Oblivion's Embrace

Level 1: The Beginning of the Game.

In 2034, virtual reality gaming reached a groundbreaking milestone, allowing players to fully immerse themselves within digital worlds as if they were real. A decade later, in 2044, a game called Oblivion's Embrace took the world by storm, introducing an unparalleled depth of gameplay that pushed the boundaries of what people thought possible. It was so advanced that it required its own dedicated gaming system. Despite its astonishing complexity, the developers priced it at only $200, making it accessible to millions. On launch day, the game attracted a staggering fifty million players, each eager to experience a new reality like never before.

The developers, undaunted by the massive demand, successfully met everyone's needs, bolstered by the feedback of over a million beta testers who had given it rave reviews. Yet, just three weeks after the grand launch, Oblivion's Embrace was set to alter the lives of over a million players-forever.

Elara sat cross-legged in her room, carefully
connecting the cables to stream her upcoming session in Oblivion's Embrace. Once everything was set, she reached for her Embracer, a sleek, helmet-like device that would immerse her entirely into the game's world. Lying back on her bed, she took a deep breath, then activated the device.

As one of the lucky million beta testers, she'd had access to Oblivion's Embrace long before its official release. She'd spent countless hours exploring its realms and refining her skills. Now, with the full release, she could dive right in without missing a beat-and her growing audience on her video channel, Moonlight Plays, was eager to follow every step of her journey. Streaming her adventures was more than a hobby; it was her life's work, and it gave her a reason to stay within Oblivion's Embrace as long as she could.

On her first day in Oblivion's Embrace, Elara had chosen the Knight Class. She liked the balance it offered-heavy armor and formidable strength to withstand enemy blows, paired with the offensive capability to dish out damage in return. Since she preferred solo play, she'd invested time in skills that would allow her to be self-sufficient, like smithing and crafting, so she wouldn't have to rely on others for repairs or supplies.

In Oblivion's Embrace, every skill had a unique path to progression. Main attributes like health, strength, agility, defense, and even mana were not improved by arbitrary points but rather by performing tasks directly related to each skill, as in real life. Strength increased through intense combat or physical labor; agility improved by scaling difficult terrain or dodging attacks; defense was strengthened by withstanding blows; and even mana grew by pushing the limits of her magical endurance. Each action, each struggle, made her more adept in those skills, immersing her deeper into the game's realistic progression system.

As a thank-you gift for her role as a beta tester, the game had granted her a special chest upon her first login. Inside, she'd found a full set of gleaming adamantine armor that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow, a loyal personal horse with a sleek, midnight-black coat, and a mysterious egg-a rare, random companion that hadn't yet hatched. According to the egg's details, it would take about four more hours before it would reveal whatever lay inside.

Curious, Elara had reached out to a few other beta testers she knew, wondering why her egg was taking so long. Oddly enough, they had no answers; their companion eggs had already hatched. This small mystery nagged at her, but she would have to wait regardless.

Upon entering the game, Elara found herself standing at the gates of Crystalline, the gleaming first city of Oblivion's Embrace. True to its name, Crystalline was a marvel of intricate crystal structures that seemed to grow naturally from the ground, glistening in various hues as they caught the light. Towering crystal spires stretched high into the sky, refracting sunlight in a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colors that bathed the city in a soft, ethereal glow. The buildings, formed from polished stone embedded with luminous crystal veins, had an otherworldly beauty, as though the city itself were alive, breathing magic with every shimmer.