Vik spawned in the spawn zone near a famous ce in the City-state of Crescent Moon Corp. Like him, many people spawned nearby and moved about their way quickly afterward. Nobody paid heed to him.


    The spawn zones were areas in the Oasis dedicated as gateway points for people to appear in the virtual world or travel from one gateway point to another. Some of the busiest spawn zones even stretched for miles on end to amodate the traffic.


    But this zone was not like that. The city was called a newbie zone for a reason. The City of Crescent Moon Corp in the virtual world was asid back of a ce as its real-life counterpart. It didn''t generate much traffic from around the world. But still, it was riddled with crime and corruptionmitted by the local popce.


    Soon Vik too started walking in a particr direction.


    He was currently wearing cargo pants and a denim shirt with a biker''s jacket on. He also had a golf cap on, which looked weirdpared to his outfit. But he kept it on anyway.


    Vik was heading to a ce known as Battery Point bar. This ce in Oasis Online was based on its real-life counterpart. And unsurprisingly, it was run by the same owner who was running the bar in real life.


    ***


    The ces in Oasis Online could be anything. They could be a replica of real-life variants. Or they could be something fantastical in nature.


    Some ces in the Oasis drew inspirations from real-world history and recreated themselves in a way that made them look like a fusion between illusion and reality. Some ces were exactly like their real-life variants. While some others were purely fantastical.


    The non-Metas also believed that the other worlds that they were used to seeing as stars before entering Oasis were also purely fantastical in nature. Although many said that humanity had traveled beyond stars and gained ess to the other worlds, both non-Metas, and Metas that lived outside Elysian city-states considered them to be rumors.


    There were even non-Metas that believed that the city on Moon was fake because the sky cars wouldn''t go beyond a fixed altitude. Some believed that humanity''s reach to the moon was a huge conspiracy.


    Elysian city-states were different from normal city-states. They were only rumored to have a Metahuman poption. Then again, nobody had met or talked with a citizen from one of those Elysian cities. Their Oasis worlds were different from the general poption after all.


    In short, Oasis Online was more massive than one could have imagined. And it had many facets to it. Vik and Tory entering Oasis to collect information was not a terrible idea per se.


    It was said that Battery Point bar once served as a lighthouse some centuries back. The old building was no longer there. It couldn''t withstand the sands of time after all.


    But the new owner of Battery Point Bar had constructed a simr-looking replica in real life. And they had kept the design almost the same in the Oasis as well with a few touches of fantastical lights.


    ***


    Coming back to Vik''s current situation.


    Vik was meeting Tory at the Battery Point bar. It was their standard ce to visit in the Oasis Online after all. But only they both knew about it. So there wasn''t any risk.


    There would be a few spawn zones that would be near the bar. Therefore, Vik and Tory couldn''t be sure if they would appear in the same zone.


    Vik and Tory would always meet at Battery Point in the Oasis before they engaged in any activity in the virtual world. They would first drink here. Decide on their ns. And then choose a spawn point one of them came from to travel to different regions instantly.


    It was their standard method. A routine.


    Vik started noticing people around him were gossiping about something that wasn''t entirely audible to him. From their hushed tones and surprised faces, he could guess that they had heard unbelievable news that they couldn''t fully trust yet.


    ''Everything would be clear once I reach the bar.''


    Vik decided to head to the bar first before anything else. He was still a few miles away from the location. That could take a while for him to get there on foot.


    Therefore, Vik summoned an Osho-run sky car from his interface. And soon a brand-new flying car approached him from the sky before stopping in front of him and opening its doors to him.


    ***


    An Osho referred to the virtual people found in the Oasis. They were considered the natives of the Oasis-- sort of virtual constructs with emotions.


    In old-gen games'' terms some centuries back, they could be what was referred to as NPCs. But unlike the in-game NPCs at that time, the Oshos were able to think for themselves.


    They were just like regr people and behaved like them too. If it was not for their publicly visible status window that was essible to the people of the real world, the Oshos would be mistaken for real people.


    The Oshos were strange creatures sometimes. They could talk to you about things that you both were interested in. And the conversation would feel natural. But if you asked anything about the intricacies of the virtual world, they''d be nk and stare at you before restarting the conversation again.


    So there was no point in asking an Osho about an insider''s information. They were simply incapable of telling people anything worthwhile unless they were allowed to do so.


    The Oshos followed the rules of the virtual world to a T. They had their jobs, things that they cared about, their likes and dislikes, and every other aspect of real-life people that made them real.


    That''s why the Oshos were treated like real people here. Metas and non-Metas would sometimes treat them with even more respect than regr people to gain their favor.


    ***


    Vik was dropped just outside the bar after a few minutes. It was nighttime by then. The ce was buzzing with people and Osis.


    He made his way through the crowd and reached the extreme left end of the bartender''s table. Someone had reserved a seat for him by cing a beer bottle over it.


    "Hehe! You took your time. Which ce did they send you to?"


    Tory was already there to greet Vik. The guy had started drinking unceremoniously. He tried his finest to keep things hidden, but Vik could tell his brother''s mood was foul for some reason.


    "Well, I had to take a cab.


    So, what did you find out so far?"


    Vik took the beer bottle and gulped the contents within it before taking his seat beside Tory. He had to use the real money saved in his ount and convert it into Opts to pay for the cab rent. Of course, his mood had also been affected by it.


    "Enough to shake you up. You were right all along Vik. That op was more than meets the eye.


    Saying that we havended ourselves in big trouble would be an understatement if you know what they are talking about."


    Vik could see Tory wasn''t fooling around when he said that. And behind that facade of calm, he could sense that thetter was scared.


    ===


    AN: Osho describes the digital constructs of Oasis Online. In loose terms, they can be referred to as NPCs. But let''s say that they are not limited by that word''s rigid definition.


    There''s another meaning of Osho that goes, "dissolving into the whole of human existence". This meaning will y a significant roleter on.


    Lastly, Battery Point Lighthouse is a real ce in Crescent City, California. The ce can be Googled. INFIO ns to integrate many interesting ces into Oasis Online. It''ll be fun to get immersed in those visual settings.