There are seven things I want you to know before we proceed.

One, think long and hard before deciding to join a team in this game. You may form a few alliances, but eventually, you will encounter a situation that will force you to choose between your friends and your own success and power. Choosing your friends may seem like the moral thing to do, but it will most likely lead you toward your own death and destruction.

Two, you choose your path. No deity or wise old men are going to plan your character’s development for you, there will be no easy pickings. Your actions will determine your class, your skills, your powers, and your reputation.

Three, we play for fun.

Four, patience precedes fun. Sometimes you will have to spend hours of in-game time to achieve the truly epic rewards.

Five, noobs are not to be underestimated. Even a first level character can aim true and kill an arrogant 20th level fool.

Six, magic is awesome. All characters possess it, even the most none-arcane warrior. Use it wisely for it would shape your game for better and worse.

Seven, there are no real rules in this game. All of the above is just my fucked up way of screwing with your mind (evil chuckle in the background), so let’s play and see what happens. Good luck!

Ben grinned as he finished reading the introduction mail from his new DM. He knew from reading the forums that Raxlon was one of the best dungeon masters around, and these so-called rules were just perfect. Ben was okay with team playing - in almost all of the games he participated in, playing together was a key part of winning - but what he really loved was to play alone, and win alone. If Raxlon’s gameplay was focused on solo players then he definitely chose the right DM. He also really liked the fifth rule. Ben always hated the way it was impossible to kill high-level bosses if you were a weak character. In his opinion, a good RPG was about good strategy, quick thinking, and bold moves. It seems Raxlon was on the same page as he.

And then there was the seventh rule, which was the most awesome of all. No rules! How brilliant was that? Of course, it would probably be a bitch to DM like that, but Raxlon had a reputation for being the best, so.

Ben sighed happily and checked his V-watch. He gave the internal command and red digits flared briefly on his skin. 15:58. Two minutes to log-in. He felt his pulse quickening and checked for the tenth time that his VR gear was fastened properly. This was the first time he was going for a real VD (Virtual Reality D&D) experience, and he didn’t know what to expect. What would happen in the transition between the real world and the virtual one? From when he read, the program was supposed to “hijack” his brain, thus making him believe he was in a whole different surroundings. This method was the cause of a global outcry for years now - many groups and movements warned that it was the first step toward the extinction of the human race - but the gaming companies were too powerful and the players too eager, and the technology got better and better.

Ben was one of those eager players, but up until recently, there was nothing he could do about it since he never could afford the overwhelmingly expansive VD sets. He and his friends had to make do with the old, classic way of playing the game - sitting around a table with your character sheet, playing face to face with your companions. They told themselves that nothing could replace the real experience, but when they drank enough beer they confessed that they would sell their own sister for a chance to put their hands on a VD set.

Ben touched the high-tech gear that was glued to his shaved skull almost reverently. Despite his will, his thoughts drifted to the occurrences of the day before, and he had to bite his lower lip and forcefully banish the guilt and doubt that reared their ugly heads. No time for second thoughts now. The important thing was that he was the owner of a professional VD unit, and was about to log-in to an adventure of a lifetime.

16:00, his V-watch read, and Ben stopped thinking, following the instructions he received in a different mail, and falling into a complete mind-silence. He could hear himself breathe, steady but fast. The walls of his room seemed to waver a bit in his vision, but maybe it was only his imagination.

And then, deep in his mind, came a soft, far away whisper: “Close your eyes.”

Ben didn't hesitate and did as commanded.

“Now open them,” continued the whisper.

He did - and gasped. Where before he could see his room, now there was nothing. Just a vast blackness.

“What - hello?”, he tried. Was this supposed to happen?

Nothing. He blinked, turned his head, even moved his hands in front of his face, but the darkness was complete. Suddenly he was overcome with panic. Did this VR unit just turn him blind or something? He reached frantically for his head to remove the sticky pad from his shaved head - but paused. What did Raxlon say? His fourth rule called for patience. Tearing the most expensive part of the headset was probably not the wisest thing to do a minute after log-in.

He took a deep breath and tried again. “Ehm, hello? Raxlon?”

“Yes. I am here Ben.” This time it was a man’s voice, and stronger. “Can’t you see me?”

Ben frowned. “I can’t see anything.”

“Ah. I forget. This is your first time playing VD, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok then. It’s easy. Do you know how to operate your V-watch? I mean... assuming you have one. Sorry for the presumption.”

Ben started to get annoyed, and the complete darkness wasn’t helping. “Of course I have one. And yeah I know how to use the damn thing. What of it?”

He was immediately sorry for his flip retort, but if Raxlon was upset he gave no sign of it. “You have to think about the game’s login in the same way as you think about your watch,” explained the DM. “As if it is part of you. You want to see the game, you want to connect to the mind-console. Your username and password are already inside, so all you have to do is will yourself into the game. Try.”

Ben took a deep breath and thought about it. The mind-tech itself wasn’t something new - people have been using it for the better part of a decade, and it was considered a basic day to day product. But he never tried to use it for anything other than reading the time or other basic functions. He focused, trying to feel the new digital connection to his brain. He searched the darkness, looking for anything different. With the watch it was easy - you just thought about seeing the time, and it appeared - but here he had to embrace something new and foreign. The seconds stretched as he tried and he began to fear that there was something wrong either with the console or with himself. “I can’t - “ he began, but then stopped himself. In the upper right corner of the nothingness in his vision, the blackness seemed to… hum. There was no better description for it. Desperately hoping that his mind wasn’t inventing stuff, Ben reached with his mind toward the source of the humming. He was rewarded with a whisper: “User Ben82016a accepted. Logging in, please wait.”

He didn’t have to wait for long. When Ben blinked again, the blackness was gone.

“Ah. Welcome, Ben. We’ve been waiting for you.”

Ben gasped. He was looking at a big round marble table from the perspective of a person sitting in one of the chairs. There were eight people around the table, and all of them were looking at him with expressions that ranged from bewilderment to embarrassment to amusement to laughing their asses off.

Ben was aghast. “You... you all heard that didn’t you.”

The person right in front of him - a tall, blond, broad-shouldered man with a white cape and an easy grin - nodded. “They did Ben. But there is something much more urgent for you to worry about, I’m afraid.”

Ben felt the panic rising again, but this time it was a different kind of fear. He felt every other player’s eyes on him, and there was something about the girls’ looks - one of them, a redhead, was looking straight at him with unabiding attention - that made him suddenly very conscious of himself. Slowly, he looked down on his own body.

And… yes. He was naked. Completely so. Adam and Eve style. His bare ass was sitting on a floating chair around a floating table, and there was nothing on him to cover anything else. It was like a childhood nightmare, walking to school and suddenly realizing you forgot to put on your pants.

Ben quickly covered his nether region with both hands and felt his cheeks flush deep red. “I guess you don’t enter the game with clothes, do you,” he said meekly. He was so flustered that he didn’t stop to appreciate the way he was moving - actually moving! - the hands and body of this virtual version of himself.

The blond fellow - Raxlon, he assumed - chuckled softly. “Actually you do, but you have to change the settings to do so. Didn’t you read the beginners’ manual when you received the console?”

Ben didn’t even know there was a beginner’s manual, but now wasn’t the time to explain how he got the VR set. “I... I didn't think… I must have missed that part,” he stammered. “Can you please tell me what to do,” he finished quietly. He didn’t feel so embarrassed for as long as he remembered himself.

Raxlon shook his head and sighed. His previous amusement seemed to be replaced with the beginning of annoyance. “Just connect to the game settings and put some clothes on. I will allow it, but it will be a one time perk. Also, that is one less perk for you in future games.”

Ben clenched his teeth. Already he was starting at a disadvantage, and the quest didn’t even begin! Well, there was nothing to do about it now. Acutely conscious of the other players’ stares and giggles, he closed his eyes and focused, once again establishing the link to the mind-console. It was much easier and faster this time, and suddenly there was a large square of white light waiting for him in the middle of his field of vision. He felt a surge of excitement when he realized what it was: a game prompt. His first-ever VR game prompt! Ben focused on the square and blue words appeared in its middle:

Welcome, adventurer! Your DM has granted you one-time access to change your player’s settings. Do you wish to continue?

Yes, Ben thought eagerly, and apparently it was enough, for the prompt dissolved and instead Ben could see his own naked body floating in space, illuminated by an unknown source. It was a surreal experience, seeing himself like this. He was amazed by the accuracy - his mind projected his image perfectly, including the few hairs that appeared on his chest a few months ago, and even the birthmark that adorned his right buttcheek. He also found out that he could rotate his image, in much the same way he was accustomed to in other RPGs.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t take the whole day,” came Raxlon’s somewhat irritated voice, ruining his fun. “We have only four hours of gameplay, and the others are not enjoying the wait as much as you do.”

Ben cursed inwardly. Could Raxlon see him admiring his naked self inside his settings manual? He thought to ask, and then thought better of it. “Yeah,” he replied, trying to sound sincere. “Sorry. I’ll be right with you guys.”

Ben saw a spinning white square next to his virtual naked character and concentrated on it. In a heartbeat it expanded and grew, and inside were three sets of clothes. Ben took one look and felt his heart sink. He didn’t really get to examine the other players, but from the glance he managed to get, he saw that nearly all of them were richly or at least decently dressed, looking like nobles from medieval society, or like aspiring adventurers. The options in front of him were nothing of the sort, and if he had to guess it had something to do with the way he managed to get his hands on this VR unit in the first place. The system - or Raxlon - probably realized that he had no resources or in-game money whatsoever. Ben bit his lower lip and quickly surveyed his meager choices:

Worn traveler's clothes These sandals, pants, and shirt have seen better days, and would probably won’t survive a week of hard walking. Also, don’t count on them giving you any kind of warmth. In fact, the only thing these clothes can supply is a bit of modesty. A dark stained robe The robe’s dirty fabric would keep you relatively warm in winter, but you would probably sweat profusely in hot summer days. Also, be warned that traveling in black robes would most likely draw unwanted attention from most people. Comes with sandals. Boots and hardy pants Feel like going topless and showing off some muscle? This is the choice for you. The boots would endure many a road, and the pants are well made, but you will have to find your shirt elsewhere.

Ben thought about it. It was his first game decision, one that may affect his future character, and he would have liked to give it some serious consideration - but knowing there were seven players and one edgy DM waiting for him to return to the game, he had to decide quickly.

His first impulse was to take the black robe. He was fond of magic-users and was actually intrigued by the possibility of “unwanted attention.” Choosing the robe may lead him to a dark and exciting path. However, was he really going to decide on his path from the very start?

His gaze shifted to the boots and pants and he shook his head sadly. He was a skinny dude, no muscles to show off and he had enough giggles for one day.

Ben concentrated and chose. When he opened his eyes, he was sitting in the same place as before, but this time he was covered in nondescript clothes that, as the description so aptly said, had seen better days. Amazingly, he could feel the coarse cloth on his skin and even found himself itching. Could this VR game be so realistic that he felt the need to itch?

“So glad you came back to us!” Raxlon’s sardonic comment was accompanied by a wide smile. He gestured toward the other players sitting around the table, and then settled his gaze on Ben. “That was quite an entrance - one of the best I’ve seen, mind you - but it’s time to move on. You see, while you pondered about your new wardrobe, we all made introductions and I explained some important game mechanics. However, since I don’t want to repeat myself... I’m afraid you will have to find out some of the basics for yourself. So, is everyone ready?”

Ben blinked, started to shake his head and say that no, there was no possible way he was ready, but the other seven players all spoke up and his attempt of denial was swallowed by their enthusiastic “Aye, ready!” and “Bring it on!” and “Born ready” and more of the like. Raxlon was still watching him, and Ben saw him smile evilly as he raised his hand. Was that a wand he was holding?

“Hold on to your pants! Game on.”

As the room dissolved around him, Ben could swear he heard an evil chuckle fading in the background.