The loud banging on the door made Gam's heart race.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Police! Open the door now!" a deep voice shouted from outside.
Gam was still kneeling on the floor, breathing hard. His new Diamond shirt and jeans glowed faintly under the light. The yellow aura had completely entered his body and disappeared, leaving him looking completely different — taller, sharper face, glowing healthy skin, and an almost unreal handsomeness.
[Host, the police are about to break the door. What will you do?]
"I… I don't know!" Gam whispered.
[Suggestion: Use Game Dust to teleport to a safe location, or use Game Slot to change your appearance.]
Before he could decide, the door burst open with a loud crash. Three police officers rushed in with guns raised.
"Hands in the air!" the leader shouted.
Gam slowly raised his hands. His mind was racing.
One of the officers stared at him in shock.
"Wait… is this the same skinny kid who lives here? He looks completely different!"
The leader stepped closer. "We received reports of screaming and possible danger. Are you hurt? What happened here?"
Gam forced a nervous smile.
"I… I was just playing a very intense virtual reality game. The pain was from the feedback system. I'm fine now, officers. Really."
The officers looked around the room. There was no blood, no broken furniture, nothing suspicious except the destroyed door and Gam's strange new clothes.
One officer muttered, "Those clothes look expensive… and weird."
[Host, your current appearance is too eye-catching. Recommend using Game Slot.]
Gam quickly thought Game Slot in his mind.
A soft light covered his body for a second. When it faded, he looked like his old self again — slightly taller and healthier than before, but no longer "heavenly beautiful." The Diamond clothes had changed into normal casual wear.
The officers blinked in confusion, as if they had imagined the earlier version.
"Alright… just keep the noise down next time," the leader finally said. "We're leaving. But if we get another call, we're taking you in for questioning."
The police left, still looking confused.
As soon as the door closed (what was left of it), Gam dropped to the floor.
"That was too close…"
[Congratulations, Host.]
A new screen appeared in front of him.
[Name: Gamerboy]
[Age: 15]
[Level: 15]
[Rank: Gold]
[HP: 4800/4800]
[GP: 2500/2500]
[GS: 0]
[Stamina: 25]
[Agility: 25]
[Virtual: 25]
[Rage: 30]
New Power Unlocked: Lightning Domain
(Creates a zone of lightning that damages all enemies inside. Cost: 50 GP)
[Your painful upgrade pushed you all the way to Level 15 – Gold Rank. Your aura is now Orange.]
Gam stared at the screen, still breathing heavily.
"Level 15 already…?"
His phone suddenly rang. It was David.
"Gam! Are you okay?! We felt a huge energy wave from your location!"
Before Gam could answer, another notification flashed red in front of him.
[Warning: High-level player has detected your energy signature.]
[A Ranker is heading toward your real-world location.]
Gam's eyes widened.
"Nax… what does that mean?"
[It means, Host… someone strong is coming for you. Right now.]