This article is from Phan Ngoc Bao sent for the Golden Pen 2020, the editorial team has only adjusted the presentation for suitability.
CONFESSIONS OF A GAMER AFTER 13 YEARS OF GAMING
Time flies quickly, taking everything along its path. 13 years have passed. 13 years is not a lifetime, but it is a part of memories for everyone. Memories can be deep or shallow. Some memories just flash by and fade with the worries of life. Some things will stay with you for a lifetime – never to be forgotten.
MEETING
There is a saying: You cannot choose who enters your life, as that is destiny. But you can choose who stays in your life.
I met him in the scorching sun of June 2005 while looking for a student dormitory. I decided we would live together the moment I looked into his eyes. Those deep, mysterious eyes exuded a charm that attracted anyone who looked at him. Later, I found out that most night-gaming enthusiasts possess such eyes. I, too, had “mysterious deep eyes” after just two nights of continuous gaming.
On the first night, we went out for coffee. He asked me: Do you like martial arts stories? I proudly told him that I could name all of Jin Yong and Gu Long’s works. He just chuckled and said, “Then you will definitely love the game I’m playing. Let’s go!”
Those who have played Sword of Legends (VLTK) will probably never forget the feeling of first encountering the game. A strange and captivating feeling. Time was never enough for you to explore the new things in the virtual world you joined. Creating a character. Choosing a name you have long liked. Day by day watching your character grow, meeting friends. Flattering the Masters. Fearing the experts who glide past the monsters you are training. All those feelings still feel fresh in my memory.
BEAUTIFUL DAYS
Tam Ky town was bustling back then. More than half of the students hurried to attend classes to prepare for a bright future. The rest, like my friend and me, immersed ourselves in the virtual world, where you could achieve things that were unattainable in real life.
At that time, I played the character Ngũ Độc – Tiểu Đông Tà – Hoàng Hải server. Even now, after 15 years, I can still name the masters of the Hoàng Hải server back then and the top ten masters of VLTK. There was Võ Đang – Lanhoakiemkhach. Thiên Nhẫn – Kyoshiro. Thiếu Lâm – Giacmobuon … Then there was the legendary Hắc Điểu, the touching story of Nga My Trân Yêu, the expert leveling up HoangNgaoThien. The sibling duo Vodichthantang – Vodichthannu. Guild leader Excavator. Tycoon Louis Vuitton. PK expert Thần Chùy …. so many immortal names in the VLTK community.
Over 10 years immersed in the virtual world. Experiencing dozens of PC and mobile games. But perhaps the memories of VLTK are still the most beautiful.
I remember those first days of unfamiliarity. An older brother in Da Nang stayed up all night to take me to train monsters. An uncle in Hai Phong gave me 500k for food when I complained about being broke on the forum. An older brother in Dong Ha took a day off from work to attend a wedding in the game. Then there was the time I found a ring An Bang and sold it to an uncle in Ho Chi Minh City for 2 million. The whole shop had a great time eating and chatting. How many memories can be recalled that cannot be expressed in words.
There were times I gamed for 20 – 30 days straight without stepping out of the net cafe. It felt so strange. The Quang noodles vendor who I saw just last time had disappeared. The guy next door had moved out long ago. The bus station near the stadium had been renovated… Perhaps the balance between the virtual and real world is the hardest thing for gamers.
AN IDOL OF THE TIME
For the VLTK world, finding an idol is nearly impossible. Perhaps for early 80s generations like us, the concept of idol – hot girl – hot boy… is quite confusing. The feeling of meeting VLTK masters back then when they traveled across servers was very different. Admiration, excitement, surprise, curiosity, envy, respect, pride… so many mixed feelings. But perhaps the most mentioned names back then and even now are Hắc Điểu and Trân Yêu.
Hắc Điểu became a legend for the 8x and 9x gaming generation due to the money he spent to own the famous pair of nameless rings. I admired him not just for his wealth but for the way he persevered through each server to acquire points and gather them to one server for use. Nearly 5 months of accumulation with countless amounts of money and effort spent. Remember that at that time, the VLTK world had tycoons as numerous as stars, experts everywhere. Convincing many people to agree to sell points to him was a tremendous feat.
And the story of Nga My Trân Yêu is something that almost no one in the VLTK community does not know. Nga My Trân Yêu was a gamer living abroad. She had an incurable disease at that time. In the last days of her life, she entered the VLTK world as if it was destiny. Or perhaps it was compensation for her painful days due to illness. She often said: Live so that people know you once existed. In her last letter to a friend, she stated: I wish my Nga My character had the sect’s equipment. The publisher VNG at that time took a beautiful action by fulfilling her wish. Nga My Trân Yêu was the first character to own the Golden Sect Equipment and the Divine Horse of that time.
The game still exists, the person is gone. But what Trân Yêu left behind is as she said: The VLTK gaming community has never forgotten she existed.
THE PRICE TO PAY
Today’s youth have a funny saying: Pursue your passion and debt will pursue you. Perhaps this saying does not hold true for many, but for me and my gamer friends of the same age, it is very accurate.
Life is very fair. If you do not strive to move forward, you will be pushed back and replaced. While many friends are striving to prepare for a bright future, you immerse yourself in the joys and passions of the virtual world, the price to pay in reality will be huge. I had to stop my studies at the end of 2009 when the tournament of Thiên Hạ Đệ Nhất Bang was reaching its peak. The day the guild was honored was also the day I held the decision to drop out due to excessive absences and not paying tuition fees.
Experiencing many joys and sorrows while participating in the gaming world, even now, I still do not know if I should regret losing so much due to my passion for gaming or if I should thank gaming for giving me beautiful memories of my youthful years. Perhaps like a line from singer Thanh Ngọc in the song Kiếm Hiệp Tình Duyên: No lingering sadness. No anger or resentment. Ignorant…
I have been away from gaming for 3 years. Everything about VLTK and the gaming world will forever be memories in my life. It cannot be seen as a mistake or a joy of youth. All will forever be unforgettable memories.
Phan Ngoc Bao, Quang Tri, January 4, 2020
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