"Is it really that intense?" Wong asked skeptically.
"If you don't believe , try it yourself," Tony replied, grabbing three VR helts from a box and tossing them to Wong and the two witches.
"So, the old lady and the fashionable woman are the new recruits? You two are coming along too," Tony added casually.
The witches had barely arrived and were already assigned nicknas. They exchanged glances, doubtful, as they moved chairs and prepared to sit.
Before donning the helts, Tony gave instructions.
"All right, we have eight players. In the online mode of 'The Three-Body Problem,' we can substitute any character. Wong, you'll be Ji. Old lady, you'll take Wen…"
Tony and the others' obsession with the ga reflected the wider world. After Stark Industries released the VR helts, people were captivated. The virtual reality they offered simulated reality with astonishing fidelity, engaging sight, touch, sound, sll, and even taste. In the adult version, sensory experiences were complete and imrsive.
Once players completed the novice tutorial, they were transported to a massive cyberpunk city, where AI programs sold drinks, food, and services. The flavors and experiences were indistinguishable from reality, though transactions required ga coins earned by completing challenges or working for AI like Jarvis.
Tony, unconcerned with currency, had Jarvis grant him unlimited coins and plunged into "The Three-Body Problem." As players flooded in to earn coins, Lyon's ga revealed its true brilliance. Spatial dinsional reduction, universe collapse, and other events mirrored realistic physical principles, leaving players awestruck.
So played to earn coins; others sought to encounter Superman. Lyon promised the first 200,000 recipients of the VR helts a chance to et him by clearing a four-star ga, where the bosses were cosmic-level powerhouses like Dormammu and Darkseid. The magic system only provided abilities equivalent to ordinary Kamar-Taj mages; players still had to cultivate their skills. Lyon's recruitnt targeted those who could master Mystic Art of Portals, Vishanti Protection Spells, and other magic within a week.
Because Tony and the others were absorbed in the ga, recruitnt fell entirely to Jarvis.
…
Afghanistan, Mazar's ho.
After dinner, Shafika Mazari collapsed onto her bed and put on her VR helt. For the past three days, she had devoted nearly every waking hour to the virtual world, aiming to et Superman by mastering the ga. She experinted with four-star challenges, discarding "The Three-Body Problem" for its complexity, and "Dormammu" and "Darkseid" for difficulty, finally settling on "Black Myth."
In the ga, she was a young girl tasked with learning magic while assisting a monkey nad Heavenly Mandated One to retrieve six staffs. The monkey had died more than thirty tis at the hands of a white-haired wolf nad Xuzi, forcing Shafika to restart repeatedly. Today, she felt ready to master the Mystic Art of Portals, confident she could navigate past Ling Xuzi.
Shafika focused, tracing intricate patterns in the air as golden sparks flickered from her fingers. After two and a half hours of relentless practice, the sparks ford a complete circle—a portal behind Ling Xuzi.
"I did it! I finally learned the Mystic Art of Portals!" she cried, raising her arms in triumph. She pointed to the portal. "Monkey Big Brother, go quietly behind the wolf, so you won't be killed!"
The monkey nodded, stepping through cautiously. But the white wolf imdiately noticed him. The system prevented exploiting glitches.
"Uh-oh…" Shafika whispered.
A few minutes later, she exited the ga, frustrated yet determined. Even mastering the Mystic Art of Portals wasn't enough. Ling Xuzi remained a formidable challenge.
Then, a notification chid:
"A system ssage?"
Shafika opened it to read:
Dear player Shafika,
Congratulations on mastering the Mystic Art of Portals in just three days. We are delighted to invite you to join the Supre Mage Academy. Your talent promises to shine brightly, guiding you toward a fantastical and extraordinary life. If you wish to enroll, please confirm via the system interface. Nightmares will escort you to the Academy on the opening day, March 7th. By the way, you will also have a chance to see Superman.
Teaching content at the Supre Mage Academy will include…
We eagerly await your choice.
Signed, Jarvis, Secretary to the Dean of the Supre Mage Academy
Shafika's eyes widened. "A magic school? In the ga or real life… no way…"
____
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