--Ryoutarou Okiyu POV--
Another day at work, another day of failure.
I'm Ryoutarou Okiyu, 28 years old. Former police officer. Now, a glorified errand boy for the Special Defense Force Japan's last line of defense within the Ark system.
I had once believed this job would be filled with purpose serving justice, protecting the people, standing tall against threats both foreign and domestic.
The reality was far less noble. I wasn't chasing criminals or saving lives.
I was making sure high ranking officials could sip their tea in peace while turning a blind eye to the very rot I once swore to fight.
Yet... it pays well.
Better than anything a cop's badge could offer.
So I endure. For now.
I took a deep breath at the foot of the door, brushing off the weight of another disappointing day. The lock beeped as I stepped inside.
"I'm hoooome!" I shouted, forcing a smile as I kicked off my boots.
In the hallway stood Ai Maeda no, Ai Okiyu now. My childhood friend. My wife. My anchor.
Arms crossed, brow raised. "You're late again."
"Sorry, Anata. Justice doesn't serve itself, after all," I replied, scratching my head with an exaggerated sheepishness.
She huffed but couldn't hold back the smirk tugging at her lips. "You and your lofty justice. Lucky you're such a charmer or I might've reconsidered that proposal."
She leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheek.
The tiredness in my bones didn't disappear but it softened.
"Hey, did I get any mail today?" I asked, unable to hide the anticipation in my voice.
"Mail...? Oh, yeah! I almost forgot!" She disappeared into the living room, returning moments later with a sleek, black box in her hands.
"Here y--" she began, but I was already in motion.
"Thanks! I'll be right back!" I snatched the box from her and bolted to my sanctuary.
The door closed behind me, and silence settled in except for the giddy laughter that bubbled out of my throat.
"Hehehehe... finally."
YGGDRASIL
The game whispered of freedom. Of choice.
Of a world where one's ideals didn't rust in bureaucracy or bow to corporate orders.
I tore open the box with reverence, revealing the neural-link gear inside.
The future of immersive gaming no scripts, no rails. Just you and the digital unknown.
"Honey, make sure you're done before dinner, alright?" Ai's voice rang from outside the door.
"Will do, darling," I called back.
The gear hummed to life. My body relaxed into the chair as my mind was pulled elsewhere.
Everything went dark, before a notification popped up in front of my face.
{ Welcome to YGGDRASIL }
And just moments after another followed
{ Insert name to be allowed entry }
I didn't hesitate
with a grin tugging at my lips, I typed in the name I been saving for this very moment.
{ Touch Me }
Yes, that's right.
Ridiculous to some, maybe.
But to me?
It was a challenge, an open declaration.
"Come, Try. Touch Me if you dare" I muttered under my breath imagining an epic scene.
In this world I'll be a symbol, a beacon of righteous power.
And a beacon should shine right?
{ Please select your race }
My first instinct was to choose a human like race something noble, something that mirrored my ideals.
But no I was here to test everything, to push boundaries.
{ Heteromorphic }
That was the term.
The strange, the monstrous, the alien.
"Let's see what these graphics can really do," I muttered.
A myriad of forms danced before me slimes, demons, angels.
Then I saw it.
An armored figure with gleaming carapace and compound eyes.
Its silhouette held a balance of elegance and danger, posture almost regal.
{ Insectoid }
Humanoid enough to be relatable, alien enough to be feared.
Perfect.
I tweaked with the character design a bit, making it more imposing and humanoid.
Seeing as this is VR I made sure the character stature match my own, I know my own body best afterall.
Standing at 175 cm tall with broad shoulders and some sleek chitin armor.
With all the excess limbs removed, and adding in a faint bioluminescent streaks along the exoskeleton.
I was left with a Masterpiece
"A symbol of justice must shine even in the darkest places." I spoke out loud, a true smile on my face.
Please select your starting region.
{ Asgard }
{ Álfheim }
{ Vanaheim }
{ Niðavellir }
{ Midgard }
{ Jötunheim }
{ Helheim }
{ Niflheim }
{ Múspellheim }
Seeing the list of options my mind darted towards one in particular
{ Álfheim }
The name rang with mystique. Cool, light, and importantly mysterious.
'That sounds about right.' I thought to myself before selecting it
{ Entering Realm : Álfheim }
The digital world unfolded with breathtaking clarity.
Lush forests stretched endlessly beneath a silver sky. Trees shimmered with crystalline leaves, and distant waterfalls sang over ancient stones.
The air was thick with life.
I looked down at my new body sleek, strong, and imposing.
Every motion felt fluid, Natural even.
I took a step, then another. My footfalls barely disturbed the mossy ground.
I ran ahead unbothered with the numerous obstacles in my path, leaping beneath the trees into the unknown.
I ran for a good 5 minutes, before I heard something.
A rustle.
Without warning, a wild beast lunged from the foliage a small red eyed rabbit like creature.
Instinct kicked in.
I ducked, side stepped, and drove my clawed hand into its flank.
The beast shrieked, staggered back, and pounced again.
I grinned. "Come, then. Let's see what justice looks like in this world."
The battle ended swiftly.
And then another came. And another.
Each monster fell beneath my calculated strikes, their blood washing over my chitinous armor like war paint.
I felt alive.
For the first time in years, I felt right.
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Writing this is hard man...
Making conversation between a man and woman feels hard somehow...
So this is the weakness of being single for life...