November 1st, New Era 2100. The groundbreaking ultra-holographic MMORPG *Otherworld* officially launched its open beta.
But Bai Xia wasn’t among the countless players eagerly waiting by their login devices to experience it first.
Staying up late binge-watching anime left her sleeping until 2 PM, slowly waking up. After freshening up and grabbing a quick bite, she realized over four hours had already passed since the noon launch.
No rush. She returned to her room, double-checked the login device, then removed her Tianxun glasses and secured the connection headset onto her head.
The login setup comprised multiple components. The headset resembled an oversized metallic-frame visor—undeniably cool. Unfortunately, her small face meant it covered most of her features instantly, making Bai Xia feel like a masked superhero.
Thankfully, the internal mechanism auto-adjusted to fit. Without that thoughtful touch, it wouldn’t stay on. Bai Xia silently gave Huameng Company a big thumbs-up.
Network connection already set per the manual, all she needed was a comfortable position and a flick of the switch.
Naturally nervous—it was her first time with such high-tech gear—but curiosity won. She gently flicked the external switch.
*Beep.*
The silent headset lit up instantly, followed by a crisp electronic chime.
After three seconds, a slightly metallic female voice spoke: “Welcome to Huameng’s product. Intelligent Assistant Xiao Meng at your service. First-time login detected. Proceed with authentication and binding?”
“Authentication and binding?”
“Confirmation received. Scanning system active. Data collection… matching… complete. 100% match verified. Binding system initiating… connecting… binding complete!”
“What? Already done? I didn’t even finish!” The assistant’s speed left Bai Xia speechless. Before she could react, the voice continued:
“Welcome to the login device for the epoch-defining holographic MMORPG *Otherworld*. Proceed to log in, Miss Bai Xia?”
“Huh? You know my name?”
“This unit is a limited edition. Purchase required verified ID and binds exclusively to the buyer. Your name, Miss Bai Xia, is recorded accordingly.”
*No wonder it’s called intelligent,* she thought. If not for the slight stiffness in its tone, she’d suspect a human operator.
She snapped back.
“Alright, let’s start the game!”
“Command received. First login—please wait 30 seconds.” The assistant’s voice shifted to cold mechanics: “Mainframe connected. Device activated. Synchronization initiating…”
Darkness swallowed her vision. Dazed, she floated in absolute black.
Then—light tore through. A massive white platform emerged at the edge of sight.
“Synchronization complete. Rate: 99.9932%. Within safety parameters. Login successful. First-time user detected. Launching character creation module.”
The platform zoomed toward her—like watching an immersive film from a god’s-eye view. An indescribable thrill left Bai Xia awestruck.
Closer now, she saw seven towering humanoid statues encircling the circular platform.
Each struck a distinct pose: one raising a greatsword, another bracing a massive shield, a third drawing a taut longbow, a fourth in a flowing arcane robe, a fifth cloaked in shadowy menace, a sixth surrounded by crouching beasts, the seventh with luminous wings sprouting from her back.
No system explanation needed. Bai Xia, a seasoned gamer, instantly recognized them as the starter classes.
Greatsword + light armor = Warrior. Massive shield = Shield Guardian. Drawn bow = Archer. Staff + robe = Mage. Shadowy stance = Assassin. Beasts at heel = Summoner. Hands clasped, serene face = Priest.
But…
“Why are they all female?”
All seven statues—unmistakably feminine.
Could the game only offer female avatars?!
Obviously not.
“Clarification: Per regulations to prevent online fraud and emotional deception, character creation is restricted to the user’s verified gender. Apologies for the limitation.”
Bai Xia had secretly hoped to reclaim some “masculine dignity” in-game. Poof—gone before starting.
Still… it made sense. Imagine a 200-pound shut-in posing as a cute girl online. The betrayal wasn’t just loss—it was pure disgust. And if *Otherworld*’s immersion lived up to hype? Psychological scars were possible. Gender locks weren’t just sensible—they were necessary. Chaos would’ve erupted otherwise.
Slightly disappointed but still intrigued, Bai Xia followed the system’s prompt and focused on the statues.
One by one, they glowed. Text descriptions and skill demos floated beside each.
She patiently reviewed them all. Flashy. Fascinating.
After hesitation, she ruled out the Shield Guardian and Priest first. Zero interest in being a meat shield. With her frame? Wielding a shield felt awkward. Blocked vision was the least worry—earning titles like “Phantom Shield” or “Invisible Shield Guardian” would be mortifying.
The Priest, vital for late-game parties, lacked early offensive power and demanded far more grinding. Bai Xia had neither time nor patience.
Next, Archer and Summoner got cut.
Archer? She couldn’t shoot a bow.
Summoner? Same issue as Priest—weak early game, heavy investment.
Only three remained: Warrior, Assassin, Mage.
Warrior: melee, modest range and damage, but perfectly balanced—solid offense and defense.
Mage: area damage, debuffs—fire burns, ice slows, darkness blinds and corrodes. Fragile body, unmatched versatility.
Assassin: no flashy moves. Pure lethality. Slightly sturdier than Mage, but unmatched speed and burst damage.
Bai Xia stared at the trio… and froze.
Choice paralysis had fully set in.
