With Patch 17, the level of immersion experienced by players in their gaming capsules has made virtual reality indistinguishable from the real world. But every gamer's dream becomes a nightmare for Roman Kozhevnikov after he gets confined to Arkon against his will. And not just to Arkon, but to its deadliest zone--Demon Grounds. Playing, or rather living as his character Krian, it's not just about survival for Roman. He longs to exact revenge for his banishment to the virtual world where the sensation of pain has reached one hundred percent...

    Unfortunately, Chloe decided that partying was the right one. Now a requirement to keep her money requires her to attend daily meetings with the family psychologist—a daily meeting about how she should change her life to change her future. The worst part? The meetings are before noon, so she has to get up early. Then he presents her with an offer. Invest in a new game company and become the first player to stay inside their full-immersion pod. For two years. Two years away from her parents looking down on her, and not having to listen to her siblings and their success? Done.  There is only one problem… Chloe’s avatar connects to a Goddess of Retribution who doesn’t remember her past. Following the rabbit trail of armor to help the goddess will require more responsibility from Chloe than she has ever accepted in the past. Will she return to being the party girl of her past, or will the Lagarde daughter tempered in fire from her upbringing wake up?