synchronization rate, the body in the game wouldn't feel entirely like the player's own, making it harder to move naturally. The experience could feel slightly sluggish, almost as if there was a lag between the player's actions and the in-game response.
Silver Helmet: At $20,000 USD, the silver model provided a synchronization rate of 75%. This offered a much smoother experience than the bronze model. The player's in-game body felt more natural and responsive, though there was still a noticeable difference from real life. Movements were more fluid, and the sense of immersion was deeper.
Gold Helmet: Priced at $35,000 USD, the gold helmet boasted a synchronization rate of 90%. With this level of synchronization, the in-game body felt almost identical to the player's real body. It was easy to control, and even playing as a different race or character type felt surprisingly natural. The difference between the game world and reality became almost negligible.
Diamond Helmet: The most expensive model at $50,000 USD, the diamond helmet offered a perfect synchronization rate of 100%. This meant that playing the game felt exactly like being in one's own body. Every movement was precise, and the player could easily adapt to any in-game character, no matter how different it was from their real form. The immersion was so complete that it was as if the player had truly become part of the game world.
Leon's savings amounted to only $15,000, which meant he could only afford a bronze-ranked virtual reality helmet. However, Quintin, always generous, helped him buy a silver helmet. As for Quintin himself, he purchased a gold helmet with a 90% synchronization rate, ensuring a near-perfect gaming experience.
After purchasing the helmets, they headed to Quintin's parents' villa to try out the game for the first time. Quintin's parents were both out on a business trip, his elder brother was studying abroad, and his elder sister had gone on a trip with her friends. This meant the entire villa was theirs to enjoy.
Feeling more excited than a child, Quintin jumped onto a plush sofa in the living room. The sofa was made of high-quality leather, soft and extremely comfortable. He eagerly turned on the helmet and placed it on his head.
"I AM GOING AHEAD. SEE YOU IN THE GAME, LEON!" Quintin shouted with excitement before closing his eyes and diving into the game world.
Leon shook his head with a knowing smile. 'His excitement is going to turn into disappointment real quick,' Leon thought before laying down on the other side of the comfortable L-shaped sofa, putting on his helmet, and powering it up.
Just before his consciousness was pulled into the game, He clenched his fist.
New World Online, in his previous life, had been only a source of income to survive on. But in this life, it was going to be the source of his happiness. Leon felt determined to make his dreams come true!
After entering the game, Leon found himself in the character creation screen, surrounded by a dazzling array of choices.
The world of New World Online was divided into two powerful factions: the Alliance of Light and the Alliance of Darkness.
Players had to choose between one of them before starting the game. Each alliance offered a unique set of classes and races with different storylines, giving players the freedom to choose how they wanted to experience the game.
The Alliance of Light in New World Online consisted of two races: Humans and Elves. The Human race offered the following classes—Sword Dancer and Shield Master. And the elven classes were Spell Weaver and Ranger.
On the other side, the Alliance of Darkness had the twisted, corrupted Fallen and the fierce Orcs. The Fallen could become Assassins or Hedge Magicians, while the Orcs had the fearsome classes of Shaman and Death Knight.
Each class came with its own unique passive abilities, which allowed them to wield weapons and equipment suitable to their roles.
For example, the Sword Dancers had a passive ability called Dual Weapon Mastery, which allowed them to wield two swords simultaneously, granting them swift and deadly attacks. They also had the ability to wear both light and heavy armor, providing versatility in combat, though they couldn't equip gear meant for magic classes. Similarly, Assassins had a passive that allowed them to wield two daggers or similar light weapons, but they were restricted to wearing only light armor.
The type of class you chose determined the type of weapon you would receive, and that weapon, in turn, determined the basic skills you would have access to right from the start. For example, if you chose the Sword Dancer class, you would be given two swords as your starting weapons. Equipping these swords would immediately unlock three basic skills: Slash, a straightforward attack that dealt damage to enemies in front of you; Guard, a defensive skill that allowed you to block incoming attacks with your swords; and Quickstep, a mobility skill that let you swiftly move out of harm's way or close the distance between you and your target.
Magical classes, like the Spell Weaver or Hedge Magician, had their own set of basics. For instance, equipping a staff would grant access to skills like Magic Missile, a ranged attack that dealt magical damage; Mana Shield, a protective barrier that absorbed incoming damage; and Blink, a short-range teleport that allowed for quick repositioning in battle.
Call it instinct or whatever you like, Leon had always been drawn to the heroic side of things.
In his previous life, he had naturally gravitated towards the Alliance of Light and chosen the Sword Dancer class.
If he were playing just for fun, he might have considered trying out a different class this time around.
But fun wasn't his priority.
His plan was to extract as many benefits as possible from this game to fulfill his dreams.
So, without hesitation, he chose the Sword Dancer class—the one he was most familiar with.
This time, he was going to turn that familiarity into an advantage and make the most out of his second chance.
"You have selected your class. Please choose how your avatar should look like."
Selecting a different race or creating a character drastically different from himself would lead to a lower synchronization rate, which could result in awkward movements and a less immersive experience. It might even cause him to feel a slight lag as if his in-game body didn't fully respond to his commands. On the other hand, even if you were using a silver helmet, if you choose a race and character that closely resembled his real-life self, you would minimize any disconnect between your real body and your in-game avatar.
These pieces of knowledge were not yet public. It will become known after a few years. Then most people will start customizing their avatars after their real looks for a better immersive experience.
As Leon was from the future, he knew about these secrets. So naturally he was going to make the most of them.
The character customization options allowed him to design his avatar with great detail. He sculpted the character to resemble himself as closely as possible. He even adjusted the height and posture to match his own. The reason behind this choice was simple: Leon wanted to achieve the maximum synchronization rate possible.
"Avatar customization successful. What name would you like to go by in New World Online?" the system prompted.
Leon knew that the game was still in its early days, and it hadn't yet attracted the attention of the rich second generation—those who were born into wealth and influence, who could afford to spend money lavishly on anything that caught their interest. But in just three months, the player base of New World Online would explode to over a billion users and they would feel interested in the game and join it.
Some of these individuals were so spoiled they would gladly pay hundreds of thousands of dollars just to acquire a prestigious in-game name.
In his previous life, names like All-Father, Odin, Zeus, and so on were sold for considerable sums. Leon wanted to capitalize on this. He decided to name his avatar after one of the Norse or Greek gods to sell it later to these tycoons.
He confidently said, "Odin."
"The name 'Odin' is already taken."
"Damn." Leon couldn't help but curse. In his previous life, Six months later the name Odin was sold for 100k. It even made the news. Whoever named himself Odin lucked out!
Leon tried ten more names to name his avatar after a Greek or Norse god but every single name he tried was already taken, so he failed to name his avatar after them.
He started to feel frustrated but didn't give up.
"Zeus," he said, hoping this one wasn't claimed yet.
"Naming successful. Your avatar has been named Zeus."
Leon's heart leaped with satisfaction.
He remembered that a rich second-generation player would join the game a month later and be desperate to acquire the name Zeus, offering 25 grand for it. Once Leon sold his avatar name to this person, he would not only recover his initial investment but also make a tidy profit on top of that. Changing an in-game name cost $1,000, so after repaying Quintin for his help—something Quintin would probably argue against—he would still net around $4,000 in profit. That was only a thousand short of the minimum wage in the Free World!
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