Approaching for a closer look, there were people lying inside the pods bathed in soft light. They covered their eyes with ring-shaped luminous goggles, their bodies fixed within the pods, with the occasional movement of fingers and toes, as if they were each having a unique dream.
Soon, three youths dressed in black hoodies approached. They wore sunglasses with their hands tucked into the pockets of their hoodies, their casual pants and sneakers completing the ensemble.
"Hey, long time no see, Kolter. You here to play today? I've found some top-notch stuff online lately, I'll send it to you later."
"Cough cough." Kolter, looking serious, indicated he wasn't alone.
"Oh, who are these two beauties?" The leader of the black-shirted trio approached, removed his sunglasses, and looked them up and down.
"This is Tilan, a new member of our student council. I'm here to familiarize her with the scene," Kolter introduced.
"Nice to meet you, Tilan. I'm Taifu," he said, his skin a bit dark, as he reached out to shake hands with the quiet young girl.
The girl, however, seemed a little uncomfortable with this sudden physical contact, and Kolter promptly intercepted.
"Alright, Taifu, let's get down to business," he redirected the conversation.
"I'm going to need a bit of your time today. You need to give Tilan a proper introduction to immersive diving and your club's usual affairs. It's her first time here, and she needs to know what's going on. In the future, Tilan will be an important member of the student council. With her help and understanding, your club's restricted situation could improve a lot."
"Oh, well, that really is good news. If we could relax the restrictions a bit, our whole club would immediately flock to Miss Tilan to make her the new president of the student council." His tone held a playful note, but he might have been sincere.
"You guys go get some snacks, um, and bring some drinks, normal ones. Today we need to treat our guests well," Taifu instructed the two companions behind him, then led the trio to a round chamber on the side of the main hall. It was well lit, quite a bit brighter than the pitch-black main hall.
Once seated, Taifu took off his hood and settled into the circular sofa. He swiped on the projection panel on the table, and soft jazz music began to fill the compartment.
"Is this your first time encountering the Aijeika network, Miss Tilan?"
"Yes, I've only heard about it before," the girl nodded.
"Indeed, it's not easy for ordinary people in the outside world to access. Some big cities have specialized Internet cafés for logging in, but they are expensive and not necessarily safe," he said, tapping the table while thinking about where to start.
"The Aijeika network is based on the information channels of the Aijieka Sea. The myriad pieces of information within it can be said to have constructed a virtual world that transcends reality. Entering it is like stepping into another universe, dazzling and full of countless possible worlds," he gestured with both hands as though opening a large door.
"However, projecting your consciousness into this network world is also very risky. If you don't stay in the safe zone, or travel as prescribed, or get tricked into entering a dangerous black zone, you could be attacked,"
"What enters the network is your consciousness; you can't rely on the Magic Power and physical combat of your real body. Even a Sequence 7 strongman, if he encounters a seasoned and cruel hacker in the network, could easily meet with accidents,"
"Although I've mentioned its dangers, there are also many benefits,"
"Firstly, you can always be the first to know certain information, such as the latest technologies, topics, and discoveries in various Star Domains, play some games that haven't been operated and sold in this Star Domain, see movies and TV shows from other Star Domains, find some rare and obscure materials specific to this Star Domain,"
"Secondly, there's the interaction. In reality, interstellar travel is not only extremely expensive, but also time-consuming. However, on the Aijeika network, you can easily interact with other Star Domains' loggers. This interaction isn't limited to exchanging ideas; you can enter another's pre-designed mental space. If the other person is strong enough, they can even let you see scenes made up of parts of their memories,"
"There are even many specialized idols in the network who engage in this business. They manage their own 'rooms' to attract various visitors for views. Inside, you can find their singing performances, chit-chat, lectures on certain topics, discussions on current affairs, life sharing, and so on. Compared to ordinary online idols, on the Aijeika network, you can have a more immersive experience. For example, you can 360° rotate the goods on display, feel their texture, and even smell certain scents as if it were real,"
"This experience totally blows modern films and videos out of the water, so once people have experienced the Aijeika network, they can't go back to those barren, monotonous videos. Only immersive movies can compete, which are, in fact, a watered-down and modified Aijeika network experience that uses safer Illusory Crystal Mist instead of a direct neural connection."
"Some specialized skills that are hard to find in reality can be easily located on the network, where you can find experienced teachers and immerse yourself in learning under their guidance, just like real life. Or experienced doctors, who, with the help of Aijeika network's neural information feedback, can perform surgery on patients in remote hospitals in other Star Domains. It can also be applied to warfare, like controlling drones hundreds of light-years away while sitting at home,"
"This technology is definitely beneficial; otherwise, it wouldn't have developed so quickly. However, because we are in an academy, our use of related equipment is still somewhat restricted, such as the daily duration and some restrictions on behaviors on the network, and so on."
"It would be great if we could loosen up a bit. Our club would then be able to bring more honor and achievements to the Academy," he said, spreading his hands with a devout yet fervent expression, like a faithful follower of the network.