Don felt slightly bored.
So he turned his attention back to the computer in front of him. He powered up the high-spec gaming system and connected his second-generation light-sensing glasses, then opened the Realms Online expansion cinematic, a special preview released by the developers, an imrsive experience designed to let players taste the world of the ga four hours before the official server launch.
The mont the program launched, a blazing crimson light exploded across the screen.
Even Don had to squint as the brightness flooded his vision.
Then the scene appeared. And he froze.
’What 3D movies? Compared to this... they were nothing more than cheap illusions. This was a true masterpiece.’
At the center of the screen stretched an ancient battlefield. Autumn winds howled across the land as yellow sand swirled through the air. Above the battlefield, countless black-winged demonic creatures filled the sky, clad in dark armor and wielding cruel weapons, they dove downward like a storm, raining destruction upon the land below.
On the ground, warriors from the righteous races of Illynoa stood their ground. Humans. Wolf Orcs. Dark Elves. Nimi Dwarves. Sea Elves. All of them raised their weapons and unleashed dazzling spells and powerful combat techniques toward the heavens.
The battlefield erupted into chaos. Crimson blood and murky ichor sprayed through the air as both sides collided violently.
Then the ground shattered.
The earth cracked apart with a thunderous explosion, sending nearby warriors flying. Don leaned forward instinctively.
From the broken earth rose a monstrous creature, a giant two-headed bone dragon. Its skeletal body radiated terrifying heat as scorching flas poured from its jaws. Any warrior who approached was instantly engulfed. Their armor lted. Their bodies turned black and charred before they could even scream.
Standing atop the bone dragon’s back was a towering Demon General clad in black armor. His hands rested on the hilt of an enormous greatsword wrapped in swirling blood energy. His eyes glowed with a cold, bloodthirsty scarlet as he surveyed the battlefield below.
Then he lifted the sword and brought it down.
A massive arc of crimson energy tore across the battlefield like a tidal wave. Countless warriors caught in its path were obliterated instantly, their bodies shredded into fragnts by the terrifying blade of energy. Seeing their commander’s overwhelming power, the demonic creatures roared wildly and descended from the sky like a black storm, their weapons crashing brutally against the defenders of Illynoa.
But just as the battlefield seed ready to collapse, a dragon’s roar echoed across the heavens.
From the distant sky, a golden dragon burst through the clouds, diving toward the battlefield. Standing on its back was a woman clad in silver-white armor. Her long black hair flowed behind her like a waterfall. Her eyes shone like distant stars. An overwhelming aura radiated from her presence.
She drew a golden greatsword from her waist. With a sharp cry, she slashed forward.
A brilliant wave of golden light exploded across the sky. The demonic creatures caught in the attack scread as their bodies burned away, turning to ash within seconds.
The Demon General roared in fury. Commanding the bone dragon beneath him, he charged toward the silver-armored woman. She showed no hesitation. Urging her golden dragon forward, she t him head-on.
The two dragons collided violently in midair. Crimson and golden greatswords clashed with explosive force. Sparks burst across the sky like falling stars.
Then the entire screen went black.
The floating sparks gathered together, swirling through the darkness. Slowly, they ford two massive words at the center of the screen, burning with brilliant light.
[REALMS ONLINE]
... For nearly an hour, Don remained imrsed in the cinematic. He replayed the video again and again, studying every scene, every battle, every detail of the breathtaking world that Realms Online promised. Only when a faint dryness crept into his throat did he finally remove the light-sensing glasses and step out of the pod.
The studio hall returned to view.
The two won beside him had both quieted down. Seat 16, the athletic girl, had placed her book over her face and was half-asleep, leaning comfortably back in her chair. Seat 18, however, was doing sothing entirely different.
Her computer screen glowed brightly as she focused intensely on a colorful retro ga.
[Bubble Crush]
Don blinked. Of all the things to play while waiting for the launch of the most advanced VRMMORPG in history... she was playing Bubble Crush.
He didn’t want to disturb the peaceful sleep of the girl at Seat 16, so he leaned slightly toward his right and gently nudged the other girl’s shoulder.
"Excuse ... beauty. Can I pass?"
To his surprise, she barely reacted. Her eyes remained glued to the screen as she cheerfully replied, "Oh, hold on! Just a mont!"
Don was montarily speechless. "How long exactly is ’a mont’?"
Only then did she seem to realize what she’d done.
"Oh! Sorry!" She imdiately stood up and pulled her chair inward to make space.
When she stood, Don’s eyes widened slightly.
She was tall. Very tall. Even standing beside her, Don, already 1.85 ters, felt that her height was nearly equal to his. Fortunately, he wasn’t short. Otherwise, standing next to a tall beauty like this might have been a little embarrassing.
But instead of letting him pass quietly, the girl suddenly leaned toward him with a playful smile.
"Hey, brother. Do you know how to play Bubble Crush?"
Her voice was pleasant, not overly sweet, not sharp either. Just balanced and comfortable to hear. Even more interesting was her accent. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was, but there was sothing about the way it blended with her naturally feminine tone that was oddly sweet. The kind of voice that made you want to hear more of it.
Don shrugged slightly. "Uh... a little."
The girl imdiately brightened. "Then help !" She pointed at the screen helplessly. "How do I clear this level? I think I’ve completely ssed up these little balls."
Don chuckled. "Let try."
He stepped over to her station and tapped the virtual keyboard. "Look, hit a broken line from this angle and you can clear this section." Then he moved the aim slightly. "After that, fire from the right side in a W-pattern... and you’ll clear the rest."
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