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Back in the void, the system was being helpful again. Or, from Maverick's perspective, passive-aggressive.
[TIP: NPCs in this game operate on advanced adaptive AI. Treat them like real people. The dialogue box is just a suggestion.][TIP: "Hypnosis" is not a magic "I Win" button. It requires verbal reinforcement. Don't just stare at people awkwardly.]
"Okay, I get it!" Maverick yelled at the floating text. "You don't have to rub it in."
Despite the frustration of dying three times in twenty minutes, Maverick was hooked.
In games like Call of Duty or Age of Titans, you were a floating camera with a gun model attached. Interaction was limited to "Press F to Pay Respects."
Here? He felt weight. He felt physics. He felt the judgment of an old man who called him a mongrel.
He took a deep breath. "Run it back."
He loaded in. He skipped the church dialogue again, telling the old man to shove it. He appeared at the airport.
This time, he was ready.
He walked up to the TSA agent. He didn't panic. He didn't try to Matrix-dodge bullets.
He locked eyes with the guard. A subtle shimmer appeared in his peripheral vision.
[Skill Active: Hypnosis]
Maverick leaned in, his voice smooth and authoritative. "Officer, you've already checked my bag. It's empty. Just some clothes. You don't need to scan it again."
The guard blinked. His eyes glazed over for a split second. The AI processed the input, the tone, and the magical influence.
"Right," the guard mumbled, shaking his head. "Just clothes. Go ahead, sir."
He waved Maverick through.
"Yes!" Maverick pumped his fist silently.
[Chat]:[Slayer_King]: HE DID IT! [PogChamp]: The absolute madman actually used the mechanics. [Simp_Alert]: Wait, if Hypnosis works like that... can you use it for... other things? [Bonk_Police]: Go to horny jail.
Maverick, feeling invincible, decided to push his luck. He didn't just walk away. He stopped, turned around, and tapped the guard on the shoulder.
"Hey," Maverick said, activating the skill again. "You look tired. Shift's over. Why don't you give me your sidearm and go home?"
The guard paused. He looked confused. "I... yeah. Long shift."
Slowly, shakily, the guard unholstered his Glock 17 and handed it to Maverick.
"Thanks," Maverick said, taking the gun.
He tucked it into the waistband of his pants. He felt the cold steel against his back. He felt the weight of the magazine. He adjusted his coat to hide the print.
"Chat," Maverick whispered, walking away casually. "Did you see that animation? I just... put the gun in my pants. No inventory menu. No 'Equip Weapon' slot. I just did it. This isn't a game. It's a simulation."
[Chat]:[Game_Dev_22]: That's actually terrifying. [Uncanny_Valley]: I know what you mean. Usually, VR NPCs look like dead-eyed dolls. It makes horror games hilarious because the monster looks stupid. [Dating_Sim_Survivor]: And dating sims are nightmares because the anime girl stares into your soul with dead pixels. [Real_Talk]: But this guard... he looked tired. He hesitated. That's some next-gen AI.
Maverick boarded the plane. It was a First Class cabin. A flight attendant—another NPC who looked frighteningly real—offered him a glass of water.
Maverick took a sip.
He froze.
"It's wet," he mumbled. "It's cold. I can feel the liquid going down my throat."
It sounded stupid to say out loud, but in VR, drinking usually meant tilting a cup until it vanished. Here, the physics of the water were simulated. The sensation of swallowing was simulated.
"Who made this?" Maverick asked the empty air. "Silverwood Studios? Are they a front for the government? Because this tech is illegal."
He sat down and looked at the tablet embedded in the seatback.
It wasn't playing a movie. It was a tactical map of the world.
[CURRENT OBJECTIVE: PREPARE FOR WAR][TIME REMAINING: 01:45:00]
The map was dotted with white markers: London, Berlin, New York, Hong Kong.
And one big red marker: Fuyuki City, Japan.
"Okay," Maverick deduced, tapping the screen. "So the red dot is the Battle Royale zone. The white dots are loot spots. I can fly around the world, collect weapons and catalysts, and then go to Japan."
It was a brilliant system. A strategic phase before the combat phase.
"But," Maverick grinned at the camera, "I'm Maverick. I don't need loot. I have a stolen Glock and a dream. We're going straight to the hot zone."
He selected Fuyuki City.
[FAST TRAVEL INITIATED]
The scenery outside the window blurred. The sun set and rose in seconds, simulating the flight time.
[ARRIVAL: FUYUKI CITY AIRPORT]
The plane taxied to a halt. The "Fasten Seatbelt" sign turned off.
"Alright, chat," Maverick said, standing up and straightening his coat. "We've landed in Japan. The war starts now. Let's see who's waiting for me."
He grabbed his briefcase. He walked to the cabin door.
The flight attendant opened it. Maverick stepped out onto the mobile staircase, taking a deep breath of the virtual Japanese air.
"Hello, Fuyuki! Maverick is he—"
CRACK.
A single gunshot rang out from the terminal building 400 yards away.
Maverick's head snapped back violently. A spray of red mist filled his vision.
[YOU HAVE DIED][CAUSE OF DEATH: SNIPER FIRE (HEADSHOT)]
Maverick sat in the dark room for the fourth time.
Silence.
Then, he quietly put his head in his hands.
[Chat]:[Sniper_Elite]: BOOM. HEADSHOT. [Camper_Pro]: Welcome to Fuyuki, scrub. [Spawn_Camper]: Imagine landing in the hot zone without scouting first. [Salty_Bet]: I am never financially recovering from this stream. [Maverick_Fan]: Spawn camped by an NPC? Or a player? [Logic]: Probably a player who got there first. It's an open server. [Funny_Guy]: Maverick's K/D ratio is currently 0-4. Legend.
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