"Is that all you're good for? Playing games? What a loser."
"Wake up, man! How long do you plan to stay stuck in this pathetic state? Don't you have any plans for your life? Or do you seriously believe gaming is your golden ticket out of poverty?"
If I had a credit for every time someone threw those words at me, I'd probably be halfway to buying a Capsule.
To them, gaming was a waste of time-a fantasy for kids, a crutch for the lazy, a dead-end addiction for grown men who refused to face reality. They couldn't see the fire behind the screen. They didn't understand the thrill of unraveling mysteries, the joy of new adventures, or the pride of leveling up after hours of grinding. All they saw was a controller in my hand and failure in my future.
But all that changed the moment World Drivers hit the market.
Released in 2060, World Drivers was the world's first VRMMORPG NFT-a fully immersive experience that flipped everything on its head. It wasn't just a game. It was a second world. And in this world, you could earn real money, build a reputation, and create a new life from scratch.
At first, people laughed.
"Make money playing a game? Yeah, right."
Then came the viral posts:
"Check this out-I just looted a rare item! DM me if you're interested. Starting bid: 10,000 credits!"
"Just sold a monster core-cleared my student loans in one trade!"
That's when the doubters went silent.
In World Drivers, even if you didn't find legendary items, you could still make money. Every monster dropped a core, and those cores had value-based on size, purity, origin, and the power they held. Harvesting and selling these cores became a profession. Some even quit their real jobs.
Investors saw the opportunity too. Billionaires poured money into the system. The game wasn't just popular-it was revolutionary. A full-blown economy, created by players, driven by ambition. World Drivers met needs reality couldn't.
But there was a catch.
To play, you needed a console. And not just any console-you needed hardware that could sync with your mind. That kind of tech wasn't cheap. People took out loans, sold property, even left their jobs just to get in. They called it an "investment." Because in a world where time was money, no one got rich without sacrifice.
As of now, there were three types of consoles:
Console 1 - Version 1: A basic VR helmet. Priced at 5,000 credits, with a synchronization rate of 44.68%. Decent-but only enough to experience the game, not dominate it.
Console 2 - Version 1: An inclined gaming chair with a built-in helmet. Cost: 15,000 credits. Sync rate: 58.23%. Better performance, smoother response, more immersion.
Console 3 - Version 1, aka The Capsule: Top-tier. A full-body pod with nutrient infusion, allowing players to stay online for days without physical fatigue. Sync rate? 72.35%. Market price? 100,000 credits-if you could even find one.
Some said there wasn't a huge difference between the three. They were wrong. The gap was like heaven and earth. In PvP combat, a 1% sync difference could mean the difference between victory and death. With a helmet, your character felt stiff. With a Capsule? You became the character.
Of course, most couldn't afford even the 15k chair. The developers knew that. So, they released a budget-friendly version-not cheap, but affordable enough that everyday people could finally step into the world.
Even then, players knew they were starting at a disadvantage. Low sync rates made it harder to dodge, aim, even talk smoothly in-game. But that didn't stop them. Because once you were inside, everything changed
Every player did everything they could to earn the monster's core-driven by ambition, unaware of the consequences or the twist hidden within the game. Their only focus was earning credits.
During the first stage, many players died. Why? Because they believed they were untouchable once inside the game, convinced they possessed extraordinary powers. In truth, they only had basic skills, limited by their chosen class.
What was unexpected here? Familiarity with the game? Sure, that was part of it-every player needed time to adapt before they could stand out.
But the real reason so many players died? The monsters.
To them, it was simple math: one monster equals one credit. That mindset blinded them. They didn't stop to consider what kind of monsters they were facing or what those monsters were truly capable of.
In this game, monsters possessed extraordinary abilities. With a single hit, one could send a player straight back to the real world.
You might think dying in the game was no big deal-that you'd simply learn from your mistakes and try again. But that mindset might change once you hear about the consequences.
When a player died in the game, they could lose their level and items. To revive their character, they had two options: either wait for the penalties to expire or use a monster core.
But what if they died without securing a core? In that case, players could convert their credits into in-game currency to purchase a monster core-if they could afford it.
Naturally, most players ended up converting their credits into in-game currency-especially in the early stages, when monsters were limited. They couldn't afford to fall behind. With so few monsters available, leveling up became harder, and once the game started to change, catching up would be nearly impossible.
No one could tell.
Of course, countless players complained-especially those who had no real idea how the game worked and were only there to earn credits. But what could they do? This was one of the game's core punishing mechanics.
"What the hell? I just died from a single slash?"
"Why did it feel so real?"
"It was... too realistic."
At this stage, players began forming teams, aiming to avoid casualties that could affect them later on. They knew they were still weak, so teaming up felt like the smartest move.
Nevertheless, just like in the real world, people with bad intentions still existed. Some players joined forces not for survival, but for hunting-killing others to steal their items and monster cores.
"You know, taking cores from these noobs? It's almost too easy. Like shooting fish in a barrel."
"You're right! And the best part? Killing them doesn't make us criminals."
"Let's head to that forest-plenty of novices hanging around there."
Then came the announcement:
"Attention all players: World Drivers VRMMORPG NFT will evolve based on player progress. New content will only unlock when major milestones are achieved. You shape the world. This is your game."
It wasn't just open world.
It was a living, breathing universe, waiting to be written.
Players pushed harder than ever. Every rank, every skill point, every kill mattered. One wrong move could set your growth back days. The pressure was real, but so was the reward.
And that's where I come in.
I may not have the best gear.
I may not have a Capsule.
But I've got something the world never saw coming.
Me.