BECOMING A GOD ONLINE

2. THIS IS TOO REAL

Alex hesitated. “Uh… the competition starts in three days,” he said.

Michael’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t sure if joining this game was the right decision.

But he had no choice. The hype around the game was massive, and maybe—just maybe—he could get lucky and win something.

“And the cash prize?” Michael asked.

Alex hesitated again. “I’m not completely sure,” he said. “It might just be a rumor. The government hasn’t said anything official yet. But I heard that about thirty thousand dollars will be shared among the top ten players after two weeks.”

“Our school is supporting it too,” Alex continued. “They say it helps improve brain performance. But it’s only for people fifteen and above.”

Michael glanced at Maya. She sat curled in a corner, her eyes red from crying.

He walked over and knelt beside her. “You’re not hurt, right?” he asked softly.

Maya wiped her tears. “Yeah… I’m okay,” she whispered.

Michael placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I’ll find a way to take care of us,” he said. “Don’t worry about the game. You’re not old enough anyway. I’ll try it with Alex first, alright?”

Maya nodded slowly. “Okay…”

Michael forced a small smile. “Now go break my savings box and find something good to eat. I’ll be back soon. Alex and I need to go out for a while.”

Maya’s eyes widened in surprise. The savings box was something Michael guarded carefully. He often chose to go hungry just to save money.

Before she could protest, Michael turned and walked out of the house with Alex, leaving her standing there in shock.

Outside the old house, Michael looked at Alex. “So… how do we register?”

“Easy,” Alex said. “Any cyber café nearby. The government is sponsoring everything. Once you register, your game cabinet will be delivered to your address within twenty-four hours.”

They walked quickly through the streets.

Soon, they arrived at a crowded cyber café.

“Are you here for Elyria?” a young attendant asked as they entered.

“Yeah,” Alex replied. “My friend wants to register.”

“Use computer 167,” she said, pointing toward a row of machines.

As they walked over, Michael whispered, “How did she know?”

Alex chuckled. “Look around. The number of people coming here today is like fifty times normal. Most of them are our age. Everyone’s here for Elyria.”

Michael sat down at the assigned computer.

The registration page was simple. Name. Age. Address.

“That’s it?” he muttered in disbelief.

Still, he filled everything out and submitted the form.

It was free, so he and Alex left the café shortly after.

On the way home, Alex asked, “If you win… what will you do with the prize money?”

Michael shrugged. “I haven’t even started yet. I don’t know how the game works.”

Alex nodded. “Only rich adults were allowed to test it during the first two weeks. High-status people. Then suddenly, they made it free for everyone.”

He lowered his voice. “And people are saying it’s not just a game. They say it feels like another world.”

Michael frowned. “I’m only playing for the money,” he said firmly.

When they got home, Maya was already asleep. Michael covered her with a blanket and motioned for Alex to stay quiet.

He lay down on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

The thought of his sister starving without complaining hurt more than anything. He wanted money, real money, something that could finally change their lives.

The next morning, Michael woke up and rubbed his eyes.

Alex was still sleeping beside him.

Michael stretched and walked to the front door, hoping to get some fresh air.

But when he opened it, he froze.

Two boxes sat neatly outside.

On top of each box, the word ELYRIA was printed in bold letters.

Michael quickly brought them inside. One box had his name written on it.

He opened it and found a wristband and a small note.

NOTE: Once worn, this band bonds to the user and connects the brain and body to Elyria. Each band can only be owned by one person.

Michael frowned. “How does this even work?” he muttered.

Curious, he put the band on.

A voice suddenly echoed inside his head.

“Synchronizing.”

A sharp pain shot through his skull.

Everything went black.

When Michael opened his eyes again, he gasped.

He stood in a massive city filled with towering buildings and crowded streets. People walked around laughing and talking as if nothing was strange.

He rushed to a nearby window and stared at his reflection.

He looked exactly the same as in real life.

“This… feels real,” he whispered, pinching himself. The pain was sharp.

A mechanical voice spoke in his mind.

“Welcome to ELYRIA. As you are not native to this world, you have been transported to Elyria’s First Terminal. Please choose a username.”

Michael hesitated. “Ageless,” he said quietly.

Initializing…

Name: Ageless

Age: 16

Level: 0

Ability: Unknown

The information appeared directly in his thoughts.

Before he could react, a loud roar shook the city.

People screamed and ran.

Michael turned and saw a massive monster charging toward the gates. It looked like a giant werewolf with two long spiked tails. Its eyes glowed red as it crushed buildings beneath its feet.

Panic spread everywhere.

“This… this is insane!” Michael shouted.

The creature moved closer.

Michael turned and ran.

“Log me out!” he screamed. “Hey—whatever this band is—log me out now!”

A cold voice replied.

“Logout unavailable. You must reach a teleportation portal before exiting.”

Michael’s heart sank.

“Damn it!” he screamed as he ran for his life.