The camera flickered on, and a familiar face appeared on countless screens across the network.
In a small but tidy room, a young man adjusted his VR headset, the faint glow of his setup reflecting off his determined eyes.
His name: Rylan Cross — a twenty-year-old streamer living in Aurel City, known online as "Viper."
He lived with his parents and a younger sister who often teased him for "talking to himself on stream." But in the VR community, everyone knew his name now.
His channel was already packed with viewers before the countdown even hit zero.
Comments were flying across the chat window:
[Chat]: viper IS LIVE! LET'S GOOO! 🔥
[Chat]: Another solo? You're insane, bro!
[Chat]: Watch him get that Chicken Dinner again 😎
Rylan grinned, leaning closer to the mic.
"Alright, alright… calm down, chat," he said with a laugh. "Today's goal's simple — another Chicken Dinner. Gotta keep the streak alive."
The messages exploded even faster.
[Chat]: Easy win incoming!
[Chat]: Don't jinx it, bro 😂
[Chat]: Let's see that sniper magic again 👀
Rylan cracked his knuckles and tightened the VR straps around his head. The sleek helmet hummed softly as it synced with his neural link. The faint blue glow pulsed once, signaling connection.
He inhaled deeply. "Alright, boys and girls… entering GroundZero VR."
With a subtle motion, he pressed Start Match.
The screen around him shifted — bright light engulfed his vision — and within seconds, the virtual world unfolded before his eyes.
…..
The virtual sky shimmered with a false-blue glow as the drop plane soared high above the island. One hundred players were locked in, loaded, and waiting in silence—each in their own cabin chamber aboard the drop ship.
Outside, the holographic view of the landscape rolled beneath them: a familiar island carved by years of tactical warfare, from dense urban blocks to wide open fields and sniper-friendly cliffs.
It was a solo match. No friends, no backup, no callouts.
Just instinct, speed, and survival.
The system pinged with a sharp tone:
"Welcome to SOLO: VR COMBAT ARENA – Island Code: Ares-3
Match Type: Standard Solo - Ranked
Number of Players: 100
Map: Erangel Revamped
Zone Shrink Speed: Normal
Special Modifier: Realistic Loot Physics Enabled**"
The countdown reached zero.
"Drop sequence initiated."
Cabins unlocked with a heavy hiss as the sky doors opened one by one. The camera zoomed from cabin to cabin—names appeared in floating VR glyphs. Some hesitated. Others jumped instantly.
They scattered.
A trail of bodies plummeted from the ship, white parachutes trailing like seeds in the wind. Some aimed for hotspots like Pochinki, School, and Sosnovka. Others drifted toward quiet outskirts—ruins, lonely shacks, or cliffside compounds.
One player, VR tag: "Viper.4x", jumped later than most.
The third-person camera tracked his fall—steady, controlled. He wasn't diving straight down. No, he was gliding, scanning the terrain like a hawk looking for prey and safety in equal measure.
He wasn't after blood.
He was after victory.
...…
I leaned forward, letting my body fall out of the cabin as the sky enveloped me. The wind roared around my head, rushing past the VR helmet's full-audio sim like a hurricane. Below, the terrain spread out in vivid detail—grass swaying in the wind, buildings casting soft shadows in late afternoon light.
My gloves vibrated gently as I adjusted trajectory—two fingers together, palms down, slight angle. My altitude counter ticked down fast.
Target: Compound near Gatka. Three buildings. Two garages. Good line of sight. Not too hot.
I saw one other chute nearby. West. Distant. Not an immediate threat.
Parachute deployed.
Snap.
My body jolted upward. I felt the straps tighten on my shoulders—fake pressure, but it did the trick. I kept scanning.
No movement below.
Good.
Boots hit rooftop. I cut the chute manually and crouched instantly. Not for drama—out of habit. The helmet buzzed softly as I toggled HUD: health, compass, ammo, bag weight—empty for now.
I dropped into the building through the stairwell window.
Kitchen. Nothing.
Backroom—P1911 pistol, 12 rounds. Grab.
Drawer—Bandage x2.
Side closet—Level 1 vest. I shrugged it on.
Second room—UMP45. 45 ACP x60. Bingo.
I loaded it quickly, checked the mag, and toggled full-auto. Then I paused.
"Footsteps."
Not mine.
Downstairs.
I crouched and moved slowly, peeking over the stairwell banister. A shadow moved across the tiled floor. Too fast for a bot. This was another player.
I could feel my heartbeat inside the suit. It wasn't real, but it sure as hell felt like it.
The player stepped into view, back turned. Looting carelessly.
I took the shot.
Three bursts.
Thuk-thuk-thuk!
He spun, fired wildly—Micro Uzi. One shot hit me.
HP: 92%
I strafed left, then popped two more shots.
Kill Confirmed: VR Player "XyloShade" – Eliminated.
Looting rights unlocked.
He didn't have much, but I took his meds and smoke grenade. Every little thing counted.
…..
At the same time, across the map:
14 players died in early clashes at School.
Another sniper claimed 3 kills at the radio tower above Mylta.
Red Zone activated near Sosnovka—two unlucky players blown sky-high.
The circle began to close.
First Safe Zone: Centered near Quarry.
Viper.4x was on the edge—just 300 meters outside.
….