NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 1: So Yun Chen died happily
"Hundreds of fans of the late actor, streamer, and professional gamer Yun Chen gathered today to commemorate his death in the square…"
Yun Chen turned off the TV that was broadcasting the entertainment world news. His reflection in the screen showed a pale, emaciated face, connected to a tangle of tubes and wires that kept his paralyzed body alive.
"What a shame about that actor," he thought, not giving it much importance.
He, who had once been the hottest and most sought-after superstar, with a contract to star in a foreign film, a winner of the Best New Actor award in his country, an ambassador for luxury brands, a model, and a video game streamer, lost it all in a matter of minutes.
Not even all the money, connections, and influence in the world could save him from becoming a quadriplegic.
After a snowboarding accident abroad, he was condemned to live immobile forever.
At first, his fans, friends, family, and even his girlfriend stood by him, but over time, everyone began to drift away. New stars emerged, and his loved ones had to move on with their lives.
Luckily, he was not a burden to his family, as he had a team of specialized nurses who took care of him, but his girlfriend…
He couldn't blame her. She deserved better.
She had endured enough, hiding the relationship, being cautious with her fans, and preparing to be the target of online criticism once the relationship came to light. It was simply the best for both of them.
Yun Chen knew he could no longer offer her marriage or a family.
With his career destroyed, the penalties for breaking contracts devoured much of his fortune, but at least he had enough to cover his expenses for the rest of his life.
However, the biggest difficulty he had to overcome was himself.
Yun Chen had to fight against his own chaotic and pessimistic thoughts. He was his worst enemy and, at the same time, the only person he could count on to endure the loneliness.
He almost went mad, trapped in a broken shell.
He could only move the right side of his neck and head.
Maybe that's why his mother gave him a virtual reality helmet specially designed for his condition. It was still a prototype and It was exclusive to a select group of people, only those with the right connections could get their hands on it.
Yun Chen knew his family made great sacrifices to obtain it, and for that, he was immensely grateful.
He didn't mind if he ended up exhausted and with migraines after playing. Inside the game, Yun Chen was free, and that was enough.
Grateful for that second chance, he found refuge in a virtual world that perfectly replicated an ancient universe of immortals, magic, and cultivation. There, he became the leader of a clan, a master in all disciplines, and a warrior who fought bravely against hordes of zombies and demons. He dominated all the leaderboards and was worshipped as a god.
However, even the greatest heroes must face death.
And Yun Chen was no exception.
But he remained calm. He did everything he wanted, and in the end, he even planned his death to be reborn in his favorite game… Yes, maybe it was illegal to experiment with that, but there were loopholes he could exploit to make it happen.
And maybe he also had to bribe a couple of scientists and other important people in the process… hopefully, no one would interfere with his plan, and his family wouldn't be affected by it…
And maybe, he wouldn't even be himself in the game, but a copy of his memories.
And maybe, just maybe, in the remote possibility, it was all a fraud, and they had deceived him with the supposed experiment to just go along with it…
But he didn't want to lose his beloved world.
Not when it had become his salvation, but he couldn't save them from the zombie apocalypse.
As the strongest immortal whoever transcended, everyone expected him to stand up to the Grand Celestial Demon.
But he couldn't defeat him. He failed everyone. Many died because of him.
And maybe, during this time when he couldn't connect, the world he once knew seemed to have disappeared, but he had to try. He didn't know what had happened to the hordes of zombies and demons… He had placed a seal at the cost of his character, all his treasures, and wealth, but it was destined to break in a year. And he swore that by then, he would be strong enough to defeat the calamity of the Grand Celestial Demon… but maybe he would die today for good.
And that was driving him mad.
He had to protect them.
And yes, although Yun Chen wasn't fully conscious, he did go mad.
His brain also "became lazy". His body was already in poor condition, so he no longer sent data to the experts. But, he definitely suffered the side effects of the beta test and experiment #3456, which involved him, and it failed completely.
His follow-up report said that test subject #1601 lost his sense of reality, showed signs of withdrawal, his emotions dulled when he wasn't playing, his ego abandoned itself to his RPG delusion, and finally, because of him, this virtual reality helmet would not be released to the market until its limits and restrictions were stabilized due to the severe damage it caused to the user's memory.
It was harmful to people both physically and spiritually.
And in the end, all the test subjects for this version experienced the phenomenon of "lazy brain." It wasn't a brain death, but their bodies only functioned when the helmet stimulated them. Also, some became unable to use their bodies in real life or were left with paralyzed parts…
Yun Chen, in the end, forgot who he really was, and the only way to silence his screams and imaginary pain was to promise that he would return to the game after his death.
Naturally, it was a lie.
It was impossible.
But he just needed to die in peace, it was only a matter of time before his body finally failed.
So Yun Chen died happy, as his family and acquaintances wished.