ＶＲＭＭＯ２０２Ｘ by Hyoshi Kuratake (best novel books to read txt) 📕

  In the year of 202X online gaming which started in 2000's have been evolved far beyond. Now the service is called VRMMO(Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online).

  Optical communication network through satellite covers all of the world, the power and speed of computer get increased astronomically, the inventions of the technologies: coding program for compression the monstrous amount of data, estimating program to foresee the partner's behavior of some seconds future chosen from big data; these bring everyone possible to play online games with pals wherever he is comfortably without any stress of time lag.

  Wearing headgear covers eyes and ears, grasping balls which give and take signals of physical senses, player can get into the virtual reality world becoming avatar itself and enjoy real experience of adventure.

  Of course it is able to play on usual monitor; about these cyborg technics which connect machine to brain, researchers of categories are warning the danger of confusion of virtual reality and real world and the danger of serious addiction for gaming. But many players use Real_Virtual Reality System for the sensational feeling of pleasure.

  Many worldwide game companies are offering new games of various types next to next, but popular genre with many players is still old-fashioned fantasy RPG of sword and magic.

  "Seven Kingdoms (of the Dragons and the Phoenix)"

  is very popular VRMMO which are played by five million users of all of the world.

  In the world of Medieval Europe, which constructed with cities, towns, villages and surrounding extensive woods, mountains and rivers,

  player challenges varieties of missions and gets money and experience point to up the level of character if he succeeded.

  There are many missions for solo player but special attraction of this game is QUEST.

  Quest is a large-scaled mission for Party.

  Usually player chooses his class(vocation) _ Swordsman, Guardian, Archer, Monk, Magician, Ranger, Minstrel, Merchant, etc. By chosen class player can acquire special skills. Skilled players gather and make a group=Party, usually five to fifty members per one party. In the party each member takes his part by his good skills on adventure.

  It is Quest that a party challenges.

  Now one party was going to attack the fortress of evil monster king.

  This big party united with fifty members rushed into the town spreading foot of the fortress and went further and further through maze_like passage fighting against guarding monsters of evil king, using sword and magic.

  This quest was ranked most difficult: only highest leveled party was able to reach.

  They defeated the powerful monsters and at last reached the gate over which there was only one bridge to the fortress over surrounding moat.

  "Yes! We come here!"

  "Let's take the head of evil king! For the moment we have spent long time of training."

  "Don't lose your tension! No one can afford to worry about your blunder from now."

  Their conversations were all sounds: speaking through microphone, immediately translated into all kinds of languages, changed into character voices and sounded other player's headphones; of course all members of this party used headgear for real virtual reality.

  All fifty members gathered the gate of bridge without only single drop out; they could pride themselves on being very good party. They all didn't know each other in real world, they came from many places of different countries, in the fantasy world it was gauche to ask who was who of the real world.

  The bridge was the only way to inter the fortress. Of course the enemy should be marking them coming the bridge from the high places of the rock wall with bow and arrow. In the moat swimming large killer fish. This was the first high hurdle to clear the "Evil King of the Fortress" Quest.

  "Let's go!"

  They checked their plan and stood in formation of defense and began to march.

  But suddenly, the sky got dim, the wind stopped, the waves of the moat stopped in solid, the monster fish stopped, __the World stopped: freeze.

  "System error? Oh, No!"

  "What the baddest timing! What will you do with this our heat?"

  The party made booing in anger, badly disappointed.

  But one member said;

  "Wait a minute! I wonder if. . ."

  The idea came to other members and made them startled. Then they watched the world expecting the change . . . and,

  White lightning rushed in the dark sky, a white light sphere appeared.

    "IT HAS COME!"

  The party got excited very much in moment.

  __In "Seven Kingdoms" there was a rumor like a urban legend:

  Separated from usual quest, there existed a special event which happened to start only for very highest leveled party.

  It was not a hidden dungeon nor a secret event but totally happened: player was never able to meet with any handling.

  It was said that beyond the Quest you could taste very special excitement that you couldn't get in any usual way and after the success you would be given very special decoration.

  As expected, a female voice sounded from the light sphere.

  The voice of goddess sounded solemnly;

  ""You heroes great at strength and skill and knowledge,

  For the greatness, I will give you a special order.

  The winner will be blessed from the Seven Dragons,

  The loser will lose everything.

  It is as you will whether go or leave, but just one chance.

  Answer now,

  for the glory,

  do you challenge the Quest?""

  "Come, Come, Come, At Last! Evil King's Fortress is out of question!"

  "We never pass away the chance, right?"

  "Of course, we all entry!"

  Their answer was "YES"; the voices were very excited.

 ""Then now, go, you chosen heroes. Defeat the enemy boss and grab the glory.""

  The light sphere got big, swallowed the party and the world in absolute white.

  All fifty players were using headgear for real virtual reality, so they really tasted the feeling of being transported to another world.

  They came back to their senses from white light, saw themselves standing in mountainous area where no green, only desert rocks were.

  They had to fight again against ugly creatures that came from dens of the slopes of rock mountain.

  Hit Points of the creatures were not so high, but they were badly aggressive and rushed in a group.

  Wide range magic attack was effective to beat the group. Being burnt by fire and shot by light bullets, the creatures fell down one after another. But their great fighting spirits never got down and the survivors came in rush with spear or axe.

  Swordsmen slashed them in super acrobatic motion. The creatures that came jumping to attack with yelling ware felt very powerful. It made the players very excited. They thought it would be more excited if the touches of cutting the fur skin and muscle and of breaking the bone ware more real.

  This mission was pretty hard, though.

  When a monster with horn on shoulder appeared, it shot large fire ball from horn, it exploded and killed the player in an instant.

  In this area recover magic didn't work well. Big monster's massive blaster was dangerous, but they couldn't look down upon other creatures too; small creatures gathered around player, even though each one was not so strong, they could kill the player with attacks at once.

  Some players were trapped by little creatures and killed in explosion.

  "This is monster's territory! Don't hesitate, kill them all!"

  The players got excited badly for the lost members, the monsters got excited too for their more killed family, they battled each other in glowing white heat.

  At last the party arrived at the palace of the monster king.

  There, several powerful magic warriors appeared, shot powerful fire balls, some members were hit to death. A great many magic fires were coming and going; it was the all-out war of the magic warriors of both sides. But the magic-knights and monks of the party were more powerful. They blew enemies away with pillars and walls.

  Swordsmen and fighters dashed and killed angry monsters.

  Finally the leader of the party slashed his sword deep into the body of the monster king.

  The king roared in a curse, exploded and disappeared.

  The palace vanished, the village of creatures vanished.

  Ray of golden light fell, the dirty yellow mountain changed into white rock wall covered with shining green, the desert village changed into a magnificent ravine of green and blue river filled with golden sunshine.

  The members stood on the stage which suitable for heroes and tasted the glory of victory.

  Golden sunshine got brighter, the party was wrapped into the totally white again.

  The voice of goddess said:

  ""You great heroes have done the hard battle. Receive the mark of thanks from heaven.""

  When they opened eyes they were standing in the town square.

  There were all members of the party including the lost ones in the way of mission.

  On the chest of everyone a golden badge of the design: in one big star six middle and small stars were lined, was pinned.

  "Is it all for our job?"

  They checked their status but only added point of usual quest. They were discouraged at "Mark" which looked to be sold in toy shop.

  Actually they showed the badge to the dealer and let him to study, but he refused to buy it. They let themselves think this should be the special key for some special event.

  Anyway, it was certain that the quest was greatly excited.

  "We can make others envy us."

  The members got satisfied, dropout members smiled bitterly at their lucky badges, said "See you" and they got line off.

  Sho Itoi: 22 year old Japanese man, working in several different part-time, ate toast for breakfast watching news program on TV, yawned blinking with tears.

  Badly sleepy. He should be melancholy to think to go out for low salary, but his face was smiling creepily.

  He was one of the member of the party which succeeded that special quest last night.

  There was a fellow worker who played "Seven Kingdoms" too. Sho couldn't stop grinning to think he would be chagrined almost dying if he told him about the experience of last night.

  On TV, news was reporting: late of the last night in Japan time, in a