《Elutheria: Adventures of a Recluse》 Prologue Suppose thatsomeone plays Beethoven¡¯s Moonlignt Sonata on the piano. He recites it perfectly except for a single note, during which his finger slips and presses the wrong key. Is the song that he just played still Moonlight Sonata? Yes? Then, how many notes can he get wrong until it isn¡¯t?
A sickly pallid light illuminated the room. Miles stared intently at the source as he felt his heart beginning to flutter. The technicians had done a fine job of installing this beast, and he had to go through comparatively little setup in order to tame it. Soon, he¡¯d be in a world that defied imagination. Soon, he would step into his CCR Gennesi. Miles had been saving the bulk of his paychecks for what felt like eons. He resisted the temptation to buy other models from shoddier companies. The hype surrounding CCR¡¯s next product had been too good to pass up. Not to mention that he wasn¡¯t sure if VR equipment would granthim the same effects if it was a different brand. Man, I feel bad for anyone tall enough to to need this thing custom ordered. The full-body model was expensive enough as it is. I ain¡¯t sayin she a gold digger...hmm hmmhmm hm hmmmm...ahh, fuck, where¡¯s the manual? After scooting around in a few circles, Miles spotted his booklet and picked it back up. He flipped over to the next page and nearly hyperventilated. The time had come to enter the machine. He had only a few steps left before the big payoff. His excitement belied his careful movements as he crept intothecylindrical marvel. The intended reclined position was easy to get used to and he found himself already comfortable as he closed the ventilated hatch. Followingsome clicks and whirs, the machine gave a faithful ding and a generic sounding voiceplayed from the speaker.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Hello! Welcome to CCR¡¯s voice recognition program. We will be building a vocal profile for you. When you are ready, you will be reading a passage from Lewis Caroll¡¯s ¡°Alice¡¯s Adventures in Wonderland¡±. Please remove as much ambient noise from your environment as possible and press Next to begin. The hatch door which doubled as a touchscreen monitor displayed the Next prompt. Miles tapped it and then read until his throatwas nearly hoarse before the familiarding sounded again. Thank you! A profile has been assembled for your account. We will now play you a sample and you can decide whether to proceed or try again...Hello, my name is Miles.Was that good? He had never found something so impressive and disturbing at the same time. It was as accurate as accurate could be. MIles clicked the Yes option and was surprised to see another prompt. We see that you have Elutheria installed on your Gennesi. Would you like your vocal profile to be added to the NPC pool for this game? Clicking No will not affect your experience. He hadn¡¯t even started the game yet and the devs had left a surprise. Although the more he thought about it, the more it made sense, if the scope of the world was anything like what RedSoft had promised. And hell, being a part of the game actually sounded awesome. It didn¡¯t take Miles long to recover from his bewilderment and select Yes. Your CCR Gennesi is now ready to play. Please make sure your CCR Go Visor is plugged securely into the port above you. Do not disconnect while you allow the Go to bring you to a state of rest. Thank you for choosing CCR - we¡¯re realizing unity one step at a time. Miles had already attached his Go to the port beforehand. He adjusted its cord to drop down to eye level and put it on over his head. This was it. Finally. Just moments away now. He couldn¡¯t contain himself. ¡±GOA STARTTO!!!¡± Nothing happened. Thank Christ no one can hear me. ¡±...Go Start.¡± Chapter 1 Laughter? Who are they...? Could something have happened? They won¡¯t stop...it keeps getting louder... Ahh, it¡¯s me.
A vast expanse. The floor was a deep midnight blue, deep enough that it tricked the eyes into mistaking it for black if one stared long enough. What really domineered attention, however, was the cyan grid pattern that cut across the floor. Impossibly and expertly precise cuts bleeding neon into the horizon. Stretching out until the curvature of the ground obscured any further view. Miles stared at the floor for an embarrassingly long time before snapping out of his stupor. This is...the loading screen? No, probably the character select screen. Huh. These days it¡¯s popular for an AI to assist you and answer questions about the game. So, where¡¯s the expertly crafted cute girl waiting to help me out? Miles turned around to find a bulbous, gangly jester looming over him. ¡°FUCK ME, REDSOFT!¡± His outburst was met with great mirth by the imposing nightmare fuel. ¡°I assume this means you wouldn¡¯t like the profanity filter to be turned on? Ah, where are my manners? I am the Amalgamate. A pleasure.¡± It gave an unnaturally fluid bow, and the theater mask covering its face broke out into a gleeful smile. Its hunched posture allowed Miles to notice that multiple masks wrapped around the entirety of its head, hiding any features from view. Its voice sounded like many people talking at once, a hodgepodge of all genders and ages melding into a single paradoxically soothing frequency. The Amalgamate completed its gesture by spinning its wrist around several times as a flourish. Before Miles could cringe at this he realized that its joints were entirely detached from each other, separated by a few centimeters of thin air. ¡°Jesus, the developers must be having a giggle imagining the reactions you¡¯re getting out of new players...oh, wait, do you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. I wouldn¡¯t be very helpful if I wasn¡¯t aware that we were inside a game. Though, I¡¯d be a little more careful discussing such things with other NPCs.¡± Miles¡¯ eyes widened a little. ¡°Really? Are they that advanced...?¡± He found his gaze wandering off towards the distance again. ¡°Say, if I ran away in that direction as fast as possible, what would happen?¡± The Amalgamate responded with a mischievous chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d end up running right back into me.¡± This made Miles break out into a weary smile. He laughs like it¡¯s happened before... ¡°Soaside from sadism, why not just give the room walls?¡± ¡°An astute question. That would be because it¡¯s used to help render draw distances before you begin your game. Of course, you can opt to load straight in, but the graphics would take some time to adjust. Do you have any more questions before we start character selection?¡± Miles shook his head and the Amalgamate briskly clapped itshands, separating them in a ¡°Ta-da!¡± fashion. ¡°Then, without any further ado, let us take your first step into conquering the world of Elutheria!¡± Conquering? That¡¯s a bit over the top... A cylinder of translucent light sprouted up in front of Miles. In it, he found the spitting image of himself staring back at him. ¡°Because you own the Gennesi hardware, a full-body scan has been prepared for you. You may use this model as a base or start from scratch when creating your hero.¡± ¡°Just to confirm, I can only pick the race of Human, right?¡± LIfting one finger up to its mask and tilting its head, the Amalgamate cooed, ¡°My, you¡¯re well informed, aren¡¯t you? That is correct. It¡¯s uncommon for a demihuman to be integrated within society in the world of Elutheria. As such, Human is the sole starting race of all players. Although a racial change is not out of the question, provided you meet the right conditions.¡± Miles turned his attention back to the hologram, eyeing himself up and down. ¡°Ehh...would it be possible to ask for general changes instead of tweaking them manually?¡± The Amalgamate stood up as straight as an arrow for the first time, casting its slender hands into the air. ¡°Certainly! It would be my pleasure to sculpt your immaculate body with my own hands, O Adventurer!¡± I¡¯m doing it myself. I¡¯m definitely doing it myself no matter what.
After about 15 minutes of fiddling, everything was satisfactory enough for Miles. It more or less looked like him but with muscles and a slightly darker complexion.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Alright, this should be fine.¡± The Amalgamate stood at his side, hands clasped behind its back. It responded with an, ¡°Ah.¡± What? Do you disapprove or something? ¡°Then the next matter at hand is the allocation of your stats.¡± It gave a fanciful flick, prompting a screen to appear next to Miles¡¯ avatar.
Remaining points: 49 Strength: 0 Governs damage dealt with STR based weapons. Also affects raw unarmed power. Dictates your capabilities in pushing, pulling, swimming, etc. Gain certain Martial Arts at higher levels. Dexterity: 0 Governs damage dealt with DEX based weapons. Also affects weapon handling. Dictates your sleight of hand and lockpicking capabilities. Gain certain Martial Arts at higher levels. Agility: 0 Governs damage dealt with thrown and ranged weapons. Also affects your reflexes. Dictates your stealth and movement capabilities. Gain certain Martial Arts at higher levels. Fortitude: 0 Governs stamina recovery and equip load. Also affects hit stun. Dictates the effectiveness of potions. Gain certain Martial Arts at higher levels. Intelligence: 0 Governs your aptitude in Thaumaturgy. Dictates your ability to understand different languages and texts, as well as detect certain traps. Opens up dialogue options with NPCs. Gain increased knowledge of magic at higher levels. Perhaps even forbidden secrets... Faith: 0 Governs your aptitude in Divination. Dictates the effectiveness of spell buffs and debuffs. Allows for special bonuses if sworn to a deity. Gain increased favor in magic at higher levels. Perhaps even a miracle... Charisma: 0 Governs your aptitude in character interaction. Dictates your ability to bluff and intimidate. Also increases relations with merchants. Opens up dialogue options with NPCs. Gain certain charms and creature affinities at higher levels.
Forty-nine? The OCD in me is screaming - ah, I get it. If I wanted a balanced build, everything would start at 7. Miles squinted and read over the description for each stat again. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing which of these increases my health...?¡± ¡°That would be because HP, MP, and Stamina are determined by level. You are given the option to increase one of the three upon leveling up.¡± ¡°Oh, interesting. Mm...is it okay if I ask how many stat points I can have total?¡± ¡°Absolutely, my dear. I will answer your question twofold.¡± The Amalgamate twisted its neck to display two masks at once as it said this. ¡°First and foremost, the hard cap for each stat is 100 points. Incidentally, you are required to have a minimum of 1 in all fields. Second, the overall Levelcap in Elutheria is 200. After reaching Level5, there are breakpoints at every 15th Levelwhere you will receive 5 stat points instead of 1, for a total of 300.¡± ¡°I-I see. So, err...that means I can only max out two of my stats at best, right? Am I allowed to respec?¡± ¡°Certainly, although it will come at a price.¡± For some reason, Miles felt a second smile breaking out behind the porcelain mask¡¯s eerie grin. He envisioned angry parents around the world scrawling letters over this thing traumatizing their kids. Maybe he should go check out some gaming forums after making his character. His character...wait, what kind of build did he want? In MMOs, he usually went for an off-tank hybrid, something that could dabble in multiple roles but didn¡¯t put too much pressure on him as the focal point of the team. However, his memories brought him back to the retro games of ages long passed...decades ago, before RedSoft had its merger to become the gaming giant it was today...and the series of games made by one of its child companies. Archaic as they were, he found himself charmed when he played through them. Interpreting the lore, exploring the nooks and crannies of the world, and, of course... Smashing things with a fuck-off massive club.
Remaining points: 0 Strength: 15 Dexterity: 7 Agility: 1 Fortitude: 14 Intelligence: 10 Faith: 1 Charisma: 1
Assuming the devs intended 7 to be the average starting stat, this seemed decently balanced. Miles figured it was good enough to wield a relatively large weapon from the get-go. As for Intelligence, the explanation regarding understanding texts was concerning. He would hate not being able to pour through any lore. The devs¡¯ claims of Elutheria¡¯s rich and expansive world was mostly what garnered his interest in the first place. He clicked Finalize to save his changes. ¡°Before we move on any further, would you like an explanation regarding classes and jobs?¡± He had completely forgotten about his class. Miles gave a quick nod. ¡°Excellent! I just love the curious type...well, this may come as a shock, but you won¡¯t be picking a class before entering the world of Elutheria. All players start out as a Commoner. At every starting town there are several buildings wherein you may learn a basic class. Soldiers¡¯ barracks for warriors, churches for priests and clerics; and so on. For those willing to think outside the box, there are classes that can be earned through special means. To this end, classes come with their own rarity: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Hybrid, and Legendary. Each class has a leveling system, with most going up to 20. Your first class is free, but any subsequent class changes will cost a sizable fee. As for jobs-¡° ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough, I¡¯ll learn about jobs later.¡± The Amalgamate responded with a haughty chuckle, leaning backwards until its spine folded in on itself. It fell silent in that exact position and murmured, ¡°Eager, are we?¡± Please, God, tell me this isn¡¯t a monster in-game... ¡°Alright, then.¡± It righted itself in a way that spat in the face of physics. ¡°Now, you have only to fret over your starting town. Fast traveling will not be easily available at Level 1, so please take this into careful consideration. Within the continent of Ta¡¯Locriel, there are three countries that you may select. As for the number of cities...¡± Miles flashed the first genuine grin since he had booted up the game. ¡°Easy choice. Take me to the place that has the largest library.¡± Chapter 2 Miles found himself staring a stone ceiling. He instinctively felt around for his bearings, gripping each side of the grey slab upon which he laid. Propping himself up, he saw that a priest was kneeling only a few feet away from him. Revived at an altar, just like what the Amalgamate told me. ¡°Ah!¡± The priest snapped up after registering that Miles was shuffling around. ¡°Thank goodness! I had almost taken you for a dead man! You were left in dire straights, my child! I know not of what circumstances you were in, but suffice to say that whoever did it had it out for you! O, Astra, I thank you for your blessings that you have bestowed upon this boy! O, for all life is precious, is it not? O joy, O, bountiful joy...¡± This room is probably instanced. Otherwise I¡¯d have five people spawned on top of me right now. And I can¡¯t see past the shrine¡¯s entrance... ¡°...O precious joy, O sacred joy, O sweet merciful splendor!!! My child, my dear blessed child, will you not tell me your name? I will commit it to memory, so long as I live, for no one graced by Astra¡¯s love is not worth remembering...¡± From what it mentioned, there¡¯s no such thing as a main questline. So even if this guy gives me a quest, it won¡¯t really be important. Alright, let¡¯s get going. ¡°...Eh, is something the matter, young one? My name is Mathias, please do tell me if you¡¯re in need of something. Perhaps I should fetch a jug of water? Are you too parched to speak? Mother always told me that water cleanses the body of wicked spirits. Yes, dear mother, though she passed eight summers ago I can still feel her watchful presence o¡¯er me...¡± Yikes, how many lines of code did they sink into this nutjob? Miles slowly rose up and sauntered over to the stone columns adjacent to the slab he had been sitting on. A soft wall of light coated the exit to the shrine. He walked slowly forward, piercing the veil¡¯s gentle embrace... ¡°Could-could it be?! Goddess above, this boy is a mute! Astra, bless his deformed vocal cords! Exact divine prominence o¡¯er his wilted throat, crushed by malicious demons! O, cruel silence! O, disability! O...¡±
The town of Cantor, located within the Free State of Hiramis. Although quite modest in size, it served two very distinct purposes. The first was as a stopping point between the coastal town Pharros and the fortress-city Risend. The second was as one of the more bountiful sources of knowledge within all of Ta¡¯Locriel. Kos Library, named after the God of Wisdom, housed tomes ranging from cookbooks to timeworn esoterica. Walled off by the coast to the east and Risend to the southwest, the town naturally found itself enjoying relative peace. It had become a respite for scholars for quite some time, even beckoning the occasional traveler from outside kingdoms. Or something like that, anyway... Miles held his hand up to his forehead to block a bit of sunlight. He was on a grassy knoll that overlooked the majority of the town. It was a breathtaking sight, with almost too much greenery to take in. Did the world really used to be like this? A gust of wind swept up and brushed his chest, and that was when he realized. The feeling. The tactile sensations in this game were unlike any other he had experienced. They were so lifelike that he hadn¡¯t even registered this fact until now. He felt that he had gotten his money¡¯s worth, then and there. He tried to let the feeling sit with him, but it only made him all the more anxious to make his way down to the library and start reading. He noticed a dozen or so people were scattered around the shrine, all wearing the same basic starting clothes. Some were talking amongst themselves and others looked like they were checking their menus. This realization prompted his quick menu to come up, which told him that he had a notification. That can wait, though. Miles made a beeline for the market block. From what he could see, the library was situated at its end. None of the players were paying him any mind as he briskly walked down the trodden path. He passed a few pitiful looking houses before arriving at the front end of the produce section. Miles looked around to get his bearings. It wasn¡¯t terribly active, so he wouldn¡¯t have to push his way past throngs of people to get where he was going. His gaze stopped at one of the stands to his left, which had a player leaning against it, much to the chagrin of the stand owner. The dude had removed his shirt for some reason. Miles accidentally locked eyes with him for a second and, as if waiting for that signal, he started walking over.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Fuck. ¡°Yo, dawg, you finna party up? Some mad shit¡¯s goin on in the forest-¡° Yeah, no. Mute. Miles tried his best to continue on and ignore the player, who was now pantomiming a lumbering beast. He made a few more vague and exaggerated motions before giving the perfectly understandable gesture of flipping the bird and returning to leaning against his stand. Now throwing more cautious glances at his surroundings, Miles saw that there were several buildings that served as shops in addition to the stands that had been set up. There were also some empty stands, as well as a fair amount of space left wide open. He had heard that RedSoft wanted to allow players to adopt playstyles that had little to do with combat if they so chose. Although even he couldn¡¯t see himself being something like a full-time librarian in this game. And, speak of the devil, there it was. The Kos Library. It was only one story tall, but its width usurped that of the street behind him. It wasn¡¯t much longer than it was wide. Though this meant that many real life libraries easily dwarfed it, the amount of information inside had to be a landmark in gaming. Surely it wasn¡¯t all written from scratch by the devs? Was some of it generated by an algorithm? Or written by NPCs? Wait, would those two even be different? Miles¡¯ head was swimming as he stiffly shuffled inside. The smell of old parchment hit him like a truck - the smells, too, were of a class all their own in this game - and he breathed a sigh of relief. He saw more than enough bookshelves to satisfy his doubts. Even if they were all pitifully short, he would be here for a while. He began walking up to the help desk but halted just as quickly. Curiously enough, the librarian wasn¡¯t there. Maybe they were out? Or maybe this place didn¡¯t even have one? He imagined a library that was maintained by magic. Stocked via magic. Organized via magic. Wringing people of their late fees via magic. Putting that aside, he observed that the interior currently had little patrons to speak of. There were no players whatsoever and four or so NPCs from what he could tell. Wasn¡¯t this a crossroads of the academics? Well, it was a game after all, and perhaps this was a slow day. Miles walked over to a shelf and thumbed through a few spines before settling on his pick. He trudged over to a chair and sheepishly looked around. Well, the game hasn¡¯t told me that I can¡¯t do it yet. At worst I¡¯ll get scolded by the librarian when they come back. He opened to the first page of A Brief History of Ta¡¯Locriel.
Miles fought the urge to slam the book shut once he finished. He instead set it gingerly in front of him. How could he describe it? This was...this was... Fucking sick! It wasn¡¯t as lengthy as an actual book. It was akin to a novella, and that was perfectly fine by him. He was sure that most other writings wouldn¡¯t have quite the word count, but there was more than enough here to satisfy his world building itch. He quickly gathered a small pile and returned to his desk. This was his fortress now; the covers his walls, and the chapters his garrison. As he was dismantling the first few pages of Druidic Orders of Southern Vriyus, a girl approached him from the side. ¡°Ah, excuse me. I was wondering if you¡¯ve seen someone lately?¡± Huh? Seems like an NPC. ¡°Well, the thing is...I¡¯m an aide, and - goodness, I must be a terrible bother.¡± She looks bookish. Oh, shit, write that down for later. ¡°...I can see that you¡¯re busy. Please excuse me, terribly sorry.¡± Miles, live at the Apollo. The young girl scampered off around the corner as Miles continued to pat himself on the back to a disgusting degree. Following a few more seconds of wankery, he resumed his studies. One book turned into several, which in turn birthed several more, as each one brought up a subject for which the library housed more information. How long had he been at it? He was several steps past keeping track. Thanks to the time dilation of being in a semi-conscious state when using advanced VR equipment, an hour spent in-game was only worth 20 minutes in the outside world. Time pressed on and folded into itself. Long, longer, and longer still. Although eye strain wasn¡¯t really a thing here, Miles could feel weariness beginning to set in. He briefly considered that it may be good to stop here - and then the girl approached him again. ¡°I-I¡¯m very sorry, but you see, I can¡¯t find Miss Dromond anywhere! I¡¯m her aide and she hasn¡¯t shown up for quite some time! It¡¯s really perplexing! She would never neglect her duties to maintain the library! And what if she¡¯s in trouble and what if I¡¯m in trouble for not knowing what to do if she¡¯s in trouble or what if there¡¯s no trouble at all and this is a test and I failed but if it isn¡¯t then something might be wrong andIdon¡¯tknowwhattodoand aaaahhh!!!¡± The girl covered her mouth in a flash and turned red hot. An elderly man in the distance coughed. She managed to barely squeak out a ¡°sorry¡± before power walking away. Miles blinked a few times and then realized that he now had two notifications.
Common Quest: Merciful Mother Mathias would like for you to meet him at the Shrine of Astra.
Common Shared Quest: The Absent Librarian A noble custodian has gone missing. What could be the cause?
Eh, it can wait. Miles logged off. Chapter 3 The level of sound at your average library has been measured to be around 40 decibels. This is regarded as the lower limit of ambient noise within an urban area. These scenic ponds only see the occasional offending ripple; scraping chairs, stilted whispers, and papers dancing to the slow methodical beat of the inquisitive. Yet, Kos Library was even quieter than this. Music to my ears. Miles had taken a nap and gotten a bite to eat. He was ready and raring to jump back into the pace he had been maintaining earlier. I¡¯ve heard that once you get used to it, you can actually sleep in your Gennesi and keep playing. Wonder how long that¡¯ll take. The matter of time brought his attention to the in-game clock. It had been more than a full day since he had logged off. Shit! Of course that would be the case at 3x speed. That¡¯s frustrating...an entire day of progress...but I guess everyone has to get back to their lives at some point. Still, any extra hours spent here are a real advantage. He didn¡¯t dwell on it for much longer. If he was a hardcore PvPer or aiming to be in a top guild, it might have permanently raised his blood pressure a little. But he was satisfied with setting goals one step at a time. Combat and exploration certainly weren¡¯t unappealing, but the world would be waiting for him all the same if he spent a few more days digesting some pages. Miles peeked around to get a look at the help desk and saw that it was still vacant. The sight of it jostled his memory. Wasn¡¯t there something he had been meaning to check? Ah, right! He pulled up his Active Quests tab and saw what he had skimmed through earlier. The Absent Librarian was labeled as a Shared Quest. What did that mean, exactly? Miles tried to recall everything he read online about Elutheria... It was a game that screamed ambition, aiming to be a forerunner in the ongoing field of immersive VR experiences. The developers had acquired funding from various governments in exchange for sharing its innovations in AI. They meticulously hand-crafted a living, breathing world, and then subsequently left it to its own devices. NPCs were not hard-locked to a particular role. An innkeeper could take up arms as a guardsman. If a king died he would be replaced with another. Gaining experience wasn¡¯t out of the question. Given the right circumstances, they could even go so far as to turn to evil. Monsters, too, were able to level up if they bested one too many opponents. Continuous evolution could lead to a level of intelligence rivaling that of NPCs. All of it being overseen by a few AI ¡°directors¡± that worked in tandem with the devs to ensure that bugs were squashed and problematic mechanics were balanced. Other than that, they were totally laissez-faire. RedSoft had hinted at something like an endgame, but they were needlessly cryptic about it. Their only statement wasa taunt that it was possible that no player would be up to the challenge. And that was roughly the extent of what he had learned. Miles had only purveyed two articles before making a solemn vow that he wouldn¡¯t subject himself to spoilers. It had paid off in spades so far; he only hoped that he wouldn¡¯t run into something too obtuse to be understood by the Help menu. Which, incidentally, he opened.
Shared Quests A Shared Quest has an objective that is available to multiple players, but may only be completed by one player (or party). Completing the Quest first will net you full rewards, while others may receive partial rewards depending on the nature of the Quest and/or their level of participation. Shared Quests marked with a number are Limited; this indicates the remaining number of players (or parties) that may accept it before it is no longer available.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Well, that makes sense. No wonder people are absent from the library. They must be trying to complete the Quest first. In fact, they probably received it as soon as they investigated the help desk... Miles hunched over as if winded by a blow. He let his fingertips run over his face and dig into his hair. I knew it. I can¡¯t measure up to other players. They¡¯re all...complete idiots! Throwing back his head, he cackled, ¡°What, did you think you couldn¡¯t read because you didn¡¯t have a membership card?! This is why you need to think more like a leech!¡± He wriggled his fingers for a few seconds before wiping his expression clean and returning to a normal posture. I¡¯ve always wanted to make a scene at a library. Well, their decision makes sense. Any other game wouldn¡¯t let you touch the books in this scenario. Plus they must all be enticed by the quest reward. I doubt it¡¯s anything great with a Common rarity and no player limit though. I should enjoy this peace while I can- ¡°Young man!¡± Miles reflexively tilted sideways at a 45 degree angle. His head swiveled towards a senior in fanciful robes giving him a nasty look. ¡°I said, young man!¡± What¡¯s with all the NPCs approaching me? ¡°I¡¯d like to remind you to respect the etiquette of this institution! Madam Dromond may not be present, but we should still follow her wishes in good faith!¡± Miles promptly got up and walked to the opposite end of the room. ¡°Why, I never! I¡¯ll have words with Nancibel about this!¡± You¡¯re being louder than I am... Miles nestled into a more inconspicuous position and carried on with some literature fresh off the shelves. Hours began whittling away just the same as before. The brightness within the library essentially never changed thanks to the fact that it relied on lanterns rather than natural lighting, contributing to the ease of losing oneself within. Nevertheless, since his binge session hadn¡¯t lasted nearly as long as last time, he was aware that it was the dead of night when the front door crept open. Three players in piecemeal armor stepped into view. ¡°See,¡± the middle one commented, ¡°Normally it would be closed at these hours. This has to be a part of the event. I bet we¡¯ll find something if we looknow.¡± This prompted his partners to glance around the area. One of them spotted Miles and tapped the others on the shoulder. Their tone became notably more hushed as they briefly leaned into each other before splitting up and beginning their search. Someone who may or may not have been a wizard strolled in Miles¡¯ general direction. He halted near the exact center of the west wing and held out his hand. ¡°[Detect Trap Door].¡± Miles felt the man¡¯s eyes flickering over him as he cast the spell. He then dropped his hand and made his way to the north wing. Guess they don¡¯t trust me. That¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not interested in the reward anyway. The trio convened at the help desk after approximately 20 minutes of snooping. Hecould barelymake out something like ¡°let¡¯s discuss the results later¡± being murmured as they left. Mm, abilities seem pretty useful. Maybe I should check my stats soon...what¡¯s this? Eelmoth Slime: Potent Aphrodisiac or Dangerous Narcotic? No fuckin way, this is a must-read...
Miles had set aside a small pile of books which contained information that he couldn¡¯t decipher. Some had a few gibberish paragraphs while others eluded him even down to the title. Leiland the Explorer, Secrets of Pharros, The Pursuit of the Alkahest...he¡¯d have to make a mental checklist of these. Once he went to the loading screen or the CCR Live hub, he could access utilities like the note app. His contemplations were interrupted by the door opening once more. Beams of sunlight swept the floor as the librarian¡¯s aide stepped into view. She looked downtrodden, taking a few minutes to notice Miles¡¯ presence. Her face lit up a little when she saw him. Miles checked her approach by shielding his view with a hardback. Sorry, maybe later- eh? He put the book back down. Something had popped up in front of him.
You have been auto-assigned a class due to fulfilling certain conditions.
UncommonClass: Recluse Traits Atrophy Strength is effectively reduced by 50% (rounded up to the nearest whole). Niche Interests Intelligence is effectively increased by 50% (rounded up to the nearest whole). Socially Maladjusted Building intimacy with NPCs is significantly harder than normal. Additional skills and spells may be found in your menu.
Chapter 4 Miles stared blankly at the notification. This is a joke, right? What the hell? Are the devs watching me? Do they know me? Fuck. Fuck! He impulsively tightened his grip, then spread his palms across the desk. No, that wouldn¡¯t make sense. Maybe an AI would be able to keep track of me, but I¡¯m sure they¡¯re focused on maintenance. If I think about it...I haven¡¯t said a word to a single person since I first spawned. But a class for not interacting with anyone? In an MMO? RedSoft has a twisted sense of humor. The grain of the wooden bookcases around him slowly warped into a deep vortex as he was dragged further inwards by his thoughts. The traits reek of derision, too. My Strength is cut in half but my Intelligence isn¡¯t increased by twofold, and that last one sounds like it might ruin the point of having any Charisma. It isn¡¯t a fair tradeoff at all! The Amalgamate said that a class change would cost a lot of money. I¡¯m stuck with this deal for God knows how long. So much for the build I was planning on. Should I...should I just delete my character? He bit his lip and focused. But the devs wouldn¡¯t create a useless class, right? No, there¡¯s no way they would. This might be worth it in the long run. And honestly, the build I was envisioning before is something I¡¯ve never strayed far away from. I rarely use magic when I play RPGs. Maybe I¡¯m due for a change of pace. Yeah, I should just roll with it. Plus...it still feels like they¡¯re mocking me! Miles took a deep breath and sprung up from his chair. He puffed out his chest and confidently (but not too loudly) asserted, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go! I¡¯m turning a new leaf! I¡¯ll be the most helpful soul who¡¯s ever walked the earth! You hear that, RedSoft? You can¡¯t keep me down!¡± His mind immediately jumped to the librarian¡¯s aide. She already had relatively good relations with him, so he should get started on that quest pronto. He hustled straight up to her and put on his best dashing smirk. ¡°Excuse me, miss...erm, I haven¡¯t asked your name, but uhh. Well, I¡¯ve been quite rude and I just thought - I mean, I¡¯ve been thinking - ahem. When was the last time you saw your boss? Mrs Drummer?¡± She glanced up at him with cold, disdainful eyes and flatly stated, ¡°Oh? Did I tell you something like that? I don¡¯t recall you saying anything in return. Get out of my sight, you vermin.¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa? Isn¡¯t that a little over the top?! I¡¯m telling you that I want to help here!¡± ¡°You can locate Ms Dromond on your own. Maybe you¡¯ll find your spine while you¡¯re at it. You scum.¡± Miles tightened his hands into claws and leaked out a half-pissed chuckle. ¡°Do you have any right to treat a player like this? You¡¯re just a character in a game, you know? This is all made up, and you¡¯ve been put here to help people like me...¡± The girl turned to fully face him for the first time. She adorned a chipper smile and adjusted her glasses, replying, ¡°Are you saying that this world was conjured by someone else? This world in which the sensations feel real, the sounds vibrate through your skull, and your meals taste genuine? Is that the case? Then where is the evidence that your world, the supposedly real one, isn¡¯t also a falsification? You¡¯re telling me that such a simulation makes sense to you, but you have the hubris to claim that you exist outside of any simulations yourself? Without a doubt in your mind? What about when you go to bed at night? You¡¯re certain that your dreams are not, in fact, you visiting the true world for the most fleeting of moments? Better yet, can you tell me you¡¯re really awake after you¡¯ve gotten up in the morning? What if you fell into a deep and terrible dream, ages ago, one that you¡¯ve never escaped from? Oh, but that would be a rude thing to suggest, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± She gave a polite bow and walked away.
The Absent Librarian has been abandoned because your intimacy with Nancibel has fallen too low. You are no longer welcome at Kos Library until The Absent Librarian has been resolved.
Miles walked outside and quietly took a seat in the grass. I should never mention that again.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. He decided it was time to look at the character attributes he hadn¡¯t yet learned about.
Traits Thick Skin Resist 10% damage from blunt attacks and 5% damage from slashing attacks. (Req: 10 FTD)
Skills Eidetic Memory (Level 1) You may select up to 10 pages from any number of books and save them to your profile. These pages can be viewed via your Skills tab. (Req: Recluse, 8 INT)
Spells Ember [Costs 20 MP] Conjure a small spark of flame, dealing minor Fire damage over time. (Req: 10 INT) Harassment [Costs 10 MP] Deliver unsavory words to a target, inflicting negligible Psychic damage and stunning it for a brief period. (Req: Recluse, 15- CHR, vocal catalyst) Squalor [Costs 35 MP] Choose a target; reduce one of its stats by 33% (rounded up) for 30 seconds. Cooldown time of one minute. (Req: Recluse, 15 INT)
I have to admit this is a little interesting, but isn¡¯t it still underpowered? I¡¯m basically just a single-target debuffer. And the debuff might be nice if I pick the right stat, but it¡¯s a total crapshoot. Wait, does that say 15 INT? So I get early access to abilities, not just a flat stat boost? I could have better potential within only a few levels, then... He scrunched up his nose and lightly slapped his face with both hands. Don¡¯t give in, Miles! If you assist someone in public it might raise your standing with the whole town. You¡¯re going to help the next person that¡¯s in need, even if they reject you ten times over! Grit your teeth and bear it! He walked up to the first stall situated in front of the library. An elderly woman was behind the counter making tiny adjustments to a full display of spectacles and jewelry. ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am, do you know if anyone-¡° ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re closed,¡± she spat out before doing an about-face and gingerly welcoming another player. Miles craned his neck and saw that two other merchants were eyeing him with looks of repulsion. Okay, screw the market for now. How ¡®bout over yonder? He walked in between two buildings and took an alleyway that funneled into the residential district. Once he was out the other side, he saw an open plot of grass cordoned off by dirt roads. One would call it a park if they were an extreme optimist. Alittle red-headed boy was slowly pacing back and forth on one of the roads. His garments were dirty but obviously a step up from lower class and he had a teddy bear practically wedged into his left side. ¡°Grandpa? Where are you, grandpa? Did I win hide-and-go-seek?¡± Jackpot. Miles made himself known in the most disarming manner imaginable and crouched down a few feet away from the child. ¡°Hello, what¡¯s your name? You can¡¯t find your grandpa?¡± In his opinion it was the finest first impression he had ever given. The kid stared at him with an expression of innocent wonder. Or was it contemplation? He planted his thumb firmly in his mouth and mumbled, ¡°Mister, you¡¯re pretty creepy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Guh... ¡°Who, me? I¡¯m just a hero who likes helping others in need! Call me whatever you like, but we should get you to your grandpa first.¡± Miles stood up, dusted off his clothes, and outstretched his hand. ¡°Friends?¡± He was then decked squarely in the crotch. The pain threshold in Elutheria was lowered significantly from that of the real world. Taking damage still felt unpleasant but it wasn¡¯t a wholly traumatic experience. That being said, the shock of what happened made Miles instinctively grab his groinand fall to the ground. The boy stretched his arms outwards and ran into another alleyway, making whoosh noises as he went. ¡°Ah, wait!¡± Miles quickly recovered and hopped up after the troublesome tyke. The boy was on the verge of darting totally out of sight as he turned several corners. Finally, he stopped at a small bridge overlooking a stream, allowing Miles to catch up. He seemed like he was momentarily distracted. ¡°Mister?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t...do that...you could...really get lost or hurt. We have to get you to your family so you¡¯re safe. You wanna see grandpa again, right?¡± ¡°But Mister, I see grandpa right over there!¡± he replied, pointing out past the bridge. Miles quickly ran up to its edge and scanned the distance, leaning forward whilecupping his eyes. ¡°What good luck! Where is he? Did you see him really far away?¡± He felt his pants dropping to his ankles. ¡°Eh?¡± The child rammed his shoulder into Miles¡¯ rear end, causing him to drop like a stone into the water below. Flailing and gargling, it took him until a Drown meter appeared in his field of vision for him to get his bearings and stand upright. As he waddled to shore, the boy scampered off in the opposite direction.
You have been afflicted with the Drenched status!
That¡¯s it, you little snot-nosed punk. I don¡¯t care if this is a game. I¡¯m going to make you scream and cry for your mommy. My revenge will be swift, and so very, VERY sweet. Ohhhhohohoho yes. You¡¯re about to rue the day you messed with me, you molecule sized piece of shit flavored garbage! Chapter 5 A dagger. A shortsword. A lesser healing potion. 10 silver coins. All contained within a minor bag of holding. Was this enough to obliterate a nine year old? I won¡¯t go as far as stabbing him. He still needs a life to regret every choice he¡¯s ever made. I don¡¯t want to be chased out of town, either. I¡¯ll try to find him for now and think about my methods later. Miles scuttled along seedy back alleys, trying his best to retrace the steps he had taken up until the bridge. He didn¡¯t have the best memory of the route, but fortunately for him, the place where he had met that youngster was a sort of intersection for Cantor¡¯s northeastern block. After hazarding a few guesses, he found his way back, crouching low and hugging one of the walls as he got closer. His decision to be cautious just in case turned out to be the correct one. The boy from earlier was smack dab in the middle of the field, spinning in drunken circles. In the same place...? ¡°Oh, grandpaaa,¡± sang the boy, ¡°Wherever did you goooo?¡± He won¡¯t be here now if he wasn¡¯t here before, you moron. Damn, I can see a few people walking around. I should wait until it¡¯s more isolated to make my strike. I hope no one else offers to help him. Or worse, his old man shows up. Commuters didn¡¯t seem to be paying the child any heed. At the most, a pair of two brusque-looking men briefly eyed him over before walking off. It seemed a tad odd, but Miles tried not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Perhaps they were programmed not to interfere in quests such as this. At any rate, he wasn¡¯t going to get distracted and let his mark elude him a second time. He sharpened his focus. At that moment, the ginger lad planted his feet in the ground and halted his twirling. Though he looked a bit woozy, he took his teddy bear and outstretched both of his arms, firmly holding it above his head. ¡°I found you, grandpa!¡± He then brought the bear close to his chest and nuzzled it. Are you shitting me? It dawned on Miles that there had probably never been a quest to collect in the first place. His thoughts blocked out various cries of ¡°Yay!¡± and ¡°I love you!¡± like a bug zapper exterminating mosquitoes. Okay. That¡¯s alright. No biggie. I¡¯ll just cut your toy. I¡¯m going to disembowel it right in front of your eyes. And then I¡¯ll shove my hand inside like a puppet and make it scream, ¡°Why did you do this to me? Whyyyy?¡± The boy flashed a proud grin and placed the bear back under his arm matter-of-factly. ¡°Alright, grandpa, let¡¯s go on another patrol!¡± He began marching off in a cartoonish fashion. Please, God, allow my meager Agility to be enough to stalk a small child. I will follow you to the ends of the earth. As long as it takes...as long as it takes...
The sun was on the verge of setting. Miles had managed to snoop far enough behind the kid to track him without arousing any suspicion. He had ventured into the outskirts of the southeastern district, which was practically a shantytown. The stream from up north had narrowed into a piddling creek that marked the border between civilization and a vast plain. Silhouettes of players could be seen far in the distance fighting what looked to be small creatures.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! I really have to question the supervision of whoever¡¯s looking after this runt. Maybe he¡¯s an orphan? He looks pretty healthy... Miles was propped up behind a shed, taking furtive glances at his surroundings. By this hour everyone was going inside their ramshackle homes. The boy was watching fireflies dance in the air with a gloomy sort of wonder on his face. After a while longer, he picked himself up and turned to head north. No one else was around. This is my chance! Say your prayers, fucker! Miles tensed up and prepared to spring from his hiding place like a malicious jack-in-the-box. Suddenly, two other boys walked out from the opposite end of the cul de sac. They were clearly older, though still in their tweens. Their confident smiles were equally matched by the younger boy¡¯s grimace. ¡°Aww, it¡¯s crybaby Willam,¡± the taller one jeered. ¡°All alone, too. Did you get lost? Shouldn¡¯t you be with that shitty old man?¡± Willam took a step back. ¡°Y-yeah. Gideon is with me right now, you just can¡¯t see him...and if - if I shout, he¡¯s gonna come running over and you¡¯re gonna get it!¡± The other bully balled up both of his hands. ¡°Not true, you liar! He¡¯s out of town right now! You better shut up and do what we say! Cause...cause if not, you¡¯re gonna...! You had better do it, alright!¡± ¡°We¡¯re gonna take your stuffed animal, Willam. You should do like Armond says and let us.¡± ¡°NOT IN A MILLION YEARS! DUMB STUPID IDIOTS!¡± Willam¡¯s voice cracked as he hugged his bear in a vice grip. The taller boy¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Hey, keep it down...!¡± He started to walk forward, but pausedand glanced to his side. Armond was reaching into his pocket. ¡°This is...this is serious, Willam. We¡¯re serious. Give it. Or else.¡± Armond produced a worn dagger with trembling hands. ¡°Wait-¡° the other boy barely had time to reprimand him before Willam stumbled backwards and turned tail at the sight of the weapon. Even with that head start, he couldn¡¯t outmatch the gait of the taller bully who had sprinted after him, and he was tackled almost instantly. Willam suffered a few punches to the face before the bear was wrestled from his grasp. The two young assailants darted off the moment they acquired it. Willam tried to give pursuit, but his balance gave way and he faceplanted into the dirt. Tears welled up in his eyes. He grabbed at his head and pulled his hair, trembling and panting, before throwing his head up in preparation fora full-blown wail. He was stopped by the sight of Miles standing in front of him. ¡°Someone¡¯s in trouble, huh?¡± Miles said disinterestedly. He started picking his nose before remembering that he didn¡¯t have boogers in this world. Willam scrunched his face up in a defiant look for all of two seconds before breaking down into sobs. ¡°P-Please,¡± he managed in between sniffling, ¡°Zach and Armond...my stuffie. Grandpa - hic - he¡¯sh gone abd I jush can¡¯d....my....bwaaauuuuughhh!!!¡±
Unique Rare Quest: Grand Theft Plushie Willam¡¯s favorite toy has been bearnapped by a couple of ruffians. See to its rescue before it¡¯s too late. Time remaining - 23:59:44
Are you for real?! Unique, doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯ll get an amazing reward? I can¡¯t believe my luck! My suffering was worth it after all! Thank you, God! Looks like I have a day to retrievehis bear...I can¡¯t waste any time! Miles bent down on one knee and put on a gentle smile. ¡°It sounds like you know those boys, right? Do you have any idea where they live? I¡¯ll teach them a lesson and get your stuffie back in no time.¡± Willam¡¯s crying quieted a little as he took a more relaxed sitting position. ¡°T...they don¡¯t really live anywhere. They usually hang out around here. Or they try to scam people by the tavern. But they - they¡¯ve never done something like this before!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, just leave it to me!¡± Willam¡¯s eyes shifted downwards. ¡°Mister...why do you wanna help me?¡± ¡°Why? Uh, well, it¡¯s like I told you. I¡¯m a hero who helps others in need!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, really! Cough - for real, I mean it. I¡¯ll beat up anything that gets in my way, too. No matter what it is.¡± Miles flexed his arm as a triumphant display and set his other hand on his bicep. ¡°That¡¯s a promise!¡±