NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 11: First Dive
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was finally time, the beta testing for Apocalypse Online had arrived.
January 2nd, 12:00 PM sharp.
Although Danica hadn't started her livestream yet, her channel had already exploded over hundreds of thousands of concurrent viewers, and the number kept climbing.
[Lepricon]: Hey! You guys are already here? I thought I'd be early!
[Kenshin]: Of course we're here! It's the first time Danica's testing that "100% reality" VR game. History's being made today!
[Magna]: Here we go… Let's see if this game's a scam or not.
[Mr. Slime]: Even if it is, I'm dying to know what kind of game it turns out to be.
[Noob_3000]: Shut up! I said I wasn't interested but now I can't stop thinking about it!
[Gru the Great]: I'm not here for the game—I'm here for the Nitpicking Queen herself~ 😏
Suddenly, the livestream screen lit up as Danica's beautiful face filled the frame.
The once-chaotic comments instantly unified into a flood of thirsty devotion:
[WifeFinder]: HONEY!!!
[Sir_Gentleman]: My Queen, you've returned! I missed you so much in the last 72 hours!
[Simp_01] sent a 💍 Diamond Ring Gift: Queen, please marry me!! 💖🔥
[The Disappointed One]: SIMPS OUT!!! GET. OUT.
Danica rolled her eyes playfully at the chaotic chat and got right to business.
"Hey everyone, welcome to the stream! You know the drill—this is Danica's stream room. If you like what you see, click subscribe in the top right corner. I love you~"
She gave a heart-shaped hand gesture and flashed an exaggeratedly cute smile.
Veteran viewers were used to her antics this was just part of the fun.
"Alright, alright. Let's calm down, everyone. I've already downloaded the game."
Danica adjusted her chair, double-checked her immersion gear, and smirked. "Let's see what this 'revolutionary' VR game has in store. Rumor is, this thing's the real deal."
Skepticism immediately flooded the comment section.
[Ferb]: LMAO. You actually believe this hype?
[Gumball]: Be for real. VR realism is still capped at like 40%. No way this game's the exception.
Danica ignored the chat, pulled on her neural headset, and softly said—
"Link Start."
A subtle sensation rippled through her body, like her limbs were being pulled in every direction. Her vision went dark, her senses became weightless like freefalling into the void.
And then—
She opened her eyes.
Floating in a space filled with swirling runes and soft starlight, Danica found herself in a dazzling void. A glowing mirror stood in front of her, and within it, shifting reflections of different people, her potential avatars.
[Welcome, Player 4]
[This simulation operates on a real-world sensory framework.]
[Default pain threshold: 10% (Adjustable).
You may select your appearance and assign a name.]
[Once confirmed, identity settings are permanent.]
[Step through the mirror to begin your journey to reclaim Earth.]
A mechanical voice echoed in her mind.
"Not bad," she muttered. "Better than anything I've logged into before."
She noticed only Human avatars were available, and her gender was locked to her real one—female. Several options appeared before her, but many were already greyed out, likely chosen by other testers.
The chat exploded once again:
[Nagger]: Woah! These models look amazing!
[Longbottom]: Did they scan actual idols or something?!
[Mammon]: QUEEN DANI! It's me—Mammon! Add me later, ok?!
[Bowrain]: Why only girl avatars? I wanna genderbend! 😭
[Rizzed_Up]: It's linked to your actual ID, genius.
Danica selected one of the few remaining avatars, then entered her name: Queen_Dani.
Taking a breath, she stepped into the mirror.
Her consciousness was pulled into a vortex as an intense weightlessness gripped her chest, and then… silence.
When she awoke, Danica found herself inside a pod. Her skin was wet. Cool air blew from above, gradually drying the transparent fluid clinging to her limbs.
She blinked. Then sniffed.
Her eyes widened.
Sight. Smell. Touch. Hearing. Taste.
All five senses are fully activated.
She could feel the cold pod floor beneath her, the hum of the machine, even the faint chemical tang in the air.
Tears pricked her eyes.
She reached up and touched her face—it felt real. Not simulated.
"I-It's… perfect…" she whispered. "This is on a whole other level."
She pinched herself.
"OW! ...10% pain setting, alright."
She paused, confused.
Where were the floating chat bubbles? Her stream overlay?
"Huh?"
---
Back in the Livestream…
[Phineas]: Yo, why'd the screen go black?
[Simp_01]: Her stream cut out?
[The Disappointed One]: Called it. Day one bug. Weak.
---
Back to Danica…
"Did my stream cut off?" she muttered, frowning.
She tried, "Status."
Nothing.
No window appeared. No UI. No health bars. No floating menus.
"Do they really want to make this 100% reality?"
Suddenly, a soft announcement echoed from above:
[Dear civilian, please retrieve your gear and proceed to the Hall. The Director will address your situation shortly. Thank you for your cooperation.]
Danica turned and took in her surroundings. She was inside a small cubicle, clearly a medical or cryo chamber. Beside the pod was a sleek table, neatly displaying:
A folded black outfit
A smartwatch-style device
A small silver box
Curious, she picked up the outfit. It was unlike any clothing she'd seen before sleek and tight-fitting like latex, but somehow breathable and flexible.
"Its like latex… but comfy?" she muttered as she slipped it on.
It fit perfectly.
She then examined the smartwatch. It looked similar to an Apple Watch but had several glowing icons. One of them, a heart symbol, caught her attention. She tapped it.
A hologram blinked into view.
[Name: Queen_Dani]
Strength: 08 (Human Avg: 10)
Endurance: 10
Agility: 09
Intelligence: 09
Perception: 07
Body Status: Stable
Adaptation Rate: Normal
"WHOA…"
Eyes sparkling, Danica opened the silver box.
Inside were two small round lenses.
"Contact lenses?"
She carefully inserted them.
A soft ping echoed in her ears as the VM system registered the input.
[Contact Sync Detected]
Would you like to enable Livestream Mode and reconnect to broadcast?
Danica's eyes widened as the interface flickered to life again.
She grinned.
"Now we're talking."