Chapter 15 (Shion's Reason: A Beta Player's Life)
(Shion's POV)
"Shion's Life Story"
"Hello everyone. I'm Whilmer C. Esguera, 24 years old, from District 45, Ronova Area. Nice to meet you all."
I still remember the first time I arrived in Central City, located in the Sierra Area. I had just transferred to SPC—Sierra Private College. That was last year. I came from the Luzon region, now more commonly known as the Ronova Area. It's divided into fifty districts, and I live in District 45.
The capital of the Philippines is no longer in Luzon. It was moved to Mindanao, now called the Sierra Area. And here in Central City lies my new school—considered the most prestigious and technologically advanced institution in the country. Everyone dreams of studying technological courses here.
I was lucky enough to be accepted as a scholar at SPC. My family isn't wealthy. In fact, it's just my aunt and me now. I lost my parents a long time ago, so my aunt is the only family I have left.
The world had drastically changed because of breakthroughs in modern technology. A new era of civilization was born—The New Age World, where everything is powered by machines. It transformed every aspect of life: transportation, sports, education, work, politics, religion… everything.
Green areas are nearly gone. Almost everything is covered in metallic and concrete structures. You can only see trees and breathe fresh air in specially protected zones.
It's a completely different world from what I've seen in historical archives on the Worldwide Web.
I transferred to SPC last year. I still remember my aunt's proud smile when I got in. On my first day, I got lost because I accidentally teleported to the wrong location. Yeah, we use teleportation to travel now. There are Transport Stations scattered across every district in the country, and they use high-tech devices called Molecular Transmission Units (MTUs).
The MTU looks like a capsule. You step inside, and it teleports you to another connected station. There's an entry point and a corresponding exit point, and they're linked by a secure network.
I ended up at a different MTU station, so I had to walk all the way to SPC. Thankfully, my Chrome Watch's GPS map helped me find the route easily. Still… getting lost on the first day? Classic me. (-__-)
I couldn't afford to use another MTU ride since it would cost money, and there's an online ticketing system for that. So I walked.
None of my classmates paid me any attention. They were all rich kids. I didn't mind though—I was used to being alone. Even back in my hometown, I only had a few real friends. I'm not antisocial or anything… I just never liked making the first move when it came to others.
Most of the time, I studied or ate alone. I focused on my academics, and during my free time, I played online games. Especially VRMMORPGs—Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games. I've played almost all of them. These games became the most popular form of entertainment for people.
Then came the most advanced of them all—Enigma Online PH, a Reality MMORPG. It used breakthrough tech similar to the MTUs.
A scientist discovered the secret of alternate dimensions—Parallel Dimensions, to be exact. Most people thought it was impossible, but through research and innovation, it became real. Experts built a machine that could simulate and merge data with artificial dimensions. They called it the DiMo Machine.
And with the help of other VR experts, they created an actual game world—a simulation fused with reality.
Players used a device called the Dimension Splitter to enter the game physically—not just mentally. Your real body was transported to the alternate dimension.
As a huge fan of online games, I applied to be a Beta Tester. I was one of the first. It was hard to level up back then—there were only a few of us testers. I went through every grind, every painful battle. As beta testers, we had access to class changes and various sub-class combinations. I spent six months testing the game before its official public release.
I tried every class and learned the ins and outs of the game world.
And in that world… I felt like I could truly be myself. Unlike in real life, inside the game I was cheerful, helpful, and friendly. Not quiet or distant.
When the beta test ended, I stopped playing. It was hard to let go—I had grown attached to the game. I went back to focusing on my studies. The silent, solitary version of me returned. I concentrated on making my aunt proud.
Then, five months later, the PH server of Enigma Online PH was launched. I was so excited—finally, a version made for Filipino players! Back in the world server, I had interacted with players of all nationalities. I thought maybe, just maybe, they'd recognize me as one of the beta testers… maybe give us special privileges.
But I never received any invitation. No email. Nothing.
So I decided not to play.
Two months passed. Still no message. Eventually, I gave in and logged in using a new console since my old one had been deactivated. Same account, but I had to create a brand new character. I had to start from scratch.
Frustrating.
I chose the IGN Shion_rio, almost the same as my original name, Clyde_rio—only the first name changed. I picked the Dual Blader class for its double damage. It was a frontliner-type class with high defense and dodge rate.
Leveling was easy for me since I already knew the game mechanics. Some features and maps had been updated, but that was fine. Back during the beta, we couldn't access the second dimension because we didn't have enough players. So I still had no clue what the Hidden Realm looked like.
I didn't think about it much. I focused on growing stronger. Within a month, I made it to the rankings—Rank 20 in the entire PH server. I was still only at Level 75, and I hadn't even unlocked my ultimate sub-class yet—Armorer, also known as Armor Shifter.
It's the Dual Blader's final evolution—a class that allows you to switch armor sets or avatar skins mid-battle.
> Author's Note:
*Armor Shifter is similar to Erza Scarlet's skill from the anime "Fairy Tail." (^_^) *
Even though I became one of the top players, I still felt something was missing.
True friendship.
Yes, many tried to befriend me—but only because they wanted something. Once they got it, they ignored me. That's when I started to change. I grew impatient. Hot-tempered. I started challenging random players to duels for no reason. I became a bully in-game, and many feared me in the villages.
But one day… something different happened.
I met a true friend.