Aside from the League ga that was more of a duel-type experience, the Federation's influence seed to have pushed the virtual gaming industry centuries forward in technological advancent.
This obviously did not make much sense considering their sudden and simultaneous appearance, so most people agreed that rather than calling it sothing entirely new-though it still was for many-for those in higher positions, it probably wasn't.
Perhaps they already had sothing better or wanted to promote a specific narrative, like the Supers League for instance, and decided to release these things now.
For so odd reason, however, nearly ninety percent of all the new-generation gas were combat-related.
Only a few companies released sothing different.
This didn't cause the excitent to die down though.
Thanks to the funds Michael provided and the Federation's initiative to encourage household-level virtual training, the ga pods ca preloaded with several ga. The League was, of course, the most popular among them.
Lily grinned as she scrolled through the holographic nu hovering above the pod. "It's all here-League, War's Frontier, Abyss Runners, and even the Front War simulation our classmates use to talk about!" Her voice carried genuine excitent.
To be honest, one good reason the ga pod had been bought was because of their classmates' influence. The academy students constantly talked about the League, ranked duels, and VR combat training, making it sound like a daily necessity rather than entertainnt. Lily had been easily convinced.
However, even if Lily could be influenced by her peers, why was Jester-soone far more composed and ntally mature-had been
influenced just as easily.
The reason lay in Jester's greatest flaw, one that had grown stronger ever since he beca Michael's undead and absorbed the mories of Li Fang, the cultivator. That flaw was curiosity.
It wasn't a bad trait by itself. Curiosity had always been part of human progress. Yet, as history had proven, so of the world's most terrible events had also begun with curiosity-scientists crossing ethical lines in dicine, mages performing forbidden experints, rulers seeking knowledge that should have been left untouched. Curiosity opened doors, but not all doors should be opened.
Michael, who understood Jester's nature better than most, had warned him to "handle himself well" while he was away. Still, he would never have guessed that the undead he considered wise enough to be called an elder would have a childlike curiosity bubbling under the surface.
Of course, Jester wouldn't deceive his master over sothing like this. His reasoning was simple-Lily needed the pod for faster growth and training, so there was no harm in him participating too. Yet, just as he followed his master's orders, he also tended to interpret them in his own way.
In the sa manner that he obeyed Michael yet still road the neighborhood, subtly using his abilities to absorb the mories of a few elderly people to understand this new world better, Jester once again found a way to benefit from the rules without breaking them.
It was clear now that this undead wasn't ordinary. He was learning, adapting, and evolving-not only as a weapon or servant but as sothing far more complex.
Lily, of course, didn't notice any of this. To her, Jester was just an oddly charming, overly polite boy with her cousin's face.
Which was honestly weird but might have helped in building their relationship.
After all, unlike her look crazed friends, she saw him as a housemate.
Jester turned toward Lily's pod, his voice calm but teasing. "We shouldn't play League yet. With our current skills, we'll probably be beaten left and right."
Inside the other pod, Lily froze. Since they had already added each other as friends in the system, his words echoed directly into her earpiece. Her face flushed imdiately, and she sank slightly into her
seat.
He said our skills-but she knew he was just being kind. Jester might have phrased it as a collective issue, but Lily was painfully aware that she was the real problem.
In their practice matches, it had beco very clear that Jester was a natural fighter. His precision, reflexes, and situational awareness were on another level entirely. He might not be as overwhelming as her cousin Michael, but he wasn't far behind either.
Still, she said nothing.
Besides, she already had a plan.
Later. When he's busy recording, I'll sneak in and play League on my
own.
She sighed quietly. Jester had a habit-an obsession, really-of recording everything they did for "data review." He said it helped them learn faster, but Lily suspected he just liked collecting information. If she really did get beaten badly, she couldn't let him have a video of it
as proof.
"Alright," Lily replied softly, forcing a smile into her tone. "We'll start with sothing else then."
Jester chuckled, his tone light. "In the end it is still combat. But before League, we can warm up with other gas. How about a war sim
first?"
Lily peeked at her nu. "Front War?"
"Yes," he confird.
"Okay."
They both tapped in. Account creation flickered by in a handful of prompts. Na, region, optional avatar. Jester set his to default after the old scanned his facial and body features. Lily did the sa. "According to what we saw online and in the ga description," Jester said, scrolling through the text that appeared before his eyes, "this ga's about starting as a foot soldier for an organization called the Federation. We fight against alien races and try to push back their invasion or sothing like that."
Lily humd as she skimd the sa information on her end. "It sounds exciting."
"Yeah," Jester replied with a small grin. "Pretty much. But the cool part
is that if we form a party, we'll get assigned together in the sa
squad."
That was all the convincing Lily needed. "Then let's do that."
They both confird the setting.
Next ca the loadout screen.
"Alright," Jester said as the holographic models of weapons rotated in
front of him. "We get to pick a primary and a secondary."
Lily's eyes scanned through the list.
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