The Blue Path: Step 1

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Reality is a prison. Zero Space is the only way out.

The Haven - a fortified skyscraper. It's humanity's last stand, and it won't be standing much longer.

Jay might not live to see the end of the world. Not in his condition. He’d rather spend his remaining time playing a VR game called Zero Space. At least there, he can be a gun-toting bad-ass named Shae.

But when Jay finds a forbidden new power, it reveals a secret side of Zero Space, filled with sentient AI, scheming monsters, and murderous players. Zero Space may be more than just a game. It could be the key to saving the world. Or ending it.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2021
Author: CoolDragonZae

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.0/ 5.0
Followers: 220
Views: 106,656

Chapters(90 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(6)

Blind_WatcherRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Updated my review.
I first found this story when the author was posting thier cover art in the Art forum. I'll be honest, the cover art drew me in. But I am definitely enjoying the story thus far. There is a rather diverse cast of characters and believably conflicting motivations in play throughout everything I have read so far.
The whole VR experience is used in a very interesting way with how it distorts players minds regarding injury. Makes for some truly shocking moments you otherwise wouldn't be able to have. It has also added a great deal of mystery to certain elements of the plot, and I am looking forward to finding out more.
Only very minor spelling/punctuation mistakes that I have seen, easily fixable. Most mistakes and errors have reduced as the story has progressed and will likely continue to do so as the author works on their story.
The characters thus far are interesting and well written as well. Some rather interesting choices have been made, but for the most part they have paid off or have been revealed as relfecting a characters true motivations rather than just their assumed ones.
The overall style for the story telling is a bit wierd and jarring at times, but it fits the story. Anyone who has read the story would probably agree. All it really needs is a bit of polish here and there to smooth out some minor problems.
BloodyDeepPlotRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A protected skyscraper known as The Haven.
It is humanity's final stand, and it will not endure much longer.
Jay may not make it to the end of the world. Not in his current state. He'd rather spend the rest of his time playing Zero Space, a virtual reality game. At the very least, he can be Shae, a gun-toting badass.
When Jay discovers a prohibited new power, however, he discovers a hidden side of Zero Space, populated by intelligent AI, devious monsters, and violent players. It's possible that Zero Space is more than just a game. It has the potential to save the world. Alternatively, you could end it.
The notion is intriguing. There is an overarching plot, and there are no mini-arcs in which the author creates each segment on the fly.
With superb writing, an engaging story, and a plot that stays on track, this is a must-read.
Regardless, I didn't spot any obvious grammatical errors, and it appeared to be well-structured. In terms of style, I really liked it. In comparison to the other works on this site, the characterization is exceptional.
To be honest, I felt compelled to read every spare time I had since I was intrigued by what would happen next.
The advancement is moderate, and the main character isn't powerful at the outset. The character's actions are fine-tuned to pit him against tougher opponents, but he still faces setbacks and frustrations. The characters make mistakes and are not perfect, and they must adapt to new situations correctly. While their power grows, they face severe constraints in their development and are unable to overcome any obstacles, even while working cooperatively with others.
The style of writing is intriguing. The grammar is excellent, and I couldn't detect any obvious errors.
alphaReviewsRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I generally avoid the VRMMO stories: MCs playing largely pointless video games, wasting their time avoiding real life and its important challenges. If not for the positive reviews, I would have avoided this too and really missed out on this gem.
One great thing in the premise is that we discover over time that the VRMMO world has a huge impact on the real world. The real-life outside the VRMMO is a dystopian, near-apocalyptic reality (a la Judge Dredd + external creepy threat), and at the very least, success in the VRMMO is one way to live outside of the hell that are the lower floors in the complex.
A fascinating mystery gets revealed over time, as the importance and impact of the VRMMO on the real world never stops growing. Furthermore, the challenges are so steep that the tension and stakes quickly become very gripping.
The protagonist himself is someone to truly root for and care about. He is reminiscent of a modern late teenager with mercury and other heavy metal toxicity: silly, self-destructive and socially awkward, yet still striving 100% to reach the absurd ideals that interest his semi-autistic mind. The first few chapters can be a bit frustrating, due to how self-destructive he is, but this is a story of growth and it is wonderful to see him change, improve and finally start to truly shine once he has an opportunity to heal from this condition.
The rest of the cast is brilliant as well. The friendships and family relationships are beautiful (even strained as they had been by his self-destructive impulses), and the antagonists are great too.
The VRMMO world, with its infinite lives, is the perfect place in which to antagonize his opponents in style and for lulz. The dystopian / near-apocalyptic real world, with its huge stakes and huge dangers, adds believable antagonists that carry very real threat.
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Chapter 34 update: I still love this story, but I put it on hold for a while because I was feeling rather anxious when reading it.
Paradoxically, wh
tanakiRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I've never been a fan of LitRPGs, but I've become a big fan of this story.
The use of a video game world in addition to the real (yet still fantastical) one creates so many interesting situations for the characters that would seem out of place in a typical fantasy setting. The characters' distinct personalities break the mould of their RPG role and make the story that much more engaging. Anyone familiar with classic video game tropes (especially in multiplayer games) will appreciate this world and how it plays with a reader's expectations - I'm nine chapters in and there's already been a couple twists that I definitely did not see coming.
The pace of the story strikes a good balance between witty exposition and intense action scenes. It feels like the author is having fun writing the story and wants the reader to feel it too - there's a few good puns and wordplays for those reading every detail.
I look forward to how the story will continue to develop - there's a number of setups that I need to see paid off.
ElorieRoyal Road
★★ 2.0
... that's the protagonist, the inevitable conclusion of chapter one. Putting it mildly, at that.
Backstabbing clown, anti-team-player, he also qualifies for those.
Perhaps that's the sort of thing (or person) you enjoy reading about, but it's most definitely not my cup of tea.
That's all, folks. That's all, folks. That's all, folks. That's all, folks. That's all, folks.
ZentraxiusRoyal Road
★ 0.5
A "balding 20 something" guy whose in game character seems incompetent at everything they attempt, by choice. Protective armor? No, fashionable clothing. A real weapon? No, unlimited ammo airsoft pistols. Any useful accessories? Oversized sunglasses that you've never seen anyone thats not a douchebag wearing. At least his particles are purple cus it's 'cool'
I will agree that fashionquest is the true endgame of any game, and as such, the goal of many gamers, but this is basically a douchebag that fights his own teammates more than mobs, going through with level 1 gear and full cash shop cosmetics, looking and acting like a clown.
MC is easily the least likeable of any characters introduced so far, and im not sure why the author felt the need to write them as a "balding 20 something" unless they are just trying to make them appear even less likeable than they already were, man hit rock bottom and pulled out a pickaxe.