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Instead of Jiro answering me, the car does "Of course, Miss Chen," it says

Of course, Miss Chen I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that The s’ forest scene fades away, leaving the glass clear I stare in awe at the city we’re approaching

I’ve seen Tokyo on TV, online, and inside Warcross’s Tokyo Night level I’ve fantasized about being here so much, I’ve seen it in my dreams

But now I’m actually here And it’s even better than any of that

Skyscrapers that disappear into the evening clouds Highways stacked on top of one another, drenched in the red and gold lights of cars racing by High-speed rails running in the sky and disappearing underground Cohty stories tall Kaleidoscopes of color and sound, everywhere I look I don’t knohat to take in first As we near the heart of Tokyo, the streets turn crowded, until the sea of people ja the sidewalks makes Times Square look e open until Jiro looks back at me and chuckles

"I see that expression a lot," he says (or rather, )

I s, e, and close e to have a single don district There are two dozen wards, each with their own characteristics We’re entering Shibuya now" He pauses to slasses back on, tap their side to put theasp

Unlike New York, or the rest of America, Tokyo sees hover in neon colors over each of the skyscrapers, and bright, anis Virtualto show off a variety of outfits I recognize one of the virtual irl with bright blue hair, now greetingoff her Louis Vuitton purse A Buy Now button hovers right over it, waiting to be tapped

The sky is filled with virtual flying ships and colorful orbs, so coly because they look pretty As we drive, I can see faint, translucent text in the center ofus how many kilometers we are from the center of the Shibuya district, as well as the current temperature and weather forecast

The streets are croith young people in elaborate getups--giant lace skirts, elaborate u, face low in the dark So over their heads, along with hearts and stars and trophies Others have virtual pets trotting alongside theers Still others wear all kinds of avatar iteel wings on their backs, hair and eyes in every color

"Since it is officially game season now," Jiro explains, "you will see this quite often" He nods toward a person on the street with Level 80 and 3,410,383 over her head, sratulate her on her high rank A virtual pet falcon swoops in circles around her head, its tail blazing with fire "Here, al you do will earn you points toward your level in the Link Going to school Going to work Cooking dinner And so on Your level can earn you rewards in the real world, anything from popularity with your classe over others for a job interview"

I nod as I look on in awe I’ve heard many parts of the world are tricked out like this As if on cue, a transparent bubble appears in

First Time in Tokyo!

350 Points Daily Score: +350

You leveled up!

My level juht

Half an hour later, we turn onto a quiet street sloping up a hill and stop in front of a hotel near the top The name--Crystal Tower Hotel--and address float over the roof I may have never been to Tokyo before, but even I can tell that this is in an upper-class neighborhood, with perfectly clean sidewalks and neat rows of cherry trees not yet in bloom The hotel itself is at least twenty stories tall, sleekly designed, with a virtual i across its entire side