บท 1: Prologue

2028- the birth of the number one MMORPG, Freedom!

The game Freedom! became a massive hit within its first week; its free action system, evolving world, and unique NPCs were unlike that the world had ever seen before. Players flocked immediately to the game, which by 2030, merely two years later, had a player base of over 2 billion. Numerous experts appeared within the history of the game, but none could compare to the monumental legend that dazzled everyone with its unforgettable brilliance.

But sadly, as one era begins, another ends. Ten years later, the Virtual Reality Submersion (VRS) was fully released to the public. Available in headgear, full body suit and the ultra-rare FULL-Dive Cabin, the VRS became the number one gaming equipment. VRMMORPGs popped up almost everywhere, with the vast majority of players moving to these new game worlds filled with in-depth sensations, smell and touch.

Places that one could only dream of going to became a possibility. Magical worlds filled with monsters, elves, dwarves, and other races. VRS and VRMMORPGS immediately became an international sensation, with over half of the world's population having access to both. Computer MMOs quickly became outdated, and Freedom! lost over 95% of its player base within two months of the VRS's release.

A month later, the company over Freedom! had chosen to focus development within the scope of virtual reality, and thus announced the permanent closure of its computer servers, deeply apologizing to its remaining players. To recompensate the remaining players, a majority of which were its oldest players, the company would gift them a free C class VRS body suit. This action shocked the entire world and began a huge spree of people trying to login or create a Freedom! account in order to gain the suit.

Unfortunately, Freedom! had locked all accounts that were inactive in the previous month and disabled new account creations. This outraged many people, many of which were previous Freedom! players that had ditched the game but were now green with envy and had stomachs full of regret. After all, full body suits ranged from S to F class, the cheapest being an average worker's monthly salary. Many players had cried out on forums, but the company behind Freedom! didn't give a single sh*t. Instead, many of the Freedom! players that stayed behind till the very end mocked such posts and were feeling great that they had chosen to stay.

"What are you even crying for? You ditch the game and it ditches you!"

"Yeah all you had to do was login once every couple of days, but I guess you were too stuck with your virtual reality. And you probably used the crappy headgear and not an actual bodysuit! Ha, I can't wait to try it out and brag all about it!"

"Shut up! Shut up! F*ck you all! How am I supposed to login when I was at the hospital… for breaking my arm. This is so sh*tty!"

"You stayed in the hospital only for a month for a broken arm? You probably just sprained it!"

"I did break it! It hurt so much and even now it's not fully healed!"

"Lol if your arm was broken how come you can still reply to us so fast!"

"****! My non-dominant arm was broken!"

"But you use both to type…"

"..."

"*#&!(@$#)%O*^T!*(I$&*!!#*#)@"

A light chuckle could be heard along with the grinding sound of a scrolling wheel. In a room dimly lit by a computer screen, a figure was lying on a black chair, padded with royal red and golden furnishing. Through the dim lighting, one could barely make out the silhouettes of more computers and screens. They surrounded the figure, forming its lair. If one was here right now, they would feel an inexplicable feeling of pressure.

A silky smooth hand held the Freedom! first-edition mouse as the person leisurely scrolled down the pages of comments.

"Again with the fighting and arguments… Phoenix Queen Flame really is hot-tempered in everything…"

The owner of the voice sat up, creating an angle where the dim light revealed his previously concealed features. A pristine, jade-like face emerged, encompassed by an untamed jungle of scruffy blue hair. The depth of the crystalline, green eyes would make one feel as if it was looking through their very soul. If anyone was here right now, no one at all would be able to recognize him. (Except his landlady). After all, this person had never shown themselves to the public. Yes, he was the number one renowned expert- Wang Wuji.

Creating countless legends under the name Free, he was the supreme player of Freedom!, bound by nothing, not even the game's limits. Countless people had wanted to discover his identity, along with the other nine members of the Deity-ranked guild, [Wuji].

Of course, now everything had changed. Many people mocked Wuji, especially those who could never defeat him, for continuing to play Freedom! even when the VRS had already been released for a while. Many professionals and experts were waiting for Free and the [Wuji] guild to transfer to VRMMOs, but it seemed as if the guild had never intended to.

Such an action brought much contempt over the Deity-ranked guild, but they didn't retaliate. It was as if the guild's players disappeared. This renewed much confidence in many experts, who had been wary of [Wuji]'s possible shift to VRMMOs. It also gave birth to a few experts who wanted to try and break through the unbreakable fortress of [Wuji]- the legend of the undefeated guild.

Beep! A little golden notification bell showed up on the screen.

[003-004]

The jade-like hand stopped scrolling, and the screen lit up as Wuji reopened Freedom! His eyes began to glow a mystical color, accentuating the jade green to a mesmerizing extent. A faint green glow surrounded the computers, each turning on, connecting to Freedom!

If one was here right now, their eyes would not believe what they were seeing; the mouses and keyboards connected to the other computers stirred awake, making click-clack noises. The theme song of Freedom! began to simultaneously play on each computer. When they all finished connecting to the game, Wuji's eyes further brightened. His glowing green eyes and faint smirk made him seem as if he was a deity, ready to bring down his wrath upon the ants that dared to oppose him.

"They're finally here."

"I've been waiting..."