The names Felix, no last name as orphans born in the waning years of 2100 are not important enough to warrant needing family names when they didn't have a family to care for them enough to give a last name. I was an average joe making my way in the polluted and overcrowded world hoping that I can survive to see tomorrow. But the world was bearable (I use this word lightly) thanks to the technological advances in video games, specifically in the world of DMMO-RPGS.

To be short and clear DMMO-RPGS are short for Dive Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. This new genre combines the classic MMORPGS of old like Runescape with the powerful technology of digitally inserting your consciousness in the digital world and literally walk in them as if it were real life. Originally a tech for diving in games was developed for medical and military use but the project was scrapped due to the high costs (firearms and advanced tanks were a better option than saving or protecting lives it seems). Private companies saw a potential goldmine and picked the projects up to be used for civilians.

I felt it was a joke that such amazing equipment was a cheap commodity that anyone can afford while essentials like food and clean air became something you were lucky to have. Seriously everyone has this including the old janitor with the gimpy leg at my factory that never had enough money to afford more than 1 meal a day, yet he had the latest Neural Nano-Interface tech for better connection to the web, complete with built in cupholder. I hope your advanced pay cheque made it through so you could buy a cup of instant ramen Jed old pal (They really ate like kings back in the early 2000s to have readily available cup wheat noodles in real chicken broth, the rest of us schmucks have to make do with artificial synth wheat in salted tap water).

But anyways I am one of many that have also decided to abandon IRL to explore the vast world of video games especially DMMO-RPGS. Among these games was the first and most well-known DMMO-RPG, YGGDRASIL. A world that combines fantasy, eldritch horror and some futuristic elements, this game was infamous for creative freedom afforded by players. You could approach the game in any way, craft anything and build to anything with the limits being your imagination (as well as a fair bit of yearly salary, pay-to-win games are so much fun).

Unfortunately, the area where I live did not provide stable enough internet connection for gaming to be possible, as well as factory work requiring me to sacrifice any free time just to not be thrown out of my cheap apartment. But lady luck seemed to pop her head out of heaven and through the toxic smog clouds to give me a blessing of a minor promotion that gave me 1 day off out of 364 days. Dusting away the in-built Neural Nano-Interface in my cramped living room and installing YGGDRASIL, I make my first digital steps into the gaming world.

INITIALZING…..

DMMO-RPG INSTALLED

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY "YGGDRASIL?"

YES NO

"Welp lets get the virtual party started", said Felix as he selected yes, and braced himself as his subconscious was transported from his physical body in the real world to the digital world of YGGDRASIL. Such a shame the one day he could finally play the legendary game would also be the last time it could be played, and it would also be on the only day where he didn't need to work. "Small blessings Felix, at least you get to have fun once in your bleak life before going back to the grind", Felix ruminated his thoughts as a bright light engulfed his vision followed by a large empty room with customization options for character creation.

WELCOME TO YGGDRASIL, THE FANTASTICAL WORLD OF DREAMS COME TRUE AND THE ESCAPE FROM YOUR WORLDLY TROUBLES!

PLEASE TYPE IN YOUR NAME

Felix contemplated his choice of gamer tag name as well as reminiscing of the times where having no last name painted a target on his back as one of the unwanted orphans in the overcrowded world. "I could make up a funny name since this game isn't going to be on after today, or live a fantasy where I was loved enough to have a family name". But before he could type in a make-believe last name to soothe his own heart of having a family, he started to remember the days of triumph when he accomplished things without outside aid. Felix might be a loser orphan as society deemed to him so but having a single name and surviving to adulthood alone is one thing nobody could say was handed to him. Making his choice and scrounging up some pride, Felix typed;

FELIX

"A name that will be known far and wide by around 20 or so people in-game", Felix said with a tiny smirk. As the game accepted the name (who knew no one decided to name themselves just Felix in over 10 years it was active?), numerous texts began appearing in his vision.

THANK YOU FOR PLAYING YGGDRASIL ON THE LAST DAY OF SERVERS BEING ONLINE. TO SHOW OUR APPREACIATION, COMPLIMENTARY STARTER EQUIPMENT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE CHOSEN PLAYSTYLE IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE!

"Guess I didn't need to be afraid of going through a grind and halfway losing any progress before scratching the surface of this game! Nice." , Felix's thoughts on the generosity of the developers (They didn't seem too "shitty" as what the forums say) in the final day were dashed as the customization options became available to him, and boy was it a doozy!

Everyone raving about the game's custom options were not exaggerating, from the numerous options of playing various species of heteromorphic and demi-humans the classes, skills and jobs are mind boggling! I quickly made my selection and went for a basic build to not overcomplicate the gaming session with what limited time I have.

He decided to go simple and start off as a regular human. A cheeky thought was in his mind to create a beautiful female elf avatar complete with the characteristic gold silky hair and bright blue eyes in order to trap players but the idea went out the window since YGGDRASIL no longer had a large player base with it being the last day and the game's popularity declining over the years as newer DMMO-RPGS were released. Such a shame, guess he could shelve that prank idea for another DMMO-RPG.

The human avatar was made complete with a basic adventurer clothes of tunic, pants and a pair of sturdy boots. To complete this wannabe hero garb, he also threw in the ubiquitous traveller's cloak common to budding adventurers. The cloak itself was a particularly special piece in the player's gear, as it was designed to be invincible to damage in-game (obviously not making the wearer itself immune to damage) and lore wise. Something about the cloak representing the mysterious and powerful adventurers to come that made it a mainstay garb for adventurers everywhere. For a little personal touch Felix gave it the colour red as it was his favourite colour.

Now for the features. He decided to go for the short and handsome appearance of a textbook young hero with an innocent smile, soft-looking hair and bright expressive eyes. The colour scheme of this dashing hero would be Caucasian, blonde hair and blue eyes as a leftover thought from his elf trap prank. Body type? Let's go full mozzarella cheesy and make the guy buff, cool it down a bit and just give him the body of an Olympic gold medallist sprinter instead of the He-man bodybuilder form.

Finally, the next step would be equipment and his various stats. As Felix never had experience in gaming of this scale, he evenly distributed his points in all his stats and pressed the random button for his class builds. For his main weapons he decided to settle for a trusty sword while forgoing a shield. Other miscellaneous weapons he took were spare daggers and a small kit of healing potions to compliment the herbs also packed in this started kit.

With his character ready to go and a spring in his digital step, Felix completed the character customizations and entered the game. Unfortunately, our naïve and short-sighted hero neglected several things.

In true gamer fashion he spent the whole day customizing his character's various features and equipment as well as being distracted with reading the various lore on many customization options that he neglected to see the time, which is he completed and entered the game with his character a few seconds before the game shuts down.

Another sad fact for our budding adventurer is his job classes. Felix will learn why so much vitriol is aimed at the "shitty devs" as the randomize button option for his classes was set to "true adventurer mode". This 'interesting' mode would make the character chosen instead develop their job classes in their adventures instead of having them pre-set by players. While it might be attractive for those who fully embrace the RPG elements of the game, in a true MMORPG setting it leaves new players extremely vulnerable as their characters would basically have no special abilities or buffs until developing them while somehow surviving their adventures without the needed benefit of classes. Oblivious to how completely screwed he is, Felix opened his eyes to a surprising feeling of fresh air in his lungs and the bright sun in his eyes. He was laying on a bed of soft grass when he awakened and as he slowly rose to the beautiful scenery of an open field at the edge of a forest in a mountainous area, he could smell the fresh scent of grass while also hearing the wind blowing in the air.

Every few hundred years the new world will be subject to the arrival of overpowered players armed to the teeth with items from YGGDRASIL and with abilities far beyond the inhabitants of this world. In another story the leader of the most powerful heteromorphic guild named Momonga would be the latest player to arrive and make his mark on this world.

Now however it seems that Momonga won't be alone as he has a contemporary that would also be transported in the new world without the added benefit of having the advantages of being overpowered in-game and becoming gods in the new world. "Damn the graphics in this game is so realistic! Welp time to have fun before breaking my back at the factory tomorrow.", said our doomed protagonist as he made his very real first steps into an adventure of a lifetime.