Introduction Arc 1: Chapter 1.
An awestruck man stared at a manual for the
In the middle of a room was a man in a deep trance. The opened window curtains danced as the wind blew, while the chirping of the birds outside was at a comfortable volume.
From this man's perspective. The world had stopped. The only one alive was him, everything was a ring and blur. The unassuming manual instruction was still held by the man who couldn't stop staring.
Then the time resumed.
"It's here. The future of gaming. The future of entertainment."
The man muttered, almost in tears. There was a feeling of elation inside, almost bursting. He had come back from his deep trance.
"If there's a god out there! Thank you! I will worship you! Thank you for this! This has been a three-year dream of mine!"
The man said out of pure joy and bliss, screaming at the wooden ceiling.
"Jing Hoo, You've won a golden opportunity to become a beta-tester. The AVPC is now in your good hands, cherish it, and welcome to the future of gaming.-PhotonX"
The man named Jing Hoo loudly read the luxuriously designed piece of note. It was the developer's heartfelt and genuine words. Jing has already decided to laminate and cherish it until death.
"Time to use this beauty."
Jing declared, carefully removing the AVPC from the packaging. He slowly lifted the product. The main reason for his elation. He was stuck in another trance, hypnotized by the device's appearance.
The
The first starred feature
The only reasonable caveat was that after the 168hours of in-game playtime, the
The second starred feature
For single-player game enthusiasts, the
"World Journey: First Edge"
Jing muttered while staring dreamily at the window.
The novel takes place in a magic meets science world where there are [Accomplished] humans, these beings have awakened their abilities that can shape or influence the world. The story mainly follows three protagonists and their journey to become the world's champions and saviors.
Jing Hoo wanted to be a part of the journey but only as a supporting character. Helping the heroes accomplish their goals and watching their camaraderie. He had already decided on this course of action upon receiving the notification that he would be one of the early beta testers of the virtual reality device.
The excitement could barely hold Jing, almost bursting. He hurriedly put on the helmet.
"I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait."
"Jing! I am trying to sleep, please hush and get a job please."
A sleepy woman, Jing's Mother, shouted from another room. Her frustrated voice booming throughout the quiet house. She wanted some peace and quiet since it was a lazy slow day.
(Who needs a job? My disability benefits are fine and dandy.)
Jing mused in confidence, content that his government check was able to pay for some of his hobbies. He turned on the
Jing heavily collapsed on his bed with a huge grin as he watched the greyed visor display a waiting icon, initializing for the first time. He could barely hide his excitement.
The
⟐⟐⟐
"It's good to meet you, dear one." A feminine voice echoed in the empty blank void. Jing Hoo couldn't see anyone and he also couldn't move.
"W-who are you?"
Jing asked, spotting a rather bright figure in the distance.
"The god you should be thanking and worshipping. Like what you've said earlier."
The figure lightly joked while revealing their flawless and perfect beautiful figure dressed in simple white robes with a single red wrapped cloth at the waist.
They had golden hair and eyes, their figure radiating in a comforting white light. Jing was left with no words. He was confused for a moment until eventually forming an excited expression, concluding that this was the avatar for the
"Holy crap, the AVPC can even hear my voice? It was turned on from the start!? I should've known, the headgear was practically glowing."
Jing Hoo said while the mysterious divine figure smiled, eyes gleaming and remaining silent.
"What you're using is a blessed and divine touched medium that allows you to transport to a world. Now, Jing Hoo, you'll be put on trial."
"If you can save the world you're placed in. I will grant you an eternal reward."
Jing Hoo half-listened to the beautiful figure, instead focusing on how impressive the
"This A.I. is responsive and creative. They must've read my answers from the survey they've handed out. The AVPC is already an eternal reward, though."
Jing muttered, walking around the divine figure, taking in her detailed appearance. Each crease in the robe impressed him and he was also tempted to poke the armpit of the figure.
"I'll be watching you." The figure said, smiling again while disappearing as Jing's consciousness faded to black again.
⟐⟐⟐
A single prompt appeared before Jing. He was formless and endlessly floating in a sea of black, he couldn't move nor turn. Only facing the single prompt in front of him.
"Senior High School Level: Class A-1, random male NPC, no systems but provide me a useful boon that can accelerate my growth."
A cacophony of visual and audio bombardment rushed through Jing, the transmigration was a powerful process. Then it stopped.
Jing blinked rapidly, vision slowly clearing as he raised his head. He was in a classroom and he was napping while using a school bag as a pillow. Several students walked around, talking and socializing.
The classroom had a wide blackboard. It was in pristine condition. A single small table at the front faced several rows of seats. The classroom only had one wide door, acting as an exit and entrance.
As for the students, white buttoned uniforms and berets were mostly what Jing saw. However, each student had a slight variation. One male student adorned a red ruby in his necktie while one female student had a feather on her beret.
Jing Hoo then patted himself, looking for any identification for his current avatar, pulling out an ID from his left pocket, and reading it.
"Lyle Cass." He muttered. "I am Lyle Cass."
⟐ You are now Lyle Class.
Lyle Cass realized what today was. It was the first day of school.
"Ah, no wonder everyone is nervous and shifty. It's the first day of being a Senior High School Student."
Inside the classroom, were four rows of seats and each row had ten students. Jing was seated in the third row, near the window. His eyes focused, glaring at the first and leftmost row, recognizing two students.
"Hey, those two are side characters! They're the secondary antagonists of the tournament arc."
Lyle Cass added while staring at the young half-blonde beauty, who had a perpetual frown on her face. Her black eyes accentuated her serious expression.
Next to her was a young woman with brown hair, a close friend of the half-blonde. She had an above-average face and wore a small brown ribbon on her beret, adding a touch of unique flair to her look.
His loud comments attracted the class' attention, causing him to shyly retreat and look away.
(Even if they're not real, they still act like real people! I should be careful. These are not your usual NPCs.)
Lyle could barely hide his grin. He was in a different world with powerful beings, full of adventure and conflict. Even if it was all artificially generated, it felt real to him and that's what matters.
(My high school and college experience was kinda crap. Maybe I can make it up for it here even if it's all artificial.)
Lyle glanced at his hands, staring at them in awe, noting the details. He pinched his cheeks, and skinny neck, finally patting his private part.
"Wow... an immersive sensory illusion and feedback. It's like real life."
Lyle commented, confusing his female seatmate who then shyly looked away.
(Now, this world is something. Graduating high school at eighteen years old then joining another advanced version of high school for two years.)
(Honestly, it's a waste of time. It's better to head straight to college but hey. What do I know? This is the world of World Journey: First Edge.)
The door suddenly opened, revealing a graceful noble beauty and despite wearing the same white uniform, her attractive appearance struck out.
"Her golden piercing eyes and hair complemented her poker expression. Hiding true emotions beneath a blank face. Standing at 176 centimeters tall, she physically stood out among her peers. Her steps are just as graceful as she is."
Lyle said, recalling the words from the light novel.
Several male students kept their gaze while the half-blonde beauty in the front row audibly clicked her tongue, showing disdain and a hint of envy.
"One of the main protagonists of the novel." He said in awe, glaring at the student who just entered. The entrance was captivating. It was almost cinematic.
(From Chapter 1 to 211, she was the main focus and the current protagonist until ultimately sacrificing her powers and effectively retiring from the story.)
Lyle wistfully recalled.
(Mary Anne Grace, the daughter of a successful businessman and a respected noble. Born with ten worldly talents, the highest amount of talent in this school.)
He snapped from his thoughts, remembering something.
(Oops! I forgot. I should avoid that event.)
(Freya May. The envious insecure and self-proclaimed rival of Mary Anne Grace. I should stop what she's going to do.)
Lyle Cass said, standing up and heading for the door while glaring at Freya May.
The half-blonde beauty, Freya grinned, fingers pointing at the floor and producing a small magical puddle. Intent on causing Mary to slip, a first-day-of-class disaster.
Normally, that was how the story progressed until Lyle Cass picked up his pace, intentionally stepping on the puddle, slipping and tumbling down. *Whack!*
"Ouch!" Lyle grunted, stealing a glance at Freya.
Freya's face soured, an unladylike expression, full of seething and discontent. The other students snickered, laughing at Lyle while Mary Anne Grace approached him.