Soul Fusion Online
chapter-4

As soon as Yuki pressed enter, many websites popped up with the information she was looking for. After going over about twenty sites all about Soul Fusion Online, there was one thing that each one had in common, turning the ingame currency into cash. The currency in game was broken up into different forms. Bronze coins being the lowest, while platinum was the highest. It went bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. The denomination of reaching each one was also pretty linear. One hundred bronze coins equaled a single silver coin, while one hundred silver coins equaled a single gold coin. But when it came to platinum, it was one thousand gold coins for a single platinum coin. This huge jump surprised Yuki, but at this time, not a single person in the game had more than a few gold, never mind enough gold to create a single platinum.

But the information that Yuki wanted to know most was the way ingame money was able to make you money in the real world. At this moment and time, a single silver was worth two crowns. To begin earning money as a beginner, it would be best to sell materials to other players for the market price and slowly gain silver from there. If you find any uncommon gear, it would also make you a few silver quick. The game had just started, so these kinds of things were in very high demand. The exchange rate minimum would never go below one silver equalling one crown, but this did not mean it would not go up when the demand was high. All exchanges would have three percent of the profits paid to the game company, Lost Souls, the creators of the game Soul Fusion Online.

Although there were many vrmmos out on the scene, none of them came close to the world and advanced systems of Soul Fusion Online. Their technology was so advanced that they were able to create a living world where even the A.I. interacted like real humans you would see every day. Each one had their own life, name, and even families. If they died, they died. There was no respawning for NPCs. The world itself developed on its own except for when expansions were to be added. It was truly a world of its own, living and breathing in the minds of those who played it.

"So in order to make the money I will need for rent..." Yuki pondered for a moment as she tapped her finger on her chin. "I would need to make sixty silver in four days… Seventy if I want to eat well enough to not go hungry. So let's make my goal seventy silver. I will think big for now, and if I get lucky, I may even find an uncommon… But… From what I am reading, gear drops, besides common items, are very rare. I guess I can only rely on farming items and materials but who knows how many people will be doing the same thing… Unless… What if I did things with plants?"

Yuki looked over at her kitchen area. Though small in size, it was still a small countertop and a sink. It had many potted plants with herbs growing out of them, taking up the small space on the counter. She had a habit of making home remedies for herself since medicine was expensive. She wondered if such a skill would be useful in game. "I guess I can only test things out… It states here that crafting items of any kind requires some real world knowledge, but if I can use my meager skills that I have acquired over the years to make something that can be helpful in game, it might sell right?"

Yuki rested her chin between her thumb and index finger as she pondered over these things. "I guess I will have no other choice but to try different things. Maybe I will get lucky. "

"Now then..." Yuki switched off her computer and then stretched her arms. She looked over at the clock and saw that it was already reaching midnight. "I should probably hurry and do my paper… I hate having to do computer science, though. And I just shut my laptop down too..."

Letting out a sigh, Yuki switched her laptop back on and began work on her paper. It was not until almost three in the morning when she finally finished it. Yuki pinched her brow and frowned when she took her headphones off and heard the moaning going on down below. She turned her laptop off and went directly to get her full dive headset out, and pulled it out of its box. She laid its instructions out in front of her on the bed while tuning out the noises around her. "Instructions to calibrate the headset… Put the full dive helmet on and switch it on. Follow directions on the screen to do movement calibrations. Make sure to follow the instructions precisely to get the best neural connection between the system and your brain. When all is green, you may select the game you wish to play and connect. Seems simple enough..."

Yuki picked up the helmet off the bed and put it on. The noises she was hearing quickly disappeared, which surprised Yuki but at the same time put a smile on her face. "This I can get used to."

She reached to the side of the helmet and pressed the 'on' button. A light blue image appeared in front of her with some text.

[Loading...]

[New start up...]

[Please calibrate the system...]

The scene suddenly changed to that of a small town.

[Please stay standing during calibration...]

[Calibration will now begin...]

[Raise right arm...]

Yuki followed each step exactly as it asked. Each step she had to repeat five times. It consisted of lifting her limbs up and down, moving her fingers, bending over, jumping, moving her head, and many other maneuvers. Each one allowed her to do these things standing in place.

[Calibration complete…]

[You may now lie down...]

[Warning… You will be put into a sleep state while playing a game. While sleep is good, too much sleep can be detrimental to your health. As a safety precaution, please set an alarm to remind you to log out of the game before logging in to the game of your choice.]

[Would you like to set an alarm now?]

"I have no classes until noon, so set the alarm for 10 A.M., please." Yuki was happy she got to spend a decent amount of time in the game for her first time playing. It was only about six hours, but it was still quite a bit of play time. For Yuki anyway.

[Alarm now set for 10 A.M.]

[Please select your game.]

Yuki only had one icon to choose from, so she quickly selected Soul Fusion Online and then felt herself become very sleepy. Seconds later, her eyes opened, and she found herself in a foggy area. A new window popped up in front of her.

[Syncing Brain Waves…. 10%]

As the number rose, the area around her became clearer and clearer. Once it hit one hundred percent, Yuki almost let out a scream when she found herself high up in the air. A big logo appeared in front of her.

[Welcome to Soul Fusion Online, a world where fantasies become a reality.]