Second World Chapter 1 - 1. Second World Beta Test

The Trigitech Branch Corporation building sat beneath a sweltering afternoon sky. A lengthy queue of adolescents and young adults waited to enter the futuristic facility. With its irregular exterior and a dome roof sheathed in gleaming, reflective panels, the architecture perfectly mirrored the company's status as the world's premier VR gaming giant. Today marked a milestone: the commencement of the Beta testing phase for their latest project, Second World.

Over the last three decades, Virtual Reality gaming had exploded in popularity. Nearly every form of modern entertainment now centered on VR, giving rise to a new professional class of elite gamers and specialized workshops. Naturally, many still played purely for recreation. Among them was Jack Fei, a seasoned VR veteran who had signed up for the Beta Test. He hadn't anticipated standing for hours under a punishing sun. His shirt was already drenched; he cursed himself for not bringing a change of clothes.

For the past year, Second World had been the subject of relentless marketing. It was touted as the absolute peak of VR innovation, utilizing a revolutionary engine designed to push realism to its limits. The advertisements claimed it would become a genuine "second world" for humanity, potentially rendering all existing VR titles obsolete. Based on the massive turnout for the Beta, the public seemed to have bought into the hype. The crowd was packed with famous workshop members and high-ranking players from legendary in-game guilds. Jack, however, remained indifferent to the prestige; he simply wanted to enjoy a fresh gaming experience. The line crawled forward at a glacial pace as staff members conducted exhaustive security screenings at the entrance.

"Is all this strictness really necessary?" Jack muttered to himself.

Another hour passed before Jack finally reached the front. Following several intense checks, he was directed inside, only to find himself stuck in yet another queue within the building’s courtyard.

"Are you F***ing kidding me..?!" Jack groaned in frustration. At this rate, the sun would be down before he even touched the game.

Suddenly, a blinding flash erupted. A piercing, high-pitched ringing filled his ears—or perhaps it was inside his skull; he couldn't be sure. Overwhelmed by a sharp spike of pain, he clutched his head and dropped to his knees. A wave of vertigo washed over him, leaving him disoriented. He couldn't tell if he was upright, lying down, or plummeting into a dark void. As the ringing finally faded, he forced his eyes open to investigate the source of the chaos. Had a bomb gone off? Was this a sabotage attempt by a rival firm? His vision remained hazy for a moment before the world snapped back into focus. He found himself on all fours on the ground. He scanned the area, bracing for the sight of explosion debris, but the environment appeared untouched.

Wait, something was wrong. He stood and performed a full 360-degree turn. The situation was definitely bizarre. The crowd of people who had been surrounding him just seconds ago had vanished. He hurried back toward the entrance, but the company staff were gone. Even the street outside was eerily deserted.

"Did I somehow slip into a coma?" That was his first logical thought. Then, a noise drifted from within the corporate building. He froze, straining to listen. There were definitely sounds coming from inside—human voices. He bolted toward the structure, desperate to find someone who could explain what was happening. As he reached the automatic double glass doors, they slid open, but he tripped immediately and slammed into the floor. Rubbing his aching hip, he glanced back to see what had caught his foot. It was a black chest.

"Who the hell leaves a chest right in front of a door?"

He placed a hand on the chest to shove it aside, but a notification chime suddenly echoed in his mind.

"Please enter your alias," a mechanical female voice announced, as a blue holographic interface shimmered into existence above the chest.

"What…?" Jack was stunned. Was this some sort of advanced interactive tech?

"Please enter your alias," the voice repeated firmly.

Jack glanced around, looking for hidden cameras or people. Maybe this was some elaborate practical joke.

The female voice prompted him for the third time.

After a brief hesitation, Jack replied, "Storm Wind." His standard handle in most VR titles was Lone Wind, but he had decided to start fresh for Second World. He wanted a clean slate. The name Storm Wind had occurred to him just the night before the Beta Test. He hadn't expected to be using it under these circumstances.

"Confirmed. Storm Wind has been registered. Please choose your starting class."

The black chest popped open with a distinct click. The lid swung back to reveal three distinct sets of gear: a sword paired with armor, a dagger paired with a suit, and a staff paired with cloth robes.

"What the heck…"

Jack felt as if he were in a dream. Why did this feel so familiar?

"Please choose your starting class," the voice prompted again.

I see, this must be part of the promotion, Jack reasoned. These were the standard archetypes given to RPG players at the start of a journey. As a Beta candidate, he had read some leaks about Second World. Players were expected to choose from three base classes: Fighter, Ranger, or Magician. After gaining enough levels, they could promote to an advanced class. The sword and armor clearly represented the Fighter, the dagger and suit were for the Ranger, and the staff and robes were for the Magician. He had to admit, this marketing stunt was impressively immersive.

"Alright, let's see." He reached out with both hands, aiming for the sword with one and the staff with the other. His fingers stopped an inch away, blocked by an invisible barrier.

"Please select only one class," the female voice cautioned.

When he withdrew his right hand, his left was able to touch the sword without resistance.

Damn. This technology is incredible! He was amazed that human engineering had progressed this far.

He lifted the sword and armor from the chest. Since he usually played as a warrior in VR RPGs, it made sense to go with what he knew best. The moment the gear was removed, the chest dissolved into sparkling dust. Before Jack could process his shock, the equipment in his hands also vanished, and a soft light enveloped him. A second later, the armor was fitted to his body, and the sword hung in a scabbard at his hip.

"You have selected the Fighter class. You have been granted 1 free attribute point and 1 free skill point. You may open your status window to distribute these points at your convenience."

"Status window…?"

A blue hologram materialized before him, filled with stats and data.

Storm Wind Class: Fighter Level: 1 Attributes: - HP = 120/120 - Stamina = 110/110 - Strength = 12 - Dexterity = 11 - Intelligence = 10 - Endurance = 12 - Reflex = 11 - Wisdom = 11 - Luck = 1 Experience: 0/100

Jack stared at the floating display for a long time, his mind failing to comprehend the reality of the situation. He was snapped out of his trance by a sudden scream. He whirled around, scanning the lobby. It still looked empty, but now that he was focused, he could hear background noises growing louder and closer.

A moment later, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed from the floor above. A man dressed in white robes and wearing a peculiar monocle came sprinting down the grand central staircase. He clutched a long staff in one hand and a round metal object in the other, gasping for air.

"H-help me!" he shrieked the moment he spotted Jack.

Jack was still trying to make sense of the man's appearance when more footsteps thundered from the upper floor. Before the man in robes could reach the bottom of the stairs, two tattered figures emerged in pursuit. It wasn't just their clothes that were shredded; their very skin and flesh hung in rotting strips.

Zombies...?