"Welcome to Adventure World online celebration event for reaching over ten million players within a month. The new blockbuster game from Asian Paradise, up-and-coming game studio. "

    A beautiful female presenter announced aloud on a large stage set in the middle of the famous “Space Mall,” surrounded by a massive crowd. The celebration was grand, almost like an annual festival.

    "Perfect. They won’t find me in this large crowd."

    A beautiful, tall, slender woman in a black sports jacket and dark blue jeans muttered irritably as she made her way through thousand people standing in front of the stage. She tried to blend in by crouching down to match the height of the crowd, most possibly fans of Adventure World Online. Soon, she blended right in.

    "Before we dive into today's activities, let's take another look at Adventure World Online with this VTR," the presenter continued.

    A large LED screen on the stage began a countdown, lights dimmed to near darkness, and a game introduction video was played, its realistic beauty captivated even the woman who was only looking for a place to hide.

    "As time goes by, the magical land we've only dreamed of is no longer just in our imaginations. Advanced technology has recreated a world of boundless adventures known to gamers as Adventure World Online, a world filled with mysteries to explore, a world not just to be seen but felt. Your dreams will be fulfilled, your heart will race with the limitless adventures you define, whether walking, running, sailing, or even spreading your wings to fly across the sky."

    "How do you like the VTR of our Adventure World Online? It's still as breathtaking as ever, right? The game has been available for a month now, you must have fully immersed yourselves in the game's virtual reality system. And I believe you all would agree that it's fantastic. The game covers basic human needs and sensations like fatigue, hunger, sleepiness, and pain—except for the need to relieve oneself. That wouldn't be very convenient if you're in the middle of a fight and suddenly need to go."

    The presenter joked, drawing laughter from the crowd, even from the cool woman who could not help but burst out laughing despite her stress. However, she still scanned her surroundings vigilantly. Albeit the overwhelming crowd, she still managed to notice two transgender people eyeing her among the thousands enjoying the presenter’s speech.

    "Seriously, these two won't give up on trying to scout me to be a male model. Ha! I'm a woman, for crying out loud."

    She grumbled to herself, still irritated whenever she thought about it. Indeed, the two persistent transgenders were scouts from a famous modeling agency, who had been following her for weeks. Luckily, school was currently on holiday. So she planned to just stay home. Let’s see if they could continue pursuing her.

    "To thank all the players for their overwhelming responses to AWO, or Adventure World Online. Asian Paradise will be holding a double XP event for seven days in which the drop rate of items and in-game money will also be doubled for a whole month. Plus, veteran players can register for a random prize with any NPC in the player service buildings across all cities. And for those without an ID, signing up today will get you a 50% discount on the AWO game console, with a chance to win prizes right here on this stage, ranging from common to rare god-tier items..."

    As the female presenter spoke, the crowd erupted in excitement, all hoping for a god-tier item from the draw.

    "Wait, there's more! In appreciation for making Adventure World Online the number one game in Thailand with the score that profoundly outpaced the second place. We’re introducing a pet evolution system that significantly enhances your pets' abilities. However, you'll have to discover on your own what kind of abilities they are. Moreover, we are adding a secret quest that might award you with a treasure map. Which will lead you to the mysterious treasure caves that many players have complained that no one has found yet due to their rarity.

    Another wave of excitement swept through the crowd, unable to contain themselves at the mention of the treasure island quest.

    The woman who was initially hiding from the scouts also found herself more and more interested by the game. It would be a fun distraction from boring months at home. Especially since her father would be too busy to pay her much attention. She listened on with a smile as the presenter shared more information about the game.

    "At this point, you must all be wondering how to accept this quest."

    The presenter stood with a smile, waiting for the excitement in the crowd to peak before continuing.

    "Unfortunately, Asian Paradise hasn't provided any details about this secret quest, however!!"

    She quickly added, raising her voice to prevent the crowd from uproar, and it worked. Everyone eagerly awaited her next words.

    " The treasure map quest is a very challenging. It requires a players with a level above 30 to form a party, in order to have any chance of success. For clues, look for a man acting suspiciously around the docks."

    Another wave of excitement surged through the crowd, louder and more vibrant than before.

    "In an hour, all servers will shut down temporarily to update all the information I've just shared. And with that, my role here is done. Please enjoy the preview of evolved pets’ battle. Lastly, I invite you all to participate in the activities organized by Asian Paradise around this area. I guarantee you will find them to your liking. Goodbye."

    After her speech, the presenter bowed to the applauding audience and left the stage.

    As she exited, an image of a three-dimensional woman in a red dress appeared on the stage, smiling at everyone.

    "Welcome to Adventure World Online."

    Said the woman in the red dress, spreading her arms. Her image gradually faded, replaced by a glowing red fox cub surrounded by flames. The fire slowly enveloped the fox, transforming it into a ball of fire. Then it exploded to reveal a much larger red fox. Its fur was as thick and vibrant as the flames. The Flame Fox leaped into battle against mythical beasts. Showcasing its elegance, agility, and fire magic, it left the audience in awe. As the battle ended, other game-related images were displayed. By then, most audience lost their attention and started discussing pet captures and their abilities post-evolution.

    The woman, who had been watching the screen intently, was startled by someone approaching her from behind. Fearing it might be the two drag queens she had been evading, she turned around only to find a game company staff member dressed as a mage from the game.

    "Are you interested in joining the prize draw event?"

    The staff asked politely.

    "Uh... I don't have a game ID."

    "That won’t be a problem. Would you be interested in signing up? We offer a special price for game consoles for event attendees."

    "Sure. I'm interested."

    "This way, please!"

    The staff in mage costume led the bold woman to a registration desk that was quite empty, as most attendees had registered before the event started. The staff at the desk looked up at the new arrival, staring for a long while.

    "Uh... can I sign up for the game... please?"

    The woman asked the staff, who was still staring at her. The staff snapped back to reality with flushed cheeks.

    "Of course. May I have your ID card, please?"

    The staff asked shyly. The woman handed over her ID card without much thought, accustomed to such reactions.

    "Miss Chayarin Rattanaruangrit."

    The staff entered the woman's basic information into the computer.

    "Do you want to use this name for your game ID?"

    "Yes." The woman replied, shocking all the nearby staffs. The staff holding her ID card quickly rechecked the title on her ID, confirming it was "Miss" not "Mister".

    "Ah, um, then that's everything. We've entered your information into this card. You can now draw for a prize on the stage. Would you like the game console to be delivered to the address on your ID card?"

    The woman nodded.

    "The game console will reach the specified address by 8 PM."

    She nodded again, accepting two cards from the registration staff—one her ID card and the other a card bearing the game's logo. She followed the staff member in mage costume to the prize draw table in front of the stage, which was crowded with people who were waiting for their turn to draw. They were all players who had registered that day.

    "Next, please."

    A male staff dressed as a warrior called for the next person in line, which was Chayarin, or Chang.

    "Oh! What a handsome guy, ha-ha. Your card, please"

    Chang handed over her card without responding. The staff inserted Chang's card into his computer and then turned it back to her.

    "Now, just reach into this box."

    He said, pointing to an opaque box the size of a snack barrel, utterly dark inside. Chang obediently reached in and pulled out a golden paper, which attracted everyone's attention. Since the queue began, no one had drawn a golden paper.

    "Golden paper! Let's see what prize you'll get."

    The male staff said playfully amidst the excited crowd, except for the one who drew it, who appeared indifferent. He placed the paper on a device resembling a scanner, which was connected to the computer with Chang's card inserted. He closed the lid and pressed the start button. All eyes were on the soft white light as it slowly moved from the top to the bottom edge of the paper. There is a camera attached to the scanner to record the process in order to prevent any future disputes. As the white light passed over the golden paper, letters gradually appeared.

    "A mysterious egg?!"

    Everyone exclaimed in unison, leaning forward in anticipation.

    "Yes, a mysterious egg. To find out what it is, you'll have to wait until it hatches."

    The male staff explained, returning the card to Chang.

    "Are you interested in any other activities?"

    The female staff in mage costume asked. Chang declined, deciding it was time to head home before potentially running into those two transgenders again.

    "Then, please have a safe journey."

    "Thank you."

    Chang replied briefly She scanned left and right before swiftly making her way out of there. Meanwhile, the fates of those gathered, though in the same place, among the same crowd, had slowly intertwined without their awareness.