Two weeks earlier.

„Miss Xiang Xinya, I'm truly sorry but I have to inform you that we are unable to cure your genetic disease. Currently, we can only stall it but nothing more" the doctor told the young woman lying in an open gaming pod, she didn't look shocked but accepting of the information. "Doctor, how long will I have?" she asked, and realizing the hesitation she added,"I know that you can't predict it with certainty but please give me your estimate". The doctor nodded, "I estimate that in case no major mutations happen, we could stall it for at most a year. That would mean that Miss Xiang Xinya would need to stay under medical surveillance all the time though" he explained. Xiang Xinya shook her head, "I can't. Please prepare the discharging papers as I want to leave tomorrow" she said carding through her long black hair. The doctor nodded silently and left without trying to change her mind as he knew that only a few could pay a year-long stay and even less would do it for someone who had no chance for survival.

Setting the internal alarm to 6:00 am the next morning, she closed the gaming pod and entered 'Dream Life' again.

The next morning, after the alarm rang, she disconnected from the game and stepped out of the pod tentatively. It didn't take her long to grab all her stuff from the bathroom and the small wardrobe, pushing it all into a small cloth bag. Just when she finished packing up everything, her doctor stepped inside to have a last talk with her before her discharge. He wanted her on some medication, but she had to decline yet again as they are rather expensive and it was not possible for her to pay for them for a whole year.

She knew that she should stay, her job could cover the hospital bills if she stays online to work extra long hours. But she decided against it either way. A strained smile appeared on her face as she accepted the discharge papers and the prescription for the medication she should take. In her heart she knew that her death wouldn’t be a nice and painless one, years of medical emergency treatments to safe her life showed her just how her body fights against itself. Years of taking medicine just to extend the time between the treatments by just days, an experience she already accepted as normal. Seeing her parents struggling to earn enough money for the expensive medical care she required a constant pain in her heart. Yet now she was able to choose, to truly use her own will to decide her own fate. Even though it would only be the decision how she would spend her final year.

Just as she was leaving the ward, when a suit wearing middle-aged man approached her. “Miss, would you be interested to be part of the development of the first VR-implant?” he asked and offered his business card as well as a small booklet.

“I’m sorry but I won’t be able to help you” she said hesitating to take the offered items as politeness directs. “Please Miss, take a look at the booklet and think about the offer” the man insists as he holds the items still in his outstretched hands. Hesitantly and warily she took the items, taking a short look into the booklet. But when she looked back up the man was gone and she saw her doctor nodding at her encouraging. At least she now knew who told that man about her, even though she still didn’t know why yet.

When she was at home and had taken a shower, she picked up the booklet to take a closer look. It was about the testing of the VR-implant prototype. Using all ways one could think of to make it as enticing as possible. Just when she thought that it was sounding good but the risk would be way too high for her to take part, a few folded sheets of paper fell to the ground.

It was a contract, the offer to pay her 10 Million US-Dollar for her to test the implant under full medical surveillance and with a duration of a maximum of 2 years. But the contract also stated clearly that the pay would be paid in advance and wouldn’t be reduced if she was unable to proceed with the testing for medical reasons. It was even signed by the other part already. The only missing thing would be for her to sign it.

Gazing at the contract in her hand, she thought about her parents. Her mother was always working to pay for the medical bills of her father and her, and her father who always only wanted that his girls could live a happy life, but couldn't realize that dream because of his own chronical illness. An illness that makes him dependant of highly expensive medicine and could be cured with a special treatment only available in a private clinic overseas costing more than she could earn even if she had a decade time, as it is estimated at 5 Million US-Dollar. It would only need her to sign this paper and she could send her father to get this treatment and to offer her mother a life without the constant work. To realize that dream of hers to make sure that her parents could have a nice life. But that would also mean that she would have no more time to spend with them either, as she would be in the developing and testing facility.

She knew that her parents would want her to stay, to ignore the money issue the family was facing. But she couldn't. She was simply unable to think about her father dying even though he could be cured, could be healthy again. Unable to think of her mother, looking tired from the multiple jobs she did to pay the bills. Unable to think about her friends who helped her family and her whenever she needed them the most, even though they knew that she wouldn't be able to pay them back.

Facing all these feelings she realized that for her the choice was something she wouldn't regret even if her family and friends would think her behaviour absurd. She signed the contract silently.

Three days later, she returned her keys to her former landlord. Everything she had left of her belongings was a small suitcase of clothes, her car and the items she could transfer to Dream Life.

The suitcase was in the trunk, a few letters laying on the seat next to her. They were everything she would leave for her family and her friends. Her silent sorry as she would be unable to do this if she would see them. The deed of gift for the car laying in the letter for her best friend together with the bank account she opened for her, a last gift that she could make. She had divided the contract money for them all. Making sure that she forgot nobody that helped them in times of need. She wouldn't regret she told herself when she drove off to the meeting place where she was told she would be picked up and driven to the facility. Her last text on it's way to her best friend to tell her to pickup the car, leaving even her phone when she left.

The final medical tests and the small operation of implanting the VR-Device took another two days before she was allowed to activate it for the first time. Nervously she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath she thought of playing 'Knights of Hope' the game that was preinstalled in the implant.

Words flashed to life in her brain.

Do you wish to start Knights of Hope for the first time?

and with a simple thought of 'yes', she found herself in a circular building.

"Welcome to Knights of Hope. Please choose your assistant for the character customization" a friendly voice sounded and two holographic images shimmered in her vision all of a sudden, revealing the figures of one male and one female. The male one, a teenage boy, was a real eye candy. While the female was a young women that looked really sexy.

Thinking for a moment, Xinya tapped onto the hologram of the guy, Squire Raven, as his name was stated over the image.

In the next moment the holographic screens vanished and he was standing in front of me just like he was always there.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Squire Raven. How may I call you my lady?” he greeted me with a knights salute. Smilingly I made a curtsy and answered, “I’m honoured to make your acquaintance squire Raven. My name is Tiantia Xixi, though you may call me Xixi for simplicity”.

“Then Miss Xixi, would you like to begin your character customization?” he asked and signaled for multiple holographic screens to appear. On the screens, the informations of different races where shown, together with a model of me if I were to be of this race. The first one showed me just how I am and listed the details about the race called Human.

Race Human Behavior Territorial, mostly defensive but sometimes offensive. Diet Omnivore Society structures hierarchical Average Lifespan 80 year Habitat Hell Rift

There were also nine other races.

Tall and lithe Selkies with long,shimmering, silky hair, who can shift into a seal. Celestials with human bodies and huge wings, Fairies with filigran bodies and just as delicate bodies. There were also brutish looking Orcs and colossal Trolls as well as their, by comparison, small green skinned relatives the Goblins. Beastman had half human and half animal bodies while the underwater living Merman had the upper body of a human while their lower body were fishlike with huge fins instead of feet. Probably the most imposing for her were the Mythical Beasts, like phoenixes and dragons.

“Could I combine two races?” she asked, with a smiling nod Raven waved his hand and the screens changed accordingly, showing every possible combination. “The name of the race is depending on which of the races is the more dominant. A half Orc half Troll would have more characteristics of a Orc than of a Troll just like it would be the other way around” Raven explained why each combination was shown twice. Nodding she looked through all possibilities.

“I wish to choose the half Selkie half Human” she said after a long time and turns to Raven with a bright smile on her face. “Miss Xixi will definitely be one of the most stunning young ladies in the whole Cassiopeia Star System” he complimented me.

Race Demi-Selkie Subrace Demi-Human Behavior Territorial, mostly defensive but sometimes offensive. Diet Omnivore Society structures hierarchical Average Lifespan 80 year Habitat Hell Rift

The screen enlarged a little and Raven asked me if I was sure in my selection. I confirmed it and the screens disappeared. “Miss Xixi, if you wish to you could change the appearance of your Avatar now as well as some personal data” Raven informed me, and with the wave of his hand a gently light enveloped me and when it stoppen a full size mirror materialised in front of me. I had grown at least 5 inches (~13 cm) in height and I looked well more toned than I ever had in real life. My greenish hair flowed in slight curls down to my waist reflecting the light with a slight shimmer. Ocean-blue round eyes glistened in my face complimenting my little button nose and the delicate lips that formed a radiant smile.

“This looks absolutely stunning. I even have to remember myself that this is me to stop me from getting yealous” Xixi joked. “I agree. So do you wish to continue with the next step or would you rather make adaptions on your current look? Be warned that there is currently no way to change your appearance later in the game” Raven cautioned her to make sure that she was truly satisfied with it.. After a few seconds Xixi nodded, “you’re right. Let me change a few things. Firstly I want my hair to be black like my natural hair” the black color spreaded from the root of my hairs all the way down to the ends as soon as she voiced her wish, “and I want to change the form of my eyes. I want phoenix eyes, as I find them to be the most beautiful” she said and at the same time felt the slight adjustments of her eyes. After the system readjusted her appearance to her wishes she tapped at a few more points in her face, dragged something here and there, to make some slight changes to the details.

Nearly half an hour passed till she stopped her tapping, and as her body had already a well-toned slim figure and the typical model-like proportions of the Selkies she turned towards the personal data of her avatar.

Name Titania Xixi Race Demi-Selkie Subrace Demi-Human Age 26 Social Status Commoner Title none Occupation none

“There isn’t much I can change. Though I think it would be alright to make myself to be only 18 years old” Xixi murmured and the line that stated her age flickered for a moment before it showed the info of her being 18 years old. That made her grin a little bit, as she remembers that Dream Life never allowed something like that as no one would reveal his or her true age if he could hide it, especially woman.

Chuckling Raven gestured towards a gate behind Xixi, “Well Miss Xixi if you would like to start with the mandatory tutorial step through the gate please” he said and didn’t even try to stifle his laugh when he saw her incredulous look. “A mandatory tutorial? Who the hell creates a tutorial in this day and age? Did the developer have too much freetime?” she snorted but Raven didn’t comment on it simply standing at the side of the gate showing just how amused he is at her reaction. Still disbelieving that someone really took the time to create a tutorial did she follow Ravens directions and stepped through the gate. A pure white light robbed her sight for just a moment, but when she was able to see again she was already at a completely different place. Xixi froze, shocked that it looked like she was standing in the middle of a… classroom. Not knowing whether she should laugh or cry at the prospect of having someone teach her the theory of playing the game.

A few moments later, the door opened and Raven stepped inside. He had changed out of his squire uniform into an outfit Xixi would expect of a poor village teacher. “Do I look that bad, miss Xixi?” Raven asked grinning broadly at her and she started laughing out loud. “N...no… haha… But really Raven what’s with that get-up?” she snickered and raven had to chuckle too. “Well normally my sister and I would change places for the tutorial, so she would have to be here. Yet she is reading one of her beloved stories about people who live in some kind of fantasy world. I mean they have things like small portable cannons that can be picked up even by children and that completely without the use of magic. Can you imagine that?” he said incredulously. “Oh you mean guns?” Xixi said grinning, she didn’t expect that the world of Knights of Hope would have written stories that take place in the real world. Raven looked at her shocked, “Miss Xixi is reading this stories too?” he asked unbelieving. “Mhm, kinda. Don’t you think that they are pretty interesting Raven?” she asked and was surprised to see him shaking his head. “These stories aren’t real. How would they even defend against Wyvern without magic? It is simply illogical” he said and made Xixi giggle again. “You know Raven… There are simply no Wyvern in the world of these stories so they don’t need to defend against them” she explained but Raven simply shook his head muttering that he doesn’t understand the appeal of these fictional stories.

Soon enough Raven started explaining to her what was important to know for a citizen of Hell Rift, who she should never anger and how to use the game system. “Can’t we just skip this? I’m sure I will learn everything needed as soon as I start playing” Xixi said after she felt herself dozing off countless times. “What? This tutorial is mandatory, of course you can’t skip it. It could save your life to know these things” Raven sputtered but he was well aware that Xixi never listened to his explanation. “Sure but you know… I’m sure I can handle it even without all this sleep inducing talk” she said, stretching her athletic body.

“It is my mission to explain everything to you, so I can’t let you skip it” Raven said with determination. Xixi accepted her fate groaning at the sheer amount of information that Raven tried to cram into her head. Knowing that she won’t be able to listen even if she tried, she simply decided to not even try but to take a nap on the desk, using the lecture of Raven as her lullaby.

Because of that she knew nothing of the world she will be entering, when Raven woke her up and told her to leave through the next door. “The tutorial is finished. Remember to see your status you will simply need to wish for the information, it’s the same way you use to open up your skill list, your inventory or any other option of the system. You can also wish for you to see map markers in your vision but remember that you won’t see any information about places you never visited or heard of” Raven said to her smilingly, while his body started to glister and dissolve. “Do your best to survive and may the gods bless you with a long live” his voice sounded out the last time leaving Xixi in the classroom on her own.

Her capital was 10 phoenix gold coins instead of the normal 1000 gold coins, she was informed as she entered a small shop, "Welcome to the divine shop. Please choose cautiously what you want to buy as all our products are exclusively available in our divine shop. I will also have to warn you that you will only be able to come back if you are in possession of a shop summoning card or if you have the shop summoning skill. Please call for me if I can help you." a teenage boy greeted her warmly. ‘I need an item or a skill to go into a shop… weird…' she thought but started to slowly look at the displays. What surprised her was that each of the displays held only cards, while each card had a detailed picture of the item together with a description. Still, none of the displayed items was something she would expect in a shop for newbies. There were more than five cards for different spatial objects, ranging from pouches to accessories. On another stand, she saw summoning cards for companions, some that had a time limit and some that would stay with her for the rest of their lives. The next one held cards showing different skills, from basics like cooking over higher skills like literacy and riding all the way to highly advanced martial arts, weapon skills, and magic. Yet it was the last display, with only 5 cards that caught her attention. Unlike the other cards, these were enclosed by something preventing them from being touched or stolen.

Literacy Type Skill The user will gain the Literacy Skill at Advanced Rank Level 11 and be able to speak, read and write all common human languages fluently. The user will know the fundamental basics of all common, non-human, languages. Price 25,000 gold coins used at contact Network Connect Type Spell The Network Connect can link the user's Knights of Hope account with the user's VRC¹ Account. After linking the two accounts the user can access every game connected to the user's VRC Account without disconnecting from the Knights of Hope Price 50,000 gold coins used at contact Spatial Rift Type Spell The user is able to open a spatial rift. The number of destinations that can be reached through this rift is determined by the ability of the user with a maximum of 10 anchored destinations Anchored destinations Spatial Field Price 250,000 gold coins used at contact Nightflash Type Companion Nightflash is a truly loyal companion. With his sharp teeth and hard hooves, he is willing to defend his owner. His stamina, speed, and strength are excellent, making him the best possible companion for travels and battles. Nightflash can be called back into card form if needed. Price 250,000 gold coins bound to account Shop Summon Type Summoning Item This card can summon the entrance to the divine shop 10 times. Only the user can enter the shop. Left usages 10 Price 3 phoenix gold coins bound to account

"Mister?" Xiang Xinya turned to look where the shop attendant was, "yes miss?" he asked appearing next to her in a flash. "Could you explain to me the difference between gold coins and phoenix gold coins, please?" she asked politely. Something she regretted only moments later, the young man told her not only the difference in value, 1 phoenix gold coin is shockingly 100,000 gold coins worth, but also the origin of the name, the stamp and every other single detail one could think of needed nearly half an hour to explain it all. 'Taking all five of these cards would leave me with 125,000 gold coins. I would also need the riding skill as well as riding gear to be able to use the companion as a mount. I think I saw both in the front part of the shop. The cooking skill or a hunting skill might be good too. the clerk said that an average family would have at most 6 gold coins and 50 gold pennies².' she thought while she went back to the front part of the store.

Back at the basic cards, she found quite a few that would be able to help her. "Sir? Am I allowed to take the cards I'm interested in of the displays?" she asked the clerk for permission, he nodded and told her to go ahead to take what got her interest but to only bring to the counter the cards she wanted to buy.

'Alright I have 125,000 gold coins, I should be able to survive if I save 5,000 gold coins. That way I could still spend 120,000 gold coins. The basic skills cost an average of 2,500 gold coins with only a few going as high as 5,000 gold coins. First I will only choose the basic skills I will need to survive, and I need to pick a riding set' she decided. The first card she picked up was hunting, next was cooking and gathering. shortly after she had picked up a set of 10 basic skills. Then she went to the displays for companion items, there were multiple food items, as well as the riding gear she would need. So she picked up a high-quality riding gear, reasoning that it would be better to pay a bit more now than having to replace it after only a short while, as well as some food for her future companion. When she brought all these cards to the counter the clerk wasn't surprised at first. Only when he billed it all up, realizing how she picked the cards, a flicker of approval went over his face. "I would also like to buy these five cards," Xiang Xinya said, pointing to the enclosed cards in the back. "Of course. The cases will vanish as soon as you paid for them so you can pick them up" he explained. Only moments later did Xiang Xinya's capital shrink from 10 phoenix gold coins down to 85.000 gold coins. Seeing that she still had more than enough money to spend she went over to the displays for armors and weapons. She picked up a medium-quality bow card, and a card for a quiver of 1,000 arrows, next was a short sword of medium quality and a full set of medium quality leather armor. She then went and picked the corresponding skill cards, basic archery, and basic swordplay, up. That lowered her budget of another 15,000 gold coins.

Her next target was the display with various other gear, like backpacks, tents, and even saddlebags. Knowing she would need to be able to carry her stuff she chose a huge saddlebag and a medium-sized backpack, next were a tent, a few blankets, some iron cutlery, and dishes. Now only 20,000 coins were left. Other than the 5,000 gold coins she wanted to save up she used the rest for food, drinks, and a few medical supplies. When she was finished she was left with 5,100 gold coins. "Thank you for your purchase. To use learn the skills or to receive the items you just need to rip or crush the cards. The only exceptions are automatically learned cards or multi-use cards. To use multi-use cards you need to call them out while holding them" the clerk explained and Xiang Xinya thanked him. Just when she wanted to pick up her cards did she see a spatial necklace card in between them. "Sorry I didn't buy this card," she said and wanted to place it back when the young man stopped her, "it's alright. The shop owner ordered me to make sure the first customer today would leave with a spatial item, whether the customer buys it or I would gift it to the customer" he said determined not to take the necklace back. Confronted with such determination she accepted the necklace happily.

It wasn't that she didn't want any of the spatial objects, but even the cheapest earring with only a space of about 1m³ was priced at 8 phoenix gold coins. The necklace even had one of the biggest space of the accessory spatial items with 25m³. She crushed the card and in the next second, a shimmering silver necklace was in her hand. Carefully, to not drop it by accident, did she hang it around her neck. Next, she crushed the card of the backpack and placed the item cards inside it while ripping the skill cards, before going to the back to pick up the last of her cards. Three of the cards crumbled the moment she touched them, alerts sprang into her vision. The first two informed her about two newly learned skills, while the last was the typical window to connect a new game to one's VRC account. After completing the connection between the two accounts, her vision was free again and she went to pick up the last two cards.

One was the Shop summoning card, she placed it directly into the space of her necklace as she wouldn’t need it at the beginning, and the other was the companion card of Nightflash. Keeping the Companion card in her hand she went to the exit. Just as Xixi opened the door did she stop and turn around. “Sir? If I remember correctly you said that one would be able to enter the Divine Shop using either the Shop Summoning Card or the Shop Summoning Skill. Could you tell me how one can obtain the Shop Summoning Skill? As I didn’t see any card related to it” she asked remembering the skill mentioned just now. “You are right Miss. The card for the Shop Summoning Skill is currently not in the shop. That is because this skill is unique and has some requirements. One of them is the price of 1,000 phoenix gold coins while the second is the title of Knight Hero. Yet nobody was able to attain this title since the colonization of Hell Rift. So nobody knows the requirements to gain the title the only thing known is that the title is unique as well so even if the means to attain it were to be known only one would be able to gain it” the lad told her and with a slight wave of his hand Xixi was pushed out of the shop.