Chapter 0 – Forewords

Hello there!
You’re about to begin reading Wutosama’s new novel, Metaworld Hopecore.

Relax. (Are you relaxed?)
Concentrate. (Minimise notifications)

Dispel Rising Star thoughts. (Of what to read next)

Look around you. If someone is looking at you weirdly, shout at them. Shout “I AM ABOUT TO READ METAWORLD HOPECORE!” Or you can just ignore them, because what do they know?

Are you comfortable? Did you know that long-form LitRPG contributes to bad spine posture? Don’t fall for this common mistake. Read with your phone at a comfortable distance, or read it as a book (in the future), or read it through your Smart Glasses, if you’re reading this in 2032. Find a couch, a chair, a sofa, a bed, a daybed, a divan, lie flat, lie down, lie sideways, lie next to a partner, while spooning. So long as you’re comfortable.

You’re about to read a very strange form of LitRPG.

You’re about to read a book with no murder hobos, no mobs, no gronks, no gooning, no harem, nothing you are used to in any LitRPG you have ever read. It’s a gamified world, but this isn’t about power fantasy, even if it is immensely satisfying. Wait! Don’t close the tab! I should inform you that, yes, there are cat girls (not the Stray Cat Strut ones), and cats (so many cats), and cat shelters, and cat cafes.

Yes, the number goes burrrrrr. Stat blocks galore.

No, there isn’t an Excel spreadsheet tracking every change.

Yes, it’s HopeCore.

People are inherently good; the world veers toward the fair; the good are rewarded; the bad are punished, one way or another. It’s a hyperreality sitcom. American in a better timeline. Characters aura farm… for the betterment of others.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Yes, the Foreword is channelling Calvino. No, the story is written in normal prose.