Chapter 2

It's the old 3.4.

When I heard the details from my beta tester friend, it turned out that he had managed to secure three devices by using his family members' names, as he had the right to invite three people. However, due to the terms and conditions, the invited devices could not be resold. Sadly, his close friends were all avid gamers who already had their own devices, so he couldn't pass them on. Two of the three devices eventually found a home, but the remaining one was left unused, taking up space in his house.

"Abundant Feasibility Online" required a new VR device to be created because of its massive data volume, which existing VR devices couldn't handle. This is a well-known fact. Most existing VR devices were headsets, but the one created for "Abundant Feasibility Online" was a capsule large enough to fit a person. It was too big to keep as a spare, and those who already had a registered device couldn't register another one.

The top of the foundation apparently implemented these restrictions because they wanted many people to play the game. Additionally, the support for device malfunctions was so comprehensive that there was no need to keep a spare. When the opportunity to pass on the device came, it was like a godsend. They even provided a dolly to help with the move, so I could go there with just my clothes.

I knew the location because I had once gone to a friend's house to pick up some items for my sister. It turned out that the items were the VR devices I would be using this time.

When I arrived at the designated location, my sister Haruka and another girl were there.

"Thank you so much for taking it."

The girl, Yamagari Ruri, said with a bright smile.

"My parents were telling me to get rid of it quickly, and I was really struggling. I couldn't bear to throw away such a wonderful game, but as an avid gamer with many gaming friends, it was hard to find someone to take it after everyone had secured their own devices."

"I heard about your situation, but since we're taking it, we can cover the cost of the device."

When I said that,

"No, no, it's fine. I got it through a loophole, but it was causing me trouble, so it's better if someone else uses it."

"Alright. I'll take it gratefully. If you have any issues, feel free to reach out to me, and I'll do my best to help."

"Hahaha, big brother. Ruri was really struggling, so don't worry about it."

"That's not for you to decide."

"You two really get along well. As Haruka said, don't worry about it. I'm grateful for this."

After a bit of small talk, we moved the device to our house. My sisters had some preparations to make before starting the game, so we parted ways there. I offered to see Ruri off, but she declined, saying she would do some shopping on her way back with the dolly.

Back home, I started preparing for the game in my room. I connected the device to power and a network cable, got inside, and turned it on. As soon as the power came on, I felt a floating sensation and was transported to a dark space.

≪Personal registration is starting. Please wait a moment.≫

A mechanical voice spoke, and an hourglass appeared in front of me. The device registers the user's biometric data, making it impossible for others to use it, but in exchange, it allows for a seamless gaming experience.

≪Registration is complete. Next, we will start downloading "Abundant Feasibility Online."≫

Since the device was created specifically for this game, buying the device means the game itself is free to download. Incidentally, while the device was made for this game, it is not exclusive, so other VR games can also be downloaded and played.

≪Download is complete. Would you like to start the game?≫

I answered the prompt without hesitation.

"Yes."

After being enveloped in a bright light, I found myself in a space that looked like a hotel lounge. Thinking it didn't look very fantasy-like, I approached a counter where a receptionist was standing.

"Thank you for playing 'Abundant Feasibility Online.' In this location, you can perform the initial setup to start the game."

She bowed.

"Please take care of me. Does that mean I can choose not to do the setup?"

"Yes, you can. If you don't set up a name, race, or skills, they will be randomly assigned. However, appearance must be set and cannot be randomized. There are no benefits to randomizing."

Upon further inquiry, it seemed that the game was designed to eliminate luck in the initial setup, so there was no respec option.

"Understood. I would like to start the initial setup."

"Very well. I will begin the setup."

As the receptionist said this, a window appeared in front of me.

NAME: [ ]

RACE: [ ]

COMBAT CLASS: [ ]

PRODUCTION/SPECIAL CLASS: [ ]

SKILLS: [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Initial stats depend on the race and are not displayed during setup. The receptionist explained that she could provide the information, so I confirmed and set up my character.

Here are the stats I set:

NAME: Wing

RACE: Human (Race Trait: Versatile Poverty)

HP: 100

MP: 100

Strength: 10

Endurance: 10

Agility: 10

Intelligence: 10

Magic: 10

COMBAT CLASS: Tamer

PRODUCTION/SPECIAL CLASS: Librarian

SKILLS: [Taming][Stealth][Dark Magic][Language][Reading]

It's clear that I have no intention of fighting myself.

When choosing the race, the receptionist explained that the beta version had no race traits, but they were added in the final version. Since my priority wasn't to conquer the game, I asked for a race that could go anywhere, even if it took time, and was recommended the Human race.

Races with high initial stats come with race traits that have disadvantages, including movement restrictions. This could limit where I could search for books. In contrast, the Human race trait "Versatile Poverty" has no significant bonuses but also no significant weaknesses, and almost no skills are unlearnable. This means I can adapt to any situation given enough time.

The Tamer combat class can tame and control various monsters to fight for you. The Tamer class has bonuses to taming skills, making it easier to tame monsters and learn related skills.

The Librarian production/special class has bonuses to knowledge skills. I chose it because it was the only option that made sense to me. There are no other reasons (stated firmly).

The "Taming" skill is used to make monsters your allies. It can be used to meet taming conditions or during battles to recruit monsters. When taming is successful, the monster's name is always displayed, and it is labeled as "Someone's Familiar." This skill can be learned by anyone, not just Tamers.

"Stealth" is a skill for hiding, which I chose to avoid combat or to stay out of the way during my familiar's battles. "Dark Magic" includes debuffs and illusions that make it easier to escape, so I chose it for that reason.

The "Language" skill exists even though the game's default setting is that all characters, both player and NPC, use a common language. I was curious about this and decided to learn it.

Finally, the "Reading" skill. It seems that the Librarian class has a significant bonus to the reading skill. I think this alone is worth choosing, but it might not be very relevant to the game mechanics. Since I can read books without this skill, I'm not sure of its purpose yet. However, as someone starting the game to read, I couldn't not take it (stated firmly).

"Thank you for your hard work. The initial setup is now complete. The game will start in six days. You can change your settings until then, so feel free to visit anytime."

And so, I finished my preparations and awaited the game's start date six days later.