《Shou's Game》


 Enter Sakai Shou: Gaming Lord!

    Fifteen-year-old Shou Sakai was staring out through the window. His teacher''s voice drowned in the background. He watched as the birds fluttered through the sky. All he wanted was to go home or read and play one of his VRMMORPG''s.


    Shou was startled when his teacher slammed her hand down on his desk. She scowled at the boy, "Sakai, you''re not paying attention!"


    Shou looked at her for a minute before returning his gaze to the window, "Don''t care."


    Smoke could be seen coming out from the teacher''s ears, "That''s it! Sakai, you have detention."


    Detention. That was Shou''s least favorite word. Spending any more time than necessary in school meant less video games. Shou turned back to his teacher and bowed his head down begging for forgiveness, "No please no! I''m sorry!"


    "Oh, so now you''ve changed your tone huh?"


    Shou clapped his hand together and continued bowing his head. "Just please don''t give me detention."


    The teacher sighed and adjusted her glasses, "Fine but just this once."


    "The school bell rang throughout the building signaling the end of the day. Shou grabbed his backpack and started out the door in a hurry."


    "Alright! Thanks!"


    "Yeah yeah, just remember to do your homework."


    Shou rushed out of class and eventually met up with Kazumi. Kazumi smiled sheepishly at Shou, "So we''re still having our date tonight right?"


    "Yeah, of course! I just gotta go raise my level in Golden Fleece and then we can go."


    Kazumi sighed, "Didn''t you already win that game, Shou? Why do you still play it?" Kazumi loved Shou and all but his ridiculous obsession with video games tended to get on her nerves.


    "Because it''s a VRMMO and those never stop being fun." The young gamer said matter of factly.


    The two continued their conversation as they walked down the road home. "I still don''t get what the big deal is," Kazumi said. "I mean they''re all just a bunch of mindless video games."


    Shou gasped at this, "Mindless video games? Remind me why you''re my girlfriend again?"


    "If you don''t shut it, you won''t have a girlfriend."


    Shou laughed while rubbing the back of his neck, "Sorry Kazumi, but they''re so much more than just video games. They''re a gateway to true freedom. A place where you can truly be anything you wanna be."


    Kazumi began chuckling at Shou''s words. Shou raised his eyebrow, "Hey what''s so funny?"


    Kazumi tried to restrain her laughter "You sound like some retired poet."


    Shou blinked, "But I didn''t even rhyme." The teen was perplexed by how he could sound like a poet without rhyming.


    Once the two came to their separate paths home they said their goodbyes and continued home. Shou walked into his house and slid off his shoes. "I''m home."


    Shou immediately headed up to his room. He got into his Gamer''s Pod which rested on his bed. He shut the lid of the pod and grinned. "Finally. It''s game time!"


    In the kitchen, Shou''s mom was cooking dinner when her husband walked into the house. "I''m home!" The man said acknowledging his presence to his household.


    The brown-haired woman looked up from the stove, "Jun, you''re home early." She knew her husband usually got home fairly late, so she was surprised to see him home as early as he was.


    Jun set his briefcase down, "Yeah, we finished fixing all the bugs in that new VRMMO."


    The woman sighed as she returned to her cooking. "Honestly, you''re the reason Shou is so obsessed with those games."


    "Come on Aya, they''re just some harmless games. I don''t see what the big deal is."


    Aya started stirring the rice, "You know what they call Shou now?"


    Jun nodded and grinned proudly, "Yes, they call him the Gaming Lord."


    Smoke sizzled from the pot of rice, "Apparently because he was the only one to win some game called the Golden Fleece."


    Jun suddenly fell to his knees and hung his head down in shame. "Just some game huh?"Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Honey, what''s the matter?"


    Jun sobbed as he answered his wife, "You don''t remember? Golden Fleece was my first project when I became head of the company."


    Aya sweatdropped, "You get upset over the littlest things¡­"


    "Little?!" Jun shouted as he quickly rose to his feet. "I''ll have you know that game took me six years to complete! It''s why no one was ever able to beat it!"


    "No one but Shou..."


    A couple of hours passed and Shou, Jun, Aya, and Shou''s little sister Miyu were eating dinner together. Aya had to lift the Gaming Pod''s lid just to get Shou to come down to eat.


    Shou scarfed all of his food down at an unbelievable pace. "Oh man, this is good!"


    Miyu ate her food unenthusiastically and groaned at Shou''s behavior, "You say that every meal, Shou."


    "Yeah, well that''s because every meal is always good." Shou then turned to his parents, "So Mom, Dad, there''s this new VRMMO coming out tonight. Can I get it?"


    Jun was about to say yes when Aya coughed signaling him to keep his mouth shut, "Did you finish your homework?" she asked suspiciously.


    Shou''s heart skipped a beat when he realized he did not do his homework. Still, he decided he''d test his luck and lie, "You bet I did. It''s one-hundred percent done!"


    Shou''s test of luck failed when his mother responded, "So your homework was to go and play in your Gaming Pod?"


    Shou didn''t have a response to this. He instead opted to slump down in his chair. Aya sighed, I told you I''d only let you out of detention if you did your homework, didn''t I?"


    "You''re not gonna give me detention now, are you?" Shou asked worriedly. He really wanted to avoid detention. He had to play that new game as soon as it came out.


    "Well, I don''t have a choice, Shou. It was homework or detention, remember?"


    Shou clapped his hands and bowed his head the very same way he did earlier in the day. "No please! Anything but detention!"


    "It''s your own fault. If you''d just done your homework, you would''ve been able to play your stupid video games." Miyu said as she got up from the table.


    "Shut up, Miyu! No one asked you!" Shou yelled pointing his chopsticks at her.


    "Being mean to your little sister won''t help your cause," Aya informed her son.


    Later on in the night, Shou snuck out the house and ran down to the game store. He chuckled to himself, "No way in hell am I gonna miss out on getting that game as soon as it is released."


    Once Shou finally arrived at the store he was greeted with an extremely long line of gamers. The line stretched all the way through the store. Shou''s jaw dropped more and more as he walked to the end of the line.


    Once he was at the end of the line, his back was literally pressed against the wall. A guy a little older than Shou cocked his head backward, "Hey long line huh?"


    Shou nodded, "Yeah. But it is the most hyped up game of the year, so it''s no wonder." Shou got more and more excited as he talked about the game. "And since there are no levels, your real-life skills are translated into the game. But you can still train to improve your skills! I can''t wait to get my hands on it."


    "It better live up to its hype though. ''Cause I sure as hell ain''t waiting in this line just for a game that''s gonna turn out to be complete shit."


    Shou smiled, "Don''t worry, I''m sure it will. It''s made by the same company that made Golden Fleece."


    "Oh yeah, I remember that game. It definitely was epic. But it was so freaking hard too."


    "Yeah but I won it. So it''s not an impossible game."


    "Wait a minute, you won it?" The older teen let the fact think in for a couple seconds, "No way! You''re the Gaming Lord."


    Shou crossed his arms and nodded while grinning proudly, "You bet I am!"


    Shou and his newfound friend continued their conversation until they were the ones at the front of the line. They both brought their games and made their way out of the store."


    "Well, it was nice meeting you, Gaming Lord. By the way, name''s Len."


    "Thanks, Len, but you can just call me Shou."


    Len smiled at Shou and waved, "Alright then, see ya, Shou."


    "Bye Len."


    Shou bolted home ready to play his new game. He couldn''t have been any more thrilled. Once he made it back to his house, he quietly walked upstairs to his room. Shou inserted the disk into his Gaming Pod."


    The eager gamer was about to jump in until Kazumi kicked the door open. "SAKAI SHOU!"


    Shou waved his hands in front of his face defensively. "No Kazumi, you have to be quiet. Everyone''s sleeping."


    Kazumi made a humph sound as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Well excuse me if I''m angry because you forgot about our date. Again."


    "I''m sorry, Kazumi." Shou apologized. "But my mom wouldn''t let me get this game, so I had to sneak out to get it."


    "What game?"


    "Oflilia''s Game," Shou answered simply. "It''s a new VRMMO."


    "Oh joy," Kazumi said rather sarcastically.


    "Oh, you wanna play too? I didn''t know you liked video games Kazumi."


    Kazumi moaned, "I don''t." Sometimes Shou''s stupidity was too much for her to handle. "It was sarcasm, Shou."


    "I don''t know what sarcasm is. But you still wanna play, right?"


    Kazumi decided it was better for everyone if she just gave up and played the game with Shou for a while. "Fine. But only for a little while."


    "Alright!" Shou exclaimed gleefully as he pulled out another Gaming Pod from his closet and hooked it up to the one on his bed. "There. Now we can both play."


    Someone''s footsteps could be heard as they were rushing up the stairs. "Uh-oh! Someone''s coming! Hurry jump in the pod!" Shou said in a panic."


    Kazumi stared at him and questioned Shou, "Why?"


    "Because if my parents see I snuck out to get this game, they''ll take it away! I have to play it at least once first!" Shou then jumped right into his Gaming Pod as did Kazumi.


    They both shut the lid and the game started. Shou was in an empty void when a menu appeared before him.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Are you a boy or a girl?</td></tr></tbody></table>


    Shou contemplated playing as a girl for a while but eventually decided against it and clicked boy.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Please pick your starting class.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    There was a choice between Warrior, Mage, Archer, or Cleric. Shou instantly chose Warrior, he always chose that one. He felt it fit him best. He was then asked to customize his character. He gave himself light blue spiky hair and violet eyes.


    After that Shou was prompted to pick a name for his avatar. He usually used BlueSlayer but because of his new title as Gaming Lord, he opted for a new name, Jiran.


    <table><tbody><tr><td>Is this character okay?</td></tr></tbody></table>


    A 3D image of his avatar appeared before Shou. He pressed his finger on the accept button and with that his body was teleported outside of the empty void.

 Its Game Time

    Shou was teleported into the middle of the starting town, Regylia. The town was full of vibrant colors and beautiful small houses. A couple NPCs were standing outside some of these houses. Fantastical sounding music could be heard in the background. Shou now looked just like the avatar he made and was dressed in rags. He sat down and waited for Kazumi. While waiting for Kazumi, he decided to take a quick look at his stats.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">STATUS</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name: Jiran</td>


    <td>Class: Warrior</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP: 50/50</td>


    <td>SP: 25/25</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>STR: 35</td>


    <td>DEF: 15</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>SPD: 29</td>


    <td>INT: 11</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>DEX: 20</td>


    <td>LCK: 18</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>M.ATK: 15</td>


    <td>M.DEF 12</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Eventually, an orange-haired girl walked over to Shou. Her blue eyes looked down at him. "So now what do we do, Shou?"


    Shou blinked for a minute. He pressed his hand against his chin trying to think, "I''m sorry, who are you?"


    A red stress mark appeared on the girl''s forehead, "Idiot! I''m Kazumi!"


    "Ohhhhh. Sorry but your avatar just looks so different from you, so it was hard for me to recognize you."


    Kazumi crossed her arms and turned her head, "Yeah and your avatar is like a mirror of you, huh?"


    "Really? Thanks," Shou said, once again missing Kazumi''s sarcasm.


    Kazumi rolled her eyes, "Whatever, just tell me what we''re supposed to do next."


    "Hold on, I''ll send you a party invite so it''s easier for us to play together." Shou pulled up his menu and sent Kazumi a party invitation.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Kazumi has joined your party!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After that, Shou decided to take a peek at Kazumi''s stats.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">STATUS</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name: Kazumi</td>


    <td>Class: Cleric</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP: 50/50</td>


    <td>SP: 25/25</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>STR: 10</td>


    <td>DEF: 19</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>SPD: 20</td>


    <td>DEX: 35</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>INT: 30</td>


    <td>LCK: 25</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>M.ATK: 15</td>


    <td>M.DEF: 20</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou then noticed Kazumi''s name and her avatar name was the same. "Kazumi, you shouldn''t use your real name online."


    Kazumi became flustered and couldn''t come up with a response as a result.


    Shou laughed at this before saying, "Alright hold on, let me go talk to the starting NPC."


    Shou walked over to an old Sage who held a staff in his hands. The Sage gave Shou the lowdown of the game, "Ah, young one I see you are a Warrior. Here, you''ll need this sword. Ofillia is in terrible danger, you are the chosen one. You must find Endless Cave and defeat Neshar, the Dark Mage responsible for all the monsters and evil animals occupying this world. Brace yourself, young Warrior, for the fate of the world rests in your hands."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You''ve obtained Bronze Sword!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou walked back over to Kazumi. "Alright now it''s your turn. Go talk to that old geezer so you can get your weapon. Hey, what class did you pick anyway?"


    "Cleric," Kazumi answered as she walked over to the Sage. He began speaking, "Ah, young one I see you are a Cleric. Here, you''ll need this staff. Ofillia is in terrible danger, you are the chosen one. You must find Endless Cave and defeat Neshar, the Dark Mage responsible for all the monsters and evil animals occupying this world. Brace yourself young, Cleric, for the fate of the world rests in your hands."


    Kazumi went back over to Shou, Does he say the same thing to everyone?"


    Shou nodded, "Yeah all NPCs do."


    "Great. So then if I stick with you I''ll have to hear everything twice."


    "Yep, but you don''t stick with me, you''ll probably die. So it''s lose-lose sucker," Shou said jokingly.


    Even if it was a joke, Kazumi wasn''t laughing, "You''re about to not have a girlfriend in five seconds."


    Shou laughed a little before spotting an opportunity for a fight, "Look, it''s a Dusty Crab."


    Kazumi shrieked and hid behind Shou''s back, "Kill it, kill it!"


    "Okay relax. This is just a game, remember?" Shou took out his bronze sword and carefully ran towards the Dusty Crab. He swung his sword at the crab. The crab attacked with its pincers in response. Shou winced as blood trickled down from his arm. "What the¡­? I shouldn''t be feeling any pain. He put the thought aside as the crab moved in for another attack.


    Shou dodged swiftly and swung his sword in a fluid motion. The crab fell down and vanished soon after. A bag was left behind by the creature. Shou went to open it and got a small potion.


    Kazumi peeked over Shou''s shoulder slightly, "Is it gone?"


    "Yeah don''t worry, its gone Kazumi."


    "Can we please log out now?" Kazumi pleaded with Shou.


    "We just barely got started," Shou complained but then noticed how serious Kazumi was. "Fine, we can log out."


    "Thank goodness." Kazumi opened her menu and went to click on the log out button. So she was perplexed when she couldn''t find such a thing. She turned to Shou and decided to ask him for help, "Hey Shou, um how do I log out?"


    "Really Kazumi? It''s right there at the bottom of the menu."


    "Um, it''s not working."


    "I''m pretty sure it is." Shou opened his menu and pressed the log out button. His jaw dropped when he realized that Kazumi was right. For some reason, the log out button wasn''t there.


    Suddenly a voice could be heard throughout Oflilia "Attention players of Oflilia''s Game. As I''m sure you''ve all noticed, not only do you feel actual pain, but you also cannot log out. Do not fret for this is the purpose of the game. You all have ten lives, use them very wisely. You only have one of two ways to escape from this game. Either use up all of your lives or win it by completing one-thousand quests and making it through Endless Cave."


    One of the gamers shouted at the invisible voice, "That''s crazy! You''re telling us we have to beat an MMO?! It''s impossible!"


    "Well then, you''ll just have to die ten times over. Those are your only options."


    The announcement then ended and suddenly everyone''s avatars had morphed into their actual appearance. Shou looked down at his hands, returned to their orginial skin color and felt the drastic change in his height. He looked around the area, watching as many of the players were sent into a panic. Some of the gamers tried killing themselves but most didn''t try it more than once after experiencing how real the pain stimulators were.


    Just what was going on here? Shou contemplated that question while urling his lip in a mix of anger and frusturation. The situation itself was clear...they were trapped inside this game now. But why? His father was the one who developed the game, so why? Why would he not only trap Shou himself in here, but also put his life at risk?


    "Why Dad?" Shou muttered under his breath in horror as tears leaked out from the corner of his eyes. "Why?"


    Kazumi sobbed heavily with her face buried in her hands, "Shou, I don''t want to stay here forever. I want to go home."


    Shou put his arm on Kazumi''s shoulder to comfort her, "Don''t worry, we''ll get home Kazumi. I promise we''ll win this thing." Shou stared up intensely at the luminescent purple sky with its two full moons. "Ofillia, it''s game time."

 Extract the Venom

    The sun shone brightly overhead a leveled greenfield. Hordes of players were fending off the ferocious monsters that inhabited the area. Some more successful than others. Screams of terror and agony and pitiful cries for help and hope filled the area. Blood spilled from the bodies of said players. Their family and friends ran over to mourn over the sudden deaths only to be murdered themselves.


    Shou wiped the sweat from his forehead as he walked beside Kazumi. He shielded his eyes from the bright relentless sun, "I think I see a village up ahead." Shou eagerly chuckled to himself while putting his hands behind his head.


    "Good." Kazumi sighed in relief as she waved her hand in front of her face like a fan. "I hope they have air conditioning."


    "You can''t actually go inside the houses, you know," Shou informed her.


    "What?!" Kazumi shouted. The orange-haired Cleric''s eyebrow twitched, "Why not?"


    Shou shrugged, "I don''t know. That''s just the way it is in these games."


    "Great," Kazumi moaned. She really wasn''t feeling up to staying out in the heat all day long. And the fact that she didn''t have a choice about it only ticked her off even more. "So where are we supposed to sleep then? And please don''t say on the ground."


    "Okay, I won''t," Shou replied plainly.


    "Well? Where are we gonna sleep?"


    "You sure you wanna know?" Shou said with a warning voice and questioning eyes.


    Kazumi nodded, "Yes, now just tell me already."


    "On the ground."


    "Damn it, Shou!" Kazumi''s yell reached into the sky causing all of the birds to fly away.


    Once the two finally made it up to the village after many more arguments and yelling, they got a quest from a middle aged man. Shou pulled up the quest log and examined it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">QUEST</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Extract the Venom</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Excuse me, if you''d be so kind, I''d like for you to collect five venom sacks for me. I believe you can get them from Raging Scorpions. Huh? What do I need venom for? Uh...no reason! What are you waiting for?! Get going already!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Accept Quest</td>


    <td>Reject Quest</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Let''s see. We have to get five venom sacks from the Raging Scorpions." Shou clicked the accept quest button as he informed Kazumi of it.


    "Scorpions?!" Kazumi shrieked as she hid behind Shou''s back. "Where?!"


    "Just outside this village. On Eerie Marsh." Shou cocked his head back towards Kazumi, "Wait, are you still afraid of scorpions?"


    "No, I just screamed and hid behind your back because I felt like it," Kazumi growled.


    "Oh, well that''s good. Because it''d be hard to do the quest if you were still afraid of them," Shou said, missing Kazumi''s sarcasm as usual."


    Shou and Kazumi continued to walk until they made it to Eerie Marsh. A Raging Scorpion ran towards the partners and entered battle mode. Shou grinned, "So it''s a hostile one, huh?" He dodged the insect''s attack with a sidestep before slashing it with his sword a couple times.


    The Raging Scorpion lashed out its tail at Shou, striking his cheek and lowering the teen''s health.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou''s HP: 45/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou swung his sword down on the scorpion one final time and it vanished leaving behind a small bag. As a result of attacking so many times, Shou''s Attack Stat was raised.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    ATK +5


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou picked up the bag and it started to glow a radiant white light.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Raging Scorpion dropped Venom Sack!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yes! It''s a venom sack! One down four to go." The black-haired warrior put the item in his inventory and smirked confidently, "But this time, I''ll be making the first move."


    Shou ran up to a Raging Scorpion and entered battle mode. He swung his sword down on the scorpion. He managed to get in a second hit as well before the insect whipped Shou''s face with its tail. Shou noticed his health bar was steadily decreasing.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Shou''s HP 30/50 </td></tr></tbody></table>


    After taking a closer look he realized something deadly.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">HP: 30/50 (POISONED)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">SP: 25/25</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "I''m poisoned! Kazumi, heal me!"


    "How?" Kazumi asked unsure of what to do in a situation like this.


    "Use your skill!" Shou shouted impatiently as he continued to ward off the scorpion with his blade.


    "Which one?" Kazumi was frantically searching through her menu and anything else she could pull up.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "It''s the only one you have!"


    "You don''t have to yell!" Kazumi shouted furiously at Shou as she activated her skill. "Heal!"


    [window] HP +10


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">HP: 40/50</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou finished off the scorpion with a stab to the head. It vanished leaving behind a treasure chest.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    ATK +5


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Why is there a treasure chest there?" Kazumi asked, confusedly staring at the object. "What happened to the bags?"


    "Bags mean there''s an item inside. Treasure chests mean there''s weapons or armor instead." Shou explained to Kazumi as he opened up the lid of the chest and it vanished in response.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    You''ve obtained Bronze Arrows (x15)!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Arrows?"


    "What?" Kazumi raised her eyebrows in puzzlement. "I thought we were supposed to get venom sacks?"


    "We are."


    "Then why did it drop arrows instead?"


    "Not all of them are going to drop venom sacks, Kazumi. We''ll have to keep fighting until we get one that has it."


    Kazumi sighed as her shoulders slumped down, "You''ve gotta be kidding me. So then we could be out here all day?"


    "And night," Shou said with a grin.


    "I freakin'' hate this game." Kazumi watched as Shou stuffed the arrows into his bag, "So can we use those?"


    "No, only Archer classes can."


    "So then why are you keeping them?"


    "For trading. One man''s trash is another man''s cash."


    "Shou, you''re saying it wrong," Kazumi informed him. "It''s one man''s trash is another man''s treasure."


    Shou stared at Kazumi dumbfounded, "Really? Are you sure?"


    "Yes, Shou."


    "Eh, whatever. I like mine better, it rhymes." Shou gasped as he pointed his finger out, "Kazumi, there''s a Raging Scorpion behind you!"


    "Where?!" Kazumi screamed as she warily turned around. Her face was red as a fire truck when she saw nothing there. "Shou¡­!"


    Shou started laughing so hard he doubled over, "Oh man, you should''ve seen your face. You were really freaked out there. "Haha."


    Shou''s laughing was put to a halt when a black boot collided with his face. A bright red boot print was now painted over his features. Kazumi, who had only a sock on one foot shouted at Shou, "Damn it, Shou, I hate when you do that!"


    "Like I don''t hate it when you throw stuff at me!" Shou countered while rubbing his face.


    Kazumi, as long as it helps you to forget that you''re in a death game, I''ll always mess around with you. As long as I''m here, I''ll make sure to distract you, so I can keep your sanity intact.


    "I only throw stuff at you ''cause you''re always getting on my nerves!" Kazumi crossed her arms and huffed, "Remind me why I ever agreed to go out with you?"


    And I''m only getting on your nerves because I care about you. I care about you too much to watch the horrors of this game consume you.


    "Cause I''m a hunk!" Shou nodded profoundly.


    Because I know if I let up for even one minute. You''ll be one of those people who ends up breaking down.


    "As if."


    A boot to the face is less than nothing compared to watching you that happen to you. So I''ll never let that happen.


    After many more arguments and bickering, it was now night time. The two rainbow-colored full moons shone brightly overhead Oflilia. Shou and Kazumi having finally finished their quest returned to the NPC and collected their reward, five copper.


    Kazumi walked close behind Shou, her eyes darted from left to right still wary of any scorpions. "Shou, we''re not always gonna have to sleep on the ground, are we?"


    Shou shook his head, "No of course not. We can buy a house once we have enough money."


    "Really?" Kazumi''s eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together. "How much does that cost?"


    "About a thousand gold," Shou said while trying to keep a straight face. He wasn''t doing a very good job.


    Eventually, the two came to another village. "Nyramrock Village." Shou read the name of the village off of the minimap he had just pulled up. "Okay, let''s see if we can find another quest."


    Shou spotted a brown-haired woman and ran up to her. She started talking on cue, "Please help me, brave hero. My son is lost somewhere in Lunar Cave. Please bring him back safely to me." The woman wiped a tear from her eye before continuing, "Oh but you can''t go alone. No, Lunar cave is far too dangerous, you''ll need a party with at least one Warrior, Cleric, Mage, and Archer. Oh but please do hurry. I fear for my son''s safety."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">QUEST</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The Missing Son</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Please, save my son. I''m worried he''s in grave danger. You can find him in Lunar Cave, but you won''t be able to go alone. I hear you need at least one of each class to tag along with you. Find him as soon as you can though!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Accept Quest</td>


    <td>Reject Quest</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou clicked the accept quest popup and made his way back over to Kazumi. The orange-haired Cleric stared at him, "So, what did she say."


    "She wants us to save her son in Lunar Cave," Shou explained. "But we''re going to need a Mage and an Archer in our party for it."


    "Okay so how do we find them?"


    "We just go around and ask anyone we can find," Shou said simply. "It shouldn''t be too hard."


    Shou and Kazumi went around the whole area asking nearly every player. Those who they didn''t ask were moving too fast in the first place. Everyone rejected their request either already having their own team or simply not wanting to be a part of one.


    Kazumi plopped down onto the ground and let out an exasperated sigh, "Everyone''s already in a freakin'' party."


    "Not everyone, just most of them."


    "Yeah, and the rest just outright refused for no good reason! So no matter what, we''re screwed!" Kazumi threw her hands up in the air before falling down on her back.


    "Calm down Kazumi." Shou placed his hands on the grass and looked up at the brilliant purple stars in the night sky. "I''m sure we''ll find some partners once we get to one of the main cities."


    "Which one?" Kazumi said this in a rather uninterested tone.


    Shou scrolled through the map glancing at all of its locations, "How about Kenion?"


    "Why there?"


    "Because it''s the city for Warriors!" Shou held his fists in front of his chest and beamed.


    "Whatever, fine with me."


    "Alright, Kenion it is then." Shou scrolled through the map again, "Okay the dock should be just beyond Nightmare Plains."


    Kazumi''s whole body shivered, "Nightmare Plains? I don''t like that name."


    "Relax Kazumi, it''s just a name." A mischievous grin crossed against Shou''s face, "Of course it got its name from all the thousands of zombies and skeletons that live there."


    "Zombies?! Skeletons?!" Kazumi began biting her nails at an unbelievable pace.


    "Just kidding!" Shou yelled before he let out a burst of laughter. His laughter was quickly cut off by a boot to the face.


    Why does he always do this to me? I love Shou and all but sometimes he just raises my stress levels to the peak.


    Kazumi flared her nostrils as she walked slowly over to Shou. She then yelled into his ear, "Damn it, Shou! I told you to stop scaring me like that!"


    "I don''t know why you even believed me. I know about VRMMOs but this particular game is still just as new to me as it is to you. But just so you know, according to the map, there actually are zombies and skeletons up ahead.


    He''s not making it any better. He''s only making me angrier and angrier, damn it! Doesn''t he understand how annoying he''s being? He''s not making my life any damn easier!

 The Little Archer Girl

    Shou and Kazumi eventually made it to Nightmare Plains. A Skeletal Maniac approached the two. Kazumi hid behind Shou''s shoulders, "Shou! Do something!"


    Shou sighed, "You don''t have to hide behind me all the time, you know?"


    "Yes I do!" Kazumi protests while raising her fist. "All I can do is heal!"


    "You can still fight with your fists," Shou mumbled.


    "Just shut up and do something!"


    Shou grinned before slamming his sword down on the Skeletal Warrior. The Skeleton then swung its bony sword at Shou, fairly decreasing his health.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou''s HP: 35/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    DEF +2


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Alright, take this!" Shou smirked before using his skill. "Surging Wave!" He twisted his wrist and a white wave blast emitted from the blade, stunning the monster.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sword Skill LV. 2!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Then suddenly another Skeletal Warrior came from the sides and attacked Kazumi. Her HP fell down significantly.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Kazumi''s HP: 20/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Ah!" The young girl let out a yelp of pain. When she got a good look at the Skeletal Maniac she let out another high pitched scream.


    "Kazumi!" Shou quickly tuned his head around and noticed what was taking place behind him. He scanned her character info in the party menu. "Her stats are too low."


    Before Shou could go rush over to help Kazumi, his own opponent now free from its stun slashed his shoulder with its sword. Blood erupted from the wound. Shou winced while holding his shoulder, "Damn it."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou''s HP: 25/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Heal!" Kazumi used her healing skill and her health increased slightly.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Kazumi''s HP: 30/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    She attempted using it again but resulted in failure. "What?! Why can''t I use my skill anymore?!"


    "It''s going through cool down." Shou told her fending off the Skeletal Maniac while still trying to keep an eye on her. "You''ll have to wait twenty-five seconds before you can use it again."


    "Twenty five seconds?!" Kazumi slammed her fist into the ground before rolling away from her enemy to evade its attack. "That''s too dang long!"


    Suddenly an arrow shot into the Skelton''s skull. Critical Hit! popped up and the Skeleton fell right on top of Kazumi''s lap causing the girl to scream and nearly faint.


    A couple of feet behind Kazumi stood a white haired girl with crimson red eyes. She held her arrow steady and shot the other Skeleton down. Critical Hit! Popped up again.


    Shou growled before hastily turning around to bark at the girl who took his win from his, "Darn it Sequilia! Why are you here?!"


    The little girl named Sequilia, pulled her eyelid back and stuck out her tongue at Shou, "Because I can be."


    "Not on my watch you can''t."


    Kazumi looked back and forth between them, "Wait, you two know each other?"


    "Yeah, we were in the same Guild back in Golden Fleece. And let me tell you, she is annoying as hell."


    "Only children make such condescending insults." The white haired girl said with a mocking tone.


    "You are a child!" Shou argued with an unnecessarily loud yell. "Your frickin'' five years younger than me!"


    "Biologically maybe. But mentally and emotionally I am clearly the adult here."


    "Says the girl who was just sticking her tongue out at me!"


    Kazumi walked in between the two bickerers. "Shou, be quiet for once in your life. I mean honestly, arguing with me is one thing. But now you''re doing it with a little kid."If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "While I appreciate the help, I am not a little kid. I am an adult." Sequilia says crossing her arms and nodding her head proudly.


    Kazumi chuckled at the girl''s behavior before taking note of a flaming dog running in circles behind her, "Sequilia, right? Is that your dog?"


    Sequilia nodded as she kneeled down to pet the animal, "Yeah, he''s my Pet. His name is Flames."


    "Yeah that''s a real creative name." Shou muttered under his breath.


    Flames then bolted straight towards Shou knocking the Warrior over. The dog crunched its teeth down on Shou''s hand causing it to become bright red. He waved it furiously back and forth in a desperate attempt to get the dog off of him.


    Shou placed his hand over Flames'' head and violently pushed him away. He rubbed over his now bruised hand before getting up, "Okay Kazumi, let''s go."


    "But what about her?" Kazumi said looking back at Sequilia.


    "What about her?" Shou said with disdain in his voice.


    Don''t we need an Archer for our quest?"


    "We can find plenty of other Archers easily."


    "If we could, we would''ve done it by now!"


    "Fine. But I''m not gonna like it." Shou started walking ahead with Kazumi.


    "Just like you." Sequilia said as she walked in between Shou and Kazumi. "You can''t even pretend to be an adult for a minute."


    "No because only babies like you play pretend."


    "Are you calling me a baby?!" The little Archer shouted while extending her arms back.


    "Obviously. Only babies care about the Luck Stat!"


    "The Luck Stat is amazing! Jerk!"


    "Luck Stat?" Kazumi butted in. "What''s that?"


    "You don''t know? Sequilia asked slightly surprised. "Okay then allow the adult to explain it to you. The Luck Stat are like all the others in Oflilia''s Game only it has an impact on everything you do. Plus by raising it higher and higher, you learn skills quicker."


    "Oh. So how do you raise it?" Kazumi said pretty interested in the subject.


    "There are some accessories which automatically raise it for you. Or you can do it by playing minigames!"


    Shou moaned as soon as Sequilia said this, "Oh boy, not this again."


    "Mini games are so awesome and really fun to play! Plus there are so many of them, and it''s so much more fun than fighting monsters all day long. I really really really really really really love them all! And your luck skill keeps going up and up and up and up and up and up¡­" Sequilia went through her entire ramble about minigames without ever stopping to take a single breath. By the time she was finished it the sun was starting to rise in the distance.


    Shou and Kazumi both had bags under their eyes and stopped listening to Sequilia ages ago. Shou yawned as he rubbed his eyes, "Look, we''re almost at the dock."


    "Ooh, but before we go can we play a minigame real quick?" Sequilia asked with her hands folded. "Please?"


    "No." Shou said almost immediately.


    "Hmph." Sequilia turned to Kazumi to ask her the same question, "Can we play a minigame real quick. Please?"


    "Sure." Kazumi smiled at the child.


    "Yay!" Sequilia jumped up and down before clicking the play minigame button on the menu.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    The three were transported to the middle of desert. Tumbleweed rolled across the barren area of sand. Shou planted his face in his hand, "Why do I have to be here?"


    "Because I needed two more players for this one. Now I can finally play it!" Sequilia shouted with joy.


    "I hate this."


    "Okay, now all we have to do is get this iron ball over into that hole on the other side of the desert."


    "Sounds easy enough to me." Shou rolled up his sleeves and picked up the iron ball, "Whoa! It''s heavy. But still not a problem for me." He ran straightaway for the hole. "Let''s get this nightmare over with!"


    Kazumi blinked, "Is that really it?"


    "Well, that and watch out for monsters and booby traps."


    A Sand Bear struck Shou down. The iron ball fell on top of him, nearly crushing the teen. "Darn it Sequilia! You did that on purpose, didn''t you?!" Quicksand then started to pull Shou into its depths.


    "Maybe." Sequilia giggled as she passed Shou and shot an arrow towards the Sand Bear. Critical Hit! popped up and the monster disappeared.


    Kazumi picked up the iron ball and chuckled, "Come on Shou. Pick up your pace."


    Sequilia shot another arrow at a Sand Bear. Critical Hit! popped up again. The monster then fell to the floor before vanishing.


    Sequilia and Kazumi made it over to the hole. Kazumi dropped the iron ball down into the hole. As a result everyone''s Luck Stat was raised.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou: LCK +5


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Kazumi: LCK +3


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sequilia: LCK +7


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yay! I love minigames!" Sequilia cheered before everyone was transported back to the dock."


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "I don''t." Shou stated as he walked over to the boat that was awaiting them in the sparkling clear water.


    "Oh yeah." Kazumi said as if she was remembering something. "Shouldn''t we officially add Sequilia to our party?"


    "Do we have to?" Shou groaned obnoxiously loudly.


    "Shou."


    The black haired boy sighed, "Fine." Shou went through the party menu and begrudgingly sent Sequilia a request. "Did you get it?"


    Sequilia nodded, "Yep."


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Sequilia has joined your party! </td></tr></tbody></table>


    Shou was about to close out the menu but then he saw something that confused him to great extremes, "Guys look at this." Shou pointed to the list of offline players. "The Game Master''s not online."


    "But I thought everyone was trapped here?" Kazumi said puzzled while staring at that one name who wasn''t online. "Even him."


    Shou nodded, "Yeah so did I." Then the GM''s status changed to online.


    All of a sudden a familiar voice was heard throughout all of Oflilia, Attention players, I am now aware of your current situation. And I assure you, the rest of my team and I are working as hard as we can to fix this dilemma. Please try and remain calm as this is turning out to be quiet a difficult task. But I assure you we will have this fixed eventually. Until th-"


    The GM''s voice was cut off. Shou just stared at the list of offline players once again there was only one person offline. It was the Game Master. Shou just kept staring at it, "What the hell is going on¡­?"

 First PVP: Shou vs. Blazer!

    Once the boat docked at the port Shou, Kazumi and Sequilia hopped out of the small ship. Shou rested his arms behinds his head, "Alright! Kenion, the city of Warriors! Let''s go find us another party member!"


    Sequilia arched her eyebrows, "Huh? I thought you said you needed a Mage on your team."


    Shou nods, "Yeah. Why do you ask?


    The small white haired girl slammed her palm into her face, "Then why didn''t we go to the city of Mages instead?"


    Shou stared blankly at Sequilia for a while. In all honesty it just never occurred to him. But admitting that to Sequilia would be the last thing he ever did. But he couldn''t come up with a good excuse either so he opted for silence.


    Unfortunately for Shou, Sequilia took his silence as confirmation that her assumptions were right. She nodded her head assuredly, "Idiot."


    "Hey! I''m not an idiot!" Shou protested violently stomping his feet around.


    Kazumi sighed, "Shou, stop acting like a little kid. You''re embarrassing us."


    Shou groaned "It''s not my fault Sequilia is so exhausting."


    "Oh yeah and your Mr. Breezy." Kazumi rolled her eyes.


    Shou smiled at the Cleric, "Thanks Kazumi."


    Sequilia chuckled putting her hand to her lips, "Still not catching on on the whole sarcasm thing, huh Shou?"


    Before Shou could respond with another tantrum a warm hand grazed across his shoulder, "Yo, Shou!"


    Shou turned around to see a spiky green haired teen decked out in brown armor behind him. The blue haired warrior peered his eyes at him, "Um who are you?"


    The purple haired stranger grinned, "I''m Len, remember?"


    "Len," Shou said the name in attempt to remember the face he associated it with. Eventually the face and name both returned to him, "Oh Len! Right, I remember you! You were the dude with the hair!"


    Kazumi and Sequilia sighed, "Idiot."


    Len nodded, "Yep that''s me. So some pretty crazy stuff going on huh?"


    "He actually went along with it..." The two girls said in amazement.


    "Yeah you can say that again," Shou said.


    Len rubbed his chin in thought, "First the game master says locking us in here is intentional. Then he says it''s an accident."


    Shou nodded, "Yeah. I don''t understand it much either. But I wanna focus on getting out of here. I don''t care about solving any mysteries."


    "Well, I''m sure it shouldn''t be a problem for you, Gaming Lord!" Len shouted hooking his arm around Shou''s shoulder.


    "Len, keep your voice down," Shou said in a whispered panic.


    Len blinked, "Why? You don''t want people knowing your the Gaming Lord?"


    Shou shook his head frantically, "No!"


    "How come?"


    Shou sighed, "I just don''t okay."


    "So you''re the Gaming Lord, huh?" A green haired Warrior walked up to Shou. "How about a duel, Mr. Popular?"


    Shou grinned, "You bet! I''m always ready for a duel!"


    Sequilia slammed her palm into her face, "What happened to not wanting people to know you''re the Gaming Lord."


    Shou rubbed his neck and laughed, "I uh...forgot."


    Kazumi pulled Shou back by his arm, "Are you seriously going to fight this guy? Won''t one of you die?"


    "Relax, Kazumi. I won''t kill him. We all have ten lives remember?


    "I''m not worried about him. I''m worried about you."


    Shou gave Kazumi a confident smile, "Well then I guess I just won''t let him win."


    "So, you call yourself Jiran now, huh?" The green haired warrior said looking at Shou''s username


    "Yep." Shou looked up at his opponent''s name, "And you''re Blazer?"


    Blazer nodded before the countdown reached zero and the word DUEL appeared in front of him and Shou.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Shou rushed forward for Blazer. He swung his sword down at his shoulder. Blazer quickly sidestepped to the right thrusting his sword forward at Shou slightly decreasing his health.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou¡¯s HP: 45/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou slashed his blade down at Blazer''s shoulder. The green haired boy winched as some blood spurted out from the wound.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Blazer¡¯s HP: 45/60 </td></tr></tbody></table>


    "Blue Flash!" Shou activated his skill. A blue wave of energy to emitted from his sword.


    The attack pushed Blazer back a couple of feet and significantly decreased health.


    <table><tbody><tr><td> Blazer¡¯s HP: 25/60 </td></tr></tbody></table>


    Blazer now up against the tree panicked when Shou appeared in front of him in mid-air. The boy''s hands stretched out behind his shoulders preparing for a powerful attack.


    Shou swung his blade down as his arms straightened out, Blazer rolled out of the way just in the nick of time and stabbed his sword at Shou''s back, fairly decreasing his HP.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou¡¯s HP: 30/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou quickly turned around and was met with a piercing blow to his stomach. Coppery tasting blood erupted from his mouth as his health dropped significantly.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou¡¯s HP: 10/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou tried to make a counterattack but Blazer continued slashing at the black-haired Warrior.


    Blazer swung his sword at Shou again. Shou slammed his blade against Blazer''s. Blazer grunted before bringing his sword back and striking again. Shou deflected Blazer''s strike with his weapon before attempting to make an attack of his own. The metal continued clanging against each other increasing their volume with every blow. Radiant sparks flew off the warring blades. Both sides were determined for victory.


    Blazer started loosing his grounding as Shou began pushing him back. The green haired Warrior''s feet slid back on the dirt. A billow of dust rose up in the air. Shou gained the upper hand and pushed Blazer away from him. He charged at his opponent again activating another skill.


    "Sudden Comeback!" Shou''s sword glowed with a bright white light as he brought it behind his shoulder. The blade came crashing down on Blazer. A mass of red liquid dripped down from both his shoulders. The words Critical Hit appeared above his head and his HP decreased until there was only a sliver of health remaining.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Blazer¡¯s HP: 1/60


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Damn. This hurts like hell," Blazer said in monotone. "Bastard."


    Shou blinked, "What?" Bastard. Why would he call him that? He thought they were just having a fun battle.


    Shou swung his blade at Blazer again but he quickly swayed to the left avoiding the blow. "Sudden Comeback!" Blazer shouted as his sword glowed with the same bright white light Shou''s did.


    Shou dodged a second too late and was struck in the back by Blazer''s sword. The black-haired Warrior''s heath fell dramatically.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou¡¯s HP 3/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Kazumi clasped her hands against her mouth, "Shou."


    Shou turned around and was greeted by Blazer''s blade once more He quickly threw his sword against Blazer''s just barely managing to knock it off course.


    Once again the two blades assaulted each other, even more desperate for victory than the last time. As the brawl continued each side consistently increased their speed hoping to gain the advantage. Neither side was letting up. The metal weapons continued to slam against each other one after the other as if they were a single pendulum. The metal clang echoed throughout the area. Signaling it''s owners hopes for the battle.


    Shou pressed his blade against Blazer''s as Blazer struggled to knock Shou back. Shou smirked, "Blue Flash!" A roaring blue wave of energy emitted from Shou''s sword and knocked Blazer to the floor covered in blood. His health fell to zero and he dissolved into thin air.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Winner: Jiran


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Kazumi eyes scanned the area frantically, "Hey, where''d he go?! I thought everyone had ten lives in this game?!"


    Shou walked over to Kazumi and rested his arm on her shoulder, "Don''t worry, Kazumi. He just respawned somewhere else."


    Kazumi blinked, ¡°Respawned?¡±


    Shou nodded, "Yeah. Every game like this has a place where you''re revived at. Although I''m not sure what it''s called in this game."


    Sequilia sighed, "It''s called the Sparkling Sapphire. Honestly did you even bother to read the manual."


    Shou stared at Sequilia, "There was a manual?"


    Len laughed, "Eh, it wasn''t really worth the effort anyway. I only got through the first half of page one."


    "Some real effort you put in there." Kazumi scoffed.


    "Alright" Shou pulled up the map in front of him. "Let''s see, the city of Mages is called Senaria."


    "So is that where we''re going next?" Len asked stuffing his hands in his pockets.


    "I don''t remember anyone ever saying you could join our party." Sequilia folded her arms.


    "Yeah, you''re one to talk." Shou scoffed at the white haired Archer. "Len can come. It''ll help make being in a party with you more bearable." And with that, Shou pulled up the menu and sent Len an invite.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Groove Miester has joined your party!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yahoo!" Len yelled with excitement slinging his arm around Shou''s shoulder. "We''re gonna have some epic guy time bro! We can even get some sexy girlfriends while we''re at it!" Len leaned in closer to Shou and whispered into his ear, "But I call the orange haired one, okay?"


    Shou scowled at Len, "The orange haired one is my girlfriend."


    Len let off of Shou''s shoulder in a panic and looked over at Kazumi and then back at Shou. "How did you get a girlfriend?"


    "Because-"


    "By a miracle." Sequilia interrupted Shou.


    "No! Shut the hell up Sequilia!" Shou shouted extending his finger at the girl. "Anyway while we''re still in this city, I think Len and I should go get some armor."


    "Do you have enough gold for that?" Len asked.


    "Hold on, let me check." Shou pulled up his bag and studies his amount of coin. "Damn it!" The blue haired boy cursed as he closed his bag menu down.


    Len chuckled, "You don''t have enough, huh?"


    Shou sighed, "It''s not funny, Len. It''s dangerous to stay in these starting clothes for too long."


    "Chill, I know. That''s why I''m going to share my gold with you."


    Shou bolted up from the ground, "Really?"


    Len nodded, "Yeah, of course." Len dropped the coins into Shou''s hand.


    Shou closed his hand securing the coins, "Thanks Len."


    Len smirked, "Oh don''t thank me. You''re gonna have to pay me back, buddy."

 To Guardian Valley

    Shou and Len walked into the town market. It was bustling with a bunch of different classes as they tried on their armor or tested out their new weapons. Some of the players were even dejectedly waiting in line with broken weapons in hand.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Len scouted the area, using his hand as a temporary visor. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can find the weapon merchant.¡±


    Shou scanned around the area for the weapon merchant as well. ¡°Yo Len,¡± he elbowed his friend lightly in the side and pointed to the west of the market. ¡°There¡¯s our guy.¡±


    ¡°Sweetness, that¡¯s my young protege for ya,¡± Len grinned while ruffling Shou¡¯s hair around.


    ¡°The hell are you talking about? If anything you¡¯re my protege.¡± Shou grinned back at Len as he gave him sharp punch to the gut.


    ¡°Oof,¡± Len grunted as he bent over from the pain Shou caused him. ¡°Hey, chill man. You¡¯re gonna make my HP dip down into the yellow with a fist like yours.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, your HP won¡¯t go down in a town.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that right?¡± Len rubbed his chin in thought at this. ¡°Neat.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you made it this far without even knowing that much¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, ya got me there,¡± Len chuckled as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.


    ¡°Oh and just FYI, your HP would¡¯ve went down into the red, not the yellow.¡±


    ¡°As if, my defense if OP if you didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself.¡±


    The two glared at each other so intensely one might¡¯ve been able to make out a blue spark of lightning connecting their eyes. Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± they both burst out into laughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re a pretty cool dude, you know that Shou?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Shou winked at Len. ¡°Wish I could say the same about you though.¡±


    ¡°Man, that¡¯s cold¡­¡±


    ¡°Kidding. You¡¯re a pretty decent guy too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only a little less cold!¡± Len smiled warmly at Shou and placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Thanks bud. Now come on, let¡¯s go get us some armor.¡±


    Shou and Len walked up to the weapon shop section of the market and waited in the long line. After several hours, they were finally up front. The sun had now begun to set and orange tinted the sky. Len yawned as he stretched his hand behind his head, ¡°Friggin¡¯ finally, I thought that line was never going to end.¡±


    ¡°Me either¡­¡± Shou nodded, agreeing with Len¡¯s sentiments. ¡°But at least it¡¯s our turn now.¡± Shou waved to the weapon merchant, ¡°Excuse me, sir. We¡¯d like to buy some armor.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it! What would you like to buy?¡±


    ¡°Geez, you¡¯d think they¡¯d make at least some of these NPCs more lifelike since this is a VRMMO and all¡­¡± Shou mulled over that thought before scrolling through the list of armor. ¡°Alright Len, it¡¯s your money so you get first pick.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°But of course,¡± Len smirked with satisfaction.


    After viewing the list, Len pointed to the armor of his desire. ¡°This one looks pretty nifty. Think I¡¯ll roll with that.¡±


    Shou looked at where Len¡¯s finger was pointing and read the name aloud, ¡°Galvanian Armor.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s freaking awesome! I want it!¡±


    ¡°No can do, little man,¡± Len waved his finger at Shou while making a tsk tsk sound. That belongs to yours truly, it¡¯s already set in stone.¡±


    ¡°Aw man,¡± Shou sighed as he hung his shoulders down. ¡°But I guess it¡¯s only fair¡­¡± He scanned over the list himself until he found another armor he liked. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take this one.¡±


    ¡°Battle Cloak, huh? Not a bad choice, especially for someone like you.¡± Len gave Shou a thumbs up.


    ¡°Yeah, this raises my speed by quite a bit, so it¡¯s perfect for my play style.¡±


    ¡°It also causes your defense to go down pretty sharply though,¡± Len admitted with concern. ¡°Kinda defeats the whole purpose of wearing armor in my opinion.¡±


    Shou just shrugged his shoulders at that, ¡°Meh, defense is second worst stat anyway.¡±


    Len walked up to the Armor Merchant and took out the required amount of coins to pay for his and Shou¡¯s armor. ¡°One Galvanian Armor and one Battle Cloak please.¡±


    The bald merchant nodded, ¡°That¡¯ll be 70,000 Gold.¡±


    ¡°Here you are kind sir.¡± Len handed him the gold.


    ¡°Sweet, looks like we¡¯re all set Shou.¡±


    Shou cocked an eyebrow at Len¡¯s words, ¡°Huh? What about Kazumi and that little brat?¡±


    ¡°There was hardly any armor for their classes. We are in the city of warriors after all. That¡¯s why I figured it¡¯d be better if we travelled to the city of clerics and the city of archers for them.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right, but do you think they¡¯d be able to hold out that long? Like I said before, it¡¯s dangerous to stay in the starting clothes for too long.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong.¡± Len folded his arms and though tit over for a minute. ¡°They do have us with them though, so we can make sure they¡¯re safe until they get their upgraded armor too!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re a genius Len!¡±


    ¡°I know right?! Aren¡¯t I the best?¡±


    Shou and Len hooked their arms over each other¡¯s shoulders as they merrily walked out of the market.


    It was thereupon where they came across a young girl with long lavender hair that reached down to her waist. She turned around to face Shou and Len, her sky blue eyes glittering with hope as they approached her.


    ¡°Hello there, Miss,¡± Len spoke in a much deeper and smoother voice than usual. ¡°Who might you be?¡±


    ¡°My name is Aquaine. Might I ask of your assistance?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, cutie. Name¡¯s Len by the way.¡±


    ¡°Dude, why are you flirting with an NPC?¡± Shou asked with a slight sigh. ¡°Also shouldn¡¯t you be telling her your avatar name instead of your real one.¡±


    ¡°Quiet peanut gallery!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been reduced to a mere peanut¡­¡±


    ¡°So, what do you need help with Aquaine? Also, can I just say, that is quite a lovely name.¡±


    ¡°I need help reaching the Guardian Valley. Could you please take me there? I promise to reward you.¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">QUEST</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">To Guardian Valley</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">I''d appriate if you could escort me to Gurdian Valley. I kow there are some tough monsters along the way, but you will be compensated. Would you be willing to help me out?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Accept Quest</td>


    <td>Reject Quest</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Just accept the quest already man!¡±¡°Is that reward a kiss, perhaps?¡± Len winked at Aquaine a few more times than necessary.


    ¡°Alright alright, yeesh¡­no need to get so uptight all of a sudden¡­¡± Len clicked the accept pop-up.


    Aquamine walked in between Len and Shou. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready to leave, please come speak to me.¡±


    ¡°Guess we should go get Kazumi and Sequillia, huh?¡± Shou started walking off but then Len grabbed his hand. ¡°Whoa whoa, hold on there soldier.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Shou looked back at Len with a perplexed face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not get the girls for this one, kay?¡±


    Len let go of Shou¡¯s hand and Shou turned around to face him. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s already getting pretty late and looking at the map, Guardian Valley doesn¡¯t seem to be to far from here. It¡¯s a pretty simple escort quest, so I think we can handle it on our own.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on¡­¡± Len got closer to Shou to whisper in his hair. ¡°You¡¯re the Gaming Lord man. A quest like this should be walk in the park for you alone.¡±


    Shou mused over this for a little but, but eventually he decided that Len had a point. ¡°Alright, you win. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Moonlit Forest

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re ready to go,¡± Shou faced Aquaine and she perked up in response.


    ¡°Thank you so much for your assistance. Let us make haste then.¡±


    ¡°So robotic¡­¡± Shou mused over this fact yet again as he started walking with the NPC and Len at his side.


    Len ogled Aquaine¡¯s body up and down as the three continued to walk. ¡°Man, this chick is hella fine¡­¡± he spoke to himself in amazement.


    Shou groaned before pulling up the map to check their current location. ¡°Okay, so it looks like we have to go through Moonlit Forest before and Agardia Town before we can get to Guardian Valley.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, that¡¯s not too far. It¡¯s definitely doable, especially with the right motivation¡­¡± Len played with the stubble on his chin as he continued to eye the woman of his affections.


    ¡°There¡¯s Moonlit Forest,¡± Aquaine spoke up, not paying Len any mind. ¡°We must pass through there if we wish to make it to Guardian Valley.¡± She turned around and looked at Shou and Len with a deadly serious gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to leave once we enter. Please make sure you¡¯re prepared before you speak with me again.


    ¡°Hehe, whatever you say angel,¡± a goofy grin sprawled across Len¡¯s face, complemented by a massive blush.


    Shou sighed before nudging Len in the shoulder, ¡°Wake up dude. You all set?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Len blinked, snapping out of his daze. ¡°Oh yeah, sure. Let¡¯s just get on with it already!¡±


    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Shou rolled his eyes in annoyance. Honestly, he had enough of Len¡¯s fawning over an NPC. Not only was it irritating in general that he was only paying any attention to her, but it was also very dangerous since he wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate in battle.


    Even so, Shou had to suck it up since this was the deal they made. And so the three walked into the forest.


    ¡°Hey looky over there,¡± Len pointed to a sleeping Timid Goblin. ¡°Easy pickings,¡± he said, unsheathing his bronze sword.


    Shou smirked, ¡°Not if I get to it first.¡± And with that, the two eager boys ran for the slumbering monster.


    Shou slashed at the goblin first and it awoke in response. ¡°Aw man,¡± Len moped, slumping his shoulder¡¯s down. ¡°I knew I should¡¯ve picked out lighter armor¡­¡±


    The goblin swiped his claws at Shou, slightly decreasing his health.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou¡¯s HP: 45/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Just shut up and help me fight!¡±


    ¡°Yeah yeah¡­¡±


    Len swung his blade at the goblin along with Shou. The goblin growled at the boys as its body glowed a radiant white light.


    ¡°Uh, what¡¯s it doing?¡± Len pressed Shou for an answer by nudging his shoulder.


    ¡°How should I know? Like I said before, this game is as new to me as it is to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s calling its allies!¡± Aquaine answered their question as she took out a small dagger from her pocket.


    A bunch of goblins came out from hiding in the trees and surrounded the group. ¡°We have to defeat them quickly!¡± Aquaine ran straight for them, gripping her weapon tightly.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Shou called out to the NPC, extending his hand.


    The goblins began to gang up on her, slashing at her face and smashing her with clubs. Blood flew up into the sky as she cried out in pain.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Aquaine¡¯s HP: 60/200


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Shou¡¯s head fell down, ¡°Ugh, stupid AI¡­¡±


    Len clenched his teeth and violently shook his fists, ¡°Those damned goblins¡­Just who do they think they are anyway?! Hurting poor Aquaine like that!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­enemy monsters?¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t stand for it!¡± Len rushed in, slicing through the goblins with the ferocity of a lion.


    One by one, the monsters started to dissolve as Len continued slashing away. One goblin¡¯s fist whizzed right past Len¡¯s face. ¡°Whew, that was a close one,¡± he said, proud that he was able to dodge the blow.


    Shou ran forward as well, swinging his blade down at the goblins. Blood dripped down from his sword to the floor as another goblin vanished.


    A pop-up suddenly appeared in front of Len as he was swinging his sword around.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sword Skill Lv. 5!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Rad, I just raised my sword skill.¡± He turned to Shou, ¡°Hey Shou, cover me for a while. There¡¯s this really cool skill I want to try out.¡±


    Shou nodded as his sword sliced through yet another goblin, ¡°No prob, go for it dude.¡±


    ¡°Sweet, thanks man!¡± Len backed away from the goblins and pulled up his menu.


    ¡°Alright, there it is.¡±


    He clicked the accept button and equipped his new skill. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m locked and loaded!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that phrase really fits here¡­¡± Shou said as he continued to kill goblin after goblin.


    ¡°Eh, whatever. Anyway, check this out!¡± Len activated his skill and white sparks began to travel across his sword. ¡°Energy Eruption!¡± Len stabbed his blade into the ground and a wide circle encased all of the goblins in it.


    A white beam of energy erupted from inside the circle. Shou¡¯s eyes widened at the sight before he had to shut them from the intensely blinding light.


    Once the beam had close up, only a few goblins were left with a few measly points of health.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou¡¯s ATK +15


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou¡¯s SPD +10


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Len¡¯s ATK +15


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Len¡¯s DEF +10


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°So, what do ya think? Pretty neat, huh?¡± Len smirked as he rested his sword on his shoulders.


    ¡°Super neat!¡± Shou shouted in amazement. ¡°How did you learn it? What level does your sword skill have to be at?! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!¡±


    ¡°Now now, young one. A wise warrior never reveals his secrets.¡±


    ¡°Nobody says that¡­¡±


    Len chuckled a bit, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just messin¡¯ with ya anyway. Your sword skill has to be at level five to learn it. But I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to, Shou.¡±


    Shou blinked, ¡°Huh? Why not?¡±


    ¡°Your intelligence stat is too low. It needs to be at least one-hundred.¡±


    Shou clicked his tongue, ¡°Damn, so I have to raise my intelligence up to one-hundred before I can get it?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡±


    The young warrior¡¯s head fell down in dejection, ¡°I want my own AOE sword skill¡­¡±


    ¡°Then study up my friend,¡± Len laughed as he ruffled Shou¡¯s hair around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to study! This isn¡¯t school, damn it!¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± Len said as if suddenly remembering something. ¡°How is your HP Shou? I had you fighting those goblins by yourself for a little while after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s go-¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Shou¡¯s HP: 10/50 [window]


    Just as Shou was about to say ¡°good¡±, he noticed the unfortunate truth. ¡°Yeah, I need a potion¡­¡±


    [window] Len¡¯s HP: 20/50


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry about it buddy. I need one too.¡± Len pulled up his inventory and scrolled through his list of items. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see here. Now, where are they?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Groove Miester''s Inventory</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Bronze Sword (Equipped)</td>


    <td>Galvanian Armor (Equipped)</td>


    <td>Boots (Equipped)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Boar Meat (x5)</td>


    <td>Goblin Meat (x10)</td>


    <td>Wooden Club (x5)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Oh¡­shit.¡±


    ¡°Len? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing much¡­I just forgot to bring along any potions is all.¡±


    ¡°Oh okay,¡± Shou answered, not really understanding the situation due to Len¡¯s nonchalant attitude about it. Then, ¡°WHAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT?!?!?!?!?¡±


    Shou grabbed Len by his shoulders and started violently shaking him back and forth. ¡°What do you mean you forgot to bring any potions along?!¡±


    ¡°Just what I said, haha¡­ha¡­¡±


    Shou just sighed as he let go of Len¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Idiot.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got some right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course, I do,¡± Shou crossed his arms and nodded profoundly.


    ¡°See, then we¡¯re good, so no need to stress ourselves over it.¡±


    ¡°Guess not.¡± Shou pulled up his own inventory menu and scrolled through his items.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Jiran''s Iventory</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Bronze Sword (Equipped)</td>


    <td>Battle Cloak (Eqipped)</td>


    <td>Boots (Eqipped)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Goblin Meat (x5)</td>


    <td>Wooden Club (x2)</td>


    <td>Bronze Arrows (x15)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­Hey Len?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Shou?¡±


    ¡°Start stressing out.¡±


    ¡°Idiot.¡±


    Shou laughed awkwardly while rubbing the back of his head, ¡°Well, guess we''ll just have to get out of this forest as fast as we can and avoid confrontation with any enemies.¡±


    ¡°Seems so. Let¡¯s get a move on then.¡±


    And so the boys along with Aqauine headed further into the forest, where they reached a very pressing obstacle. A giant Orc was in their way, a large battle-ax in hand. But even so, they managed to sneak past it and were standing right in front of the entrance to the next part of the forest.


    The real issue that they were facing was the notification that they got when they tried to continue on.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Entrance locked. Orc blocks your way.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>