Chapter 1

"Alright, just thirty more minutes!"

I, Keigo Yoshizaki, have been looking forward to this day. The VRMMORPG I've been wanting to play is finally launching today. There's only about thirty minutes left until the service starts.

It's been quite some time since home gaming consoles shifted to VR games. At first, the vast amount of information in virtual reality, the insufficient performance of the devices, and the game developers' unfamiliarity with new technology made it take a while for VR games to become widespread. However, things changed dramatically after a genius released a development package that seemed to leap several generations ahead in technology.

It started with the VRization of traditional offline games, and with the addition of innovations in communication technology, the onlineization of VR games began. Now, VRMMOs have become a very popular genre.

The most popular are undoubtedly fantasy games, but there are also some unique ones. This is true for games in any era. One of the unique games I like is an offline game called "Monsters Evolve." Normally, monsters are supposed to be the enemies you defeat. Occasionally, there are games where you tame monsters, raise them, and have them battle each other, which is also a popular genre.

However, "Monsters Evolve" is a unique game. As the name suggests, it's a game about monsters, but it's neither about hunting monsters nor about catching and raising them. Instead, the player becomes a monster themselves.

The setting is a primitive planet where intelligent life forms like humans have not yet emerged. The protagonist, a disembodied mental entity, lands on this planet. The goal is to promote the evolution of the human species and obtain the evolved human body to rise as a new race.

The main gameplay involves possessing a local monster chosen by the player, experiencing countless cycles of life and death, and repeatedly evolving the species.

The most distinctive feature is that the game changes completely depending on the chosen species. The selection options are incredibly diverse, ranging from large and small animals to fish, trees, and flowers. The reason for its popularity is that some species can undergo incredible evolution. Another significant factor is that, unlike other VR games, the player's physical reflexes do not affect the gameplay. Most of the avatars are not humanoid, making the control feel more like operating a machine. Moreover, winning is not the only way to clear the game; sometimes, losing and dying repeatedly is the key to success.

Today, the online version of this game, "Monsters Evolve Online," is being released. The title is straightforward, but the online aspect is a welcome addition. The game is inherently similar to a territory game, and in the offline version, you can reach the human species relatively easily by following a pattern against the computer.

That's why core fans have been requesting an MMO version that involves competition and cooperation with other players. I'm one of those fans.

There are apparently various changes and new elements for the online version, but the details are kept secret. You're supposed to discover them yourself.

"Alright, let's get started!"

While I was thinking about all this, the service start time arrived. The helmet-type VR device is already on my head, and I've taken care of the bathroom, hydration, and meals. I plan to play until dinner.

"Monsters Evolve Online, start!"

Following my voice command, the game starts. My physical senses are disconnected, and my consciousness moves into the VR space. I find myself in a white, empty space for initial settings. There's a spherical object hanging from somewhere above.

"Hey there, welcome to Monsters Evolve Online!"

With those words, the sphere suddenly splits into two, and confetti, streamers, and banners come out. Is this a kusudama?

The banner reads "Congratulations! Service Start!" in large letters.

"Is the management just playing around?"

"They love to have fun, you know."

The banner stood up on its own... Wait, was that the banner talking? Why a banner...?

"Ah, this form? It's to differentiate from players! I can't be an object, you see!"

"Ah, I see. So, you can't be humanoid either?"

"Right, you get it! Anyway, let me introduce myself. I'm the management AI, 'Ittan.' The naming sense here is terrible, isn't it?"

"Whatever..."

You're really familiar, aren't you? Is this because the offline version's management AI was too bland and boring? And 'Ittan'—is this talking banner a hitotsume-kozo?

"Alright, let's go to character creation! Have you played the offline version?"

"Yeah, I have."

"Thanks for playing! Let me explain the differences in character creation between the offline and online versions."

"Is it that different?"

"Sure is. You start with one character slot, and you can get up to three by completing quests."

"Ah, there's a limit on character slots. Makes sense for an online game."

"Exactly. The initial character is randomly determined. The second slot is a conditional free slot, but you'll have to accept that."

"Wait, I can't choose my initial character!?"

"Sorry, but due to the game's nature, if everyone chooses the easy species in an online setting, the game could end too quickly."

"True, that makes sense."

In the offline version, the game changes completely depending on the chosen monster. Some species can easily reach the human stage, while others are very difficult. If everyone chose the easy species in an online setting, the human species could be reached too quickly. This is a measure to prevent that. However, to address the dissatisfaction, three character slots are provided.

"Also, this time, there are three player factions. After character creation, you can join the one you like. Unlike the offline version, the goal is not which species reaches the human stage first, but which faction does."

"So, it's a competition between factions, not species. That's quite a change."

"There are other changes too, but you'll have to discover them yourself. Shall we start character creation?"

With that, a rapidly spinning roulette wheel appeared. It's not a casino-style roulette but a large circular board that just spins. What, it's decided randomly like this? Not even a list is shown?

"Say 'stop' at the moment you like."

"Wait, can't you at least show me what's available?"

"Sorry, but there's a lot of useful information, so it's not shown. The roulette will only reveal the selected option, the rest will be blacked out."

"Then, why use a roulette!?"

"What can I do about it? If you have complaints, send them to the support address."

"..."

Ittan then provided the support address. Is it okay for the management AI to be like this!?

"Can you say 'stop' soon? I'm manually spinning it, so it's a bit tiring."

"I have a lot to comment on, but forget it. Stop."

"Alright, stop. Let's see what we got... Oh, this is... interesting."

"Hey, show me quickly. What did I get?"

The roulette was immediately hidden, so I couldn't see the result. This presentation is frustrating...

"Your initial species is 'Moss.'"

"What!?"

I was stunned to hear a species that didn't exist in the offline version. There were plant-type monsters, but moss...? That moss?

This is bad, I have no idea how to approach this....

I started this unique VRMMO on a whim!

Right now, I don't have a proper plot or much content, so updates will be very irregular.

Well, can I make a proper story with such a unique premise...?

2018/9/19 Update

Surprisingly, it's going well and continuing.

Instead of irregular updates, I'm now updating daily at 5 PM!