Maria's anxiety over the remainder of her gameplay was palpable.

The system would automatically remove max-level players from the safe starting area. How Long would Jenny's video game avatar survive in the real world of peril in Wasteland?

“Quite a few years ago, I had some fun with Wasteland. It's been a while since I last checked in." Maria's response was forthright.

Jenny was taken aback. "Few years ago? Could that be the first edition? According to reviews, that version is the most challenging yet."

Obviously, she didn't see Maria as some kind of elite gaming veteran. Maria, she reasoned, had played Wasteland before, back when she was a newbie, but she gave up because of the game's extreme difficulty.