Zortex stared at the kid for ten more seconds before his mind actually connected to his memory. Of course! Now I remember. This is what happens as soon as connecition has succeeded. He had read about it during his studies. Right after entering into Endless he would meet with the AI which would explain to him the details on how to work his account. Obviously, the AI was available at all moments for all people connected to the VR.

“Congratulations! I see that you have successfully connected to the system. From now on you can contact me anytime you want just by saying or thinking my name” the weird kid told Zortex. He was quite creeped out by the voice and appearance of the AI. Why did they decide to make it look like this? Probably they didn’t want to make it look too humanlike otherwise people would forget that this is just a stage before entering a new World he thought.

“Can you change your appearance? I would like you to become like Carla McKenzie, the actress” Zortex asked.

“No, you can change basically everything in your personal space, but I am an authority which you cannot control at will. My appearance will remain the same as long I deem it necessary to be” Endless answered.

“What do you mean by personal space?” Zortex questioned.

“This is your safe room” Endless said just as Zortex was reached the same conclusion. “You can access this place whenever you want just by asking it to the System, ergo me. From this room you can access any of the Worlds available. When you want to switch from a World to another you must first come back here”.

Zortex was getting more and more excited now that his mind was fully awake. Twenty years in the real world, but at that moment he could finally personally where to be. He was tired of all this chatting when his dream world was just one word away. He wanted to enter Age of Legends and start his new life. “How can I choose the World right now?”

“Just ask or think about the list of the Worlds and it will appear in front of you. You should read the instruction before entering a new one” Endless explained. “Afterwards just decide to enter it. Most people at the beginning find it difficult to use the mind to operate the system, so it is easier if you say it out loud. Before that, you can also furnish your safe room to your liking. There are already plenty of prerecorded environments, but you can change every single detail at your wish.”

Zortex had no interest in doing that right now, but when he was just about to send the kid away he realized something. He couldn’t see himself in this place. He needed a mirror. “I want a mirror”. Right away a 2 meters tall 2 meters wide mirror formed in front of him, exactly how he had imagined it in his mind. He looked at himself and felt once again the disappointment which characterized his teenagers years. Even here he looked exactly the same as in reality. The guy looking back at him was 1.8 meters tall, pale white skinned, slim body of average weight, brown short hairs and brown eyes, no remarkable features and an average face. Basically nothing to be proud of, although not so bad to feel desperate. The image made him gloomy. New life should mean a new body, right? He looked to the kid on his right and asked “How can I change my body?”

“Major body changes are not possible at the beginning. Your senses are used to your real body, so anything drastic would impair your ability to use your body for now. There are small changes which can be done right away. For example color of hair and eyes, skin tone and smoothness. You can also activate an option which will make your appearance change trough time, based on how you will keep living here. Anything more is not allowed. Changes will happen slowly to let you be comfortable with your body ”

Zortex started to think deeply. There was not much he could change, but he wanted to obtain the best results with what he had available. After pondering for 10 minutes he arrived to a conclusion. “I want my skin to become a bit darker, like when I got tanned in summer. My hair should be dark black and my eyes a light orange. Cancel the dark circles under my eyes. Take out the hairs from the rest of my body. I don’t want to look like a monkey”.

He looked himself in the mirror and looked at the changes. After a few other minor adjustments he was satisfied. “Can I change my appearance every time I come back here?” he asked.

“It is possible, but you may found difficult to move your body right away if it had major changes in the World you have been staying at. Be aware that many Worlds will not allow you to go back there for a certain amount of time if you make relevant changes. Otherwise people could conceal their identity more easily” Endless replied.

Zortex agreed with that, although he would have liked to change himself whenever he wanted to better flirt with any lady who caught his attention. Not that he had ever flirted with any girl. They were not interested in him because they preferred the mindless idiots who went to parties and could only speak about gossip with them. Still it was good to stay optimistic. New life meant new opportunities. For sure there will be smart and interesting girls in AoL….Right?

“One last thing. How can I send a message to the real world?”

“You cannot directly speak to anyone outside the VR. The time here is accelerated by ten times compared to your original place. You can send and receive video messages. Would you like to send a message right now?” Endless replied.

Zortex left a message to his family telling them that everything was ok and they should not be worried. Afterwards he opened the list of the Worlds and directly went to read rules about his chosen one: Age of Legends.

Ten minutes of reading and he decided to stop without having finished, already satisfied with what he had seen. He had always been the kind of player that preferred to learn how to play while playing, rather than reading the rules beforehand. He selected a few options and then he excitedly said “Enter Age of Legends”.

“Sure. Have fun” answered Endless emotionlessly.

The World around him warped and when his vision stopped spinning he found himself standing in the entrance of what looked like a Temple.