Don examined his virtual body with understandable curiosity. The basic soldier''s attire he wore fit snugly against his frame,plete with a tactical bva andbat visors.


    He ran his fingers along the sleeve''s material, surprised by the tactile sensation. While there was a slight artificial quality to the touch, it felt remarkably close to real fabric.


    This is way more realistic than those VR stories make it seem, Don thought to himself.


    But before he could explore further, Dr. Rajesh''s voice echoed through the space, his ent thick and distinctive. "You should be quickly selecting loadout, yes? Once ready, invite will being to you."


    "Just getting to that," Don replied, making his way to the weapon loadout area. As he approached the locker, multiple holographic screens materialized before him, each disying different weapon categories. A separate screen dedicated to tactical equipment hovered to his right.


    Man, this takes me back, Don thought, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. Thosete-night lobbies in my favorite FPS... those were the days.


    Drawing from his gaming experience and what little he knew about this world''s VR-FPS, Don made quick work of his selections.


    For his primary weapon, he chose the M-72 Striker assault rifle - a reliable workhorse with clean lines and a modernized bullpup design.


    As his secondary, he opted for a pair of daggers, their virtual des gleaming under the ambient light. He rounded out his loadout with a shbang and sticky grenade for tactical options.


    Bypassing the customization station entirely, Don called out, "Okay, I''m ready."


    **PING**


    A translucent screen materialized before him, disying:


    ---


    **[PRIVATE MATCH INVITATION]**


    **Host: Dominic_TX**


    **Room Type: 1v1 Exhibition**


    **ept/Decline**


    -------


    Don focused his gaze on the "ept" option, triggering an immediate response. The environment around him shifted and blurred, reforming into another military-style arena.


    He found himself standing on a dark, metallic tform that hummed softly beneath his feet.


    A few feet away stood another avatar - unmistakably Dominic''s. Unlike Don''s standard-issue appearance, Dominic had chosen a shy skin: pristine white with detailed green patterns that seemed to pulse with digital energy.


    Dominic''s avatar turned toward Don, performing an exaggerated up-and-down assessment.


    "Couldn''t you find anythin'' better than the default?" Dominic drawled, his voice full of disdain.


    Don maintained his silence, adjusting his grip on the M-72 Striker.


    Dr. Rajesh''s voice crackled through the arena''s space. "If both sides are ready, we may be beginning this friendly match, yes?"


    "Let''s get this over with," Dominic scoffed, rolling his shoulders and taking up a ready stance.


    "Ready," Don replied simply, his mind already mapping out potential strategies.


    A bright white light engulfed Don''s vision as a "Loading Environments" message materialized before him.


    Within seconds, he found himself standing in a familiar kitchen, its worn wooden countertops and dated appliances stirring memories from his childhood gaming days.


    A massive floating message announced "1v1, Farmhouse Standoff" before dissolving into a 20-second countdown timer.


    Don remained frozen in ce, his eyes scanning the environment. The kitchen''s details were crisp and lifelike - from the slight dust particles dancing in the sunbeams to the aged wallpaper peeling at the corners.


    ''No way,''


    Don thought, his virtual body tensing with excitement.


    ''This is exactly like the Farmstead map from back then, just... incredibly detailed.''


    He tested his weapon handling, lifting the rifle to peer down its sights. The movement felt natural, fluid.


    Switching to his secondary weapons, he gripped the daggers, shing them through the air experimentally. Each motion responded perfectly to his intentions.


    He quickly cycled through his equipment, checking his shbang and sticky grenade as the counter ticked down to five.


    **Beep... beep... beep...**


    "First to 10 kills wins," announced a robotic female voice as the counter hit zero.


    The interface then simplified, leaving only essential information at the edges of his vision and a minimap in the corner.


    Creak... thump thump thump


    The sound of a door opening followed by rushed footsteps echoed through the house. In response to this, Don immediately pulled out his sticky grenade, yanked the pin, and attached it to the counter. He then shuffled his feet deliberately, creating noise.


    The foreign footsteps grew louder and more urgent as a result.


    "Found you!" Dominic''s thick voice echoed through the house as he neared the kitchen.


    As his avatar appeared in the kitchen doorway, Don spun andunched himself through the nearby window.


    Crash! ss shattered around him as automatic weapon fire erupted behind him.


    **Rat-tat-tat!**


    A bullet caught him, sending vibrations through his body as his health bar briefly appeared and dipped.


    This didn''t stop Don however as he sprinted toward a rusty tractor for cover. Behind him, the sticky grenade detonated with a thunderous


    **BOOM!**


    A kill notification then popped up on his interface.


    "You motherfucker!" Dominic''s angry voice boomed from his respawn point upstairs in the house.


    Outside the virtual world, Donald leaned forward, his previous worry melting into relief as he watched the POV feed disyed on the pods.


    Dr. Rajesh stood beside him, nodding with approval, his hands sped behind his back.


    "Most impressive," Dr. Rajesh said, his voice calm. "The boy shows good strategic thinking, yes?"


    Dominic''s father mmed his fist against his son''s pod, the impact echoing through the room. "Useless! How could he fall for that?" His face reddened with frustration.


    From the lounge area, Dominic''s mother shifted ufortably in her leather chair. She forced a smile, though her knuckles whitened as she gripped the armrests. "Don''t worry, honey," she called to her husband, her voice carrying a forced cheerfulness. "It''s just started. Our boy''s got plenty of time to show what he can do."


    Back in the virtual world, Don had heard Dominic''s enraged yell from upstairs in the farmhouse. His eyes scanned his surroundings, years of gaming experience with this map flooding back.


    The weathered barn stood proudly across the open field, its wooden structure bathed in the warm virtual sunlight.


    Without hesitation, Don sprinted toward it, his boots kicking up digital dust as he ran.


    Just as he reached the barn''s entrance, movement caught his eye. Dominic had leaped through a side window of the farmhouse, his form rolling smoothly onto the ground in a tactical maneuver.


    "Stop running like a coward!" Dominic''s voice boomed across the field, filled with frustration.


    Don ignored him and slipped inside the barn, immediately taking in the familiaryout.


    Scattered hay bales created a maze of cover points, while overturned crates and rusted farm equipment cast long shadows across the dirt floor. Sunlight streamed through gaps in the wooden walls, creating moving patterns of light and shadow. Find exclusive stories on м??


    ''Perfect,''


    Don thought, his eyes settling on the woodendder leading to the second floor.


    ''Let''s see if basic tactics still work here.''


    Creak creak creak Thedder protested under his weight as he climbed it swiftly.


    Upon reaching the top, Don''s hand immediately went to his tactical belt, fingers wrapping around the shbang. He could hear Dominic''s approaching footsteps, growing louder with each passing second.


    Once the steps got closer, Don threw the shbang.


    **Clink**


    It hit the ground near the entrance, the metallic sound echoing through the barn.


    "Shit!" Dominic cursed before scrambling away from the entrance.


    ''That''s right, run,''


    Don thought as he executed the next phase of his n.


    He turned and rushed toward therge hay stack beneath the barn''s roof hole before climbing it and positioning himself perfectly to peer through the opening.


    Below, Dominic stood in the open field, his head swiveling left and right as he tried to anticipate Don''s next move. His SMG was held at the ready, but pointed in the wrong direction.


    Don steadied his breathing, raising his rifle as he aligned perfectly with Dominic''s position. Then, without hesitation, his finger squeezed the trigger.


    **CRACK!**


    A stream of shots rang out, echoing across the map. Dominic''s avatar crumpled to the ground as another kill notification popped up on Don''s interface.


    "Son of a-" Dominic''s curse was cut short by the respawn animation.


    Outside the virtual world, Dominic''s father''s face had turned an even deeper shade of red. He paced back and forth behind his son''s pod, hands clenched into tight fists.


    "Basic! So basic!" he spat, turning to Dr. Rajesh. "Does that guy only know how to run!"


    Dr. Rajesh didn''t react to this, his expression remaining neutral as he watched the screen.


    In her chair, Dominic''s mother had given up trying to maintain her cheerful facade. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she watched her husband''s increasing agitation. She reached for her water ss with trembling fingers, taking a small sip to hide her difort.


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