[ WP ] Video games come to life and everyone is the game character of the game they 've played the most in today 's society .

Everyone figured out what had happened almost immediately. That was the easy part. 
 
 People suddenly turned into supersoldiers, farmers, athletes, Italian plumbers, swordsmen and women, nobility, robed sorcerers, cowboys, assassins, animals, fae creatures, monsters, and more bizarre apparitions that defied understanding. Nothing defied belief, at least for long; even the most outlandish appearances quickly take on a surprising sense of normality when your neighbor is an alien and your girlfriend is sporting a slightly... *different* set of equipment now. 
 
 It did n't take much thought to make the connection. We had all become Player One of our favorite games. 
 
 Some did n't change at all, at least outwardly. Eventually we discovered their common thread: their favorite games lacked any sort of tangible `` main character'' from which to craft a new appearance. Their changes were more subtle, but usually involved newfound cognitive talents or the ability to manipulate the world around them on a limited scale. 
 
 Society ground to a halt for a few days and only slowly picked itself back up afterwards. Many died in that time, victims of adrenaline, newfound instincts run amok, and seeming ignorance to basic realities of the real world. Ammo still runs out, weapons and armor do break, and so far it does n't seem that anyone gets a respawn timer or resurrective powers. Thankfully there's enough healer types around to handle non-fatal injuries, and most of the population turned to more pressing matters. We learned the new faces of friends and family, dealt with our sudden identity crises as needed, and the gender-swapped spent some quality time with their new bodies. Even in the sudden chaos, humanity proved surprisingly practical. Deaths dropped quickly, and would-be looters were quickly dealt with. Scientists and wizards alike put their heads together to figure out how we can make use of our newfound abilities and technology. There will be growing pains, but all things considered it could have been much worse. 
 
 Me? I've mostly stayed in seclusion. It's safer this way. Safer for them. 
 
 I knew immediately what I had become. The azure blood flowing through my veins, the product of twisted alchemical experiments, only served to confirm my belief. My blades hung ready and waiting, one golden, one adamantine. My hands know their shape, their weight. My mind knows other things, including a scattering of elementary magics. My heart knows the thrill of the hunt and the instincts of a predator. 
 
 I meditate and seek mastery of these instincts, but when I look upon the world with these new, catlike eyes, I know that I must hunt. The beast within is hungry and threatens to overwhelm me. I am already more and less than human, but if I should lose control then my humanity will be lost entirely. I would become a monster, possessed only of cunning and cruelty beyond measure. 
 
 And yet... it feels *good*. I know exactly what I'm now capable of. The knowledge of creatures never seen in this world stands ready to be unleashed at my whim. My blades thirst for blood, and my spirit is hungry for the taste of another's essence. Such indescribable ecstasy... 
 
 This new world offers a great deal of fine sport. With success comes experience, knowledge, and newfound power. 
 
 Perhaps tonight I shall go hunting.
