On November 1st, in the year 2100 of the New Calendar, the epoch-making ultra-holographic online game, ‘Otherworld,’ officially launched its open beta.
However, on this particular day, Bai Xia was not among the countless players who, brimming with anticipation for this groundbreaking game, had eagerly waited before their login devices, poised to experience its splendor at the very first moment.
Having stayed up late binge-watching anime, she didn’t stir awake until two in the afternoon, slowly coming to her senses.
After washing up and grabbing a bite to eat, more than four hours had already elapsed since the game’s noon open beta launch.
Fortunately, she felt no urgency.
After finishing her meal, she returned to her room to thoroughly inspect her login device.
Only after confirming everything was in order did she remove her SkyComm glasses and fasten the connection device onto her head.
The game’s login system comprised several components, with the connection device itself resembling an oversized, metallic-framed pair of goggles.
Its appearance was undeniably sleek and impressive; however, due to Bai Xia’s small face, donning it instantly obscured the majority of her features, making her feel rather like a masked superhero.
Mercifully, once worn, the internal connectors automatically adjusted their size to fit perfectly; otherwise, she truly wouldn’t have been able to wear it at all.
Internally, Bai Xia gave a resounding thumbs-up to Phantom Dream Company (TL Note: The company name “幻梦公司” directly translates to “Phantom Dream Company” or “Illusion Dream Company”) for such a thoughtful design, awarding it full marks.
With the connection device secured, and having already completed the network setup with the external components as per the instructions, all that remained was to find a comfortable position and flick the switch.
Naturally, as it was her first time interacting with such high-tech equipment, Bai Xia still harbored a degree of apprehension.
Ultimately, however, her curiosity triumphed over her inner unease, prompting her to gently flick the external switch.
“Beep.”
The moment the switch was flicked, the previously dormant connection device immediately illuminated, followed by a series of crisp, melodious electronic tones.
After approximately three seconds of this, a slightly metallic female voice resonated in her ear:
“Welcome to Phantom Dream products. Smart Assistant Xiaomeng (TL Note: “小梦” means “Little Dream,” a common affectionate nickname for AI assistants or characters) is at your service. This unit is detected as a first-time login. Would you like to proceed with authentication and binding?”
“Authentication and binding?”
“Directive confirmed. Initiating detection system. Information collection commencing. Data comparison in progress… Complete. One hundred percent match confirmed. Initiating binding system. Connecting… Binding initiated. Complete!”
‘What? It’s already done? I hadn’t even finished speaking!’
The sheer speed of this smart assistant left Bai Xia speechless.
Before she could ponder further, the slightly metallic female voice spoke again.
“Welcome to the ‘Otherworld’ ultra-era holographic online game login device. Would you like to log into the game, Miss Bai Xia?”
“Oh, you know my name?”
To Bai Xia’s surprised inquiry, the smart assistant calmly replied:
“This unit is a limited edition release. Purchase requires a valid form of personal identification and, once purchased, it is bound to the buyer. No other individual may use it until the binding is released. Therefore, your name, Miss Bai Xia, is naturally recorded in its data.”
‘Truly befitting a smart assistant, she thought.’
‘If not for the slight stiffness still present in its replies, Bai Xia might have suspected she was speaking to a human operator in disguise.’
She paused for only a moment before realizing.
“Alright then, let’s start the game!”
“Directive received. As this is your first login, please wait patiently for 30 seconds,” the smart assistant responded, before its voice shifted to a cold, mechanical tone:
“Main brain connection complete. Device activation complete. Synchronization initiating…”
Shortly after the voice faded, Bai Xia felt the world before her abruptly plunge into darkness, and in a moment of disorienting haze, she found herself enveloped in a realm of absolute black.
Yet, in the very next instant, this inky world was rent asunder by light, revealing a colossal white platform shimmering at the edge of her vision.
“Synchronization complete. Synchronization rate 99.9932%, within safe parameters. Safety system no feedback. Login successful. First-time login detected. Initiating character creation module.”
The distant white platform then rapidly zoomed into view, as if she were watching an immersive film from a god’s-eye perspective.
This indescribable sensation left Bai Xia utterly awestruck.
As she drew nearer, she discovered that seven enormous humanoid sculptures towered around the circular platform.
Each sculpture struck a different pose and wore distinct attire.
One brandished a sword aloft, another stood firm with a shield, a third held a bow drawn to its fullest, while a fourth was adorned in resplendent magic robes.
One emanated hidden killing intent, another was surrounded by a multitude of beasts, and the last bore radiant wings upon its back.
Without needing any system introduction, Bai Xia, having played numerous games, immediately understood that these sculptures represented the initial character classes available for selection during creation.
The figure in light armor raising a greatsword was, naturally, the Warrior.
The one clutching a massive shield was undoubtedly the Tank, a bulwark of defense.
The taut longbow belonged to the Archer, and the flowing robes of the one gently grasping a staff clearly marked the Mage.
The shadowy, exceptionally dangerous silhouette represented the Assassin, while the one with countless monsters lurking in the darkness behind them was the Summoner.
Finally, the figure with hands clasped before their chest and a serene, holy expression was, beyond a doubt, the healing-oriented Cleric.
However…
“Why are they all female?”
Indeed, all seven sculptures, representing seven distinct classes, were unequivocally depicted in female forms!
Could it be that this game only featured female characters!?
Evidently, that was impossible.
“Answer: To prevent potential online fraud and emotional deception, it is explicitly stipulated by treaty that the creation and customization of characters of a different gender than the user are temporarily unavailable. We ask for your understanding.”
Well, Bai Xia had originally hoped to relive the feeling of being a “true man” in the game, or at the very least, reclaim her masculine dignity.
Now, before she had even begun, all those plans had dissolved into thin air.
Yet, upon reflection, their reasoning seemed quite normal.
After all, anything could happen online; if a two-hundred-pound “fat otaku” were to portray themselves as a beautiful girl to deceive others, the financial loss upon discovering the truth would be secondary to the sheer disgust it would cause!
Moreover, if the world constructed by the holographic online game was truly as powerful as advertised, it could, in serious cases, inflict indelible psychological trauma on individuals.
Hence, the gender option was clearly not something players could tamper with indiscriminately; otherwise, chaos might truly ensue in the future.
Though somewhat disappointed by this revelation, Bai Xia’s interest in ‘Otherworld’ did not wane in the slightest.
Under the system’s guidance, she began to examine the seven sculptures on the platform.
As her gaze swept over them, each of the seven sculptures illuminated in turn, accompanied by textual descriptions of their respective classes and skill demonstration videos that materialized before her.
Bai Xia patiently opened and reviewed each one.
While information about these classes was also available on the official website, each profession presented itself as remarkably splendid and intriguing.
After a moment of hesitation, she decided to immediately rule out the Tank-type Shieldguard and the healing-oriented Cleric.
After all, she had absolutely no interest in being a meat shield, and carrying a shield with her current physique would look rather odd.
Whether her vision would be obscured during combat was secondary; the thought of earning titles like ‘Ghost Shield’ or ‘Invisible Shieldguard’ because of it was simply too hilarious to contemplate.
While the Cleric was an indispensable class for mid-to-late-game party play, it possessed almost no effective offensive capabilities in the early stages.
Furthermore, developing a Cleric required significantly more effort than other classes, and Bai Xia clearly lacked the time and energy for such a commitment.
Following a brief contemplation, she then eliminated the Archer and the Summoner.
Her reason for not choosing the Archer was simply that she didn’t know how to use a bow.
The Summoner was discarded for reasons similar to the Cleric: it too was a character with insufficient early-game abilities, demanding a substantial investment of time and effort for proper development.
Thus, only three choices remained: Warrior, Assassin, and Mage.
The Warrior, a melee class, boasted a limited attack range and moderate damage output, yet stood as the most balanced of all professions, capable of both enduring and dealing blows.
Mages specialized in widespread continuous damage and the application of debilitating negative status effects, such as fiery burns, icy slows, and the blinding and corrosive powers of darkness.
Though physically fragile, their comprehensive abilities made them the most versatile class overall.
Compared to the former two, Assassins possessed fewer flashy skills.
Their pursuit was the one-hit kill, and while their physical resilience was only marginally better than a Mage’s, they commanded the highest movement speed and burst damage among all classes.
Staring at the three remaining classes, Bai Xia found herself caught in a dilemma of choice.