I closed my eyes and lay back in the chair.
At first, nothing happened.
Then a strange sensation hit me—as if I'd fallen straight down and instantly landed on my feet.The change was abrupt.
I was no longer lying down.I was standing.
When I opened my eyes, dozens of windows flashed before me:
— Select your first skill— Distribute starting points— Confirm entry into the Matrix
"System, close," I said out loud.
The windows vanished.
I found myself inside a small grocery store—an ordinary one. Shelves, display cases, packaged food.
"Cleyde! Cleyde!" Mark's voice came from outside.
"I'm here!"
Mark stood at the entrance, looking around.
"Wild…" he muttered. "They even have real grocery stores. Just like in reality."
"Angelina said it would be like this," I nodded. "All sensations are real inside the Matrix."
Mark squinted.
"Hey… if we eat something—will it taste real too?"
He was already reaching for a shelf.
"I think… let's find out."
We looked around.
No people. No cash registers. No cameras.
Mark opened a pack of candy, popped one into his mouth, and froze.
"Damn… it's sweet."
I smirked and grabbed a bag of chips.
We tore the packages open.
Salty. Crunchy. Real.
"Okay…" Mark nodded slowly. "That's unsettling."
"Let's at least grab a snack," I said. "It's free anyway."
System windows flashed in front of my eyes again, but I closed them immediately. When we regrouped, I asked:
"You had the same screen spam?"
"Yeah," Mark snorted. "Almost went blind."
"She said we need to find her first," I recalled. "So let's not mess with anything yet."
"Then let's go."
I opened the map.
"Strange…" I said. "It only shows our position."
"Standard layout," Mark noted. "Square."
Urban environment. Streets, buildings, alleys.
Everything looked… too familiar.
It was sunset.Not a single moment, but a process—the sky slowly darkened, shadows stretched, the light faded gradually.
"Look," I said, noticing a glimmer in an alley.
We moved closer.
A crystal.
Large, semi-transparent, faintly pulsing.
"That's the one?" Mark asked.
"Looks like it."
"Can we hit it?"
"Try."
The system immediately responded:
— Select a skill to attack —
"Damn it…" Mark glanced at me. "What if I use my fist?"
He punched the crystal.
It shuddered.
A number popped up: 50 points.
"Seriously?" he grimaced.
"System, how much does the first skill cost?"
— 300 points —
"And the max one?"
— From 5,000 to 6,000 points —
We looked at each other.
"Then this is pointless," I said. "Bare hands won't get us anywhere."
"What if…" Mark bent down and picked up the crystal. "We take it with us?"
I froze.
"You think that works?"
"It already does," he grinned.
"Perfect. I'll carry it."
We moved on.
The weather stayed the same—warm, calm, as if time itself was stuck.
"Where is she…" Mark muttered.
I opened the map again.
"Red dot. About a hundred meters."
We didn't get to say anything else.
A sharp sound came from above—and a figure dropped down right in front of us.
"Got you."
We both jumped.
The crystal nearly slipped from my hands. Mark choked on his chips.
"If this were a real arena," Angelina said coolly, "you'd already be dead."
"You said to find you first," I exhaled. "That's what we were doing."
"Alright, alright," she smirked. "No crying."
She looked at Mark.
"Are you seriously eating chips?"
"What?" he shrugged. "They taste real."
"Dream on," she snorted. "Whatever."
Her gaze fell on the crystal.
"You… dragged a crystal with you?"
"We tried punching it," Mark said. "Damage was trash."
Angelina closed her eyes.
"For fuck's sake… Alright. Focus."
"Mark, you go first. What starting skills do you have?"
"Uh…" he frowned. "Blade strike power, penetration, poison, attack speed, vampirism."
"Open your inventory first," she cut in. "Items come before skills."
He did.
"Okay… two daggers, a short sword, and knuckle blades."
"Choose now," Angelina said. "You won't be able to change later. All skills will adapt to the weapon you pick."
"Then daggers."
"Good. What skill?"
"Penetration."
"Logical."
She turned to me.
Angelina shifted her attention to me.
"Your turn, Cleyde. Put the crystal down and open your inventory."
I did.
Two items appeared.
A shield.And another object—a small, glowing sphere.
"What's this?" I frowned. "It says… healing."
Angelina snapped her eyes to the screen.
"Healing?" she repeated.
Pause.
"No. You're mistaken."
"But the system shows—"
"You can't have healing," she cut me off. "Healing requires magic."
"And you don't have magic. Not at this level."
She waved it off.
"Forget it. Treat that option as nonexistent."
"You have a shield. That's what you're using."
I closed the inventory and opened the skill window.
"Okay…" I muttered.
— Personal Health— Energy Enhancement— Shield Health— Shield Strike Power— Shield Stability
"Now that makes sense," Angelina nodded. "Choose."
I lingered on one option.
"'Shield Health'… what does that mean?"
"As long as the shield is intact," she explained calmly, "and you're blocking with it, your health doesn't decrease."
"First the shield breaks.Only then do you take damage."
I confirmed the choice.
"Remember," she added, "items and roles are locked at the start."
"You won't change them later.All future skills will adapt to this setup."
She stepped back.
"Alright. Here's the plan."
"I'll go behind that building.You wait for my attack."
"Your goal is to block it—and try to hit me."
She looked at us carefully.
"Don't chase me.Just land a hit.Take a chunk off my health bar."
She turned and disappeared behind the building.
Mark finished his chips. I held the crystal.
"Maybe we finish it off?" he suggested.
"Do it. You have penetration."
We punched it while discussing the plan.
"I tank the hit," I said. "You flank and strike when she opens up."
"Got it."
The crystal shattered.
We took our positions.
Waited.
And in that moment, I realized—
I couldn't believe I was actually here.Breaking rules.Stepping into a world I'd never even looked at before.
But I was ready.
Even if it hurt.