"Hidden Fate?"
His eyes squinted at the stat. He willed the system to tell him more about it.
[Hidden Fate: Become a Gambler, unlock your hidden cheat and change your fate!]
Milo's eyes lit up.
"This could change everything for me. I just have to somehow become a Gambler. Whatever that is."
"Any information on what a Gambler is?"
[Negative]. The system responded.
That was the first time that it did not have an answer.
"Aren't you meant to be updated on everything about this game?
Milo remembered that when going through the play-through the first time, this same system screen was what guided him through the game's basics.
He hadn't learned of Gamblers then. In fact, there was so much that seemed different now that he was in the game. Almost like the game had changed, or evolved.
It was unusual.
He chose not to think too much about it.
"I'm sure that old man Xavier withheld all these info from me so I wouldn't beat his stupid game."
"Either way it's not important," he reconciled. "Show me the cybernetics skills." He says out loud this time.
The screen changed.
[Short Circuit Hack: Hack into the circuitry of other cyberpunks' chips to cause a disorienting short circuit , lasting only for a few seconds. Works only within short, seeing range. Tap hidden button at the side of your head to activate.]
[Finger Pistol: The index finger of your bionic arm can serve as a mini-pistol, releasing a small caliber bullet that does concussive but minimal damage. Point finger at opponent to activate.]
[Bionic Arm: An advanced piece of military-grade tech equipped with physical strength that can augment other special weapons and bionics. Only augmented item for now is {FINGER PISTOL}]
[Nanokine Sword: Arguably the best thing Milo Ashgrim possesses. As the only remainder of his late parents' legacy, the nanokine sword serves as Milo's protector and instrument of vengeance. It's blade can cut through reinforced metal. Twist hilt handle clockwise to activate blade.]
"Not bad." Milo thought. "So I have decent skills and weapons, just a bad fate."
"Well, I have to work to change that at least, maybe finally beat this game too. I'll need to farm good CP if I hope to start somewhere."
CP (cheat points) was the only stat that truly mattered in Project Vegas. They could be used to level up or converted to in-game currency for the purchase of high-grade bionics.
From the little gameplay he experienced, both in video trailers and from playing the game itself, he had a rough idea on how to get more CP.
But first, he needed to learn more about Gamblers.
[There is a way to update your catalog of info].
The system flashed, reading his thoughts.
[The other players in this game may know more about the current situation. It would be redundant to tell you now that something' unusual about the game. Find other people that are in VR just like you. They may be able to tell you more.]
"Other VR players, or transmigrators. Milo wasn't sure if to celebrate or scoff at that. He loved that there were other people experiencing this madness with him, it meant that he could get help, but it also meant that there were other competitors with the same goal as him, people who would have done anything to beat him to it.
In an open-world game like this, one had to keep his guard up.
He glanced down the alleyway he was in.
The alley was narrow enough that the buildings nearly touched, blocking out the sky entirely. Flickering signage painted the walls in broken colors—red, then blue, then nothing at all. Water pooled around exposed wiring on the ground. Milo made a mental note to not step into any puddles.
"So this is my spawn point."
A chemical stench pervaded the air, something Milo couldn't quite identify.
"Damn this place is a dump. I thought El Qitar was more…"
[Technically, this is not El Qitar.]
The system chimed in. [You are in the slums above the Undercity, at the outskirts of El Qitar. This is where your character begins his journey.]
"Well that sucks. I guess I have to get going."
Milo spotted a foldable bag on the ground next to him. There were a few personal items inside: some clothes, outdated chips and metal gear that Milo must've hoped to sell in some market.
He slung it across his back and made his way out of the alley.
The narrow passage opened into a road that didn't look quite as glamorous as it did through an arcade screen. Milo recognised it as one of the major roads that existed within the game.
Although the partying was also prominent in the slums, the cleanup itself was nonexistent. Emptied bottles, torn undergarments, and other questionable items lined the streets like traffic decorations.
Amidst the disorderly chaos, people began to setting up stalls at the roadside market place. Most were traders with a fine assortment of old used metal scrap laid out like trophies, others struggled to get sellable items together, some resorting to picking out the trash on the ground for any items of value.
Milo ran his fingers through the side pockets of his bag. If his character was planning some kind of journey before he jumped worlds, he had to have had some spare change on him at least.
He managed to unearth two silver coins, their faces etched with a glowing omega symbol.
"Silver Credits" he muttered. They were worth about a new set of clothes. It wouldn't have been enough for anything major, but Milo was only looking to start off a conversation.
Now with a solid plan in mind, he made his way through the slum marketplace.
The early hours of the morning were usually the times when a market should have had the least amount of traffic, but that was not the case with the slums.
The merchants had barely set up when the morning rush came in. Soon the market was chockablock with desperate buyers seeking a discount.
Milo made his way through the congestion. His goal was simple, find another player like him.
Unfortunately, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to do that. He was barely familiar with the characters in the game, so he wouldn't have known a potential player even if he saw one.
Which meant that he had to follow his other options. He clutched the credits now nestled in his pocket.
By now, the crowd was surging. Milo's eyes scanned the roadside.
There it was.
A particular stall that stood out compared to the rest. The merchant who owned it hadn't done anything too fancy. He had simply just neatly organized his wares. In a sea of commotion such as the marketplace, the merchant's stall was like an island.
Milo made his way there quickly. He needed to interact with someone who didn't share the same desperation as the rest. Someone who seemed calm-headed. For now, the only tell-tale signs that this merchant was exactly what he was looking for was that his stuff was neatly laid out.
By now, Milo had already picked up on the lingering stares.
Something felt amiss. In the heart of the marketplace, where there was so much hustle and bustle, people didn't have time to focus on anything or anyone but themselves and their tasks. But somehow, ever since he entered the marketplace, he'd noticed the occasional glances that would come his way.
Milo ignored it as he made his way to the merchant's stall. Whatever that was, he could deal with it later
He slammed the credits on the table.
"Two vials of naxite oil."
The merchant looked up, his huge goggles blotting out a major portion of his face. He smiled with crooked teeth, instantly understanding the assignment.
"Right away." He said.
Eight mechanical limbs sprouted from his back, rifling through the neatly stacked items in search of what Milo had requested.
Meanwhile, Milo observed the way the merchant's 'tentacles' worked. Something about it was mesmerizing.
"That must be one hell of an augment. Must be why you're so organized compared to everyone else." Milo noted, trying to initiate a conversation.
The merchant chuckled with a burly voice. "Oh you mean these?" He said as he swung his extra limbs around, "Had to make some major configs on my spine to support all of them. My human hands don't work, you know, and I've always wanted to do stuff."
He continued rifling through his stack, his limbs working in tandem to scatter and immediately rearrange anything that was out of place.
Milo knew that naxite oil was not a resource that was always readily available when requested. This was because it was pretty outdated, and no one really used it anymore. The merchants that possessed naxite oil usually had them buried within their stock.
Milo had intentionally requested this so he could buy himself some time to exchange words with the merchant. Particularly about the "Gambler" situation.
Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance to steer the conversation in that direction.
The merchant immediately stopped searching through his stock, turning to Milo with a slight frown. His eyes rested on the young man's right arm.
"You've got some nerve bringing that kinda military-grade tech to this place."
Milo finally noticed that his bionic arm wasn't anything like any other augments or gear that was around here.
It stood out, with a smoother, shinier metal, and conduits that ran across its length and glowed with a blue light.
"The raiders are gonna have a field day with you if they catch you."
"Catch me? What do you mean?" Milo asked, his guard suddenly up.
As if on cue, he heard the distant rev of an engine. People around him suddenly began to scramble to safety. Merchants quickly closed their stalls.
The merchant cocked his head at the noise, yellowed teeth spread in a wild grin.
"Oh, here they come."